Gottfried von Neifen (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1234–1255) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Minnesänger (; "love song") was a tradition of lyric- and song-writing in Germany and Austria that flourished in the Middle High German period. This period of medieval German literature began in the 12th century and continued into the 14th. People who w ...

'' (lyric poet). Gottfried was born to an ''

Edelfrei The term ''edelfrei'' or ''hochfrei'' ("free noble" or "free knight") was originally used to designate and distinguish those Germanic noblemen from the Second Estate (see Estates of the realm social hierarchy), who were legally entitled to aton ...

'' famly of Swabia. He was associated with the court of King Henry VII of Germany (1220–1235) and is mentioned in documents between 1234 and 1255. Other poets associated with the court of Henry (VII) are

Burkhart von Hohenfels Burchard (and all variant spellings) may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Burchard (name), Burchard and all related spellings as a given name and surname * Burckhardt, or (de) Bourcard, a family of the Basel patriciate * Burchard-Bélaváry family, an ...

and

Ulrich von Winterstetten Ulrich von Winterstetten ( 1241–1280) was a German nobleman, priest and ''Minnesänger'' (lyric poet). Life Ulrich belonged to the Tanne–Waldburg family of imperial ''ministeriales'' (unfree nobility) in the Duchy of Swabia. His father was Co ...

. Gottfried's poetry falls squarely within the conventions of

courtly love Courtly love ( oc, fin'amor ; french: amour courtois ) was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing vari ...

. His language is somewhat more sensual than typical, with references to sparkling eyes (''spilnde ougen'') and red lips (''rôter munt''). He stands out, however, for his adept handling of rhyme. His form was directly influenced by the Old Occitan lyric. His lightness and verbal agility were an influence on

Konrad von Altstetten Konrad von Altstetten ( 1320–1327) was a German petty nobleman and Middle High German lyric poet in the '' Minnesang'' (courtly love) tradition. He belonged to a family of vassals of the Abbey of Saint Gall, based in Altstätten. His poetry, ...

. His verbal artistry combined with an emphasis on form over social or ethical considerations has been labelled "

mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

". The manuscript attributions to Gottfried of a few obscene songs about peasants and craftsmen are doubted by some modern scholars. Under the name ''Götfrit von Nifen'', he is represented in the 14th-century

Codex Manesse The Codex Manesse (also Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift or Pariser Handschrift) is a ''Liederhandschrift'' (manuscript containing songs), the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German ''Minnesang'' poetry, written and illustrat ...

by 51 love songs (''Minnelieder'') totaling 190 stanzas. He is also portrayed alongside his coat-of-arms in an illustration. A prolific and influential poet, his work has often been denigrated by moderns for its shallowness. The following are two excerpts from two different poems, once illustrative of his conventional poetry and the other of his "blatant use of words for the sake of words".

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