Manesse, Rüdiger of

Swiss musician. He was a knight of Zurich who, in the 13th century, started collecting the songs of the German minnesingers.

The manuscripts contain verses by as many as 140 poets from the middle of the 12th until the first half of the 14th century. These manuscripts, although not the only source for the minnesongs, are the most valuable. They are now preserved at the University of Heidelberg.