The Staufer are one of the most significant sovereign families of the Medieval. From 1138 till 1190 the German Emperors and Kings were Staufer. Especially well-known became Emperor Frederic I. Barbarossa, 1152 – 1190. In his times the oldest love-songs – so called Minnesongs - which we know nowadays - were compiled in the flowering time of the Staufen-Classic.

The most precious treasure of the University of Heidelberg Library is the famous handwriting of the Medieval, the Codex Manesse, which was created at the beginning of the 14th century and contains the most comprehensive collection of Middle High German love song poetry and is decorated with 137 miniatures of the love poets. Staufer-Emperor Henry IV. is a special example.

With this the Codex Manesse manuscript is one of the special witnesses of Staufen-art and -culture besides the fact, that it was compiled only after the Staufer-time had already been ended. It will be presented to the public at a comprehensive exhibition of the University Library. This exhibition will be a contribution to the 625 anniversary of the Heidelberg University in 2011.