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Publications by Hammaborg Members

Talhoffers Fechtbuch – Gerichtliche und andere Zweikämpfe darstellend

Hans Talhoffer is one of the best known medieval fencing masters since more than a dozen fencing manuscripts that are connected to his name have survived the centuries. His most opulent achievement was created in the form of an illustrated volume in the year of 1467.
268 plates display an abundance of techniques of medieval combat diciplines with the customary weapons of the period, such as duels with sword, dagger, shield, axe, and club; on foot and on horseback; in and out of armour.
This reprint of a complete edition from 1887 does not only render the entirety of these plates in full detail, but offers also an essay taken from the original version about the development of the art of fencing—which clarifies how much the understanding of the medieval fencing sources has changed in the preceding 100 years.
Master Talhoffe’’s captions have been transcribed completely afresh for this new edition, and they have also been transferred into a modern German language. A brief introduction and a compact glossary complete this volume

Edited and transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn
with an essay by Gustav Hergsell
Talhoffers Fechtbuch – Gerichtliche und andere Zweikämpfe darstellend
VS Books
ISBN 978-3-932077-45-6
304 pages, 268 images, size 14,8 x 21 cm, paperback, 18,80 EUR
Website of the publishers

Dierk Hagedorn / Bartłomiej Walczak

Gladiatoria – New Haven · MS U860.F46 1450

Lost during World War II, partially retrieved, sold as individual parts at auction, scattered to the four winds, resurfaced in America: The Gladiatoria armored fencing manuscript from New Haven has experienced quite an eventful history.
This volume presents a full color reproduction of the earliest representative of the so-called Gladiatoria group—an exquisite exemplar of the highest artistic and historical value.
The accurate transcription, along with translations into modern German and English, make the Early New High German text from the beginning of the 15th century universally and easily accessible.
Anyone with a passion for medieval martial arts, weapons and armor will recognize this book as an indispensable treasure trove.
Here is a brief excerpt.

Dierk Hagedorn / Bartłomiej Walczak
Gladiatoria – New Haven · MS U860.F46 1450
VS Books
ISBN 978-3-932077-42-5

Size 16,3 x 23 cm, hardcover, 392 pages, 107 colour images, German/English edition, 44,80 EUR
Website of the publishers

Gladiatoria Cracow

Bartłomiej Walczak and Dierk Hagedorn have edited one of the finest medieval manuscripts that concentrates on harness fencing in full armour: the Gladiatoria manuscript from Cracow. The edition consists of an elaborate facsimile in a slipcase and an companion volume with an essay about this famous fechtbuch.

Bartłomiej Walczak / Dierk Hagedorn
Gladiatoria
Orbis Pictus Publishing House, 2014

Size: 198 x 208 x 25 mmm (slipcase: dimensions: 200 x 210 x 30 mm), number of folios: 59, paper: pergamenata, Binding: Red leather, gold embossing, hand sewn
Website of the publishers

A Falchion / Langes Messer Fencing Treatise by Johannes Lecküchner (1482)

Lecküchner’s Langes Messer treatise is freely available as a PDF-Dokument for training and research purposes (646 pages, 47 MB). It contains:

  • Part 1 – An introductory section about Lecküchner’s Messer fencing, weapons and the author’s approach on the manuscripts.
  • Part 2 – The main part of the document features
    • all illustrations from codex Cgm 582,
    • transcription of the text,
    • English translation of the text,
    • plus a transcription and translation of differing contents in Lecküchner’s Heidelberg codex Cpg 430 as footnotes.
  • Part 3 – A concordance table of the manuscripts Cgm 582, Cpg 430 and Cod.I.6.4o.3 (Jude Lew), list of figures and bibliography.
About the author

Dr Grzegorz Żabiński (Upper Silesia, PL), historian and archaeologist. Apart from medieval and early Renaissance martial arts, his research interests also include weaponry studies and archaeometallurgy. He is currently employed at the Institute of History of Jan Długosz Akademie in Częstochowa, Poland.

Co-authors

Russ Mitchell (Texas) is a historian and experimental archaeologist specializing in medieval arms and armor. He holds teaching ranks in several martial arts and has a special focus on Central and Eastern-European weaponry.

Falko Fritz is a historical fencer from Hamburg. Since 2009 he holds the weekly training for Langes Messer at Hammaborg – historischer Schwertkampf e.V.

Reviewer

Gerhard Gohr is instructor for Langes Messer at Der Fechtsaal, Krefeld, and an experienced interpreter of Lecküchner’s techniques.

The translation in the PDF document is independent from the partial translation by Falko Fritz found online on this website.

Peter von Danzig: Transkription und Übersetzung der Handschrift 44 A 8

A publication by Hammaborg’s instructor for the longsword on tuesday

The so-called Peter von Danzig fechtbuch dates from 1452 and is one of the most extensive and elementary compendia of martial arts from medieval Germany. It contains (among others) techniques for the longsword with and without armour, for fighting with sword and buckler, as well as wrestling and daggerfighting. The book addresses everybody interested in medieval prose, but of course particularly the modern adepts of Master Liechtenauer, who nowadays endeavour to bring the European martial arts of our ancestors back to life. With this book, they get a helpful and substantial companion book for their work. This volume offers the entire text of the manuscript 44 A 8 twice: once as an accurate transcription to the letter, and once as a translation into modern German. A glossary and a bibliography complete this book.

Peter von Danzig: Transkription und Übersetzung der Handschrift 44 A 8
VS-Books
ISBN 978-3-932077-34-0

Edited, transcribed and translated into modern German by Dierk Hagedorn
Hardcover; 360 pages; 26,80 EUR
Website of the publishers