Words Before Blades: Fechtersprüche and Fechtreime in 16th Century German Fechtschulen
In the urban centres of 16th century southern Germany, fencing was conceived not merely as a physical skill but as a public performance of honour, discipline, and civic identity. Public fencing contests, known as Fechtschulen, were regulated events staged before spectators and governed by social expectations that extended well beyond technical proficiency. Within this performative […]