'Der Kanzler' was a 13th century German Minnesanger. He was a minstrel and songwriter who probably worked in Upper Germany at the end of the 13th century. From him 77 stanzas are known, which were handed down in the Codex Manesse. Very little is known about the Chancellor's life. His work can be dated to the last third of the 13th century on the basis of the earliest transmission of Chancellor stanzas in the Basler Rolle and the influence of Konrad von Würzburg . The name Kanzler was a common surname throughout southern Germany in the 13th century and should therefore not have marked any political office of the poet. An exact geographical location is not possible, but his poetic language suggests an Upper German origin. It was very likely a member of the middle class who led a life as a traveling poet. This is indicated on the one hand by hints in his hymns and on the other hand by the Meistersinger manuscripts that have come down to us later. Equating the chancellor with a schoolmaster from Offenburg, who appears in documents from 1312 and 1323, has not been proven. The main argument against this is the self-description of the chancellor as a traveler in his chants. As the records show, the chancellor was no stranger: numerous mastersingers wrote poetry in his tones, mentioned his name and included him among the twelve old masters . The chancellor was probably a student of Konrad von Würzburg, whose poetic work served as a model for him. It is unclear whether he wrote his songs during Konrad's lifetime or only after his death. A total of 77 stanzas have survived from the chancellor , of which 44 were stanzas in five different tones (Golden Tone, Hofton, Tone I, Tone III, Tone XIII) and 33 were minnesang stanzas. The most important witness is the Codex Manesse (Manuscript C), which contains all 77 stanzas under the name of Chanzler . The chancellor is there at the end of the foundation floor and concludes the series of 140 poets. The miniature that precedes the poems shows three seated minstrels: the one in the middle probably represents the chancellor as a poet or singer, that of two people with a fiddleand flute is accompanied. The miniature has no coat of arms, which can be seen as a further indication of the chancellor's aristocratic origins. There is a supplementary tradition in the Basler Rolle (manuscript B3, end of the 13th century), which, however, has only survived in fragmentary form. It contains only eight verses, which are also found in C. The tradition in the Niederrheinische Liederhandschrift (manuscript N, late 14th century) and the Basler Meisterliederhandschrift (manuscript b, mid-15th century) is much later. In the Kolmar song manuscript, two melodies to the Golden Tone have survived. The chancellor's oeuvre includes both poetry and minstrelsy. The central themes of the chants are morals, criticism of the times, astronomy and death. For example, he depicts virtues and vices , complains about the decline of morals , the artless singers and the decline of the real nobility. The poems are rich in metaphors and are characterized by wide scope for interpretation. All of this reflects the Chancellor's remarkable erudition. He acted as a warning and admonisher who knew how to skilfully point out the abuses of his time. Most of his Minnelieder convey an idyllic worldview, often beginning with an entrance into nature, followed by a general glorification of woman. There are also some indications of the living conditions of a medieval poet in his poems. The chancellor makes statements about his existence as a traveling singer who depends on the generosity, goodness and generosity of the nobility. In addition, descriptions of a simple life marked by difficult circumstances shine through again and again.