Joachim Meyer, a cutler coming from Basel, burgher of Strasbourg, authored one of the most accomplished book about the art of fighting of his time. The publication of Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens in 1570, printed by Thiebolt Berger, place du Vieux marché aux Vins, did not raise interest in Strasburg itself. Today, no books are kept in the various collections of the town, and only one in Alsace, at the bibliothèque Humaniste de Sélestat.
The work was however well received. It was reedited several times in the 17th century were produced and two more manuscripts are known. This book is of great interest: firstly, fencing is a topic that is still little developed by German printers at that time, despite the existence of a great tradition of manuscripts dedicated to this subject. Secondly, the use of engravings is common, but those used in Meyer's work are of rare quality, and arranged in clever ways to save space, but also to try to illuminate the movement described by words with frozen postures. Finally the content combines the tradition of chivalric weapons of the late Middle Ages (dagger, sword with two hands, short staff), weapons of war used in a dueling context (halberd, long pike) and modern weapons with the rapier and dagger.
The aim of this conference is to explore themes emerging from this book: the martial culture in the Germanic space in general and Strasbourg in particular, the integration of sports games in society, the reciprocal influences between military space and the culture of fencing, the sociology of fencers and weapon masters, the representation of gesture and movement, and others.