Dürer's Fight Book: The Genius of the German Renaissance and His Combat Treatise

Albrecht Dürer’s fight book reveals dynamic duels and fighting techniques within masterful, centuries-spanning detail.

Albrecht Dürer is probably the most famous German artist of the Renaissance, if not of all time. His works are world-famous and he was a master in numerous artistic disciplines such as woodcut, copperplate engraving, drawing and painting.

What is less well known is that he was interested in weapons and fencing throughout his life. He produced several woodcuts for a tournament book by Emperor Maximilian I, but he devoted himself much more thoroughly to the subject of duels in his own extensive fencing manuscript.

Dürer’s fight book stands out from the mass of illustrated fencing manuscripts because of its outstanding quality. In well over 100 elaborate drawings, the master uniquely depicts dynamic pairs of fighters practicing contemporary combat techniques, such as wrestling or sword and dagger fighting.

Since its creation more than 500 years ago, the fight book has never been published in its entirety. This edition offers the complete contents of the manuscript for the very first time: All illustrations are reproduced in color and the complete text is presented in a letter-perfect transcription as well as a translation into modern English.

Albrecht Dürer's fight book offers a unique, new look at Dürer the artist and Dürer the fighter.

Dierk Hagedorn was born in 1966 in Hamburg, Germany, and he started sport fencing at the age of nine. He is head instructor of the longsword for Hammaborg Historischer Schwertkampf. He is also a member of HEMAC, the Historical European Martial Arts Coalition, and has transcribed more than a dozen German manuscripts. He is an illustrator, web-designer and lecturer.