Das Recht der Hagestolze: Eine Heiratsgeschichte aus dem Neckartal

In the twilight of a warm spring evening in 1397, a cloaked monk slips through Heidelberg’s city gate, his movements tentative at first and then suddenly confident as he navigates narrow, dimly lit streets. He draws the wary eyes of a night watchman and the jeering sarcasm of a row of university students, who taunt him with nicknames and crude jokes. Yet the monk’s calm “Pax vobiscum” and a swift, unexpected blessing hint at a deeper purpose beyond the frivolous chatter.

Soon the monk is stopped by a determined woman seeking the learned Dr. Christoph Wiederhold, and he offers to guide her through the town. Their brief encounter sets the stage for a gentle, unfolding courtship that will travel from the bustling university to the quiet valleys of the Neckar. As customs, superstition, and the promise of marriage intertwine, listeners are invited to follow a story where devotion and destiny meet against the backdrop of medieval Germany.