Abstract

The few examples of masters’ songs between ca. 1450 and 1600 show a clear picture of baths and bathing, often in the context of immorality. By locating the bath within the field of associations of the Meistersinger - from the individual crafts and guilds, and their regulations, to the artistic expressions - a diverse picture can be drawn. The baths probably had no influence on the musical compositions of the songs. The texts follow given tones and a bath tone or something similar is not known. However, it can certainly be said that bathers and barbers appeared as musical performers, as Camilla Cavicchi has already demonstrated on examples of Italian barbers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Therefore it is to ask for the German regions at that time: were bathers, or barbers and surgeons, active as mastersingers? What is the connection between bathing and master singing? How does the bath appear in the artistic artefacts, e. g. in relation to medical practices?