Ernst, Herzog von Schwaben

Ernst, Herzog von Schwaben, a historical tragedy in blank verse, written by L. Uhland in 1816-17, published in 1817, and first performed in Hamburg in May 1818. It is described as ‘Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen’ and is concerned with the historical character who has become a legend in the medieval poem Herzog Ernst. The play is set in 1030 in the reign of the Emperor Konrad II. Ernst has twice revolted against the Emperor, who is his stepfather. His mother, the Empress Gisela, pleads for his release, which the Emperor grants. But Ernst refuses to renounce his friend Werner von Kyburg, as the Emperor demands, and is outlawed. The imperial forces concentrate against Ernst and his friends, who are all killed. The ban is then lifted so that they receive proper burial. The conflict of loyalties and the faithfulness of friends are the play's central themes.