Transvestism in the Middle Ages: The Venusfahrt of Ulrich von Liechtenstein

The focus of this dissertation is the Venusfahrt of Ulrich von Liechtenstein and critical responses to its reception. Recent research until now has viewed the episode of Ulrich's cross-dressing as the Lady Venus primarily from a literary perspective, as one episode in the portrayal of a knight dedicated to Minnedienst. Many scholars have found humor in the fact that a medieval knight would demean himself and dress as a woman, merely to demonstrate his love for a particular lady. Others have interpreted the Venus episode, and the Frauendienst in general, as a parody of hohe Minne, courtly love, or the values of the Hohenstaufen era. Few critics have examined the Venus journey for what it is: a prime example of a medieval knight practicing transvestism. My investigation shows how the portrayal of Ulrich's transvestism during the Venusfahrt differs substantially from the portrayal of transvestism in other medieval texts and corresponds more closely to the character sketches of transvestism derived from recent psychological and sociological studies conducted on modern-day transvestites. Like modern-day transvestites, the character of the knight Ulrich displays elements of deviant sexual development, which include masochistic and fetishistic behaviors. While dressed as the Lady Venus the knight Ulrich lusts after a lady he meets in church, lifts his veil for a kiss and fantasizes about kissing as many ladies as possible. Similarly, the erotic response to cross-dressing is one of the defining personality characteristics of modern-day transvestites. Ulrich enjoys dressing as the Lady Venus in public, and strives to outdress the noble ladies he meets during the Venusfahrt. He is also extremely proud of his specially made womens' wardrobe. Based on the research conducted in this study, the knight Ulrich's motivations for conducting his Venusfahrt are questioned and several of the more difficult to understand episodes in the Frauendienst are reexamined, in order to answer the question: "Was Ulrich von Liechtenstein a transvestite from medieval times?".