This third edition of Köhler's book (1st edition 1956, 2nd expanded edition 1970 as Vol. 97 of the series »Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie«) in an inexpensive study format restores the availability of a standard work of medieval studies of essential interest for scholars and students in Romance studies, German studies, English studies, and cultural studies. Combining stylistic brilliance with unsparing criticism of one-sided interpretations, Köhler situates Chrestien de Troyes' courtly romances in the social and literary context of the 12th and 13th centuries. With their emphasis on the sociology of literature, Köhler's analyses have lost nothing of their immediate relevance for the constitution of an approach to literature that increasingly defines literary criticism in terms of cultural studies.