At the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century, numerous historical novels were written in which Walther von der Vogelweide features as the main character. These novels might well have had a stronger influence on Walther’s public image during this period than all scholarly studies taken together. Even though Walther acts in very different roles in these novels, which were written in the course of six decades, the Walther figure turns out to be quite stereotypical. However, it is precisely this aspect that allows for the structural connection between the historical novels that has thus far gone unnoticed: together they create a continuous literary biography of Walther von der Vogelweide, ranging from his youth to his death.