Ayrer, JACOB

Ayrer, JACOB, next to Hans Sachs the most prolific and important German dramatic writer of the 16th century. His history is involved in obscurity; but it is known that he was a citizen of Nuremberg in 1594, and a procurator in the courts of law. His rhyming chronicle of the town of Bamberg was edited by I. Heller in 1838. It was not till after his death, in 1605, that a collected edition of his dramatic pieces was published under the title Opus theatricum, consisting of sixty-six tragedies, comedies, and carnival plays (Nurem. 1618). He took his subjects from history, legend, and novels; some pieces are based on English plays. Ayrer has the same garrulous breadth of dialogue as Hans Sachs, but is inferior to him in wit and humour. See K. Schmitt, Jacob Ayrer (Marburg, 1851).