Hans Wilhelm Schöffer von Dietz

Hans Wilhelm Schöffer von Dietz
Born	16th century Dietz, Germany (?)
Died	17th century Marburg, Germany (?)
Occupation	Fencing master
Movement	Freifechter
Influences	Salvator Fabris Joachim Meÿer (?)
Genres	Fencing manual
Language	Early New High German
Notable work(s)	Grůndtliche vñ eigentlichte Beschreibung der Fechtkunst (1620)
Manuscript(s)	4º MS Mathern 038 (1569) 4º MS Mathern 2 (ca. 1620?)

The title of this article contains the character ö. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Hans Wilhelm Schoeffer von Dietz.

Hans Wilhelm Schöffer von Dietz was a 17th century German Freifechter. The surname "Schöffer" indicates that he came from a Patrician family and may have even been a member of the nobility.^{[citation needed]} In his youth, he seems to have spent time in Italy and studied at the fencing academy of Salvator Fabris where he ultimately rose to the position of Vorfechter. After returning to his home, he went on to become fencing master at the Philipps-Universität Marburg, and later in his life he seems to have accepted an appointment to the Ritterakademie in Sorø, Denmark.

In 1611, Schöffer published a two-volume treatise on fencing with the single rapier and with rapier and dagger, based on the earlier writings of Salvator Fabris. These were reprinted in 1620 as a single volume entitled Grůndtliche vñ eigentlichte Beschreibung der Fechtkunst ("A Thorough and Proper Description of the Art of Fencing"). More than a simple translation or plagiarism, the treatise represents considerable expansion and interpretation of the Italian master's art.

Treatise

Rapier 

Images	English Translation	4º MS Math.038 (1569)	4º MS Math.2 (1620)	Grůndtliche vñ eigentlichte Beschreibung der Fechtkunst (1620)

Rapier and Dagger 

Images	English Translation	4º MS Math.038 (1569)	4º MS Math.2 (1620)	Grůndtliche vñ eigentlichte Beschreibung der Fechtkunst (1620)