The End of the Saints: Andreas Kurzmann’s ›Amicus und Amelius‹

Abstract

In Andreas Kurzmann’s ›Amicus und Amelius‹, a legend of two saints is told. It tells the story of two friends who resemble each other like twins, pass every test of friendship and die together at the end of the text. What is unusual for legendary texts, however, is the fact that the figures described as ›saints‹ remain profane until the end of the text. This article will examine the extent to which the ending of the ›legend‹, which is emphasised from the outset, stages prerequisite generic framework conditions as flexible.