Fastnachtsspiel

a type of German folk play related to the medieval farce. The Fastnachtsspiel evolved from Shrovetide or carnival presentations and originally depicted scenes, often humorous, from everyday life. Between the 14th and 16th centuries it developed as a literary genre, extending its thematic range with the inclusion of subject matter from chivalric romance and other sources. It reached its highest level of development in Nuremberg, where many Fastnachtsspiele were written by the meister-singers. H. Sachs produced the finest examples in this genre.