A group of German studies students at the University of Oldenburg is currently working with Prof Dr Doreen Brandt to produce a study edition of the Low German animal epic "Hennynk de Han", which was printed in Bremen in 1732. Preliminary considerations for this project already took place as part of a master's seminar in the summer semester of 2023.

It is not only the title of the work "Hennynk de Han" and the layout of the print that are reminiscent of the Middle Low German animal epic "Reynke de Vos", which was printed in Lübeck in 1498. The alleged publisher Franz Henrich Sparre, who is named in a preface in some printed copies, also describes the work as an imitation of the "Reynke", which he had come across in an old manuscript from the 16th century. However, researchers at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century recognised that the editor's name was a pseudonym of the Bremen bailiff Kaspar Friedrich Renner (1692-1772). He was also the author of the animal epic in the style of "Reynke".

The Middle Low German animal epic "Reynke de Vos" occupies a prominent position in the history of Low German literature. This can be seen, among other things, in its lively reception through reprints and translations right up to the 18th century, although the change of written language from Low German to High German, which began in the 16th century, resulted in a considerable decline in Low German literature. The reception history of the "Reynke" also includes the "Hennynk".

The "Hennynk" has not yet been widely recognised in research. The prevailing view was that the "Hennynk de Han" was a deliberate imitation of the "Reynke de Vos" in terms of form and content. Not only was the work thus denied its independence, but in the view of 20th century research, its literary quality did not come close to that of the "Reynke de Vos", which is why investigations remained mostly superficial and generalised. An examination of the work that emphasises its literary-historical and poetic independence has therefore only been carried out sporadically to this day (Lesser 1936; Bellmann 1977; Brandt 2021).

One reason for the research situation outlined above is probably also the fact that no modern scholarly edition of the work exists to date. This is where the edition project comes in, which aims to contribute to more in-depth research into this work, which has been little studied to date. At the same time, the edition is intended to encourage consideration of the appearance of "Hennynk" in the midst of a less productive phase of Low German literature in the period from 1650 to 1800 in such a way that the special circumstances of its creation also become recognisable. The project thus closes a gap in the history of Low German literature and research.

A text edition with a translation into Modern High German and an extensive commentary is planned.