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Andre Lignitzer
Born date of birth unknown
Legnica, Poland
Died before 1452
Relative(s) Jacob Lignitzer (brother)
Occupation Fencing master
Movement Fellowship of Liechtenauer
Genres
Language Early New High German
Manuscript(s)
First printed
english edition
Tobler, 2010
Concordance by Michael Chidester

Andre Lignitzer (Andres Liegniczer) was a late 14th or early 15th century German fencing master. His name might signify that he came from Legnica, Poland (German: Lignitz). While Lignitzer's precise lifetime is uncertain, he seems to have died some time before the creation of Codex Danzig in 1452. He had a brother named Jacob Lignitzer who was also a fencing master, but there is no record of any treatise Jacob may have authored. The only other fact that can be determined about Lignitzer's life is that his renown as a master was sufficient for Paulus Kal to include him, along with his brother, in his list of members of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer in 1470.

An Andres Juden (Andres the Jew) is mentioned as a master associated with Liechtenauer in Pol Hausbuch, and Codex Speyer contains a guide to converting between long sword and Messer techniques written by a "Magister Andreas", but it is not currently known whether either of these masters is Lignitzer.

Andre Lignitzer is best known for his teachings on sword and buckler, and some variation on this brief treatise is included in many compilation texts in the Liechtenauer tradition. He also authored treatises on fencing with the short sword, dagger, and grappling, though these appear less frequently. Lignitzer's sword and buckler teachings are sometimes attributed to Sigmund ain Ringeck by 20th and 21st century authors due to their unattributed inclusion in the MS Dresden C.487, but this is clearly incorrect.

Note that the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Graz versions of Lignitzer's treatise on short sword fencing are erroneously credited to Martin Huntsfeld, while Huntsfeld's own treatise is credited to Jud Lew.

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