Michael Resler

Michael Resler (born July 7, 1948) is a philologist, academic, and author, specializing in the late-12th- and early-13th-century German Arthurian romance. He is a research professor of German Studies at Boston College.

Most known for his work on medieval Germanic philology, Resler has authored six books, including works on Daniel von dem Blühenden Tal by der Stricker and Hartmann von Aue's Erec. Additionally, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for the academic year 1980–81. In 2014, he was honored with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany), the highest award accorded to civilians by the German government, in recognition of his successful mentorship of (at the time) 100 Fulbright applicants to Germany and Austria;

Resler has made contributions to the Daniel text, the earliest (ca. 1210–1225) freely invented German-language (composed in Middle High German) Arthurian romance, as he has published both a critical edition of that text and the sole English-language translation. That translation (1990), accompanied by an introduction and extensive annotation, made the Daniel tale available to English-speaking readers for the first time in its 800-year history; the introduction offered insights into the textual history, language, and cultural significance of Daniel within the context of the German Arthurian tradition. His 1995 book provided an updated critical edition of the Daniel text, revised to incorporate the readings of a newly discovered Daniel manuscript.

Awards and honors 1969 – Phi Beta Kappa 1970 – Woodrow Wilson Fellowship 1970–71 – Fulbright–DAAD Combined Research Grant to Germany 1980–81 – National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship 1997 – Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award, Omicron chapter of Massachusetts, Boston College 2014 – Bundesverdienstkreuz, Federal Republic of Germany