| Wolfgang the Wanderer | |
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| Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1482 | |
| Imperial Master of the Hounds | |
| Reign | 1479-1493 |
| Predecessor | Title Created |
| Successor | Henry V, Count of Fürstenberg |
| Born | 11 August 1456 Erfurt, Thuringia, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 6 August 1493 Swiss Confederacy |
| Spouse | Louise de la Marck |
| Issue | Edmund of Lolland |
| House | House of Jenagotha |
| Father | Thin White Duke |
| Mother | Maria of Sommerschenburg |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Wolfgang the Wanderer (11 August 1456 - 6 August 1493) was a Thuringian adventurer, author, and statesman, most famous for his adventures regarding the Kingdom of Switzerland competition. As the second eldest son of the Thin White Duke, behind William of Talstein, Wolfgang was educated in statecraft and became a minor advisor in the government of Henry VIII, Holy Roman Emperor as Master of the Hounds, however he showed little interest in matters of governance.
As a young man Wolfgang went on several adventures across Europe, befriending a young Ermanaric of Nassau. When the competition for the title of King of Switzerland was announced Wolfgang became an early participant, and adventured along with a number of close companions. This would include Edmund Alwin, future Duke of Saxony, who Wolfgang's sole heir Edmund of Lolland was named after. Wolfgang's party successfully solved the riddle of the Beerwolf while in Lotharingia, although a violent feud developed between Wolfgang and his rival Kilian von Bibra as a result. Wolfgang distinguished himself as a great detective and reasoner, later solving the murder at Konstanz and the puzzle of Tirol, placing him as the breakaway leader in the competition, and a famous hero across the empire. During the Lenzburg-Premyslid War Wolfgang showed little interest in the conflict, although he daringly broke Edmund Alwin out of prison and harbored him from the Thuringian government, ensuring the survival of the House of Marck.
Wolfgang would become famous for his writings, something he pursued all throughout his life. Wolfgang's memoirs, which detailed his journeys in the competition and beyond, would become one of the most important accounts of the era after his death. In 1493 he would sent out on another expedition into the Swiss Confederacy, where he met a sudden demise, supposedly at the hands of Kilian von Bibra. His remaining writings would be compiled and finished to the best of his abilities by companion Bernard "Twice-Died", which turned Wolfgang into a mysterious and legendary figure.
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