Complex sentence: There is little chance of deriving it from his name; in his day there were many so-called "Vogelweiden" in the vicinity of castles and towns, where hawks were caught for hawking or songbirds for people's homes.
Split into simpler sentences: There is little chance of deriving it from his name. In mediaeval times there were many so-called "Vogelweiden" in the vicinity of castles and towns, where hawks were caught for hawking or songbirds for people's homes.