Documents: 7

Sub-project: Swiss Illustrated Chronicles

June 2012 - December 2012

Status: Completed

Financed by: Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation (http://www.binding-stiftung.ch/)

Description: In beautifully illuminated manuscipts, the Swiss Illustrated Chronicles from the 15th and 16th centuries present the history of the Swiss Confederation. According to Carl Pfaff, they are part of “the most precious legacy that medieval Switzerland has bequeathed to us” (Die Welt der Schweizer Bilderchroniken, Schwyz 1991, p. 9). With support from the Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation, e-codices has made available three of these Swiss Illustrated Chronicles: the Chronicle by Werner Schodoler (in three volumes), the Spiezer Chronik (one volume), and the Berner Chronik (the so-called “Amtlicher Schilling” (“Official Schilling”) in three volumes).

All Libraries and Collections

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Aarau, Aargauer Kantonsbibliothek, ZF 18
Paper · 334 ff. · 40 x 29-29.5 cm · Bremgarten · [1514-1532]
Werner Schodoler, Eidgenössische Chronik, Vol. 3

The Eidgenössische Chronik by Werner Schodoler (1490-1541) is in chronological order the last of the illustrated Swiss Chronicles of the late Middle Ages. It was written by private initiative between 1510 and 1535 and took as its model primarily the Official Bernese Chronicle - Amtliche Berner Chronik - by Diebold Schilling and the Chronicle - Kronica - by Petermann Etterlin. This volume, the third and last of the Chronicle, presents the events of the Burgundian Wars and the Swabian War; it ends with the Italian military campaigns, among others the Battle of Marignano on September 13th and 14th 1515, in which presumably the author himself took part. The volume is illustrated with 196 uncolored pen sketches by an anonymous artist. Today the three volumes are held in different libraries: the first volume is in the Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek in Überlingen, the second in the City Archives in Bremgarten, and the third in the Cantonal Library of Aargau. (ber)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Mss.h.h.I.1
Parchment · 235 pp. · 40–40.5 x 28–28.5 cm · Bern · 1478-1483
Diebold Schilling, Amtliche Berner Chronik, vol. 1

The Amtliche Berner Chronik (Official Chronicle of Bern) was commissioned by the city of Bern in 1474. About ten years later, Diebold Schilling was able to present the city council with this three-volume work, with its title pages in color, decorative initials, and more than six hundred large illustrations. The first volume contains the early history of Bern from the founding of the city until the year 1421, based on the older chronicle by Konrad Justinger, following the version by Bendicht Tschachtlan. The work remained in the possession of the Bern Chancellery for nearly three hundred years before the volumes were given to the City Library in 1762. (mit)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Mss.h.h.I.2
Parchment · 186 pp. · 38–39 x 27–27.5 cm · Bern · 1478-1483
Diebold Schilling, Amtliche Berner Chronik, vol 2

The Amtliche Berner Chronik (Official Chronicle of Bern) was commissioned by the city of Bern in 1474. About ten years later, Diebold Schilling was able to present the city council with this three-volume work, with its title pages in color, decorative initials, and more than six hundred large illustrations. The second volume contains accounts of events from the years 1421 through 1466, based for the most part on Benedicht Tschachtlan’s edition of Fründ's work. The work remained in the possession of the Bern Chancellery for nearly three hundred years before the volumes were given to the City Library in 1762. (mit)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Mss.h.h.I.3
Parchment · 472 pp. · 38 x 27.5–28 cm · Bern · 1478-1483
Diebold Schilling, Amtliche Berner Chronik, vol. 3

The Amtliche Berner Chronik (Official Chronicle of Bern) was commissioned by the city of Bern in 1474. About ten years later, Diebold Schilling was able to present the city council with this three-volume work, with its title pages in color, decorative initials, and more than six hundred large illustrations. The third, artistically richest volume contains Schilling’s own description of the Burgundian wars, together with that of the preceding period, up to the year 1480. It is closely related to the Grosse Burgunderchronik (Great Burgundian Chronicle) currently held by the Zentralbibliothek Zürich. The work remained in the possession of the Bern Chancellery for nearly three hundred years before the volumes were given to the City Library in 1762. (mit)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Mss.h.h.I.16
Paper · 806 pp. · 37 x 26 cm · Bern · 1484/85
Diebold Schilling, Spiezer Chronik

The Spiezer Chronik by chronicler Diebold Schilling, named after its longtime home city of Spiez, is also known, because it was privately commissioned by Rudolph von Erlach, as the Privater Schilling. It contains the early history of Bern from the founding of the city to events that took place in the mid-15th century. Unlike Schilling’s three-volume official chronicle, the Amtliche Berner Chronik (Bern, Burgerbibliothek Mss.h.h.I.1-3), it remains incomplete (the Burgundian wars are not included). (mit)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Bremgarten, Stadtarchiv Bremgarten, Bücherarchiv Nr. 2
Paper · 202 ff. · 40.5 x 29 cm · Bremgarten · [1514-1532]
Werner Schodoler, Eidgenössische Chronik, Vol. 2

The Eidgenössische Chronik by Werner Schodoler (1490-1541) is the last of the illustrated Swiss chronicles of the late Middle Ages. It was written on private initiative between 1510 and 1535 and took as its primary models the Official Bernese Chronicle - Amtliche Berner Chronik - by Diebold Schilling and the Chronicle - Kronica - by Petermann Etterlin. This volume, the second of the three volumes of the chronicle, consists primarily of an account of the Old Zurich War and is illustrated with 130 colored pen sketches. Today the three volumes are held in different libraries: the first volume is in the Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek in Überlingen, the second in the City Archive in Bremgarten, and the third in the Cantonal Library of Aargau. (ber)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

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Überlingen, Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek, Ms. 62
Paper · 200 ff. · 40 x 24 cm · Bremgarten · [1514-1532]
Werner Schodoler, Eidgenössische Chronik, Vol. 1

The Eidgenössische Chronik by Werner Schodoler (1490-1541) is in chronological order the last of the illustrated Swiss Chronicles of the late Middle Ages. It was written by private initiative between 1510 and 1535 and took as its model primarily the Official Bernese Chronicle - Amtliche Berner Chronik - by Diebold Schilling and the Chronicle - Kronica - by Petermann Etterlin. This volume, the first of the three volumes of the chronicle, covers the history from the legendary origin of Zurich and Lucerne up to Antipope John XXIII’s flight from Constance (1415). Although space was left for illustrations, they were not realized (except those of 12v). Today the three volumes are held in different libraries: the first volume is in the Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek in Überlingen, the second in the City Archives in Bremgarten, and the third in the Cantonal Library of Aargau. (ber)

Online Since: 12/20/2012

Documents: 7