Chronicle of the City of Lucerne
Encyclopedia
The Chronicle of the City of Lucerne (German: Luzerner Chronik) is the oldest existing chronological account of the history of the city of Lucerne
.
from Lucerne
. Russ’ chronicle, which is preceded by a translation of the preface of Albrecht Vonstetten’s description of the Burgundian Wars
, is primarily based on Benedict Tschachtlan and Heinrich Dittlinger’s revised version of Conrad Justinger
’s Bernese Chronicle
(German: Chronik der Stadt Bern).
(German: Lied von der Entstehung der Eidgenossenschaft) and Justinger’s Bernese Chronicle, it is of great value to the study of the William Tell
legend.
While the Bernese Chronicle served Russ as a source for his illustration of the hardship the Swiss population had to endure under the reign of the Habsburg
bailiffs, he used the Song of the Founding of the Confederation as the basis for his representation of a small fraction of the William Tell story.
Even if the influence of earlier William Tell texts on Russ’ book is undeniable, his chronicle, nevertheless, embellished the legend of William Tell with new details. Although the Chronicle of the City of Lucerne closely follows the wording of the Song of the Founding of the Confederation, these two sources differ remarkably in their endings. Whereas the Song of the Founding of the Confederation ends with the remark that William Tell was drowned on the order of Herman Gessler in the Lake of Lucerne, Russ’ chronicle concludes with an account of how William Tell managed to assassinate the Austria
n governor in his boat.
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
.
Composition
The Chronicle of the City of Lucerne was composed around 1482 by Melchior RussMelchior Russ
Melchior Russ was born of an old noble family in Lucerne.In 1473, after having studied for at least two years in Basle, Russ left the University of Basle for the University of Pavia with the intention to study law....
from Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. Russ’ chronicle, which is preceded by a translation of the preface of Albrecht Vonstetten’s description of the Burgundian Wars
Burgundian Wars
The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...
, is primarily based on Benedict Tschachtlan and Heinrich Dittlinger’s revised version of Conrad Justinger
Conrad Justinger
Conrad Justinger was probably born in Strasbourg. Justinger, who had learned the trade of a chronicler in his home-town, appears to have moved to the city of Bern in the last quarter of the 14th century...
’s Bernese Chronicle
Bernese Chronicle
The Bernese Chronicle contains information about the early history of the city of Bern.The Bernese Chronicle was composed in 1430 by Conrad Justinger from Bern...
(German: Chronik der Stadt Bern).
Influence
Although Russ’ Chronicle of the City of Lucerne contains many mistakes and constitutes, for the most part, nothing more than an incoherent compilation of older writings such as the Song of the Founding of the ConfederationSong of the Founding of the Confederation
The Bundeslied or Tellenlied is a patriotic song of the Old Swiss Confederacy.Its original composition dates to the Burgundian Wars period...
(German: Lied von der Entstehung der Eidgenossenschaft) and Justinger’s Bernese Chronicle, it is of great value to the study of the William Tell
William Tell
William Tell is a folk hero of Switzerland. His legend is recorded in a late 15th century Swiss chronicle....
legend.
While the Bernese Chronicle served Russ as a source for his illustration of the hardship the Swiss population had to endure under the reign of the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
bailiffs, he used the Song of the Founding of the Confederation as the basis for his representation of a small fraction of the William Tell story.
Even if the influence of earlier William Tell texts on Russ’ book is undeniable, his chronicle, nevertheless, embellished the legend of William Tell with new details. Although the Chronicle of the City of Lucerne closely follows the wording of the Song of the Founding of the Confederation, these two sources differ remarkably in their endings. Whereas the Song of the Founding of the Confederation ends with the remark that William Tell was drowned on the order of Herman Gessler in the Lake of Lucerne, Russ’ chronicle concludes with an account of how William Tell managed to assassinate the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n governor in his boat.