Jakob Twinger von Königshofen
Encyclopedia
Jacob Königshofen (b. in 1346 at Königshofen
, a village near Strasburg
, in Alsace
; d. at Strasburg, 27 December 1420) was a German chronicler.
. In 1394 he became notary Apostolic and in 1395 a canon of St. Thomas at Strasburg, where he was placed in charge of the archives and kept the stock-books and registers.
Early in life he had devoted himself to historical studies, and a Latin "Chronicle" is extant, written by him before he came a priest (edited by Louis Duchesne
in "Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für die Erhaltung der geschichtlichen Denkm ler im Elsass", second series, IV). This work only contains extracts from different authors, and is in consequence a mere collection of historical matter.
His principal work is the "Chronik". He began it in 1382; he twice revised it, and brought it down to the year 1415. One of the first universal histories in German prose, it includes also a territorial history of Alsace and a local history of Strasburg. Recognizing the needs of his time, he wrote it for the Klugen, that is, cultivated, lay men, "who read such things as eagerly as learned parsons". His narrative is therefore popular, and enlivened by legends, jokes, and details concerning the lives of the people. He possessed a good knowledge and availed himself freely of the sources of medieval prose and poetry (particularly Ekkehard
, but also Eusebius, Bede
, Hermannus Contractus
, Martinus Polonus, and others).
In politics he was an adherent of Louis the Bavarian, an imperialist and German nationalist. Influenced by the Alsatian chronicler Closener, he has himself been in many cases the authority for later historians. The last chapter of the "Chronik" contains an alphabetical list of historical events with dates, forms thus a kind of compendium of history, and was often copied separately. The "Chronik" was printed as early as 1474, and later at Strasburg in 1698. A scholarly edition is that of Hegel in "Chroniken der deutschen Städte", VIII-IX (Leipzig, 1870-1).
In addition we possess a Latin-German glossary by Königshofen, which may, however, in its essential details be traced to Closener.
Königshofen
Königshofen may refer to:*Bad Königshofen , a town in Bavaria, Germany*Lauda-Königshofen, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
, a village near Strasburg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
; d. at Strasburg, 27 December 1420) was a German chronicler.
Life
Of his life we have only a few details. He became a priest in 1382, and for a time he held the parish of DrusenheimDrusenheim
Drusenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France, situated on the bank of the Rhine.-History:Drusenheim was fortified by the military architect, militaire Jean Maximilien Welsch in 1705.-Notable people:...
. In 1394 he became notary Apostolic and in 1395 a canon of St. Thomas at Strasburg, where he was placed in charge of the archives and kept the stock-books and registers.
Early in life he had devoted himself to historical studies, and a Latin "Chronicle" is extant, written by him before he came a priest (edited by Louis Duchesne
Louis Duchesne
Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne was a French priest, philologist, teacher and a critical historian of Christianity and Roman Catholic liturgy and institutions....
in "Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für die Erhaltung der geschichtlichen Denkm ler im Elsass", second series, IV). This work only contains extracts from different authors, and is in consequence a mere collection of historical matter.
His principal work is the "Chronik". He began it in 1382; he twice revised it, and brought it down to the year 1415. One of the first universal histories in German prose, it includes also a territorial history of Alsace and a local history of Strasburg. Recognizing the needs of his time, he wrote it for the Klugen, that is, cultivated, lay men, "who read such things as eagerly as learned parsons". His narrative is therefore popular, and enlivened by legends, jokes, and details concerning the lives of the people. He possessed a good knowledge and availed himself freely of the sources of medieval prose and poetry (particularly Ekkehard
Ekkehard
Ekkehard was a Germanic given name. Eckard, Eckhard, Eckhart, and Eckart are modern forms. It was the name of five monks of the Abbey of Saint Gall from the tenth to the thirteenth century:*Ekkehard I*Ekkehard II*Ekkehard III*Ekkehard IV*Ekkehard V...
, but also Eusebius, Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, Hermannus Contractus
Hermannus Contractus
Hermann of Reichenau , also called Hermannus Contractus or Hermannus Augiensis or Herman the Cripple, was an 11th century scholar, composer, music theorist, mathematician, and astronomer. He composed the Marian prayer Alma Redemptoris Mater...
, Martinus Polonus, and others).
In politics he was an adherent of Louis the Bavarian, an imperialist and German nationalist. Influenced by the Alsatian chronicler Closener, he has himself been in many cases the authority for later historians. The last chapter of the "Chronik" contains an alphabetical list of historical events with dates, forms thus a kind of compendium of history, and was often copied separately. The "Chronik" was printed as early as 1474, and later at Strasburg in 1698. A scholarly edition is that of Hegel in "Chroniken der deutschen Städte", VIII-IX (Leipzig, 1870-1).
In addition we possess a Latin-German glossary by Königshofen, which may, however, in its essential details be traced to Closener.