The ''Chronicon Helveticum'' (Latin for "Swiss Chronicle") is one of the oldest accounts of the early history of the
Swiss Confederation
; rm, citad federala, links=no). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzon ...
.
The rough draft of the ''Chronicon Helveticum'' was written by Swiss historian
Aegidius Tschudi
Aegidius (or Giles or Glig) Tschudi (5 February 150528 February 1572) was a Swiss statesman and historian, an eminent member of the Tschudi family of Glarus, Switzerland. His best known work is the Chronicon Helveticum, a history of the early ...
in 1550.
[Bergier, p. 16.] Although Tschudi seems to have made the last revisions between 1569 and 1570, the monumental work did not appear in printed form until
Johann Rudolf Iselin
Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious ...
published a two-volume edition in 1734, giving it the name by which it is known today.
[Potter, p. 39.][Führer durch das Tell-Museum in Bürglen am Klausenpass]
Tschudi's ''Chronicon Helveticum'' plays an important part in the historiography of
Switzerland, since it contains copies of about 50 documents which have not survived in any other form.
[Stump, p. 225.] In terms of content, Tschudi is particularly interested in representing the long-established independence of the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
*Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internati ...
population.
Furthermore, Tschudi makes mention of the struggle between
empire and papacy, the
crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...
, and a large number of other issues concerning Swiss cities, dioceses and monasteries.
Furthermore, Tschudi's ''Chronicon Helveticum'' contains much valuable material for the study of the
William Tell
William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland.
According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...
legend.
[Bergier, p. 21.]
It is probably due to these circumstances that Tschudi's ''Chronicon Helveticum'' became a model for later writers dealing with William Tell. Not only did Tschudi's chronicle become the major source for
Johannes von Müller
Johannes von Müller (3 January 1752 – 29 May 1809) was a Swiss historian.
Biography
He was born at Schaffhausen, where his father was a clergyman and rector of the gymnasium. In his youth, his maternal grandfather, Johannes Schoop (1696– ...
’s ''
History of the Swiss Confederation
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
'' (German: ''Geschichten Schweizerischer Eidgenossenschaft''), it also served as a model for
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
’s play ''
William Tell
William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland.
According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...
''.
[Bergier, p. 16.]
Notes
References
*Bergier, Jean-François. ''Wilhelm Tell: Realität und Mythos''. München: Paul List Verlag, 1990.
*Potter, G. R. ''The English Historical Review'' 85.335 (1970): 393.
* Stump, Philipp, H. ''Speculum'' 70.1 (1995): 215–217.
*Tell Museum. ''Führer durch das Tell-Museum in Bürglen am Klausenpass''.
{{Authority control
Swiss chronicles
1550s books
16th-century history books
William Tell