The ''Annals of Aachen'' () is an anonymous late 12th-century compilation of Latin

annals Annals (, from , "year") are a concise history, historical record in which events are arranged chronology, chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction betw ...

from St Mary's Church in

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

. The annals were originally compiled in 1169 and subsequently extended down to 1196. The first part is little more than a list of Roman emperors from AD 1 until 684. Entries for the years 688–809 were borrowed from some

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

imperial annals and are closely related to the '' Annals of Saint-Amand''. There follows a list of Carolingian and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

rulers down to 1109. The reports on the reign of

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

(1105–1125) are generally positive. The coverage of the

Staufer The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to List of German monarchs, royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 ...

rulers is also positive. The ''Annals of Aachen'' contain the earliest example in Germany of the expression "to make a knight". It occurs in the account of the knighting of

Frederick I Frederick I or Friedrich I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I ...

's sons, Henry VI and Frederick VI in 1184: ''facti sunt milites'', they were made knights. This is one of the earliest pieces of evidence for a ceremony of

knighting The accolade (also known as dubbing, adoubement, or knighting) () was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. Etymology The term ''accolade'' entered English by 1591, when Thomas Lodge use ...

in Germany..

Editions

Georg Waitz Georg Waitz (9 October 1813 – 24 May 1886) was a German medieval historian and politician. Waitz is often spoken of as the leading disciple of Leopold von Ranke, though perhaps he had more affinity with Georg Heinrich Pertz or Friedrich Chris ...

(ed.)
"Annales Aquenses"
in MGH ''Scriptores'', 24 (1879), pp. 33–39.

Notes

{{reflist 1169 books 12th-century history books 12th-century books in Latin Medieval historical texts in Latin Hohenstaufen family Works published anonymously History of Aachen