Conrad Justinger was a 14th-century chronicler who was probably born in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

.Bergier, p. 59. Justinger, who had learned the trade of a chronicler in his home town, appears to have moved to the city of

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

in the last quarter of the 14th century.Bergier, p. 59. From 1390 until his death, Justinger served the city of Bern as a magistrate and notary public.Bergier, p. 59. In 1388, Justinger copied

Jakob Twinger von Königshofen Jacob Königshofen (more properly Jakob Twinger von Königshofen) (1346 – 27 December 1420) was a German chronicler. Biography Jacob was born at Königshofen, then a village near, and now a district of, Strasbourg, Strasburg, in Alsace, ...

’s treatise '' Computus Novus Chirometralis''. Justinger’s handwriting furthermore appears in a number of chancellery documents of the city of Bern, such as the ''Udelbuch'' from 1390, the ''Satzungenbuch'' (German: ‘Statutes Book’) from 1398, the ''Freiheitenbuch'' (German: ‘Book of Liberties’) from 1431 as well as a

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

urbarium An urbarium (, English: ''urbarium'', also ''rental'' or ''rent-roll'', , , , ), is a register of fief ownership and includes the rights and benefits that the fief holder has over his serfs and peasants. It is an important economic and legal sourc ...

written after 1415.Keeling. In 1420, Justinger, who was appointed chronicler of the city of Bern around 1400, was entrusted by the Bernese council to chronicle the history of his hometown.Müller, p. 758. This chronicle, which Justinger completed in 1430, is known under the name of '' Bernese Chronicle'' (German: ''Chronik der Stadt Bern'').Keeling. Conrad Justinger, whose name was frequently omitted in later publications of the ''Bernese Chronicle'', probably died childless in April 1438.Müller, p. 758. The original is lost, but a copy of the text survives in

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

. The original may have been illustrated; if so, that would make it the precursor of the late 15th century

Swiss illustrated chronicles Several illustrated chronicles were created in the Old Swiss Confederacy in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were luxurious illuminated manuscripts produced for the urban elite of Bern and Lucerne, and their copious detailed illustrations allow a ...

References

*Bergier, Jean-François. ''Wilhelm Tell: Realität und Mythos''. München: Paul List Verlag, 1990. * *Müller, P. L. “Konrad Justinger.” ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' 14 (1881): 758-759. {{DEFAULTSORT:Justinger, Conrad 14th-century births 1438 deaths People from the Imperial City of Strasburg Writers from Strasbourg Writers from Bern Swiss chroniclers 15th-century Swiss historians