Engelbert Wusterwitz (c. 1385–1433) was a chronicler of the history of the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg () was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that, having electoral status although being quite poor, grew rapidly in importance after inheriting the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 and then came ...

. He wrote during the time when the

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern Castle, Hohenzollern, Margraviate of Bran ...

, the dynasty of the later

kings of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the monarch, hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the State of the Teut ...

, gained rulership over Brandenburg. Born in

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

to a family originally from Wusterwitz, Engelbert studied at the

University of Erfurt The University of Erfurt () is a public university located in Erfurt, the capital city of the German state of Thuringia. It was founded in 1379, and closed in 1816. It was re-established in 1994, three years after German reunification. Therefore ...

in 1404 and at the University of Prague in 1406/7. He worked as a clerk and jurist in Brandenburg and

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

. In Magdeburg, the ' is continued in his hand for the period of 1411 to 1421. In 1427, he was in the service of the bishop of

Halberstadt Halberstadt (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, the capital of Harz (district), Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town ...

. His own chronicle covered the period of 1391 to 1423. During this time, Frederick VI,

Burgrave of Nuremberg The Burgraviate of Nuremberg () was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from the early 12th to the late 15th centuries. As a burgraviate, it was a county seated in the town of Nuremberg; almost two centuries passed before the burgraviate lost ...

of the

, was appointed governor of Brandenburg in order to restore order and stability amid excessive

feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...

s between the nobility and later elevated to the rank of Elector and

Margrave of Brandenburg This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the time when Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire. The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary constituent states of the Holy Roman Emp ...

as Frederick I. Engelbert supported Frederick and was critical of the feudal quarrels of the local nobility. The text survives only in excerpts quoted by the 16th-century chroniclers

Andreas Angelus Andreas Angelus (German name ''Andreas Engel'', 16 November 1561 – 9 August 1598) was a German clergyman, teacher and government inspector, known for his chronicles of the history of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Biography Engel was bor ...

and Peter Hafftiz. A reconstruction of the text was presented by Ribbe (1973). Earlier printed editions are found in

Riedel Riedel is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolph Friedrich Johann Riedel (1809-1872), German industrialist and politician *August Riedel (Johann Friedrich Ludwig Heinrich August Riedel) (1799–1883), German painter *B ...

, ''Codex diplomaticus Brandenburgensis'' IV.1 (1862), Heidemann (1878) and Tschirch (1912).

References

*Wolfgang Ribbe, ''Die Aufzeichnungen des Engelbert Wusterwitz'', Berlin (1973). *O. Tschirch, ''Bilder aus der Geschichte der Stadt Brandenburg. Eine Festgabe zur Hohenzollernjubelfeier 1912'', Evenius, Brandenburg (1912). *J. Heidemann, ''Markische Chronik Nach Angelus Und Haffitz'' (1878). * *"Engelbert Wusterwitz" In: ''Lexikon des Mittelalters'' vol. 9, München 1998, col. 383f. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wusterwitz, Engelbert 1380s births 1433 deaths Chroniclers from the Holy Roman Empire People from the Margraviate of Brandenburg History of Brandenburg