The Lorsch Codex (Chronicon Laureshamense, Lorscher Codex, Codex Laureshamensis) is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the
Monastery of Saint Nazarius in
Lorsch, Germany. The codex is handwritten in
Carolingian minuscule
Carolingian minuscule or Caroline minuscule is a script which developed as a calligraphic standard in the medieval European period so that the Latin alphabet of Jerome's Vulgate Bible could be easily recognized by the literate class from one ...
, and contains
illuminated
Illuminated may refer to:
* Illuminated (song), "Illuminated" (song), by Hurts
* Illuminated Film Company, a British animation house
* ''Illuminated'', alternative title of Black Sheep (Nat & Alex Wolff album)
* Illuminated manuscript
See also initials
In a written or published work, an initial is a letter at the beginning of a word, a chapter, or a paragraph that is larger than the rest of the text. The word is ultimately derived from the Latin ''initiālis'', which means ''of the beginning ...
– for example, a huge "D" is presented on the first page. The codex consists of 460 pages in large format which contain more than 3800 entries. It is important because it details the gifts given to the monastery and the possessions belonging to it, giving some of the first mention of cities of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
in central
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and in particular in the
Rhein-Neckar region. Over one thousand places are named. None of the original documents that were copied into the codex are known to have survived.
The codex is now in the
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
n state
archive
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials, in any medium, or the physical facility in which they are located.
Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organ ...
in
Münich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
.
Literature
*''Codex Laureshamensis. Das Urkundenbuch des ehemaligen Reichsklosters Lorch'', Neustadt/Aisch 2003 (Bavarian State Archive 1 special publication) facsimile edition
*Karl Josef Minst: ''Lorscher Codex deutsch. Urkundenbuch der ehemaligen Fürstabtei Lorsch'', 5 Bde., Lorsch 1966/72 Lorsch (translation)
*Karl Glöckner: ''Codex Laureshamensis'', Darmstadt 1929-1936, reprint 1963 (definitive edition
Online as facsimileat
ALO
See also
*
History of Germany
The concept of Germany as a distinct region in Central Europe can be traced to Julius Caesar, who referred to the unconquered area east of the Rhine as ''Germania'', thus distinguishing it from Gaul. The victory of the Cherusci, Germanic tribes ...
*
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...
*
Manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
*
Annales laureshamenses
The ''Annales laureshamenses'', also called ''Annals of Lorsch'' (AL), are a set of '' Reichsannalen'' (annals of the Frankish empire) that cover the years from 703 to 803, with a brief prologue. The annals begin where the "Chronica minora" of ...
External links
Lorsch Codex onlinewith description and interactive maps
12th-century manuscripts
12th-century documents
History of Christianity in Germany
History of Hesse
{{Germany-hist-stub