Petermann Etterlin (c. 1430/40 – c. 1509) was born in

Lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital o ...

, Switzerland, as the son of Egloff Etterlin, who served as chronicler of the city of Lucerne from 1427 to 1453.Müller, p. 397. Although his parents had destined him for an ecclesiastical career, Etterlin never became a

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

.Müller, p. 397. In 1464, Etterlin was appointed copyist of the city of Lucerne.Müller, p. 397. Etterlin’s military career began in 1468 when he joined the army of the Swiss Confederation at the siege of Waldshut.Müller, p. 397. During a temporary exile from the city of Lucerne, Etterlin participated in the battles of

Grandson Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Murten Murten (German) or Morat (French, ; frp, Morât ) is a bilingual municipality and a city in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat (also known as Lake Murten). Morat is s ...

and Nancy during the

Burgundian Wars The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were a conflict between the Burgundian State and the Old Swiss Confederacy and its allies. Open war broke out in 1474, and the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the battlefield in th ...

(Müller 397). In 1477, he was involved in a campaign against

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of G ...

.Müller, p. 397. After his return to his hometown in 1477, Etterlin was appointed the post of chancellor of the city of Lucerne.Müller, p. 397. In 1495, after his promotion to the position of chronicler of the city of Lucerne, Etterlin joined the leading French-minded party.Müller, p. 397. From 1493 to 1501, Etterlin is reported to have made several journeys to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

.Müller, p. 397. Towards the end of his life, Etterlin embarked upon writing his '' Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation'' (German: ''Kronika von der loblichen Eydtgenossenschaft'').Müller, p. 397. According to Müller, Petermann Etterlin died in Lucerne in 1509, only two years after the completion of his monumental work.Müller, p. 397.

References

*Müller, P. L. “Petermann Etterlin.” ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' 14 (1881): 397–398. {{DEFAULTSORT:Etterlin, Petermann 1430s births 1509 deaths People from Lucerne 15th-century Swiss historians Swiss male writers 16th-century Swiss historians 15th-century Swiss military personnel