Rhyming chronicle of the city of Cologne
The rhyming chronicle of the city of Cologne is a central work in Cologne's literary history . Gottfried Hagen wrote the Boich van der stede Colne in 1270, a year later he added an addendum. The medieval chronicle describes the history of Cologne with a special focus on the years 1250–1270 and combines historical facts with legends (e.g. St. Ursula ). The focus is on the struggle for the freedom of the city between the patrician family of Overstolz (supported by the author) and the bishops described as greedy for power. With his work, Gottfried Hagen wanted to warn the citizens of the city in crisis.
content
In the prologue , the author asks God for help with his work, with which he wants to present the city's recent history and call on the inhabitants to take decisive action together for the good of the city.
This is followed by a universal historical part with the Christianization of Cologne, which from then on was regarded as holy. The leading role was played by the exemplary Bishop Maternus , who even rose from the dead to stand up for Cologne. The freedom of the city was already guaranteed at this early stage, and it has to be secured and defended again and again in the later course of history. The first part is completed by two great legends, namely that of St. Ursula with her 11,000 virgins and the story of Pope Silvester I and Emperor Constantine .
The historical part begins with a dispute between Bishop Konrad and the patricians over coinage rights , which forms the starting point for years of conflict between these two parties, which even lead to armed conflicts. Since the dispute for the throne of 1198 there were already conflicts between the supporters of Emperor Otto IV and the Hohenstaufen . A high point is the capture of the so-called best by the bishop in Altenahr following the Great arbitration of 1258 , which, however, is miraculously ended. After the return of the patricians, the conflicts intensified. First of all, an attack by the new Bishop Engelbert is thwarted by a vision of the previously presented Saint Ursula, again with supernatural help. Then, however, there is a break between the patricians. The wise allies with the hostile bishop, while the Overstolians get support from outside in the person of Count von Jülich . So there is a new opponent and the situation becomes even more complex and confusing than before. The alliance between the sage and the bishop proves to be very tenacious. The opponents do not give up even after alleged defeats. After protracted battles, which culminated in the battle of the Ulrepforte in October 1268, the Overstolzes, on whose side the chronicle author stood, were finally victorious. The story ends with an atonement between the city and the bishop, which is read out by master Gottfried Hagen.
Tradition and reception
Only a complete manuscript of Gottfried Hagen's work has survived. The manuscript F from the first third of the 15th century is known as Ms. germ. Oct. 26 registered in the Frankfurt City and University Library . Eberhard von Groote reconstructed the history of the document.
This manuscript was originally in the library of the Lord's Corpus Christi monastery in Cologne. Proof of this can be found in the biblioth directory . Coloniensis von Harzheim from 1747 (p. 103). The document later reappeared in Frankfurt, where a Dr. med. Kloß bought it at auction in the Hermann house and passed it on to the librarian Johann Friedrich Böhmer in 1826 .
The well-preserved manuscript, which is bound in wood, comprises 277 pages with 25 or 26 lines each. Each line and each section begins with an initial in red. The paper contains a watermark with a pointed leaf clover. The text of the rhyming chronicle is the first 257 pages. The remaining twenty pages contain the story of the weavers' battle. Behind it there are ten blank sheets of paper.
Several copies of this document were made in the centuries that followed, three of them in the mid-18th century. The Staatsrat Niebuhr acquired one of these three copies at an auction in 1826, and another was in Professor Wallraf's library. The third copy that Groote himself used was - according to a letter enclosed with the document - commissioned by the political journalist Roderique. Roderique donated the copy, which he claims to be based on a manuscript from the Canonie Corporis Christi , to the Syndicus von Eschenbrender for the syndicate's library .
Another copy, which was made in the 17th century at the earliest, was in the library of E. von Mering. The author tried to reproduce the original very accurately, not only in terms of content, but also in terms of the number of verses per page and the typeface. A copy from the estate of Vicar Alster was partially destroyed in a fire in Olpe around 1800 . Von Groote also refers to copies in Darmstadt, Heidelberg, Munich and Wallenstein .
There is also a 125-verse fragment D from the first third of the 14th century, which has been on loan from the main state archive in Düsseldorf in the historical archive of the city of Cologne since 1965 .
The rhyme chronicle is the oldest of three large Cologne chronicles from the Middle Ages. In the two later world chronicles , the Agrippina by Heinrich von Beeck (1469–1472) and the Koelhoff'schen Chronik ( Cronica van der hilliger stat van Collen, 1499), it was not only received, but was the essential basis for the two later Works. Koelhoff quotes 277 verses verbatim. In his edition of the rhyme chronicle of 1834, Eberhard von Groote pointed out parallels to Macchiavelli's depiction of Florence from the 14th century. Such a comprehensive representation of a city at this time is unique in Germany.
The edition from 1834 was decisive for research for a long time. The version that Hermann Cardauns and Karl Schröder published in The Chronicles of the Lower Rhine Cities in 1875 is considered unusable according to today's principles of German studies . This deficiency prompted Kurt Gärtner and his colleagues at the University of Trier to work out a new edition of the rhyming chronicle as part of the SFB 235 , which was started in the late 1990s .
In addition to the restriction to a single city, Gottfried Hagen clearly focused on the contemporary events of the time. At the beginning of the chronicle there is a universal historical part, but with a length of around 650 verses it is significantly smaller than the main part, in which 20 years from the time of the interregnum are described in approx. 5600 verses. The two parts are closely related; in the second there are numerous references and allusions to the first.
The rhyming chronicle is considered to be the "earliest evidence of rhyming German-language historiography". Historians consider it a largely reliable historical source. However, apart from a few documents, some of which were also used in the rhyming chronicle itself, there are hardly any other sources that provide information about the events in the city's history. For literary scholars, the role of the narrator and the not always clearly recognizable link between historical events and fictional elements is of interest.
Language and style
The rhyming chronicle is written in the Ripuarian dialect . Numerous traces of the Lower Rhine mix in the Rhenish vernacular , which can be explained by the origin of the author. The text, consisting of 6289 four-part rhyming verses, is characterized by a relatively simple style; it consists mainly of parataxes and temporal or modal subordinate clauses. Typical of sermo humilis (simple, simple style) are the many pre-formed sentences and commonplace sayings as well as proverbial formulations. Examples of this can be found in
- V. 1136 - ducke komet regen na sunne schine (Often there is rain after sunshine.)
- V. 2536 - the guede wille maicht vromen one (the good will makes a pious man.)
- V. 3464 - wale an gerant halffveichten is ( running well is half the battle.)
- V. 3746 - sus wilt maisse of all things rule (so measure should rule over all things.)
- V. 3758 - the best clemmer kompt meiste zo valle (the best climber usually falls ; cf. the saying "arrogance comes before the fall")
The prologue occupies a special position, stylistically distinct from the rest of the text. It contains various topoi that are known from literary works of the Middle Ages, such as B. Expressions of humility of the author. The prologue, consisting of only three complex movements, proves the poetic abilities of its author and underlines the importance of the work.
Author's identity
The identity of the author is a topic that has long been the subject of intense and controversial research discussions. It was about the question of whether the chronicle author Gottfried Hagen is identical with the Cologne city scribe Master Gottfried. The starting point of the debate was the epilogue of the rhyme chronicle , in which the last-named name is explicitly mentioned (v. 6287 Master Godefrit Hagene maichde me alone ). Hartmut Beckers describes this point in his entry in the author's lexicon as the “only direct testimony to the person” of the author. When the text was first edited in 1834, there was apparently no doubt that the two persons were equated. For Eberhard von Groote it was a matter of course, because he gave his edition the title Des Master Godefrit Hagen, the city clerk's time, rhyming chronicle of the city of Cologne from the thirteenth century . Heinrich von Beeck, the editor of Agrippina, had already equated the two people in the 15th century.
The most influential and clearest opposing position was taken by Ernst Dornfeld in 1912. He pointed u. a. to the fact that the epithet Hagene is not used anywhere else. But this and his other arguments, which say Gottfried Hagen had insufficient knowledge and many errors, have now been refuted, so that it is now considered certain that the author of the chronicle is the same as the town clerk. Therefore, as Manfred Groten did in detail in 1995, one can transfer the biography of the town clerk to the author.
Function of the narrator
In the rhyming chronicle, the narrator can be equated with the author. The clearest indication of this is the scene in which Gottfried Hagen describes his own errand to Neuss from 1268. That sente Petersbode (v. 5556) is really about the author is confirmed by his biography, which identifies him as a messenger of the cathedral chapter . As already indicated, the work contains some of the topoi common in the Middle Ages. The narrator refers to his written sources in order to postulate a claim to truth for his narrative (v. 397 men speaks, seder I read ind vant yelling ). In addition, he presents himself as extremely humble. In the prologue he asks God for help, since he does not see himself in a position to complete this great work alone, without help from others. In the later course of the text he describes himself as poor and stupid (v. 5814 geloůft myr poor stupid doren ). The climax of this reluctance comes in the epilogue . Here the work comes to the fore so much that it speaks of its author even in the first person (v. 6287).
Because the story u. a. is presented very vividly through the extensive direct speech of characters, the narrator often limits himself to stereotypical formulas such as men saich. Despite this modesty, the competencies of the narrator, who gives his text form and meaning, also become clear. He is aware of his influence on history and can treat it accordingly (v. 2600 here myt I speak dese kurte ).
The function of the narrator as a moral authority is of particular importance for the rhyming chronicle. He appears in long passages (especially at the end of episodes) in instructional scenes and speaks urgently to his audience. He wants to praise and criticize the recipients and make it clear to them what significance the events described above have for their lives and the well-being of the city of Cologne. Because it is very important to him to warn the citizens and to exhort them to unity. So it has a clear didactic intention. The explanations make the text useful. Outside of these scenes, too, the narrator repeatedly comments and evaluates current events, mostly using clear words (v. 1253 enweir't neit sůnde, I should hate it ). Sometimes even characters from the story can take on these functions.
Narrative structure, communication, perspective
The rhyming chronicle has the typical structure with a prologue and an epilogue clearly separated from the rest of the text. The topoi mentioned above can be seen in the two sections. The narrative patterns bring the text close to vernacular epic and conceptual orality . However, the author also clearly shows that it is a written work. After all, he explicitly calls it dat boich van der stede Coelne. He did not write down his text without reflection, but deliberately worked it out.
The event is presented in the form of appropriately arranged scenes. An inside view of the characters involved is almost completely missing, which, however, was not common in medieval texts, but rather represents a phenomenon of modern literature. The only exception is the report by Gottfried Hagen's errand to Neuss, in which physical sensations such as hunger and cold are explicitly described. This can be explained by the fact that this figure is identical to the author or narrator, who clearly expresses himself in the instructional scenes and other comments and also has his own feelings such as B. Shows hatred. Warning is the focus of his errand. In this way, the goal that the author pursues with his work is incorporated into the narrated plot in a skillful and extraordinary way.
Messenger reports play a central role in the entire rhyme chronicle. They are always used as a means of indirect communication when no direct communication between the characters involved is possible. Sometimes direct contact is perhaps not even wanted, which is why z. B. the bishop's slanderous letter is delivered by a messenger. According to the author's formulation, the mediation in this case is even doubly indirect, because the letter brought by the messenger speaks for his master (v. 3294 said the breiff vur synen here ). Through the messenger reports, the recipients of the text experience the news just as vividly and vividly as the audience of the messenger.
The figurative speech dominates the rhyming chronicle, while the actual narrative passages are significantly reduced. There is a constant change of perspective between the characters, including the narrator, and an anonymous audience. In addition to the messenger reports, there are numerous dialogue scenes that often follow one another. On the one hand, this makes it more difficult to follow the text and to assign the utterances correctly, on the other hand, the renunciation of verba dicendi ( verbs of speaking) ensures dynamization. The transition between individual scenes is achieved by changing the location or perspective.
The character speech leads to a lively visualization of the scenes and thus to a " dramatic mode". Because the story is presented so directly, it becomes "perceptible" in the double sense of the word: You can empathize with what is happening and what is told is all the more believable.
Names, dates and facts
Historiographic texts are characterized by the fact that they explicitly name specific people and places that actually existed or still exist, as well as the associated data and facts. In the rhyming chronicle this claim is not so clearly implemented. Thanks to his diverse education, Gottfried Hagen has extensive detailed knowledge that he has gained from written sources and as an eyewitness to what happened, but he selects and functionalises the facts that he needs for his text. He expressly announces content that is particularly important to him by urging his audience (e.g. by nu hoirting the repeatedly used formula ) to pay more attention or by giving an interpretation of the following events. Examples of influencing the audience in this way can be found in
- V. 1229 - hears a remorseful saying
- V. 1302 - nu hear wilch wonder dat geschaich
- V. 1463 - hear what the useless scheffen daden
- V. 2247 - now we may hear wonder grois
Years or other dates are hardly mentioned at all. The only exception is the indication of the year 1270 as the point in time for the creation of the work, i.e. a date that is outside the actual plot. For the recipient, only indirect conclusions are possible with the help of the life dates or reigns of the characters involved. However, these must be tapped from other sources, which requires a certain amount of prior knowledge on the part of the recipient. Due to the largely missing time information, the rhyming chronicle distances itself from the usual annals , in which the years are often all listed individually.
What it has in common with the annals, however, is the linear arrangement of the narrated events. All events are reported in strict chronological order as they happened one after the other. There are no changes and also no causal motivation of the actions, as they are quite common in other literature. An analeptic story can be found in vv. 4054–4102, where the bishop first learns about the warring patrician families and is presented with a plan for the final division of the two. However, this forward-looking report is also arranged in chronological order, because the negotiations between the bishop and the wise men are then described.
The rhyming chronicle is more reminiscent of the great world chronicles of the Middle Ages ( Gregor von Tours , Frutolf etc.), which extend from the creation story to the present day, even if Gottfried Hagen's report “only” begins in the 4th century with Christianization.
With regard to the names of the characters involved, the text becomes clearer. Both the heroes and the opponents are specifically named. On the one hand, this makes the story more authentic because the recipients know that it is about real people whom they may even know personally; on the other hand, however, clearly typified “character roles and behavior patterns” can be recognized. The general classification of a character as a hero or opponent is more important to the story than his name.
The naming of the Overstolzen is particularly detailed. Numerous individual figures are identified here with their first names (Gottschalk, Mathias, Daniel etc.). This means that the heroes are highlighted and honored separately. They are so important that you need to know each of them individually. The same applies to the figures around which the legends entwine (Ursula, Konstantin, Silvester). They deserve special attention at least as much as the heroes of current affairs. In addition, the naming of names is connected here with a claim to truth.
Although often only the general name of the busschoff appears, many of the high clergy are mentioned by name. This enables the author and the proud to direct concrete reproaches to the bishops instead of complaining generally about the church. It is also particularly described how the city of Cologne got its new name through Bishop Maternus. Another fact remains completely unnoticed: the construction of Cologne Cathedral (based on plans by Albertus Magnus ) is not mentioned in the rhyming chronicle with a single word, although the beginning is exactly in the reported time.
Heroes and opponents
Over proud
What is striking is the author's partisanship in favor of the Overstolzen . This patrician family was formed from a group around Hermann von der Kornpforte. Gottfried Hagen speaks clearly from their perspective - which may also have to do with the fact that they could have been his patrons - without taking a limited view or losing track of what was going on. The Overstolz and their allies are always portrayed as exemplary heroes and glorious fighters and given the appropriate attributes of boldness and pride. Examples of this can be found in verses 2519 (die koene h heals), 2556 (eyn coin jůnck man ind stultz) and 3486 (a koin hoisch man ind proud). The heroization becomes particularly clear in the numerous battle scenes. The conventional formulas keep appearing there. The heroes, after whom a street in downtown Cologne is named today, always fight against a numerically far superior opponent, whom they defeat anyway. They are given names that are reminiscent of the well-known Dietrichepik (fight like lions etc.). Thus the hero poetry can be used as a model for the rhyming chronicle. The author's nickname, which is reminiscent of the figure Hagen from the Nibelungenlied , also fits in with this .
The dominance of the over-proud and their partners is also shown by the fact that if they do get into trouble, they ask God for help. Because only supernatural influence and a positive fate can help them. The best example of this is the miraculous release from captivity in Altenahr . This perspective runs through the entire text. Even before the Overstolzes parted ways with the wise men, Gottfried Hagen is on their side. However, the names change over time. First, the author simply describes the patricians as the best, before the term gender appears. The elite, whose members are determined by birth, have an aristocratic self-image and stand out from the rest through their chivalrous lifestyle.
Bishops
The bishops face the Overstolz as opponents. The clergy are portrayed very negatively. They should actually be as positive as the exemplary Bishop Maternus , who was presented in the universal history section. He is considered an example, but the current bishops have not taken him as a model at all. The latter are rather prefigured by the Hun king Etzel , who wants to take the city, but fails due to the influence of St. Ursula . The bishops act as aggressors. After all, it is they who (at least according to Gottfried Hagens) provoke the disputes and cause unrest, while the Overstolzians only react to the attacks and try to protect their city. The greed of the clergy for power and money can be seen. a. because a dispute over the right to coin is the starting point for the conflicts at this time. Bishop Engelbert in particular proves to be a deceitful traitor . After apparently agreeing to an atonement, he breaks the agreement and allows the Pope to give him a dispensation to then attack the city again. After a new atonement he has a helper deliver a slanderous letter against the Overstolz to the community. When this plan fails too, he repeats the betrayal with three salt knives.
Wise and congregation
Another opponent of the Overstolz is the warring patrician dynasty of the wise. The fact that the latter are also presented negatively can be seen from the fact that they allied themselves with the bishop after he had learned of the sexes who underhated each other as cats and dogs (v. 4058f.). This exacerbated the hostility. The wise men who emerged from the group of those from Mühlengasse are extreme troublemakers, whom the author explicitly describes as perjured liars (v. 4504f. Meyneidige ind logenere erhrygent selden vrome ind ere ).
Both temporarily allied themselves with the so-called community. In this case, however, this does not mean all of the city's residents. Rather, it forms the opposite of the city, which is represented by the bourgeois sexes. The pejorative expression is used to describe guilds and brotherhoods . In addition, the officials of the parishes belong to this socially inferior group. The community is seen as incompetent in all respects, both in terms of rule and in terms of its ability to fight. Therefore it does not represent any serious danger for the Overstolz. In an appeal (v. 3558ff.) Gerart Overstolz makes it clear that it would be a shame to lose against the weavers .
Freedom and justice
The central theme of the rhyming chronicle is given in verse 76f. called: da enboven was spoken of the stede vryheit unbroken. So it is about the freedom of the city of Cologne, which must be preserved and defended against harmful external influences. The rhyming chronicle establishes the city as a valid authority on both a political and a social level. Gottfried Hagen urges the best citizens to stand up for the protection of the city. This is also shown by the fact that Coelne is addressed directly. Due to the simultaneous reference to the city and its inhabitants, the object and the recipients of the address are identical here.
Even before Christianization, which is described allegorically rather than historically, there was, according to Gottfried Hagen, an urban community. In the following passages, an “anachronistic picture of council rule” is drawn, which serves to legitimize the current council. The description of political decisions is mostly vague and concise, because demands and claims are more important than the actual result. The rhyming chronicle clearly reinforced the “Cologne constitutional theory” and gave it a historical justification.
The text presents a new concept of freedom . It is no longer about privileges for selected people, but rather about "freedom in the singular". This is comparable to the ancient Roman concept of libertas, which was a feature of civilitas . However, the two ideas do not quite match. Gottfried Hagen could also have developed his ideas based on the Italian model. The freedom of the citizen is guaranteed for all people; it is independent of social status. Ultimately, this is a necessary condition because order in the city can only be ensured through community engagement.
Gottfried Hagen had extensive knowledge of civil and canon law . Even before his time as town clerk, he was considered a special specialist in the drafting of German documents and played a decisive role in Cologne's leading role in this discipline. The author also incorporated his accumulated knowledge into his rhyming chronicle. The certificates and legal documents are not simply quoted and integrated as a complete text, but inserted into the plot through the figurative speech. The respective legal situation results from the dialogue scenes. Of course, objectivity cannot always be guaranteed because the characters involved present the always unclear and controversial legal situation from their subjective point of view. Ultimately, if at all, only the narrator remains as a reliable source of information.
A comparison of the documents integrated in the rhyming chronicle with the text as written by Désirée Welter reveals a great deal of detailed knowledge, which is not surprising in view of the author's education. However, in the literary implementation, there are also differences to the sources that can be traced back to corresponding interventions by the author. Of the individual legal facts, the author only uses those that he needs to present his story, without paying attention to completeness.
A closer look at the following chronicles shows that Agrippina made some changes, but relies exclusively on the rhyming chronicle and does not take into account the documents used there. The Koelhoff'sche Chronicle familiar Gottfried Hagen more than the closer in time Agrippina or other documents. There is one exception, however: the deposition of the so-called huysgenossen is described in comparative detail in the later chronicles, while the rhyming chronicle is limited to three verses (1218–1220).
The most important legal testimony in the rhyming chronicle is the atonement between the patricians and the bishop. These include the small and large arbitration of 1252 and 1258, the atonement with Bishop Engelbert in 1262 and the final atonement negotiated by Albertus Magnus . These atonements mark central points in history. They are also presented differently. The small arbitration is transformed into an "instructive collective speech" by the patricians to the address of the bishop (vv. 700–730). In doing so, the best refer to the guaranteed freedom of the city (our vryheit, here, we want to break us and our range van alders as it is komen). The atonement of 1262 is the longest passage in the rhyming chronicle. This can be traced back to the fact that the agreement was drawn up personally by Gottfried Hagen and should therefore receive special attention. The section represents the "most extreme case of scenic visualization". About half of the total of 600 verses used on it take up the arbitration discussions between the warring parties. In total there are three negotiation scenes, while the execution of the agreement is communicated in two verses. This shows that the requirements are more important than the provisions. The final atonement is intended to permanently preserve the state of peace that has been reached, which in reality soon turned out to be a false hope.
The atonements also play a central role in segmenting the plot. Actually, they should each end the previous conflicts and ensure a peaceful settlement. This would bring the plot to a close. But the bishops never abide by the agreements and break the atonement, thereby provoking new arguments. Thus the story continues in a similar pattern until the next (unsuccessful) atonement.
Legends, examples and saints
Although the Overstolz fight against the bishops, they have by no means lost faith in God. After all, the bishops fail in their actual function as spiritual representatives. The heroes call on God again and again to ask him for assistance, v. a. before they are challenged in battle. There is no question that God helps them, because only they deserve his help, because they fight tirelessly and successfully for the freedom of their city. Through the comprehensive and secure divine order, the threatening damage can always be averted and the attacks thwarted.
Holy city
In the prologue, the author asked God for help in writing his work. Subsequently , the Christianization of the city of Cologne starting from Rome , the center of Christianity (v. 30 Houft der Christenheit ), is described allegorically . Since then Cologne has been considered a holy city and this special position should be preserved for all eternity. The holiness is also shown by the fact that the exemplary bishop Maternus gave the city, which until then was called " Agrippina ", the new name. He spoke of the cultivation of the virtues (v. 140f. Ovinge of all dogentlicher things ) and the name “Colonia” was derived from the Latin verb “colere” (to cultivate). However, the name "sancta Colonia" was initially related to the church and was only later transferred to the city.
In addition to God and St. Ursula, the 6666 city saints are primarily responsible for protecting the city. The great victory of the Overstolzen is therefore followed by a detailed passage in the rhyming chronicle in which all these 6666 saints are expressly thanked for their support. Their number can be interpreted symbolically. The six is considered a holy number, but since the 666 represents the Antichrist and is therefore out of the question, there must be thousands of saints. Another expression of devotion to God is the concluding fivefold amen , which in a sense forms the quintessence of the text.
Ursula and her virgins
In the first part of the rhyme chronicle, two great legends are presented, which later also become important for contemporary events because they establish fundamental facts and can also be viewed as examples.
The first legend is about St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins, including Odilia of Cologne . Ursula meets Etzel , the king of the Huns , who wants to take Cologne, and provokes him with her negative attitude. When Etzel attacks her, Ursula calls on her virgins to resist and asks them to die for Cologne just as Jesus Christ died for the people on the cross. As a result, the 11,000 become martyrs , and Ursula is from now on the chief city saint. That these martyrs happen in Cologne of all places is not a coincidence, but the result of divine destiny. Ursula protects Cologne from all threats that come from outside the city.
The legend has been preserved in many versions, which were further adorned from the 9th to the 13th century. The first evidence is an inscription from the 5th century, which is kept in the Church of St. Ursula in Cologne . The authenticity of this inscription, in which neither the name of Ursula nor the number of virgins is mentioned, is not certain. The number 11,000 probably goes back to a reading error. In some early sources there is talk of only 11 virgins. The indication “XI.MV” was probably incorrectly read as “11 milia virginum” instead of “11 martyres virgines”.
Numerous names of virgins were invented in the 12th century. At the gates of the city of Cologne, a former Roman burial ground was discovered, which was believed to be the so-called Ager Ursulanus ( Latin for "Ursula field"). The excavated bones were attributed to the 11,000 virgins and sold as relics . The Overstolzes follow the example of the martyrs in their struggles and also call for unconditional commitment to their hometown. If necessary, the heroes should pay with their lives in order to secure freedom. This is exactly what happens in the end to Mathias Overstolz, who falls in battle but dies in good spirits because he knows that Cologne will be saved (v. 5672f.). Even the aggressive bishop has to recognize the special power of Ursula against his will. When he besieged the city, the Count of Kleve and his partner shared a vision of the saints, which intimidated the bishop so much that he ordered the retreat. Then he complains loudly about the happiness of the people of Cologne who benefit from the help of the saints (v. 4020f.).
Constantine and New Years Eve
The second legend is the story of Constantine and New Year's Eve . The emperor was cured of his illness with the help of the Pope, by whom he was baptized. This sanctification through religion illustrates the influence of the church on people, which, however, was massively abused and exploited by the bishops in the middle of the 13th century for their selfish goals. On the other hand, with this legend, the secular power must also be given special attention. This shows u. a. by the fact that Constantine receives the spiritual representative on New Year's Eve and not the other way around. After his healing, the emperor appoints the popes as lords of the Roman Empire. Here the Constantinian donation from the 8th century is described, which is known to be based on a forged document. In doing so, he actually founded a “ curial doctrine of subordination ”, according to which the Pope assumed the highest position. However, he also stipulated that the Pope should be accompanied by a secular court. But that does not diminish the high opinion of the papacy. According to Gottfried Hagen, the rule of the emperors ended with Friedrich II. (V. 668ff. Bys du [Cologne] in hulden ind in love geweist alre conynge certainly bys an keiser Vrederich ) The election of the electors , however, shows the lofty position of a clergyman, namely the Archbishop , who is tolerated as ruler due to the holiness and loyalty to Rome of the city, provided he behaves appropriately. Numerically, however, the four secular representatives are superior to the three spiritual representatives. The numbers can perhaps also be explained by their symbolism, whereby the four stands for the world and the three for the Trinity and thus the clergy. The sum is the seven , which symbolizes the totality.
wonder
In addition to these legends, there are a few other miracles. These appear particularly numerous in connection with the imprisonment of the best in Altenahr and the subsequent escape. This can be easily explained by the fact that these episodes represent the greatest crisis of the Overstolz. The miracles finally come about by the will of God, who helps the heroes overcome their problems. That is why Gottschalk Overstolz finds files and chisels at precisely the point in time when he urgently needs the tool. Otherwise the patricians would probably have stayed in their prison for a long time. During the escape, Gottschalk becomes the leader of the group. The fact that he is not elected or determined, but drawn by lot, proves that the Overstolz can rely on fate. Actually, they don't need a leader at all, because God guides and protects them on their way.
When the enemy pursuers come threateningly close to them, a monk stands ready to help them by hiding them in a box and thereby deceiving the opponents. In this case, it also shows that clergymen, in contrast to the current bishops, can appear positively. The next miracle happens when you cross the Rhine . With God's help, the ice on the frozen river suddenly splits and clears the way for the heroes. Here an obvious reference to the Bible , more precisely to the Book of Exodus , cannot be overlooked. The ice divides just like the Red Sea when it exits Egypt (and closes again in time to stop the enemies).
In view of the lively and adventurous descriptions, Schindler notes that in these passages - in contrast to the rest of the text and its function - the pleasure (delectare ) outweighs the usefulness (prodesse) . However, the basic themes such as the divine order and the superiority of good heroes are also revealed in these sections. The didactic statement (those who act so positively will be rewarded.) Is preserved despite the numerous miracles.
literature
- Hartmut Beckers: Hagen, Gottfried . In: Kurt Ruh et al. (Ed.): The German literature of the Middle Ages. Author Lexicon. Vol. 3. de Gruyter, Berlin 1981. Col. 384-386.
- Ernst Dornfeld: Investigations into Gottfried Hagen's rhyming chronicle of the city of Cologne along with contributions to Middle Ripuarian grammar . Marcus, Breslau 1912, ( Germanistische Abhandlungen 40, ZDB -ID 501571-6 ), (Reprint: Olms, Hildesheim et al. 1977, ISBN 3-487-06194-5 ).
- Gottfried Hagen: Rhyming Chronicle of the City of Cologne , ed. v. Kurt Gärtner, Andrea Rapp, Désirée Welter, Manfred Groten. Droste, Düsseldorf, 2008. Publications of the Society for Rheinische Geschichtskunde 74. ISBN 3-7700-7627-3 .
- Eberhard von Groote (ed.): Of the master Godefrit Hagen, the time town clerk, rhyming chronicle of the city of Cologne from the thirteenth century. Du Mont-Schauberg, Cöln am Rhein 1834.
- Manfred Groten: Cologne in the 13th century. Social change and constitutional development . Böhlau, Cologne et al. 1995, ISBN 3-412-11294-1 , ( City Research Series A: Representations 36), (At the same time: Cologne, Univ., Habil.-Schr., 1990/91).
- Jochen Schindler: History as Literature. Gottfried Hagens book from the city of Cologne. Master's thesis (maschr.), Cologne 1999.
- Désirée Welter: Documented sources and urban chronicle. Creation and impact of Gottfried Hagens rhyme chronicle of the city of Cologne (1270/71) . In: Anton Schwob et al. (Ed.): Source - Text - Edition. Results of the Austrian-German symposium of the Working Group for Germanistic Edition in Graz from February 28 to March 3, 1996 (supplements to editio, 9) . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1997. pp. 123-132.
Web links
- Entry in the manuscript census
- Entry on the Frankfurt manuscript in the manuscript census
- Collaborative Research Center 235 of the University of Trier
- Catholic Encyclopedia - Gottfried Hagen (English)
- Overstolzenstrasse
- Text of the rhyming chronicle based on the edition by von Groote (1834)
swell
- ↑ http://www.manuscripta-mediaevalia.de/hs/katalogseiten/HSK0020_b113_jpg.htm
- ↑ von Groote 1834: XVIII ff.
- ↑ Welter 1997: 125
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 30
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 74
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 7
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 47
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 48, 54
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 72
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 70
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 40
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 43
- ↑ Groten 1995: 255f.
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 98
- ↑ Groten 1995: 257
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 101
- ↑ Groten 1995: 248
- ↑ Groten 1995: 247
- ↑ Groten 1995: 249
- ↑ Welter 1997: 123
- ↑ Welter 1997: 127
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 62
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 64
- ↑ Groten 1995: 251
- ↑ Groten 1995: 252
- ↑ Schindler 1999: 82ff.
The text of the rhyming chronicle is based on the new edition by Gärtner et al. quoted.