Tschachtlan's Illustrated Chronicle

Tschachtlan's Illustrated Chronicle

The Swiss Confederation, as it existed in the 15th and 16th centuries, yielded numerous famous names of German book art. Some of the most famous and influential world chronicles originate from this time. The first of these chronicles is Tschachtlan's Illustrated Chronicle. The work created by Benedict Tschachtlan (ca. 1430–93) is a reliable and diverse source for those interested in cultural history. Everyday life in the country and the city as well as events of war in and around the home city of the author, Bern, were chronicled.

The History of the Confederation from 1152 to 1470

Benedict Tschachtlan, a loyal statesman in service to Bern, reports on the events in his beloved city in his chronicle. His claims are based on previous works by Konrad Justinger and Hans Fründ, which until then did not receive much attention. Together with Heinrich Dittinger, his friend and fellow politician in Bern, Tschachtlan created a history of his city, in which he masked everything negative and confined himself solely to the everyday scenes of city life, such as scenes of justice, as well as renowned military actions. Tschachtlan and Dittinger describe themselves as the authors in the epilogue of the work and write that the chronicle ends in 1470.

The Prototype for all Illustrated Chronicles

The chronicle of Tschachtlan is the first work of its kind, never before was a world chronicle illustrated with pictures. As a young man, Diebold Schilling, the most famous Swiss chronicler, made use of Tschachtlan’s book as the foundation for his own first work. One can actually see from it that he was involved in the creation of the codex. Tschachtlan and Dittling did not created their chronicle for a specific commissioner, it was their private work.

The Source of Book Decoration

Tschachtlan himself was responsible for designing the 230 predominantly full-page colored illustrations of the book. The pictures testify to a fresh, unconcerned, and appealing styling. They exhibit an astounding diversity of scenes from life in medieval Bern, for example, weapons and common clothes can be seen, battles and sieges are visible, and the camp life of the soldiers of Bern were illustrated as well. The life of the great statesmen and common peasantry is recorded in the finest detail, the pictures show cities, castles, and above all else the successful campaigns and conquests in those days were painted by the artists in the most magnificent range of colors and detail. Thus the work continues to succeed as a contemporary witness in fascinating the reader to this day.