Wigand of Marburg

Wigand of Marburg (German: Wigand von Marburg)[1] was a German herald of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia and one of the notable chroniclers of the Middle Ages.

Wigand expanded upon the earlier work of Nikolaus von Jeroschin. Wigand's Chronica nova Prutenica (New Prussian Chronicle) is one of the basic sources of information for the history of the Prussian lands and parts of the adjoining Grand Duchy of Lithuania, covering the period between 1293 and 1394.[2] Originally written in Middle High German rhymed prose, the work combined actual accounts with legends, folk tales, and myths. Out of an estimated length of 17,000 lines, only about 500 have survived to the present day.[2] However, in 1464, the Polish chronicler Jan Długosz ordered a translation of his work to Latin, which has survived almost intact.[2]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Note that von Marburg is a purely descriptive title added to his original name of Wigand by later historians, rather than a proper surname. Also the von should not be confused with a preposition used in later times to denote someone's noble status
  2. 1 2 3 Endre Bojtar (2000). Foreword to the Past: A Cultural History of the Baltic People. Budapest: Central European University Press. p. 184. ISBN 963-9116-42-4.


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