jamesgray2

388G    Richental (Reichental),  Ulrich von.       1365-1437?
Das Concilium. So zu Constantz gehalten ist worden, des jars do man zalt von der geburdt unsers erlösers MCCCC.XIII. Jar. Mit allen Handlunge in geystlichen vn weltlichen Sachen, auch was diss mals für Bäpst, Kayser, Künig, Fürsten vnd Herrn &c. Geystlichs vnd weltlichs Stands, sampt den Botschafften oder Legationen, der künigreychen, Landen und Stetten, die zu Constantz erschinen seind, mit jre Wappen contrafect vn[d] mit andern schönen Figuren vn[d] Gemäl durchauss gezieret.

Augsburg: Heinrich Steyner, 1536

Folio, 11.5 X 7.75.  SECOND EDITION (first printed in 1483). A-Z6, a-n6 (lacking blank leaf n6)  This copy is bound in contemporary calf over beveled wooden boards, lacking clasps but with the catches on the lower  board. The boards are moderately scuffed but otherwise well preserved.

The binding is tooled  with ornamental rolls in blind. I suspect that is a remboitage.There are a few pages with small tears in the gutter And many contemporary additions to and augmentations to the text as well as underlining.

   Illustrated with 1024 woodcuts comprising 42 full-paged woodcut scenes, three half-paged illustrations, and 1159 coats-of-arms. With the exception of the full-paged woodcut on leaf CCXV verso, all of woodcuts were copied by Jörg Breu the Elder (1480-1537) from the original illustrations in Anton Sorg’s edition of 1483, which intern are adaptations of the paintings and drawings in the manuscripts. The woodcut on leaf CCXV (Schramm III, 664) was originally used as the frontispiece of Robertus Remensis’ “Historie des Kampfes der Türken” (Augsburg, Bämler, 1482).

SECOND EDITION OF THE ONLY ILLUSTRATED CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF THE COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE, relating its pomp, ceremony, sessions, actions and results. The council was held from 1414 to 1418 and dealt with the western schism in the Church, the reformation of ecclesiastical government and life, and the repression of heresy. The three existing popes resigned or were deposed and a new pope was elected (Martin V). All points and methods of reforming the ecclesiastical condition were discussed if not always acted upon in this ecumenical forum, including papal and curial administration, corruption, the decline of learning, the decay of churches and monasteries, etc. The heretical writings of John Wyclif were burned and his body was condemned to be dug up and cast out of consecrated ground; Jan Hus was arrested, tried and burned at the stake, and his ashes thrown into the Rhine (all duly illustrated in this work).

The “Chronicle” was presumably written sometime between 1420 and 1430. Nine manuscripts are extant, all written in southern German dialect. The author, Ulrich von Richental, was born in Constance in 1364. It is documented that he was the city chronicler in the second half of the 14th century. According to his own statements, he undertook several journeys, including to Bohemia. Nothing is known about his education. His knowledge of Latin enabled him to follow the events of the Council of Constance and write his chronicle. According to his own writings, he helped with several of the council’s chancellory affairs. For example, he placed his own property at the disposal of King Sigismund and his entourage and housed a bishop of the Archdiocese of Gnesen. The many insights into the background workings of the city and the standpoint of a largely uninvolved eyewitness allowed him to produce a vivid, descriptive, and credible depiction of all public events and assemblies involving secular and ecclesiastical ceremonies. The wealth of details contained in the chronicle as regards the names of participants, official writings, statistics on delinquency, quantity and types of food delivered and sold, etc. lets one infer that von Richental himself had access to the city agencies through an official city position or at least maintained good contact with these agencies. It can be assumed that he had a position in the city’s chancellory and treasury during the time of the Council. He died in 1437.
Richental was town clerk at Constance during Consils and reported  a most vivid , vibrant and reliable description of all public events in the great assembly , the secular and religious celebrations, and the whole hustle and bustle of people crowded imperial city. It provides both a detailed and all-round description : from the entourage and servants machinations down the names of Conciltheilnehmer , the dates of arrival , the quarters of the individual, the figures hurrying Dealer and trader of all kinds, the cost of the celebrations , the fluctuations in the food prices , ( a cool wood cut of a backing oven on wheels is shown) every solemn bells etc …  The chronicle has diary-like records and lists that were made during the council . (Quote ADB)

VD16 R 2202; Schöller 84; Fairfax Murray 353; Muther 1109; Dodgson II, 110, 8; Rosenwald 669

Here are some images from the book and then manuscripts!