CHRONICLER's PERSPECTIVE: COVERAGE OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE EPISCOPATE IN THE XVI CENTURY (BASED ON THE CHRONICLE OF WORMS BY F. ZORN AND THE CHRONICLE OF THE BISHOPS OF WÜRZBURG BY L. FRIES)

Abstract

The epoch of the Late Middle Ages and early Modern Times (XV-XVI centuries) became a turning point for the history of the German language. The urban literature was rapidly developing, first of all, chronicles. Historiographic genres are most richly represented in imperial and free cities. The interest of the citizens in history stimulates the development of both city and regional chronicles. The collisions of the period, the struggle between the commune and the lords are reflected in these works. The purpose of the article is to analyze the interpretation of conflicts between the burghers and the episcopate in two chronicles of the XVI century, different in type, but with high cultural and historical significance, that is, the Chronicle of Worms by F. Zorn and the Chronicle of the Bishops of Würzburg by L. Fries. For the analysis, text fragments were chosen that tell about the collisions of the late Staufen era (the second third of the XIII century), while the main attention is paid to the Worms chronicle, since it most fully describes the events of this period. Both chroniclers present events fairly correctly, but they do it from different angles. Thus, the author of the Worms chronicle, F. Zorn, is quite negative towards the clergy and the pope, and is even able to verbally attack the latter. He explains the conflicts between the city and the bishops by the imperious claims and machinations of the latter, adhering to the position of the City Council. By contrast, L. Fries in the Chronicle of the Bishops of Würzburg, although restrained in his judgments and striving to be objective, describes the uprising of citizens against the bishop in negative tones, considering it a manifestation of outrage and a violation of the God-established order.