Matthias of Neuburg

Also NEUENBURG (NEOBURGENSIS).

Chronicler, born towards the close of the thirteenth century, possibly at Neuburg, in Baden ; died between 1364 and 1370, probably at Strasburg, in Alsace. He studied jurisprudence at Bologna, and later received minor orders, but never became a priest. In 1327 we meet him as solicitor of the episcopal court at Basle, and shortly after, while clerk to Bishop Berthold von Buchecke, holding a similar position in Strasburg. At present he is generally considered the author of a Latin chronicle from 1243 to 1350, and of its first continuation from 1350 to 1355. Later, three other writers carried on the work to 1368, 1374, and 1378 respectively. It is an important contribution to Alsatian and Habsburg history and for the times in which Matthias lived; indeed, the part covering the period between 1346 and 1350 is one of the best authorities, not only for the history of his own country, but that of the entire empire. It has been attributed to different writers, among them to the Speyer notary, Jacob of Mainz (cf. Wichert, "Jacob von Mainz", Königsberg, 1881), also to Albert of Strasburg, especially by earlier editors, while those of later times attribute it to Matthias of Neuburg. For the voluminous literature on this controversy see Potthast, "Bibliotheca Kin. Med. Aevi." (Berlin, 1896). Among the editions may be mentioned: "Alberti Argentinensis Chronici fragmentum", an appendix to Cuspinian's work "De consulibus Romanorum commentarii" (Basle, 1553), 667-710, very much abridged; G. Studer, "Matthiae Neoburgensis chronica cum continuatione et vita Berchtoldi"; "Die Chronik des Matthias von Neuenburg", from the Berne and Strasburg manuscripts (Berne, 1866); A. Huber, "Mathiae Neuwenburgensis Cronica, 1273-1350" in Bohmer, "Fontes rerum Germanicarum", IV (Stuttgart, 1868), 149-276; "Continuationes", 276-297. It has also been edited from a Vienna and a Vatican manuscript in "Abhandlungen der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften", xxxvii-viii (Gottingen, 1891-2), and translated into German by Grandaur (Leipzig, 1892).

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