The Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation (German: Kronika von der loblichen Eydtgenossenschaft) is the oldest printed chronicle of Switzerland.

The Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation was written by Petermann Etterlin

Petermann Etterlin

Petermann Etterlin was born in Lucerne as the son of Egloff Etterlin, who served as chronicler of the city of Lucerne from 1427 to 1453. Although his parents had destined him for an ecclesiastical career, Etterlin never became a clergyman...

’s from Lucerne

Lucerne

Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...

. According to the Swiss historian Jean-François Bergier

Jean-François Bergier

Jean-François Bergier was a Swiss historian. He was a professor at the University of Geneva from 1963 to 1969 and at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich until his retirement in 1999....

, Etterlin decided to compose a chronicle on the history of the city of Lucerne towards the end of his life, between 1505 and 1507. Etterlin’s chronicle, which was printed for the first time in 1507 by Michael Furter, is considered to be the earliest surviving printed version of the William Tell

William Tell

William Tell is a folk hero of Switzerland. His legend is recorded in a late 15th century Swiss chronicle....

 story.

Except for the section in which Etterlin describes his wartime experiences, the Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation is, for the most part, a compilation of earlier sources. As Müller

Müller

The German word Müller means "miller" . It is the most common family surname in Germany and Switzerland and the fifth most common surname in Austria . Other forms are "Miller" and "Möller"...

 observes, Etterlin’s chronicle is primarily based on Hans Schriber’s White Book of Sarnen

White Book of Sarnen

The White Book of Sarnen is a collection of medieval manuscripts compiled in the late 15th century by Hans Schriber in the canton of Obwalden. This volume, 258 pages in length, was given its name because of the white parchment in which it is bound...

(German: Weisses Buch von Sarnen), Conrad Justinger

Conrad Justinger

Conrad Justinger was probably born in Strasbourg. Justinger, who had learned the trade of a chronicler in his home-town, appears to have moved to the city of Bern in the last quarter of the 14th century...

’s Bernese Chronicle

Bernese Chronicle

The Bernese Chronicle contains information about the early history of the city of Bern.The Bernese Chronicle was composed in 1430 by Conrad Justinger from Bern...

as well as on a chronicle from Zurich

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

.

Etterlin’s Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation is interesting from a historical standpoint because its author seems to have been familiar with an older version of the White Book of Sarnen than the one that is preserved in the public record office of the canton of Obwalden

Obwalden

Obwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 33,997 of which 4,043 are foreigners. Its capital is Sarnen. The canton contains the geographical centre of Switzerland.-History:...

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