Jans der Enikel

Jans of Enikel ( † after 1302) was a Viennese patrician, poet and chronicler of the late 13th century.

Name forms

The poet was called Jans, ie Johann or Hans, also Jans, or the heren, to underline Jansen Jansen Enikel eninchel his identity as a grandson of a known Jans called. This results in several variants:

• Jans Jans of Enikel or the grandson - probably the most accurate term
• Jansen Enikel - the most common form in the literature of the 19th century
• Jansen of Jansen Eninkel or the Enenkel - also common in the 19th century
• Jans Enikel - the most common form in the second half of the 20th century
• Enekl, Enekel, Ennichel, Enninchel, Enenckel, Enenkel - several obsolete spellings, partly from late manuscripts

Added to this are the names Jans the writer ( in Vienna documents the years 1275 to 1302 occupied), Enenckel by Albrecht Berg ( a misidentification of the 17th century ) and Jans of Vienna, a proposal from the year 1999.

Life

Jans is one of the most frequented German writers of the 13th century. He was born probably around 1230 to 1240. His grandfather was a leading patrician of the city of Vienna. His father or perhaps his uncle, the municipal judge Konrad was honored in 1239 by Prince Frederick II.

In 1262, Conrad's widow entered a monastery. Maternal Jans was related to the major families Paltram and gripping. He seems to have maintained good relations with the Vienna Scots Monastery. He owned a house in the Wipplingerstraße (wild improvement road). He appears in the Vienna documents the years 1271-1302, from 1275, called " Jans the writer ", possibly indicating a position as town clerk. His son (Konrad ) and son ( Jörg ) are occupied.

In 1894 in Vienna Ottakring ( 16th district ) was named the Enenkelstraße after him. Also in Linz is a Enenkelstraße.

Works

World Chronicle

The Chronicle is a story of the world in 30 000 Middle High German verses ( couplets ) that fits into the series of medieval chronicles. She is started no later than 1272, but possibly Jans wrote in the 1280s it, and he may have made ​​several versions. The content emphasizes the creative act of God, edited much of the narrative materials from the Old Testament, gives subsequently Homeric and other ancient materials, then jumps to Charlemagne on and further reports from the medieval history to the death of Emperor Frederick II in the year 1250. This last emperor enjoys one of the most detailed biographies in the Chronicle.

"He gemachet ditz getiht, sitting ze Wienn in the stat with Hus and Johan is genant. where he korôniken ez vant. Jansen Enikel sô he hiez. of the buoch nam he LER the. "

Fürstenbuch

Jans has written his book Prince probably after the World Chronicle: maybe it was therefore born around 1280 to 1290. The prince book is also written in rhyming couplets and comprises about 4000 verses. It tells the story of the city of Vienna from its founding to the 13th century. The prince book remained unfinished, but it reaches almost to the lifetime of the poet and probably represents the largest part of the original concept of the poet dar.

"I 'm Jans genant daz I getiht I found the same hern Jansen eninchel I heat I want the mac vermezzen me daz I 'm a rehter Wienner. "

Importance for the study of literature

The editor of his works, Philip Bush, has Jans gives a bad name, he referred to him as a rhymer, each stupidity is more than capable. In fact Jans is rather to praise as the narrator because as a poet: the rhymes are often far-fetched, but its mostly anecdotal treatment of the contents is an important cultural and historical source.

Jans is one of the earliest urban writers in German language. As the world chronicler he builds on a vernacular tradition that is represented mainly by the Kaiser Chronicle, the Chronicle of Rudolf von Ems, the Saxon Chronicle, and the Christian Herre Chronicle, but this tradition he gives as patrician entirely new standards.

Especially in the world chronicle Jans offers literary history interesting motifs. Among other things, he first reported in German language, the history of Pope Joan, and also the story of Saladin's table, the way is considered a literary predecessor of Lessing's ring parable in Nathan. Of great interest is the processing of the Jewish narrative material. The paraphrase of Bible stories is often highly original.

The Chronicle is considered the source for a number of later Middle High German works, especially the World Chronicle of Henry Compilation of Munich and the German History Bibles.

It is also important for the study of literature, that the prince book reports on otherwise unused aspects of the history of minnesong at the Viennese court.

Importance for the history of science

The Chronicle is considered very interesting witness to the historical image of the 13th century, as well as for self- understanding of Viennese citizens, but as a source of historical events listed there, it is just not very productive. More than in the last thousand verses, where it comes to the politics of the lifetime of the poet, her historical findings are wrest, as to the tensions between Vienna and the Emperor.

The prince book is the first attempt at a history of the City of Vienna and contains some interesting information about the history of the Berghof. Here you will also find the earliest mention of the Austrian colors, red- white-red.