Merseburg (dpa/sa) - A fragment from an important chronicle of the Middle Ages is returning to its region of origin, Merseburg. The United Cathedral Donors of Merseburg and Naumburg and the Zeitz Collegiate Monastery bought it with the support of the Cultural Foundation of the Federal States at the London auction house Christie's, as they announced on Thursday. The fragment from the chronicle of Bishop Thietmar von Merseburg (975/976-1018) is an important building block for further research into the history of the Middle Ages in Germany, explained the Secretary General of the Cultural Foundation of the Federal States, Markus Hilgert.
"Merseburg was an important political hub 1000 years ago and Thietmar's chronicle teaches us a lot about the historical events associated with it," says Hilgert. The chronicle reports on the Ottonian period and was written from 1012 to 1018. Thietmar reports on the Ottonian rulers and the position of Merseburg as a royal palace. There are many European references. The chronicle comprises a total of eight books. The original is kept in Dresden.
According to the information, the fragment that has now been acquired has been trimmed, so that four lines have been lost. The Christianization of Kievan Rus' under Vladimir the Great is described. Thietmar also describes the naming of Frankfurt am Main in retrospect. Also included is an account of the beginnings of Corvey Abbey. In the 12th century the manuscript to which the fragment belongs was written at Corvey Abbey.
According to the information, the Kulturstiftung der Länder supported the acquisition of the fragment with 6,650 euros, and funding also came from the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
