Austrian Chronicle of 95 Seigneurs

The Austrian Chronicle of 95 Seigneurs ("Österreichische Chronik von den 95 Herrschaften ") of Leopold Stainreuter of Vienna (lived ca. 1340-1400) is a 14th century chronicle compiled by order of Albert III, Duke of Austria.

The chronicle is notable for recording legendary history from the time of Noah, constructing a fictional ancestry of the Dukes of Austria connecting them with biblical rulers of the Kingdom of Israel. It exerted considerable influence on 15th century Austrian historiography, a fact underscored by its preservation in more than 50 manuscripts (among these Cod. 2820 foll. 33ra-171vb in the Austrian National Library).

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the popularity of the chronicle waned rapidly due to its obviously fictional content, and it remained inedited until the early 20th century.

Since its edition, it has played a certain role in pseudohistory, in particular in US American Biblical literalism, in publications such as those of Herman L. Hoeh ["Compendium of World History" (1963) [http://www.earth-history.com/Various/Compendium/] ] and Herbert W. Armstrong ["Here's the Plain Truth About Old Testament Polygamy" (1963) [http://www.blowthetrumpet.org/OLDTESTAMENTPOLYGAMY.htm] ] of the Worldwide Church of God, who took the chronicle's genealogies at face value to postulate that, e.g., :"European civilization — and its history — is as old as Egypt's. But it has been suppressed. Not since the close of the seventeenth century has it been allowed to be taught publicly." (Hoeh (1963), vol. 2 ch. 3 [http://www.earth-history.com/Various/Compendium/hhc2ch03.htm] )

Edition

*Joseph Seemüller (ed.), "Österreichische Chronik von den 95 Herrschaften", Monumenta Germaniae Historica ("Deutsche Chroniken" 6.1, 1909), 1980 reprint: ISBN 3921575532 ( [http://www.dmgh.de/dmghband.html?bsbbandname=00000781&frameaction=bandansicht facsimile] )

References

ee also

*British Israelism