Gottfried Hagen (1230–1299) was town clerk of

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

and author of the Cologne ''Reimchronik'' (''Rhymed Chronicle''). Hagen was born in

Xanten Xanten (, Low Rhenish: ''Santen'') is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel. Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the wor ...

and educated at the ''Stiftsschule'' (today's

Stiftsgymnasium Xanten Stiftsgymnasium Melk (german: link=no, Melk Abbey's gymnasium) is a Roman Catholic Benedictine-run gymnasium located in Melk, Austria. The gymnasium is located within and run by the well-known monastery Melk Abbey. Founded in the 12th century as ...

). He filled many influential positions, and took an active part in the public life of his native city. Subsequently, to the year 1268, he is mentioned repeatedly in documents as "Magister Godefridus clericus Coloniensis", "Notarius civitatis Coloniensis", pastor (plebanus) of St. Martin the Lesser at

, and dean of the chapter of

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

. He gives his name with the title town-clerk (''der stede schriver'') at the end of his ''Book of the City of Cologne'' (''Dit is dat boich van der stede Colne''). This ''Reimchronik'' is a very remarkable work of some 3,000 couplets; as a chronicle it is almost complete, if based at times on unreliable traditions. At earliest, it was written in 1270 with a supplement in 1271; it cannot have appeared later than the period between 1277 and 1287. After a legendary introduction, permeated with the idea of municipal liberty, it recounts the conflicts between the city of Cologne and the Archbishops Conrad and

Engelbert II Engelbert II may refer to: * Engelbert II of Istria (died 1141) * Engelbert II, Count of Gorizia (died 1191) * Engelbert II of Berg (1185 or 1186 – 1225) * Engelbert II of Falkenburg (1220–1274), Archbishop of Cologne * Engelbert II of the Mar ...

, and the feuds between the

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

party and the guilds in the years 1252–1271. Its arrangement is simple, its style negligent, and its artistic merit slight, although it does not lack some lively descriptions. The importance of the chronicle lies in its contents. No other German city has records so complete and so full of life for this early period. For historical purposes, however, it should be used with great caution. It is true that the strictures formerly passed upon its reliability have proved to be very exaggerated. In rehearsing facts the work is fairly accurate, but Hagen is a thorough partisan, and an enthusiastic patriot. He was an adherent of the group of patricians led by his relatives, the "Overstolzen", and he opposed bitterly both the party of the "Weisen", the despised guilds, and also the archbishops of Cologne, who, as lords of the city, were the natural enemies of the development of Cologne into a free imperial city. Nevertheless, the bishops and still more the

see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

are always treated with respect. It cannot be said that Hagen forged facts, but he modified them, and his judgment is coloured to a high degree by party spirit. His curious book is not so much a chronicle as a pamphlet written for a purpose. It was highly esteemed in Cologne as a plea for municipal liberty. Several medieval chroniclers have drawn largely upon its contents. For a critical edition of the ''Reimchronik'', see Cardauns and Schröder in ''Chroniken der niederrheinischen Städte: Köln'', I, 1–236, in ''Chroniken der deutschen Städte'', XII (Leipzig, 1875); cf. III, 963.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hagen, Gottfried 1230 births 1299 deaths People from Xanten People from the Electorate of Cologne City and town clerks German male writers