The Lorsch Codex (Chronicon Laureshamense, Lorscher Codex, Codex Laureshamensis) is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the
Monastery of Saint Nazarius in
Lorsch, Germany. The codex is handwritten in
Carolingian minuscule
Carolingian minuscule or Caroline minuscule is a script which developed as a calligraphic standard in the medieval European period so that the Latin alphabet of Jerome's Vulgate Bible could be easily recognized by the literate class from one reg ...
, and contains
illuminated initials – for example, a huge "D" is presented on the first page. The codex consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries. It is important because it details the gifts given to the monastery and the possessions belonging to it, giving some of the first mention of cities of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
in central
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, and in particular in the
Rhein-Neckar
The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (german: Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar, ), often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle, is a polycentric metropolitan region located in south western Germany, between the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region to the North ...
region. Over one thousand places are named. None of the original documents that were copied into the codex are known to have survived.
The codex is now in the
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
n state
archive
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located.
Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual ...
in
Münich.
Literature
*''Codex Laureshamensis. Das Urkundenbuch des ehemaligen Reichsklosters Lorch'', Neustadt/Aisch 2003 (Bavarian State Archive 1 special publication) facsimile edition
*Karl Josef Minst: ''Lorscher Codex deutsch. Urkundenbuch der ehemaligen Fürstabtei Lorsch'', 5 Bde., Lorsch 1966/72 Lorsch (translation)
*Karl Glöckner: ''Codex Laureshamensis'', Darmstadt 1929-1936, reprint 1963 (definitive edition
Online as facsimileat
ALO
See also
*
History of Germany
The Germani tribes i.e. Germanic tribes are now considered to be related to the Jastorf culture before expanding and interacting with the other peoples.
The concept of a region for Germanic peoples, Germanic tribes is traced to time of Julius Ca ...
*
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
*
Manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced i ...
*
Annales laureshamenses
External links
Lorsch Codex onlinewith description and interactive maps
12th-century manuscripts
12th-century documents
Monasteries in Hesse
History of Christianity in Germany
History of Hesse
{{Germany-hist-stub