''Annals of the Empire'' (''Annales de l’Empire'') is a history of

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 betwe ...

written by the French philosopher and author

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

at the request of

Princess Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen (10 August 1710 – 22 October 1767) was a member of German royalty. She was born in Meiningen, the daughter of Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Dorothea Marie of Saxe-Gotha. She was Duchess of Saxe ...

in 1753. The first volume appeared in December 1753 and the second in March 1754. It is largely compiled from previous work by German historians: Voltaire described his role as like an architect, assembling a building from individual pieces of masonry.

Quotation

The ''Annals'' are the source of Voltaire's much-quoted statement about the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

This agglomeration which was called, and which still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire is in no respect either holy, Roman or an empire.

References

External links

Works by Voltaire 1753 books History books about Germany 18th-century history books {{Germany-hist-book-stub