Thomas Kantzow

Thomas Kantzow (died 1542) was a chronicler in the Duchy of Pomerania. He studied at the universities of Rostock and Wittenberg, and was a secretary of the Pomeranian dukes. His manuscripts, rediscovered in 1729, 1832 and 1973, are written in Low German and Standard German language, and were printed in the 19th and 20th centuries. They contain a Low German and three Standard German chronicles covering the history of Pomerania until 1536.

Biography

Kantzow was born in Stralsund. His year of birth is uncertain, a date around 1505 is suggested by Kosegarten (1842) and in the ADB. Kantzow's matriculation was accordingly dated to "ao. 1525" by Kosegarten, and to "verifiably 1526" by Berger (2001). probably as a member of Pomeranian count Ludwig von Everstein's entourage. The table below provides an overview of the major chronicles written by Kantzow:

ManuscriptsPrint editionsManuscript titleYear writtenLanguageArchivePrint edition titleOnlineFragmenta der pamerischen geschichtebefore 1538Low GermanFragm. IVon Löper (Loeper) CollectionArchiwum Panstwowe w Szczecinie (1948-)*Böhmer, Wilhelm (ed.): Thomas Kantzows Chronik von Pommern in niederdeutscher Mundart sammt einer Auswahl aus den übrigen ungedruckten Schriften desselben, Stettin 1835.Böhmer (ed.) (1835) at books.google.comGaebel, Georg (ed.): Des Thomas Kantzows Chronik von Pommern in niederdeutscher Mundart, Stettin 1929.Böhmer, Wilhelm (ed.): Thomas Kantzows Chronik von Pommern in niederdeutscher Mundart sammt einer Auswahl aus den übrigen ungedruckten Schriften desselben, Vaduz/Walluf 1973 (unchanged reprint of the 1835 edition).Ursprunck, Altheit vnd Geschicht der Volcker vnd Lande Pomern, Cassuben, Wenden vnd Rügenbefore 1538Standard GermanFragm. IIIVon Löper (Loeper) CollectionArchiwum Panstwowe w Szczecinie (1948-)*Medem, Fr. L. B. (ed.): Thomas Kanzow's Chronik von Pommern in hochdeutscher Sprache, Anklam 1841.Medem (ed.) (1841) at books.google.comGaebel, Georg (ed.): Des Thomas Kantzow Chronik von Pommern in hochdeutscher Mundart, vol. II, Stettin 1898.Gaebel (ed.) (1898) at Kuyavian-Pomeranian Digital LibraryUrsprunck, altheit vnd geschicht der volcker vnd lande Pomern, Cassuben, Wenden vnd Rhügenbefore 1542Standard GermanMildahn codex (Cod. Mild.)= Codex PutbussensisPutbus (1842-?)Gaebel, Georg (ed.): Des Thomas Kantzow Chronik von Pommern in hochdeutscher Mundart, vol. I, Stettin 1897.Gaebel (ed.) (1897) at Kuyavian-Pomeranian Digital LibrarySchwartz codex (Cod. Schw.)University of Greifswald (1729-)Kosegarten, Ludwig (ed.): Pomerania oder Ursprunck, Altheit und Geschicht der Völcker und Lande Pomern, Caßuben, Wenden, Stettin, Rhügen, Greifswald 1816.Volume I of Kosegarten (ed.) (1816) at Kuyavian-Pomeranian Digital LibraryVolume II of Kosegarten (ed.) (1816) at Kuyavian-Pomeranian Digital LibraryPomerania, Ursprunck, Aldtheitt vnd Geschicht der Volcker und Lande Pommern, Cassuben, Wenden, Stettin vnd Rugennbefore 1542Standard GermanGaebel, Georg (ed.): Pomerania. Eine pommersche Chronik aus dem sechzehnten Jahrhundert, Stettin 1908.Thott 644 Fol.Danish National Archives, Copenhagen*Von Löper (Loeper) Collection: Löpersche Sammlung Stramehl (-1834); Gesellschaft für pommersche Geschichte und Altertumskunde Stettin (1834-1855); "Sammlung Samuel Gottlieb Loeper", Provinzialarchiv Stettin (1855-1942); war-time evacuation to Martenthin and West Germany, British Zone (1942-1948); Archiwum Panstwowe w Szczecinie (1948-).

Fragmenta der pamerischen geschichte

The first chronicle written by Kantzow was Fragmenta der pamerischen geschichte, full title: (English translation: "Fragments of the Pomeranian History, from which (if one orders the time properly, and makes right what is not right) one may well gain a good access to a chronicle"). Wilhelm Böhmer, teacher in Stettin and member of the Society for Pomeranian History and Antiquity Studies, rediscovered the handwritten chronicle in landlord von Löper's library in Stramehl (now Strzmiele) in 1832. In 1835, Böhmer published the transliterated script in a printed book titled Thomas Kantzows Chronik von Pommern in niederdeutscher Mundart sammt einer Auswahl aus den übrigen ungedruckten Schriften desselben (English translation: "Thomas Kantzow's chronicle of Pomerania in Low German tongue including a selection of further unprinted scripts of the same [author]"), which did not alter Kantzow's spelling. a determination also followed by Berger (2001). also a second front page was attached to Kantzow's original one, which Böhmer assumed to originate from the ducal chancellory, which read "First volume of fragments, from which deceased Thomas Kantzow has written the Chronicon Pomeraniae", written in Fraktur letters, with "1538" added in another handwriting.

The chronicle, written in Pomeranian Low German, covers the history of Pomerania prior to 1536, Part of the work remains unfinished.

Ursprunck, Altheit vnd Geschicht der Volcker vnd Lande Pomern, Cassuben, Wenden vnd Rügen

The second chronicle written by Kantzow was the Standard German variant of the abovementioned Low German chronicle, and also rediscovered by Böhmer in von Löper's library. The title Ursprunck, Altheit vnd Geschicht der Volcker vnd Lande Pomern, Cassuben, Wenden vnd Rügen (English translation: "Origin, oldness and history of the peoples and lands of Pomerania(ns), Cashubia(ns), Wendland (resp. Wends) and Rügen") was proposed by Kosegarten, who derived it from the preface in Kantzow's manuscript. Standard German was chosen over Low German to reach a wider audience, and because the court of Philipp I, who had been raised in the High German-speaking Electorate of the Palatinate, Though in part identical with the first Standard German chronicle, it is more comprehensive, has an abundance of sidenotes, yet is also unfinished. Kantzow's manuscript was discovered in 1729 by Albert Schwartz, professor at the University of Greifswald, in Zudar, where it was in the possession of the children of deceased pastor Joachim Wildahn. Schwartz made a copy which was stored in the library of the university, In 1897, a largely unchanged transcription of the Putbus manuscript was printed by Georg Gaebel in Des Thomas Kantzow Chronik von Pommern in hochdeutscher Mundart (English translation: "Thomas Kantzow's chronicle of Pomerania in Standard German tongue"), vol. I.

Vom alten Pomerland

The book Vom alten Pomerland (English translation: "Of the old Pomerania") was an incomplete work written in Wittenberg, The manuscripts were part of Kantzows handwritings discovered in the abovementioned von Löper's library, and published by Böhmer together with the abovementioned Low German chronicle.

Pomerania, Ursprunck, Aldtheitt vnd Geschicht der Volcker und Lande Pommern, Cassuben, Wenden, Stettin vnd Rugenn

After Kantzow's death, Nicolaus von Klempzen compiled this chronicle from Kantzow's legacy, and published it in four books known either as Kantzow's or Klempzen's Pomerania. proving that Klempzen was merely publishing, not re-organizing Kantzow's chronicle, as was assumed before. A transcription of this chronicle was published as print edition in 1908, before the discovery of the Copenhagen manuscript, by Georg Gaebel, titled Pomerania. Eine pommersche Chronik aus dem sechzehnten Jahrhundert (English translation: "Pomerania. A Pomeranian chronicle from the 16th century").