Spišians and Hungary
Spišians and Hungary

The Chronicle from Spišská Sobota and the Collective Identity of Spiš

Summary/Abstract: The paper examines the Chronicle from Spišská Sobota (Szepesszombat, Georgenberg, Mons Sancti Georgii / Forum Sabathi), written in German in the middle of the 15th century. It argues that the chronicle is not merely an annalistic record, but forms a narrative about the inhabitants of the Spiš region. The unknown author adapted motifs from Hungarian chronicles to promote the rights and legitimacy of the Spišian community, intentionally linking historical and legal arguments. For the chronicler, the Spišians are participants in state-formation and simultaneously the beneficiaries of royal privileges. While constructing the collective identity of the Spišians, the author of the chronicle also concealed conflicts within that community and identified “enemies” in agreement with the narrative of the Chronica hungarorum.

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