Chroniken

Chroniken is the plural form of Chronik in German, referring to chronicles or historical records that document events in chronological order. Chronicles vary in scope and purpose, ranging from regional annals to monastic records, and from secular accounts to religious chronicles. They may cover a specific place, dynasty, institution, or time period, and can be written as prose, verse, or a mixture of both.

Traditional chronicles often present entries year by year or according to a sequence of events, sometimes supplemented by genealogies, miracles, maps, or annotations. They can be contemporary records created at the time of the events or later compilations that draw on earlier sources. In medieval and early modern Europe, chronicles were a central form of historical writing and served both documentary and political functions, reflecting the interests and biases of their authors and patrons.

In modern usage, Chroniken also appears as a title for German-language works in literature, comics, and game literature, where the term signals a narrative framed as a sequence of events or episodes. The word is used broadly as a descriptor for collections that compile testimonies, legends, and historical notes, sometimes blending fact and fiction. Scholarly study of chronicles emphasizes provenance, manuscript tradition, authorship, chronology, and reliability as sources, as well as their cultural and historical contexts.

See also: Chronik, Chronicles, List of chronicles.