Johann Renner

Renner, Johann 

Born circa 1525 in Westphalia; died 1583 in Bremen. Livonian chronicler.

From 1556 to 1560, Renner served in the Livonian Order, which offered him access to the order’s archives and diplomatic correspondence. Upon returning to Germany, he wrote the History of Livonia (or History of Livland; books 1-9), which covered events from the 12th century to 1582. The most valuable parts of this work are those devoted to 14th-century events, information about which Renner extracted from sources that have not survived, and those dealing with the Livonian War of 1558–83. The war is described from the perspective of the Livonian Order and members of the Livonian nobility who hoped for German aid.

WORKS

Livländische Historien. Göttingen, 1876.
Livländische Historien, 1556–1561. Lübeck, 1953.

REFERENCE

Zutis, J. J. Ocherki po istoriografii Latvii, part 1. Riga, 1949.