with historical events. The opening of the book begins with a preface from the author, discussing the history of the work since its first edition in the late 1850s and expressing gratitude to those who contributed to its revisions and updates. Wattenbach emphasizes the importance of a critical approach to historical sources, indicating that this work aims to educate readers on the significance and context of various documents pertaining to German history from ancient times up to the 13th century. The text outlines the structure of the book, which will delve into different periods and kinds of historical writing during the Middle Ages in Germany, setting the stage for a scholarly exploration of medieval historiography. (This is an automatically generated summary.)