In 1433 town clerk Egloff Etterlin compiled a cartulary with copies
of documents relevant to the laws of Lucerne, including
translations of Latin texts. The volume permitted the council quick
access to these texts; thus it served as a finding aid for the
originals stored in the water tower (« Wasserturm »). These
copies of 150 documents (with 21 translations) do not render the
originals in chronological order, but are instead ordered by topic.
They were written by various scribes of the Lucerne chancery and go
up to the year 1492. This volume receives its name from the
magnificent 1505 cover of velvet and taffeta over wooden boards,
decorated with silver bosses and clasps with the coat of arms of
Lucerne.
