Publisher's Synopsis
The statutes published by the archbishops of Cologne and their representatives at synods or shortly thereafter conveyed to the clergy and lay people in their diocese the canonical regulations issued by the popes and general councils in a form adapted to their horizon of understanding and the regional circumstances. In addition to the provisions drawn from the decretals and canons, the synodal statutes also contain instructions on special problems and concerns of the Cologne Church, such as the construction of the cathedral, the turmoil in times of the plague or the appearance of sectarian groups. This special property also includes privileges, mandates and deeds of various content that are included in the statutes and supplement their provisions. This edition is based on the evaluation of all known manuscripts of the statutes and relevant early publications. The texts follow the description of the variants of the most reliable transmission. As far as content and textual criticism are concerned, the edition therefore goes far beyond all previous prints of the Cologne synodal statutes and offers a new basis for their use and research.
