Petermann Etterlin was born in Lucerne

Lucerne

Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...

 as the son of Egloff Etterlin, who served as chronicler of the city of Lucerne from 1427 to 1453. Although his parents had destined him for an ecclesiastical career, Etterlin never became a clergyman. In 1464, Etterlin was appointed copyist of the city of Lucerne.

Etterlin’s military career began in 1468 when he joined the army of the Swiss Confederation

Old Swiss Confederacy

The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....

 at the siege of Waldshut

Waldshut

Waldshut is a district in the south of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Lörrach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald and Schwarzwald-Baar; followed in the south by the Swiss cantons of Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aargau.-History:The district dates to the Oberamt Waldshut, which was...

. During a temporary exile from the city of Lucerne, Etterlin furthermore participated in the battles of Grandson

Grandson

Grandson has multiple meanings:*Grandson *Grandson, Switzerland, a municipality in Switzerland*Grandson , a district in Switzerland...

, Murten

Murten

Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....

 as well as Nancy during the Burgundian Wars

Burgundian Wars

The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...

 (Müller 397). In 1477, he was moreover involved in a campaign against Lorraine

Lorraine (province)

The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....

.

After his return to his hometown in 1477, Etterlin was appointed the post of chancellor of the city of Lucerne. In 1495, after his promotion to the position of chronicler of the city of Lucerne, Etterlin joined the leading French-minded party. From 1493 to 1501, Etterlin is reported to have made several journeys to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Towards the end of his life, Etterlin embarked upon writing his Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation

Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation

The Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation is the oldest printed chronicle of Switzerland.The Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation was written by Petermann Etterlin’s from Lucerne...

(German: Kronika von der loblichen Eydtgenossenschaft). According to Müller

Müller

The German word Müller means "miller" . It is the most common family surname in Germany and Switzerland and the fifth most common surname in Austria . Other forms are "Miller" and "Möller"...

, Petermann Etterlin died in Lucerne in 1509, only two years after the completion of his monumental work.