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30th June Fever and a cough are rife in the area and several people have died. Bräker and his son Johannes have had pains in the throat, and Susanna Barbara is seriously ill. [Chronik, p 93]

1st, 8th and 18th Aug. Bräker begins writing fictional dialogues [Chronik, p 93-94]

19th Aug. Bräker praises God for a good harvest both in crops and livestock. [Chronik, p 94]

2nd Sept. Salome Bräker goes to visit her father and her brothers and sisters, in Eggberg. [Chronik, p 94]

5th Sept. Bräker recounts that from his youth up he had great delight in writing,

[but by this he appears to mean the art of calligraphy rather than writing in the sense of authorship]
. He also enjoys making ornamental letters and borders, though he seems to think this is rather a childish pleasure. [Chronik, p 94]

6th Sept. Bräker recounts a dream in which he wept over his sins. This makes him glad, because when awake he cannot do this. In the morning he packs up his yarn and delivers it, then accompanies his children to school. [Chronik, p 95]

9th Sept. Bräker mentions a day of prayer and atonement.

Such days were instituted as far back as the 15th century, and in the 17th this day was made an annual event for both Protestants and Catholics. But this was the first annual celebration for both churches over the whole of Switzerland.
[Chronik, pp 95 and 478]

19th Sept. Bräker again complains about "heathenish abominations" during the local church's anniversary, but admits that to have a holiday on that day is good. [Chronik, pp 95-96]

24th Oct. Bräker writes in praise of the sun, who engenders all growth and is the "queen of nature"

[Sun in German is a feminine noun].
He honours her as an image of the eternal Light and eternal Clarity. Like the earth, without sun he would be a "dark, lifeless clod". [Chronik, p 97]

28th Oct. Food is so cheap that people are feeding potatoes and other vegetables to the cattle and pigs. The weather is fine and warm, so that the harvest is all that can be desired. [Chronik, p 97]

31st Oct. Bräker writes verses distinguishing between false, sinful and good pleasures. Joy in God's works is permissible. [Chronik, p 97]

3rd Dec. Bräker quarrels with a "loose young wench" about money that she owed him. He loses his temper but afterwards reproaches himself for using bad language to her. Further entries on 5th and 12th November develop this theme. [Chronik, p 98]

22nd Dec. Bräker's 38th birthday. He thanks God for the good health of himself and his children. [Chronik, p 98]


1774 aged 38


[These entries are all taken from the Chronik because Voellmy has only one extract from this year [v 2 pp 162-164] with the title "God's watchfulness". In it Bräker retells many of the occasions when God saved him from danger, accounts of which are also in his autobiography,]


5th Jan. The sight of trees bowed down or broken by the weight of snow and ice warns Bräker of the approach of old age.

[Bräker was only 38 years old, but possibly meant only old age in general.]
[Chronik, p 102]



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