The Ministry of Chronology

Ministry of the Kingdom of Schwartzistan, seated at Vellmar, founded 2 January 1847 by act of the Assembly.

The Ministry of Chronology is the department of state responsible for the licensing of calendars, almanacs and clock faces, and for the custody of the sealed archive at Chronology House. It was created by the Act of Unyear of 2 January 1847 and has occupied continuous premises in The Capital District since that year. Its correspondence is conducted through its portal at chronology.gov. The present minister is Lukas Wendl, who has held the office since 4 September 2023.

History

  • 2 January 1847, The Assembly Hall: the Assembly passes the Act of Unyear, 58 to 0. The Ministry of Chronology is created to enforce it. Ninety days are given for the surrender of all records. Entry.
  • 2 April 1847, Chronology House: the surrender period ends. The Ministry reports 41,300 items received and sealed. Chronology House opens its basement archive, which no one has since entered without a warrant signed by three ministers. Entry.
  • 11 November 1852, The Assembly Hall: the Ministry is given the licensing of all calendars, almanacs and clock faces. Entry.
  • 9 June 1960, Sudfurt: a bundle of letters postmarked in a year that does not exist is handed in by an executor, who is thanked and charged. Entry.
  • 15 July 1962, Weinau: a gravestone is found to bear a year that does not exist. The stone is replaced at the Ministry's expense. Entry.
  • 19 December 1964, Wasserdorf: a priest takes down a dying man's account of a long walk east. The priest is transferred. Entry.
  • 5 June 1968, Salzhafen: a page of a soldier's journal, undated but describing grass, is found in a bookbinder's stock and seized. Entry.
  • 22 March 1971, Sudholt: a similar page is found in a bookbinder's stock and seized. Among those questioned is a K. Wendl. Entry.
  • 25 September 1972, Ostrabruck: a four-digit number appears overnight on the market cross and is removed before dawn. Three people are questioned, among them a B. Wendl. Entry.
  • 30 July 1974, Wasserdorf: a bundle of letters postmarked in a year that does not exist is handed in by an executor, thanked and charged. Entry.
  • 30 April 1979, Sanding: a ledger with fourteen months of entries is found in the cellar of a counting house, which is closed for a week. Among those questioned is a E. Wendl. Entry.
  • 11 November 1979, Marschau: a clock face is found to carry an unlicensed year on its calendar dial. The clockmaker's licence is revoked. Among those questioned is a S. Wendl. Entry.
  • 6 February 1983, Ostrabruck: a further clock face carries an unlicensed year; the licence is revoked. Entry.
  • 13 March 1984, Vellhausen: a priest takes down a dying man's account of a long walk east and is transferred. Entry.
  • 18 June 1984, Brennholt: a page of a soldier's journal, undated but describing grass, is found in a bookbinder's stock and seized. Entry.
  • 10 April 1987, Reedside: over three spring weeks a four-digit number is painted on more than three hundred walls of the district. The Ministry describes it as "an unlicensed date". Entry.
  • 16 November 1987, Reedtal: a ledger with fourteen months of entries is found in a counting house cellar, which is closed for a week. Entry.
  • 20 January 1989, Sudfurt: a gravestone bearing a year that does not exist is replaced at the Ministry's expense. Entry.
  • 15 February 1991, Lindenmar: a licensed printer surrenders an almanac found in a wall during renovations. The Ministry declines to describe its contents. Entry.
  • 25 January 1994, Brennholt: a priest takes down a dying man's account of a long walk east and is transferred. Entry.
  • 7 July 1996, Weinwick: a gravestone bearing a year that does not exist is replaced at the Ministry's expense. Entry.
  • 21 August 1999, Berging: a priest takes down a dying man's account of a long walk east and is transferred. Entry.
  • 19 December 1999, Grauburg: a licensed printer surrenders an almanac found in a wall during renovations. Among those questioned is a T. Wendl. Entry.
  • 2 October 2000, Vellhausen: a four-digit number appears overnight on the market cross and is removed before dawn. Three people are questioned. Entry.
  • 7 August 2002, Vellmar: a page of a soldier's journal, undated but describing grass, is found in a bookbinder's stock and seized. Entry.
  • 14 September 2005, Grauholt: a bundle of letters postmarked in a year that does not exist is handed in by an executor, thanked and charged. Among those questioned is a K. Wendl. Entry.
  • 8 October 2005, Weinwick: a clock face is found to carry an unlicensed year on its calendar dial. The clockmaker's licence is revoked. Entry.
  • 5 April 2006, Hollhausen: a four-digit number appears overnight on the market cross and is removed before dawn. Three people are questioned. Entry.
  • 18 July 2009, Weinwick: a licensed printer surrenders an almanac found in a wall during renovations. Entry.
  • 23 December 2011, Sudfurt: a school register lists a class of children born in a year that does not exist. The teacher is retired. Entry.
  • 3 December 2012, Grauburg: a licensed printer surrenders an almanac found in a wall. Among those questioned is a B. Wendl. Entry.
  • 25 August 2013, Tarnmund: a four-digit number appears overnight on the market cross and is removed before dawn. Among those questioned is a O. Wendl. Entry.
  • 18 February 2016, Grauburg: a licensed printer surrenders an almanac found in a wall. Among those questioned is a P. Wendl. Entry.
  • 23 October 2017, Hollhausen: pamphlets found on the church pews contain a single number and the words "ask your grandmother". Entry.
  • 10 December 2018, Berging: a priest takes down a dying man's account of a long walk east and is transferred. Among those questioned is a M. Wendl. Entry.
  • 8 November 2019, Dammsee: a bundle of letters postmarked in a year that does not exist is handed in by an executor, thanked and charged. Among those questioned is a M. Wendl. Entry.
  • 11 August 2020, Weinau: a licensed printer surrenders an almanac found in a wall. Among those questioned is a T. Wendl. Entry.
  • 18 November 2022, Grauburg: a bundle of letters postmarked in a year that does not exist is handed in by an executor, thanked and charged. Entry.
  • 5 July 2024, Wasserdorf: a bundle of letters postmarked in a year that does not exist is handed in by an executor, thanked and charged. Entry.
  • 9 December 2025, Weinau: a four-digit number appears overnight on the market cross and is removed before dawn. Three people are questioned, among them a M. Wendl. Entry.

Organisation and office-holders

OfficeHolderFromTo
Minister of ChronologyLukas Wendl4 September 2023present
Minister of ChronologyMartin Birk16 March 202123 May 2023
Minister of ChronologyIngrid Fenn21 March 201429 March 2021
Minister of ChronologyHeinz Tosen12 July 20131 March 2014
Minister of ChronologyViktor Amsel27 March 200712 December 2013
Minister of ChronologyViktor Klungir27 July 200615 March 2007
Minister of ChronologyNikolaj Vellmann21 March 20004 March 2006
Minister of ChronologyLukas Kullen26 March 199323 June 1999
Minister of ChronologyKarin Wendl12 June 199115 March 1993
Minister of ChronologyPeter Tarn15 March 19863 May 1990
Minister of ChronologyOskar Neitzvaur19 March 19792 March 1986
Minister of ChronologyAnja Neitzvaur28 March 197210 March 1979
Minister of ChronologyManfred Rachmann25 March 19654 March 1972
Minister of ChronologyElse Fenn17 June 19629 March 1965
Minister of ChronologyViktor Nussbaum12 March 19584 May 1962
Minister of ChronologyRosa Sennfein30 November 195619 March 1958
Minister of ChronologyBruno Wendl10 March 195513 January 1956
Minister of ChronologyLudwig Rusk21 March 195114 April 1955
Minister of ChronologyFriedl Rusk25 October 194520 March 1951
Minister of ChronologyKonrad Hallin19 March 19447 October 1945
Minister of ChronologyLiesl Jost14 July 19417 March 1944
Minister of ChronologyTobias Ehrlich5 July 193916 February 1941
Minister of ChronologyOtto Zallmann7 March 193713 February 1939
Minister of ChronologyEgon Trost20 September 193416 March 1937
Minister of ChronologyKonrad Deler12 March 193015 June 1934
Minister of ChronologyBruno Wendl30 October 192516 March 1930
Minister of ChronologyArno Hallin20 March 192321 September 1925
Minister of ChronologyWillem Sarpeten8 March 19169 March 1923
Minister of ChronologyMatthis Sitvann5 February 19116 March 1916
Minister of ChronologyHugo Rusk6 March 190918 April 1910
Minister of ChronologyOskar Ort6 March 190215 March 1909
Minister of ChronologyAurel Karneit2 March 189525 March 1902
Minister of ChronologyValter Brenn11 June 189019 March 1895
Minister of ChronologyMagnus Brenn23 January 188919 July 1889
Minister of ChronologyHendrik Wendl11 March 188824 July 1889
Minister of ChronologyAurel Piesmann24 April 188621 March 1888
Minister of ChronologyUlrik Voser23 March 188130 September 1886
Minister of ChronologyTomas Brenn23 March 187419 March 1881
Minister of ChronologyHendrik Hallin19 March 18677 March 1874
Minister of ChronologyWerner Moor7 December 186313 March 1867
Minister of ChronologyHendrik Kessler6 March 18607 November 1863
Minister of ChronologyJorn Brenn26 February 185920 March 1860
Minister of ChronologyMagnus Wulf19 March 185821 March 1859
Minister of ChronologyJorn Leirfeld7 March 185325 December 1858
Second Clerk of the Sealed ArchiveAnsel Wendl1 March 185531 December 1896
Minister of ChronologyAnsel Nagel24 January 18527 March 1853
Minister of ChronologyPiet Gerst29 October 18507 April 1852
Minister of ChronologyLorenz Holt13 December 184729 December 1849

The office of Second Clerk of the Sealed Archive, held for over four decades by Ansel Wendl, was the Ministry's principal custodial post for the basement archive opened in 1847; the record is silent on when the post was discontinued or filled thereafter. The pattern of surname among those questioned in the leak record across more than a century, in towns as distant as Weinau, Grauburg, Tarnmund and Dammsee, is noted in the record without comment by the Ministry.