Jans von Wien s historical narratives have been long neglected by scholars of history and literature. This study focuses on the Weltchronik (Chronicle of the World) (circa 1280), and interprets this work as a coherent entity. The author compares the Kaiserchronik (Chronicle of the Emperors) (circa 1150) to reveal transformations in narrative motifs as well as changes in their form and function in the context of narratological history writing.