In the Chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg, the experiences and problems of the tenth and early eleventh centuries come together; they are taken up by Thietmar and formed into an epoch. This overall interpretation of the chronicle by the Bishop of Merseburg sees historical knowledge as a consistent product of a dynamic process, as an interplay of cultural and cognitive factors in a particular historical situation. On the basis of this dynamic concept of knowledge, it is possible to present a new interpretation of central episodes of Ottonian historiography and at the same time to demonstrate the future potential of images from the past.