Schatzkammer (Vienna)
Encyclopedia
The Imperial Treasury in Vienna
, Austria
is located in the Hofburg with its entrance at the Schweizerhof (Swiss Courtyard), the oldest part of the palace rebuilt in a Renaissance
style under Emperor Ferdinand I
. The Schatzkammer
affiliated with the Kunsthistorisches Museum
houses a collection of 1,000 years of treasures compiled by the Imperial House of Habsburg, including the medieval Imperial Regalia
.
The Schatzkammer collections were set up from 1556 onwards by the scholar Jacopo Strada
, court antiquarian
of Ferdinand I. Maria Theresa had the Habsburg treasures moved to its present location, covering up the fact that the dynasty's assets had been largely affected by the expensive wars against rivaling Prussia
. The Imperial Regalia arrived in the last days of the Holy Roman Empire
around 1800 from Nuremberg
, where they had been kept since 1424, in order to save them from the advancing French
troops under Napoleon. After the Austrian Anschluss
of 1938, the Nazi
authorities took them back to Nuremberg, at the end of World War II
they were nevertheless returned to Vienna by the US
forces. The display was completely renovated in 1983-1987.
The Treasury is divided into two sections - secular and ecclesiastical. The secular museum contains a collection of royal objects:
On display are various valuable gems, including one of the world's largest emeralds. Part of the treasury are also the crown of the Transylvanian prince Stephen Bocskay
and the two “inalienable heirlooms of the House of Austria”: a giant narwhal
tooth which was thought to be the horn of a unicorn
(Ainkhürn) and the Agate bowl
from Late Antiquity which was thought to be the legendary Holy Grail
; furthermore the Napoleonica artifacts of Napoleon II and his mother Marie Louise
.
The ecclesiastical collection contains numerous devotional images and altars, mostly from the Baroque
era.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
is located in the Hofburg with its entrance at the Schweizerhof (Swiss Courtyard), the oldest part of the palace rebuilt in a Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style under Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
. The Schatzkammer
Schatzkammer
Schatzkammer is a German word which translates as Treasure Room, and is a term also used in English for the collection of treasures, especially those in precious metals and jewels, of a ruler or other collector, kept in a secure room, often in the basement of a palace or castle...
affiliated with the Kunsthistorisches Museum
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome...
houses a collection of 1,000 years of treasures compiled by the Imperial House of Habsburg, including the medieval Imperial Regalia
Imperial Regalia
The Imperial Regalia, insignia, or crown jewels are the regalia of the Emperors and Kings of the Holy Roman Empire. The most important parts are the Imperial Crown, the Holy Lance and the Imperial Sword...
.
The Schatzkammer collections were set up from 1556 onwards by the scholar Jacopo Strada
Jacopo Strada
Jacopo Strada was an Italian polymath courtier of the 16th century, a painter, architect, goldsmith, inventor of machines, numismatist, linguist, collector and merchant of works of art...
, court antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
of Ferdinand I. Maria Theresa had the Habsburg treasures moved to its present location, covering up the fact that the dynasty's assets had been largely affected by the expensive wars against rivaling Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. The Imperial Regalia arrived in the last days of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
around 1800 from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, where they had been kept since 1424, in order to save them from the advancing French
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
troops under Napoleon. After the Austrian Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of 1938, the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
authorities took them back to Nuremberg, at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
they were nevertheless returned to Vienna by the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forces. The display was completely renovated in 1983-1987.
The Treasury is divided into two sections - secular and ecclesiastical. The secular museum contains a collection of royal objects:
- The Imperial Regalia (Reichskleinodien): insignia and jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, including the Imperial CrownImperial Crown of the Holy Roman EmpireThe Imperial Crown , is the hoop crown of the King of the Romans, the rulers of the German Kingdom, since the High Middle Ages. Most of the kings were crowned with it. It was made probably somewhere in Western Germany, either under Otto I , by Conrad II or Conrad III during the late 10th and early...
, the Holy LanceHoly LanceThe Holy Lance is the name given to the lance that pierced Jesus' side as he hung on the cross in John's account of the Crucifixion.-Biblical references:The lance is mentioned only in the Gospel of John and not in any of the...
and the Imperial SwordImperial SwordThe Imperial Sword , is one of four Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire. During the coronation, it was given to the emperor along with the sceptre and the Imperial Orb...
; - The Austrian Crown JewelsAustrian Crown JewelsThe collective term Austrian Crown Jewels or insignia denotes the regalia and vestments worn by the Holy Roman emperor, and later the Austrian emperor, during the coronation ceremony and at various other state functions...
, comprising the personal crown of Emperor Rudolf IIRudolf II, Holy Roman EmperorRudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
, which with the proclamation of the Austrian EmpireAustrian EmpireThe Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
in 1804 became the Imperial Crown of AustriaImperial Crown of AustriaThe Crown of the Austrian Empire was originally the personal crown of emperor Rudolf II. It is therefore also known as the Crown of Rudolf II, or the Crown of the Austrian Empire.- History :...
, with sceptreSceptreA sceptre is a symbolic ornamental rod or wand borne in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia.-Antiquity:...
and globus crucigerGlobus crucigerThe globus cruciger is an orb topped with a cross , a Christian symbol of authority used throughout the Middle Ages and even today on coins, iconography and royal regalia...
, the regalia worn by Emperor Ferdinand I of AustriaFerdinand I of AustriaFerdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
on the occasion of his coronation as King of Lombardy–VenetiaKingdom of Lombardy–VenetiaThe Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia was created at the Congress of Vienna, which recognised the House of Habsburg's rights to Lombardy and Venetia after the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed by Napoleon in 1805, had collapsed...
in 1835, as well as the vestments and other precious items of the Order of Saint Stephen of HungaryOrder of Saint Stephen of HungaryThe Royal Hungarian Order of Saint StephenThe Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary, the royal Hungarian order, founded in 1764 by the empress Maria Theresa of Austria, consisted of the grand master , 20 knights grand cross, 30 knights commanders and 50 knights...
and the Military Order of Maria TheresaMilitary Order of Maria TheresaThe Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
; - The regalia of the Archduchy of AustriaArchduchy of AustriaThe Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
with the cord casing of the archducal hatArchducal hatThe archducal hat is the insignia of the Archduchy of Austria. It is kept in Klosterneuburg Monastery in perpetuity.-History:The first archducal coronet was shown on a portrait of Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, though this coronet probably never existed...
made for the coronation of King Joseph IIJoseph II, Holy Roman EmperorJoseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
in 1764; - The BurgundianDuchy of BurgundyThe Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
Treasury, part of the dowry of Mary the RichMary of BurgundyMary of Burgundy ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477 until her death...
at her wedding with Archduke Maximilian IMaximilian I, Holy Roman EmperorMaximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
in 1477. - The treasury of the Order of the Golden FleeceOrder of the Golden FleeceThe Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
from the heritage of Mary's father Duke Charles the Bold.
On display are various valuable gems, including one of the world's largest emeralds. Part of the treasury are also the crown of the Transylvanian prince Stephen Bocskay
Stephen Bocskay
Stephen Bocskai or István Bocskai Stephen Bocskai or István Bocskai Stephen Bocskai or István Bocskai (or Bocskay, (1 January 1557 – 29 December 1606) was a HungarianCalvinist nobleman, Prince of Transylvania (1605–06), who defended Hungarian interests when Hungary was divided into Ottoman...
and the two “inalienable heirlooms of the House of Austria”: a giant narwhal
Narwhal
The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is a medium-sized toothed whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. One of two living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, along with the beluga whale, the narwhal males are distinguished by a characteristic long, straight, helical tusk extending from their...
tooth which was thought to be the horn of a unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
(Ainkhürn) and the Agate bowl
Agate bowl
The Agate bowl is a of the Habsburg family relic. The bowl originates from the 4th century, probably from Trier or Constantinople. It is 58 to 58.5 cm in diameter. The span across the handles is 76 cm...
from Late Antiquity which was thought to be the legendary Holy Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
; furthermore the Napoleonica artifacts of Napoleon II and his mother Marie Louise
Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
.
The ecclesiastical collection contains numerous devotional images and altars, mostly from the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
era.
Literature
- Manfred Leithe-Jasper, Rudolf Distelberger. The Imperial and Ecclesiastical Treasury. The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. Vienna.