Imperial Regalia

The Imperial Regalia, insignia, or crown jewels (in German "Reichskleinodien", "Reichsinsignien", or "Reichsschatz") 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. Today they are kept at the "Schatzkammer" Treasury in the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria.

The Imperial Regalia is the only completely preserved royal regalia from the Middle Ages.During the late Middle Ages, the word Imperial Regalia (Reichskleinodien) had many variations in the Latin language. The regalia were either named in Latin: "insignia imperialia, regalia insignia, insignia imperalis capellae quae regalia dicuntur" and other similar words.

Components

The regalia is made out of two different parts. The greater group are the so-called Nürnberger Kleinodien (roughly translated "Nuremberg jewels"), named after the town of Nuremberg where the regalia were kept from 1424 to 1796. This part comprised the Imperial Crown, parts of the coronation vestments, the Imperial Orb (a "globus cruciger"), the Imperial Sceptre, the Imperial Sword, the Ceremonial Sword , the Imperial Cross, the Holy Lance, and all other reliquiaries except St. Stephen's Purse.

St. Stephen's Purse, the Imperial Bible, and the so-called Saber of Charlemagne were kept in Aachen until 1794. That is why the lesser part is called Aachener Kleinodien ("Aachen jewels"). It is neither known since when this part is counted amongst the Imperial Regalia nor since when these regalia have been kept in Aachen.

History

Middle Ages

The inventory of the regalia during the late Middle Ages normally consisted only of five to six items. Gottfried von Viterbo counted following items: the Imperial Cross, the Holy Lance, the crown, the sceptre, the orb, and the sword. On other lists however, the sword is not mentioned.

If the medieval chronicles really do refer to the regalia, which are kept in Vienna today, depends on a variety of factors. Descriptions of the emperors only spoke of them being “clothed in imperial regalia” without exactly describing which ones they were. The crown can only be dated back to the 13th century, when it is described in a medieval poem. The poem speaks of the "Waise" stone, which was a big and prominent jewel on the crowns. The first definite pictorial image of the crown can only be found later in a mural in the Karlštejn castle close to Prague.

It is also difficult to define for how long the Imperial and Ceremonial Swords have belonged to the regalia.

Literature

* Weltliche und Geistliche Schatzkammer. Bildführer. Kunsthistorischen Museum, Vienna. 1987. ISBN 3-7017-0499-6
* Fillitz, Hermann. Die Schatzkammer in Wien: Symbole abendländischen Kaisertums. Vienna, 1986. ISBN 3-7017-0443-0
* Fillitz, Hermann. Die Insignien und Kleinodien des Heiligen Römischen Reiches, 1954.
* Heigl, Peter. The Imperial Regalia in the Nazi Bunker/ Der Reichsschatz im Nazibunker. Nuremberg 2005. ISBN 3-9810269-1-8

External links