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Schatzkammer Treasure

In the Schatzkammer (treasure room) of the Alte Burg the treasure is divided into two sections, secular and ecclesiastical. Under Joseph II, son of Maria Theresa, the church and crown treasures had been jointly placed under the care of the castle chaplain. They are still together although in separate rooms of the treasure chamber. The major crowns are in the secular section. Most impressive of these is the Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Often called Charlemagne’s Crown, it is much more likely to be the crown made for the coronation of Otto the Great in Rome in 962. The single arch of the crown, symbolic of the ridge of a warrior’s helmet, was replaced during the time of Emperor Konrad (1024-1039). Also, the cross dominating the front dates from as much as seventy years after Otto. There are no gems of great renown set in the gold plates of this octagonal crown. However, it is completely encrusted with gemstones cushion cut diamond rings and pearls, and with its four quaint plaques of enameled religious figures it is impressive in its antiquity and symbolism. Of course, the Austrian Imperial Crown, Orb, and Scepter are prime features of the display. The Crown, shaped like a modified bishop’s mitre, has the traditional single arch running through the cleft. Richly decorated in gold relief scenes of the coronations of Emperor Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor and Emperor of Austria, it is also liberally trimmed with diamonds, mens diamond rings, rubies, and pearls. One very large sapphire tops the Crown, as is also true of

the Scepter and Orb. Interestingly enough, the shaft of the Scepter is made of a two-foot-long section of narwhal horn. Chalices, crosses, swords, crowns, vestments, reliquaries, chains, ornaments—all heavily jeweled and worked in gold—make a dazzling show of the pomp and circumstance  discount engagement rings which has vanished from castle and country. The one memorable gemstone, the Florentine Diamond, did not survive its flight into exile. It was later reported stolen and its present whereabouts are unknown, although it is rumored to have been recut to unrecognizable size and form for resale.

Somehow one expects to find dazzling collections of treasures associated only with the royal houses of the former great imperial powers. And yet one of the largest, most exquisite, and most impressive collections belongs to a kingdom which no longer exists but is only a part of modern Germany. The domain may be gone but the Schatzkammer of the Kingdom of Bavaria still exists. Its treasures have survived and are displayed almost in their entirety in Munich. Crowns in this collection date back as far as the year A.D. 1000 and other objects are even older. The collection was not really organized until 1565. At that time Duke Al-brecht V of Bavaria ordered that the treasures accumulated by his family, the House of Wit-telsbach, would henceforth be established as a permanent treasure to be kept in the new palace in Munich. There they sat until the Second World War when the collection was removed to safer storage of antique style engagement rings. This was fortunate, because the palace subsequently suffered severe bomb destruction. By 1958, however, the palace had been rebuilt in faithful reproduction of the original and the treasure was placed on public display once more.