Aachen Cathedral Treasury

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Aachen Cathedral Treasury
Main entrance ("Kleines Drachenloch")

The Aachen Cathedral Treasury presents the church treasure of Aachen Cathedral , one of the most important collections of church cultural treasures in the world. The museum, which is sponsored by the Aachen Cathedral Chapter, is located in the historic city center of Aachen in the premises on the cloister of the cathedral. Works from the Late Antique , Byzantine , Carolingian , Ottonian , Staufer and Gothic periods are shown. The collection of the Treasury of the cathedral, together with the cathedral as the first memorial on German soil in the 1978 List of UNESCO - World Heritage added. The cathedral treasury has been a stop on the Route Charlemagne since 2009 .

Herta Lepie was director of the cathedral treasury from 1978 to 1986 and director of the goldsmithing department at Aachen Cathedral from 1987 until her retirement in 2003. Georg Minkenberg took over the management of the cathedral treasury from 1994 until his death in March 2016 . Birgitta Falk was appointed as his successor in June 2016 .

history

Lotharkreuz (West German (Cologne?), Around 985)
Charlemagne bust (Aachen, after 1349)
Treasury Gospels (Aachen, early 9th century)
Liuthar Gospels (Reichenau, before 1000)

Nothing is known about the safekeeping of the treasure of Aachen's Marienkirche in the Middle Ages. From the 15th to the 19th century, the pieces from the steadily growing collection were kept in a large Gothic reliquary cabinet, which was located in the sacristy , the Matthias Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. Presumably there was a parament room on the upper floor of the chapel , which - after the bad experiences of the great fire of Aachen in 1656 - was protected against fire by a protective vault made of brick and a false floor. According to Franz Bock , the treasure cupboard was dismantled in the 19th century and its painted door was inserted into a new treasure cupboard, which in turn housed the “main pieces” of the cathedral treasure in a very small space: the Karlsschrein and Marienschrein , the gold altar , the Lothar cross , the bust of Karl as well as all reliquaries. This second treasure chest was initially set up from 1873 to 1881 in the Karlskapelle on the northern upper floor of the cathedral, until it was placed in the baroque Hungarian chapel due to better climatic conditions . The collection remained there only with the interruption of outsourcing during the First World War until 1931. As mentioned in a travel guide from the 19th century, the cathedral treasure kept in this way was presented to strangers by the sexton for a fee.

At the end of the First World War, the then cathedral master builder Joseph Buchkremer had chosen the All Souls Chapel as a safe place for the treasure to be recovered. After the treasure had been repatriated from Paderborn , the construction of the first treasury began here in 1922 and opened in 1931. The treasure, which had been housed in a narrow treasure cupboard for centuries, could now be shown to the public in a 90 m² room, which was appropriate for the time, according to contemporary museum and security requirements and criteria. Apart from the relocation of the collection during the Second World War, this location was retained until 1979.

The Federal Ministry for Spatial Planning, Building and Urban Development selected the Aachen Cathedral Treasure in 1975 because of its significance to build a test bunker for property protection . Since only short transport routes can guarantee safe relocation in an emergency, the cathedral chapter decided to build a new treasury in the immediate vicinity of the protective bunker on the west side of the cloister. Planning and implementation took place from 1975 to 1979. The content and design concept was developed and implemented by cathedral master builder Leo Hugot , cathedral capitular Erich Stephany and Herta Lepie . In 1979 the new exhibition space was put into service. The exhibits were presented to the public in chronological order in three rooms on an area of ​​490 m².

In the course of time, however, technical deficiencies arose that endangered the art treasure. Therefore, also due to the unexpectedly high number of visitors, a new installation took place in 1995 in order to meet the current museum didactic , conservation , technical and safety requirements. In addition, it became apparent that a chronological presentation was rather difficult for the visitors to understand. The concept for the repositioning was developed by Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg , Cathedral Capitular August Peters and Cathedral Builder Hans-Karl Siebigs ; The architect Winfried Wolks was entrusted with the execution. The previous exhibition area has been expanded to 600 m² and not only offers additional rooms for temporary exhibitions , but also the possibility of accentuation by creating room compartments. The list was no longer made chronologically, but according to five topics, which clearly show the relationships between the treasures.

exhibition

Arm reliquary of Charlemagne (France, 1481)

In addition to the five thematic complexes dealt with in more detail below on the various historical, religious and cultural functions and meanings of the Marienkirche in Aachen, the extremely rich textile treasure also represents an important part of the current exhibition. Unlike the previous exhibition concepts, the temporal presentation ends with the end of Aachen as a coronation site in the 16th century. Some of the works of art created in post-medieval and modern times to furnish the collegiate and cathedral churches will in future have their place in the chapels of the cathedral.

Subject areas

Today's treasury shows more than 100 works of art grouped according to five themes:

  • Charlemagne
  • The coronations
  • The liturgy
  • The Marienkirche
  • The pilgrimage church and its reliquary.

The individual topics are presented below.

Charlemagne

Olifant (Lower Italy, 11th century) and so-called hunting knife of Charlemagne with scabbard (Anglo-Saxon / Scandinavian, 8th century)
Quadrigastoff (Byzantium, between the 6th and the end of the 8th century), here an identical piece from the Musée national du Moyen Age , Paris, separated in 1850 in Aachen
Three-tower reliquary (Aachen, around 1370/90)

The focus of the exhibition is on the documentation of today's cathedral as the former palace church of Charlemagne . The focus here is the late Gothic , silver-gilt bust of Charlemagne , the model for numerous later reliquary busts. It is possible that Charlemagne was buried in the Proserpine sarcophagus , a Roman marble sarcophagus from the early 3rd century AD, in Aachen Cathedral. In addition, the Gothic Charles reliquary from the 14th century, the Gothic three-tower reliquary and the French arm reliquary from 1481, each with the ruler's relics, are outstanding pieces of the collection.

The Treasury Gospels (Inv.No. 4), made at the court school of Charlemagne at the beginning of the ninth century, are considered to be one of the main works of Carolingian illumination .

The exhibits associated with Karl also include an olfactory from the eleventh century from southern Italy ( Saracen ) or the Orient , which was long regarded as his hunting horn. There is also the so-called hunting knife of Charlemagne from the eighth century: in addition to the Petrus knife from the Bamberg cathedral treasure, it is the only known medieval knife that was kept above ground and therefore had a special meaning from the beginning; all other comparative pieces are excavation finds . The hunting knife , which can be classified as Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian, is made of damascene iron. The associated sheath of leather dating probably from the eleventh century and bears the in Anglo-Saxon majuscule attached inscription BYRHTSIGE MEC FECID ( "Byrthsige [Shiny winner] has made me").

Another important work of sacred art created under Charles's aegis is the ivory diptych (Inv.No. G 8), created in the first quarter of the ninth century in the court school of Charlemagne , which is reused as the cover of an intonation book from the early 15th century has been.

The quadriga , a Byzantine purple Samit fabric from the period between the sixth and the end of the eighth century with a height of 76 and a width of 75 cm, was probably part of the shrouds with which Karl was buried on January 28, 814. It depicts a late antique arena scene in a yellow-brown pattern against a dark blue background . The silk , which Otto von Falke described as the oldest and most important Byzantine figure fabric , shows a mixture of Byzantine and Persian motifs .

Also found here is the so-called pectoral cross of Charlemagne, which dates back to the eleventh or twelfth century and was probably created in Liège , a reliquary with a fragment of the cross of Christ , which, according to legend, Charlemagne together with the two other named pieces of jewelry in the grave around his neck supposed to have carried and that when Otto III opened the grave . had been found. Accordingly, it would be identical to the cross mentioned by Thietmar von Merseburg regarding the opening of the grave.

liturgy

Aquamanile (Aachen, around 1170/80)

This is followed by items related to the liturgy, including the Ottonian Lothar cross , which is still used in worship on special occasions today , a magnificently crafted lecture cross from around the year 985, with a central cameo showing the Roman emperor Augustus and a Carolingian seal stone that gave it its name of a ruler Lothar, which is why it is seen as the atonement of the West Franconian King Lothar for an attack on Aachen. In its craftsmanship and aesthetic conception - from the almost exuberant decor with precious stones, pearls and filigree to its particularly well-rounded proportions - it is an unsurpassed example of the type of medieval gemed cross . There are also late Gothic art from the Cologne school of painting , such as the Aachen Altar of 1515/20 and 1525 in Hildesheim resulting representation of Gregory Fair , also gold work of Hans von Reutlingen , including some of the silver gilded relief panels of the Apostles - antependium from the cathedral from the second half of the 15th century.

Coronations

Works of art that came to Aachen on the occasion of the royal coronations between 936 and 1531 form a further thematic focus. First of all, that of Otto III. Donated Ottonian Liuthar Gospels (Inv.No. 25), which gives the name of an entire group of manuscripts and for whose miniatures a gold background was used for the first time in the history of occidental illumination . In addition to the splendor code, the golden book cover created around 1020 should be mentioned, which originally formed the cover of the Liuthar Gospel and later until 1972 the cover of the Treasury Gospel. The exhibited also in this section Ivory - Situla , a most likely around 1000 on behalf of Otto III. in Trier -built, rich with FIG carvings decorated Holy Water is a precious several ivory the collection.

Marian devotion

Crown of Margaret of York (England, c. 1461)
Part of the altar of the master of the Aachen life of the Virgin Mary
Marienleben: inside right wing

The cathedral as St. Mary's Church , with the shrine of Mary , in which the so-called dress of Mary is also preserved, besides the church building as such, contains the most obvious and, from an art-historical point of view, most valuable evidence of the veneration of Mary as patroness of the diocese, city and cathedral. Other objects in this context are the late Gothic Radiant Madonna in the choir hall, the Rhenish-Maasland miraculous image in the octagon, whose collection of 43 magnificent dresses and an estimated several hundred pieces of jewelry are kept in the treasury, and the alabaster figure of the Madonna from the early 14th century in the entrance area of the cathedral. In the treasury there are also numerous pieces dedicated to Our Lady. These include the panels created around 1485 by the master of the Aachen life of Mary, named afterwards . The outer sides of the wings show the Mother of God in a columned hall in front of a splendid brocade curtain in the middle, who kneels as an old man hands over a model of the Aachen Minster. The saints Leopardus and Bishop Blasius can be seen next to it . On the inside of the wings eight scenes from the life of Mary are shown in pairs, one on top of the other. The right wing shown here shows, for example, the Annunciation, the meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate, the presentation of Jesus in the temple and the passage of Mary to the temple. The scenes are not shown chronologically, but rather determined by the eight specially celebrated Marian feasts of the Marienstift. In the context of Marian veneration, various Gothic sculptures of the Virgin Mary and the crown of Margaret of York from around 1461 , which she donated in 1474 during a visit to Aachen as a piece of equipment for the miraculous image and which still serves as an ornament to this day during the shrine tour, can also be seen .

Pilgrimage and reliquary

Felix shrine (Byzantium ?, 11th century)
Historic corona shrine after restoration
Corona Leopardus Shrine

The relics of the cathedral and the pilgrimage to Aachen - especially the Aachen Pilgrimage - are topics on which the various reliquaries , further the foundations of Louis the Great of Hungary , which, inter alia, two tempera -painted silver-covered image panels of the Blessed Mother and two Ostensorien with relics of the three holy Hungarian rulers Stephan , Ladislaus and Emmerich are on display. Three further east sensoriums contain the three “small” sanctuaries as well as an elaborately decorated disc reliquary created around 1350 with a sponge relic that relates to the scene of the Passion . Another outstanding piece is the 1258 in Limoges from valuable cedar wood made - especially by medieval standards - and decorated with forty copper- gilded medallions in the form of embossed and enamelled coat of arms fittings of Richard of Cornwall ; this is still used every seven years during the journey to the sanctuary, as the cloth relics taken from the Marian shrine are kept there if no liturgical display takes place. The items kept in the cathedral treasury also include the numerous ornate locks of the Marian shrine, which are specially made for each journey to the shrine or broken open during the opening vesper , including the lozenges (key handles) of the associated keys. Furthermore, the 39 cm high, gold-plated silver and niello- decorated so-called Anastasius reliquary can be found here , according to tradition with the mortal remains of St. Athanasius , which dates from around the turn of the millennium and symbolizes the Holy Sepulcher, which as the place of resurrection is at the same time an image of the heavenly Jerusalem . Another object is the Felix Shrine, a reliquary box from the eleventh century, presumably made in Byzantium, in which, according to an inscription from the sixteenth century, the remains of St. Bishop Felix von Martana and other martyrs are resting. The shrine has stylistic analogies to the Trier Andreas portable altar . The crucifixion altar, also known as the Wenceslas or Bohemian altar, made in the second half of the 15th century, originally formed the reredos of the Wenceslas altar donated by Charles IV for the Bohemian pilgrims in the Aachen Minster. The Corona-Leopardus-Shrine , made in 1912 by the Aachen goldsmith Bernhard Witte , is temporarily shown in special exhibitions . Contains relics of St. Corona and St. Leopardus brought to Aachen in 997 . After its restoration, the shrine was shown in its own small special exhibition from May 15, 2020 during the corona pandemic. It was planned for a special exhibition on the goldsmith's art of the Middle Ages and historicism at the end of August 2020.

Textile treasure

Baroque chasubles in the parament room

In the large vaulted room of the basement is around the coronation mantle, the so-called Cappa Leonis (before 1520), incorrectly named after Pope Leo III. - For conservation reasons in changing exhibitions - to see the rich textile treasure of the cathedral, comprising several thousand textiles. These include antique and early medieval fabric relics as well as oriental and Byzantine silk fabrics from the sixth to tenth centuries, which were used as bursen (relic covers). There are also the richly embroidered silk covers donated in 1629 for the four large sanctuaries kept in the Marian shrine and shown on the journey to the sanctuary and the Bernhard chasuble made around 1160/70. In addition, there are liturgical vestments in the form of chasubles and choir cloaks from the Middle Ages up to the 20th Century made of silk, velvet and brocade , as well as the numerous precious robes for the miraculous image of the Blessed Mother in the cathedral. The collection of baroque paraments is considered to be the largest in the entire Rhineland.

Others

Reliquary shrine in the exhibition Lost Treasures . Limoges, around 1230 (private foundation from 1997, not part of the former Aachen Cathedral Treasury)

On the upper floor the pontificals - in detail these are bishop's staffs , mitres , pectorals and bishop's rings - of the bishops and auxiliary bishops of Aachen are presented together with a picture or time table of the same.

From June 20 to September 21, 2014, the special exhibition Lost Treasures exhibited some of the works of art in the Cathedral Treasury that had once belonged to the Aachen holdings and were later sold, stolen or given away, some only in copies.

literature

  • Franz Bock : Charlemagne Palatine Chapel and its art treasures. Art-historical description of the Carolingian octagon in Aachen, etc. Cologne & Neuss 1866 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  • Karl Faymonville : The Minster of Aachen (= The Art Monuments of the City of Aachen Volume 1). Schwann, Düsseldorf 1916.
  • Ernst Günther Grimme : Medieval Charles reliquaries. The veneration of Charlemagne, depicted by means of reliquary containers from Aachen and other works of goldsmithing. In: Aachener Kunstblätter. Volume 16, Düsseldorf 1957, pp. 30-36.
  • Ernst Günther Grimme: Great art from a thousand years (= Aachener Kunstblätter. Volume 36). Catalog for the exhibition Great art from a thousand years. Church treasures from the diocese of Aachen in the coronation hall of the Aachen town hall from June 15 to September 15, 1968, Schwann, Düsseldorf 1986.
  • Ernst Günther Grimme (text), Ann Münchow (recordings): The Aachen Cathedral Treasure (= Aachener Kunstblätter. Volume 42). With an introduction by Erich Stephany . 2nd edition, Schwann, Düsseldorf 1973.
  • Otto Müller (Ed.): The Aachen Cathedral Treasure. Langewiesche, Königstein im Taunus 1976, ISBN 3-7845-0123-0 .
  • Herta Lepie : The Cathedral Treasury in Aachen. Aachen Cathedral Chapter, Aachen 1990.
  • Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg : The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. Brimberg, Aachen 1995, ISBN 3-923773-16-1 .
  • Ernst Günther Grimme: The golden cathedral of the Ottonians. Einhard, Aachen 2001, ISBN 3-930701-90-1 .
  • Herta Lepie: Shimmering in pure gold ... and shining with precious stones. Projects in the goldsmith's workshop of Aachen Cathedral (= Karlsverein-Dombauverein series of publications. Volume 4). Aachen 2001.
  • Herta Lepie (text), Ann Münchow (pictures): Ivory art from the Aachen cathedral treasure. Imhof, Petersberg 2006, ISBN 3-86568-000-3 .
  • Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The Aachen Cathedral Treasure. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-7954-2320-9 .
  • Walter Maas, Pit Siebigs: The Aachen Cathedral. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2013, ISBN 978-3-7954-2445-9 , pp. 146–160.
  • Georg Minkenberg: The Aachen Cathedral Treasure. In: Walter Maas, Pit Siebigs: The Aachen Cathedral. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2013, ISBN 978-3-7954-2445-9 , pp. 166–169.
  • Herta Lepie: The Aachen Cathedral Treasure. In: Clemens MM Bayer, Dominik M. Meiering , Martin Seidler, Martin Struck (eds.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2013, ISBN 978-3-7954-2827-3 , pp. 121-137.
  • Georg Minkenberg, Sisi Ben Kayed (ed.): Lost treasures. Former treasures from the Aachen cathedral treasure. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-7954-2834-1 .
  • Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: Der Domschatz zu Aachen, Verlag Schnell & Steiner GmbH, 2nd edition 2015, Regensburg, ISDN 978-3-7954-2320-9

Web links

Commons : Aachen Cathedral Treasure  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. Entry in the list of UNESCO, English
  2. Head of the Cathedral Treasury moves to Aachen. bistum-essen.de, June 6, 2016, accessed on June 6, 2016 .
  3. a b c d e f g h i j Herta Lepie: The cathedral treasure of Aachen. In: Clemens MM Bayer et al. (Ed.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. P. 123.
  4. Herta Lepie: The cathedral treasure in Aachen. In: Clemens MM Bayer et al. (Ed.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. P. 123.
  5. a b c d e f g h i j k l Herta Lepie: The cathedral treasure of Aachen. In: Clemens MM Bayer et al. (Ed.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. P. 124.
  6. a b Herta Lepie: The cathedral treasure in Aachen. In: Clemens MM Bayer et al. (Ed.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. P. 125.
  7. suction. Charlemagne's hunting horn in the picture index of art and architecture.
  8. suction. Hunting knife of Charlemagne in the picture index of art and architecture.
  9. Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. P. 21; Helga Giersiepen: The inscriptions of the Aachen cathedral. No. 17 ( full text ).
  10. ^ Carolingian ivory diptych in the picture index of art and architecture.
  11. Herta Lepie, Ann Münchow: Ivory art from the Aachen cathedral treasure. Petersberg 2006, pp. 10-17; Rainer Kahsnitz : Diptych with post-Easter apparitions of Christ. In: Peter van den Brink, Sarvenaz Ayooghi (ed.): Charlemagne - Charlemagne. Karl's art. Catalog of the special exhibition Karls Kunst from June 20 to September 21, 2014 in the Center Charlemagne , Aachen. Sandstein, Dresden 2014, ISBN 978-3-95498-093-2 , pp. 188-189 (with literature).
  12. Quadrigastoff in the picture index of art and architecture.
  13. Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. Pp. 13-14.
  14. Ernst Günther Grimme: The golden cathedral of the Ottonians. P. 15.
  15. suction. Pectoral cross of Charlemagne in the picture index of art and architecture.
  16. Helga Giersiepen: The inscriptions of the Aachen cathedral. No. 24 ( full text ).
  17. ^ Esther Meier: The Gregor mass. Functions of a late medieval image type. Böhlau, Cologne 2006, ISBN 3-412-11805-2 , p. 248 ff.
  18. The high altar of the Aachen Minster - Antependium with representation of the twelve apostles in the picture index of art and architecture.
  19. ^ Rose Marie Schulz-Rehberg : The Aachen ivory situla. A liturgical vessel in the field of tension between empire and sacerdotium. An art-historical analysis. Monsenstein and Vannerdat, Münster 2006, ISBN 3-86582-284-3 ; Helga Giersiepen: The inscriptions of the Aachen cathedral. No. 22 ( full text ).
  20. See Ernst Günther Grimme: The golden cathedral of the Ottonians. Pp. 44–50, here p. 44.
  21. Helga Giersiepen: The inscriptions of the Aachen cathedral. No. 66 ( full text ).
  22. Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. P. 74.
  23. Helga Giersiepen: The inscriptions of the Aachen cathedral. No. 38 ( full text )
  24. Richard von Cornwallis's chest of arms in the picture index of art and architecture.
  25. Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. P. 93.
  26. Christoph Stender, Michael Lejeune: Locked and open. The castles of the Marienschreins and the sanctuary tour to Aachen. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-7954-2835-8 .
  27. Cf. Anton Legner (ed.): Ornamenta ecclesiae. Romantic art and artists. Volume 3, catalog for the exhibition of the Schnütgen Museum in the Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle, City of Cologne, Cologne 1985, pp. 88–90.
  28. Felix shrine in the Image Index of Art and Architecture.
  29. ^ Felix von Martana in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints .
  30. Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. P. 95.
  31. Crucifixion altar in the picture index of art and architecture.
  32. Herta Lepie, Georg Minkenberg: The treasury of the Aachen cathedral. P. 102.
  33. Ernst Günther Grimme: The Corona and Leopardus Shrine . In: The Aachen Cathedral Treasure . L. Schwann, Düsseldorf 1973, p. 152 f .
  34. Relics from St. Corona are in Aachen | DOMRADIO.DE. Retrieved March 28, 2020 .
  35. Aachen Cathedral shows Corona shrine. In: www1.wdr.de. Westdeutscher Rundfunk, May 11, 2020, accessed on May 16, 2020 (German).
  36. Coronation coat (Cappa Leonis) in the picture index of art and architecture.
  37. a b c Herta Lepie: The cathedral treasure in Aachen. In: Clemens MM Bayer et al. (Ed.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. P. 137.
  38. Herta Lepie: The cathedral treasure in Aachen. In: Clemens MM Bayer et al. (Ed.): Treasure art in Rhenish churches and museums. Pp. 136-137.
  39. Bernhardskasel in the picture index of art and architecture.

Coordinates: 50 ° 46 ′ 30.1 ″  N , 6 ° 4 ′ 58.1 ″  E