Reichskreuz
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
The imperial cross is one of the imperial regalia of the Holy Roman Empire . It is hollow and was used to store the two great relics of Christ , the Holy Lance in the cross arm and the cross particles in the lower shaft. It is the original reliquary of the imperial relics . The Reichskreuz is kept in the Vienna Treasury in the Hofburg .
Appearance
The cross has an oak core and is covered with sheet gold on the outside and lined with red leather on the inside. It measures 77 by 70 cm, the bars are 9 cm and the ends of the bars are 12 cm wide.
The front of the cross is adorned with pearls and precious stones in high mounts (→ A-jour mount ) ( crux gemmata ). The reverse shows the Lamb of God , executed in Niellotechnik , surrounded by the twelve apostles , as well as the four evangelist symbols on the square beam locks.
Due to the production as a reliquary, several parts of the front can be lifted off. Relics can be placed in the openings that appear. The openings are lined with dark red fabric and are designed to fit the holy lance or the cross particles. This ultimately results in the dimensions of the overall cross. It can no longer be said whether other smaller square openings were intended for documents or other smaller relics.
The following inscription is affixed to the side walls:
- ECCE: CRVCEM: DOMINI: FVGIAT: PARS: HOSTIS: INIQVI: † HINC: CHVONRADI: TIBI: CEDANT: OMNES: INIMICI:
- German: Let the enemy's followers flee from this cross of the Lord. Therefore, all opponents should give way before you, Konrad.
The reference to Chuonrad is associated with Emperor Konrad II , at whose time the cross was probably made. However, it is not known whether this was also the original client. The interpretation of the cross not as an instrument of torture, but as a sign of victory is characteristic of the High Middle Ages and is often encountered in Romanesque art . It is therefore also a symbol of the imperial claim to world domination.
The cross base is a later addition and consists of gilded silver on a wooden core and is adorned with four enameled heraldic shields. The labels on the front and back show the one-headed, right-hand imperial eagle, while those on the sides depict the silver Bohemian lion on a red background. The foot is 17.3 cm high and has a footprint of 29.2 by 22 cm.
history
The origin is generally believed to be 1024/25 or 1030 in Lorraine , among other places . A somewhat earlier production as a commissioned work by Konrad's predecessor, Heinrich II , can also be found in the literature.
The cross base is made of gilded silver and was made in Prague in place of an older one around 1350 on the instructions of the later Emperor Charles IV . He also had new reliquaries made for the two relics previously kept in the Reichskreuz.
literature
- Hermann Fillitz : The insignia and jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. Schroll, Vienna et al. 1954.
- Ernst Günther Grimme : Goldsmithing in the Middle Ages. Form and meaning of the reliquary from 800 to 1500. M. DuMont Schauberg, Cologne 1972, ISBN 3-7701-0669-5 , pp. 39-40.
- Karl-Heinz Rueß (Red.): The imperial regalia. Signs of rule of the Holy Roman Empire (= writings on Staufer history and art. Vol. 16). Society for Staufer History, Göppingen 1997, ISBN 3-929776-08-1 .
- Jan Keupp , Hans Reither, Peter Pohlit, Katharina Schober, Stefan Weinfurter (eds.): "... die keyerlichen zeychen ..." The imperial regalia - emblems of the Holy Roman Empire. Schnell + Steiner, Regensburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-7954-2002-4 .
- Sabine Haag (ed.): Masterpieces of the Secular Treasury (= short guide through the Kunsthistorisches Museum. 2). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 2009, ISBN 978-3-85497-169-6 .
