Archducal hat
Categories: Crowns | Crown Jewels | Habsburg | Austria-Hungary
The first archducal coronet (de: Erzherzogskrone) was shown on a portrait of Rudolf IV. It probably never really existed though. Ernest the Iron had a coronet made, another was made on the death of Archduke Ferdinand II of the Tyrol in 1595. The final archducal hat (Erzherzogshut) as the crown of the Archduchy of Austria was made in 1616 for the regent of the Tyrol, Maximilian III. Where it was made remains a mystery though. Since then it has been kept at the Augustine monastery of Klosterneuburg in Lower Austria. Each time during the ceremony of homage by the estates (the so called Erbhuldigung) of a new ruler, it was brought to Vienna, the first time in 1620, the last time in 1835. Next to the archducal hat are two other coronets left. One is in Maria Stein close to Wörgl in the Tyrol, which was made for the funeral of Archduke Ferdinand II. The other one is the ducal hat and kept in the Joanneum in Graz, Styria. Another coronet, which was made for Joseph II in 1764 for his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in Frankfurt, only the Karkasse is left.
The coat of arms of the federal state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) features on the top the archducal hat of Austria.
Literature
- G. Kugler, Der österreichische Erzherzogshut und die Erbhuldigung, in: Der heilige Leopold, Ausstellungskatalog, Klosterneuburg 1985.
See also