Imperial Crown of Austria
Categories: Austria-Hungary | Austrian Empire | Crowns | Crown Jewels
The Crown of the Empire of Austria (de: Österreichische Kaiserkrone or Krone des Kaisertums Österreich) was originally the personal crown of emperor Rudolf II. It is therefore also known as the Crown of Rudolf II, or the Crown of the Austrian Empire.
Because the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire, especially the Imperial Crown, were all kept in Nürnberg and could only leave the city for the coronation, some rulers had their own personal crowns made. For example when they attended a session of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet), they attended with their own crowns. The oldest depiction of such a private crown is an etching by the artist Albrecht Dürer of Emperor Maximilian I, where a depiction of a crown is seen that might have influenced the appearance of crown of Rudolf later.
The Imperial Crown was actually never used for a coronation, since the Empire of Austria, as opposed to the Holy Roman Empire, was a hereditary monarchy under the Habsburg Dynasty, and therefore such an act of legitimation was not seen as necessary. The ceremony was more of an act of investiture on the monarchs official ascension to the throne.
The crown of Rudolf II was made 1602 in Prague by Jan Vermeyen, one of the most outstanding goldsmiths of his time, who was called extra from Antwerp. The crown is made out of three parts: the circlet (Kronreif), the high arch (Kronbügel), and a mitre (Mitra). It therefore follows the model of the mitral crowns, which derive its shape from the cap of bishops.
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Circlet
The circlet in itself already forms a crown- the mitre and the high arch were put in extra so to speak. It symbolises the royal authority. Out of it are 6 lilies, which were probably inspired by the Bohemian St. Wencelslas Crown. The lilies are also sometimes associated with the fleurs-de-lis of the Valois. The numeral eight is a theme that was also taken from the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, since the reif is made out of eight plates. In the reif are precious stones such as rechines, zircons, and pearls. The zircons are cut in such a way that they are flat at the front. The cutting of precious stones was back then a relatively new technique.
Mitre
The mitre symbolises the divine right to rule, and the spiritual position of the emperor: during the coronation, he was also consecrated symbolically as a deacon. It is turned by 90 °, the areas are shown to the side, so that the high ark goes from the front, just like in the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. The mitre is made out of gold, with a band of enamel work, which depicts birds and plants. The mitre is divided into four sections, which represent the high honours of Rudolf II. The first part shows him kneeling, while receiving the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire in Regensburg as Holy Roman Emperor. The second shows him riding onto the coronation hill in Bratislava during his coronation as King of Hungary. The third shows his coronation procession through Prague as King of Bohemia, and the fourth depicts an allegory of his victory over the invading Turks, although historically seen that is not quite correct. The inscription inside the arch reads in Latin: RVDOLPHVS II ROM(ANORVM) IMP(ERATOR) AVGVSTUS HVNG(ARIAE) ET BOH(EMIAE) REX CONSTRVXIT MDCII (Made for Rudolf II, Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia, in 1602).
High Arch
The high arch has obviously been inspired by the arch from the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. It is studded with eight diamonds, which symbolise Christ. The emperor was regarded as governor on earth in the name of Christ. At the top of the arch is a blue-green emerald, which symbolises heaven. The emerald was not cut, but polished.
Sceptre and Imperial Orb
Also belonging to the crown are a sceptre and the Imperial Orb, which was ordered in 1612 by Rudolfs brother and successor Matthias to be made. It was created by Andreas Ochsenbruck. The shape takes its inspiration from the crown, especially the enamel-work have been copied in its style. A peculiarity of the sceptre is that is made partly out of Ainkhürn, which was the mythological horn of a unicorn. The sceptre and the orb were already in use before proclamation of the Empire of Austria, sometimes as the bohemian royal regalia, sometimes for the hereditary homage (Erbhuldigung) of the estates of the Archduchy of Austria.
Crown, sceptre, and orb are kept today in the Schatzkammer Imperial Treasury, in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.
See also
- Austrian Crown Jewels
- Archducal hat
- Ducal hat
- Crown Jewels
- Crown of St. Stephen
- Austria-Hungary
- Habsburg
External Links
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna | Crown of the Austrian Empire