The Schatzkammer

August 22nd, 2009

I have been waiting for some time to visit The Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) of the Habsburg monarchy, and I was not disappointed! This chamber holds the crown jewels and treasures of the Habsburg monarchy during its glory days as head of the Holy Roman Empire. These treasures are the epitome of the pomp and excess of the Habsburg monarchy as well as the ideal of Absolutism.

Absolutism is the unchecked rule of a king over his subjects. It is the consolidation of power by a given monarch that has no checks and balances through legislature or the church. An absolute monarchy has complete control over its subjects' lives and claims to have the power to do so by divine right from God. Louis XIV of France is a prime example of absolute monarchy and shows how the elite would parade their wealth through extravagant means. (In his case it was the Palace of Versailles.) The idea that one individual has divine right over all others is the corner stone of Absolutism, and this is the ideal that the Habsburg monarchy followed. This to falls in like with the dramatic and religious Baroque style of art, which I have talked about throughout the blogging process. The artistic style and "way of life" was perfect for the monarchs to use as a means of impressing visitors and drawing awe from their subjects. The lavish style of art was the personification of the Habsburg Monarchy who in many ways viewed themselves in that way.

The crown jewels of the Habsburgs fall in line with the extravagant nature of both the Baroque style and Absolutism. The globus cruciger (aka the orb) that monarchs like the Habsburgs would carry represents Christ ruling the world in the hands of a single supreme ruler. The scepter is a form of a staff, thought by many to hold special powers that are denoted from God (think Moses). In A Concise History of Austria Beller describes how the pomp and grandiose excess of the absolute monarchy made a subconscious barrier between the Habsburg rulers and the peasantry. This helped to legitimize the authority of the rulers while keeping the peasants "in their place." Below are the Austrian Imperial Crown Jewels: The Crown of Rudolf II, the orb and the scepter.


I really enjoyed the clothing of the knights, of which there were three orders. The highest honor that any person could receive by the Habsburg Monarchy was to become a member of "The Order of the Golden Fleece", which is also shown below.


There are also some items at the Schatzkammer that really stood out to me. The baptismal ewer and basin christened the archdukes of the 17th century and was a gift commemorating the marriage of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria.


This golden cradle was a gift from Paris to the Empress Marie-Louise, the wife of Napoleon. This cradle, which is too extravagant for words, was meant to legitimize the couple’s son as "The King of Rome."


The Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire (minus the Glove from Palermo).


Reliquary with a Nail from the Cross. This is supposedly the nail that was driven into Jesus's left hand.


These are just some of my favorite pieces. There are more that I would mention but the space would be crazy for this one blog.