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41-803: Designed by architect Bruno Schmitz (1858–1916), it is the third-largest monument in Germany. Schmitz has also designed the two largest memorials, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations , that commemorates the 1813 Battle of Leipzig and the Emperor William Monument at the Porta Westfalica . The monument has a total height of 81 m (266 ft) and is located at an elevation of 420 m (1,380 ft) on top of an 800 m (2,600 ft) long outcrop of

82-622: A direct reference to the twelve stones of the Jewish high priest's breastplate or hoshen (Exodus 39:9-14) and to the twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem in the Revelation to John (Revelation 21: 19-21). The top central stone of the front plate is a triangular sapphire which replaces a famous stone, now lost, which was known as the Waise (i.e., the 'Orphan', because of its uniqueness), probably

123-509: A large white opal with a wine-red fire or possibly a singularly brilliant garnet or red zircon and the subject of medieval lore. The medieval theologian and philosopher Albert the Great wrote about it in 1250: The Orphan is a jewel in the crown of the Roman emperor. Because the like of it has never been seen elsewhere, it is called the "Orphan". It has the color of wine, of delicate red wine and it

164-499: A single arch (or hoop ) from the front to the back plate with the name and imperial style which may have belonged to Conrad II ("the first German monarch to call himself 'king of the Romans' ( Rex Romanorum )"), in seed pearls. On the left side of this arch these seed pearls spell out the words "Conrad, by the Grace of God" ( CHVONRADUS DEI GRATIA ), while on the right side they read "Emperor of

205-474: Is as if the dazzling, white of snow penetrates the bright wine red and yet it remains dormant in this redness. The gem shines powerfully and it is said that it once even shone at night, but not in our time, but it is said to preserve the honour of the empire. When and why it was removed from the Imperial Crown is not known. The last mention of it is in an inventory ordered by Charles IV in 1350. The crown has

246-562: Is depicted as a general, with Pickelhaube and Grand Cross of the Iron Cross , he poses on horseback in a dignified manner. He is flanked by two allegorical sculptures. To the right a Germanic warrior, who represents defense and to the left a woman, holding a pen and an oak leaf wreath, symbolizing history. Both, the Barbarossa and the Wilhelm sculptures represent the idea of the monument's program -

287-523: The Bible and inscriptions in cloisonné enamel in Byzantine "sunk" ( Senkschmelz ) style. Each of these enamelled plates is surrounded by blue sapphires and pearls in raised filigree settings. The other four plates, or 'stone-plates' ( Steinplatten ), are of various sizes and decorated solely with precious stone and pearls in raised filigree settings. The twelve stones on the front and back plates are probably

328-783: The Historischer Kunstbunker , an underground vault of Nuremberg Castle . Led by art historian Lt. Walter Horn , who joined the US military after becoming a naturalized citizen, American soldiers recovered the treasures in August 1945. They were returned to the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in allied-occupied Austria in January 1946. They have been kept permanently in Vienna since that date. The Crown and Regalia were again on display at

369-582: The Hofburg in 1954. The current display dates from a comprehensive refurbishment of the Hofburg's Treasury Vault in 1983-1987. The crown does not have a round shape but an octagonal one, a possible reference to the shape of crowns of Byzantine emperors and/or of Charlemagne 's Palatine Chapel in Aachen . Its eight hinged plates are arched at the top. Two strips of iron of unidentified date, riveted with golden rivets to

410-737: The Holy Roman Emperor , probably from the late 10th century until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. The crown was used in the coronation of the King of the Romans , the title assumed by the Emperor-elect immediately after his election. It is now kept in the Imperial Treasury ( Kaiserliche Schatzkammer ) at the Hofburg in Vienna , Austria. The crown of eight hinged golden plates

451-681: The Imperial Cross ( German : Reichskreuz ), the Imperial Sword ( German : Reichsschwert ), and the Holy Lance ( German : Heilige Lanze ). During the coronation, it was given to the new king along with the sceptre ( German : Reichszepter ) and the Imperial Orb ( German : Reichsapfel ). The Imperial Crown was the inspiration for the German State Crown designed in 1871 for

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492-735: The 19th century War Veterans Federation ( Deutscher Kriegerbund ), which as Kyffhäuser Federation ( Kyffhäuserbund ) took over its management around 1900. Architect Bruno Schmitz drew up plans in accordance with the late 19th century tradition of imperial grandeur, realized in massive stone structures like the Walhalla in Bavaria , the Hermannsdenkmal in the Teutoburg Forest , and the Niederwalddenkmal near Rüdesheim . The monument sits among

533-603: The Holy Roman Emperors as a sign of their imperial office, the form of which was perpetuated in the crown created for Rudolf II and now known as the Imperial Crown of Austria . An identical copy was made in 1915 by order of Wilhelm II for display in Aachen , where it is still kept in the Krönungssaal of Aachen Town Hall , built in the 14th century on the remains of Charlemagne's palace . There are also copies of

574-618: The Imperial capital in Vienna , where the Empire was abolished on 6 August 1806. The crown and other Regalia remained in Vienna until the Anschluss of March 1938, when they were brought back to Nuremberg (this time in the Katharinenkirche ) by Nazi Germany in line with their promotion of the city as repository of mythicized ancient German traditions. During World War II the crown was placed in

615-584: The Kyffhäuser Federation in and around the medieval castle. Architect Bruno Schmitz had borrowed romanesque style elements from the Hohenstaufen castles and fortresses of the 12th and 13th centuries for his Monument walls and towers. The roughly hewn stones are reminiscent of the Hohenstaufen hump block masonry, that were also used on the Barbarossa tower. The 1871 founded Prussian -dominated empire ,

656-424: The Romans, Augustus" ( ROMANORU[M] IMPERATOR AUG[USTUS] ). Above the front plate and in front of the arch is a jeweled cross with an engraving of the crucified Christ on its reverse side, originally a pectoral cross said to have belonged to Henry II and only later attached to the Imperial Crown. It is probable that both the arch and cross were added during Conrad II's reign. There are three small holes on each of

697-630: The arms of the German Empire and its Emperor. The latter, however, had four half-arches supporting a small orb and cross, rather than the single arch and front cross of the original. The changes were made to differentiate the Wilhelmine crown from the one kept in Vienna (outside the German Empire), while simultaneously invoking the powerful legacy of the Holy Roman Empire . A now-lost wooden model

738-541: The bottom-long beard and a slightly recessed leg that is not covered by the coat. The emperor doesn't really sleep, he even winks with one eye. Sculptor Nikolaus Geiger decorated the emperor's red beard with the imperial crown , as its original is on display in the Vienna Hofburg . Above him towers an equestrian statue of Emperor William I, designed by sculptor Emil Hundrieser (1846–1911) in Neo-baroque style. Wilhelm

779-718: The crown and regalia in the Historical Museum of Frankfurt ; in the fortress of Trifels in the former Electorate of the Palatinate ; and in the Czech castle of Karlštejn , along with a copy of the Crown of Saint Wenceslas . The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire was selected as the main motif for a high value commemorative coin, the €100 Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire commemorative coin , minted in 2008. The obverse shows

820-532: The crown and that the Hezekiah plaque refers to Otto I's recovery from a serious illness." The first preserved mention of the crown is from the 12th century, assuming (as is probable) that it is the same crown. Most Kings of the Romans were crowned with it until the end of the Holy Roman Empire . The crown was the most important item of the Imperial Regalia ( German : Reichskleinodien ), which also included

861-516: The crown was made), but polished into rounded shapes and fixed en cabochon , i.e. put into openings that were cut into the metal, and fastened with thin wires. The effect is that when light shines in, the stones look as if they would shine from within. The crown is decorated with 144 precious stones including sapphires , emeralds and amethysts (blue, green and purple precious stones being proper to emperors in Byzantine imperial protocol), and about

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902-526: The crown", since he had become "seriously ill during the Second Crusade " and was suffering from tertian malaria , which "hindered him [...] from carrying out his responsibilities from the end of August 1149 until April 1150." On the other hand, Reinhard Staats has "interpreted the Isaiah text as a reminder to every monarch that his days were numbered", while Denise A. Kaiser has "argued that Otto II commissioned

943-489: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 440433780 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 06:52:38 GMT Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire ( German : Reichskrone ), a hoop crown (Bügelkrone) with a characteristic octagonal shape, was the coronation crown of

984-708: The eastern Kyffhäuser range, below the 439 m (1,440 ft) high mountain peak of the Kyffhausen Castle . The site lies within the Steinthaleben community in the Kyffhäuserland district, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) north of Bad Frankenhausen and southwest of Tilleda in the Goldene Aue plain. After the 1888 death of emperor William I , numerous memorials were erected in his honour all over Germany . The Kyffhäuser Monument had initially been proposed by

1025-412: The glorification of the monarchy and the military strength of the empire. The whole group has a height of almost 11 m (36 ft) and weighs around 16 tons. The driven copper sheets have a thickness of 2 to 3 mm (0.079 to 0.118 in). The Wilhelm sculpture is attached to a 57-metre (187 ft) tower, which is topped by a huge imperial crown. A 247-step stairway leads to a platform on top of

1066-533: The imperial coronation of Conrad III in Rome (although Conrad was ultimately never crowned as emperor). Freed also cites as evidence the title that appears on the crown, which is identical to how Conrad was styled in a "letter he sent in 1142 to the Byzantine emperor" John II Komnenos , and claims that "the selection of the otherwise odd text from Isaiah 38:5 on the Hezekiah plaque makes the most sense if Conrad commissioned

1107-436: The inside of the crown dates from the 17th century. Before this the imperial crown was worn over a mitre ; assuming this had the form of the Byzantine camelaucum , the arch would have caused it to bulge up on both sides, much as the embroidered ribbon from front to back on the eleventh century bishops' mitres caused their linen fabric to bulge up. Thus the Imperial Crown appears to be the earliest form of mitre crowns worn by

1148-400: The old emperor is lying in wait for resurrection in his underground dungeon. The Barabarossa legend holds, that he would rise again when Germany was in need of his leadership. The emperor himself is depicted as one might imagine an ancient powerful monarch in poems and legends at the very moment of awakening. This moment has been highlighted by the cawling movement of the left hand, that rests in

1189-440: The plates, hold the crown together. Before the addition of the rings the plates were held together by long golden pins, which made it possible to separate the plates and the arch for easier transport. Each plate of the crown is made out of a high carat gold , around 22 carats, which gives the crown a "buttery" colour, and is studded with pearls and precious stones. The stones are not cut into facets (a technique still unknown when

1230-410: The ruins (the upper and lower castle) of the medieval Imperial castle of Kyffhausen , that, built beginning around 1,000 AD, reached its maximal extent during the reign of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick I Barbarossa . Curious evidence of the medieval imperial castle has been preserved, such as the world's deepest castle well of 176 m (577 ft) depth. The 17 m (56 ft) high keep on

1271-484: The same number of pearls. Similar gem-studded decoration was used for other precious objects of the early and high Middle Ages, e.g. reliquaries , processional or altar crosses ( crux gemmata ), or precious book covers such as those of the Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram and Codex Aureus of Echternach . The smaller four plaques, or 'picture-plates' ( Bildplatten ), bear pictorial representations of figures and scenes from

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1312-527: The site of the former upper Kyffhausen castle is accessible and houses two exhibitions. Parts of the old gate structures have also been preserved. The Castle Museum focuses on the history of the ancient castle complex, the Barbarossa Saga and the construction history of the Emperor Wilhelm monument. The Museum also exhibits numerous artefacts, that were unearthed during excavations and conservation work by

1353-401: The tenth century", John B. Freed states that "the inscriptions on the plaques have been dated for paleographical reasons as no earlier than the second half of the eleventh century", while the biblical verses that appear on three of the four plaques "were first cited in royal charters only in the late eleventh and twelfth centuries", and proposes that the crown was instead made in preparation for

1394-783: The tower, that offers a panoramic view over the Kyffhäuser range to the Harz mountains in the north and down to the Thuringian Forest in the south. Since 2014 the site is run by the Kur & Tourismus GmbH Bad Frankenhausen after the Kyffhäuser-Tourismusverband had run into financial difficulties. Bruno Schmitz Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

1435-731: The troubles of the Hussite Wars , Sigismund had them relocated to Visegrád and then to Nuremberg , where they were permanently kept in the Heilig-Geist-Spital except for the time of coronations (in Aachen until 1531, then in Frankfurt from 1562). In 1796, as the war with revolutionary France was threatening the entire fabric of the Empire, the Regalia were brought for safety to Saint Emmeram's Abbey in Regensburg , and from there in 1800 to

1476-623: The two side stone-plates from which probably hung chains with pendant jewels, known as pendilia . These were a feature of the now-lost crown of Byzantine emperors, as in the mosaic portrait of Justinian I in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna . Pendilia are still extant on the Holy Crown of Hungary , or the Crown of Constance of Aragon held in Palermo Cathedral . The present red velvet cap on

1517-784: Was held in various locations during the first few centuries after its creation, including Limburg Abbey , Harzburg Castle , the Imperial Palace of Goslar , Trifels Castle , the Imperial Palace of Haguenau  [ de ] , Waldburg Castle , Krautheim Castle , Kyburg Castle , Rheinfelden Castle , and the Alter Hof in Munich . In 1349, Charles IV took the Imperial Regalia to the Karlstein Castle near Prague , which he had just built for that purpose. in 1424, with Bohemia suffering

1558-430: Was made, but no actual crown was produced until the Empire's demise in 1918. As a result it remained a heraldic crown only, even though it was also represented as if a real crown existed on that model, e.g. at the Niederwalddenkmal (1871-1883), in Hermann Wislicenus 's "Apotheose of Empire" painting at the Imperial Palace of Goslar ( c.  1880 ), or on the Weidendammer Bridge in Berlin (1896). The Crown

1599-411: Was probably made in Western Germany for the Imperial coronation of Otto I in 962, with what must be later additions which may have been made for Conrad II (since the arch is inscribed with the name CHVONRADUS ). However, some medieval historians argue that the crown may have been commissioned at a later date. Whilst acknowledging that the crown is "dated most frequently as a work of the second half of

1640-467: Was to be understood as the legitimate successor to the medieval Holy Roman Empire . It also signifies the national theme of decline and rebirth. The Prusso-German authorities were also aware of necessary integration concepts for the non-Prussian population. The nation was to be forged through empire as national identity was expressed in bombastic imperial stone iconography and was to be achieved as an imperial people, with an emperor as head of state and it

1681-451: Was to develop imperial ambitions – domestic, European and global. A little scenic stone quarry surrounded by terraces on the east side of the monument forms the backdrop for the emperor Frederick Barbarossa sandstone sculpture created by Nikolaus Geiger (1849–1897). The 6.5 m (21 ft) high figure was fashioned on site from several sandstone blocks. At its feet linger knights, mythical creatures and members of his court, with whom

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