The Imperial Cross (,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: ''Reichskreuz'') is part of the

Imperial Regalia The Imperial Regalia, also called Imperial Insignia (in German ''Reichskleinodien'', ''Reichsinsignien'' or ''Reichsschatz''), are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, C ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. It served as the container for the two "Great Relics of Christ" (''Perveniens Reilquias magna Christi'', ''Großen Reliquien Christi''): the

Holy Lance The Holy Lance, also known as the Spear of Longinus (named after Longinus, Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is alleged to be the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his Crucifixion of Jes ...

in its horizontal arms and the reliquary of the

True Cross According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified. It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...

in the lower shaft. It is thus the original

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', ''Chasse (casket), chasse'', or ''phylactery'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called a ''feretory''. Relics may be the purported ...

of the Imperial relics. The Imperial

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

is kept in the Imperial Treasury in the

Hofburg The Hofburg () is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria. Located in the Innere Stadt, center of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century by Ottokar II of Bohemia and expanded several times afterwards. It also ser ...

. It has been suggested that the cross was probably created some time around 1024–25 or 1030 in

Lotharingia Lotharingia was a historical region and an early medieval polity that existed during the late Carolingian and early Ottonian era, from the middle of the 9th to the middle of the 10th century. It was established in 855 by the Treaty of Prüm, a ...

. A somewhat earlier creation as a commission of Conrad's predecessor

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

(1002–1024) is also found in scholarly literature. An older base was replaced with the current gilt silver base of the cross in 1350 in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

at the command of Charles IV. In addition he had new reliquaries made for the relics which had hitherto been stored inside the Imperial Cross.

Description

The cross has an

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

core which is coated on the outside with gold leaf and with red leather on the inside. It measures 77 by 70 centimetres. The beams are 9 centimetres wide for most of their length and 12 cm wide at the ends of the beams. The front of the cross is decorated with pearls and gemstones in high mountings (

Crux gemmata A (Latin for jewelled cross) is a form of cross typical of Early Christian and Early Medieval art, where the cross, or at least its front side, is principally decorated with jewels. In an actual cross, rather than a painted image of one, the rev ...

). The reverse, decorated in the

niello Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is push ...

technique, depicts the ''

Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within Christian liturgies descending from the historic Latin liturgical tradition, including those of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism. It is the name given to a spec ...

'' (Lamb of God) at the centre of the cross, surrounded by the twelve

Apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

s and the symbols of the

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

at the cross' four ends. Because it was created as a reliquary, several parts of the front side can lift off, which reveals openings through which the relics can be reached. The openings are lined with dark red material and are an exact fit for the Holy Lance and the reliquary of the True Cross. The dimensions of the cross result from these relics. There are other small, rectangular openings as well; whether these are for documents or other smaller relics is unknown. The following inscription runs around the sides: :''ECCE : CRVCEM : DOMINI : FVGIAT : PARS : HOSTIS : INIQVI : † HINC : CHVONRADI : TIBI : CEDANT : OMNES : INIMICI :'' :Lo! May the hostile faction of evil flee the cross of the Lord † Thus may all of the evil ones surrender to you, Chuonrad. "Chuonrad" refers to

Conrad II Conrad II (, – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdom ...

, in whose reign the cross was probably made. It is not known whether he commissioned the cross. Viewing the cross as a symbol of victory rather than an instrument of suffering is typical of the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...

and occurs often in

Romanesque art Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic Art, Gothic style in the 12th century, or later depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented by 1 ...

. It is, therefore, also a symbol of the Imperial claim to universal rule. The base of the cross is a later addition, made of gilt silver with a wooden core and decorated with four enamelled

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

. The shields on the front and back show the single-headed, right-facing

Imperial Eagle The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of ...

, while the silver

Bohemian lion The coat of arms of the Czech Republic () is divided into two principal variants. Greater coat of arms displays the three historical regions—the Czech lands—which make up the nation. Lesser coat of arms displays lone silver double-tailed lio ...

is shown on a red background on the two sides. This base is 17.3 cm high and 29.2 x 22 cm wide.

Bibliography

* Hermann Fillitz. ''Die Insignien und Kleinodien des Heiligen Römischen Reiches.'' Wien und München 1954 * Gesellschaft für staufische Geschichte (Ed.), ''Die Reichskleinodien, Herrschaftszeichen des Heiligen Römischen Reiches''. Göppingen 1997 * Jan Keupp, Hans Reither, Peter Pohlit, Katharina Schober, Stefan Weinfurter (Eds.), ''"… die keyserlichen zeychen …" Die Reichskleinodien – Herrschaftszeichen des Heiligen Römischen Reiches'', Regensburg 2009, . *

Sabine Haag Sabine Haag (born 28 February 1962 in Bregenz) is an Austrian art historian, who has served as the director general of the Kunsthistorisches Museum since 2009. She specialises in art made from amber and ivory. References

1962 births L ...

(Ed.), ''Meisterwerke der Weltlichen Schatzkammer'', Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien, 2009, .

External links

{{Crux gemmata 1020s works 1030s works 11th-century sculptures Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire Crux gemmata Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor Ottonian sculptures Reliquaries of the True Cross Holy Lance