Reichskleinodien

The Reichskleinodien, meaning Imperial Regalia, are the secular and ecclesiastical imperial treasures of the Holy Roman Empire. These objects were used during the coronation of the Holy Roman Emperors and included a collection of richly decorated items that symbolized the emperor's authority and divine right to rule. The most famous pieces are housed in the Imperial Treasury in Vienna's Hofburg Palace, having been kept there since the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.

The collection comprises several key items. Among them are the Imperial Crown, the Imperial Orb, the Imperial Scepter, and the Holy Lance. Other significant pieces include the Imperial Sword, various ceremonial robes, and a collection of sacred relics. The origins of many of these items date back to the Ottonian and Salian dynasties, though some were added or modified in later centuries. The Reichskleinodien were not merely decorative; they were integral to the elaborate coronation ceremonies that legitimized imperial power and were considered sacred objects entrusted to the emperor by God. Their historical significance lies not only in their intrinsic value but also in their role as tangible representations of a millennium of European history and imperial authority.