National Treasury of Vienna

 We visited the National Treasury in Vienna this week. It’s located in the center of town, within the Swiss courtyard. The treasury was kind of dim inside. I assume this was to protect the color and quality of many of the items. I also assume that everything inside was worth a lot of money and things of such high value require the added protection. The treasury holds items important to Austrian history including many crowns and other items of royal significance. According to kaiserliche-schatzkammer.at, the collection includes the Imperial Crown of Austria, the Holy Crown of Hungary, and the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire: which is the crown, the Imperial Orb, the Imperial Sword, and the Holy Lance. 

 

I feel that the National Treasury in Vienna is important because it shows how important royalty, items of high worth and history are to the Austrian people. I feel like the idea of a ruling family being passed down from generation to generation with all the jewels and wealth and prestige, is not something we are very familiar with in the United States. But here in Europe and especially in Austria, the items that symbolize all encompassing power and respect are incredibly significant to the people throughout history. 

 

I feel that the National Treasury of Vienna contributes to Vienna being one of the cultural capitals of the world because of the items of high worth that it holds. Who doesn’t want to see a huge royal crown covered in precious jewels or coronation robes that were once worn by the Holy Roman Emperor or the jewelry owned by Sisi? Anyone interested in European history, art, and culture will want to come to the National Treasury to see royal artifacts that not only show the wealth and power of the royal families here but also provide insight into the history and culture of Central Europe.