Schatzkammer

Schatzkammer in German translates as Treasury (Chamber/Vault). In old times, feudal rulers would keep their most precious belongings in a guarded vault, most often in the basement of their castle. Today, the word is used only for three museums in the German-speaking area. The first is the

• the Imperial Treasury Schatzkammer in Vienna. Located in the Hofburg Palace, the entrance is at the Schweizer Hof (Swiss Courtyard). The Schatzkammer houses a collection of 1,000 years of treasures. The display was completely renovated in 1983-1987. It houses the crowns and relics and vestments of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Empire. The Holy Lance – reputedly the lance that pierced Jesus' side – the Imperial Crown (a sacred symbol of sovereignty once stolen on Hitler's orders), and the Saber of Charlemagne can be viewed. Also housed is the Burgundian Treasure, connected with the medieval order of chivalry, the Order of the Golden Fleece, and the Ecclestiastical Treasury (Geistliche Schatzkammer).

• The second Schatzkammer is the collection of the royal regalia and treasures of the Bavarian Wittelsbach dynasty, housed in the Residenz Palace in Munich, Germany.

• The third is the vast collection of the Saxon Wettin Kings, kept in the Grünes Gewölbe in the Residenzschloss (Royal Castle) at Dresden, Germany.

The Imperial Crown

Insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece