Crown of the Holy Roman Emperor

Also known as the 'German Reichskrone' and 'The Crown of Charlemagne', this ancient crown of gold, enamel, pearls and precious stones is believed to have been made at the Monastery of Reichenau for the coronation of Emperor Otto I, the founder of the Holy Roman Empire of Germany, in 962. It was remodelled by Otto III who added the gem studded arch. An emblem of temporal power, it is designed to be worn with a mitre, symbol of spiritual authority.

When Hitler annexed Austria in 1938 he demanded that the crown be brought to Nuremberg from Vienna. In an attempt tho defend the crown the Austrian curator pointed out tht it carried enamel portraits of two Jews, David and Soloman. Hitler hesitated, but continued with his demand. When the Americans liberated Nuremberg the crown had disappeared. Local Nazi leaders, arrrested and questioned, insisted that it had been thrown into the deepest lake in Austria. Unconvinced, the Americans arrested the Mayor of Nuremberg who eventually admitted that Himmler had given orders to hide the crown and spread the story of its disappearance. Following the Mayor's instructions, the Americans climbed down into a bunker deep underground where, sealed inside a wall, they found a locked copper chest containing the Crown of Charlemagne. It was returned to Austria, where it remains in the Schatzkammer Museum in Vienna.