Polish crown jewels

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Stanisław II August
in 1764
Regalia of King Augustus III

The only surviving original piece of the Polish crown jewels (Polish: Polskie klejnoty koronne) from the time of the Piast dynasty is the ceremonial sword Szczerbiec. It is currently on display along with other preserved royal items at the Wawel Royal Castle Museum in Kraków.

Several royal crowns were made, including several during the 16th Century, a "

Rüstkammer in Dresden
, Germany.

History

Polish replica of the Holy Lance, Wawel Cathedral Treasury
Crown of Bolesław I the Brave

In AD 1000, during his pilgrimage to the tomb of

Kingdom of Poland, a symbol of King Bolesław's rule, and of his allegiance to the Emperor.[5] It remains unknown what images, if any, were painted or embroidered on the vexillum.[5]

Starting from 1320 the regalia of the Polish kings were kept in the treasury of the

Stanisław II August.[10] Later returned to the Wawel Castle, where they were kept till the Third Partition of Poland
in 1795.

On 15 June 1794 the Prussian Army entered Kraków and captured Wawel Castle, subsequently turning it into a fortress. Shortly thereafter, the city commandant, general Leopold von Reuts began a correspondence with Berlin on the fate of furnishings of the Polish kings' residence.[11] In the greatest secrecy, by order of king Frederick William II of Prussia, he was commanded to transfer the content of the Crown Treasury to the Secret Councillor Anton Ludwig von Hoym, who was to secure its transport via Silesia to Berlin.[11] The locksmith brought by the Prussians broke the locks of the treasury and then opened all the boxes.[11] The valuables were transported in 1794 and found their place in the collection of the Hohenzollerns in Berlin.[11]

In 1800 the valuables were stored in the

Berlin City Palace, where they were admired by Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, as he informed Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz.[12] In 1809 the Polish regalia were valued at 525,259 thalers and shortly after, on 17 March 1809, in accordance with the decision of Frederick William III of Prussia, all of them were melted down.[12][13] The obtained gold was reused to make coins, while precious stones and pearls were handed to the Directorate of Maritime Trade in Berlin.[12]

Components

Detailed drawing by Krzysztof Józef Werner of parts of the regalia such as the sword Szczerbiec, Crown of Bolesław I the Brave, royal sceptre and orb (before 1794)
Sigismund III on catafalque displayed in the Guard Chamber at the Royal Castle in Warsaw
. Painted by Christian Melich, ca. 1632. The King was depicted with the "Muscovy Crown" on his head and the "Swedish Crown" put on a pillow next to him.

According to an inventory of the State Treasury at the

Great Crown Chancellor the Crown Regalia of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
(kept in five chests) consisted of:

Also a private treasury of the

Royal Castle in Warsaw
) consisted of:

In 1697 a

Freiburg goldsmith Johann Friedrich Klemm executed a replacement for the regalia, known as the Crown of Augustus II the Strong and intended for his coronation as a King of Poland.[18] It was never used however, because two monks broke into the State Treasury in the Wawel Castle and stole the original regalia.[18] The Augustus II Crown is kept in the Dresden Armory.[18]

All of the original crown regalia were looted by the Prussians (except for the "Muscovy Crown") in 1795 after the Third Partition of the Commonwealth and destroyed on the order of Frederick William III of Prussia in March 1809 (except for the Szczerbiec).[15][19]

In 1925 Polish Government purchased the

National Museum in Warsaw.[21]

Gallery

Polish crowns
  • The Szczerbiec (Polish coronation sword; obverse)
    The Szczerbiec (Polish coronation sword; obverse)
  • Coronation robe of Władysław IV (detail) with Polish and Swedish Coats of arms
    Coronation robe of Władysław IV (detail) with Polish and Swedish Coats of arms
  • Ceremonial sword of King Stanisław II August
    Ceremonial sword of King Stanisław II August
  • Silver White Eagle heraldic base for the royal crown
    Silver White Eagle heraldic base for the royal crown
  • Silver regalia of King Augustus III of Poland and Queen Maria Josepha
    Silver regalia of King
    Maria Josepha
  • Funeral regalia of King Casimir III the Great
    Funeral regalia of King Casimir III the Great
  • Crown of King Władysław IV
    Crown of King
    Władysław IV
  • Coronation mantle of Augustus III held at the National Museum in Warsaw
    National Museum in Warsaw

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Jan III Sobieski's Karacena Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine at the Wilanów Palace Museum
  2. ^ Hanna Widacka. "Karacena Jana III Sobieskiego". www.wilanow-palac.art.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  3. ^ "Kultura artystyczna dworu królewskiego i katedry". www.krakow2000.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on November 24, 2003. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  4. ISBN 83-223-1818-9
    .
  5. ^ a b c Lileyko 1987, p. 12
  6. ^ a b c Rożek 1987, p. 78
  7. ^ Rożek 1987, p. 60
  8. ^ Rożek 1987, p. 83
  9. ^ Rożek 1987, p. 89
  10. ^ Rożek 1987, p. 90
  11. ^ a b c d "Kradzież i zniszczenie". www.replikiregaliowpl.com (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
  12. ^ a b c Monika Kuhnke. "Rabunek od czasów zaborów do II wojny światowej". www.zabytki.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2010-10-30.
  13. ^ "Bling it on! Stunning royal jewellery goes on show at 'Rule and Dazzle' exhibition". Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  14. ^ Rożek 1987, p. 82
  15. ^ a b Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska. "POLAND'S CROWNS". www.angelfire.com (in Polish). Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  16. ISBN 978-83-89101-71-6
    .
  17. ^ Barry Shifman (October 2001). "Gifts to the czars". findarticles.com. Magazine Antiques. Archived from the original on 2008-01-05. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  18. ^ a b c Rożek 1987, p. 145
  19. ^ "Crown Treasury and Armoury". www.wawel.krakow.pl. Archived from the original on 2009-05-07. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  20. ^ a b c Lileyko 1987, pp. 106–107
  21. ^ Karol Estreicher (1945). The Mystery of the Polish Crown Jewels. Alliance Press Limited. p. 25.
  22. ^ Gudavičius, Edvardas. "Gedimino kepurė" [Gediminas' Cap]. Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 18 June 2023.

Bibliography

  1. Lileyko, Jerzy (1987), Polskie Regalia Polskie (Polish Regalia) (in Polish), Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza,
    ISBN 83-03-02021-8
    .
  2. Rożek, Michał (1987), Polskie koronacje i korony (Polish coronations and crowns) (in Polish), Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza,
    ISBN 83-03-01914-7
    .

Bibliography

External links

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