Description of the attraction
The Hofburg Treasury is the largest treasury in the world, is part of the Habsburg collection, is part of the Museum of Art History and is located in the Hofburg. The treasury can be entered in the Swiss Court, which got its name in honor of the Swiss Guard, which once guarded the Empress Maria Theresa.
In 1556, Giacolo Strada, an art critic from Nuremberg, was appointed as the court antiquary, who, on behalf of the Emperor Ferdinand I, began to manage the imperial treasury. Initially, the collection, which consisted of works of art, paintings and cultural regalia, was kept in the Augustinian church. Maria Theresa put the crown jewels on public display for the first time to divert attention from the sale of part of the imperial collection. This was done in order to finance the wars with Prussia.
The treasury was greatly replenished after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire. So, among the exhibits you can see the crown of the Holy Roman Empire (962), the imperial sword and scepter, the spear of fate and the imperial cross. The treasury contains relics of the Order of the Golden Fleece. There are also extremely funny things in the collection. For example, a unicorn, which is two and a half meters long.
Before the outbreak of World War II, by order of Hitler, the entire collection was transported to Nuremberg. However, it was not possible to save it there. Already in May 1945, during the occupation, it was captured by American troops. A year later, the collection was returned to the Austrian capital.
