First image of Hungary’s Holy Crown found in a Medieval German codex

Hungary’s Holy Crown was never just a crown. It has always symbolised the unity of the nation and the country. No monarch could rule until he was crowned with the Holy Crown by the archbishop of Esztergom in Székesfehérvár. However, the first image of the artefact was discovered in a Medieval German codex in Munich, and not in a Hungarian document in Hungary.

That is because many written materials were destroyed during the Ottoman occupation. Therefore, original written documents about Hungary can only be discovered as copies in Western archives. And even though the Holy Crown played a key role in Hungary’s history, its first depiction is not in Hungary but in Munich in a German Medieval codex.

The Hungarian Holy Crown had an adventurous history. Its arrival is already legendary. Allegedly, it was given by the pope to the first Hungarian Christian king, Stephen I. Historians say it was assembled only in the 12th century from a Greek female and a Latin crown.

The national artefact was stolen multiple times and was even buried after the 1848-1849 War for independence. After WWI, the Americans took it to Fort Knox in Kentucky and returned it only in 1978. First, it was displayed in the National Museum, then in the Hungarian National Assembly. Checking it out is part of the parliament tour, but you can take no photos or videos.

The first image of the Hungarian Holy Crown is an illustration

We do not know how the Holy Crown looked in the 13th, 14th or 15th century. That is due to the fact that the first authentic image of it that survived the centuries was made only in the 16th century and is preserved in a German Medieval codex.

Made in 1555, the priceless document is now in Munich, and the Holy Crown of Hungary was painted in it as an illustration to a story of how King Mathias I (1456-1490) retrieved it from Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III.

Here is a photo from the relevant page of the codex:

First image of Hungary's Holy Crown found in a Medieval German codex

Photo: PrtScr/Youtube

As you can see, the golden cross on the top of Hungary’s Holy Crown was straight. Now it is tilted. The harm was the result of an accident in the 17th century when the cape of the iron chest held it shut before the crown was properly placed.

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