Of all the imperial insignia, none was more important than the crown. A
coronation without the crown was neither impossible nor unheard of but was
generally considered illegitimate. In the early centuries of the empire, before
the imperial insignia found a permanent home in Nürnberg, stealing the crown,
usually but not always, after the death of the previous emperor was an important
first step towards claiming the throne in cases where an obvious successor was
not present.
In contrast to most crowns, this crown is not round but rather an octagon
with eight separate golden shields linked by hinges. It has 144 precious stones
and around the same number of pearls. These gems are not set in the metal but
rather fixed in holes in the golden plates so light can shine through them. On
four of the eight plates are biblical scenes with the Old Testament kings David,
Salomon, and Hiskia. The fourth is of Christ with the red-lettered, Latin
inscription per me reges regnant (By me monarchs govern – Proverbs 8:15)
Many an emperor would quote this verse in the struggle against papal
interference in secular political affairs.
The cross on the top of the crown was added by Heinrich II, probably in
response to a similar addition to the Byzantine crown at the same time. The arch
that connects the front and rear of the crown was added by Konrad II and has a
Latin inscription with small pearls meaning: Konrad by the grace of God emperor
of the Romans and Augustus.
The crown has a diameter of 22 cm with the base plates almost 15 cm high and
the cross adding another 10 cm. It weighs 3.5 kg (7 lb) and therefore one often
had someone to hold one’s crown over one’s imperial head rather than parading
around with it on one’s own head. (Most rulers had personal crowns for every day
use.)
The origins of the crown are not completely clear-cut. The first written
reference to the imperial crown is in a poem by Walther von der Vogelweide
composed for the coronation of Philipp of Swabia in 1198. In this poem, it is
stated that the crown is much older than the king but more importantly, the fact
that it fitted Philipp’s head so perfectly, sure was a sign from heaven. (Just
as well it fitted, as Philipp was crowned twice. An anti-king was elected and
crowned and only after an international and civil war could Philipp be crowned a
second time as undisputed king. However, he was never crowned emperor and died a
violent death at the hand of an angry, sword-wielding count palatinate.)
During the later-medieval period, it was commonly assumed that the crown was
that of Charlemagne. An oft-quoted description by Goethe of the coronation of
Franz II (1792) refers to the crown as that of Charlemagne. (Goethe loved the
pomp and circumstance of the event but found the medieval dress and oversized
crown somewhat comical.) Only with twentieth-century technology has it been
possible to confirm that the octagonal base is indeed from the time of Otto I.