There is no other nation in the world, who would keep in such a high reverence, have such a high respect for, love with such a mystical adoration their national relic, as the Hungarians do with their crown, the Hungarian Holy Crown. There is no other nation to be found, whose national relic’s source, origin and age are so much unanswered, surrounded with such a mystery, and went through such fantastic adventures as did the crown of the Hungarians. Believed to be the crown of the first Hungarian king, Saint Stephen I. (1000-1038), this crown was pawned or lost, stolen or seized, stashed or rescued, and was kept in more royal courts, towns, castles and citadels than any other nation’s coronation jewel. Wars were waged for this crown and it happened that it was dug underground in a iron chest or in a crude oil barrel. Every time the Holy Crown returned to Hungary, it brought about an elevated emotional, solemn atmosphere in the entire country, and its power was so enormous over the nation that the people knelt down before the coach carrying the crown.
The unique role the Holy Crown had in the Hungarian history brought about the development of a doctrine called the “Holy Crown Theory”. Initiated by king Kalman the Booklover (1095-1116), this theory holds that the utmost ruler of Hungary is not the king but the Holy Crown. In the kingdom, everything, i.e. country, towns, lands, belong not to the king but to the Holy Crown. The territorie,s which part of Hungary, (today Croatia, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Rama [Bosnia], Serbia, Slovakia, Transylvania) were not absorbed into Hungary but became “members of united territories of the Hungarian Holy Crown”. Verdicts were declared in the name of the Holy Crown and not the king, and during those troublesome times when the country had no king, the civil leaders swore in for the Holy Crown. (The final form of the “Holy Crown Theory” was drafted and published by Stephen Werboczy, a jurist, in his book called Tripartium, 1517, Vienna).
The Hungarian Holy Crown consists of two separate parts, i.e. the lower circular crown called the Greek crown (corona graeca) and the upper arch-type crown called the latin crown (corona latina). The lower circular crown was given as a gift to the Hungarian king Geza I. by the Byzantine emperor Michael Dukas in 1074. Made in the goldsmith shops of the emperor, the front perimeter of the circular crown has 5 semicircular and 4 triangular enamelled golden plates in alternating sequence. In the central plate, the figure of Jesus Christ can be seen sitting on a throne, raising his right hand for blessing and holding a book in his left. This is a typical representation of Christ in the Byzantine art, where he is shown as the World Ruler (Pantokrator). From Christ to the lower left and right, Gabriel and Michael archangels look toward Jesus. Next to Michael is the picture of Saint George (a warrior saint in the byzantine mythology) followed by Saint Kosma (a healing saint). Next to the Gabriel is the picture of Saint Demetrius (a warrior saint) followed by Saint Damjanus (a healing saint). In the back, at the opposite location to the Pantokrator Christ, the enamelled golden plate of Michael Dukas, Byzantine Emperor can be seen holding a regal sign in his right hand and a sword in his left. From him to the lower left and right, emperor Constantin, Jr. and Hungarian king Geza I. look toward Dukas. In the front, beneath the plate of Christ, a large blue indian sapphire gem is located followed by on both sides between the plates of the saints a red almandine garnet, another sapphire and a green glass stone. In the back, beneath the plate of Michael Dukas, a large sapphire gem is located. On the hind perimeter of the corona graeca 18 pearls are sitting, and four little golden chains with gems at their tips are clinging on the left and right side of the crown and one in the back. In the Middle Ages, the gems had their own meaning. According to this, the blue sapphire symbolized the see, the red almandine the fire, the green glass the earth, and together they represented the Universe.
The upper part of the Holy Crown is the older one which was sent by Pope Sylvester II. to Saint Stephen I, the first Hungarian king in 1000 A.D. in recognition of his mission to turn the pagan Hungarians to christianity and to recognize the Hungarian state. On the top of the corona latina, the enamelled golden plate shows again the World Ruler Christ (Pantokrator) raising his right hand for blessing and holding a book in his left. The upper part of the Holy Crown has an arch-type design and carries pictures in enamelled golden plate of 8 apostles. Ahead of Christ comes the picture of John and Bartholomew, to the right Peter and Andrew, to the left Paul and Philip, to the back James and Thomas. The figures are surrounded by filigree ornaments made of golden wire, pearls and almandine garnets. On the top plate of the arch, a golden cross is mounted which is not the original one. It is believed that the original cross was a relic holder and contained a little piece of the cross on which Christ was crucified. This cross was broken off and later replaced by the present one which was originally in upright position and its leaning posture is likely due to a physical damage. The earliest representation of the Holy Crown dating from the 17th century already shows it in leaning position. The two parts, the lower circular Greek crown and the upper arch-type latin crown was attached together by Hungarian king Geza I. at the end of the 11th century, and it is proven that the complete Hungarian Holy Crown already existed in 1166. So, it is more than 800 years old. The last king coronated wiht the Hungarian Holy Crown was Charles IV on 30th December 1916.
The Hungarian Holy Crown is a harmonic complex of many styles of art, fine goldsmiths and artistic works, so it truly counts for a masterpiece. For the Holy Crown’s entity and stormy history, since the 15th century was always a guardian combat appointed to save it. Despite, the Holy Crown left the territory of the historical Hungary once. In 1945, the US Army seized the Hungarian Holy Crown, and according to a statement No 687, issued by the State Department in 1951, the US Government did not consider it as a spoils of war but stored it as a deposit. The Holy Crown was kept in Fort Knox, KY, the same place where the US keeps its gold treasure, and it finally returned to Hungary on January 5 1978, when State Secretary Cyrus Vancethe Holy transferred it to the possession of the Hungarian Government. Since 2000 the Holy Crown is guarded in the Hungarian Parliament. There some exeptional copies (like the one in Fort Knox, U.S., where the Holy Crown was safed for decades), as the one in Natthias Church and the one in Herend Porcelain Manufacture (this last is made from porcelain).
