Visiting the Imperial Treasury was much more than just an opportunity to see possessions and riches of the Habsburgs during their rule, but attain a deeper understanding for the pomp and grandiose excess of their absolute monarchy. The Imperial Treasury, or Schatzkammer, holds treasures and artifacts that are up to roughly 1000 years old. The relics in the museum are associated with both the Holy Roman and Austrian Empires and the ceremony that surrounded both Habsburg dynasties. The treasury contains relics such as the imperial crowns of both the Holy Roman and Austrian empires, the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and various lavish robes that are interesting and awe inspiring. However, the value of the treasury for me was to gain a greater understanding of the Habsburg monarchy. The treasures and relics functioned to give both a more tangible element to the wealth of the dynasty while also saying a lot about the importance of lavishness and pomp in the absolute monarchy.
In order to understand the importance and place of pomp and grandiose excess in absolute monarchy it is important establish exactly what absolutism was to the Habsburg monarchy. Absolutism in Europe grew out of the end of feudalism; monarchs began to centralize power in the state under a common set of laws and limit the former power of the nobility. In its purest form, absolutism turned into a method of rule where a monarch was able to attain a vast amount of power over his subjects. This power was unchecked by any kind of legislature, nobility, or institutions like the church. Absolutism is most commonly associated with the French kings, especially Louis XIV, who attained some of the greatest control over their government and subjects. The Habsburgs functioned in a very similar system, not having all of the same qualities of the French kings, but were very closely tied to the baroque.
The baroque was an artistic style that was not only encouraged by the Catholic Church as a vehicle for the communication of religious images and themes, but also a tool for the Habsburg monarchs of the Holy Roman Empire. The baroque style in both painting and architecture is extremely lavish, dramatic, and excessive which seems to mirror the manner in which the Habsburgs would glorify themselves. The Habsburgs used the baroque architecture to impress both visitors and even their everyday subjects with their power of their position. The era of absolutism and the era of the baroque were closely tied together and the conclusion of one era made it hard for the other to survive.
As Beller discusses in his A Concise History of Austria, the Habsburg transition into the period of Enlightenment was not easy or smooth by any means, as they had tailored their mission to the period of the baroque. The Baroque period acted as a celebration of God’s power on earth. The Habsburgs used this religious influence to promote their own political agenda and establish their power as an absolute monarchy. I believe this close tie between the Baroque and absolutism, combined with the difficult transition into the Enlightenment says a great deal about the purpose of the ceremonial associated with the Habsburgs and absolutism.
The absolute monarchies of Europe were a very interesting phenomenon in that they had very little perceived legitimacy to the people. For instance, the French kings ruled through a system of “divine right” or rather whatever male heir was born to the current French king would be the next king of France. This seems almost ridiculous that a person that may have no particular intellectual capabilities, political interest or training, or diplomatic skills (just to name a few), would be charged with having complete control over the government of the French empire. While the Habsburg monarchy was not quite this extreme, as it did not function under a system of “divine right”, there was definitely a need to create a sense of legitimacy for these rulers who were put in place merely because they were the first-born son to the current king.
The pomp and grandiose excess of the absolute monarchy in ceremonial crown, dress, and residence worked to create a subconscious barrier between the Habsburg rulers and the peasantry. While these displays of wealth did not directly show that they were good rulers, it did show essentially how much higher on the social scale the family was than the rest of the population. While the Habsburgs may have not been able to prove their mental or intellectual capability to rule, the exhibition of wealth served as a sufficient replacement that translated to perceived authority for the Habsburgs. While the Habsburgs may have not exactly needed to show wealth (because it didn’t matter if the people accepted them as their leader or not), it definitely served to maintain social norms and essentially make sure the people knew their place in the social scale.
The Habsburg mortuary ritual also complimented this need to legitimize the authority of the monarchy. While the emperorship of the Holy Roman Empire was in essence legitimized by the Catholic Church, there was no conception of divine right like that in France, but the burial ritual would have different implications. Many of the Habsburgs are buried in the catacombs of religious centers like St. Stephens and Kaisergruft with their entrails taken out, placed in a jar, and distributed among different churches and cathedrals so that multiple religious centers could spiritually share in the deceased Habsburgs. The Kaisergruft, (below Capuchins’ Church) holds the remains of 12 emperors and 18 empresses and is still active today as the last burial occurred in 2008. This crypt houses Habsburgs almost exclusively outside of 32 spouses and four others. Some of the most notable Habsburg rulers here are the families of Ferdinand III, Maria Theresa, Leopold II, Franz II, and Franz Joseph I. While on the surface, this may just be seen as a traditional family burial place, the proximity of the location to the Church and the accompanying ceremony say a great deal about the absolutist foundations of the dynasty. This ceremony and custom, while not specifically acknowledging the divine power of the Habsburg monarchs, definitely works to imply such a status and for a dynastic family trying to maintain their power throughout the centuries. This implication was perhaps what was most important in maintaining the ruling power of the Habsburgs in an era when the male heir would become the ruler of one of the greatest empires of all time, simply because he was the male heir.
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