Coronation cross - part of Czech coronation jewels

From Wikipedia:

The Coronation Cross of Bohemia (Czech: Korunovační kříž Čech) or the Gold Reliquary Cross (Zlatý kříž relikviáře) is the most precious object of the Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. It is usually exhibited together with the Bohemian Coronation Jewels and is sometimes considered to be part of them. It is a gold reliquary in shape of a cross, which was created to contain the most valuable relics of the Kingdom of Bohemia. The cross was made by order of Charles IV, probably around 1354. The Reliquary Cross was not originally part of the St. Vitus Treasury, but belonged to the Treasury of Karlštejn Castle. Since 1645 it has been permanently in Prague and became part of the St. Vitus Treasury. The cross was used during the coronations of Bohemian kings in St. Vitus Cathedral, although it was not originally made for this purpose.

The government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) in cooperation with President Petr Pavel had the golden coronation cross of Charles IV taken to neighboring Germany to be exhibited in Dresden until 8th September.This happend on 15th March 2024 - on the 85th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi troops.

These days, the Czech Republic is stirred by anger over how this relic could leave our republic. The press reported very little about it, but now a petition is being organized to return this sacred object to Prague without delay. He had never left Prague before, not even Prague Castle.

The most valuable part of the crown jewels in Germany! »They sold our country,« criticizes Národní proud movement »The arrogant ruling elite led by the coalition of five and Petr Pavel is destroying our country humanly and economically, endangering its security and imprisoning those who displease it. We might think that he cannot do anything worse to our nation and state, but the opposite is true. In order to humiliate our country in every way, they had the most valuable part of the coronation jewels - the gold coronation cross of Charles IV - taken to neighboring Germany,« said Hrabák in the video. The Golden Coronation Cross, also known as the Land Cross of the Czech Kingdom, belongs together with the St. Wenceslas Royal Crown to the two most valuable state artefacts. The coronation cross together with the crown of St. Wenceslas are the two most important objects on which Charles IV. built the statehood of our country. According to experts, this cross is even more valuable than the St. Wenceslas crown and, from a religious point of view, it is the rarest church object in the Czech Republic and possibly in Europe. »This golden coronation cross, like the royal crown, should never leave Prague Castle, let alone the Czech Republic. Even the Nazis during the Second World War did not allow themselves to do something like this, and they stole valuables from all over Europe. Now, however, Petr Pavel himself opened an exhibition in Dresden, Germany, on March 15, i.e. the anniversary of the German occupation, on which this Czech royal coronation cross is exhibited together with a large part of the St. Vitus treasure. This exhibition is scheduled to last until September 8, so for more than half a year this royal coronation cross will not only be outside Prague Castle, but also outside our country.

»The audacity with which the government and the president treat our most valuable state symbols cannot remain unanswered. I believe that this act of shamelessness will help the people of this country wake up from their slumber and tolerance of this treasonous government, bringing its downfall. I also believe that the people of our country will advocate for the safe return of the Coronation Cross to where it belongs, i.e. in the heart of our homeland, and that they will advocate for it to remain there permanently and safely. And finally, I also believe that it will intensify the process that will end the existence of a system in our country that allows oligarchic-mafia structures to rule. And therefore, that they will put a permanent stop to similar shameless acts of government officials,« added Hrabák.

Czech President Petr Pavel, 4th from left, attends opening of the exhibition entitled Fragments of Memory: The Treasury of St Vitus Cathedral in Prague, on March 15, 2024, in Dresden, Germany

"The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD), in cooperation with the Metropolitan Chapter of St Vitus in Prague and the Archbishopric of Prague, is proud to present the exhibition “Fragments of Memory. The Treasury of St Vitus Cathedral in Prague in Dialogue with Edmund de Waal, Josef Koudelka and Julian Rosefeldt”, which will be on display at the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau from 16 March to 8 September 2024. The exhibition is divided into five sections, each delving into themes such as religion, remembrance, and memory."
 

On the morning of 15 March, German troops entered the remaining Czech parts of Czechoslovakia (Rest-Tschechei in German).
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the German occupation of the Czech lands. The protectorate's population was mostly ethnic Czech.

This was the territory that Nazi Germany occupied for the longest time.

German Nazi troops marching in March 1939 in Prague Castle.

Details about the Coronation Cross

It is not so much an art object as a reliquary in the shape of a Latin cross, which  suggests to itself that it contains the most important relics associated with the suffering of Christ. It is exceptional due to the high quality of the artistic processing and the materials used. Cross with a height of 62.5 centimeters, 41.5 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters thick, it was made of gold sheet, which it is approximately 3 kg on the cross. An unmissable decoration are the original gems with which the cross is decorated around the perimeter (in total 22 pcs). These are sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, all of which are complemented by pearls (12 pieces) and cameos of antique, respectively of Byzantine or medieval origin (9 pcs.). Predominant blue stones and pearls by of current knowledge probably come from Ceylon, India, or today Afghanistan, from where, after a difficult journey, they found their way to the Czech royal treasure.

However, the set of relics that the cross keeps inside is extraordinary on a global scale. In older sources often mention the "collecting passion" of Charles IV. for the remains of the saints martyrs. He had great respect for them. It was a touch of heaven itself for him. A set of remains which Charles IV. stored in rare reliquaries or panel paintings, either in Karlštejn or in Prague Cathedral, is truly remarkable. He mostly personally acquired the precious relics during his travels throughout Europe. Between them an unprecedented place was occupied by relics associated with Christ's suffering. The most important and also the most visible relic in our reliquary are the small parts in the crossing of the shoulders St. wood Crosses set in a gold frame decorated with sapphires, rubies and pearls. This precious relic Charles IV. obtained in Trier, as written in a document dated February 17, 1354, where the monarch himself states that "from he cut off a part of Christ's wood with his own hand, which he is sending from Trier to Prague". The relic was there before during the survey by an excellent connoisseur of sacred monuments, dr. Antonín Podlaha identified as Lebanese cedar wood. A fragment of a nail was also inserted into small boxes covered with transparent crystal plates, which was used to nail Christ to the cross, the rope with which his hands were bound during his suffering, part mushrooms from which they gave Christ to drink while hanging on the cross, and two fragments of the crown of thorns, which Charles IV. received from the French king John II. and his son Karel in Metá in 1356.

In small depressions under the cameos, other relics of the saints are inserted, namely a part of the finger of St. John the Baptist or relics of St. Pankráce or St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary. The sincerely religious emperor wanted not only the said cross, but also to expose other expensively collected relics to public veneration, which is why in 1354 he established the annual showing of the imperial relics on the second Friday after Easter in the Corpus Christi chapel on today's Charles Square in Prague, on the Feast of the Holy Spear and Nail. It was spectacular every year a celebration for which tens of thousands of believers traveled to Prague.

Coronation Ferdinand V of Bohemia

Set of Czech coronation jewels

God protect the Czech lands with capital Praha, the Heart of Europe

                                                                                                 Margaret