Imperial vestments: gold embroidered staging of the past. For the first time the imperial vestments can be examined with new methods of study and scientific research, prompted by an epigraphic autopsy which caused justified doubts about the traditional concept and the state of research.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Stephan Albrecht
• Subject Area: Art History
• Term: from 2015 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 275328353

The imperial vestments of Bamberg are the eldest preserved garments connected to European rulers in the whole world; they belong to the highest ranking cultural property of Germany. As most important artefacts of early Romanesque art they mold our view of the first turn of the millennium. These six gems of textile art, including the famous star mantle, the blue mantle of Kunigunde and the Bamberg rationale are considered mementos of the founder of the dioceses of Bamberg, the emperor Henry II and his wife Kunigunde. In the Late Middle Ages the gold embroideries were cut from the original fabrics and fixed on new silk fabrics. From the 18th century onwards it has been a generally accepted fact that this transfer was made according the original composition of the early 11th century without any significant changes. A first autopsy of the inscriptions however raises doubts. Selective observations on inscriptions of the star mantle suggest that far more has been changed during the late medieval restructuring then so far believed. There are indications of a deliberate and fundamental change of the medieval garments as media of staging the cult of the emperor and saint. Questions on the original 11th century conception of the star mantle and all the other garments in its context result. On the other hand the late medieval changes their motivation and the aim of restaging the past in purpose of the cult of the imperial founder-couple are to be reconsidered. Furthermore the vestments have not been studied definitively. Todays historical and art historical publications are based on the results of a documented restauration of the middle of the 20th century. In many parts fundamental research-work could not be made or has been made only superficially e.g. the analysis of the metal thread. Furthermore the intention of the 1950 restauration has to be critically analyzed. Also the written sources must be studied critically for the first time, including the several detached fragments which have never been taken into consideration. After 60 years there is the singular chance to study the vestments from a new point of view and with new scientific methods. Not only will there be a critical reinvestigation of the status of research, but using new micro invasive and comparative analysis method of metal will allow to investigate the changes and the complementary embroideries and their different layers of time and to reconstruct the original concept of the garments. Considering the importance of the vestments for history and art history there will be a new vision on the times of Henry II and the time of the turn of the first millennium, new and advanced information on the development of late medieval cult of saints and emperors and a new view on the restaging of the vestments connected to the refocusing on traditional values in the early Bundesrepublik.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Norbert Jung; Professor Dr. Walter Koch; Professorin Dr. Annemarie Stauffer