Reliquary Shrine

In the Middle Ages, precious insignia and redeeming reliquaries secured an emperor’s legitimate sovereignty. In 1424, Emperor Sigismund handed these imperial insignia to the Imperial City of Nuremberg for safekeeping. A high-quality shrine to protect the imperial regalia was wrought from precious metals. Once a year, this special holy shrine was placed on show for ordinary people. As a container for Christian testimonies of faith that the emperor had transferred to the city, the holy shrine epitomises like no other work the connection between emperor, empire, church and city at the end of the Middle Ages.