Polish Crown Jewels - Components

Components

According to an inventory of the State Treasury at the Wawel performed in 1633 by the Jerzy Ossoliński, Great Crown Chancellor the Crown Regalia (Jewels) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (kept in 5 chests) consists of:

• the Crown of Bolesław I the Brave, according to a legend handed over to the first Polish monarch by Emperor Otto III, made for Władysław I the Elbow-high
• the so-called "Queens Crown" made for Jadwiga of Kalisz
• the so-called "Hungarian Crown" made for John II Sigismund Zápolya according to Crown of Saint Stephen
• the so-called "Homagial Crown" for receiving homages, made for Władysław II Jagiełło
• the so-called "Funebralis Crown" intended for funeral ceremonies of the Polish monarchs, made for Stephen Báthory
• three sceptres and three silver orbs
• a silver chain with the relic of the holy cross (Crux cum ligno Vitae)
• the Ruthenian crosses and relics
• Latin Bible copied on parchment
• rhinoceros horn (Cornus Rynocerotis)
• Szczerbiec, the coronation sword that was used in crowning ceremonies of most kings of Poland
• Grunwald Swords, two Teutonic Order swords received at the Battle of Grunwald by King Władysław Jagiełło
• the sword of Bolesław the Bold
• the sword of Sigismund I the Old
• three hats fringed with pearls
• a large chest with jewel boxes, which contained a large ruby, a 0.94 carats (190 mg) diamond, 200 diamonds, a large emerald, among others.

Also a private treasury of the Vasas (kept at the Royal Castle in Warsaw) consisted of:

• the "Swedish Crown" made for King Sigismund II Augustus
• the "Muscovy Crown" made in about 1610 for Prince Władysław Vasa's coronation as a Tsar of Russia
• a silver White Eagle heraldic base for the royal crown (pure silver, partly gilded, 89 cm heigh); the eagle was created for King John II Casimir in Augsburg by Abraham Drentwett and Heinrich Mannlich in about 1666; presented in the times of a military weakness of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Deluge and lost war against the Ottoman Empire to Tsar of Russia by King Michael Korybut.

In 1697 a Freiburg's goldsmith Johann Friedrich Klemm executed a replacement for the Polish Crown Jewels, known as the Crown of Augustus II the Strong and intended for his coronation as a King of Poland. It was never used however, because of two monks, who broke into the State Treasury the Wawel Castle and stole the original regalia. The Augustus II's crown is kept in the Dresden Armory.

All of the original crown regalia were looted by the Germans (except for the "Muscovy Crown") in 1795 after the Third Partition of the Commonwealth and destroyed on the order of Frederick William III of Prussia in March 1809 (except for the Szczerbiec).

In 1925 Polish Government purchased the silver regalia of King Augustus III and Queen Maria Josepha in Vienna for $ 35,000 (175 000 zł). It consisted of 2 crowns, 2 sceptres and 2 orbs made in about 1733. The original Crown Regalia were hidden by Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński during the War of the Polish Succession. The jewels were exhibited in Warsaw till 1939 and in 1940 they were stolen by German forces. Later they were found by the Soviet troops in Germany and sent to the USSR where they remained until 1960, when they were returned to Poland. Today are deposited in the National Museum in Warsaw.