bavarikon4UDescription
In the Bamberg Cathedral Treasure, six so-called imperial robes have been preserved. They are considered mementos of the diocese‘s founders Emperor Heinrich II († 1024) and his wife Kunigunde († 1033). This group also includes the Bamberg Tunic – a long, straight-cut white garment with narrow, long sleeves. From the original only the embroidered borders survived until today. They show griffins in medallions and are likely to go back to the imperial tunic mentioned in 1127 in the oldest Bamberg cathedral treasury directory. The white robe itself was created during the restoration between 1954 and 1955, at that time the embroidered borders were removed from a late medieval garment, which is now kept in the depot of the Diocesan Museum in Bamberg. To this short robe the embroidered borders had been transferred in the 14th century at latest. Pregnant women could wear it in the context of medieval reliquary worship in order to ask assistance for a good birth. The white linen cords that still trace the pattern today probably come from a repair made in 1469/1470. At this point the pearls of the original bead embroidery had already been sewn on repeatedly and some of them had already been lost. Therefore, the cords were inserted as a base for the pearls to compensate an imminent loss. Today only a few remains of the former bead embroidery on the left sleeve of the robe bear witness to the richness of the original embroidered borders. The external appearance of the tunic is the result of several massive changes.