Objekt 2118
Switzerland’s oldest university
Description
After the flourishing years of the Church Council,
Basel wished for a university. And indeed, in 1459 the
city council managed to persuade Pope Pius II to
grant a deed of foundation for a university. Pius II
held Basel in high esteem, since he had participated
at the recent Church Council as Enea Silvio Piccolomini,
lawyer and secretary. After the foundation in
1460 the city council gifted the university this sceptre,
which was used for public ceremonies. Financing
the university was not always easy, and more
than once it faced the threat of closure.
Object description
Sceptre of Basel university
manufacturer: Master Andres, presumably Andreas Überlinger
Basel, 1461 and later
silver, partially gilded
deposited by Universität Basel
Inv. 1942.533.