Objekt 2109
The bishop as city ruler
Description
The head of the church in medieval Basel was the bishop. Over time, he also
received sovereign rights, which he continued to expand. Soon, he was no
longer just a spiritual leader but also a secular prince, owning whole tracts
of land. For this reason, his area of influence was also known as a ‘princebishopric’.
The sign of the bishop was a shepherd’s staff with a crook that
was usually gilded. It became a central symbol of power in the form of the
‘staff of Basel’, which decorates the city’s coat of arms to this day.
Object description
Crook of a bishop’s staff from the Münster tomb of Bishop Johann von Venningen (†1478)
Limoges, 13th century
gilded and enamelled copper alloy
old inventory
Inv. 1870.330.