“Akademische Legion” Member Sword
- Dated: mid-19th century
- Culture: Austrian
- Measurements: overall length 83.5 cm
The sword has a straight, double-edged blade of lenticular section, partly decorated with engravings featuring remains of finishing and gilding. On a side there’s a double-headed eagle on swords, floral engravings and the inscription “13 14 15 / März 1848”, on the other lies the motto “Mit Gott fur Reich und Paterland”, floral decorations and a knight in his armour. The sword also has a cast iron hilt and grip, quillon-block with relieved mythological characters, straight arms ending in the shape of in the round buds. The grip has a high-relieved scene of men and snakes, and on the pommel, a relieved mythological scene. The iron scabbard has mounts decorated en suite with the arms of the quillon and an owl on the chape. A similar sword is illustrated and described, in “Mit blankem Säbel” di Ortner / Artlieb (Verlag Militaria), on page 47.
Sidenotes:
- The Academic Legion (German: Akademische Legion) was a military organization formed by university students in Vienna during the Revolutions of 1848.
- It played a key role in toppling the government of Clemens Metternich and precipitating his retirement on 13 March 1848.
- The Legion dissolved in October 1848 when the Vienna Uprising was crushed.
Source: Copyright © 2016 Czerny’s International Auction House S.R.L.
Recent theatre and screen special effects graduate with a specialism in costume props and puppetry. My work blog can be found at http://aliciabritt.tumblr.com
