Installed in the 13th century Trausnitz Castle, overlooking the town of Landshut, about 50 miles northeast of Munich is the wunderkammer begun by the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V (1548-1626), Duke Albrecht V’s son. When Wilhelm assumed the title of duke in 1579, he moved his whole household including his collection to Munich, joining his wunderkammer with his father’s (see prior chapter). Interestingly in 1597 at the age of 47, Wilhelm turned over the government to his son, Maximillian, and thereafter until his death in 1626 led a life devoted to piety, asceticism, chastity, and the placid enjoyment of his collections of works of art and curiosities (Catholic Encyclopedia on line).

The present collection has been rebuilt based upon archival records. The exhibits are split into 4 sections, naturalia, artificialia, the expected two plus two others, exotica, marvels from foreign lands, and scientifica, scientific tools and instruments.

Naturalia

The naturalia room includes the iconic alligator hung upside-down from the ceiling, a huge elephant skull, etc, and also an attractive cabinet, the many drawers and compartments of which are presumably stuffed with natural wonders.

A few words about these cabinets. One expert writes that multidrawer cabinets were first used as traveling writing desks in the 1500’s with a fall front which served as a writing surface. The Spanish called these “escretoio” and the many drawers carried tools for writing, pens, papers, sanders, etc. They were portable and communicated a crucial message about their owner: I am literate; I can write…a rare thing in those days. (Laue, p24.)

So it is fitting that as these learned men turned to collecting they would use multidrawer cabinets, now fitted with doors vs. a fall front, to house their finds…while continuing to advertise subliminally their literary prowess. The Italian word for wunderkammer, studiolo, also congers up this literary reference. These collections existed, after all as Samuel Quiccheburg wrote, “so that through frequent perusal, you can rapidly, easily, and securely acquire new knowledge and great wisdom” (Trausnitz website).

The author goes on to note (Laue, p27) that the cabinets permitted their owner to supply his visitor a guided tour where objects were removed from the cabinet and handed to the visitors. This “recovery from concealment” ritual enhanced the visitor’s sense of surprise and wonder. It also provided the owner a chance to exhibit his erudition.

Artificialia

The artificialia section contains elaborate man-made turnings in ivory (below), demonstrating the artisan’s skill as does the ivory cabinet in the form of a building at the beginning of this chapter.

Similarly beautiful cabinets were built of amber and were often placed before a window to transfuse the light.

Exotica

The exotic elements include sea shells and items made from mother of pearl. In this photo, a magnificent mother of pearl charger (large serving plate) is shown amid a shell collection.

And here is a charger executed in coral and ivory:

Scientifica

Finally, the scientifica section shows late 16th century triumphs in engineering, the helix staircase, an elaborate lock, and various measuring instruments:

“Everything measurable should be measured,” was the renaissance refrain. (Trausnitz web site.) So clocks, astrolabes, compasses, etc, were all valuable to measure time, distance, the positions of the stars, etc. Measurement was how educated man could impose order over nature, and perhaps a reminder of the prince’s mandate to impose order over his subjects.

While the collection was totally rebuilt from records in 2004, it is well done and worth a visit. An hour or so would be sufficient. (Web site www.schloesser.bayern.de. Then select Landshut from a list of museums; then select www.berg-trausnitz.de. Select English and finally Chamber of Art & Curiosities. Alternatively search for Trausnitz and you’ll get here.) The castle has been badly damaged and has also been thoroughly rebuilt. It too is worth a tour if one can be arranged in English. The town of Landshut is an attractive baroque one built around a charming river and boasts the tallest gothic tower built of brick in the world which is an amazing 421 feet (42 stories) tall.

References:
Furniture for European Kunstkammer, Georg Laue (Munich, 2008).