The knights of Rajhenburg
permanent exhibition
The Knights of Rajhenburg exhibition tells the story of this family’s 429-year history as tenants of the Archbishops of Salzburg. It lends a multi-layered view, expanding its central theme with added information about other nearby castle buildings and their owners, the composition of medieval society and the lifestyles of its three estates both in the space of present-day Posavje and the wider area. The construction of Rajhenburg Castle between 1131 and 1147 was commissioned by Archbishop of Salzburg Konrad I. It was erected as part of the defence system and settlement of the border area between the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, which adopted a final peace treaty in 1131. The ministeriales who appeared here during this time derived their family name from Castle Rajhenburg.
Twelve generations came and went between the first mention of Oton I of Rajhenburg and the death of the last male representative of the family – Hans Rajnpreht. 54 male family members and only 16 women are known to us by name. Rajnpreht I of Rajhenburg holds a special place among them. His likeness in the monumental work The Triumphal Procession recorded his place in history as the first knight of Emperor Maximillian I of Habsburg. We encounter Rajnpreht and his ancestors and descendants at numerous estates and in a variety of functions. During their final decades, the family also fundamentally remodelled their primary castle – Rajhenburg.
The exhibition took years and an extensive team to complete; a crucial role was played by Boris Hajdinjak, director of the Centre of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor and researcher who dedicated decades to the study of the Middle Ages.
We sourced the original museum materials at the National Gallery of Slovenia, the National Museum of Slovenia, the Celje Regional Museum, and the Posavje Museum Brežice. Texts are complemented by numerous reproductions of archival and museum documents, replicas of select pieces of knights’ gear and armament, as well as newly fashioned dress and apparel. We further augmented the exhibition with original drawings and digital representations of materials, as well as interactive content for our younger visitors.
The exhibition is set in the spaces of our Renaissance section terminating in a room boasting remarkable Renaissance frescoes, which have been interpreted for our exhibition by Dr Tomislav Vignjević. Rajhenburgs are also linked to several units of cultural heritage both locally andin the wider area, including the Beautiful Pietà from Brestanica, Šrajbarski Turn castle structure.
The spatial layout and visual appearance of the exhibition and its accompanying materials were developed by designer Polona Zupančič. The exhibition was curated by Museum Counsellor Dr Helena Rožman, employed at the museum branches of Kulturni Dom Krško, who also coordinated the exhibition project.
