Silver, Gold and Silk
Chemnitz church treasures from the Middle Ages to the present
Among the most valuable pieces of church furnisings are the vasa sacra, or sacred vessels, used to celebrate religious services and administer the sacraments. These objects were normally of elaborate design and made using precious materials. The decoration and inscriptions offer viewers insights into the spiritual world and daily life of the citizens who once donated these pieces. Over the course of centuries, many churches accumulated rich treasures of vessels, chalices, candelabra andcrucifixes. They also had textiles for altar decoration and clerical liturgical vestments. Today it is seldom possible to view these well-preserved pieces. A number of churches in Chemnitz and the surrounding area have opened their collections of treasures for this exhibition. Visitors are thus given an overview of the development of arts and crafts, as well as the cultural and historical dimensions of these fascinating objects.
