Czech Seals

The Czech Mint closes the chapter commemorating the representatives of the Catholic Church by issuance of the sixth silver medal embellished with a patina from the cycle of of the Czech Seal. It is dedicated to the Abbot of Strahov Monastery.

Christian monasteries played an irreplaceable role in the history of medieval Europe - they were centers of enlightenment, from where civilization spread to the mostly desolate landscape. The Premonstratensian monastery was established on the western periphery of Prague in 1143 - just two decades after the founding of the order in France. The extraordinary location secured the Strahov Monastery the relocation of the remains of St. Norbert, the founder of the order, from Magdeburg to Strahov, which took place in 1627.

"The seal of the Abbot of the Strahov monastery surprises at first sight with its shape - a complex composition of figures and architecture is inscribed in the so-called mandorla. The author used with sovereignty the details of Gothic architecture which divides the surface of the seal. The upper two thirds are filled with the figure of the Madonna and Child adored by a pair of angels, and in the lower part there is a Premonstratensian abbot with a crutch. Although his name is not mentioned in the inscription, we know that he was named Dětřich II. He held his office between 1304 and 1307. Fate therefore placed him at the lead of the monastery in one of the difficult periods of his existence, Wenceslas III, the last ruler of the Přemyslid dynasty, was assassinated in 1306, and during the riots that followed, the monastery was plundered. It wasn't the first or last time, " explains the author of the medal and academic sculptor Michal Vitanovský. The reverse side also commemorates the Abbot Dětřich II.

The medal is stored in a special packaging with drawings and an accompanying word written by the author.