Banner of St. Kilian in focus
Experts meet

It will be a highlight in the collection exhibition of the new Museum für Franken: Five meters long, three meters wide, with a serious-looking figure wearing a bishop's mitre, crosier and sword: St. Kilian - patron saint of Franconia and Würzburg.

The Kilian banner from the second half of the 13th century is considered to be the oldest surviving banner in Germany, i.e. a war banner, and one of the oldest images of St. Kilian, the patron saint of Franconia and Würzburg. However, visitors do not currently have the opportunity to admire the banner.

As part of the renovation work on Marienberg Fortress, the core castle is currently closed. The object is located there and will be on display again for visitors when the Museum für Franken reopens in 2032 after it has been professionally restored and moved to new exhibition rooms.

Among those taking part in the colloquium will be renowned textile restorers who have already worked intensively on the banner. Experts from the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, the Bavarian Palace Administration and the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte are expected to attend, along with renowned freelance specialist restorers.

The flag has an eventful and still partly unexplained history and is extremely fragile. Several major flaws and material losses, particularly in the edge area, place high demands on the conservation treatment. The original hair and beard parts of the depicted figure are also not preserved. Presumably, clothing and other attributes were once sewn on with colored fabrics.

Comprehensive conservation measures are required in order to remove the banner as carefully as possible and store it properly until it is presented again. Corresponding investigations, including into the exact age of the banner, have recently been carried out; their results will be presented at the colloquium.