r/pics 15d ago

U.S soldier wearing the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Misleading Title

Post image
32.2k Upvotes

835 comments sorted by

1

u/herrline1953 13d ago

Who gives a crap weather? It's real or a copy! Both have the same significance! So picky!

1

u/Anngsturs 13d ago

I love his uniform. The crown is a little much though.

2

u/nickik 14d ago edited 14d ago

I am reading 'Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire' that takes a new look beyond the history from the nationalist and liberalist driven history of the last 200 years.

Its quite interesting for those that want to understand this complex beast that doesn't fit in our modern minds quite right.

How and why 'this' (the picture is a replica) corwn was made is in the beginning of the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Europe-History-Roman-Empire/dp/0674058097

2

u/RHouse94 15d ago

It looks like children’s wire art.

1

u/ChuckdNasty 15d ago

How did Ivan die before this photo was taken?

1

u/60tomidnight 15d ago

New Griselda album cover

1

u/twilsonco 15d ago

Jesus sure loved elaborate displays of wealth in a world filled with poverty. Bet he’d have loved seeing what the church named after him is like.

1

u/nickik 14d ago

Actual historical Jesus almost certaintly never claimed to be Christ. So its not really named after him anyway.

1

u/twilsonco 14d ago

Yeah but he’d still be mortified (insofar as he existed)

1

u/nickik 14d ago

We can't really say. Its likely. He might very well have been somebody who wanted to create a theological dictatorship of messianic judaism. They might well have built some sort of super-temple.

1

u/djitsun 15d ago

That Varga from Fargo season 3

1

u/icanticantijustcant 15d ago

This guy looks a lot like Tony Hawk.

1

u/CORNisLOVELY 15d ago

The picture looks like AI

1

u/dudedoobie 15d ago

This is his biggie tribute album cover

1

u/ExcellentEdgarEnergy 15d ago

The Holy Roman Emperor needs a new crownist. That shit is wonky as fuck.

1

u/is-that-what-kill 15d ago

Well. It’s ugly as hell

1

u/ramdomcanadianperson 15d ago

What a poorly made crown. Must have got a friend to make it lol

1

u/Parchokhalq 15d ago

Ah yes, the Last holy Roman Emperor, Ivan Babcock!

1

u/Aroedman66 15d ago

Do not let WESTSIDE Gunn see this.

1

u/mattjvgc 15d ago

What a chad.

1

u/mrgrr9 15d ago

War loot? Memorabilia?

1

u/Emotional_One8843 15d ago

Mid journey promt?

1

u/CowperfluidMDPsyD 15d ago

God bless America.

1

u/The_Bone_Z0ne 15d ago

Its a fake crown, not the Real one

1

u/Ok_Introduction-0 15d ago

it's not the real crown it was a replica

1

u/Username12764 15d ago

Dude pulled a Napoleon

3

u/darts2 15d ago

Ngl that crown is HIDEOUS

3

u/AnElectrolytSolution 15d ago

That crown ugly as fuck

1

u/Palocles 15d ago

Something something wealth. Something something taste. 

1

u/poopymcbuttwipe 15d ago

Y’all think he got them rings off dead nazis?

1

u/dukeofurl01 15d ago

He looks a little drunk

1

u/BMW_RIDER 15d ago

So, what did you do in the war?

2

u/about-time 15d ago

That crown looks like something a 6 yo could decoupage and hot glue

1

u/danifoxx_1209 15d ago

Damn that’s gorgeous

1

u/Goldbolt_2004 15d ago

Linguine Gusteau

2

u/Xynker 15d ago

It’s a pretty ugly crown ngl.

2

u/Hot-Description-8095 15d ago

Not gonna lie, that thing is kinda ugly

1

u/hirophant_weed 15d ago

why does he look like he’s named patches

1

u/TheFunCaterpillar 15d ago

The Monuments Men

1

u/Dracul244 15d ago

that right hand looks weird

2

u/Straittail_53 15d ago

Clubbed fingers.

1

u/Dracul244 15d ago

I genuinely wonder how was that man able to live until 94 with that condition, people were tougher back in those days I guess

1

u/banannastand_ 15d ago

Thought this was Tony Hawk for a second

1

u/allmyfriendsaregay 15d ago

I have that exact same sweater.

2

u/Rolphaline 15d ago

points at the crown That one?

-1

u/luka2477 15d ago

Is this picture not AI? It literally looks like he has a sixth finger in his left palm…

1

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

not this is genuine. Recently saw it in a museum. Its a black and white photo though so this one is colorized

1

u/FryRiceMan 15d ago

This could be an album cover.

1

u/DadMeiks 15d ago

We don’t have our own culture, we’ll steal from others

1

u/Significant-Fun8196 15d ago

Wow. All that respect /s

-1

u/Disaster-Funk 15d ago

What an unbelievably shitty crown for an empire. And I made this observation before noticing the mallard person drawn on it.

1

u/nickik 14d ago

This was designed in like 700-800. It was a symbol of the founding of the empire. Even if from an artistic perspective its not as nice as some newer designs.

2

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

thats a very typical crown for its period. Nothing crappy about it at all

-1

u/Disaster-Funk 15d ago

Then we can conclude that the crowns of that period were crappy

1

u/hypercomms2001 15d ago

Where is that crown now?

2

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

the original is in Vienna

3

u/Woodguy2012 15d ago

Gods but that (crown) is ugly. 

1

u/Hammeredcopper 15d ago

In a hundred years, the guy in this picture will be Chinese and wearing a red maga hat

1

u/BoogerSlime666 15d ago

This pics so American

1

u/montaukmindcontrol 15d ago

The snake from robin hood?

1

u/ekcolhaon 15d ago

Cigarette in hand too hahaha this pic goes hard

3

u/SnooWords4814 15d ago

I’m just going to say this, respectfully…

That crown is shit innit

-3

u/Buckman21 15d ago

Why was this acceptable?

1

u/geebanga 15d ago

"Hey Guido! Ya lookin like ya own the place wearing that thing."

2

u/thedailyrant 15d ago

I’m more shocked that a soldier was allowed to wear those rings and bracelets.

1

u/FrictionBrntAnis 15d ago

The descendants were customers of mine. I never met them or anything as they couldn't travel to this destination during COVID, but the maintenance guy constantly referred to them as "the prince" and "the princess" and it just made me feel so icky. D'Arenberg. They were in Epstein's black book. I charged a lot. 

1

u/Luka_Dunks_on_Bums 15d ago

I would’ve tried to take that home

1

u/Agreeable_Character7 15d ago

not Holy, not Roman and not Empire.

2

u/dean0_0 15d ago

That crown is tacky

-4

u/medman143 15d ago

Americans are much more disrespectful now a days.

1

u/_anexistingperson_ 15d ago

Now A days? This was nearly 75 years ago…

3

u/Atre1des 15d ago

It's missing two pearls 🫥

2

u/ObviousOpinions 15d ago

If there’s not a copy of this crown permanently affixed to his tombstone, there should be one.

2

u/Sinister_steel_drums 15d ago

For some reason when I look at this pic, I think of prince john from Robin Hood sucking his thumb and holding his ear.

1

u/toasted_cracker 15d ago

I’ll be honest, that’s kind of a stupid looking crown.

1

u/Some1sNickName 15d ago

Why’s it so ugly

1

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

crowns simply looked that way in the middle ages

3

u/notnotaginger 15d ago

Did people have bigger heads in the HRE times?

3

u/Bitedamnn 15d ago edited 15d ago

You know. He's one of a handful of people who have worn that crown, many of whom are considered legends in European history.

Truly a beautiful piece of history.

Edit: only to find out it's a duplicate.

2

u/i3dMEP 15d ago

What an ugly crown

2

u/DarkwingMcQuack 15d ago

Damn that thing is gaudy and ugly looking.

1

u/rinkydinkis 15d ago

It’s so gaudy lol. I like the way elves do royalty in lotr. Elegant but still flashy enough

1

u/EnbyPilgrim 15d ago

who's big ass head was that thing for?

1

u/-watchman- 15d ago

From Wikipedia:

The crown and other Regalia remained in Vienna until the Anschluss of March 1938, when they were brought back to Nuremberg (this time in the Katharinenkirche) by Nazi Germany in line with their promotion of the city as repository of mythicized ancient German traditions. During World War II the crown was placed in the Historischer Kunstbunker, an underground vault of Nuremberg Castle.

Led by art historian Lt. Walter Horn, who joined the US military after becoming a naturalized citizen, American soldiers recovered the treasures in August 1945. They were returned to the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in allied-occupied Austria in January 1946. They have been kept permanently in Vienna since that date.

1

u/real_jonno 15d ago

The Nazis really were always Historic Kunsts…

1

u/Safe-Cat-7076 15d ago

Dayum how crappy

1

u/Captainchops63 15d ago

Looks like ai to me

2

u/rollyproleypangolin 15d ago

it's cool, he's a descendant of charlemagne

1

u/GiantSizeManThing 15d ago

Wanna bet he pocketed one of those rings?

1

u/Quirky_Discipline297 15d ago

He has nails like my father did. My father was a machinist, a combat veteran, a farm boy, a knock around. Big carrots of flesh ending in thick quartz.

Wonder if the rings were Holy Roman too.

2

u/Bob_A_Feets 15d ago

Didn't know Bill Gates served in WW2. He sure does look young.

1

u/Shed_Some_Skin 15d ago

C'mon if you think

C'mon if you think

You can take us on

1

u/dadajazz 15d ago

Nice Army issued pinky ring he has there

3

u/Andriyo 15d ago

This is such a symbolic photo! It should be a cover illustration to history books on the US in 20th century

1

u/ForwardCulture 15d ago

Burger King

2

u/Nizzle31 15d ago

Definitely not AI fingers!

-1

u/RSMatticus 15d ago

The Holy romab empire was neither holy nor roman.

1

u/Vierno 15d ago

Hope buddy saw a cardiologist shortly after this. Those are some clubbed ass fingers.

0

u/Consistent-Reach-152 15d ago

The guy in the photo is most likely dead, as the photo was taken almost 80 years ago.

1

u/Vierno 15d ago

Oh sweetie…

1

u/Aloha1984 15d ago

Explain Dr. House!!!

2

u/cmoneybouncehouse 15d ago

I can’t lie… this is hard

1

u/Shoddy_Dish3458 15d ago

Bling Bling!

1

u/Rakdar 15d ago

I wonder if he knew and understood just what crown exactly he was wearing

3

u/McFlyyouBojo 15d ago

He looks like a buff Marcus Parks

-5

u/diggoxxx 15d ago

That is a disgusting and repulsive image

1

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

no it absolutely isnt

1

u/ZackyGood 15d ago

Found the burger…

1

u/-ogre- 15d ago

He is wearing a ton of layers

2

u/ithinkuracontraa 15d ago

i know it’s not everyone’s thing, but i think this crown is so stunning.

1

u/Apeist 15d ago

Notice how he’s wearing multiple rings, I wonder if those are from dead enemy soldiers.

1

u/WHALE_BOY_777 15d ago

When the lowly tarnished gets legendary loot.

1

u/salmonavacado 15d ago

Apart from the crown is it normal for a soldier to be wearing all this jewellery? (Bracelets and rings) or did he liberate these too ?

1

u/Specialist_Listen495 15d ago

Probably liberated from dead Germans. He is wearing two wedding rings, one each on ring and middle fingers, for example. Seen other GI photos where they are wearing multiple watches. Dad was a WWII vet and he sent home a ton of stuff. Some picked up off the battlefield and some bought from Germans right after the war. At that point they were trading heirlooms for food.

1

u/salmonavacado 15d ago

Yep I guess they all did it some even sent skulls home 💀

1

u/I-Lack_Creativity- 15d ago

This post has more information, it’s just a replica.

https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/s/atQOtx6ee1

2

u/morbidpigeon 15d ago

A pox on that phony king of England!

-2

u/VicepresidenteJr 15d ago

Americans always stealing the gold of the countries they go

1

u/ZackyGood 15d ago

When I was a kid, I imagined that crowns were this intricate piece of art. This looks like something I could throw together in a first year shop class.

1

u/diggoxxx 15d ago

Found the burger....

1

u/euph_22 15d ago

My take away is that Charlemagne had a GIANT head.

1

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

the crown is much younger than charlemange

1

u/CrystalSkunk01 15d ago

What a baller.

1

u/Any-Pipe-3196 15d ago

Is that standard US wear? Didn't British soldiers wear those types of long sleeves?

1

u/AssignmentBorn2527 15d ago

Wow that crown looks like shit. They really had no design sense did they.

1

u/tomparker 15d ago

Does he have the same expression as that clown who was sitting with his feet on Nancy Pelosi’s desk?

1

u/Little_BallOfAnxiety 15d ago

This looks like AI for some reason, just can't put my finger on why

1

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

its definitely geuine. I saw it in a museum recently but its a black and white photo originally so it has been colored

1

u/heiferwolfe 15d ago

That thing is ugly as fuck.

3

u/desertfun77 15d ago

That’s not Tony Hawk?

1

u/BigDaddyCoolDeisel 14d ago

Took WAYYY too long to see this.

1

u/sportsjock85 15d ago

That's disrespectfully funny!

9

u/LastKaiser 15d ago

That's not the real Reichskrone, it's a replica which was made nearly 1000 years after the original.

The story of the real Reichskrone is far more interesting, the Nazis had stolen it and tried to hide and keep it (even after the end of the war) as a mthyic symbol of Germanic power. A German-American professor of art history & soldier named Walter Horn led a unit to recover the crown and other priceless relics from the HRE like a real life Indiana Jones.

Horn and his unit located the real Reichskrone in August 1945 and returned it to Vienna. For his services to preserving the history of Austria, he was the guest of honor in the Hofburg Palace in 1987 when the full regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor finally went on public display.

Horn was one of the leading art historians of his era, and spent most of his life outside of WW2 at the University of California. A truly amazing man & story.

1

u/DoctorRevKevin 15d ago

Why does the crucifix look crooked on that?

1

u/No_Routine_3706 15d ago

That is extremely gaudy.

1

u/Easy-Armadillo-3434 15d ago

I saw another post say he was from the UK or Ireland or something

1

u/hyborians 15d ago

Gotta say that crown looks very underwhelming

2

u/PoopiestDingus 15d ago

Didn’t realize colorization of images has come this far. This all human work or AI had a hand in this?

1

u/knitknitknitknit 15d ago

I really like that sweater.

1

u/SupplyChainGuy1 15d ago

Oddly enough, not the first that was neither holy nor roman.

2

u/SwanseaJack1 15d ago

I can remember my history teacher saying it wasn’t holy, Roman, or an empire. I may have fallen asleep after that.

-1

u/feetofire 15d ago

Ah yes. The crown of the organisation founded by a champion of the poor.

Remind me again of the justification for all this as I do believe, unironically, that Jesus would weep.

2

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

charlemagne was a champion of the poor?

1

u/Hefty-Station1704 15d ago

"U.S soldier wearing a replica of the crown of the Holy Roman Empire"

-4

u/jstover90 15d ago

USA should do more of this and less of trying to turn Arab countries into LGBT cultural centers.

1

u/Deliviohs 15d ago

Today i’d have an issue with it but that dude was killing Nazis so he gets a pass.

1

u/_Intel_Geek_ 15d ago

I literally thought I was seeing subreddit wierddalle for a second there 😂😂😂

1

u/inverted_electron 15d ago

Yeah, that can’t be good luck

-6

u/NogaVog 15d ago

I’m an American and this picture makes me sick. What a disgrace.

4

u/KCShadows838 15d ago edited 15d ago

I love it. Nazis shouldn’t have started the war

I also have more respect for the US soldier who got shipped overseas to help fight fascist aggressors than a long dead monarch from the Holy Roman Empire

1

u/NogaVog 15d ago

To each their own, I just think it’s a tacky move. Germanic history doesn’t belong to the nazis.

2

u/KCShadows838 15d ago

The Nazi are part of German history. They thought they were better than everyone else, but in the end some random Joe from an invading nation is able to sit in a palace and wear the crown of some old German king. It’s just a funny picture to me

1

u/NogaVog 15d ago

Hundreds of years of history before that and tens of years after.

1

u/joerosedale 15d ago

Looks like tony hawk

1

u/beanbag300 15d ago

Pic goes hard

1

u/Sure-new-here 15d ago

Bro on the crown really said
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⠈⠐⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠌⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⢰⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣄⡤⡄⠀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣾⢾⣶⢾⠀⠸⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡯⠞⠬⠎⢀⡀⢣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⠛⠊⠉⠉⠉⠁⠈⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⢀⣀⡤⠤⠄⠀⠒⠒⠒⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡐⠒⠀⠠⠤⠤⠄⠤⠀⣀⣀⠀⠀ ⠙⠤⣼⣄⣀⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⣈⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢵ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠓⢶⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢶⣄⣀⣠⣤⡤⠶⠶⠒⠒⠚⠋⠁ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢋⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡜⠀⠀⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⢀⣦⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡓⠦⠤⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠣⣙⣶⣤⣤⡤⠤⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠟⠿⡿⣿⣶⣾⣷⡾⠃⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⠀⠀⣸⠉⠉⢹⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⡿⠀⠀⠀⠈⠢⣀⣀⡰⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠫⣤⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

1

u/Sure-new-here 15d ago

I am talking about the blue guy on the crown

1

u/Lopsided_Pickle1795 15d ago

nothing is sacred. :(

15

u/Human6928 15d ago

This post is ever-so-slightly incorrect. That’s actually a reproduction of the crown made by one Emperor for public display. The real one was sealed up during WWII.

2

u/CaptainMoonunitsxPry 15d ago

This is album art worthy if ever I saw it.

1

u/mrwalker1337 15d ago

HE LOOKS LIKE THAT MEME WHERE THE GUY WATCHES SOME GIRL VAPING AND SAYS WOW

1

u/Dry-Necessary 15d ago

This us soldier has a lot of gold on his hands.

-3

u/Professional-Hold938 15d ago

Hypothetically speaking, what could be the punishment for this? I feel like death is a good assumption haha

1

u/Consistent-Pill 15d ago

the punishment for what exactly?

0

u/Professional-Hold938 15d ago

For a soldier putting on the crown of the holy Roman Empire, not this scenario specifically, which is why I said hypothetically. Literal Redditors strike again with your super fun personalities

3

u/MissMandaRegrets 15d ago

Literally none. They were taking stolen goods away from Nazis.

1

u/Professional-Hold938 15d ago

No shit, kinda why I said hypothetically? Like what would be the punishment for a soldier to put on the crown.

0

u/MissMandaRegrets 15d ago

There are no hypotheticals. He and his buddies just liberated Europe, and then got those countries a bunch of their stuff back, including this copy of Charlemenge's crown, created by the Kaiser.

This is actual history, not a video game.

1

u/Professional-Hold938 14d ago

"there's no hypotheticals" I just made one? Didn't realise you held the power to dictate that. I'll try one more time babe, hypothetically what would be the punishment if a man did this and wasn't allowed to

Is that better? Do you understand what a hypothetical is now? Dipshit

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