The Sunthaym plates

How the Babenberger family tree came into being

After Leopold III of the Babenbergs was canonising in 1485, work began on his family tree. The provost Jakob Pamperl commissioned the Ravensburg humanist Ladislaus Sunthaym, one of the best chroniclers of his time. Searching for Babenberg documents, Sunthaym travelled to libraries and archives in order to draw on diverse historical sources for the creation of his ‘Klosterneuburg plates’ - for example the ‘Privilegium Maius’ forged by Rudolf the Founder or the ‘Austrian Chronicle of 95 Seigneurs’. His composition was transcribed on to 8 large format parchment pages in 1491, illuminated and hung in the saint’s crypt chapel to relay to visitors the history and importance of the House of Babenberg.

Numerous figures and animals romp about in the embellished borders. Even a dromedary and war elephant are to be found here! The provost commissioned the master of the ‘Wolfgang Missal’ at Rein Monastery with the decoration. As with all illuminators of his time the anonymous master was inspired by print, which spread quickly in the 15th century. He drew on the work of the great copper engravers Martin Schongauer, master E.S., Israhel van Meckenem and the so-called ‘master of playing cards’, from whom he copied several animal figures.