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BRB1392

Title

Subject

Description

Known as a Breverl, this devotional amulet belongs to a genre that enjoyed widespread popularity among Catholics in eighteenth-century Bavaria and Austria and was believed to offer talismanic protection to its owner. It usually consisted of a printed declaration of protection issued by the Catholic Church, an engraved sheet bearing images of several patron saints, a central amulet comprised of numerous miniature talismanic objects related to a particular pilgrimage site, and a Pestkreuz (plague cross) for protection against diseases. The object was not intended to be read or looked at; instead, the contents were folded permanently into a decorated paper case and worn on the person, usually suspended from a necklace. Opening the Breverl was believed to forfeit its protective properties.

Source

BRB1392. Breverl. [Bavaria or Austria: s.n., after 1726].

Publisher

Bridwell Library Special Collections

Date

Rights

Please cite Bridwell Library Special Collections, SMU, as the source of this file. A high-resolution version of this file may be obtained by contacting Special Collections (bridsc@smu.edu).

Relation

Objects

Format

Displayed as .jpg

Language

Type

Breverl

Collection

The Shape of Content in Christian Books, Broadsides, and Prints

Citation

“BRB1392,” Bridwell Library Special Collections Exhibitions, accessed February 12, 2026, https://bridwell.omeka.net/items/show/1685.