Serious accusation

Aztec crown in Vienna: dispute with Mexico escalates

Mexico has long been demanding the return of Moctezuma's feather crown from Vienna.(Bild: KHM-Museumsverband)

Since the 1990s, Mexico has been demanding the return of the feather ornament of Moctezuma, which is on display in Vienna. Now Austria is accused of having even exchanged the crown.

It is no secret that Mexico wants Moctezuma's valuable feather crown (which presumably never belonged to the famous Aztec ruler, but to a priest) back. As early as the beginning of the 1990s, groups formed to demand the return of the object, a copy of which is in Mexico but the original is in the Weltmuseum Wien.

Now Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, who is not only a historian but also the wife of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has gone one better.

In a press conference, she accused the Republic of Austria of deliberately withholding information about the actual condition of the exhibit, according to Mexican media. She also speculated that the feather crown may have been damaged or even replaced with another one.

They will not give up until the jewelry is back in Mexico. Müller dismissed earlier concerns on the part of the Weltmuseum that the crown could be damaged during transportation to Mexico. The museum has specialists and the technology to ensure accident-free transportation.

Mexico's presidential couple Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller(Bild: AFP)

Vienna is surprised by the new allegations. The condition of the property is still said to be impeccable. According to information from Krone, there has never actually been an official request from the state of Mexico for its return. This also makes the claim that Austria would refuse to return the jewelry absurd. In 2021, a request was only made to borrow the crown for an exhibition.

This had to be refused due to the fragility of the exhibit.