When the French Revolutionary army approached Nuremberg in the spring of 1796, the local authorities turned over the Imperial Regalia to Johann Alois von Hügel, Chief Commissary of the Imperial Diet. Baron von Hügel took the regalia to Ratisbon for safekeeping, but by 1800 that city was also under threat of invasion, so he relocated them again to Passau, Linz, and Vienna. When the French entered Vienna in 1805, the collection was moved again to Hungary, before ultimately returning to Vienna. These movements were conducted in secret, as the status of the regalia had not been resolved amid plans for the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. When Nuremberg later appealed for the return of the regalia, the city's requests were easily dismissed by the Austrian Empire.
When the French Revolutionary army approached Nuremberg in the spring of 1796 the local authorities turned over the Imperial Regalia to Johann Alois von Hügel Chief Commissary of the Imperial Diet Baron von Hügel took the regalia to Ratisbon for safekeeping but by 1800 that city was also under threat of invasion so he relocated them again to Passau Linz and Vienna When the French entered Vienna in 1805 the collection was moved again to Hungary before ultimately returning to Vienna These movements were conducted in secret as the status of the regalia had not been resolved amid plans for the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire When Nuremberg later appealed for the return of the regalia the city's requests were easily dismissed by the Austrian Empire