Vienna Hofburg - Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection

Vienna Hofburg - Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection

By Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.Society & CultureEducationArtsHistory
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Vienna Hofburg - Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection episodes

  • 31 - Death
    On 10 September 1898 Europe was shaken by the news that Empress Elisabeth of Austria had been assassinated. Elisabeth‘s tragic death brought the troubled and unhappy life of a highly unusual and often misunderstood personality to an end. However, it also contributed to the forming of an enduring myth that Elisabeth herself had fostered through her unconventional lifestyle. How did this myth arise? The exhibition you are about to see tries to answer these questions by exploring the personality of the empress.
    2 min
  • 32 - The creation of a myth
    The newspaper cuttings in the displays in front of and behind you give some idea of how Elisabeth was seen by contemporary journalists. It is evident that during her lifetime Elisabeth did not dominate the front pages of the press as the beautiful, popular and acclaimed empress – in fact there were very few reports about Elisabeth, as she withdrew from her public role as empress at a very early stage and during the last few years of her life was seldom in Vienna. Since the newspapers published within the empire were also subject to strict censorship, critical reports of the empress were unlikely to appear. It was Emperor Franz Joseph who assumed the far more important role here: as the “good old emperor“ he had a place in his peoples‘ hearts and was universally liked. This is borne out by newspaper reports following the death of the empress, in which sympathy was expressed for the emperor as the victim of yet another heavy blow of fate. It was not until after her tragic death that Elisabeth became stylised as an empress revered for her selflessness and goodness – thus establishing yet another false image.
    2 min
  • 33 - The icon
    During Elisabeth’s lifetime little public interest was shown in the reclusive and rather “odd“ empress – it was not until after her death that the commercial possibilities of marketing the image of the beautiful but unhappy empress who had suffered a tragic death were recognised, exploited and thus reinforced. Soon there was a rash of memorial pictures, commemorative coins and other memorabilia of the empress in circulation.
    1 min
  • 34 - Monuments
    After Elisabeth’s death numerous monuments to her were erected. Even before Vienna had initiated any memorial projects, two competitions for a commemorative monument were held in Budapest in 1901 and 1902. These activities and similar projects in Salzburg led to the forming of a memorial committee in Vienna. The search for a suitable site was marred by dissensions which ended only when the emperor decided in favour of the Volksgarten.
    1 min
  • 35 - The Klotz statue
    The simple standing figure made for the Salzburg monument inspired the Viennese sculptor Hermann Klotz, who added an element of movement to his interpretation. His majestic figure, portrayed in mid-stride, was made as a statuette and a life-size figure. His work was greeted with great acclaim, and a copy of the statuette graced the emperor’s study at Schönbrunn Palace. The life-size figure displayed here was made as a gift to the Republic of Austria by Archduke Franz Salvator, the empress’s son-in-law.
    1 min
  • 36 - Elisabeth and the movies
    It was the movies that made the figure of “Sissi” known and admired all over the world, in particular the trilogy of films starring the young Romy Schneider and directed by Ernst Marischka in the 1950s. They created the image – still powerful today – of the young, sweet, unaffected “Sissi“, which corresponds only partially with the empress’s actual personality. Let’s take a closer look at the historical figure of Elisabeth:
    1 min
  • 37 - Childhood in Bavaria
    Elisabeth was born in Munich on 24th December 1837 to Duke Maximilian in Bavaria and Ludovika, the daughter of the Bavarian king. Sisi – as Elisabeth was always called in her family – took after her father in many respects: the duke had the common touch, loved the outdoor life and was a keen horseman and traveller. Together with her seven brothers and sisters, Sisi enjoyed a carefree childhood in Munich and at the family country estate of Possenhofen on Lake Starnberg, a world far removed from etiquette, ceremonial and the constraints of courtly life. All her life, Elisabeth was particularly close to her brother Karl Theodor, two years her junior, who was nicknamed “Gackel“. In the case on the left is a watercolour showing brother and sister. A replica of the dress Elisabeth is wearing in the portrait is displayed in this room.
    1 min
  • 38 - Engagement at Ischl
    In the summer of 1853 Sisi accompanied her mother and elder sister Helene – called Néné – to Bad Ischl in order to celebrate the 23rd birthday of her cousin, the young Emperor Franz Joseph. The real reason for this journey, however, was the marriage plans being hatched by the two mothers, who were sisters. However, it all turned out quite differently. Franz Joseph fell head over heels in love with the 15-year-old Sisi. The formal betrothal ceremony took place on 19th August. Sisi is subdued, overawed by all the attention being paid to her. Franz Joseph is overjoyed. His mother, Archduchess Sophie, takes pity on the timorous Sisi. Contrary to popular legend, she is not opposed to her son’s choice and is glad to see him so happy.
    2 min
  • 39 - Ballgown
    After the betrothal in Ischl, Sisi returns to Bavaria, where preparations for the wedding begin immediately. Among other things, Sisi is prepared for her future role as Empress of Austria. Her fears and apprehension of the Viennese court start to grow. She feels that with her engagement at Bad Ischl she has set foot on the stage of world history and relinquished her personal freedom. Very few of Elisabeth’s dresses have been preserved. The ballgown here is a copy of an original held in the Kunsthistorsches Museum which is now too fragile to be displayed. There is evidence to suggest that Elisabeth wore this unusual gown at the farewell ball given just before her departure for Vienna. A particularly interesting detail is the oriental ornamentation on the stole of the gown: beside a sultan’s mark is an embroidered Arabic inscription, which translates as Oh my lord, what a beauteous dream.
    2 min
  • 40 - The wedding
    Elisabeth’s wedding on 24th April 1854 marks the beginning of a new stage in her life. She is overtaxed by the elaborate formal ceremonies in which she is the focus of attention, and by the huge burden of expectation placed on her. In the middle of her first reception as the new empress she bursts into tears of exhaustion and leaves the room. Elisabeth initially tries to fulful the expectations placed on her. The imperial couple have four children, but the eldest child, Sophie, dies at the age of two. Elisabeth is desperate but is compelled to suppress her feelings, as her official position and duties as empress have to take precendence over personal sensibilities.
    2 min

About Vienna Hofburg - Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection

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Until 1918 the extensive palatial complex at the heart of Vienna was the political centre of the monarchy. Today it fulfills the same role for the democratic Republic of Austria. The rooms where the…