The Viennese court was in turmoil. Arch Duchess Gisela had arrived because her mother, the eternally young and beautiful empress Elizabeth was dead. The image of the sweet likeable Sisi, the loving mother survives to this day. But what was Sisi really like? Of four children two survived
both inheriting a substantial fortune. Sisi's granddaughter Elizabeth Marie also
lived in the shadow of the eccentric empress. As toddlers they grew up without her mother in a golden cage. Her son Rudolph was under constant surveillance his suicide a tragedy. How did this woman shape the lives
of her children and grandchildren? In 1955, the first of three legendary "Sissi" films flickered across the cinema screen. It distorted the image of empress Elizabeth of Austria Sisi fascinated people then and still today. But such images have nothing to do
with historical reality. Sisi worked hard to cultivate her image as an aloof beauty. It was a mission she devoted herself
to with all her might a veritable cult. With her children on the other hand, she
had a rather dysfunctional relationship. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"Elizabeth simply didn't know what to do with her children or for that matter with children in general. She was a woman. If she had been able to live as she wanted, she would most likely not have had children at all." (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"There are women who do not find happiness in their role as mothers. Empress Elizabeth was a woman who
was so preoccupied with herself, that children just got in
the way of this obsession. She was never a happy mother."
With Franz Joseph, Elizabeth had a total of four children of whom however only two would survive her. Nevertheless, she was at the top of a remarkable family pyramid. Fifteen grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren are descended from the imperial marriage. (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"The biological chain had to be maintained over the generations. That meant that the priority was to produce offspring. In the best case, healthy male offspring. Empresses in particular were often reduced to functioning as child-bearing-machines." After her marriage, Sisi tried to hide out in Luxembourg Palace at the gates of Vienna. An immense amount was expected of her. When Sisi finally became pregnant, conflict arose with her mother-in-law who had very precise ideas about how the young Empress ought to behave. (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"The people who went for a walk in the park were supposed to see that the Empress was really pregnant. Well, she hated it. Because Elizabeth was a very shy person. who couldn't stand being stared at. It was a nightmare for her of course." The tension eased only once she had given birth to a daughter who bore the name of the hated mother-in-law: Sophie. (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"The Imperial couple was particularly intertwined with this first child. And Emperor Franz Joseph was even present at her birth which was very extraordinary. And he also built up a very special relationship with his first daughter. And loved her madly." One year later only a daughter again. Still no heir to the throne. The children's chambers were set up for Gisela and Sophie in the Vienna Hofburg. These rooms were far away from their parents' wing near their grandmother. Life at court wanted it this way. Raising children was not the task of an Empress. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"A Habsburg child is not just some baby or a toddler one has to put up with. But a future Prince. Possibly even a future Emperor or Empress in another country. Anything was possible." (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"The children's rooms were all furnished and equipped with toys. The girls had already been specially prepared for their future role as princesses. That is, you have to imagine, there were dolls houses everywhere. The girls had also already been prepared for the fact that they would one day be expected to dress elegantly and would, therefore, need to know how to style their wardrobe." In the spring of 1857, the Imperial family embarked on a long-awaited trip to Hungary. Even though both children were ill. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"When a young family appears, hearts fly to them even more. So that's something
which reigning monarchies still work with today. What no one suspected was that the elder daughter Sophie was terminally ill. Franz Joseph's mother warned them not to take her with them. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"She definitely told the empress: Don't take the children, it's too dangerous. But Sisi got her way and the disaster happened." On the 29th of May, daughter Sophie died in her mother's arms after hours of agony. Franz Joseph nevertheless continued his trip to Hungary leaving Sisi to make the two-day return journey alone. He sent a telegram from Hungary to his mother. Our little girl is now an angel in heaven. "At 10:30 last night after a long struggle she found peace at last. We are annihilated." (Walter Hoff, psychoanalyst)
"The death of a child is naturally a
traumatic experience for all parents. And sooner or later one begins to question
oneself what actually went wrong there anyway? I think it was a heavy blow that
affected both parents very differently. Sisi fell into a severe depression. For months, day after day, she went to Sophie's tomb in
the Imperial Capuchin Crypt to mourn. This loss haunted Franz Joseph all his life. He felt the pressure of Court Society from lackies and ministers alike. The continuity of his house was not assured. A male successor had to be found as soon as possible. The birth of Rudolph, heir to the throne,
seemed like a Salvation from the crisis. (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"Finally, one can only say, the time came for a healthy boy to be born. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"Her family was happy that this responsibility had now finally been fulfilled. She had given birth to the heir to the throne. The child was healthy. The entire country rejoiced from a sense of genuine relief for the empress and for the entire state." Elizabeth believed that she had fulfilled her Imperial duties. After falling ill sometime later, she started to travel. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"She certainly didn't pick Madeira – the one place that was furthest away from all possible short holiday destinations or spas – by chance." (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"A photograph was taken of her sitting with her ladies and waiting, all wearing sailor costumes. And this photo was of course sent to Vienna causing a scandal at court. The poor Emperor was pitied by society because he was always so dutiful and did everything to ensure that his children were well taken care of while his wife, by contrast, was having fun at state expense." In far away Vienna, Gisela and Rudolph
grew up without their mother. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Just imagine that: in the decisive years and months of their lives she was simply away for two years. They couldn't remember her at all and always cried bitterly when they were called to the strange
woman who wanted to hug them. And they always cried and resisted because this person was a complete stranger to them." (Walter Hoff, psychoanalyst)
"The tragedy is, that once the brain has adapted to the environment, such impressions are very, very difficult to overcome later in life. If at all." Rudolph and Gisela shared a very close relationship
throughout their lives. Even after being separated at the age of six. A new phase of life then began for the heir to the throne. Emperor Franz Joseph wanted a strong
and courageous son. In short: a soldier Shortly after his son's birth, he
made Rudolph a colonel in his army. He ignored the fact, however,
that his son was weak and sickly. (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"Emperor Franz Joseph had a huge soft spot for the military which had started in childhood. This was very evident in his living rooms which were filled from top to bottom
with battle scenes combat scenes. And so, of course, he expected his
son to develop the same ponchon and in fact determined from the outset
that Rudolph should become a soldier." Franz Joseph wanted to slow down
the mental development of his bright son so that the body could keep up, as he himself said. A friend of the emperor, Count
Gondrecourt, worked out a program of physical and psychological hardening for the boy. He had Rudolph exercise in the snow and exposed him to wild boar. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"This military style of Education was a huge problem. It's an approach to upbringing which
looks completely absurd from today's point of view Such as when he's woken up in the middle of the night by gunshots and is told he's in serious danger and has to get out of bed." (Walter Hoff, psychoanalyst)
"I think that such experiences naturally destroy one's trust in a good World
in which nothing bad can happen to me. In psychoanalysis, there is something called 'basic trust' which is formed in the first years of life. And now imagine what it's like for a child when
that doesn't happen. It experiences a state of absolute helplessness. It is in a world in which it is more or less completely lost. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"And there was no one there who would have noticed it in any way. And certainly no female caregiver. An informant told Elizabeth how her son was suffering. The empress intervened. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Then she really pulled the rip cord and made sure that it was stopped immediately. And used all the power she
had over her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph." Sisi's maternal care, however, was short-lived. In the in the so-called 'Ischgl-Ultimatum' she simultaneously demanded her unrestricted freedom of movement. Then she left the Viennese Court once again. The children remained with their father. She now spent more and more time in Budapest where she met with the former revolutionary count Andrássy. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Elizabeth was very attracted to the hungarians, to this proud non-submissive nation." To appease the dissatisfied, the Emperor avoided
secession by creating a balance and thus the dual monarchy was introduced. The Emperor and Empress being additionally
crowned king and queen of Hungary. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"And here she allowed herself, just once, to be harnessed for the interests of the Imperial house." For the kingdom, but also for family life, a phase
of relaxation was called for. In the summer months, parents and children regularly traveled to
the South's kamagot with a small Entourage. (Valentin Habsburg-Lothringen, Imperial Villa)
"From 1877 onwards, it was much easier because the development of the Railway system had made it much faster and more
convenient so it was possible to travel within seven to eight hours which
I think definitely became a ritual. The Imperial family found a retreat in
Bad Ischgl. The 'Kaiser Villa' became the source
of many memories for Sisi's children. The Villa is still owned by the family today. (Valentin Habsburg-Lothringen, Imperial Villa)
"It is a very private house. The other monarchs lived in more, I would say,
ostentatious houses than this one. He was rather modest, I would say,
compared to other European regions at the time. In any case, this became a fixed part of the year. It must have been extremely pleasant for the children, too. To enjoy such a carefree existence,
to be far less caught up in the corset of ceremonial court life." During that time, the family increased for the last time. Marie-Valerie was born in Hungary and took up a
special place within the family. Sisi showered her with love and affection. At the Viennese Court Marie-Valerie
would soon be nicknamed 'The Only One'. (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"That meant, there was jealousy among the siblings. So the older siblings had a certain jealousy towards Marie-Valerie who was really spoiled
by her mother and developed accordingly." With Marie-Valerie, Sisi wanted to catch up
on everything she had missed with her older children. Marie-Valerie always had to be close to
her. So mother and daughter traveled to Corfu, to Rome, to Murano, to Ischgl, briefly to Vienna for the grandfather's death, then to Possenhofen in Bavaria, and finally back to Budapest to Gödöllö Castle. 'The Empress, the Traveler' chanted the populace,
mocking the restless mother. Marie-Valerie grew up in transit (Walter Hoff, psychoanalyst)
"But here too, if we take a closer look at the relationship between Marie-Valerie and Elizabeth, we will
notice that it's not this empathetic loving relationship but one would say that Marie-Valerie was supposed to become
a mirror image of her mother. She didn't have a chance to be independent." Marie-Valerie suffered from Elizabeth's suppressive mothering. The older she got the more stubborn, she became. The diary became a mirror of Marie-
Valerie's soul. She kept it meticulously for the rest of her life. She understood early on
that she was her mother's only confidante. A container into which all her mother's
world weariness would be poured. "Terrible to think that I am the
only bond that ties Mama to this earth. How often she has told me. What a responsibility, this motherly love is for me. Eventually, Marie-Valerie distanced herself emotionally from her mother and sought closeness to her father. (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"There is this scene: The Emperor is sitting at his desk while
Valerie as a child is sitting very quietly in a corner of the writing room for hours watching
her father work. And he looks over at her now and again to ask if she isn't bored and she
says no it's good to sit here only to watch you. And he just shakes his head and says
'Strange pleasure' and continues with his work." The eldest daughter Gisela also felt the sudden zeal of her mother. In 1872, Sisi decided the teenager's fate: Prince Leopold of Bavaria was to be her husband. A royal relative from her Homeland. Gisela, herself, was not consulted. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Gisela was fifteen, the same age her mother had been when she'd been sold off to the Emperor of Austria. An incident, she never stopped complaining about all her life. Nevertheless, she sold off her own daughter at fifteen. It was actually a great trauma for the siblings
to be torn apart. But Elizabeth didn't really care." Gisela married her Bavarian Prince
and moved with him to Munich. When she had a child a short time later, her
parents reacted very differently. While Franz Joseph became fully absorbed in his new
role as grandfather, for Sisi it was a shock. The eternally young, eternally beautiful Empress who preferred to be by herself
had become a grandmother at 36. She begrudged her own daughter
the happiness of a family. In her poem she called Gisela a rake-
thin sow and her children piglets. Marie-Valerie saw her mother take refuge in a world
of travel, riding and writing poetry. Elizabeth had an expensive
Villa built for herself on Corfu. Marie-Valerie remained at her side,
daughter, friend and confidant all in one. Sisi nestled in and invented an alter
ego for herself calling herself the fairy queen Titania, a character from Shakespeare.
Despite the non-stop changes of location, and Sisi's crushing care, Marie-Valerie had to
follow a strict curriculum: In January 1886, Marie-Valerie danced at a court
ball with the young Archduke Franz Salvator. He came from the Tuscan branch of the Habsburgs. The Italian relatives were known for their loose manners which earned them the reputation of the 'scandal line'. Marie Valerie liked the young man. (Michael Habsburg-Lothringen, Historian)
"Marie-Valerie was of course always in search of a brightening up, a livening up. And I think she succeeded very well in this
by marrying Franz Salvator who was Italian by nature
and a person who didn't hide his cheerfulness." (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Elizabeth succeeded in spoiling her daughter Marie-Valerie's entire Bridal time the day of the wedding itself was a complete
disaster because she constantly made her feel guilty. She always said now you'll leave me, too,
and I'll be alone forever. And Marie-Valerie, the good soul,
suffered terribly. Believing herself to be only selfish for wanting to get married and anguishing over whether she shouldn't rather
call it all off and remain with her mother. Sisi was disappointed and felt abandoned
by Marie-Valerie. 'Every new life is a disgrace', she wrote when her daughter
announced the birth of a child. Franz Joseph hardly got to see his Sisi in the next few years. Instead she provided him with a mistress, the actress Katharina Schratt, already a companion to the Emperor, was to take on the role that the Empress herself could not fill. (Michael Habsburg-Lothringen, Historian)
"On this issue, Marie-Valerie could not understand her mother who merely said she was happy
that the Emperor had someone to talk to. For Marie-Valerie, this woman had been deliberately
installed by her mother, an action she could not condone." (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"Above all, in her very Catholic morality, she rejected the fact that the Empress, that is her mother, also encouraged this 'traffic', as she called it." (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"This need for closeness was something
Elizabeth could not or did not want to give. Katharina Schratt really managed to let him just
be human for once, so to speak, over coffee ans cake." Katharina Schratt was at the Emperor's side as a friend
and confidante for the rest of his life. Marie-Valerie on the other hand expressed her
moral indignation by moving with her husband and flock of children to Wallsee Castle in lower Austria, a huge complex still owned by the family today. Her arch-catholic upbringing
remained with her for a long time. She endowed three churches and became
socially involved in her new hometown. In the private chambers of the model family,
time has seemed to stand still. The furniture, which is over 100 years old, is a reminder
of the presence of the Imperial extended family. (Michael Habsburg-Lothringen, Historian)
"Wallsee became the family center. The family eventually expanding from four to ten children. For Emperor Franz Joseph, this was the moment
when Easter and Christmas holidays were always to be spent with his daughter and her family. He was there to witness
firsthand their growth and prosperity." The Castle's collection also houses
Marie-Valerie's numerous diaries. The emperor's daughter's most intimate thoughts
however remain under lock and key to this day. The late 19th century. The emperor planned to transform Vienna
into a modern cosmopolitan city. The so-called 'Ringstraßen'-Era began. The population grew to almost 2 million.
Vienna was booming Meanwhile, Rudolph grew up alone in the Hofburg. Liberal teachers had started to open his eyes
to the world around him, causing the intelligent
teenager to become increasingly critical. (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"He didn't just want to be born into the position of Crown Prince but he really wanted to be better in many respects
than those around him to show that he deserved this position not only by birth
but also through his personal achievements." Rudolph faced a dilemma: on the one hand he
was experiencing a world in upheaval on the other hand he was supposed to slip into
the role set down by his ancestors as quickly as possible. And embody the future of the dynasty.
Rudolph's parents understood little of his inner conflict yet it reflected their own relationship:
a marriage that had failed. The Empress collected photos of beautiful people and escaped into a dream world of travel the Emperor continued to work tirelessly on the affairs of state and was adept at keeping his son at arm's length. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"For Franz Joseph, it was a matter of preserving what existed. and doing everything possible to ensure that what existed would continue to exist. Rudolph was friends with the leading intellectuals of his time, with the leading journalists. And he came into contact with very liberal ideas. Rudolph was the first Habsburg to have any idea what was really going on in the world. And that's why Franz Joseph didn't really know anything
about his son's world of thought but also because he didn't want to know. Rank and Imperial position made Rudolph the most
sought after Bachelor of the time. But that alone was not
what made women's hearts beat faster. Rudolph had inherited his mother's charm. He was seductive through and through, unpredictable, abysmal. Women fell at his feet in rows. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Franz Joseph have had a perfectly functioning system of informers and knew in precise detail about every mistress about every visit to every brothel." The political strategists in the Hofburg
wanted to marry off the heir to the throne as soon as possible in order to put
an end to his free-spirited tendencies. Rudolph found what he was looking
for in Belgium and married the 16-year old daughter of King Leopold II
– more out of a sense of Duty it seems than love. (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"However, it very soon turned out that the two were completely contrary in character. Rudolph had a pronounced liberal attitude,
questioning conventions whereas Stephanie thoroughly enjoyed
her existence as Crown Princess, as the future first woman of the Empire." Despite all expectations, a romance developed. After a short time, Rudolph became the father of a daughter. Elizabeth Marie. Nicknamed "Erzsi" who was later to cause a sensation in the Imperial family. Democracy, Industrialization, science. Rudolph's response to all of these was diametrically opposed
to the interests of the powerful among the nobility and clergy. The only thing left for the heir to the throne to do was write revolutionary texts. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"Rudolph wrote that he was being watched day and night. He then invented cipher sheets
through which he communicated with the editors in chief.
Disguising his articles so that his father wouldn't recognize his handwriting." It was practically like a surveillance
state from which he wanted to escape." Rudolph fell seriously ill he had caught
a venereal disease during his nocturnal wanderings probably severe gonorrhea
affecting also his joints and eyes. The Crown Prince numbed himself with alcohol,
drugs and fleeting love affairs and spoke increasingly of suicide. At the end of 1888,
the young baroness Mary Vetsera began an affair with Rudolph which resembled something
out of a cheap novel. Tragedy struck at the Mayerling Hunting Lodge just outside Vienna. The heir to the throne was then quite sure that he wanted to die and that he wanted to do it in
the company of the minor Mary Vetsera. He shot her When the bearer of hope of this ancient
dynasty killed himself six hours later it was a tragedy that shook the
Empire and the family to the core. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"The Imperial physician came to deliver his report and said: 'Your majesty here's the bullet.' And Franz Josef asked
'Which bullet? What are you talking about?' And the personal physician replied
'The bullet with which he shot himself.'" (Walter Hoff, psychoanalyst)
"The fact that his own child, his, a Catholic Monarch voluntarily ends his life. And not only that, but
also killed someone else. That was quite a hammer blow. Somehow, Rudolph's end was also symptomatic of
the failure of the father-son relationship and, if you like, also of the failure of parenthood.
They must have been very aware of that." "Dear Stephanie, you are freed from my presence and
plague be happy in your own weight be good for the poor little one
who is all that remains of me." Rudolph had transferred custody of his
daughter Elizabeth Marie to his father probably out of fear that his pious
wife might put her in a Belgian convent. The mother would soon disappear from the Viennese Court. Erzsi, however, advanced to become the favorite granddaughter of the Emperor who could not
refuse any of her wishes. Erzsi grew up pretty much alone at the Viennese Court. Her grandfather kept stories about her father away from her. She lived as if under a bell jar. All memories of
Rudolph had to be erased as far as possible. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"She was certainly much lonelier than the children of Elizabeth for example because they really didn't allow her to do anything.
They always made sure that she didn't meet any staff who might tell her anything. You mustn't
forget that the farm was buzzing with rumors." (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"Well, I can see a big difference between the upbringing of Gisela and Valerie and this new girl now. I have the feeling that he wanted to
exert much more influence on the daughter of Crown Prince Rudolph than on the previous
girls. And I can only explain that by the fact, that he envisaged a much greater future for
her than being a piano playing wife or something." Soon the lonely teenager became
a rebel at the Viennese Court. The turning point came on a trip to
Trieste with her mother while the widow was out looking for a new husband
in the city's cafes, Erzsi befriended a girl of her own age and in her parents house
made a discovery that would change her life. Her friend's family had been pleasantly
surprised by the unconventional Crown Prince and his ideas on politics, society
and science the astonished Erzsi learned for the first time what kind of future
her father had had in mind for the empire. Driven by curiosity to learn more about the things
that had been kept from her at the Viennese Court Erzsi rummaged through the huge library and came
across the writings of her late father Rudolph. (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"We have here some very fine examples of the journalistic and literary work of Crown Prince Rudolph. The two extremes can also be seen very
clearly: on the one hand there is the official Crown Prince who for example actively contributed
to the Encyclopedia of the Habsburg Empire: 'The austro-hungarian Monarchy in words and pictures'
significantly this work is still anchored in the general historical consciousness as the work
of the Crown Prince. In addition, there is also the secret anonymous journalistic activity of
Crown Prince Rudolph writings that were not attributed to the Crown Prince during his
lifetime because they were so scandalous." (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"And that's when her eyes must have been opened for first time. Private teachers also told her other things. Namely, what was written in those articles, that there
were groups of people who had no say in their lives whatsoever that was the first time she
had been confronted with something like that." Rudolph suicide plunged her
grandmother Sisi into a severe crisis from which she was unable to
extricate herself for the rest of her life. She fell into a severe depression wearing
only black and longing for her own death. She had not allowed herself to be photographed for
a long time. The rest of the family had long since written Sisi off for her daughter Marie-Valerie
her mother was only a shadow of her former self. "When you don't always live with mum it's
even more striking how she makes life so strangely difficult and sad for herself how
she sees misfortune in everything and has no inner comfort at all my latest pregnancy makes her
unhappy and she has decided not to come this time." On the 10th of September 1898, Sisi fell victim to the assassination attempt of the
anarchist Luigi lucani in Geneva. The daughters rushed to the
Vienna, to comfort their grieving father. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"He was the only one who suffered but he had
also predicted it would happen. He had written to her again and again urging her not to
go to Switzerland, that it was dangerous, that there were social revolutionaries there,
and that so many people had already fallen victim to assassination attempts. She went
to Switzerland regardless. As if on purpose." (Martin Mutschlechner, curator)
"The news of the death is of course a shock for the family.
But on the other hand, I think, that for many who knew Elizabeth more closely
and also for the members of the family, it was definitely something positive. Because one
knew that Elizabeth was already very tired of her life. Marie Valerie in particular who knew her mother very
well, actually realized very soon that this was probably the best solution. To reach a
ripe old age, with the possibility of being made infirm by illness would have been
pure horror for a person like Elizabeth." (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"And many people who knew Elizabeth very well, who are close
to her, actually understood that things had turned out exactly
as Elizabeth had always wished." When the will was opened the family
was astonished the Emperor himself. Most of all at how immensely large
the fortune of his beloved Sisi was. Excluding their real estate, it was more
than 10 million Gilders, all invested in solid securities, corresponding
today to around 145 million Euros. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"She had her very exalted expensive and luxurious lifestyle paid for 100 % privately by her husband. While he paid for everything she invested the money that was actually at her
disposal very wisely and cleverly." The empress bequeathed two-fifths of
her wealth to each of her daughters and one-fifth to her granddaughter
Erzsi. The favorite daughter Marie-Valerie was left best off inheriting an
additional legacy of one million Gilders. On the 17th of September, Sis's funeral took
place in the Cappuccine Crypt in Vienna. The morning period for the people was to last
only a short time, that was the Emperor's wish. The new century began. Modernity took hold in Vienna. The 20th century was to
be marked by the new Bourgeoisie. People experienced modest prosperity. New values and ideals. People now married for love, that was new. At the Viennese court on the other hand, people held
on to old traditions and rituals that had governed courtly coexistence for centuries the court was increasingly becoming a
bubble a relic of times long past. Although her grandfather took good care of
her, Erzsi reacted with rebellion and refusal. (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"She was an elegant figure no question, but she was by all accounts
an enfant terrible of the court." When she fell in love for the first time at
16, she sensed her chance to escape. But when her beloved did not return her love
the Emperor was expected to force him. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"And then she might have really stomped on the table screamed, literally banged her head on the table, and even threatened
to commit suicide like her father and that was the limit for Franz Joseph. Someone from
the family committing suicide – again? I think he would have given into anything just to
avoid having a teenage suicide in the family." Otto von Windisch Graetz finally married the young Archduchess
as she had no way of knowing at the time that this marriage would later
become a heavy burden in her life. On the 28th of June 1914, the new
heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot by an assassin in Sarajevo. The news spread across Europe in a Flash and
became the trigger for the first World War. 17 million people would die. In the midst of the turmoil of War, on the
21st of November 1916, Franz Joseph died. The eternal Emperor had reigned for almost 68 years.
His Empire survived him for only two years. After the war, the victorious powers divided up the Habsburg Empire in Versailles. A
republic was proclaimed in Austria. The nobility either going into exile or
signing a declaration of renunciation. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"Marie-Valerie, Gisela and Erzsi were, at least on paper, extremely wealthy women.
But all that they inherited, a large part of which was in the form of bonds, was worth nothing to
them in the 1920s and so they lost everything." (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"If for example you were just an Archduke and hadn't learned any profession then you just had to see how you could get on in
life. There were all kinds of careers from sausage friars, to actors, so of course people
tried all kinds of things to keep their heads above water somehow. And they also tried
to marry rich like Erzsi's husband, Prince Windisch-Graetz, who could basically do nothing
except ride a horse and drive a carriage fast." Crown Prince Rudolph had once described nobles
like Otto von Windisch-Graetz as a 'rotten pustule on the state apparatus'. With his marriage
to Erzsi on the brink of collapse, his life resembled a shambles. If he divorced Erzsi, his only
source of income would be extinguished. A bitter war of the roses broke out. Both spouses were
not afraid to wash their dirty linen in public. "Even one of my relatives my cousin, who
was visiting my wife and staying with her, she invited over supper to come to
her bedroom at two o'clock in the morning." (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"Of course, things had now also been rolled out in the German language newspapers. So
in other words, everything that somehow affected the private life of the Imperial Family. Actually
nothing was more avidly read. To think there was actually a real Ex-Archduchess who was living
as a divorcee, was seen as a big catastrophe." The media showdown took place in the spring of 1921.
When Otto drove up under police escort to take the children from Erzsi, he encountered numerous workers
at the gates of the castle who blocked his way. (Michaela Lindinger, Curator)
"And they raised their axes so to speak and the peasants from the countryside also came brandishing spades and sickles and saying
that the mother had done so much good for them and that they, the people, were in
charge now and would protect the Lady. Otto von Windisch-Graetz must
have seen and heard all of that." Otto was forced to leave having achieved
nothing the children stayed with Erzsi. In the following years, Erzsi became an emancipated
woman who enjoyed the wild twenties to the full. During the divorce, she was assisted by a
man who came from a completely different world. The committed socialdemocrat Leopold Petznek
who had grown up in the poorest of circumstances. She, a woman from the top, and
he, a man from the bottom. Over the following decades the couple represented the dream
come true of overcoming social barriers. The princess herself was an ardent member
of the Social Democratic Party but she nevertheless clung to a princely lifestyle
all her life. A contradiction which provided a feast for the press. The scandals didn't
stop: she allegedly drove to the MayDay demonstration in a Rolls-Royce and was known
to treat her employees with condescension. Behind closed doors, people criticized the fact
that the elite of the workers movement threw decadent parties in the Villa of Windisch-Graetz among the
finest furnishings of the Viennese Imperial Court. From now on, she was called the 'red archduchess'. Erzsi tried to come to terms with her past. She had
a workers housing estate built in her garden. She disinherited her children, her grandmother's
inheritance was handed over to the state. Such a fate did not befall everyone in
the widely distributed Habsburg family. Even today some members are still among Austria's
most prominent large landowners but that is only part of the legacy of the eternally young,
eternally beautiful, eternally eccentric Empress. (Katrin Unterreiner, Art Historian)
"It's a great misunderstanding to think that the world was open to an imperial child actually quite the opposite was true. (Walter Hoff, psychoanalyst)
"I think living in a world of make-believe was the reality of Court life at that time and even more so for the Austrian
monarchy which was in fact already breaking up." (Michael Wohlfahrt, curator)
"All three, granddaughter included, were anti-aristocratic and they
got that from their mother."
