Sisi Museum

Sisi Museum

Favorited Favorited error

Favorite

Tweet

Area：Carinthian Street / St. Stephe Sightseeing　Genre： Museums

photo（9）

Museums

The Sisi Museum in the Imperial Apartments of the Imperial Palace compares the myth and the facts.

Elisabeth’s private life is at the center of the exhibition: her rebellion against court ceremony, her escape into a beauty cult, her obsession with being slim, athletic performance, and effusive poetry. From the carefree time as a young girl in Bavaria to the surprising engagement with the Austrian emperor to her 1898 assassination in Geneva, the museum shows the restless life of the legendary empress.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Elisabeth of Austria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I, and thus Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.
Born into Bavarian royalty, Elisabeth (Sisi) enjoyed an informal upbringing, before marrying Franz Joseph at 16. She was suddenly absorbed into Habsburg court life, which she found stifling. She was also at odds with her interfering mother-in-law, Princess Sophie, who took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters, one of whom died in infancy. The birth of a male heir Rudolf improved her standing at court, but her health was suffering under the strain, and she would often visit Hungary for its more relaxed environment. She came to develop a deep kinship with Hungary, and helped to bring about the dual monarchy of Austria–Hungary in 1867.

Empress Elisabeth’s summer dress

The dress dates from the 1880s, and is made of light beige silk chiffon with pastel borders and Brussels lace. This three-piece ensemble, consisting of a bodice, an upper part with a band collar and three-quarter-length puff sleeves, and a skirt, is an outstanding hand-made item. As so often with the Empress’s clothes, there are also embroideries of a dolphin and the Imperial Crown.

General Information

Name	Sisi Museum
Address	Hofburg-Michaelerkuppel, Wien
Tel	(01)5337570
Opening Hours	9:00-17:30 (July&August 9:00-18:00)
ＨＰ	http://www.hofburg-wien.at
Admissions	Adults:10.50€, Children(6－18):6.5€
Access	5 minutes walk from Herrengasse station