Franz Joseph

A hundred years has passed since Emperor Franz Joseph’s death on 21 November 2016. He mounted the throne of the venerable monarchy in 1848. Extending over 68 years, his long rule was marked by highs and lows, both in the field of politics and in his personal life. From the very beginning, Franz Joseph had to face various pressures in internal and external politics. As Italy and Germany were both merging into a single state, the Habsburg in turn lost control of the major part of northern Italy, while also losing the leading position in the German-speaking area. The revolution of 1848 was followed in the next two decades by adoption of constitution and introduction of parliamentary life. Wars in Italy and with Prussia also impacted internal affairs of the monarchy, forcing Franz Joseph to adopt dualism in 1867. As well as political convulsions, the emperor was also affected by family tragedies. In 1968, Emperor’s brother Maximilian was executed in faraway Mexico, in 1889 his only son, Crown Prince Rudolph, committed suicide, and a good decade later, in 1898, Emperor’s beloved wife Sisi was murdered in Geneva. His wife’s death was followed by the final period of the emperor’s rule, marked predominantly by his political rigidity and unpreparedness to compromise. The Annexation crisis of 1908 and the Balkan Wars were followed by 1914, which brought the assassination of Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. The decrepit emperor triggered a war that eventually ruined his state irrevocably, which, however, he did not live to see.

Featuring photographs and postcards as well as two display cases with diverse items, this exhibition of photographs covers various periods in the life of Emperor Franz Joseph. The exhibited materials originate in the extensive collection of Prof Igor Vodnik who has been collecting Franz Joseph related memorabilia since his early childhood. During his lengthy and prolific life, he has formed an extremely rich collection of photographs, postcards, statuettes, pins, etc., their central motif being Emperor Franz Joseph.