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Sissi
Sposa a diciassette anni di Francesco Giuseppe, Elisabetta di Wittelsbach ("Sissi") abbandonò le foreste della Baviera per il mondo dorato e soffocante della corte di Vienna. Coraggiosa e fragile, malinconica ed eccentrica, Sissi non volle accettare nessuno dei ruoli che la tradizione e l'ambiente le assegnavano. L'intera sua vita, interrotta nel 1898 dal pugnale di un anarchico, fu di sottrarsi al destino di "gabbiano prigioniero del castello", una fuga continua dai rituali e dal formalismo della vita di palazzo. Desiderando essere qualcosa di più della consorte di un imperatore, di affermare in ogni modo la propria individualità, Sissi fece di sé una donna speciale. Amazzone provetta, eccelse nei tornei di caccia; poetessa dilettante lasciò oltre cinquecento pagine di versi; giovane splendida, riuscì a trasformare la propria bellezza in un mito ineguagliabile. Nella biografia della Hamann, che ha dedicato a Sissi anche un volume fotografico, rivive una donna di sensibilità e intelligenza straordinarie, una sovrana anomala e sognatrice, condannata a un destino di infelicità.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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May 26, 2025
Brigitte Hamann's account is based on documents and often gives the floor to eyewitnesses and the empress herself. The author does not ignore the many rumors surrounding the figure of Elisabeth, showing that most of them are speculation. To better understand the origins of the negative rumors, we have to turn back to the early years of the future empress.
Sisi was born into the family of a Bavarian duke of the Wittelsbach dynasty (the younger branch of the same family that produced the famous King Ludwig II of Bavaria). The Bavarian princess spent her childhood in an informal environment, enjoying nature and not being particularly burdened with studies. No one planned for the girl to become the wife of the Austrian emperor, as this role was assigned to her older sister. The young emperor Franz Joseph, however, chose Sisi, whose youthful, unsophisticated beauty was in contrast with the artificial refinement and playfulness of the Viennese aristocracy. There is ample evidence that Franz Joseph, against all odds, retained warm feelings for his wife until the end of her life, which did not prevent him from having affairs, including his infatuation with the actress Katharina Schratt.
The young, inexperienced Sisi had difficulty adjusting to the new realities. Life at the center of the ceremonial Viennese court, where most were only too happy to find a reason to criticize her, was draining.
Elisabeth's natural shyness, her desire for privacy, and her fear of crowds played a role. She tried to avoid public outings under various pretexts. Some of the rules of the Viennese court sound amusing today. Thus, the empress of Austria should not wear the same pair of shoes twice, for instance.
Sisi, a passionate supporter of all things Hungarian, promoted the rapprochement between the emperor and the Hungarian elite and the creation of the bi-united Danube monarchy (Austria-Hungary), into which the Austrian Empire was transformed in 1867. Her sympathy for Hungary contrasted with the dislike of the Viennese establishment for this country.
The empress influenced the education of her son, Crown Prince Rudolf. His father wanted the boy to be brought up as a future soldier. The tutor intimidated the sensitive child and tormented him with drills. Sisi insisted that the crown prince be given a liberal tutor. She gave the emperor an ultimatum: "Either the tutor goes or I go." If Sisi had not intervened, things might have turned out badly. But it was a rare occasion when she showed such concern for Rudolf. Elisabeth was not particularly close to her children, except her youngest daughter Marie Valerie, who was described as "the only child in the family." As Sisi herself said, it was only with Marie Valerie that she experienced the joy of motherhood, while she was forced to "give" the older children to her mother-in-law. Marie Valerie, who spent much time with her mother before her marriage, left a diary, a valuable testimony of the family's private life.
Years have passed. The woman has changed. The world around her has changed, though perhaps not so much. We see the heroine grow up, realize her attractiveness, gain self-confidence, and suffer from misunderstandings, prosaicness, and emptiness of "life on the throne."
Her life comes to an end in Geneva when, at the age of sixty, Elisabeth becomes the victim of an Italian anarchist.
He fatally wounded her because he saw a high-profile murder as a protest against the ruling class.
Carmen Sylva (Queen Elisabeth of Romania), a poet and friend of the empress, wrote that Sisi's tragic death might seem terrible to others, but for the aged empress, death on the shores of her favorite Lake Geneva, which came quickly and painlessly, was beautiful and peaceful.
It was Carmen Sylvia who once said: “The republican form of government is the only rational one; I can never understand the foolish people, the fact that they continue to tolerate us.”
Elisabeth seems to have sympathized with this view.
Perhaps an expert on the Habsburg dynasty and this period, which I am not, would have found flaws in this biography, but it struck me as relatively neutral and engaging.
"She played none of the roles assigned to her by tradition and her surroundings: not the role of loving and devoted wife, not the role of mother, not the role of principal figurehead in a gigantic empire. She insisted on her rights as an individual—and she prevailed. That her self-realization did not make her happy is the tragedy of her life—aside from the tragedies that befell her most immediate family, set in motion by her refusal to be co-opted."
According to Hamann, the decline of the Danube monarchy is embodied in Elisabeth, who refused to live as an empress.
" Madness? Wisdom? An understanding of the inevitable? Or simply convenience and whim? "
Perhaps a little bit of everything.
Sisi was born into the family of a Bavarian duke of the Wittelsbach dynasty (the younger branch of the same family that produced the famous King Ludwig II of Bavaria). The Bavarian princess spent her childhood in an informal environment, enjoying nature and not being particularly burdened with studies. No one planned for the girl to become the wife of the Austrian emperor, as this role was assigned to her older sister. The young emperor Franz Joseph, however, chose Sisi, whose youthful, unsophisticated beauty was in contrast with the artificial refinement and playfulness of the Viennese aristocracy. There is ample evidence that Franz Joseph, against all odds, retained warm feelings for his wife until the end of her life, which did not prevent him from having affairs, including his infatuation with the actress Katharina Schratt.
The young, inexperienced Sisi had difficulty adjusting to the new realities. Life at the center of the ceremonial Viennese court, where most were only too happy to find a reason to criticize her, was draining.
Elisabeth's natural shyness, her desire for privacy, and her fear of crowds played a role. She tried to avoid public outings under various pretexts. Some of the rules of the Viennese court sound amusing today. Thus, the empress of Austria should not wear the same pair of shoes twice, for instance.
Sisi, a passionate supporter of all things Hungarian, promoted the rapprochement between the emperor and the Hungarian elite and the creation of the bi-united Danube monarchy (Austria-Hungary), into which the Austrian Empire was transformed in 1867. Her sympathy for Hungary contrasted with the dislike of the Viennese establishment for this country.
The empress influenced the education of her son, Crown Prince Rudolf. His father wanted the boy to be brought up as a future soldier. The tutor intimidated the sensitive child and tormented him with drills. Sisi insisted that the crown prince be given a liberal tutor. She gave the emperor an ultimatum: "Either the tutor goes or I go." If Sisi had not intervened, things might have turned out badly. But it was a rare occasion when she showed such concern for Rudolf. Elisabeth was not particularly close to her children, except her youngest daughter Marie Valerie, who was described as "the only child in the family." As Sisi herself said, it was only with Marie Valerie that she experienced the joy of motherhood, while she was forced to "give" the older children to her mother-in-law. Marie Valerie, who spent much time with her mother before her marriage, left a diary, a valuable testimony of the family's private life.
Years have passed. The woman has changed. The world around her has changed, though perhaps not so much. We see the heroine grow up, realize her attractiveness, gain self-confidence, and suffer from misunderstandings, prosaicness, and emptiness of "life on the throne."
Her life comes to an end in Geneva when, at the age of sixty, Elisabeth becomes the victim of an Italian anarchist.
He fatally wounded her because he saw a high-profile murder as a protest against the ruling class.
Carmen Sylva (Queen Elisabeth of Romania), a poet and friend of the empress, wrote that Sisi's tragic death might seem terrible to others, but for the aged empress, death on the shores of her favorite Lake Geneva, which came quickly and painlessly, was beautiful and peaceful.
It was Carmen Sylvia who once said: “The republican form of government is the only rational one; I can never understand the foolish people, the fact that they continue to tolerate us.”
Elisabeth seems to have sympathized with this view.
Perhaps an expert on the Habsburg dynasty and this period, which I am not, would have found flaws in this biography, but it struck me as relatively neutral and engaging.
"She played none of the roles assigned to her by tradition and her surroundings: not the role of loving and devoted wife, not the role of mother, not the role of principal figurehead in a gigantic empire. She insisted on her rights as an individual—and she prevailed. That her self-realization did not make her happy is the tragedy of her life—aside from the tragedies that befell her most immediate family, set in motion by her refusal to be co-opted."
According to Hamann, the decline of the Danube monarchy is embodied in Elisabeth, who refused to live as an empress.
" Madness? Wisdom? An understanding of the inevitable? Or simply convenience and whim? "
Perhaps a little bit of everything.
April 28, 2012
“Reluctant” is an understatement. When fifteen-year-old Elisabeth (Sisi) Duchess of Bavaria met her cousin, twenty-three-year-old Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria, it was as a younger sister of the woman intended for royal marriage. But as fate would have it, the Emperor wasn’t interested in the older sister; rather, he was smitten by the shy, pretty teenager. Marriage was perhaps the last thing young Sisi wanted, not to mention the responsibilities of being an Empress, yet as someone observed: “One doesn’t turn one’s back on the Emperor of Austria.” The rest is history and, needless to say, they did not live happily ever after.
The Reluctant Empress is a well-written, meticulously researched and documented account of a royal marriage gone very wrong. Unprepared and unsuited for the role she was forced to play, Sisi was at first painfully shy and then progressed through eating disorders and starvation diets, fights with her mother-in-law, obsessive bouts of exercise (hiking in the mountains, hunting, gymnastics), fits of depression, compulsive bathing, clothing and hair-dressing rituals, and eccentric wandering, showing up in odd places at odd times to the consternation of her retinue, security guards, and surprised hosts.
Sisi read Schopenhauer and Heine and wrote reams of gloomy poetry. She even got an anchor tattooed on her arm to express her love for the sea. She ignored her elder children, doted on her youngest daughter, and avoided her kind, loving, but stolid and unimaginative royal husband. She dabbled in liberal politics with one of her Platonic lovers, Count Andrassy (according to this biography, she preferred admirers and worshippers to physical relationships). She happily left her lonely husband in the care of a mistress.
Once considered the most beautiful woman in Europe, by the time she was in her fifties her looks had faded, her health declined, and the process of decay escalated following the tragic murder/suicide pact involving her only son, Crown Prince Rudolph and his mistress. In the end, she seemed like a character in a Greek Tragedy, and perhaps that was the fate she willed for herself. Her life was a prime example of the old adage: “All that glitters is not golden.” Moreover, her personal tragedy can stand as a metaphor for the decline and fall of an empire.
The Reluctant Empress is a well-written, meticulously researched and documented account of a royal marriage gone very wrong. Unprepared and unsuited for the role she was forced to play, Sisi was at first painfully shy and then progressed through eating disorders and starvation diets, fights with her mother-in-law, obsessive bouts of exercise (hiking in the mountains, hunting, gymnastics), fits of depression, compulsive bathing, clothing and hair-dressing rituals, and eccentric wandering, showing up in odd places at odd times to the consternation of her retinue, security guards, and surprised hosts.
Sisi read Schopenhauer and Heine and wrote reams of gloomy poetry. She even got an anchor tattooed on her arm to express her love for the sea. She ignored her elder children, doted on her youngest daughter, and avoided her kind, loving, but stolid and unimaginative royal husband. She dabbled in liberal politics with one of her Platonic lovers, Count Andrassy (according to this biography, she preferred admirers and worshippers to physical relationships). She happily left her lonely husband in the care of a mistress.
Once considered the most beautiful woman in Europe, by the time she was in her fifties her looks had faded, her health declined, and the process of decay escalated following the tragic murder/suicide pact involving her only son, Crown Prince Rudolph and his mistress. In the end, she seemed like a character in a Greek Tragedy, and perhaps that was the fate she willed for herself. Her life was a prime example of the old adage: “All that glitters is not golden.” Moreover, her personal tragedy can stand as a metaphor for the decline and fall of an empire.
March 9, 2023
Una biografia corposa, la migliore mai letta fin ora!, e molto dettagliata che ci mostra le luci e le ombre della figura di Sissi e di alcuni dei membri della famiglia imperiale e del suo seguito.
Il tutto viene raccontato in maniera molto critica e obiettiva (cosa che ho apprezzato molto!).
La vera Sissi, o meglio Sisi come la chiamava Franz, non ha niente a che vedere con le interpretazioni di Romy Schneider né con quell'obbrobiosa serie tv mandata in onda quest'anno da Mediaset!
Sisi era una donna che non è stata capita e amata per ciò che era(e anche per questo incapace di amare. Anche la sua figlia prediletta Maria Valeria, l'Unica, è stata amata da lei in maniera molto particolare..)
Neanche la stessa imperatrice e chi la circondava non capiva le sue patologie che con il passare del tempo si sono aggravate..
Penso che sia stata una donna nata in un'epoca sbagliata oppure anticipatrice di una società che da lì a poco sarebbe colossata su sé stessa...
... spero solo che questo gabbiano voli adesso libero nei cieli e sopra i mari che lei ha sempre amato
Il tutto viene raccontato in maniera molto critica e obiettiva (cosa che ho apprezzato molto!).
La vera Sissi, o meglio Sisi come la chiamava Franz, non ha niente a che vedere con le interpretazioni di Romy Schneider né con quell'obbrobiosa serie tv mandata in onda quest'anno da Mediaset!
Sisi era una donna che non è stata capita e amata per ciò che era(e anche per questo incapace di amare. Anche la sua figlia prediletta Maria Valeria, l'Unica, è stata amata da lei in maniera molto particolare..)
Neanche la stessa imperatrice e chi la circondava non capiva le sue patologie che con il passare del tempo si sono aggravate..
Penso che sia stata una donna nata in un'epoca sbagliata oppure anticipatrice di una società che da lì a poco sarebbe colossata su sé stessa...
... spero solo che questo gabbiano voli adesso libero nei cieli e sopra i mari che lei ha sempre amato
July 13, 2008
The best biography of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria that I have so far found, and generally considered to be a definitive work on her. Hamann describes Elisabeth's life from her childhood to her death, and while doing so she definitely breaks away from the romantic fairy-tale images of Elisabeth's life. Hamann shows her as a highly complex and controversial woman - strong-willed, intelligent, independent and highly original, but also self-centred and depressive. Hamann is not afraid to show her negative sides as well as the positive ones. Many different aspects of Elisabeth's life are brought to light: her relationships to her family members, friends and other people she came across, her travels, her poetry, her physical and emotional health, her role in the affairs of the state, and more.
The biography is meticulously researched and well foot-noted, so the reader can see what Hamann is basing her information and opinions on. This also makes it easier to form one's own opinions. The only criticism I might make is that she is sometimes even too harsh in judging Elisabeth and others; but at least as she does this it's possible to see which part is her own opinion and which part is facts, and to decide for yourself what you think. This does not happen with many Elisabeth biographies, where the author's biases often affect what is being stated as facts.
The biography is meticulously researched and well foot-noted, so the reader can see what Hamann is basing her information and opinions on. This also makes it easier to form one's own opinions. The only criticism I might make is that she is sometimes even too harsh in judging Elisabeth and others; but at least as she does this it's possible to see which part is her own opinion and which part is facts, and to decide for yourself what you think. This does not happen with many Elisabeth biographies, where the author's biases often affect what is being stated as facts.
October 22, 2009
this book is about one of the most famous women in the world, empress elizabeth of austria, who at first deeply in love with her husband emperor franz joseph relucntly becomes empress of austria after living a free independant life. her search for meaning to her life, her husband,s infidelities, and her mother in laws hostility, amid the turmoil of court life makes good reading, and ends with her asassination in 1888
June 21, 2018
Una biografia che ha ribaltato completamente la mia visione di Sissi.
Hamann non ha deluso le mie aspettative. Oltre ad uno stile mai prolisso, ho apprezzato molto l'atteggiamento super partes: a differenza della francese Avril, la quale pecca un po' di simpatia, non riuscendo ad essere sempre obiettiva, Hamann è critica il giusto, non spaccia mai per verità assolute
quegli elementi non comprovati storicamente al 100%, e, pur non condannando Sissi sul suo operato, neanche ne esalta comportamenti, pregi e difetti.
Ne fuoriesce un ritratto completo, asciutto nel giudizio e assolutamente imparziale, che spazza via definitivamente quell'aura di "santità caramellosa" con cui la figura dell'imperatrice d'Austria era stata erroneamente dipinta..e, a sorpresa, persino la figura di "Cecco Beppe" ha suscitato in me più di qualche simpatia 😨.
Hamann non ha deluso le mie aspettative. Oltre ad uno stile mai prolisso, ho apprezzato molto l'atteggiamento super partes: a differenza della francese Avril, la quale pecca un po' di simpatia, non riuscendo ad essere sempre obiettiva, Hamann è critica il giusto, non spaccia mai per verità assolute
quegli elementi non comprovati storicamente al 100%, e, pur non condannando Sissi sul suo operato, neanche ne esalta comportamenti, pregi e difetti.
Ne fuoriesce un ritratto completo, asciutto nel giudizio e assolutamente imparziale, che spazza via definitivamente quell'aura di "santità caramellosa" con cui la figura dell'imperatrice d'Austria era stata erroneamente dipinta..e, a sorpresa, persino la figura di "Cecco Beppe" ha suscitato in me più di qualche simpatia 😨.
September 6, 2019
This was more about Sisi than I liked. The book barely focused on her husband or kids but I guess Sisi barely focused on those as well.
This was a bit slow and I gave a single star because this was written in the 80's but the author still refers to Black People as 'negroes' & 'blackamoors' outside of period quotes.
It's dated and gross.
This was a bit slow and I gave a single star because this was written in the 80's but the author still refers to Black People as 'negroes' & 'blackamoors' outside of period quotes.
It's dated and gross.
May 3, 2021
Avete presente i film con Romy Schneider?Bene,dimenticateli completamente!la storia di Sissi è assolutamente un'altra,sconvolgente,inquietante,tristissima.
Biografia scritta divinamente.
Biografia scritta divinamente.
December 30, 2023
Wiem, że wypada Sisi współczuć, ale nie potrafię.
Cesarzowa była kobietą naszych czasów. Bez żalu odrzuciła tradycyjne wzorce i skupiła się na samorealizacji. Normalnie przyklasnęłabym takiej rewolcie z ochotą. W tym konkretnym przypadku nie umiem. Mieszanka mizantropii, narcyzmu i skłonności do egzaltacji cesarzowej wzbudziła we mnie wyłącznie niechęć. Choć mogła wiele, wolała nie robić nic. Zamiast wykorzystać swoje zdolności i wpływ na męża, zdecydowała się przeżyć życie na jękach i utyskiwaniach w miernych wierszach, wielogodzinnej pielęgnacji legendarnej urody i forsownych ćwiczeniach. I tylko Rudolfa żal.
Z rzeczy ważnych - biografię Sisi czyta się łatwo i przyjemnie. Połknęłam ją w kilka dni. Przyswajalność wynika ze skupienia się wyłącznie na głównej bohaterce i jej bogatym życiu wewnętrznym wyłaniającym się z licznie napisanych przez nią wierszy. Do minimum sprowadzono kontekst historyczny, kreśląc go kilkoma okrągłymi zdaniami. Z jednej strony szkoda, bo liczyłam na pigułkę wiedzy, z drugiej strony zabieg ten uczynił biografię czytelną. Dobrze też obrazuje podejście Sisi do świata sprowadzające się do słów - mało mnie on obchodzi.
PS Interesujacy jest wątek zamiłowania Sisi do pięknych kobiet. Autorka podaje fakty, które mając na uwadze niechęć Sisi do mężczyzn, są aż nadto czytelne 🙃
Cesarzowa była kobietą naszych czasów. Bez żalu odrzuciła tradycyjne wzorce i skupiła się na samorealizacji. Normalnie przyklasnęłabym takiej rewolcie z ochotą. W tym konkretnym przypadku nie umiem. Mieszanka mizantropii, narcyzmu i skłonności do egzaltacji cesarzowej wzbudziła we mnie wyłącznie niechęć. Choć mogła wiele, wolała nie robić nic. Zamiast wykorzystać swoje zdolności i wpływ na męża, zdecydowała się przeżyć życie na jękach i utyskiwaniach w miernych wierszach, wielogodzinnej pielęgnacji legendarnej urody i forsownych ćwiczeniach. I tylko Rudolfa żal.
Z rzeczy ważnych - biografię Sisi czyta się łatwo i przyjemnie. Połknęłam ją w kilka dni. Przyswajalność wynika ze skupienia się wyłącznie na głównej bohaterce i jej bogatym życiu wewnętrznym wyłaniającym się z licznie napisanych przez nią wierszy. Do minimum sprowadzono kontekst historyczny, kreśląc go kilkoma okrągłymi zdaniami. Z jednej strony szkoda, bo liczyłam na pigułkę wiedzy, z drugiej strony zabieg ten uczynił biografię czytelną. Dobrze też obrazuje podejście Sisi do świata sprowadzające się do słów - mało mnie on obchodzi.
PS Interesujacy jest wątek zamiłowania Sisi do pięknych kobiet. Autorka podaje fakty, które mając na uwadze niechęć Sisi do mężczyzn, są aż nadto czytelne 🙃
October 9, 2016
While I liked Brigitte Hamann's The Reluctant Empress, I really didn't like Sisi, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. I found her self-absorbed and entitled, unwilling to fulfill any of her assigned roles, whether it be monarch of a country of mother of a family. She flitted from one expensive indulgence to another, "woe-is-me"-ing all the while. (As a side note, I kept thinking about parallels between Sisi and Diana, Princess of Wales). For some reason I had in my mind that she was influential in the liberalization of the Austro-Hungarian political machine, but I find that was the case only peripherally.
My biggest complaint with Hamann's book is also a critique of my own knowledge gaps. There were many times where I felt she made assumptions about her readers' familiarity with Austrian history that went way beyond general knowledge. For example, she repeatedly referred to the 1848 revolution, yet never clearly set out what it entailed, aspired to, or accomplished.
A very useful addition to the book would have been a series of maps of the Germanic principalities and Austrian possessions, showing changing borders and alliances through Sisi and Franz Josef's reign. This would have made so many of the comments that were casually thrown out so much more valuable (unless I'm the only one who doesn't have a clear picture of all this handy in her head).
Some sections of the book were very interesting, while others I found myself just pushing through. Good research was obviously done. 3.5 stars overall.
My biggest complaint with Hamann's book is also a critique of my own knowledge gaps. There were many times where I felt she made assumptions about her readers' familiarity with Austrian history that went way beyond general knowledge. For example, she repeatedly referred to the 1848 revolution, yet never clearly set out what it entailed, aspired to, or accomplished.
A very useful addition to the book would have been a series of maps of the Germanic principalities and Austrian possessions, showing changing borders and alliances through Sisi and Franz Josef's reign. This would have made so many of the comments that were casually thrown out so much more valuable (unless I'm the only one who doesn't have a clear picture of all this handy in her head).
Some sections of the book were very interesting, while others I found myself just pushing through. Good research was obviously done. 3.5 stars overall.
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December 27, 2021Well written and magnificently researched by Brigitte Hamann.
I have to admit that her life story struck me as incredibly aimless. It's hard to read about someone so obviously unhappy and unable to use her many gifts towards a concentrated goal that would have hopefully given her fulfillment. She seemed so very dissatisfied in her life; a shame really.
I have to admit that her life story struck me as incredibly aimless. It's hard to read about someone so obviously unhappy and unable to use her many gifts towards a concentrated goal that would have hopefully given her fulfillment. She seemed so very dissatisfied in her life; a shame really.
July 31, 2018
The very first time i read this biography was in french, and it wasn't until recently, and by one of those rare lucky occasions of being in the right place at the right time, that i purchased the english translation that i now read - just for fun...lol.
Anyone with a curiosity about Sissi, be it merely a passing one, or something originating in a visit to Vienna, watching the Romy Schneider movies, or having heard of that ...... called "accidental empress" (and if you read it, ignore it and forget it) - This is one of the finest biographies out there on Empress Elisabeth, top 3 no doubt about it.
Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria, daughter of Duke Max and Duchess Ludovika, was, by a curious twist of fate (she would have called it ironic no doubt), in the right place at the right time - Bad Ischl, in 1853, for the engagement of her older sister Helene to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph.
Now fate is admittedly a sneaky mischievous imp sometimes, and in this case, fate would have it that the Emperor indeed fell in love - but with 15 year old Sissi.....oops? (i think even fate may have said it out loud later on when things went downhill).
So intense were his feelings that he would have none other for a bride, and never loved another woman for as long as he lived, thus making himself miserable and lonely for a good portion of the years that they were married.
Brigitte Hamann does a great job with all sources available at the time she wrote this (1982), and constructs a lively, genuine, and frustratingly sad portrait of a woman so ahead of her time in some ways...and in so much in need of a good therapist in others!
Its all here, and its all true, how ill prepared she was for the position since day 1, how the disagreements with her aunt/mother-in-law started very early on and were fueled to the point of "domestic war" partly by lack of communication partly by Sissi's own "imaginary" fears, phobias and paranoias.
The many tales about her legendary beauty and her unusual regime, the stories about her passion for Hungary and this country's devotion to their Queen, her endless journeys back and forth over the years to escape Vienna and court life, Hamann brings it all to life in a engaging, well documented, and detailed way - most importantly of all, she clearly presents both sides of the "problem" whenever such is possible, allowing the reader to see her own curiosity/fascination with the Empresss/Queen, but also her own awareness of Sissi's flaws and mistakes.
You have no need to resort to any "historical novel/romance" on Sissi, not now not ever, her own life was the stuff of legends as they say....and more than filled with events that will continue for years to come to provide endless discussions about this complex woman who is to this day Austria's most known female historical figure..sorry Empress Maria Theresia...she is.
Happy Readings!
Anyone with a curiosity about Sissi, be it merely a passing one, or something originating in a visit to Vienna, watching the Romy Schneider movies, or having heard of that ...... called "accidental empress" (and if you read it, ignore it and forget it) - This is one of the finest biographies out there on Empress Elisabeth, top 3 no doubt about it.
Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria, daughter of Duke Max and Duchess Ludovika, was, by a curious twist of fate (she would have called it ironic no doubt), in the right place at the right time - Bad Ischl, in 1853, for the engagement of her older sister Helene to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph.
Now fate is admittedly a sneaky mischievous imp sometimes, and in this case, fate would have it that the Emperor indeed fell in love - but with 15 year old Sissi.....oops? (i think even fate may have said it out loud later on when things went downhill).
So intense were his feelings that he would have none other for a bride, and never loved another woman for as long as he lived, thus making himself miserable and lonely for a good portion of the years that they were married.
Brigitte Hamann does a great job with all sources available at the time she wrote this (1982), and constructs a lively, genuine, and frustratingly sad portrait of a woman so ahead of her time in some ways...and in so much in need of a good therapist in others!
Its all here, and its all true, how ill prepared she was for the position since day 1, how the disagreements with her aunt/mother-in-law started very early on and were fueled to the point of "domestic war" partly by lack of communication partly by Sissi's own "imaginary" fears, phobias and paranoias.
The many tales about her legendary beauty and her unusual regime, the stories about her passion for Hungary and this country's devotion to their Queen, her endless journeys back and forth over the years to escape Vienna and court life, Hamann brings it all to life in a engaging, well documented, and detailed way - most importantly of all, she clearly presents both sides of the "problem" whenever such is possible, allowing the reader to see her own curiosity/fascination with the Empresss/Queen, but also her own awareness of Sissi's flaws and mistakes.
You have no need to resort to any "historical novel/romance" on Sissi, not now not ever, her own life was the stuff of legends as they say....and more than filled with events that will continue for years to come to provide endless discussions about this complex woman who is to this day Austria's most known female historical figure..sorry Empress Maria Theresia...she is.
Happy Readings!
April 28, 2018
I visited the Sissi museum in Vienna in December of last year. It was beautiful and enchanting and piqued my enthusiasm of learning more about Elisabeth. I must apologize, if I sound biased and even condescending, but unfortunately most of the books and research one can find about Elisabeth is only through one author, Brigitte Hamann.
Based on everything I have read of hers dealing with Elisabeth I am confused as to her motivations to devote so much time and effort into a subject that appears to not be her passion or even full interest. Dispersed within the texts about Elisabeth she adds comment that have a snide undertone, as if she was more inclined to judge the subject of her research instead of presenting the facts as she has researched them.
A 600-page biography, meticulously research and full of facts, has become nothing more than an extended curriculum vitae with Elisabeth being nothing more than a passive entity. The author could have at least tried to bring the person of her research a little more to the foreground to facilitate some interest.
It was a tedious read and based on one falsehood I wonder how many other little snippets in this book were stretched further than the truth allowed.
Overall, I felt that the author used her fascination of this beautiful historical figure to allow herself to judge her more than study her. Many paragraphs contained her own opinion rather than staying objective and letting the facts speak for themselves. There are, I believe, a few more books available on Elisabeth, written by people, who actually knew her in diary and letter form. These may offer more insight into the person that Elisabeth was. I’m on the fence about at least suggesting this book or giving it a pass, most likely because it’s the only comprehensive one published.
Based on everything I have read of hers dealing with Elisabeth I am confused as to her motivations to devote so much time and effort into a subject that appears to not be her passion or even full interest. Dispersed within the texts about Elisabeth she adds comment that have a snide undertone, as if she was more inclined to judge the subject of her research instead of presenting the facts as she has researched them.
A 600-page biography, meticulously research and full of facts, has become nothing more than an extended curriculum vitae with Elisabeth being nothing more than a passive entity. The author could have at least tried to bring the person of her research a little more to the foreground to facilitate some interest.
It was a tedious read and based on one falsehood I wonder how many other little snippets in this book were stretched further than the truth allowed.
Overall, I felt that the author used her fascination of this beautiful historical figure to allow herself to judge her more than study her. Many paragraphs contained her own opinion rather than staying objective and letting the facts speak for themselves. There are, I believe, a few more books available on Elisabeth, written by people, who actually knew her in diary and letter form. These may offer more insight into the person that Elisabeth was. I’m on the fence about at least suggesting this book or giving it a pass, most likely because it’s the only comprehensive one published.
April 19, 2008
Brigitte Hamann is a renowned historian, all her books are thoroughly researched and written in a style that keeps your attention span.
"Elisabeth" gives an in-depth account of the tragic life of the beautiful Austrian Empress.
It began with love at first sight, but Elisabeth could not adjust to life at the Court of Vienna with its rigid and stifling Spanish etiquette and a very powerful mother-in-law, the Archduchess Sophie. She saw that the empire was in decline, but her liberal ideas were not welcome and she was given hardly any say in the education of her children. Over time she more and more abandoned her husband, her children and her country, only cared about herself and fled into a fantasy world occupied by constant restless traveling, horseback riding and an obsession with her looks (she had been hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world). What is less well known is that she also wrote poetry, some of it appears in the book. After the death of her son Rudolf she went more and more into seclusion and depression and in 1898 the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni stabbed her with a rusty file going right through her heart whilst walking along Lake Geneva. Franz Joseph had never ceased loving her - ironically Sissi's sister Helene who originally had been picked as his wife-to-be would very probably have been a more suitable partner and Empress.
"Elisabeth" gives an in-depth account of the tragic life of the beautiful Austrian Empress.
It began with love at first sight, but Elisabeth could not adjust to life at the Court of Vienna with its rigid and stifling Spanish etiquette and a very powerful mother-in-law, the Archduchess Sophie. She saw that the empire was in decline, but her liberal ideas were not welcome and she was given hardly any say in the education of her children. Over time she more and more abandoned her husband, her children and her country, only cared about herself and fled into a fantasy world occupied by constant restless traveling, horseback riding and an obsession with her looks (she had been hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world). What is less well known is that she also wrote poetry, some of it appears in the book. After the death of her son Rudolf she went more and more into seclusion and depression and in 1898 the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni stabbed her with a rusty file going right through her heart whilst walking along Lake Geneva. Franz Joseph had never ceased loving her - ironically Sissi's sister Helene who originally had been picked as his wife-to-be would very probably have been a more suitable partner and Empress.
June 29, 2017
I'd been interested in the life of Sisi for a while, and picked up this book on a visit to Vienna. It's translated from German so something the writing feels a bit odd, but the story is wonderful. It loses a star for the author's sometimes judgmental and unkind comments about her subject, as this loses objectivity. But overall, very much enjoyed. blog post to come.
June 16, 2014
When I visited the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria, the story of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth captured me in an instant. Sisi, as Empess Elisabeth is well known in Austria, was famous for her beauty and her antics. A fine horsewoman of her time, she is as rebellious as an Empress could be. She traveled across Europe, rarely joined her husband both at dining table and royal occasion. Her missing at dining table was contributed as well by her obsession to stay beautiful by maintaining rigorous training and strict diet regime.
On marriage, Empress Sisi had her own opinion which surprised me to no end. She said to her daughter Marie Valerie: "Marriage is a nonsensical institution. One is sold off as a fifteen-year-old child, taking an oath that one does not understand, cannot revoke and then regrets for thirty years or more". Did she ever love her husband? Her suggesting him to take a mistress was another sign as well? The Emperor did took a mistress but he never remarried after Sisi murdered. He stayed alone until the end of his days where he said just how much he loved his wife when he was about to leave the world for good.
I can't help but cried once I finished touring the palace. Why love can be so painful? The book by Bridget Hamann helps me to understand why the royal love in Austria is that painful
On marriage, Empress Sisi had her own opinion which surprised me to no end. She said to her daughter Marie Valerie: "Marriage is a nonsensical institution. One is sold off as a fifteen-year-old child, taking an oath that one does not understand, cannot revoke and then regrets for thirty years or more". Did she ever love her husband? Her suggesting him to take a mistress was another sign as well? The Emperor did took a mistress but he never remarried after Sisi murdered. He stayed alone until the end of his days where he said just how much he loved his wife when he was about to leave the world for good.
I can't help but cried once I finished touring the palace. Why love can be so painful? The book by Bridget Hamann helps me to understand why the royal love in Austria is that painful
June 17, 2012
The most objectively written biography of Elisabeth that I've found. There's no "the poor little princess burst out in tears and felt her heart pound" descriptions and certainly no added romance nor unneeded bashing Elisabeth, either. The Empress is depicted as a complex woman with good and bad traits, and through Elisabeth's poetry diary you can also hear her own point of view to her life. She was by no means a very symphatetic woman, but she clearly had her reasons for her attitude towards the Viennese high societies and the court ceremonies. Hamann uses a lot of footnotes and though I obviously haven't checked them all, she's clearly basing her biography on facts and tends to find more than one source for everything she writes. The text is also enjoyable to read and definitely not dry. (I've read both the German and the English editions.)
January 28, 2025
The odyssey of a sensitive soul seeking peace. An amazing biography of Elizabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.
October 13, 2016
sono entrata talmente tanto nella vita dell'imperatrice che, alla fine, mi è sembrato di leggere della morte di un'amica
February 14, 2018
"...German Emperor Wilhelm II: 'she did not sit down, she lowered her body; she did not stand up, she rose...'"
I admit, my knowledge of Sissi before reading this was the myth - the beauty, the spectacle, the ultimate assassination. The Reluctant Empress excels and wonderfully uncovers the difficult, reclusive yet eccentric persona beyond the myth of the Empress stuck somewhere in a different time and place than where she really was for most of her life. Sometimes biographies showcase a certain soft-spot the biographer has for the person they are trying to represent, interpret and preserve in their book. The tad bit of that in this book just makes it that much more human, but we get the positives, the negatives, the rational and the irrational beautifully presented in well constructed sections.
It says a lot that it's been a few decades since the publication of this one and it still stays at the top of recommendations when it comes to biographies of Sissi, partly probably for its incredibly thorough research, which is evident in the sheer abundance of notes and direct quotations, and partly probably due to how Hamann handled the topic - the routes she took in trying to encapsulate someone who never really strove towards being encapsulated.
An all around wonderful work, whether you come out of it further fascinated by Empress Elisabeth or you come out of it with the spell of the myth broken. It is a very easy journey through the life of the Empress, the times she lived in, the times she wanted to live in, the people around her, her poetry and even at the rare times when it falters, it manages to pick right back up in the next section. A perfect mixture of various elements to keep anyone's attention - personal, factual, more of the fun stories variety - all around great.
I admit, my knowledge of Sissi before reading this was the myth - the beauty, the spectacle, the ultimate assassination. The Reluctant Empress excels and wonderfully uncovers the difficult, reclusive yet eccentric persona beyond the myth of the Empress stuck somewhere in a different time and place than where she really was for most of her life. Sometimes biographies showcase a certain soft-spot the biographer has for the person they are trying to represent, interpret and preserve in their book. The tad bit of that in this book just makes it that much more human, but we get the positives, the negatives, the rational and the irrational beautifully presented in well constructed sections.
It says a lot that it's been a few decades since the publication of this one and it still stays at the top of recommendations when it comes to biographies of Sissi, partly probably for its incredibly thorough research, which is evident in the sheer abundance of notes and direct quotations, and partly probably due to how Hamann handled the topic - the routes she took in trying to encapsulate someone who never really strove towards being encapsulated.
An all around wonderful work, whether you come out of it further fascinated by Empress Elisabeth or you come out of it with the spell of the myth broken. It is a very easy journey through the life of the Empress, the times she lived in, the times she wanted to live in, the people around her, her poetry and even at the rare times when it falters, it manages to pick right back up in the next section. A perfect mixture of various elements to keep anyone's attention - personal, factual, more of the fun stories variety - all around great.
stopped-reading-unfinished
February 8, 2020I have been trying to read this for the past 7 months. I’ve gotten through p. 98 of 374 pages. At this point I just need to shelve it, and can return to it some other time if I really want to.
My two big lessons from this book are:
1) Just because a book is lauded as “the most comprehensive book” on a certain topic doesn’t mean that I will actually want to read that whole comprehensive account. For me, this has ultimately been a much too detailed account of Sisi’s life.
2) Sisi’s life was very sad and unhappy. This is not a pleasant read, because it’s all about a child bride who was sent off to another country to marry someone she didn’t really know. She was extremely lonely and homesick, and the whole country was watching her every move. She was constantly battling with her mother-in-law for respect and for her own husband’s attention. Then her first-born child died. Her husband began having affairs. And by this point Sisi is a mere 22 years old, and is showing obvious signs of depression (but is living in the 1800s, so no one really did anything about this). I have never been less interested in being an empress than I am now. I just don’t know how I’ll get through 276 more pages of this, so I’m shelving it.
My two big lessons from this book are:
1) Just because a book is lauded as “the most comprehensive book” on a certain topic doesn’t mean that I will actually want to read that whole comprehensive account. For me, this has ultimately been a much too detailed account of Sisi’s life.
2) Sisi’s life was very sad and unhappy. This is not a pleasant read, because it’s all about a child bride who was sent off to another country to marry someone she didn’t really know. She was extremely lonely and homesick, and the whole country was watching her every move. She was constantly battling with her mother-in-law for respect and for her own husband’s attention. Then her first-born child died. Her husband began having affairs. And by this point Sisi is a mere 22 years old, and is showing obvious signs of depression (but is living in the 1800s, so no one really did anything about this). I have never been less interested in being an empress than I am now. I just don’t know how I’ll get through 276 more pages of this, so I’m shelving it.
January 31, 2009
Easily one of the best biographies of Elisabeth of Austria as far as I'm concerned.
Hamann doesn't gloss over the fact that she was neither happy, nor easy to live with. She tells it all, in an engaging tone, not without sympathy, but still very much matter-of-fact.
Coming from the clichés of the Sisi films, this book presents historical facts and paints an image of the actual living conditions. It is a look into Elisabeth's life and times, but there is little conjecture. Hamann uses letters and poems to illustrate her points. It's an honest biography and one that is highly recommended.
Hamann doesn't gloss over the fact that she was neither happy, nor easy to live with. She tells it all, in an engaging tone, not without sympathy, but still very much matter-of-fact.
Coming from the clichés of the Sisi films, this book presents historical facts and paints an image of the actual living conditions. It is a look into Elisabeth's life and times, but there is little conjecture. Hamann uses letters and poems to illustrate her points. It's an honest biography and one that is highly recommended.
May 11, 2021
Das Standardwerk über die legendäre Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich genannt Sissi.....
November 16, 2022
DENTRO SISSI
Io di libri sulla principessa Sissi ne ho letti a bizzeffe, sospinta dal desiderio di conoscere sempre più intimamente questa donna con cui sento una connessione davvero profonda. Sebbene per me la biografia scritta da Nicole Avril resti insuperabile, è innegabile che anche questo lavoro della Hamann sia eccellente.
Leggendo la prima da bambina e poi da adulta, ho potuto constatare lo scarto esistente tra l'immagine idealizzata di Sissi, che avevo in mente da piccola, e quella reale, che mi ha scioccato conoscere man mano che crescevo. Un'immagine, quest'ultima, di una donna sofferente, disillusa e irrequieta che voleva disperatamente fuggire dalla prigione dorata in cui lei stessa si era rinchiusa.
Leggendo la ricostruzione della Hamann già consapevole di tutto ciò, invece, e soprattutto dopo aver visitato il Museo di Sissi alla Hofburg di Vienna, ho ricevuto ulteriori conferme delle affinità che mi uniscono alla figura storica dell'imperatrice. Fermo restando le evidenti differenze, infatti, personalmente mi sento legata a Sissi da quell'indefinibile senso di inadeguatezza che non le permise di sentirsi a casa in nessun luogo, spingendola dunque a cercare altrove una pace introvabile. Introvabile perché, come mette ben in luce la Hamann, la soluzione al problema non andava cercata all'esterno, bensì dentro di sé.
"La vita di Elisabetta si trasformò in una fuga, in un tentativo di sfuggire non già a un mondo veramente ostile o presunto tale, bensì soprattutto al proprio io, alla perpetua irrequietezza della propria anima."
Al di là del significato personale che quest'opera ha per me, comunque, devo necessariamente sottolinearne la prosa scorrevole ma ugualmente ricercata, la quale rende anche le digressioni storico-politiche, di solito terribilmente pesanti e noiose, estremamente interessanti. Quelle sui rapporti dell'Impero con l'Italia e l'Ungheria, ad esempio, sono davvero coinvolgenti e incapaci di annoiare, oltre che molto rigorose.
Decisamente vincente è infine la scelta della divisione in capitoli tematici: pur non tralasciando la scansione cronologica degli eventi, essa offre infatti una visione a 360° sulla vita dell'imperatrice, esaminandone in maniera approfondita ogni aspetto e guidandoci passo passo alla scoperta del suo io più profondo.
Io di libri sulla principessa Sissi ne ho letti a bizzeffe, sospinta dal desiderio di conoscere sempre più intimamente questa donna con cui sento una connessione davvero profonda. Sebbene per me la biografia scritta da Nicole Avril resti insuperabile, è innegabile che anche questo lavoro della Hamann sia eccellente.
Leggendo la prima da bambina e poi da adulta, ho potuto constatare lo scarto esistente tra l'immagine idealizzata di Sissi, che avevo in mente da piccola, e quella reale, che mi ha scioccato conoscere man mano che crescevo. Un'immagine, quest'ultima, di una donna sofferente, disillusa e irrequieta che voleva disperatamente fuggire dalla prigione dorata in cui lei stessa si era rinchiusa.
Leggendo la ricostruzione della Hamann già consapevole di tutto ciò, invece, e soprattutto dopo aver visitato il Museo di Sissi alla Hofburg di Vienna, ho ricevuto ulteriori conferme delle affinità che mi uniscono alla figura storica dell'imperatrice. Fermo restando le evidenti differenze, infatti, personalmente mi sento legata a Sissi da quell'indefinibile senso di inadeguatezza che non le permise di sentirsi a casa in nessun luogo, spingendola dunque a cercare altrove una pace introvabile. Introvabile perché, come mette ben in luce la Hamann, la soluzione al problema non andava cercata all'esterno, bensì dentro di sé.
"La vita di Elisabetta si trasformò in una fuga, in un tentativo di sfuggire non già a un mondo veramente ostile o presunto tale, bensì soprattutto al proprio io, alla perpetua irrequietezza della propria anima."
Al di là del significato personale che quest'opera ha per me, comunque, devo necessariamente sottolinearne la prosa scorrevole ma ugualmente ricercata, la quale rende anche le digressioni storico-politiche, di solito terribilmente pesanti e noiose, estremamente interessanti. Quelle sui rapporti dell'Impero con l'Italia e l'Ungheria, ad esempio, sono davvero coinvolgenti e incapaci di annoiare, oltre che molto rigorose.
Decisamente vincente è infine la scelta della divisione in capitoli tematici: pur non tralasciando la scansione cronologica degli eventi, essa offre infatti una visione a 360° sulla vita dell'imperatrice, esaminandone in maniera approfondita ogni aspetto e guidandoci passo passo alla scoperta del suo io più profondo.
April 22, 2025
Thoroughly researched and nicely written. The books’ thematic set-up worked well in my opinion. I especially enjoyed the second half of the book, since those chapters were less dense with politics and more about Sisi’s very peculiar personality and its effect on her relationships.
Although one feels inclined to feel bad for the young Empress at the start of her journey, one cannot help but feel so much worse for literally everyone else who was dependent on her (attention, love, devotion, rationality or stability) in any kind of way.
Although one feels inclined to feel bad for the young Empress at the start of her journey, one cannot help but feel so much worse for literally everyone else who was dependent on her (attention, love, devotion, rationality or stability) in any kind of way.
February 13, 2023
Often considered the definitive biography of Queen Sissi, this book does not disappoint.
Filled with lots of details, names and a good chronological explanation of her life.
The only downside - also the reason it took me so long to read - there are sooo many personalities and events detailed in there and one has to stop and check on Google who's who and what did they do.
I think it's imperative to go in details with what the book gives, otherwise the read would not be complete.
Filled with lots of details, names and a good chronological explanation of her life.
The only downside - also the reason it took me so long to read - there are sooo many personalities and events detailed in there and one has to stop and check on Google who's who and what did they do.
I think it's imperative to go in details with what the book gives, otherwise the read would not be complete.
December 1, 2024
Sehr interessant, aber auch ermüdend
May 26, 2023
while i enjoyed how comprehensive this biography was, i kept wondering why the author even wrote it - she seems to really dislike empress sisi. some passages such as ones concerning sisi's poetry even make fun of her, which i found weird in a biography. i don't expect any author to constantly defend or necessarily celebrate their subject, but it was strange to me how often the author assumed bad intentions on sisi's part - it sometimes felt like the author was just berating sisi (her actions, her personality, her hobbies) while holding up emperor franz or his mother sophie as some paragon of virtue. just kind of odd.
August 11, 2025
im quite sentimental over this book, a biography of Empress Elisabeth that I bought in the gift shop of the Sisi Museum in Vienna. I remember spending a good ten minutes going back and forth on whether to make this spur of the moment and pricy purchase; and god am i thankful for my decision. this book is written so well, flows smoothly like a novel, a rare feat for a biography, especially of one so rich in detail.
(sisi preferring budapest over vienna had me giggling cause girl same)
(sisi preferring budapest over vienna had me giggling cause girl same)
September 17, 2018
I liked this book, and I feel a little guilty giving it 3 stars because I think 3.5 would be a lot more fair. Hamann does a wonderful job retelling the life of an extraordinary woman - not so much because Elizabeth was smart, driven, or politically inclined - but because more than anything, Elizabeth was born to live in an entirely different era.
Hamann is able to successfully shine a light on a very conflicting personality, and without too much justification, allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about this particular individual. My only complaint is that if felt tedious and dragged on at certain part, though that tends to be how historical biographies are.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in women breaking with tradition and living their life on their terms, even if it came at a cost of everything they held dear.
Hamann is able to successfully shine a light on a very conflicting personality, and without too much justification, allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about this particular individual. My only complaint is that if felt tedious and dragged on at certain part, though that tends to be how historical biographies are.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in women breaking with tradition and living their life on their terms, even if it came at a cost of everything they held dear.
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