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Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Munich, 24 Dec 1837 – Geneva, 10 Sep 1898

15 facts2 sources

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About Empress

Elisabeth of Austria: Sisi, Marriage, and Murder

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Elisabeth’s birth in Munich in 1837. She was the daughter of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. 123

Known as Sisi, Elisabeth married Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1854. The records identify her as Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary and list her as Consort of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia. 45678910

She also held the title Grand Mistress of the Order of the Starry Cross from 1854 to 1898. The collection records her death in Geneva in 1898 and identifies it as an assassination. 1112134

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born24 Dec 1837, Munichnot verified1 source
  • MarriedFranz Joseph I of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleConsort of Hungaryor Grand Mistress of the Order the Starry Cross, 1854–1898 · Consort of Bohemia · Consort of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleConsort of Bohemiaor Grand Mistress of the Order the Starry Cross, 1854–1898 · Consort of Hungary · Consort of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleConsort of Austriaor Grand Mistress of the Order the Starry Cross, 1854–1898 · Consort of Hungary · Consort of Bohemianot verified1 source
  • TitleGrand Mistress of the Order the Starry Cross, 1854–1898or Consort of Hungary · Consort of Bohemia · Consort of Austrianot verified1 source
  • EventMurder of Elisabeth of Austriaor Marriage of Franz Joseph I of Austria and Duchess Elisabeth (Bavaria)not verified1 source
  • EventMarriage of Franz Joseph I of Austria and Duchess Elisabeth (Bavaria)or Murder of Elisabeth of Austrianot verified1 source
  • Died10 Sep 1898, Genevanot verified1 source
  • MotherPrincess Ludovika of Bavarianot verified1 source
  • FatherDuke Maximilian Joseph in Bavarianot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 24 Dec 1837

    Born in Munich

  2. 1854–1898

    Grand Mistress of the Order the Starry Cross

  3. 1855–1868

    4 children are born

  4. 10 Sep 1898

    Dies in Geneva, aged 60

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 4

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Munich.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1830s · Empress is born in Munich

In the news1834

Zollverein customs union founded in 1834

The Zollverein was founded to eliminate customs duties between German states, fostering economic integration under Prussian leadership.

What people wore

Head-carried baskets with embroidered rings

Deliverers carried their goods in round white baskets called Mange on their heads, supported by embroidered cloth rings that served as both cushions and decorative accessories.

Daily life

Homes heated by smoky, open hearths

Peasant homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open hearths that provided both light and heat while filling the living space with smoke. Small bundles of green pine brush, known as Kulelkes, were commonly used as fuel for these fires.

In the news1832

Uster factory fire in 1832

In 1832, home workers burned down the new Corrodi & Pfister factory in Uster to protest the introduction of mechanical looms.

Music

The 1833 Prussian Music Festival in Marienburg

In 1833, the first Prussian Music Festival took place in Marienburg, featuring over 200 participants including 49 singers and 143 musicians and singers from across East and West Prussia.

Around the world1825–1830

The first passenger railway

In England a steam locomotive pulled the first public train in 1825; within decades railways crossed every continent.

Getting around

Faster express coaches were costly

The introduction of the "Diligence" or express post coach in 1821 allowed for faster travel at speeds of around 10 km/h, making trips of 100 km possible in a single day. However, travel remained expensive, with a short trip from Berlin to Magdeburg costing four talers, nearly a schoolteacher's monthly salary.