VIENNA.- In the 68 years of his reign Emperor Franz Joseph gave many audiences, which on average lasted no longer than three minutes. A hundred years after his death, the Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. and the KHMMuseumsverband are presenting a multifaceted and in-depth critical view of the life and political career of this long-reigning monarch in the special major exhibition “Franz Joseph 1830-1916 – Centenary of the Emperor’s Death”.

“I think we have succeeded in presenting a detailed overall view of the person Franz Joseph as well as conveying the political effects of his in part ambivalent actions, “ says Franz Sattlecker, CEO of the Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. “It would be a special pleasure for me if this exhibition sparked the visitors’ interest in this last phase of the Habsburg Monarchy.”

“The Imperial Wagenburg Vienna, the Equipage Museum, is a key setting for the exhibition, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) the main source of loans to the show,” KHM Director General Sabine Haag explains the cooperation. “The exhibition in the Imperial Wagenburg Vienna has spectacular coaches on show, like the famous Black Hearse of the Vienna Court, resplendent full dress uniforms owned by the emperor, and a festive horse harness tack with opulent, fire-gilt fittings, on display for the first time.”

As curator in the venues of Schönbrunn Palace, the Imperial Furniture Collection (Hofmobiliendepot Möbelmuseum Vienna) and Schloss Niederweiden, historian Karl Vocelka spans an arc of topics around Franz Joseph that includes “Man & Monarch”, “Feasting & Everyday”, and “Hunting & Leisure”. Mario Döberl, curator of the Imperial Wagenburg Vienna, is presenting an exhibition in this, the Equipage Museum, on the emperor’s “Majesty & Modesty”. Erich Woschitz is the exhibition architect in all four venues. Highlights of the wide-ranging background programme include chamber plays and scenic readings in the Imperial Furniture Collection, guided tours combining culture with food, and also cooking workshops in the game kitchen of Schloss Niederweiden.