Císař František Josef I. - Mýty a pravda – Unterreiner Katrin (2021)

What was Emperor Franz Joseph I like in private? Katrin Unterreiner provides many answers to this question, presenting various perspectives on the man who led a powerful monarchy for 68 years and contributed to shaping European history. The traditional official image of the emperor depicts a serious man who diligently fulfilled his duties throughout his life and remained faithful to his ideals. In contrast to this official view, the author writes about the emperor's childhood and early youth, his loving and respectful attitude towards his mother Sophie, his friendly relationships with his brothers, and the humor he often displayed during that time, which remained with him throughout his life, albeit only in contact with his closest people. His lifelong deep love for his wife Elisabeth, which she reciprocated in her own special way, is not shaped by impressions from the romantic cult film Sissi, but is supported by correspondence and archival materials. The mutually problematic relationship with his son, Crown Prince Rudolf, is presented as a consequence of fundamentally different personalities and approaches to life. His interactions with his daughters were also marked by the strict court etiquette and the lifestyle of the emperor and empress. Later, when he became a grandfather, he fully enjoyed his grandchildren and openly expressed his affection for them.