Vienna woman of choice - Empress Elizabeth

First day in Vienna! We did a little walking tour and got to learn about Empress Elizabeth. From what Maryann told us about, I learned a ton! Elizabeth was born in Vienna in 1837; in Bavaria. She had an unusually carefree childhood for someone who was in the royalty as much as she was. She was known as the most beautiful woman of her time. She married when she was 16 to Franz Joseph. He happened to be her first cousin, so her aunt was her mother in law. When she had children her mother in law would take them to raise and school them, because she thought Elizabeth was too carefree and didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t love or enjoy the Royal life, but it loved her. She was so loved and admired by everyone, mostly because of her looks. She had beautiful long hair, and a tiny, tiny waist. 


I think Elizabeth, also known as Sisi, has significantly influenced Austrian society through many ways. First, her advocacy for personal freedom and modernization. She helped create cultural shifts towards modernity and national unity. In addition, her focus on physical fitness and beauty standards forever changed societal norms. Although she was so loved and admired, she left us with some things that aren’t so great. These include lookism, ageism, disordered eating, exercise; she was one of the first to use exercising as a way to stay tiny, not in a healthy way. Both of these things have had a lasting impact on Vienna and their society. 


I think Empress Elizabeth of Austria was commemorated very well. She has the Sisi Museum at the Hofburg Palace, which gives a super detailed look into her life. She also has the statue and garden that her husband had made for her, which is beautiful. I think it’s perfect for her because it’s simple, in a beautiful garden that’s peaceful and quiet, opposite of how royalty was. Since Sisi wasn’t a fan of being royalty, I think this was a great way to commemorate her, rather than having something flashy or in a busy area. I think both of these commemorations are great for her and what she contributed to Vienna.


Slay!

Sophie 



Comments

  1. Lilly PetersonMay 30, 2024 at 6:38 AM

    Love this post Sophie! Sisi is definitely a very complex woman and it is interesting to learn about her life and how she changed Vienna. Her eating disorder is something that I'd never really heard about and I hadn't thought about the way that it changed society in Vienna in maybe a harmful way. Culture is something that is affected in so many different ways, and the leaders that people look up to definitely have a strong impact on that.

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  2. Caroline CaineJune 1, 2024 at 8:06 AM

    I really enjoyed reading your post Sophie! After learning about her challenges in her life, I think the biggest obstacle she faced was all of the negative body images she had of herself. Because people adored her for her physical appearance, that became something she struggled with. I think this is still very prevalent today and has gotten worse due to social media, but hopefully overtime we as women can make body positivity more apparent! Great post!

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  3. Audrey FergusonJune 15, 2024 at 3:59 AM

    I loved your post Sophie! I think Sisi had a lot of obstacle in her life but I think the biggest ones were her mother in law and her view of her body image. Her mother in law alway questioned Sisi right to rule and to be a queen which impacted how Sisi saw herself. Since people only saw her for her looks, she had to remain this perfect image she created for herself that was very unhealthy. This obstacle can still be seen in the modern days with people trying to maintain an unhealthy body image because they think people would like them more like that.

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  4. Sayler SchlosserJune 18, 2024 at 5:21 PM

    Sophie, i love your post! learning about Empress Elizabeth, or Sisi, shows us more about Vienna as a cultural hub. Her story reveals how Vienna admired her beauty but also struggled with societal expectations. Sisi pushed for personal freedom and modern ideas, which shifted Austrian culture. However, her focus on appearance also brought issues like disordered eating and ageism, still seen today. Vienna honors Sisi with museums and statues, recognizing her impact on Austrian history and culture

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