Hohenems palace displays previously unseen Sisi artifacts

A special exhibition at the Palace of Hohenems is displaying previously unpublished objects from the Austrian imperial family, ORF reports. The show explores Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi, and her ties to the palace.

Sisi often avoided strict court protocol and travelled privately under the name Countess of Hohenems. The palace’s owner, Clemens Waldburg-Zeil, is her great-great-grandson. The family connection came through Sisi’s daughter Marie Valerie and granddaughter Ella, who married Count Georg von Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems in 1912.

Among the exhibits are handwritten postcards Sisi sent to her granddaughter, offering a rare glimpse of the empress’s private life. A portrait of Sisi, once displayed in Emperor Franz Joseph’s study at Schönbrunn Palace and considered his favourite painting, is being shown at the Hohenems palace for the first time.

The exhibition also includes Sisi’s original fans. She had a pronounced fear of being looked at and was unhappy with her teeth, and used a fan she carried with her to conceal both.

A royal nursery display features a sled, a cradle and two historic baby carriages. One carriage had a hollow built into it where hot stones could be placed to keep a baby warm in cold weather.

The exhibition runs until the end of May 2027.