Vienna 2013: Hofburg Palace

Hofburg Palace is actually a collection of buildings that represented the residences of the Hapsburg emperors.  Over the generations, each new emperor might build another palace for himself, but would maintain all the residences from the past, in order to preserve the history of the dynasty.  The result is over a dozen buildings, gardens, courtyards and squares that range from the 13th century through the 20th century.

The last palace wing was completed in 1913 and was designated "Neue Burg" or New Castle.  The building was used only briefly before the First World War ended the Hapsburg empire.  It is infamous for being the location from which Adolf Hitler made his speech announcing the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on March 15, 1938.  The New Castle currently houses several museums including ones for Arms and Amory and Musical Instruments.

We visited the Imperial Palace which was the home of the last Hapsburg emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Empress Elisabeth (nicknamed Sisi).  A single ticket gained us access to the Royal Silver Collection, the Imperial Apartments, and the Sisi Museum, dedicated to the life of the Empress.

The "Silver Collection" is a misnomer since the actual silverware amounts to a very small fraction of what is on display.  In fact, there was much more gold to be seen, from gilded cutlery to candlesticks to massively elaborate table centerpieces.  There were also porcelain plates, urns, serving bowls, tureens, dinner, dessert, and tea services in all varieties of colours and designs, from around the world.  I pitied the armies of servants who had to clean all these pieces. Formal state dinners  could have hundreds of guests being served more than a dozen courses, which were often not eaten, since the dinner was intended as more of a symbolized ritual. We also saw the Emperor's personal dining room where he would dine with his family only. Even in this more casual atmosphere, the Emperor was served first, and when he put down his fork, everybody's plate would be whisked away for the next course. Family dinners had around 10 courses and never took longer than 45 minutes.

What I found most fascinating were the examples of napkin folds.  The official royal napkin fold was apparently a great secret known only by a couple of trained experts. Its main feature were the round holes into which buns were to be placed.  The napkins in the shape of a fish and a swan were even more elaborate with countless number of folds applied to linens that were one square meter in size. 

The Sisi Museum gave great insight into the enigma who became Empress Elisabeth of Austria, providing details of her life from childhood through to her death.  Married at age 16 to the more mature Emperor Franz Joseph I, Sisi was not prepared for the pomp and pageantry of the life in the Royal Court.  Being prone to shyness and depression, the Empress withdrew more and more from the public life of a monarch, often leaving on long trips abroad.  After the suicide of Rudolf, her only son and heir to the throne, she went into permanent mourning and wore only black.  Although not well liked during her lifetime due to her reticience, Sisi's tragic assassination led to her posthumously becoming a heroic icon to the Austrian people.

Much information was given about Sisi's vanity, her desire to maintain her 20 inch waist and the care that was given to her lengthy hair, which took 3 hours to brush and was a day-long process to wash. Visiting the Imperial Apartments accentuated these facts.  Sisi's dressing room included (unusual for the time) exercise equipment that helped her keep her slim figure.  She was one of the first in Europe to have a personal bathroom including a zinc-copper bathtub.  Franz Joseph's suite and in particular, his bed, seemed quite modest for an emperor.