Sisi’s Childhood Years @ 3Sat

Sisi’s Childhood Years – From Possenhofen to Vienna

Broadcast Date: 29.05.2022, 13:25 – 14:10

Empress Elisabeth of Austria was an icon for generations – created by the Imperial House in Vienna. Her childhood in Possenhofen was quickly forgotten.

Before Elisabeth of Bavaria, at the age of 15, married her first cousin, Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, and subsequently became the tragic icon of Austrian history, she spent a relatively carefree childhood at Lake Starnberg.

Sisi and her brother Gackl
Source: ORF/Red Monster Film
It has often been questioned whether the madness of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Elisabeth’s own inner turmoil, and the mental instability of her son, Crown Prince Rudolf, could be attributed to the hereditary influence of incestuous dynastic connections within her family.

Director Stefan Wolner explores this question and also compares the historical reality of Elisabeth’s Bavarian youth with the clichés of post-war film adaptations.