The Age of Emperor Franz Joseph. Part 1: From the Revolution to the Gründerzeit

“The unbroken interest in the person of Emperor Franz Joseph and his era, which has increased in the last two decades, can be described as a phenomenon,” said Harry Kühnel. Together with historian Adam Wandruszka, the head of the Cultural Office of the City of Krems was exhibition director of the 1984 provincial exhibition. This interest was all the more surprising as it was also evident in countries that were once hostile to the emperor and the Habsburg Monarchy.

This era is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating in Austrian history, although “it is by no means possible to paint a picture of the ‘good old days’, the dark sides were too serious in many areas” (Kühnel).

When Emperor Franz Joseph came to power in 1848, the Habsburg Monarchy was the third largest state in Europe in terms of size and population, but an extremely complex structure. There were incredible tensions between the individual crown lands and regions, with people living in different eras. “Neo-absolutism attempted to counter the economic and social differences and the enormous need to catch up with the Western European states by modernizing the entire state system in administration, education, the legal system and through appropriate measures in economic, trade and financial policy,” analyzed Wandruszka/Kühnel.

However, the economic boom and the countless industrial start-ups - a smoking chimney was considered a symbol of prosperity at the time - triggered a number of problems, be it in the area of housing, urban infrastructure or public health. In the early 1880s, at the end of the period covered by the exhibition, positive social developments could be observed (e.g. 11-hour day, restriction of female and child labor) after the December Acts of 1867 had guaranteed the general rights of citizens.

The exhibition concept provided for the areas of politics, economics and social affairs to be shown on the second floor of the palace as events unfolded, while the second floor presented the imperial family, the nobility and the church as well as documenting the fine arts, literature, music and theater of the era.

The aim was not to be comprehensive, but rather to characterize the era. “The aim was also to convey the 'atmosphere' of the 19th century, be it in a street scene from Vienna, in the construction of a grocer's store, in the construction of a bakery and a shoemaker's workshop, the reproduction of a classroom and a civil servant's office,” explained the two exhibition directors.

Just a few years earlier, it would have been hard to believe that Grafenegg could one day host a national exhibition, as Grafenegg had experienced devastation and glorious times in the course of its history, wrote the owner of the castle, Franz Albrecht Metternich-Sándor: “The Second World War and the post-war period brought the castle to the brink of destruction. After the State Treaty, hardly anyone believed it could be saved.”

Grafenegg Castle