Sisi Exhibition at Schloss Niederweiden Prolonged

Schloss Niederweiden has around 400 exhibits in its Sisi special exhibition, some of them from Empress Elisabeth’s, or ‘’Sisi’’ as she’s widely known, personal property. The good news: the exhibition has been extended until October 26, 2021! So how about a trip to eastern Lower Austria?

Excursion to Schloss Niederweiden

Have you already been on vacation or are you staying home this summer? We can highly recommend a vacation or excursion in Austria ­– for example to Schönbrunn Palace, the flower gardens at Schloss Hof, or the Sisi special exhibition at Schloss Niederweiden. The Schönbrunn Group’s locations are perfect for a hot summer day, because the old walls of these castles stay cool, even at high temperatures!

Schloss Niederweiden was built shortly before 1700 as a hunting lodge and was later redesigned by empress Maria Theresa. It gradually fell into disrepair after her death until it was renovated in the 1980s. Since 2016, exhibitions have been shown there as well as at nearby Schloss Hof.

Over the past 20 years, the Schönbrunn Group has been able to continuously expand its Empress Elisabeth Collection – it now includes around 1500 objects! Around 400 selected pieces can now be seen in the Sisi special exhibition.

Sisi was known for her sumptuous clothes © Dieter Nagl for SKB

Sisi – Woman & Majesty

Empress Elisabeth still continues to fascinate today. The special exhibition at Schloss Niederweiden illuminates her life from childhood until her death as well as the many films and books that deal with the empress. However, her role as a protective and benevolent empress is particularly emphasized. Numerous objects such as jewelry, clothing, and shoes as well as paintings and sculptures come in part from Sisi’s personal possessions.

“Every single object in the exhibition tells history and stories and shows the uniqueness and richness of the Empress Elisabeth Collection”. – Elfriede Iby, Scientific Director of the Schönbrunn Group

Sisi grew up in Bavaria and eventually fell in love with Emperor Franz Joseph, whom she married at the young age of 16. This young love and her unfamiliar new life at the Viennese court are told through portraits, pictures, and busts. Sisi gave birth to four children, two of whom died: her daughter, Sophie, died as a child, and her son Rudolf and his lover Mary Vetsera committed suicide in Mayerling. In order to process this grief and to stay away from the intrigues at the imperial court, the empress withdrew and concentrated on her appearance, among other things. Allegedly, she spent about three hours a day taking care of her hair! On the other hand, she was very athletic and known for her wild rides. The exhibition also shows Sisi’s enthusiasm for travel and her interest in distant countries and other cultures.

Sisi and the Media

A new exhibition area shows the media depiction of the empress, whose life was filmed, described in books, and sung about in musicals and songs. The musical “Elisabeth” from the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, which was supposed to have taken place this summer as a concert performance at Schönbrunn Palace, had to be postponed to 2022. Until then, you can bide your time by watching the famous film trilogy from 1955 starring Romy Schneider, which can also be found online.

Sisi reportedly spent about three hours taking care of her hair © Dieter Nagl for SKB

Sisi’s Son Rudolf at Schloss Hof

If you still haven’t had enough after the Sisi special exhibition at Schloss Niederweiden, it’s best to head straight to the nearby Schloss Hof Estate. Another part of the exhibition is shown there, dealing with Sisi’s son Rudolf and illuminating the private side of the Crown Prince. Like Sisi, he was interested in nature and travel – the exhibition shows these similarities and always draws links to his mother.

You shouldn’t miss these two exhibitions! We recommend visiting the Sisi special exhibition at Niederweiden Castle and Schloss Hof Estate on a weekend trip. If that’s still not enough, you can get the “Sisi Ticket Deluxe,” with which you can visit all Schönbrunn Group locations until October 26, 2021, at a reduced price.

We have more exhibition tips in our last blog post “Don’t miss these exhibitions this summer! What’s On” in Austria? A summary of exhibitions worth seeing for summer 2021.” So let’s go!