Friday 26 June 2009

Empress Elisabeth Memorial Garden


Hidden away in the northern-most corner
of the Volksgarten Park,
in the Art Noveau inspired gardens
along Löwel Street,

lies a marble terraced memorial garden -
planned by the architect Friedrich Ohmann -
for Elisabeth of Austria,
the empress who tragically died
at the hands of a vile assassin in 1898.

A bird
sitting at the edge
of one of two fountains.

Beyond Hans Bitterlich's
gleaming white marble statue of Elisabeth
and the garden's green hedges
beckons the Burgtheater,
the Austrian National Theater.

Die Neue Burg
This is the view
from the memorial garden,
from north to south,
just as Elisabeth would enjoy if she
- and not her marble likeness -
would be sitting there today.

The Neue Burg - the south wing
to the original Hofburg -
was built according to plans by the architects
Karl von Hasenauer and Gottfried Semper,
renowned for their Ringstrassen buildings.
It was to be the last addition
to the large rambling Imperial Palace complex
and took more than thirty years to build:
Begun during Elisabeth's lifetime in 1881,
it was finished fifteen years after her assassination.

For more information
about Empress Elisabeth
click here and here.

Text and images
by Merisi
June 25, 2009

11 comments:

  1. Life's been busy and I've been away from your beautiful blog for too long, but what a great post to come back to. Sisi has always fascinated me... her story is just bizarre but very interesting. And I've always wanted to see the Elisabeth musical. But never knew that part of the Volksgarten was devoted to her!

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  2. Parismunch27 June, 2009

    It looks too darn HOT!!!
    I'm staying home!

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  3. It is always a treat to look at your blog Merisi!

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  4. I find these pictures to be delicate and pretty. They have a modern look. It is not so much of the voluptuous beauty of other places that you have shown us. It makes me feel as if Empress Elisabeth was very innocent.

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  5. The birds look right sitting upon the statues honoring Empress Elisabeth!
    Happy Saturday Merisi!

    xox
    Constance

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  6. The Hooded Crow has an excellent vantage point :-)

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  7. Hello Merisi,

    Having had a very hectic week, it has been a tremendous pleasure to travel over to your site, and to stroll through your past week's posts.

    I am now reassured that civilized existence is still available somewhere in the world.

    As always, I thank you for reminding me of just how beautiful life can be.

    xo

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  8. Very interesting post, Merisi.
    I always think you must be really busy composing every day a new post with many lovely images and texts.

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  9. I read a fascinating biography of the Empress Elizabeth several years ago.

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  10. Catching up with posts, and amazed to see this favourite place! Merisi I warmly thank you for illuminating this lovely corner (and I mean warm, it is 30 % C here which in the UK is high).

    Glad you caught the statue without rain...

    Best regards
    K.

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