Lexi Webster
On September 10, 1898, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, was assassinated in Geneva, Switzerland. The Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni stabbed her with a sharpened file while she was walking with her lady-in-waiting, Countess Irma Sztáray, to catch a steamship. Elisabeth had been travelling incognito as the Countess of Hohenembs and had refused security arrangements, but her location had been leaked to the local newspaper. In the aftermath of her death, her body was taken to Vienna and interred in the Imperial Crypt at the Church of the Capuchin Friars.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of assassination | 10 September 1898 |
| Age at death | 60 or 61 |
| Place of assassination | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Assailant | Luigi Lucheni |
| Assailant's nationality | Italian |
| Assailant's ideology | Anarchist |
| Weapon used | Sharpened triangular file or stiletto dagger |
| Motive | Protest against the plutocracy |
| Circumstances | Elisabeth was travelling incognito and without security |
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What You'll Learn
Elisabeth's anarchist assassin, Luigi Lucheni
Luigi Lucheni, born Louis Lucheni, was an Italian anarchist and the assassin of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria. He was born in Paris on April 22, 1873, to an unknown father and a mother who abandoned him as a baby. He was left at a foundling hospital and later moved to Italy, where he grew up in orphanages and foster homes. As an adult, Lucheni worked odd jobs in Italy, Switzerland, and Austria-Hungary, and served in the military for three years. He eventually moved to Switzerland, where he befriended anarchists in Lausanne.
Lucheni travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, with the intention of assassinating a royal. He had originally planned to kill the Duke of Orléans, but his target had left Geneva, so he selected Elisabeth as his victim when a local newspaper revealed that a woman travelling under a pseudonym was, in fact, the Empress of Austria. On September 10, 1898, Lucheni lay in wait for Elisabeth and her companion, Countess Irma Sztáray, on the lake promenade. He then used a sharpened file to inflict a small but fatal wound to the Empress's heart.
Elisabeth collapsed unconscious and was carried back to her hotel, where she was pronounced dead within an hour of the attack. Lucheni was apprehended while fleeing the scene, and he proudly admitted to the assassination during his interrogation. He gave his motive as: "Because I am an anarchist, because I am poor, because I love the workers and I desire to see the death of the rich." He also stated that he used the file because he did not have enough money for a revolver or a dagger.
Lucheni was sentenced to life in prison and hanged himself in his cell on October 19, 1910. His head was preserved in formaldehyde and transferred to Vienna in 1986, where it was on display until 2000 when his remains were finally interred. Elisabeth's assassination by Lucheni resulted in the first international conference against terrorism and the resolution to permit capital punishment for the assassination of sovereigns.
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The weapon used to kill Elisabeth
Lucheni's choice of weapon was influenced by his financial constraints, as he did not have enough money to purchase a "proper" weapon. The file he chose was sharpened to a triangular point and used to stab Elisabeth in the heart. The force of the blow caused her to fall to the ground, but she quickly stood up again, believing she had merely been punched. It was only when her companion, Countess Irma Sztáray, noticed a small bloodstain on her chemise that they realised she had been stabbed.
The autopsy performed on Elisabeth revealed that the file had penetrated 3.33 inches (85 mm) into her thorax, fracturing her fourth rib and piercing her lung, pericardium, and heart. The sharpness and thinness of the file, combined with the pressure from Elisabeth's tight corseting, slowed the bleeding to mere drops, prolonging her survival after the attack. Had the weapon not been removed, she may have lived longer, as it would have acted as a plug to stop the bleeding.
The file used in the assassination is now on display at the Hofburg Palace.
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Elisabeth's mental health
Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was married to her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I, at the young age of 16. She was unprepared for the sudden transition to the much more formal Habsburg court life and found it suffocating. She was also at odds with her aunt and mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, who took over the rearing of Elisabeth's children. The strain of court life and the loss of control over her children took a toll on Elisabeth's mental health. In 1862, she suffered a nervous breakdown and began to spend as much time as possible away from the "prison fortress" of Vienna's Hofburg palace, travelling extensively to Greece, England, Ireland, Switzerland, and Hungary. She wrote, "I want always to be on the move… Every ship I see sailing away fills me with the greatest desire to be on it."
Elisabeth developed a deep interest in Hungary, then a rebellious part of her husband's empire. She believed the Hungarian people deserved greater freedoms and respect, and she collaborated with her close friend, the Hungarian statesman Gyula Andrássy, to advance the Hungarian cause. This progressive political stance, along with her frequent travels, may have contributed to the perception that she was a liberal and forward-thinking monarch.
However, by the 1880s, it became clear that Elisabeth was suffering from a serious mental illness. Her daughter, Marie Valerie, recalled finding her mother laughing hysterically in a bathtub. Elisabeth frequently spoke of suicide to a terrified Franz Joseph and sought help from mediums and psychics to alleviate her mental anguish. The death of her beloved son, Crown Prince Rudolf, in 1889, sent her into a steep decline. With her liberal, progressive son dead, she knew that the conservative empire of Austria-Hungary would not last. She travelled aimlessly, dressed in mourning black, refusing police protection, and longing for death.
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Political assassinations in Europe
The anarchist had initially planned to assassinate the Duke of Orléans but changed his target when he learned of the Empress's presence in Geneva from a local newspaper. Lucheni's actions were motivated by his anarchist beliefs and a desire to protest against the ruling class. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, during which he hanged himself.
The assassination of Empress Elisabeth is not an isolated incident in European history. The late 19th and early 20th centuries, in particular, were marked by various socialist, anarchist, and nationalist movements, with terrorist groups targeting royal families and political figures. For example, Elisabeth's son, Crown Prince Rudolf, died in 1889 alongside his mistress, Mary Vetsera, in a double suicide. Additionally, her brother-in-law, Maximilian, was executed by firing squad after serving as Emperor of Mexico for three years.
Political assassinations continue to occur in Europe, often fuelled by ideological, religious, or ethnic tensions. These acts of violence are perpetrated by individuals or groups seeking to advance their agendas, challenge authority, or exact revenge. While the specific motivations and contexts vary, political assassinations have left an indelible mark on Europe's historical and contemporary landscape.
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Elisabeth's progressive beliefs
Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, was known for her progressive beliefs, which set her apart from other royals of her time. She was born into the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach and married her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I, at the age of 16, becoming Empress of Austria.
One of Elisabeth's most notable progressive beliefs was her support for the Hungarian people, who were a rebellious part of her husband's empire. She believed that they deserved greater freedoms and respect, and worked closely with Hungarian statesman Gyula Andrássy to advance their cause. This interest in Hungary began early in her reign and was perhaps fuelled by her dislike of the formal Habsburg court life, which she found suffocating.
Elisabeth's progressive outlook also extended to her personal life. She suffered from mental illness and often spoke of suicide, a topic that terrified her husband. She sought help from mediums and psychics to alleviate her mental anguish. After the death of her beloved son, Crown Prince Rudolf, in 1889, she was sent into a steep decline. Rudolf's death left her longing for death, and she began to wander, travelling aimlessly across the continent and North Africa, refusing police protection.
In addition to her political and personal beliefs, Elisabeth was also progressive in her self-care practices. She was known for her meticulous attention to her physical appearance, engaging in gymnastics, dieting, sports, and the use of cosmetics. This focus on self-care contributed to her reputation as the most celebrated woman of her era for her beauty and poise.
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Frequently asked questions
Elisabeth was assassinated by an anarchist named Luigi Lucheni, who intended to kill any random royal he could find, no matter who they were.
On 10 September 1898, Lucheni stabbed the Empress with a sharpened, triangular file, inflicting a small but fatal wound to her heart.
Emperor Franz Joseph I initially feared that his wife's death was caused by suicide. He was reassured when a later message detailed the assassination.
