The Austrian Empress Elisabeth is booming. There is a new feature film about Sisi (“Corsage”), two TV series, a film by Frauke Finsterwalder and Christian Kracht is in the works.
And then there is Sisi by Karen Duve: the German author caused a sensation with her meticulously researched novel about a woman who keeps the world busy to this day. A talk about the poetry and problems of a horse lover, reminiscent of Lady Di.
SRF: How do you explain the current Sisi hype?
Karen Duve: Sisi is actually always present. Once you deal with her, you get stuck with this personality because she’s good for everything. No matter what you want to show or explain.
Which of the many aspects of Sisi have you stuck with?
I was particularly interested in the fact that she was known throughout Europe as a legendary horsewoman in her time and for a long time afterwards. That she was such an outspoken perfectionist. Sisi took everything she tackled to the extreme.
Riding was something of an escape from her life, from her dissatisfaction and brooding.
Riding was also the starting point for your novel.
Actually, I wanted to write a book about horseback riding. Then I came across this rider who has so much more to offer at the same time.
What did equestrianism mean to Sisi?
Riding was something of an escape from her life, from her dissatisfaction and brooding. Sisi was actually severely depressed and melancholic. But as soon as she was in England, it was said: saddle up and let’s go.
However, Sisi practiced a highly dangerous competitive sport in which there are injuries, people fall off their horses and break something or even die. You just don’t have time to brood.
equestrian sport – 19th century bungee jumping?
Anyway, these chase races weren’t something an empress would normally be allowed to do. They were too dangerous for that. In addition, these par force hunts would also have been the ideal opportunity for assassination attempts.
Sisi anticipated this madness with diets, fitness and the whole beauty cult.
In addition, Sisi was the mother of the heir to the throne. The people hoped that another child would come. Sisi, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care.
The Sisi that you focus on in your book is quite old for that time: late 30s.
A matron, one would have said at the time. (laughs)
Had she already “emancipated” herself from the court and its social constraints at this point?
She had eluded a lot. But there were still a few compulsions she had to serve. When the Shah of Persia came, Sisi had to be present because this Shah didn’t want to leave until he had seen this most beautiful woman in Europe.
Above all, however, these excursions abroad were a way of escaping. And quite literally. Sisi was like Lady Diana. She was constantly followed by paparazzi, even if they weren’t usually out with the camera at the time, but with the drawing pen.
Why do you still feel so insanely addressed by this person that you “stick”, as you put it?
Sisi is an excellent projection screen, also because we know so much about her. She anticipated this madness with diets, fitness and the whole beauty cult. You could almost say: Sisi was an influencer.
At the same time, and this is perhaps the feminist approach, Sisi was also a total refusal to play a role. That’s always more interesting than someone who does what is expected of her.
A woman, fascinating many facets.
If you want a bit of escapism with pastel, you can look at the younger years. If you are interested in how a society is on the verge of decline and is still struggling and how Sisi already sees through it because she is so clever, then you can turn to this aspect.
You can focus on the sport, her depression, her volatility. From today’s perspective, it often looks as if she oscillated back and forth between closeness and cold-heartedness.
Could Sissi be nice too?
Her kindness was the absolute exception for someone who has to represent so much, show no weaknesses, and associate with no one. You have to give her credit for doing this over and over again.
The conversation was conducted by Nicola Steiner.