At the promenade of Lake Geneva, near the location of her assassination, stands a bronze statue of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, also known as Sisi.
Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie (1837-1889) was born in Munich into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. At age 15, she became the Empress of Austria upon her marriage to her cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.
The young empress struggled to adapt to the strict and formal life at the royal court, and she had troublesome relationships with her husband and her mother-in-law, who prevented her from having a significant role in her children’s lives.
Sisi suffered from eating disorders and depression and developed several health issues. These have aggravated following the death of her infant daughter in 1857 and after her son’s suicide in 1889. To overcome her difficulties, she became an extensive traveler, spending most of her time away from her country and husband.
On 10 September 1898, Sisi left hotel Beau-Rivage in Geneva, Switzerland. While taking a walk on the shore of Lake Geneva, she was stabbed by an Italian anarchist. She died a few hours later at the age of 61.
In 1998, to mark the 100th anniversary of her assassination, the Beau-Rivage hotel and the association Sisi commissioned sculptor Philip Jackson to create a statue of the beloved empress.
The statue depicts Sisi wearing elegant clothes and holding a fan, which became her signature accessory in her later years. She stands on top of a staircase inscribed with the words:
IN MEMORIAM | ELISABETH IMPERATRICE D AUTRICHE, REINE DE HONGRIE | 1898-10 SEPTEMBRE – 1998.
Other places close by are the Brunswick Monument, the Monument National, the Jardin Anglais, and the Jet d’Eau – Geneva’s famous fountain.
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