Missing for 107 Years: Empress Sisi‘s Jewel Collection Found, Sparks Dispute with Austria
VIENNA – A hidden trove of jewels belonging to Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, has been discovered after being concealed for 107 years, igniting a potential legal battle between the habsburg family and the Austrian government. The collection,amassed by the Empress and her family,was located and its existence confirmed recently,prompting plans for a public exhibition in Canada. However, Austria is now asserting potential claims to the diamonds and other precious stones.
The Habsburg family revealed intentions to display the collection in Canada “quickly,” citing a “cultural-past responsibility” to share the artifacts with the public, according to family head Karl Habsburg. This move comes as the 100th anniversary of the death of Emperor Karl I, Sisi’s son-in-law, approaches – a date the Empress herself stipulated should mark the earliest possible time for the jewels’ unveiling.But Austria’s 1919 Habsburg Law, which allows for near-total confiscation of the family’s assets by the republic, complicates those plans.
The jewels were hidden following the fall of the austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and their location remained a closely guarded secret. Empress Sisi reportedly mandated the jewels remain concealed until at least a century after the death of her son-in-law, Karl I, who died in 1922.
Now, Austrian Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler of the SPÖ party has directed a review to determine whether the Republic has a legal claim to the rediscovered diamonds, according to reports in the Kronen Zeitung. The outcome of this legal assessment could determine whether the Habsburgs are permitted to exhibit the collection abroad or if the jewels will remain within Austria’s borders.The dispute centers on the interpretation of the 1919 Habsburg Law and its applicability to assets concealed prior to its enactment.
