Franz Joseph’s Bedroom

Following a precisely determined timetable, the emperor’s daily routine began very early, often at 3.30 am. After rising, the emperor washed in cold water at the washstand; Franz Joseph did not have a bathroom with running water. A modern flush toilet was not installed until relatively late, in 1899. It is located in an alcove in the doorway to the next room.

The plain bed in the corner of the room also attests to the spartan lifestyle preferred by the emperor. It was in this bed that Franz Joseph died at the ripe old age of eighty-six on 21 November 1916, amidst the turmoil of the First World War. In him the Habsburg Monarchy lost an important figure of identification. The painting displayed on the easel shows the emperor on his deathbed.

Like all the rooms in his apartments, Franz Joseph’s bedroom is still in the same state as it was when emperor died in 1916. These rooms thus give visitors an authentic impression of the surroundings in which Franz Joseph lived.