If you’ve known me for a while, you might recall I’m a fan of a certain Austrian Empress, and that my obsession took the form of two young adult novels, THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES and THE KEEPSAKE, that centered on Sisi (or Sissi, depending on who you quote), and a contemporary teen girl who discovers a way to communicate with the legendary Kaiserin through the pages of an ancient journal.
Backstory on the obsession: I was born in Vienna, and lived there through my infancy and early childhood. My father and his family were Austrian, flung out of Nazi-occupied Austria just before WWII, but circled back often after Austria freed itself from Germany. So, having been born a stone’s throw from the Hofburg, you could imagine that the Habsburgs and their history are my version of The Crown.
That’s why I was thrilled to see that Netflix recently launched a series called Die Kaiserin—a German production that covers (at least in this inaugural season) Sisi’s early years as Empress.
I began my binge of the series with held breath, hoping the production had quality writing, acting, production value, and that it stuck close to history, including the politics of the time. Well, I’m happy to report that Katharina Eyssen's masterful depiction of the Habsburg’s Court and Sisi’s background as a wild girl from the countryside forced into the punitive role as Austrian first lady at the age of 16 is not only authentic, but the surgical focus on intrafamily tensions within the chaos of an Empire on the brink of collapse is exquisite. And, it must be said, the set design and costumery is award-caliber.
I admit the series won’t appeal to everyone, as it tends to highlight the soap-operaesque scandals and drama of the era, but I’m a fan of all that stuff, and I felt the narrative mix was balanced and oh my god the casting! Devrim Lingnau is the embodiment of the Sisi I envisioned when I wrote my books. Her romps through her family’s Bavarian castle before succumbing to the formal life of Viennese Court took me back a decade, to my erstwhile blog, written in the imagined voice of Empress Elisabeth.
The blog was so much fun to goof around with—a totally campy indulgence, peppered with silly videos like this one:
I have to say, that five-year period (2010-2015) I spent immersed in researching and writing about Sisi’s early life—and embellishing it with mythos and fantastical elements—was the most fruitful and joyous of writing times.
If you’re a fan of The Crown, or royal histories in general, dim the lights and stream yourself Die Kaiserin, and tell me what you think! Oh, and if you are interested in my version, feel free to order a copy (or copies) from your favorite bookstore.
I never knew that about your history. That is so cool. This book looks amazing. I'm going to order it. :)