![]() The Rorschacher Bürgermusik band gave a rousing rendition of the Austrian national anthem. At the landing stage stood a triumphal arch with emblems of the Austrian imperial family and the Swiss Confederation, and the pediment of the Kornhaus was embellished with a large shield featuring the Austrian double-headed eagle. The lighthouse was also decorated with flags and flowers, and the organisers had even built a second wooden “lighthouse”. The dominant colours were black and yellow, and red and white – matching the Habsburg flags. The entire port of Rorschach was festively decorated with garlands and flowers the local organisers wanted to splash out and impress their exalted guest. Another key consideration was that the canton of St Gallen, where Rorschach is located, borders directly on Austria, in contrast to Romanshorn which is in Thurgau. Rorschach had been chosen in preference to Romanshorn because of its less cluttered port. ![]() On board the saloon steamer Kaiserin Elisabeth, named in honour of his late wife Sisi, the Emperor pulled alongside the dock at Rorschach at 10:00 on the dot. ![]() Swiss National Museum On Tuesday, 31 August 1909, the hour arrived. The port of Rorschach around 1902, with paddle steamer and barge. The Vice President of the Federal Council, Robert Comtesse (1847-1922), had to step into the breach and lead the three-man Federal Council delegation, accompanied by high-ranking military officers Ulrich Wille (later General) and Theophil Sprecher von Bernegg (later Chief of the General Staff). But Federal President Adolf Deucher (1831-1912) chose to go on a spa holiday rather than receive the Emperor, even though he had himself grown up on Lake Constance. In order for the Emperor’s visit to have the status of an official state visit, all Federal Councillors would have had to be present otherwise it was considered only a “courtesy call”. The Emperor was visiting Vorarlberg at the end of August 1909, and had planned a side trip to Switzerland.īut the Swiss Federal Council vacillated on how to respond. The initiative for the visit came from Austria. It could therefore have been expected that the Federal Council would make every effort to give the long-established and powerful ruler of the neighbouring Habsburg monarchy a reception worthy of his status. His daughter Sophie died at the age of two his brother Maximilian was executed in Mexico his son and heir to the throne Rudolf committed suicide his wife Elisabeth (known as Sisi) was assassinated, in fact, in Switzerland. Under the full public gaze, the man had suffered numerous crushing blows of fate. But the public, including the people of Switzerland, thought differently. In the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper Franz Joseph was referred to disparagingly as a “doddery old monarch”. Website: geschichte-texte.ch 1909: Emperor Franz Joseph was 79 years old and had ruled his Habsburg monarchy for an incredible 61 years he had become a living institution.
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