---

21 November 2016 marks the centenary of the death of Emperor Franz Joseph. During the course of his long reign of 68 years, Franz Joseph increasingly became a symbol of the Habsburg Monarchy and of its continued existence. Nevertheless, the policies he pursued left many of the problems facing such a complicated state unresolved and in the long term thus contributed to the downfall of the Empire. The idea of taking a critical look at the biography of this particular Habsburg figure is especially prompted by the image of Franz Joseph as a person and ruler, by the impact he had during his lifetime and by his enduring legacy of being "the Emperor".

This book focuses on the various aspects of the Emperor´s life history, on the political challenges he faced during his reign and on the personal misfortunes he endured. It provides a comprehensive and unashamedly critical portrayal of one of the major figures in Austrian history thanks to detailed essays written by renowned experts in the field.

---

Prof. Karl Vocelka lehrt Österreichische Geschichte an der Universität Wien. Er ist durch zahlreiche einschlägige Publikationen zu diesem Thema ausgewiesen.

---