Archduchess Gisela Louise Marie of Austria (12 July 1856 – 27 July 1932) was the second daughter and eldest surviving child of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. She became a Princess of Bavaria through her marriage to her second cousin, Leopold.
Although christened Gisella, she only ever wrote her name with one L. Just like her elder sister Archduchess Sophie and her brother Crown Prince Rudolf, Gisela was raised by her paternal grandmother, Archduchess Sophie of Austria. Of a sober nature like her father, she kept a reserved attitude towards her mother. She had a very close relationship with her brother, whose suicide affected her greatly.
Her father collected some of the family's personal items, such as the first pair of shoes worn by each of his children. Among these keepsakes was a poem written for him by a young Gisela one Christmas; the poem was said to be the most treasured item among this collection. Archduchess Gisela was also known to paint in her later years.
According to a letter to his mother written in 1872, Emperor Franz Josef wanted the match between his daughter and the Wittelsbach prince, as there were so few Catholic princes available at that time. It seems he felt he had to secure the only viable candidate to whom he could give Gisela (whom he called "our darling girl" during the wedding rites) with confidence. Prince Leopold received the immense dowry of a half a million guilders and soon overcame his former infatuation with Princess Amalie.
Gisela in c. 1900
Gisela's mother remained absent during the wedding celebrations. The young couple was made welcome in Munich by her husband's family and went on to live in the Palais Leopold residence in Schwabing. The Palais was renamed Giselastraße in her honor in 1873.
IssueEdit
Gisela and Leopold with their children, about 1885
A year after her wedding, she gave birth to her first child and even Empress Elisabeth was present during the baptism. Gisela and Leopold had four children in total:
Especially after the death of her brother, Gisela was deeply involved in a variety of social and political issues and founded charities to support the poor, blind, and deaf people where she took an active role herself. During World War I she ran a military hospital in her Palais while her husband was a field marshal on the eastern front. When the Revolution broke out in 1918, the rest of her family fled the city, but Gisela remained and took part in the 1919 elections for the Weimar National Assembly where women above the age of 20 were allowed to vote for the first time.
Such was the esteem in which she was held that she was commonly known as the Good Angel from Vienna and became patron for a number of institutions, such as the Giselabahn (a train running from Salzburg to Tirol), the still active paddle steamer Gisela on the Traunsee and the Gisela Gymnasium in Munich.
Widowhood and deathEdit
Gisela and her husband celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1923. Her husband died in 1930; Gisela only survived him by two years. She died aged 76 in Munich on 27 July 1932, and is buried next to Prince Leopold in the Colombarium at the St.Michaelskirche, Munich.
^Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie (1915), Genealogy p. 1
^"Elisabeth-orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, Vienna: Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1899, p. 192
^Guía de forasteros en Madrid para el año de 1864 (in Spanish). En la Imprenta Nacional. 1864. p. 168. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
ReferencesEdit
Leopold Prinz von Bayern: Lebenserinnerungen
Martha Schad: Kaiserin Elisabeth und ihre Töchter, Piper 2006
Friedrich Weissensteiner: Liebeshimmel und Ehehöllen, Heyne 2000
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Empress Elisabeth and her Family Magazine
October 14, 2023
archduchess, gisela, austria, archduchess, gisela, louise, marie, austria, july, 1856, july, 1932, second, daughter, eldest, surviving, child, emperor, franz, joseph, empress, elisabeth, austria, became, princess, bavaria, through, marriage, second, cousin, le. Archduchess Gisela Louise Marie of Austria 12 July 1856 27 July 1932 was the second daughter and eldest surviving child of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria She became a Princess of Bavaria through her marriage to her second cousin Leopold Archduchess Gisela of AustriaBorn 1856 07 12 12 July 1856Laxenburg Lower Austria Austrian EmpireDied27 July 1932 1932 07 27 aged 76 Munich Bavaria Weimar RepublicBurialSt Michael s Church MunichSpousePrince Leopold of Bavaria m 1873 died 1930 wbr IssueElisabeth Marie Countess of Seefried and Buttenheim Auguste Archduchess of Austria Prince Georg Prince KonradHouseHabsburg LorraineFatherFranz Joseph I of AustriaMotherElisabeth Duchess in Bavaria Although christened Gisella she only ever wrote her name with one L Just like her elder sister Archduchess Sophie and her brother Crown Prince Rudolf Gisela was raised by her paternal grandmother Archduchess Sophie of Austria Of a sober nature like her father she kept a reserved attitude towards her mother She had a very close relationship with her brother whose suicide affected her greatly Contents 1 Life 2 Marriage and family 3 Issue 4 Charity works and World War I 5 Widowhood and death 6 Honours 7 Ancestry 8 Notes 9 References 10 External linksLife EditHer father collected some of the family s personal items such as the first pair of shoes worn by each of his children Among these keepsakes was a poem written for him by a young Gisela one Christmas the poem was said to be the most treasured item among this collection Archduchess Gisela was also known to paint in her later years Marriage and family EditOn 20 April 1873 at the age of 16 Gisela was married to Prince Leopold of Bavaria in Vienna Prince Leopold was a son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Auguste Ferdinande of Austria Gisela s second cousin Leopold had initially fallen for Princess Amalie of Saxe Coburg and Gotha whom Empress Elisabeth s younger brother Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria intended to marry The Empress therefore arranged an encounter of Leopold and Gisela at Godollo Palace and the prince knew he could not refuse her offer According to a letter to his mother written in 1872 Emperor Franz Josef wanted the match between his daughter and the Wittelsbach prince as there were so few Catholic princes available at that time It seems he felt he had to secure the only viable candidate to whom he could give Gisela whom he called our darling girl during the wedding rites with confidence Prince Leopold received the immense dowry of a half a million guilders and soon overcame his former infatuation with Princess Amalie nbsp Gisela in c 1900Gisela s mother remained absent during the wedding celebrations The young couple was made welcome in Munich by her husband s family and went on to live in the Palais Leopold residence in Schwabing The Palais was renamed Giselastrasse in her honor in 1873 Issue Edit nbsp Gisela and Leopold with their children about 1885A year after her wedding she gave birth to her first child and even Empress Elisabeth was present during the baptism Gisela and Leopold had four children in total Princess Elisabeth Marie of Bavaria 1874 1957 who married Count Otto Ludwig Philipp von Seefried auf Buttenheim Princess Auguste Maria of Bavaria 1875 1964 who married Joseph August Archduke of Austria Prince Georg of Bavaria 1880 1943 who married Archduchess Isabella of Austria Prince Konrad of Bavaria 1883 1969 who married Princess Bona Margherita of Savoy GenoaCharity works and World War I EditEspecially after the death of her brother Gisela was deeply involved in a variety of social and political issues and founded charities to support the poor blind and deaf people where she took an active role herself During World War I she ran a military hospital in her Palais while her husband was a field marshal on the eastern front When the Revolution broke out in 1918 the rest of her family fled the city but Gisela remained and took part in the 1919 elections for the Weimar National Assembly where women above the age of 20 were allowed to vote for the first time Such was the esteem in which she was held that she was commonly known as the Good Angel from Vienna and became patron for a number of institutions such as the Giselabahn a train running from Salzburg to Tirol the still active paddle steamer Gisela on the Traunsee and the Gisela Gymnasium in Munich Widowhood and death EditGisela and her husband celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1923 Her husband died in 1930 Gisela only survived him by two years She died aged 76 in Munich on 27 July 1932 and is buried next to Prince Leopold in the Colombarium at the St Michaelskirche Munich Honours EditShe received the following orders 1 nbsp Austria Hungary Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross Grand Cross of the Order of Elizabeth 1898 2 nbsp Kingdom of Bavaria Dame of the Order of Theresa Dame of the Order of Saint Elizabeth nbsp Kingdom of Portugal Dame of the Order of Saint Isabel nbsp Spain 601st Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa 29 January 1863 3 Ancestry EditAncestors of Archduchess Gisela of Austria8 Francis II Holy Roman Emperor4 Archduke Franz Karl of Austria9 Princess Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily2 Franz Joseph I of Austria10 Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria5 Princess Sophie of Bavaria11 Princess Caroline of Baden1 Archduchess Gisela of Austria12 Duke Pius August in Bavaria6 Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria13 Princess Amelie Louise of Arenberg3 Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria14 Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria 10 7 Princess Ludovika of Bavaria15 Princess Caroline of Baden 11 Notes Edit Hof und Staatshandbuch der Osterreichisch Ungarischen Monarchie 1915 Genealogy p 1 Elisabeth orden Hof und Staatshandbuch der Osterreichisch Ungarischen Monarchie Vienna Druck und Verlag der K K Hof und Staatsdruckerei 1899 p 192 Guia de forasteros en Madrid para el ano de 1864 in Spanish En la Imprenta Nacional 1864 p 168 Retrieved 17 March 2019 References EditLeopold Prinz von Bayern Lebenserinnerungen Martha Schad Kaiserin Elisabeth und ihre Tochter Piper 2006 Friedrich Weissensteiner Liebeshimmel und Ehehollen Heyne 2000 1 2 3 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archduchess Gisela of Austria Empress Elisabeth and her Family Magazine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Archduchess Gisela of Austria amp oldid 1177048228, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
