Born on August 18th 1830 in Schönbrunn Palace, Emperor Franz Joseph would have been 180 years today. He reigned during difficult times and his passionate marriage to Empress Elisabeth filled countless books and inspired movies.
Lesser known facts: His brother Archduke Maximilian was Maximilian I of Mexico and Austria turned into a empire in which the sun never sets.
Many things were named after the Emperor, also Russia’s Franz Josef Land Archipelago. See some impressive pictures
Listen to the hymn with lyrics below. Sounds familiar? Well, nowadays Austrias old “Kaiserhymne” is Germany’s hymn.