Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria - Aftermath

Aftermath

On her deathbed, she ordered her staff to close her villa against her two surviving children and call for a police detail to secure her belongings until the Ministry of Education could remove them. Only her daughter was allowed to see her for a few moments, in the presence of her servants. She had willed some 500 heirlooms, owned by the Habsburg Imperial family, to the Republic of Austria. Over the objections of her first husband, who thought they should go to their children, she wanted all art and books to "be put back in their former places", as she did not believe Imperial property should be sold at auction or come into the possession of foreigners. These pieces are in museums in Vienna today.

She ordered that her dogs be euthanized on her death, so that (not unlike the heirlooms) they would not have to go to other trainers.

According to her wishes, she was buried in a nameless grave at the Hütteldorfer Friedhof in Vienna with her second husband, close to the house where she spent her last years.

Since 1995 the villa has been in the possession of the international (Buddhist) community Soka Gakkai International.


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