Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary was the perfect incarnation of a European monarch. He was emperor 1848 until 1916, which also was the period when central European monarchies were at their late peak. Most of the countries of Europe became republics after World War I ended two years later.
Kaiser Franz has been dead for 110 years, but his presence is still felt everywhere in Vienna and the rest of Austria, as well as the other countries that made up his multinational empire. In hindsight, he and his reign are considered with nostalgia. The period’s lasting beauty may have something to do with this, but his benign influence also plays a role. Within the constraints set by an inferior form of government such as constitutional monarchy, he is widely considered to have done a good job.
While I have never heard anyone doubt the fundamental decency of Franz Joseph’s character, I have also never heard anyone express admiration of his intellect. He seems to have been relatively uninterested in science and the arts, even when compared to his predecessors. On one occasion when he did express an opinion, criticizing the design of the Vienna opera, its architect committed suicide. Ever since, he refrained from issuing any judgements, instead using a formulaic “Es war sehr schön, es hat mich sehr gefreut.” In English: It was very lovely, I was very pleased.
When another architect, Adolf Loos, built a boundary-pushing (for the time) house opposite the emperor’s palace in the center of Vienna, Kaiser Franz disliked it, but he had learned his lesson. Instead of criticizing house or architect, he chose not to use the rooms of his palace that offered a view of the building. It’s remarkable constraint for anyone, but especially for a king.
Nehaveigur 