The causes of the death of Crown Prince Rudolf, which occurred on the eve of the upcoming New Year 1890 in a small hunting castle, arouse the interest of psychologists, historians, filmmakers, musicians and choreographers. Everyone interprets it in one way or another, without coming to a consensus. Apparently, only Crown Prince Rudolf himself could explain it, but the materials of the investigation were immediately hidden in the archives of the Habsburgs.
Birth and upbringing
In Laxenburg Castle on August 21, 1858, the heir to the throne was finally born to Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria after two daughters.
He was named Rudolf after the founder of the Austrian monarchy, who lived in the 13th century. Crown Prince Rudolf grew up weak and sickly. But the father dreamed that his son would become a military man with iron he alth. Therefore, Major General Count Leopold Gonrecourt was assigned to his upbringing. He did not spare the child and taught him to exercise outdoors in the pouring rain and in the bitter cold. The count accompanied his morning rise with suddenshots from a pistol or could take the child to the forest near Vienna and leave him alone. Now we would call it mind-expanding exercises, but such methods are suitable only for an adult.
Change in methodology
The mother could not stand the bullying of her son, and Crown Prince Rudolf moved to softer teachers.
The photo shows the family of Emperor Franz Joseph. The German zoologist Alfred Brehm began to study with the boys, who instilled in him a love for the natural sciences. The inquisitive and attentive Crown Prince Rudolf knew ornithology especially well. A grown-up young man at the age of twenty traveled around Europe, and he became interested in political issues. He was keenly interested in the reasons for the defeat of Austria in the war with Prussia, did not hide his negative attitude towards her and love for Hungary.
He criticized his father's political leanings, but Franz Joseph ignored it. In 1878 he began to serve in Prague in an infantry regiment.
Marriage
At the urging of the parents, in 1881, a magnificent wedding of the Crown Prince and the Belgian Princess Stephanie took place. After the marriage, a benevolent allegorical picture was painted, where angels hover over the young spouses, and a tamed lion is nearby, since Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, was a lion by the sign of the horoscope.
Whether there was happiness, it is not known, rather no than yes, but the young lived together inPrague until the birth of her daughter, Mary Elisabeth. The young man was sad, drank a lot and met ladies of easy virtue. Both a skull and a gun were seen on his desk.
These attributes of death are now played out in ballets that are based on the theme of his life. One can imagine that he parted with youthful ideals, but could not find new ones. And so he turned his thoughts to death.
Reasons for suicide
In the scientific mind, the act of suicide is not known. Psychologists do not give direct answers, referring mainly to a dysfunctional family. Of course, it contradicts the very nature of any living being, which is arranged in such a way that the worse the material environment, the more stable the life force becomes. It is known that even in the 20th century, when the problem of suicide was studied, it turned out from suicide notes that people themselves did not understand why they were doing it. Hereditary factors also have little effect on this act. The fear of death is natural, not the desire for it. Nevertheless, in Europe in the 60-80s a wave of suicides swept, very romantically furnished, which was based on the example of the death of Goethe's hero Werther. But some scientists are coming to the conclusion that suicide is caused by deep contradictions between the individual and the environment. Imposing on a person the necessary actions in his position can, according to modern psychologists, cause a sharp conflict in family relationships, for example, and, as a result, lead to a fatal outcome. Modern psychiatry considers suicide the most serious mentaldisorder. It can be part of the structure of the disease, or it can be caused by any external cause.
Maria Alexandrina von Vechera
The girl was the youngest daughter of Baron Vechery, who was in the diplomatic service at the Austrian court. She did not attend a gymnasium, but a closed Institute for Noble Maidens. There she received the knowledge necessary for social adaptation in high society as a wife and mother: French, music, drawing, dancing, needlework.
The Veche family held receptions at their homes to introduce their daughters into the circle of the most suitable men for marriage. They also attended the races in the hope of making the necessary contacts. The women of the family were dressed extremely fashionably and elegantly.
First meeting
Presumably, the acquaintance of Maria Vechera, who was not yet seventeen years old, with the crown prince took place at the end of November 1888 at a diplomatic reception. Others say they met at a ball, others say they met at the races.
One way or another, Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, was immediately captivated by the sexuality emanating from the young girl: sensual grace, beautiful neck and profile, deep black shining eyes. Almost immediately she received a gift from him - a cigarette case engraved by her own hand. But, given that there could only be a connection compromising the girl, her relatives did not approve of continuing the acquaintance. Rudolf of Habsburg, crown prince, stood immeasurably higher on the social ladder than the baron's daughter,especially since he was married. For the man, it didn't matter. Even for his wife, an affair on the side was unpleasant, but meant little. The girl did not even know that at that time he had a stormy affair with Mizzi Kaspar, whom he considered the love of his life and on which he spent about sixty thousand guilders. It was to her that he offered to commit suicide with him, but 24-year-old Mizzi refused. Then the crown prince turned his attention to Mary Vechera.
Mystical temperament
One of the Crown Prince's secretaries quite emphatically noted that he saw in Mary Vechera "a somewhat superficial and emotional maid." She knew how, in his opinion, to sparkle like a Frenchwoman, but she did not have serious thoughts. Of course, with her upbringing, intellectual interests were excluded. And Crown Prince Rudolph was always interested in the fact that a woman could share his political views. Therefore, it was a strange choice on his part, as people close to him noted. Nevertheless, the ex alted Maria Vechera tried to share the mystical temperament of the crown prince, which he really liked.
Mayerling hunting lodge
On January 28, 1899, Maria Vechera was brought with the Crown Prince to Mayerling. She was immediately sent to the bedroom on the second floor, and the owner, on the morning of January 29, began to receive the arriving guest. He did not even suspect that there was a girl in the hunting lodge besides him and the owner.
He hoped to have a nice hunt after the past Christmas during the coming merry Christmas time. However, the ownerciting ill he alth, he refused to participate in the hunt. He made arrangements for the reception of guests on January 31st and ordered the driver to be ready by tomorrow morning.
A secret unknown until today
So, Crown Prince Rudolf and Maria Evenings closer to the night of January 29 were left alone. There are suggestions that the girl was pregnant, and the lovers wanted to have an abortion. But he was unsuccessful, and Mary began to bleed. There are other assumptions, more precisely, descriptions of the position of bodies. Mademoiselle Vechera was shot in the left temple, and a bullet entered the body of Rudolph through the heart from the back. His body lay on his right side. And the window on the left was open. To the question of why they killed Crown Prince Rudolph, if he was killed, there is still no answer. There was no serious investigation. What researchers don't write!
- He was killed because he refused to participate in the Clemenceau plot against Franz Joseph and take over the throne. This was required to unite Austria and France against Germany.
- The girl was killed by Rudolf, and then he shot himself.
- Each of them killed themselves.
- Both were killed by unknown people.
They are known to have written suicide notes to their families and they will be made public in 2016, but have not yet gone to press. When Maria's grave was being repaired in 1955, no bullet holes were found in her skull.
Crown Prince Rudolf lived such a short and sad life. His biography is a great field for research.
