"Rudolf was always a good son"
Newly uncovered sources challenge the widely accepted theory that Prince Rudolf took his own life
„May this year be a good one,” declared Crown Prince Rudolf as the year 1889 dawned. Shortly after Rudolf’s death, an anonymous report in a Berlin newspaper instigated the rumours still widely believed to this day – that poor health, drug addiction or insanity led to his committing suicide at Mayerling. Ingrid Haslinger’s meticulously researched new book offers an entirely fresh perspective on Rudolf’s character and personality. Her analysis is primarily based on original documents, including more than one thousand letters written to, and by, the Crown Prince, in addition to the records and testemonies of contemporary witnesses. Rather than suggesting his was a personality prone to depression, Rudolf’s correspondence and his unflaggingly busy schedule attest to his zeal for work and a keen interest in his duties. This new evidence calls into question the „official” line that the Crown Prince took his own life on that fateful day at Mayerling.
Ingrid Haslinger, PhD, studied history and English. Since 1987 she has been researching the day-to-day management of the Hapsburg court, along with its extensive silverware collection, in her role as a freelance assistant at the former Imperial Porcelain & Silver Collection in Vienna. She has collaborated on compiling the collection’s inventory, as well as being curator of many exhibitions, publishing numerous books, and contributing to catalogues.
Newly uncovered sources challenge the widely accepted theory that Prince Rudolf took his own life
„May this year be a good one,” declared Crown Prince Rudolf as the year 1889 dawned. Shortly after Rudolf’s death, an anonymous report in a Berlin newspaper instigated the rumours still widely believed to this day – that poor health, drug addiction or insanity led to his committing suicide at Mayerling. Ingrid Haslinger’s meticulously researched new book offers an entirely fresh perspective on Rudolf’s character and personality. Her analysis is primarily based on original documents, including more than one thousand letters written to, and by, the Crown Prince, in addition to the records and testemonies of contemporary witnesses. Rather than suggesting his was a personality prone to depression, Rudolf’s correspondence and his unflaggingly busy schedule attest to his zeal for work and a keen interest in his duties. This new evidence calls into question the „official” line that the Crown Prince took his own life on that fateful day at Mayerling.
Ingrid Haslinger, PhD, studied history and English. Since 1987 she has been researching the day-to-day management of the Hapsburg court, along with its extensive silverware collection, in her role as a freelance assistant at the former Imperial Porcelain & Silver Collection in Vienna. She has collaborated on compiling the collection’s inventory, as well as being curator of many exhibitions, publishing numerous books, and contributing to catalogues.
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