No tale lasts forever. We leave Archduchess Marianne at the moment she closes the palace door behind her. Now that her investigation is over, what shall she occupy herself with in the evenings? Where might her curiosity and inquisitive mind lead her next? Shall we meet her again one day? Will The Archduchess Investigates project […]
In the early morning of Monday, 20 June 1757, a courier arrived at Schönbrunn at a breakneck gallop. Moments later, news swept through the corridors like a breeze: two days earlier, on the 18th, Field Marshal Daun had defeated the Prussians at Kolin, near Prague! The city was free! King Frederick had fled with the […]
Archduchess Marianne’s long denouement is drawing to a close. After so many maelstroms, the last years of Prince and Princess Schwarzenberg unfold in relative peace — spent hunting, managing their estates, and raising their long-desired heir. Apart from the Prince’s accidental death in 1732, no further calamity seems to have darkened their life. The widowed […]
Before the final conclusion, it is time to look back once more and ask: was there a crime – any crime – at all? To the best of my knowledge, no, there was not. Yet the potential was certainly there. Of the classical triad of criminal preconditions – motive, means, and opportunity – the Princess […]
For a historian, the image of the person one researches is as vital as having relevant written sources. Much like any human encounter, seeing the face of one’s subject greatly deepens one’s understanding of them and creates a certain personal bond. I am, therefore, truly saddened that despite my steady and repeated efforts, I have […]
When I first encountered the orthodox version of the case of Princess Schwarzenberg, it appeared to be nothing more than a crude blend of folkloric motifs – scarcely more than an irritating ghost story. An evil noblewoman dabbling in vampires, dark forces, and witches’ brews… give me strength! The only reason I did not dismiss […]
Like a true professional, Archduchess Marianne begins with an overview of the events – what exactly happened, when and where, how it happened, and who was involved. She describes the case of Princess Schwarzenberg in a detailed and methodical way, with all its parts and sidelines kept in proper proportion. For her audience, as well […]
The stage is set for the final scene. Everyone who has been involved in or contributed to solving the case of Princess Schwarzenberg is present – the Emperor, Father Franz, Count Khevenhüller, and Doctor van Swieten as the invited guests, together with Archduchess Marianne’s small court in corpore. It makes for an impressive mise-en-scène indeed, […]
On the threshold of the final resolution, Archduchess Marianne takes a moment to look back at how it all began. Fittingly enough, this happens in the privacy of a small chapel in St Stephan’s Cathedral, in the company of a few of her trusted confederates. It all comes back to her now – the whispered […]
We all know those moments when our steady efforts seem to progress at a snail’s pace – and then, suddenly, the last piece of the puzzle falls into place, and as if by revelation, we grasp the whole picture. That is exactly what Archduchess Marianne experiences in St Stephen’s Cathedral while waiting for the service […]
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