Empress Elisabeth of Austria assassinated in Geneva

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known in Hungary as Sisi, was assassinated on September 10, 1898, in Geneva, Switzerland. The attack occurred at a harbor where she had planned a boat trip on Lake Geneva.

The assassin, Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni, originally intended to kill the Duke of Orléans. However, after learning the Duke had canceled his visit, Lucheni targeted the Empress as a representative of the aristocracy. He used a sharpened file to stab her in the chest. Although she initially remained standing, the severity of the wound and subsequent blood loss caused her to collapse and die shortly after.

Elisabeth had been crowned Queen of Hungary in 1867 and maintained deep emotional ties to the country, frequently visiting Buda and Gödöllő. Her life was marked by personal tragedy, including the 1889 suicide of her son, Crown Prince Rudolf, which led to her increasing withdrawal from court life and frequent travels. She was accompanied on her final trip by her close companion, Ida Ferenczy.