Empress Maria Theresa
*13.05.1717 Vienna - †29.11.1780 Vienna
Empress of the Holy Roman Empire
Ruling Archduchess of Austria
Queen of Hungary
Queen of Bohemia
Duchess of Lorraine
Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the eldest daughter of Emperor Charles VI. and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Through her marriage to Duke Francis Stephen of Lorraine in 1736, which was based on both affection and state interests, she founded the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
After the death of Charles VI, Maria Theresa became Queen of Hungary in 1741 and Queen of Bohemia in 1743 as a result of the Pragmatic Sanction. However, the Pragmatic Sanction was not generally recognised until 1748 with the Peace of Aachen, which ended the War of the Austrian Succession.
Her reign was marked by a variety of reforms, which she implemented with the support of outstanding advisors. Maria Theresa's new ideas about the leadership of a tightly organised state structure permeated all areas of public life, as well as ecclesiastical institutions and behaviour. The renewal of internal structures that she initiated was of great importance for the further development of the Austrian hereditary lands.
Maria Theresa and Franz Stephen had 16 children, twelve of whom were buried in the Imperial Crypt. Even during her lifetime, the Empress had a special relationship with death, for which she prepared herself from a young age. When she was informed of the completion of the mausoleum in 1754, she visited the crypt, climbed the platform to look inside, and remarked: ‘Some time, this will be a good place to rest.’
She had prepared her burial clothes ten years before her death, her sandals 15 years before, the wooden bier had been waiting for its purpose for 14 years, and the sarcophagus had reminded the Empress of the transience of earthly life for 16 years.
Maria Theresa died with great serenity. Until shortly before her death, she conducted the affairs of state, secured the pensions of the courtiers who depended on her, and said goodbye to her children: ‘I am with you, I am only taken from your sight.’
When Joseph II. leaned over his mother a few minutes before she took her last breath and said, ‘Your Majesty is lying very badly,’ she replied, ‘Yes, but well enough to die.’
Her death can best be characterised in the words of Mathias Claudius: ‘And she went confidently and full of hope to meet death as her friend.’ It was 9 o'clock in the evening on Wednesday, 29th November 1780, when the Empress died at the age of 64, after 40 years, one month and nine days of reign. The cause of death was cardiac asthma.
The sarcophagus
The sarcophagus rises above a profiled and structured marble base made of red Adnet dolomite, resting on eight massive scalloped feet and an eagle supporting the centre. The coffin, which is over 3 metres long and 2 metres wide, is topped by 1.30-metre-high sculptural figures on the lid. The central rocaille feet on the narrow sides are topped by skulls, while the foot end is surmounted by the Austrian imperial crown, beneath which are crossed sceptres and swords. The richly decorated cartouche on the narrow side facing the Karl Vault shows Charles of Lorraine crossing the Rhine in 1744. Above it, in 1802, a small laurel-decorated portrait medallion of Queen Maria Karolina of Naples and the Two Sicilies was affixed by her in memory of her mother.
The inscription on the medallion reads:
IUNGERE CUI NEQUEO MATER DULCISSIMA CORPUS HANC NATAE MOESTAM SUSCIPITO EFFIGIEM MDCCCII.
Sweetest mother, with whom I cannot unite my body, accept this mourning portrait of your daughter, 1802.
The reliefs on the sides of the sarcophagus depict political and military events from the life and reign of the ruling couple. The ceremonial blanket is spread over the lid, on which Maria Theresa and Franz Stephen are standing upright. The Empress is wearing a gala dress studded with pearls and stones, her left hand clasping a sword. The Emperor is wearing Roman imperial armour. The sceptre is held by both of them together. Behind them, the genius with the star crown puts down the trumpet with which he blows the sleeping to resurrection.
At the four corners rest the mourning genies with the coats of arms and crowns of Jerusalem, Bohemia, Hungary and the imperial crown.
On the narrow sides at the top, above the inscription, are the Habsburg and Lorraine crowns.
Inscription panel on the left:
HIC. AUGUSTO. COM CONIUGE. QUIESCIT. MARIA. THERESIA. IMPERATR. REGINA. IUSTA. CLEM. D. CAROLI. VI. AUG. AUSTR. ET. ELISABETHAE. BRUNSVIC. FIL. BONO. REI. PUBL. NATA AN. M. D. CCXVII. XIII. MAII. FRANCISCO. III. LOTHARINGO. AUG. FELICISS. NUPTA. M. D. CCXXXVI. SANCTUM. CONIUIGII. AMOREM. AD. SEPUCHRUM (!). USQUE. PULCHRO. CHRISTIAN. PRINCIPUM. EXEMPLO. EUNDEM. SERVAVIT. CUI. FRUCTUS. DULCISSIMOS. DEUS. IMPERTIIT. SOBOLEM. NUMEROSAM. VENUSTISS. PARENTIBUS. SIMILLIMAM. APOSTOLICAM. HUNGARIAE. CORONAM. MDCCXLI. XXV. IUN. POSONII. BOHEMICAM. PRAGAE. RECIPIT. M. DCCXLIII. XII. MAII.
SOLA. FERE. SED. DEO. NIXA. PIETATE. ET. CONSTANTIA. PATERNA. REGNA. CONTRA. HOSTES. POTENTISS. ADSERVIT. ROM. IMPERII. MAIESTATEM. DOMUI. SUAE. RESTITUIT. HUIUS. PROVIDENTISSIMAE. PRINCIPIS. SAPENTIAE. DEBET. PATRIA. RELIGIONEM. FIRMATAM. ORNATAM. QUE. DISCIPLINAM. MILIT. ET. BONARUM. ARTIUM, CULTURAM. TRIBUTORUM. AEQUITATEM. ET. COMMERC. COMMODA. INSTAUR. APERTAS. NOBILI. IUVENTUTI. VIRTUTIS. ET. SCIENT. PALAEST. TRANQUILLITATEM. VIRTUTUM. QUE. OMN. EXEMPLA. DEBET. ORBIS. PIE. UT. VIXIT. OBIIT. ANN. M. D. CCLXXX. DIE XXIX. NOVEMBRIS. CUI. OPTIMORUM. MERITORUM. REQUIES. REPOSITA. EST. IN DEO.
Here lies Maria Theresa, Empress, the just and benevolent queen, daughter of the exalted Charles VI, Emperor of Austria, and Elisabeth of Brunswick, alongside her imperial consort. Born for the good of the state on 13 May 1717 and happily married to the most illustrious Francis III. of Lorraine in 1736, she preserved her holy marital love intact until her death, setting a fine example for Christian princes. God blessed her with the most delightful fruits of her womb, numerous offspring who closely resembled their amiable parents. She received the apostolic crown of Hungary on 25 June 1741 in Pressburg and the Bohemian crown in Prague on 12 May 1743.
Almost alone, but trusting in God, she defended her hereditary kingdoms against the most powerful enemies through piety and steadfastness. She restored the greatness of the Roman Empire to her house. The fatherland owes to the wisdom of this most prudent princess the consolidation of religion, the promotion of military discipline, the cultivation of the liberal arts, the just distribution of taxes, and the renewal of commercial advantages, as well as the schools of virtue and science accessible to the noble youth. The whole world owes her its peace and the example of all virtues. Pious as she lived, she died in 1780, on 29 November. As a reward for her great services, she rests in God.
Inscription plaque on the right:
VIRTUS. SEPULCHRUM. CONDIT. ET. PIETAS. IPSA. PARENTAT. DIVO. ET. AUGUSTO. FRANCISCO. I. LOTHARINGICO. PATRI. PATRIAE. PIO. MAGNANIMO. INCLYTO. HUMANI. GERNERIS. DELICIO. ET. DESIDERIO. ANNO CHRISTI. IESU. MDCCVIII. VIII. DEC. HOC SIDUS. IN. DECUS. SUAE. GENTIS. EXORTUM. AN. MDCCXXXVI. XII. FEBR. FORMOSUM. SECULI. SPECIMEN. PULCHERRIMAE. DATUM. AN.
MDCCXLV. XIII. SEP. DIVINUS. ILLE. PRINCEPS. DEO. ET. IMPERIO. ELECTUS. ET. IV. OCTOB. QUI. DIVO. FRANCISCO. PERPETUO. CHRISTI. MIRACULO. DICATUS. CUM. SUMMA. OMNIUM. ORDINUM. EXULTATIONE. SANCTE. AUGUSTEQ. INAURATUS. PRISCORUM. GLORIAS. ET. MAGNALIA. CAESARUM. SUPERGRESSUS. EST. ITA. GERMANORUM. TITUS. FRANCISCUS. AUG. OPT. MAX. SAPIENTIA. MAGNANIMITATE. CLEMENTIA. CETRISQ. VIRTUTIBUS. REGIIS. HEROICIS. CHRISTIANIS. INCLYTISSIMUS. IN. AUGUSTAM. CONIUGEM. NATOS. QUE. SUAVISSIMOS. ADFECTU ANIMI. FUIT. TENERRIMO. ET. PIENTISSIMO. QUI. VINDICANDIS. EORUM. IURIBUS. IMPERATOR. ITER. SANQUINEM. ET. VITAM. BELLI. PERICULIS. OBIECIT. ANN. MDCCLXV. XVIII. AUG. OENIPONTI. MORTUUS. XXVIII. VIENNAM. ADVECTUS. XXXI. EIUSDEM. SEPULTUS. EST.
Virtue has erected this tomb, and love itself has dedicated it to the most powerful and illustrious Francis I of Lorraine, the pious, magnanimous and much-praised father of the fatherland, the beloved favourite of the human race. In the year of our Lord 1708, on 8 December, this star rose to the glory of his people. On 12 February 1736, he was given as a well-formed model of the most beautiful woman of the century. On 13 September 1745, this incomparable prince was chosen by God and the Empire to be crowned holy and exalted on 4 October, the day dedicated to St Francis, that everlasting miracle of Christ, to the great joy of all classes. He surpassed the early emperors in glory and great deeds.
Thus was Franz, a German Titus, the most sublime, best and greatest man, who shone particularly brightly through his wisdom, generosity, kindness and other royal, heroic and Christian virtues, full of the most tender and kind love for his most illustrious wife and lovely children. In defence of their rights, he repeatedly exposed his life and limb to the dangers of war. He died in Innsbruck on 18 August 1765, was transferred to Vienna on the 28th and buried on the 31st of the same month.
Right side at the head:
ADMINISTRATIONE CAROLI JOSEPHI NOBILIS DOMINI A DIER, CONSILIARII CAESAREO: REGII ACTUALIS AULICI, ET SACRI AERARII PRAEFECTI. B. F. MOLL F.
Under the direction of the noble Lord Karl Joseph von Dier, actual imperial-royal court councillor and treasurer. B. F. Moll F (fecit).
