"Women of the Habsburg Dynasty"

A noble guest, the Austrian princess and Spanish Queen, visited Zywiec 100 years ago. The City Museum organized an exhibit entitled, "Women of the Habsburg Dynasty," to celebrate the centennial of her visit, reports Gazeta Wyborcza. Maria Krystyna Habsburg (1858-1929) was a sister of Karol Stefan Habsburg, who owned a castle and land in Zywiec. In 1885 she married Alfons XII Burbon, the King of Spain, as his second wife. She gave birth to two girls, Maria de las Mercedes and Maria Teresa, and afterwards to a long awaited first son and heir to the throne of Alfons XIII. Upon the King's early death, Maria Krystyna was left a widow at the age of 27. A widowed mother, she focused on her children's upbringing. She visited her brother, Karol Stefan Habsburg, only once in 1907, exactly 100 years ago.
Some preserved photographs, a reportage of her stay printed in the Zywiecki District Guide and a memory board in the City Museum, commemorating her visit to the Zywiec Brewery, still remain. Karol Stefan funded the board and ordered it to be built into the wall of the New Castle with the inscription "In this castle stayed my beloved sister Marya Krystyna the Queen of Spain from October 23 to 27, 1907, the Prince Karol Stefan." The original board didn't survive World War II, but its decorative frames still add to the New Castle's grace.
The exhibit presents descriptions of Habsburg women, those born into the family, as well as those who came into the family through marriage. It outlines the genealogy and history of the Habsburg family from the Middle Ages until now, placing special emphasis on women's roles in the dynasty's history.
The most attention is placed on Maria Krystyna and women from the Zywiec Habsburg line: Maria Teresa (wife of Karol Stefan) and her daughters Eleonora, Renata and Matylda, and to Alicia (wife of Karol Olbracht - a Polish King) and her daughters Krystyna and Renata.
Women's attire is displayed including reconstructions of Empress Maria Teresa's evening and wedding gowns. The reconstructions were based on paintings remaining in the City Museum's collection. Neo-rococo furniture from the New Castle is also displayed. All furniture, capitally renovated before the exhibition, belongs to the City Museum's permanent collection in Zywiec. The souvenir-shop is selling interesting knick-knacks and accessories typically worn or use by women in those days: china, gloves, fans, jewelry, purses, toilet-articles and a collection of books reserved only for ladies. While it's sure to be an interesting and sentimental journey for Zywiec residents, the exhibit has something of interest for everyone, including Princess Maria Krystyna Habsburg's private and mysterious photograph collection. It seems the photos were never actually printed, disclosed Tomasz Terteka, City Hall spokesman, in an interview for Gazeta Wyborcza.
More exhibit information can be found at: www.zywiec.pl.