For 14 years, Emperor Franz Joseph secretly slipped through a private door in the Schönbrunn Palace gardens to visit a woman who officially never existed. Her name: Anna. Her story ended in 1889 with a settlement of 200,000 guilders and a vow of silence, which was only broken by a sealed diary.

Was her daughter Helene, later the wife of composer Alban Berg, the Emperor's child? And did Empress Elisabeth—Sisi—know about this woman?

This documentary tells the story of Anna Nahowski based on her own diary, sealed for decades—with all the contradictions and unanswered questions this source contains.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 The Door in the Wall
01:41 A Girl Without Protection
06:28 The Encounter in the Park
11:15 The Dark Years
14:42 The Emperor's Secret
17:34 The House by the Park Wall
21:08 Helene – The Emperor's Daughter?

24:07 Sisi's Choice: Katharina Schratt
28:35 The Rival
32:49 Mayerling
35:59 The Paper Bag
38:56 The Son in the Imperial Crypt
43:07 Did Sisi Know?

47:07 Helene and Alban Berg
52:24 Back to the Door

📖 SOURCES
The primary source for this documentary is the diary of Anna Nahowski,
published under the title "My Relationship with Emperor Franz Joseph."


Other sources used:

– Biographical literature on Emperor Franz Joseph I

– Historical accounts of Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) and Katharina Schratt

– Contemporary reports on the events at Mayerling, 1889

– Biographical material on Alban Berg and Helene Berg

#Habsburgs #EmperorFranzJoseph #Sisi #AnnaNahowski #Vienna #History #Documentary