The Mayerling Tragedy

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Some time prior to the Mayerling tragedy, Rudolf had asked another of his mistresses - Mitzi Caspar - to join him in a suicide pact. True False

2. A number of things weighed heavily upon Rudolf's mind in the years before the tragedy; frustration with his limited role in the government, resentment of his overbearing (and far more influential) cousin Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, unhappiness in his politically arranged marriage to Princess Stephanie of Belgium, and a haunting fear of the strain of insanity that overshadowed his mother's side of the family (one of her cousins was the mad king Ludwig of Bavaria). These were exacerbated by certain other factors; which of these was NOT one of them? Alcoholism Venereal disease Epilepsy Morphine use

3. According to a persistent, but uncorraborated story, there was a terrible argument between Rudolf and his father four days before the Mayerling tragedy. During this argument, Franz Josef was heard to say, "You are not worthy to be my successor!" There are different theories as what brought about this argument if, indeed it occurred. Which of these is generally believed to have been the cause? Rudolf had gotten one of his mistresses pregnant. Rudolf had converted to Judaism. Rudolf told Franz Josef that he had no interest in ruling. Rudolf had written to the Pope asking for a dispensation to end his marriage.

4. How did Rudolf spend the night before the Mayerling tragedy? With Mitzi Caspar. Getting drunk at an inn. Alone in the mountains. Praying in church.

5. Rudolf did not ask Mary Vetsera to join him in the death pact and tried to dissuade her from doing so. True False

6. Rudolf's relationship with Mary had been consumated less than a month before the tragedy. True False

7. Approximately how much time elapsed between the shooting of Mary Vetsera and Rudolf's suicide? Fifteen minutes Less than one minute An hour and a half Six to eight hours

8. When the bodies were discovered, Johann Loschek, Rudolf's valet, declared to the others what he believed to be the cause of death (quite wrongly, as it turned out). What did he believe (or wish to believe) was the cause of death? Food poisoning Stabbing Strychnine poisoning Bludgeoning

9. By a curious turn of events, this notable person was informed of Rudolf's death before any of the royal family were. Who was it? Kaiser Wilhelm I Baron Nathaniel Rothschild Pope Leo XIII Karl Lueger

10. Who was the first member of the royal family to be informed of the tragedy? Emperor Franz Josef Empress Elisabeth Princess Stephanie Princess Valerie

11. From whom did the Empress Elisabeth receive an unexpected visit on the day of the tragedy? Mary Vetsera's father Mary Vetsera's mother The owner of the Mayerling hunting lodge Countess Larisch

12. What did the first newspaper accounts of the Crown Prince's passing give as the cause of death? Murder by poisoning Accidental shooting Heart attack or stroke Aortic aneurysm

13. Who ultimately had the unenviable task of informing the Emperor of the true course of events - namely, that his son had committed both murder and suicide? Count Taaffe, the Chancellor Dr. Widerhofer, the Court Physician Count Hoyos Baron Nopcsa

14. Rudolf had written farewell notes to the members of his immediate family, with one significant exception. Who was the exception? His mother, Elisabeth His wife, Stephanie His sister, Valerie His father, Franz Josef

15. The presence of Mary Vetsera's body at the scene of the tragedy represented a terrible scandal, which necessitated the body's surreptious removal from the lodge. By what macabre and distinctly degrading method was this accomplished? The body was rolled up in a carpet and removed from the building. The body was thrown out a window into a basket. She was dressed in her street clothes, then propped up in a carriage between her uncles. The body was carried out in a large steamer trunk.

16. Was Rudolf given a church funeral and burial? Yes No

17. At the end of the funeral procession, Franz Josef departed from tradition as the body was brought into the burial vault; what did he do? Accompanied the procession of monks into the vault. Kissed the coffin. All of these Prayed by the coffin in the burial vault.

18. Which female member of the family, who had been too distraught to attend the funeral, is said to have paid a nighttime visit to the burial vault and called out Rudolf's name? Valerie Giselle Stephanie Elisabeth

19. A few years before the Mayerling tragedy, Rudolf had been involved in a rather macabre prank with his cousin, Archduke Otto. What was the nature of the prank? They stopped a funeral procession and jumped their horses over the coffin. Otto got Rudolf drunk and laid him out in a casket. They visited a graveyard and dug up a corpse. They played a ball game using a skull as the ball.

20. The story of the Mayerling tragedy was made into a classic 1937 film starring Charles Boyer as Rudolf and Danielle Darrieux as Mary Vetsera. Which of the following films deals with another murder-suicide which took place just seven months after the Mayerling affair, in July of 1889? Elvira Madigan Through a Glass Darkly Les Enfants du Paradis All This and Heaven Too