The Cult of Franz Joseph I and the Imperial Family in the Schools of Autonomous Galicia

Abstract

The autonomy gained by Galicia in 1867 and its practical effects, largely contributed to the emergence of a specific cult of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The myth of the “good ruler” began to function in Galician society. The Habsburg family, i.e. his ancestors and the ruler’s family, were also part of the cult. School, education, and upbringing played an important role in developing emotional attitudes towards the monarch. Numerous school celebrations to honour the emperor, his ancestors and family members, as well as the ones connected to the history of the monarchy, were intended to systematically instil in the pupils respect and appreciation for the ruler and the state. School textbooks did the same. Furthermore, the Emperor’s visits to various schools in Galicia, which took a very solemn and festive form, reinforced this cult. Franz Joseph I and his family also appeared in other circumstances, for example as patrons and benefactors of schools. The dissemination of the cult of the Emperor among Galician youth was supervised by the central Galician educational authority in the form of the National School Council.