berlinblogger | 
04 12th, 2010| 
The actress Romy Schneider will be forever remembered in her role as Sissi, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia. However, she was also a celebrated star of French cinema. The Museum für Film und Fernsehen in Berlin presents the exhibition ‘Romy Schneider. Vienna – Berlin – Paris’, an overview of her career.
She was only 17 when she made her appearance as Sissi, a role about which she later would say: ‘Sissi is sticking to me like glue’. She turned her back on the German film industry and moved to France. She received various César awards for her roles in French films, but somehow her life would always revolve around Sissi. Both women hated the roles they had to play in the public life: Sissi that of the court, while Romy was sick of the paparazzi. Both lost their son at an early age. Sissi’s only son, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, committed suicide when he was 30 years old, while Romy’s son David died in an accident at the age of 14. He punctured his femoral artery trying to climb over a spiked fence.
Elisabeth (Sissi’s real name), was murdered by Luigi Luchen in 1898. He stabbed her in the heart and she bled to death. But life was hard on Romy too. She never got over the death of her son and began to drink heavily, and later became addicted to sleeping pills. It is believed that’s what caused her cardiac arrest 10 months later, at the age of only 43. She is buried in the small village of Boissy-sans-Avoir, France.
The exhibition runs until end of May. It will unite photos from Romy Schneider’s private life, press photo’s, as well as costumes, movie posters, and much more. A film series accompanying this exhibition is planned for the spring of 2010.
Come and discover the beauty, the diversity and talent of Romy Schneider. Admire her in some of her glorious roles, like that of Hélène in ‘The things of Life’, Marianne in ‘The Swimming Pool’ and Marie in ‘A simple story’. Rent the best apartments in Berlin, and discover who Romy Schneider really was.
