![On 31 August 1909, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria shook hands with the Vice President of the Federal Council, Robert Comtesse, on board the saloon steamer Kaiserin Elisabeth.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/kaiser-franz-joseph-und-bundesvizeprasident-1909-stasg-300x225.jpg)
The strangest state visit of all time
In 1909 the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph visited Switzerland. It could have been an official state visit with the mighty Emperor, but it turned out just a “courtesy call”. The Emperor didn’t set foot on Swiss soil, and was gone again after just a quarter of an hour. A strange episode in Swiss foreign affairs.
![The port of Rorschach around 1902, with paddle steamer and barge.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/hafen-rorschach-1902-gbe-115943-lm-76914127-300x158.jpg)
![The Swiss Federal Councillors, armed forces and flower girls await their distinguished guest at the port of Rorschach.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/die-schweizer-bundesrate-militars-und-blumenmadchen-warten-im-hafen-von-rorschach-auf-den-hohen-gast-1909-300x209.jpg)
![Clearly recognisable on the saloon deck: Emperor Franz Joseph on board his steamship outside Rorschach.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/kaiser-franz-joseph-auf-seinem-dampfschiff-vor-rorschach-1909-259x300.jpg)
![The Emperor and the children: Franz Joseph receives the six little girls from Rorschach with their flowers and a poem.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/franz-joseph-empfangt-die-sechs-rorschacher-madchen-mit-ihren-blumen-und-einem-gedicht-1909-300x211.jpg)
![The Emperor standing alone on the vessel: his visit to Switzerland was conducted at a distance.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/der-kaiser-einsam-auf-dem-schiff-1909-300x214.jpg)
![The army and policing deployment plan: they cordoned off a large area of the port for the visit.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/einsatzplan-von-armee-und-polizei-1909-300x221.jpg)