Abstract
The paper examines the organization of Honorary Citizen’s Guard by the Kraków reception committee and its roles in Franz Joseph’s trip to Galicia in 1880. In the latter half of 19th century, the Celebration Ceremonies for the Austria-Hungary Empire had been frequently held for Franz Joseph, who symbolized the unification of the whole empire. It took place also in Kraków, the second largest city in Galicia and the center of Polish identity for a long time. Most of Polish people had lived there and had undoubtedly shared the nostalgic images of the old Jagiellonian dynasty. However, the socio- economic decline of Kraków was caused by the increasing population and economical power of Lwów. Kraków city administration utilized the Celebration Ceremonies to solve this problem by combining its loyalty to Habsburg monarchy with the historical identity of Kraków. In 1880, on welcoming Franz Joseph in Krakow, the reception committee organized Honorary Citizen’s Guard as the means to imply not only the city’s loyalty but also its historical background by displaying the conventional images of ‘Good Old Poland’ to the eyes of the audience including Franz Joseph himself. This research concludes that their attempt successfully enabled Kraków administration to fulfill their political purpose.
