The long-lost Habsburg jewels, including the legendary Florentine Diamond, have recently resurfaced, drawing renewed attention to Austria’s imperial treasures and the fascinating stories behind them.

VIENNA – Alongside this rediscovery, ORF-Enterprise is delighted to present a new addition to their documentary portfolio, “The Theft of the Imperial Crown Jewels”. Directed by Wolfgang Winkler, the film explores the mysterious disappearance of parts of the Habsburgs’ historic jewelry collection in November 1918, just days before the end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Among the transported pieces were Empress Elisabeth’s diamond crown, Emperor Rudolf II’s Austrian imperial crown, and the famous 137-carat yellow Florentine Diamond.

The documentary, a co-production by ORF/3sat and Pammer Film, explores the events surrounding the disappearance of these exquisite jewels and examines their eventual rediscovery in 2025. Questions remain about their original condition and the path they took back to Vienna. The film thoroughly investigates these aspects, offering insights into the fate of the lost Austrian crown jewels.

“'The Theft of the Imperial Crown Jewels' not only unravels a fascinating historical mystery but also sheds light on a captivating episode of history that has intrigued for decades,” says Armin Luttenberger, Head of Content Sales International at ORF-Enterprise. “We are thrilled to bring this compelling story to audiences worldwide, offering both intrigue and insight into one of history’s most captivating heists.”

The documentary is distributed worldwide by ORF-Enterprise.

Content Sales International (CSI) is the international content sales unit of ORF-Enterprise, the marketing subsidiary of the Austrian public service broadcasting corporation ORF. The team markets both ORF productions and works produced by independent production companies. The portfolio spans from documentaries, movies, series to kids programming and music. 

The award-winning ORF Universum documentaries and various popular original ORF Original drama series form the foundation of the colorful content catalog. 

Content Sales International also acts as facilitator between the Austrian creative industry and international coproduction partners, hosts a Semi-Final round of Judging for the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (iEmmys®) and participates in a wide range of content markets including MIPCOM, Avant Première, Sunny Side of the Doc and Jackson Wild Summit. A music publishing service with its own label, along with the ORF-Musiclibrary, complement ORF-Enterprise’s activities in this segment.

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