During his nearly 70-year reign (from 1848 to 1916), Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria visited Lviv five times, and each of these visits was different from the last.
The best way to see how Lviv and Lvivites wanted to "show themselves" to the guests of the city is through the stories of imperial visits. In addition to the fact that these visits were very important and revealing, their example can be used to trace the evolution of welcoming guests and self-presentation over the course of half a century. And there were other visits and other guests, less significant, but no less revealing.
From April 29 to May 5, 1900 an outstanding Polish writer, the author of the The Crusaders and With Fire and Sword, Henryk Sienkiewicz visited Lviv. That event became one of the most noticeable in the public life of Lviv and one of the most remarkable ones for the Polish part of Lvivites.
The emperor's stay in Lviv was short - only 4 hours. The emperor was checking on military maneuvers in the Komarno area, and came to Lviv rather for a short visit.
In 1905 it was the shah's third visit to Lviv. Since Lviv didn't often receive such high-ranking guests, the visit became one of the most important events for local authorities.
