Barbara Káli-Rozmis
Author & Researcher
Barbara Káli-Rozmis has over two decades of research experience, combining academic training in literature with professional expertise in journalism, editing, and communication.
Her work spans publishing, filmmaking, lecturing, and digital content creation, with a focus on making historical research accessibleand engaging for a wide audience.
Her work has attracted the attention of the Habsburg family, who granted her access to private archives.
Barbara works across multiple formats — including books, lectures, films, and digital content — making historical research accessible, engaging, and relevant to contemporary audiences.
Her work bridges the gap between academic research and narrative storytelling, offering a rare combination of depth and readability.
✨Books about Elisabeth and her family
Her debut book (2021) became a category bestseller within three months and was later awarded Book of the Year 2022 in Historical Non-Fiction based on readers’ votes. Her books combine historical accuracy with narrative depth, bringing complex historical figures to life for a wide audience. (Read more about the books below.)
Endorsed by Archduke Michael von Habsburg-Lothringen (great-great-grandson of Empress and Queen Elisabeth), the work stands out for its credibility, narrative strength, and strong international potential.
✨Explore: My published works
✨Lectures & Presentations
Barbara Káli-Rozmis delivers engaging and thought-provoking lectures on the life of Empress Elisabeth, combining rigorous historical research with compelling storytelling.
Her presentations go beyond the well-known narratives, revealing lesser-known details, authentic sources, and the complex human story behind the legend.
Available for international lectures and collaborations.
✨ Explore: Some of the Core Themes & Lecture Topics
Why Elisabeth?
„My journey did not begin with the familiar Sissi-trilogy (directed by Ernst Marischka) or popular narratives.
It began with a newspaper article.
A brief mention of an upcoming anniversary — and a portrait that refused to be forgotten. Painted after her death, it captured something that went far beyond image: a presence, a question, a story that felt incomplete.
That moment sparked a curiosity that would grow into more than two decades of research.
What started as a personal fascination became a long-term commitment: to understand, to reconstruct, and to present a life that has too often been simplified or misunderstood.
On 10 September 2018, marking the 120th anniversary of her death, I founded TEMPT – The Empress Memory Team. The aim was clear: to preserve her legacy and to bring audiences closer to a more authentic and nuanced understanding of the Empress-Queen’s life.”
Barbara Káli-Rozmis
10 September 2018
1. First Page
The Untold Story Behind One of Europe’s Most Fascinating Women
2. Media Coverage
See media features and interviews
3. References
Explore my references
3. Books
Discover my published works
Discover my upcoming third book
4. Step into the world of Elisabeth
Read some of my articles in English
Watch my videos with subtitles
5. Contacts
Get in touch
About Barbara
Barbara Káli-Rozmis is a researcher and author with an academic background in English and Hungarian Language and Literature, complemented by professional training in journalism, editing, and communication.
Her interest in aristocratic history began early, but her long-term research focus was defined in 1997, when a newspaper article first drew her attention to Empress and Queen Elisabeth, whose life she has been exploring ever since.
Over the years, she has become actively involved in a wide range of national and international projects, including publishing, expert editorial work, filmmaking, lecturing, and digital content creation. Her work is distinguished by its ability to combine scholarly research with accessible, engaging storytelling across multiple platforms.
Her debut non-fiction book, published in October 2021, quickly gained recognition, being selected as one of the most notable books of the holiday season and becoming a category bestseller within just three months.
She is the founder of TEMPT – The Empress Memory Team, an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to presenting a more authentic and contemporary perspective through research, visual interpretation, and cultural projects.
A turning point in her career came when her research attracted the attention of the Hungarian branch of the Habsburg family, with the support of Count János Seremetyeff-Papp, she was granted access to previously closed family archives — an exceptional opportunity that significantly deepened the scope of her work.
In recognition of her research, great-great-grandson of Empress and Queen Elisabeth, Archduke Michael von Habsburg-Lothringen personally endorsed her work, highlighting its authenticity and its contribution to a more nuanced understanding of historical narratives.
Her books stand out for their use of rare primary sources, narrative strength, and a distinctive perspective that resonates with both general readers and professional audiences — making them particularly well-suited for international publication and adaptation.
“The Book of the Year Award 2022” in the historical non-fiction category
Books (published in Hungarian)
Barbara Káli-Rozmis is the author of two acclaimed non-fiction books based on extensive research and rare primary sources, with a third volume currently in progress.
Her work stands out for its unique combination of historical accuracy and narrative power—demonstrating that reality can be as compelling as fiction.
Strongly positioned for international publication and translation, her books offer both scholarly credibility and wide audience appeal.
👉 Explore the books →
👉 Discover the upcoming third volume →
Curriculum Vitae
From 2005, teaching English and Hungarian language
From 2008, Researcher of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
From 2012, Teaching literary style at a Journalist School
In 2012, “The Relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn” – Research and Thesis
From 2015, blog and the Facebook page about Empress Elisabeth and her family (articles in Hungarian and English)
From 2016, a TUMAG – Magazine for Conscious People – www.tumag.hu
2018, Foundation of the TEMPT Princess – The Empress Memory Team
From 2018, Presentations about the Empress
From 2019, work with the Helikon Publishing Ltd. on books relating to Empress and Queen Elisabeth
2021, the debut book: Queen Elisabeth and the Hungarians (Helikon, 2021)
2023, the sequel: Passion in the Captivity of Rank – Sisi in the Circle of Friends and Family (Helikon, 2023)
Education
2009–2012 – Kodolányi János University of Applied Sciences: English and American Studies – Business English and Translation
2006–2008: Eszterházy Károly College, Faculty of Humanities – Teacher of Hungarian Language and Literature
2003–2005 – University of Szeged – Juhász Gyula Teacher Training College – Hungarian and English language and literature
2012– 2015 Krúdy Gyula Journalists School – Journalists – Editor – Press Secretary (Accredited Training)
Three-pages interview with Barbara Káli-Rozmis about her book in Nők Lapja (“Women’s Magazine”), which has been one of the leading weekly magazines in Hungary since 1949.
A three-page interview in the “Közeli” column of Nők Lapja: “A Cloudwalk with Sisi – Barbara Káli-Rozmis, researcher of Queen Elisabeth”. The interview was conducted by Emese Dudics about the debut book of Barbara Káli-Rozmis, Queen Elisabeth and the Hungarians – Friendship or Love.
Media Coverage
See media features and interviews
References & Presentations
Explore my references
Books
Discover my published works
Discover my upcoming third book
Contacts
Get in touch