Who was Otto von Habsburg and what was his historical significance?
Otto von Habsburg was the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, born on the 20th of November 1912, and served as President of the International Paneuropean Union from 1973 to 2004. He is described alongside Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, and Alcide De Gasperi as one of the architects of European integration. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament for Germany's Christian Social Union of Bavaria from 1979 to 1999.
What role did Otto von Habsburg play in the fall of communism in 1989?
Otto von Habsburg was a co-initiator of the Pan-European Picnic, held at the Hungary-Austria border on the 19th of August 1989, when the border was briefly opened. The event is considered a milestone in the collapse of Communist dictatorships across Europe. He had also kept an empty chair in the European Parliament to symbolize the absence of Iron Curtain countries.
Why was Otto von Habsburg sentenced to death by the Nazis?
Otto von Habsburg was a fierce opponent of the Anschluss and in 1938 asked Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg to resist Nazi Germany. Following the German annexation of Austria, the Nazi regime sentenced him to death; Rudolf Hess ordered that he be executed immediately if caught. Adolf Hitler also personally confiscated his property and revoked his citizenship.
When was Otto von Habsburg allowed to return to Austria after his exile?
Otto von Habsburg did not return to Austria until the 31st of October 1966, nearly half a century after his exile began in 1919. He received an Austrian passport on the 1st of June 1966, after the People's Party won an outright majority in the national election. His first destination was Innsbruck, where he visited the grave of Archduke Eugen of Austria.
How did Otto von Habsburg help refugees during World War II?
Otto von Habsburg was involved in helping around 15,000 Austrians, including thousands of Austrian Jews, flee the country at the beginning of the Second World War. He also successfully lobbied the United States to delay the bombardment of Austrian cities, including Vienna, which held off bombing raids there until 1943. In Portugal, he obtained safe passage for his family through the intervention of António Salazar in June 1940.
Where was Otto von Habsburg buried after his death in 2011?
Otto von Habsburg died on the 4th of July 2011 at his home in Pöcking, Germany, at the age of 98. His funeral took place at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna on the 16th of July 2011. In keeping with Habsburg family tradition, he was entombed in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, while his heart was buried separately at Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary.