Emperor Karl of Austria & Empress Zita, their family, Part I

[Eurohistory]

There is a small chapel with a profile of the late Emperor inside the Kaisergruft.

Arturo Beéche

[Agneschen]

There is a white marble bust of Kaiser Karl in the Kapuzinergruft. I had myself photographed next to it when I was in Vienna for he is my favorite Kaiser. His life was so short and so full of trials, he inherited a situation no one could have handled and yet he lived like a true christian and did all he possibly could to end that bloody WWI. He did love his country and fellow countrymen. The account of his exile in Madeira and of his death in books are often heartrending and always bring tears into my eyes. Yes, the "Friedenkaiser" well deserved his beatification.

[bluetoria]

he is my favorite Kaiser. His life was so short and so full of trials, he inherited a situation no one could have handled and yet he lived like a true christian and did all he possibly could to end that bloody WWI.  Yes, the "Friedenkaiser" well deserved his beatification.

Agneschen, if ever you have time, please could you explain this more fully?
I still can't understand the reasons for his beatification & would love to know more. Do you have any direct quotations from him, please, which show what you mean about him living 'like a true Christian'?
Thank you!

[Jim1026]

That seems like a thoughtful thing. Is there any memorial plaque or anything to Carl next to Zita's crypt?

Here is an execellent website on the Kaisergruft in Vienna.  www.kaisergruft.at.

[Eurohistory]

Nice to see that the Capucins have upgraded to a website...they can be so very low tech at the Kaisergruft.  However, it is one of my favorite Viennese venues, together with the Coburg Palais, the Sacher and of course Demmel's.

Arturo Beéche

[Robert_Hall]

Thanks, Arturo.  That is encouraging.
If ONLY they would get here ! Of course, I do not really expect them to, for some reason.

[Eurohistory]

Bobby...I bought extras...if the ones you ordered do not get to you let me know.

Arturo Beéche

[genrail1]

The coronation portrait shows the good Kronprinz Otto, yes?  I think he still lives?

J. Kirchanski

[Robert_Hall]

He is retired now, but still alive & head of the Habsburg family. [born 12 Nov. 1912]

[grandduchessella]

He was (is) a physician, true?  

[Eurohistory]

Archduke Otto is quite alive and kicking...I last spoke with him at the Vatican and took some nice photos of him before all the ceremonies began.

He celebrated his 90th birthday in 2002 with a wonderful gathering of Habsburgs in Vienna...there was a nice service at St. Stephen's, after which all guest walked to the Hofburg for speeches and a reception and then in the  evening we were treated to a marvelous cocktail party and dinner at Schönbrunn.

He studied law and politics and worked for many years as a deputy in the European parliament...not a physician at all, but a politician, one of the founders of modern Europe.

Arturo Beéche

[grandduchessella]

OK--I don't know why I had in my mind he was a physician.  :-/  

[Eurohistory]

Nope...neither Ottor nor his four brothers were physicians...they studied law and economics and married late, therefore insuring that children would arrive after they had settled into profitable careers.  Rudolf and Carl Ludwig lived mostly in Belgium, while Felix settled in Mexico, where several of his children continue residing.  Robert spent quite some time managing the estates inherited by his wife, Margherita of Savoy, and also had a successful career as a businessman...he was the most Parma-looking of Zita and karl's boys.

Archduke Otto is a prolific writer in history, economics and politics, and had a tremendously successful political career, both in the European parliament and as president of the Pan-Europa movement.

Arturo Beéche

[Aliard]

My Austrian uncle told me he heard that the Austrian government was going to give some of the smaller Habsburg estates, such as Laxenburg, back to the family. Is this true?

[Eurohistory]

Not really...the Austrian government are behaving like thieves of the worst kind.  Important properties were expropriated from the descendants of Karl and Zita in the 1930's, this after the family had settled with the government for a fraction of what the republic should have restituted.  

The Austrian government continues to use as an excuse the fact that the expropriation was done by the Hitler-backed government...I wonder what the overall reaction would be if the same ridiculous excuse had been used when dealing with Jewish-owned property...these excuses are sickening...governments should not go about taking private citizens' property, be them former royals, Jews, leftists, rightists, whatever.

I am venting...  

Arturo Beéche