OTTO VON HABSBURG (1912-2011): Austria Holds National Funeral for It’s Last Emperor

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OTTO VON HABSBURG (1912-2011): Austria Holds National Funeral for It’s Last Emperor
by Darius Kadivar
16-Jul-2011
 

The funeral of the last heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Otto von Habsburg, has taken place in the Austrian capital Vienna. (Watch BBC Report Here)

Often described as a champion of European unity,
Otto Habsburg-Lothringen, the eldest son of the last Austrian emperor, has died at the age of 98.
He lived in southern Germany during a life spent mostly in exile.


The Habsburgs were the ruling family of the Austro-Hungarian empire, which collapsed at the end of World War One.
 Austria abolished the monarchy and the man also known as Otto von Habsburg gave up his claim to the throne in 1961.


PHOTOS HERE

Euronews Otto von Habsburg dies at the age of 98 :

Funeral Highlights:

Archduke Otto von Hapsburg :

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FUNERAL CEREMONY

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Opening of Funeral Ceremony:

Cardinal’s Speech:

Requiem - Otto von Habsburg - Requiem und Kyrie (Michael Haydn):

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OTTO VON HABSBURG

A GREAT ADVOCATE OF EUROPEAN PEACE AND UNITY

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A Brief History of the European Unity with an Interview of Otto Von Habsburg:

On the meaning of Europe :

The European Constitution and Christianity :

On Europe and centralisation:

On Religion, Politics and Education :

On Muslims and Christians in Europe :

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NATIONAL ANTHEME

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National Anthem of the Austro Hungarian Empire:

Habsburg: Funeral held for last Austro-Hungarian heir (bbc)

The funeral of the last heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Otto von Habsburg, has taken place in the Austrian capital Vienna.

European royals and political leaders, many from nations that his family ruled over, attended the service.

The body of the last crown prince was buried in the Imperial crypt at a private ceremony. His wife, who died last year, was buried alongside him.

Mr Habsburg, a former MEP, died earlier this month at the age of 98 in Germany.

Thousands of Austrians and tourists lined the streets of Vienna's city centre ahead of a procession into St Stephen's Cathedral, where about 1,000 mourners had gathered.

Vienna's Cardinal Christoph Schoen born presided over a funeral mass, attended by European royals including Sweden's King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein.

Among the political figures at the ceremony were Austrian President Heinz Fischer, and the prime ministers of Croatia and Macedonia.

Members of historical societies wearing traditional uniforms mingled with mourners outside the cathedral watching the service on large screens.

Mr Habsburg's body was buried shortly afterwards in the Imperial crypt where his ancestors lie. However, his heart will be taken to Hungary for burial at an abbey west of Budapest on Sunday, in accordance with a Habsburg tradition.

A passionate advocate of European unity, Mr Habsburg served as a member of the European parliament for two decades.

His son Karl Habsburg said his father witnessed huge changes in Europe during his life.

"It would always be wrong to only remember him in the context of the old monarchy or only remember him in the context of the European Union. I think he should be remembered in the whole arch that his life has been creating over the whole changes that happened to Europe in his lifetime," he said.

The BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna says that there have been some complaints that the pomp surrounding the funeral is out of place in a republic.

'Life in exile'

Mr Habsburg was born in 1912, six years before the collapse of the empire at the end of the First World War.

He spent many decades exiled from Austria after his family fled in 1919, but relinquished his own claim to inherit the empire in 1961. Five years later he was allowed to return to Austria.

He was an opponent of the Nazis and spoke out against Germany's annexation of Austria in1938.

In 1989 he helped organise the Pan-European Picnic demonstration on the border of Austria and Hungary.

The border was briefly opened, an event credited with helping usher in the fall of the Berlin Wall months later.

Mr Habsburg then dedicated himself to having the former communist-ruled states of eastern Europe brought into the EU.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso paid tribute to him as "a great European who gave an important impetus to the European project throughout his rich life".

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Austria has had a checkered history when it comes to relations with Muslims, but its 100-year-old Law on Islam is seen as a symbol of tolerance.

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R2-D2

Heart Burial .....

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So was David Livingstone's fate, the Famed British Explorer and Missionary:

His body at Westminster Abbey, his heart with Chief Chitambo's village at Ilala southeast of Lake Bangweulu in North-Western Rhodesia.

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Livingstone

 

 


Darius Kadivar

Heart to Heart: Otto's heart to be buried separately in Hungary

by Darius Kadivar on


Empire heir's heart to be buried (bbc)

The heart of the last heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Otto von Habsburg, is due to be buried in Hungary following his funeral in Vienna. 

 


HEART BURIAL

Burying the heart separately to the body was a custom used by a number of medieval European aristocrats:

            Richard I (Richard the Lionheart): The English king's heart was buried at Rouen in Normandy after he died in 1199. His body was buried in Anjou

            Robert the Bruce: The king of the Scots, who died in 1329, is buried in Dunfermline Abbey but his heart is buried in Melrose Abbey

            The House of Habsburg has practised heart burial for centuries

But the practice was not limited to monarchs.

            English writer Thomas Hardy's body is interred in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey but his heart is buried in the grave of his first wife Emmain Dorchester.

 


R2-D2

Pretty Sure 'anglophile' ;)

by R2-D2 on

Pretty Sure :) !

 

 


Rea

May he rest in peace

by Rea on

May we also learn to look ahead appreciating our past. While learning from it at the same time.

Thx for the blog. 


anglophile

The Last Emperor

by anglophile on

Great blog Dariuis jan.

 

I wonder how sure r2-d2 is about his being around in 40 years time LOL


Red Wine

...

by Red Wine on

He was a good person, he has been a very different person than other members of other families of royal blood. I liked how he talked  a couple of years ago on Nazism and talked about how he has defended his principles ahead of A. Hitler.

 May he rest in peace.

 Dariush jan, thank you for blog.


R2-D2

In About 40 Years .....

by R2-D2 on

We'll have another Grand Funeral, this time for Reza Pahlavi, outside of Maryland, in the United States, who like Otto von Habsburg, never managed to restore its Monarchy back in our Beloved Iran :)

P.S. Note to Blogger - If you are still around, look forward to seeing you there ..... !