The Otto von Habsburg Foundation was established with the dual aim of preserving the material heritage and cultivating the intellectual legacy of its namesake in a dignified manner. These two efforts are mutually intertwined: based on the extraordinarily rich archival and library collection and the results of its processing, the Foundation aims to uphold the intellectual legacy of Otto von Habsburg and, at the same time, reflect current trends in world politics and European integration.

The year 2022 dramatically confronted us all with the fact that history, contrary to all the illusions from the hopeful era beginning in 1989, not only has not ended but is still unfolding based on the mechanisms and intentions of past millennia. The Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in February – following the Covid-19 pandemic and the summer drought – was an ominous reminder of the most devastating periods in European history. It is no coincidence that during the year, a number of writings and film clips appeared on social media, the contents of which clearly showed that Otto von Habsburg regarded current political events with a wealth of historical experience. For example, as early as the beginning of the 2000s, he was already warning of the danger the expansionist ambitions of Putin’s Russia could pose.

The conclusion of the 2022 programmes shows there is more to it than a thorough knowledge of history. The 100th anniversary of the death of King Charles IV has drawn our attention to a context that is crucial to understanding and processing the life’s work of our namesake: the formative influence of the father, who died tragically young, on the life of the young Crown Prince. Károly Forgách’s photograph on the front cover of this volume is a vivid illustration of this: Otto is looking up from his work, with a portrait of King Charles on his desk, constantly in his field of vision as he writes.

ISSN: 2732-3366; 2939-5453

Author: Ferenc Vasbányai (ed.)

Year of publication: 2023

Publisher: Otto von Habsburg Foundation

Place of publication: Budapest

Language: English

Number of pages: 160