The earliest photograph in the book was taken in 1912, in Reichenau an der Rax, Lower Austria, of Otto von Habsburg, who was, at birth, third in the line to the Austro-Hungarian throne after Franz Ferdinand and his father, Charles. Less than four years later, Charles I (IV) was crowned, making the four-year-old boy, known in the newspapers as the “little heir to the throne with blond locks”, successor to the throne—but no one could have guessed at the time how distinctive a course of life he would follow as the eldest son of the last Hungarian King and Austrian Emperor.
The photobook 99 Years 99 Photos — Photographs from the Life of Otto von Habsburg, with the aid of photographs and descriptions in Hungarian, English, German, French and Spanish, takes the reader through the life of Otto von Habsburg, including previously unknown places. One of the photographs captures the moment when the Habsburg children arrived on the island of Madeira, the second stop of their exile. Another picture was taken just a few months later of ten-year-old Otto von Habsburg at the funeral of Charles I (IV), who passed away young. There is also a shot of the last winter the siblings spent in Belgium with their mother, Queen and Empress Zita before they were forced to flee the Nazi occupation in 1940.
The book features a wedding photo of Otto von Habsburg and Regina Saxe-Meiningen in 1951 and photographs taken in Austria in the 1960s—the former heir to the throne was only permitted to return to his homeland four decades after the family’s exile. The picture of Otto von Habsburg at the Berlin Wall is symbolic as well, as he was a leading figure of the pan-European idea throughout the decades of the Cold War, advocating the abolition of the Iron Curtain and the support of the Soviet-occupied countries of Eastern and Central Europe.
The final photo in the book shows Otto von Habsburg in the company of Pope Benedict XVI, who bade farewell to the Crown Prince on his death on 4 July 2011: “In a long and fulfilling life, Archduke Otto became a witness to the eventful history of Europe. In responsibility before God and in awareness of an important heritage, he worked tirelessly as a great European for peace, for the coexistence of peoples.”
The photographs were taken in 23 countries on four continents
“These pictures bear witness to how the Prince became a “man on foot”. From a child with a special status and a predestined fate to an adult who creates and realises his own destiny. From a young half-orphan who experienced countless sorrows to a man of serenity and impressive optimism. From heir to the throne of an empire involved in many historical conflicts to a European politician. From the progeny of a monarch to a dedicated citizen. Despite his losses, content and happy.” — writes Karl von Habsburg, Otto von Habsburg’s son, in the foreword of the book.
The book 99 Years 99 Photos — Photographs from the Life of Otto von Habsburg is based on the photo collection of some 30,000 photographs held by the Otto von Habsburg Foundation, which is entrusted with the care of the heritage of Otto von Habsburg. In his editorial foreword, Szilveszter Dékány, Senior Collection Fellow and curator of the book, explains: “The earliest dated pictures are from the late 19th century and predominantly show members of the Habsburg family, while the latest ones were taken around the turn of the millennium, documenting the social and family events of Otto von Habsburg’s last years. The material from the various visits to the front of Emperor and King Charles during the First World War is particularly abundant. In stark contrast, however, there are only a handful of photographs from the tumultuous years of the Second World War, especially from the time when Otto lived in the United States. The largest part of the collection consists of private and official photos showing Otto von Habsburg’s colourful and hard-working everyday life from his childhood through the years of exile until his final days.”
The rich imagery is complemented by an essay from Martyn Rady, professor at University College London and author of The Habsburgs. “The photographs tell some of the story: Otto’s tireless travelling, the quiet domesticity of his married life to Regina Saxe-Meiningen, his love of cars (a passion he shared with Franz Joseph), and his abiding affection for Hungary. The photographs hint at his modesty but not at his personal courage—his role in snatching 10,000 refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe from under the eyes of the Gestapo in Portugal in 1940 and his visit to Sarajevo in 1997, defying the threats of Serbian gunmen.”
The book, published by Helikon Publishing, is available in bookshops starting the week of 20 November to mark the anniversary. The selection, presenting the life of the former Crown Prince, the head of the dynasty and a dedicated Member of the European Parliament, will be a wonderful Christmas gift not only for history and photography enthusiasts.
