PROGRAMMES
Exhibition opening and conference in Nancy
At the invitation of the University of Lorraine in Nancy, with the attendance of Georg von Habsburg, Ambassador to Hungary in France, Gergely Fejérdy, Deputy Director of our Foundation, will give a lecture on the connection between Otto von Habsburg and the capital of Lorraine at the University of Lorraine on 13 October. On the same day, the exhibition Life and Heritage will be opened at the Sciences Po University in Nancy (Le campus de Nancy – Collège universitaire) and on the following day, on 14 October, a commemorative mass will be held at the Church of Cordeliers, the former wedding venue of Otto and Regina von Habsburg.
Venue
Nancy,
Le campus de Nancy - Collège universitaire
Date
Start
2023.10.13.Friday18:00
End
2023.10.14.Saturday19:00
The former seat of the Dukes of Lorraine occupies an important place in the life of our namesake. The first milestone in this relationship was the marriage between Maria Theresa and Prince Francis Stephen of Lorraine in 1736, which brought the House of Habsburg-Lorraine into existence. However, this is not the reason why the city had a special place in the heart of Otto von Habsburg, but rather because his wedding to Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen took place here on 10 May 1951. Furthermore, on the 50th anniversary of their marriage, in May 2001, the extended family gathered again on the site of the ceremony to mark half a century together, with five daughters and two sons, and by that time 20 grandchildren. Yet it was not only in matters of the heart that Otto von Habsburg considered this place: he visited Nancy on several occasions on business, giving lectures. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the Université de Lorraine.
From the period between the two world wars, a solemn mass was held every year in the Cordeliers church in memory of the Dukes of Lorraine and Bar, which was attended by Otto von Habsburg in person most of the time.
