When Our Future Began

How does the heir to a dynasty that had lost its throne respond to the divided Europe of the second half of the 20th century? Damals begann unsere Zukunft appeared in 1971, when the Habsburg Monarchy belonged to the past, yet the continent’s future remained an open question. Fifty-five years later, Helikon Publishing and our Foundation are jointly publishing its first Hungarian translation as the inaugural volume in the series The Works of Otto von Habsburg.

Through political essays and historical portraits, the book moves from the imperial idea and relations between Saxony and Austria through the upheaval of 1945 to the lives of Eisenhower, Coudenhove-Kalergi, and Adenauer. Its closing chapters turn to Austria’s place in Europe and the responsibilities of a new generation. Königgrätz occupies a prominent place in this reflection on the past: the author examines the lasting consequences of military defeat, while the battle’s 160th anniversary brings an added historical dimension to the launch of the new edition.

The discussion will explore the circumstances in which the volume took shape and its place in Otto von Habsburg’s political thought, asking what meaning its reflections may hold more than half a century after they were written.

Programme

11.30–12.00 | Welcome addresses

Gergely Prőhle, Director of the Otto von Habsburg Foundation
Miklós M. Nagy, Director of Helikon Publishing

12.00–13.30 | Panel discussion

Michael Gehler, Director of the Institute of History at the University of Hildesheim
István Hiller, historian and former Hungarian Minister of Education and Culture

Moderator: Gergely Prőhle

With piano accompaniment by Máté Dömötör.

The event will be held in Hungarian and German, with simultaneous interpretation provided.

The book will be available for purchase at the venue courtesy of Helikon Publishing.

We look forward to welcoming you.