Empire on the Wall – A Map of the Monarchy in Otto von Habsburg’s Former Study

Our Foundation preserves the wall map that once hung in our namesake’s residence in Lequeitio. At first glance, it appears to be a simple classroom teaching aid; in reality, however, it is far more than that: a material trace of the educational programme through which the young Archduke was prepared, even in exile, for his role as heir to the Monarchy.

The “world of yesterday” and political reality – The eventful summer of young Otto von Habsburg in 1924

Among the Otto von Habsburg Foundation’s holdings are numerous diaries by governesses and tutors, documenting the upbringing of the imperial children. These records provide valuable insights into the everyday life of the family up to the mid-1930s. Beyond the constraints of court etiquette – or at times operating entirely within them – they occasionally reveal lighter, more personal moments from the children’s formative years.