The distinguished scholar, a Hungarian engineer and economist with many ties to Otto von Habsburg, had been contributing to our work since 2022: he shared his personal memories with us, enriched our collection with objects related to the family of the former heir to the throne, and regularly participated in our events, in the organisation of which he himself took part on several occasions.
Hittig Gusztáv’s grandfather was the brother of Sister Melissa – a member of the Daughters of Divine Love Congregation – the first Hungarian tutor of Otto von Habsburg. The sister had taught Hungarian to the future heir to the throne and his brothers and sisters until 1918. Her figure appears frequently in the diaries of the family, which are kept at our Foundation. In October 1918, she accompanied them to Gödöllő on their last visit to Hungary, from where the royal children had to be evacuated during the Aster Revolution. In November, when Charles von Habsburg and Zita were forced to leave Schönbrunn Palace with the little ones, Sister Melissa had to part with them. It was on this occasion that she was presented by Queen Zita with a box decorated with a picture of Franz Joseph. Decades later, this treasured object was passed on to her brother’s grandson, Gusztáv Hittig, who told us about this story and showed us the valuable item during our visit this summer.
Gusztáv Hittig kept close contact with Otto von Habsburg. After the regime change, he regularly accompanied the former heir to the throne on his trips to Hungary and Mariazell. He was a frequent and enthusiastic visitor to the Foundation’s events, especially those organised in honour of our namesake’s father, King Charles IV, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004. He maintained a personal good relationship with our colleagues, sharing many family stories about the dynasty. He also visited the premises of our Foundation. On this occasion, he donated to us a number of personal memorabilia: documents of his family’s relationship with Otto von Habsburg, pieces of his private correspondence with the last heir to the throne, and objects that had been given to him or his relatives by Otto. When handing them over, he asked that they be preserved and shared in a way that conveys the value they represent.
Gusztáv Hittig considered important those initiatives that could contribute to the clarification of our historical consciousness and help us to navigate in the complex world of our history. In 1997, he founded the Hungarian branch of the Emperor Karl League of Prayer (Gebetsliga), which played a significant role in the preparations for the beatification of Emperor and King Charles. He led the organisation for twenty years, and continued to have its interests at heart even after handing over the presidency. In 2023, Pope Francis bestowed upon him the Gold Cross “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” (Cross “For the Church and the Pope”) in recognition of his work – the same award his grandfather had received.
The last time we met him was in September, in Tihany, at the opening of our commemorative exhibition entitled “To give our utmost…”, organised to mark the twentieth anniversary of the beatification of Emperor and King Charles. Despite his serious illness, he was delighted to attend the event.
He once said in an interview: “I have always tried to learn everything I could and then share what I learned with others to help them achieve their potential. That might be the essence of being a fisher of men. Yet it’s not for humanistic reasons! I believe that humans fundamentally do everything for themselves. If it brings joy to others, that’s an additional good. Though, of course, it’s still very good…”
God rest his soul!
