HIRH Otto von Habsburg: Freedom's Holy Roman Emperor 20 November 1912 – 4 July 2011 Requiescat in pace

"When the Goddess of Reason was placed on the altar two hundred years ago during the French Revolution and when it was announced that God was dead or had never lived, there began the greatest crisis humanity had suffered up to then. This led in the twentieth century to the erection of the concentration camps of National Socialism and the Communist gulags. - HIRH Otto von Habsburg, Return to the Center pg. 217


Archduke Otto von Habsburg passed away on July 4, 2011 at the age of 98. The Archduke was a Christian statesman who fought the worse revolutionaries of the 20th century in defense of Christendom. He helped thousands of Austrians, among them many Jews escape from the Nazis. He fought against Nazism and Soviet Communism and for an integrated multinational Europe.



His Imperial and Royal Highness Otto von Habsburg played a prominent role in unifying a divided continent. He organized a picnic on August 19, 1989 that led to one of the first openings in the Berlin Wall where 700 East Germans managed to pass through to freedom. This was accomplished through the Pan-Europa movement along with much more following the fall of the Berlin Wall which included the reunification of Europe.



Walburga von Habsburg describes the August 1989 picnic in the video above that generated one of the first openings in the Iron Curtain. In the video below at 1 minute and 40 seconds there is actual footage of the Pan Europa picnic and scenes of people crossing the Iron Curtain.



When a great and good man such as Archduke Otto von Habsburg passes on, the world left behind seems diminished. Praying for him and his family I also find myself praying that he will be praying for those of us left behind in this gloomier place now that he has departed. Sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

You can offer your condolences here.