Hapsburgs

The House of Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known as supplying all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of Spain and the Austrian Empire.

Originally from Switzerland, the dynasty first reigned in Austria, which they ruled for over six centuries, but a series of dynastic marriages brought Burgundy, Spain, Bohemia, Hungary and other territories into the inheritance. In the sixteenth century the senior Spanish and junior Austrian branches of the family separated

The dynasty is named after their seat of origin, the Habsburg Castle founded by Radbot, Count of Habsburg in the Swiss Canton of Aargau.

The origins of the name of the castle are uncertain. Most people assume the name to be derived from the High German Habichtsburg (Hawk Castle), but some historians and linguists are convinced that the name comes from the Middle High German word ‘hab/ hap’ meaning fjord, as there is a river with a ford nearby. The first documented use of the name by the dynasty itself has been traced to the year 1108

Otto von Habsburg has been the head of the House of Habsburg since 1922. He is the former Crown Prince (1916–1918) of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Galicia and Lodomeria and Illyria, and since 1922 the Habsburg pretender to these thrones as well as the titular King of Jerusalem.

In a declaration dated May 31, 1961, Otto renounced all claims to the Austrian throne and proclaimed himself “a loyal citizen of the republic,” a move that he made only after much hesitation and certainly “for purely practical reasons”.

Austria is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. It can can be divided into five areas, the biggest being the Austrian Alps. Popular tourist destinations are Salzberg, Vienna and Innsbruck.

November–April is the ideal time to indulge in winter sports and Christmas festivities, while in the summer months, various events like the Salzburg festival can be enjoyed.