Early life
Gabriela von Habsburg was born in Luxembourg, the fourth child of the German politician Otto von Habsburg, head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and erstwhile heir apparent to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and Regina (née Prinzessin von Sachsen-Meiningen). She was baptised with the names Gabriela Maria Charlotte Felicitas Elisabeth Antonia. The name in her birth certificate is Gabriela von Österreich-Ungarn. [4]
Gabriela von Habsburg was raised at her parents' home in exile, Villa Austria, in Pöcking, Bavaria. As a result of the Habsburgs' banishment from Austria, she feels that she grew up devoid of any sense of pride of country and thus identifies as European. [5] She believes that her dynasty's role in history shaped her upbringing, noting that her family "never spoke about anything at mealtimes except politics". [5] A granddaughter of the last Austrian emperor, Charles I, she does not use the traditional Habsburg-Lorraine titles ("Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess Royal of Hungary and Bohemia", with the style of Imperial and Royal Highness). [5] [6]
After graduating in 1976, Gabriela von Habsburg studied philosophy for two years at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. From 1978 to 1982, she studied art at the Munich Academy of Arts with Robert Jacobsen and Eduardo Paolozzi.
Career
Since 2001, she has been an art professor at the Academy of Arts of Tbilisi, Georgia while also teaching at the Summer Academy of Arts in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany until 2005. She found the creativity and cheerfulness of her students in the face of the adversity then prevalent in Georgia inspiring. [5] During her tenure there she was granted Georgian citizenship. [5] Her five hectare vineyard in Georgia produces wine. [5]
In November 2009, Georgia appointed Gabriela von Habsburg as its ambassador to Germany, and since March 2011, she has maintained a flat in Berlin. [5] [7] Believing that Georgian history served as a crucible for European culture, she has maintained that the liberalizing reforms of President Mikheil Saakashvili have been welcome and invigorating for Georgia's people and economy, which has prompted her to work for Georgia's membership in the European Market. [5] She was dismissed from her position in January 2013, after the change of government in Georgia in October 2012.
Since March 2010, Gabriela von Habsburg has represented Georgia at the International Council [8] of the Austrian Service Abroad.
Otto von Habsburg was the last crown prince of Austria-Hungary from 1916 until the dissolution of the empire in November 1918. In 1922, he became the pretender to the former thrones, head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and sovereign of the Order of the Golden Fleece upon the death of his father. He resigned as Sovereign of the Golden Fleece in 2000 and as head of the Imperial House in 2007.
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg was the wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Their assassination in Sarajevo sparked a series of events that led, four weeks later, to World War I.
Archduke was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within the former Holy Roman Empire (962–1806), which was below that of Emperor, and roughly equal to King, Prince-Archbishop, and Grand prince, but above that of a Grand Duke, Sovereign Prince, and Duke.
Karl von Habsburg is an Austrian politician and the head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the former royal house of the defunct Austro-Hungarian thrones. As a citizen of the Republic of Austria, his legal name is Karl Habsburg-Lothringen.
Pöcking is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany. It is best known for being the location of Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria's childhood summer home, Possenhofen Castle.
Countess Walburga Douglas is a German-born Swedish lawyer and politician, who served as a member of the Riksdag of Sweden for the Moderate Party from 2006 to 2014. She is the vice-president of the Paneuropean Union and a board member of the Institute for Information on the Crimes of Communism.
Georg von Habsburg is a German-born Hungarian diplomat. He is referred to in Austria as Georg Habsburg-Lothringen, in Hungary as Habsburg György, and in some international media by his courtesy title Archduke Georg of Austria.
Archduke Karl Albrecht of Austria-Teschen was an Austrian military officer, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
The House of Habsburg-Lorraine originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Austria, later successively Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia and Archduchess of Austria. Its members are the legitimate surviving line of both the House of Habsburg and the House of Lorraine and inherit their patrimonial possessions from their female line of the House of Habsburg and from the male line of the House of Lorraine.
Regina von Habsburg, also known by the traditional royal title of Archduchess Regina of Austria, was a German-born Austrian social worker. She was a member of the House of Wettin by birth and married to Otto von Habsburg, the last heir of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Baroness Francesca Anna Dolores von Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon et Impérfalva, formerly Francesca von Habsburg-Lothringen, is a Swiss art collector. By birth, she is a member of the House of Thyssen-Bornemisza. She is also the former wife of Karl von Habsburg, current head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
Archduchess Charlotte of Austria was a daughter of Emperor Charles I of Austria and his wife Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma. She was also known by the name Charlotte de Bar while a welfare worker in the United States from 1943 to 1956.
The Order of the Starry Cross is an imperial Austrian dynastic order for Catholic noble ladies, founded in 1668. The order still exists under the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
Von Habsburg is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Simeon Carl Eugen Joseph Leopold von Habsburg, also called Simeon Habsburg-Lothringen, is an Austrian banker, partner and managing director of Principal Asset Management AG in Liechtenstein. He is a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine - the former royal house of the defunct Austro-Hungarian thrones. He is the third-eldest child of Archduke Rudolf of Austria and his first wife, Countess Xenia Czernichev-Besobrasov. Simeon is a paternal grandson of Charles I of Austria, last ruler of Austria-Hungary.
Archduke Joseph Árpád Benedikt Ferdinand Franz Maria Gabriel was a member of the Hungarian Palatine branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and as such an Archduke of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia with the style His Imperial and Royal Highness.
Archduchess Yolande of Austria was a Belgian princess of the House of Ligne, and an Austrian archduchess by her marriage to the Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria, being the daughter of Eugène, 11th Prince of Ligne and Princess Philippine de Noailles.
Archduchess Dolores of Austria German: Dolores Erzherzogin von Österreich-Toskana;(5 May 1891 – 10 April 1974) was a daughter of Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria. She was member of the Tuscan branch of the Imperial House of Habsburg-Lorraine, an Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany by birth. After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, she lived under reduced circumstances with her family in Spain, Austria, and Italy. She died unmarried.
Archduchess Margaretha of Austria (German: Margaretha, Erzherzogin von Österreich-Toskana; was a daughter of Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria and Infanta Blanca of Spain. She was member of the Tuscan branch of the Imperial House of Habsburg-Lorraine, an Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany by birth. After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, she lived in exile, first in Barcelona and from the 1930s until the end of her life in Italy. In 1937, she married an Italian diplomat, Marchese Francesco Maria Taliani de Marchio. The couple, who had married in their forties, did not have children.
Eleonore von Habsburg-Lothringen is an Austrian jewelry designer, gemologist, and member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
