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Written by Monsters & Critics
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Monday, 19 November 2007 10:00 |
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Otto von
Habsburg turns 95
“Otto von Habsburg, son of Austria's last emperor,
turns 95 on Tuesday (20th November 2007).
... The Habsburgs were forced to abdicate
in 1919, but the dynasty's scion regarded himself in line for the throne for
many years to come. Only in 1961 Otto renounced his claim to the throne, but
none of these adversities prevented him from embarking on a political career.
Habsburg served as a member of the European parliament
for the conservative German CSU for 20 years. From the 1930s onwards, the
trained lawyer, who holds Austrian, Hungarian, German and Croatian citizenship,
was an outspoken opponent of Nazi Germany.
During the Second World War he lobbied in the United
States to re- establish Austria as a state. From the mid-1950s onwards Habsburg
settled in Bavaria in southern Germany.
Since his retirement from politics he has been a
prolific writer, focussing on European issues.”
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
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