The Passing of an Era

The Passing of an Era

'Here is a brief summary of Otto von Hapburg's life and passing.

The oldest son of Austria-Hungary's last emperor, Otto von Habsburg, died on July 4 at his home in southern Germany. He was 98.

Born in 1912, Habsburg witnessed his family's decline after the Habsburgs were forced into exile in the United States following World War I.

Habsburg re-settled in Europe in the 1950s and was appointed member of the European parliament for Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union.

He was elected to the European Parliament at the first direct elections in 1979 and for the following 20 years worked tirelessly to help strengthen the European Institutions.

His main interests were in European integration and foreign policy.

Following Otto von Habsburg's death, the Chairman of the European People's Party Group in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul MEP, said:

"Otto von Habsburg embodied the history of European integration like no one else. The son of the last Austro-Hungarian emperor fought all his life for democracy, freedom, and understanding among the peoples of Europe. From the beginnings of the movement for European integration following the end of World War II until the now-famous Paneuropean picnic on the border between Austria and Hungary in 1989, he succeeded in overcoming borders and showing Europeans a way forward to a common future."'

He was a heart for Europe