Der neugeborene Erzherzog ist gesund und kräftig

Otto von Habsburg (Archduke of Austria), the last Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary, died yesterday 4 July 2011 early in the morning, in his 99th year. Truly the end of an era.

Archduke Otto's birth on 20 November 1912 was announced in Wiener Zeitung on Thursday 21 November 1912 No. 267, p. 1:

Ihre k. und k. Hoheit die durchlauchtigste Frau Erzherzogin Zita, Gemahlin Seiner k. und k. Hoheit der durchlauchtigsten Herrn Erzherzog Karl Franz Josef, ist Mittwoch, den 20. d. M., um 2 Uhr 40 Minuten früh in der Villa Wartholz bei Reichenau in Nieder-Österreich von einem Erzherzog glücklich entbunden worden.

I. Bulletin

Das Allgemeinbefinden Ihrer k. und k. Hoheit ist den Umständen entsprechend. Der Kräftezustand ist normal, Temperatur 37.3, Puls 84. Der neugeborene Erzherzog ist gesund und kräftig.

Reichenau in Nieder-Österreich, am 20. November 1912.

Professor Dr. Beham. Dr. Bittner.

The birth notice shouldn't be too difficult to understand. Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess Zita, consort of His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Karl, gave birth to an Archduke at Villa Wartholz bei Reichenau, Lower Austria on Wednesday 20 November 1912, at 2.40 a.m.

Then followed the usual medical bulletin, the first of several in the days that followed, telling that Archduchess Zita had a temperature of 37.3 Celcius and a pulse of 84! "Der neugeborene Erzherzog ist gesund und kräftig" - "The newborn Archduke is healthy and strong"... And he went on to live for 98 7/12 years...

Otto von Habsburg (1912-2011): Obituary in The Daily Telegraph

Otto von Habsburg (Archduke Otto of Austria), former Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary and head of the Imperial House of Habsburg, born at Villa Wartholz bei Reichenau, Lower Austria 20 November 1912, died at Pöcking, Bavaria, Germany early in the morning of 4 July 2011, 98 years old. Otto was the oldest son of the last Emperor of Austria, Karl (1887-1916-1918-1922) and his wife Zita (1892-1989), née Princess of Bourbon-Parme. In 1951 the former Crown Prince married Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen (1925-2010). They had 7 children - Andrea (1953), Monika (1954), Michaela (1954), Gabriela (1956), Walburga (1958), Karl (1961) and Georg (1964).

Archduke Karl took over as head of the Imperial House of Austria in 2007.

Archduke Otto's obituary was published in The Daily Telegraph today, 4 July 2011.

According to the late Archduke's website as well as Orf.at, the coffin "will rest for three days in the Church of St. Ulrich in Pöcking, Bavaria, while there is a pepetual adoration". Requiems will then be held in Pöcking (9 July), Munich (11 July), Mariazell (13 July), Vienna and Budapest. The funeral will take place in the Kapuzinergruft (Kaisergruft) following the requiem in St. Stephen's Cathedral on 16 July 2011. Archduke Otto's heart will then be buried at the Archabbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary (17 July).

Photo: Ottovonhabsburg.org.

Updated on Tuesday 5 July 2011 at 23.00 (minor text change, link added).