Habsburg restitution claim turned down

Insight Central Europe ^ | December 15, 2004

[RKB-AFG]

Habsburg restitution claim turned down

15 December 2004

Insight Central Europe

(Austria) An Austrian arbitration panel has rejected a demand by members of the Habsburg family that the Austrian government return real estate confiscated by the Nazis. Christian Habsburg Lothringen, a member of the former royal family, made the claim on behalf of about 16 family members in May. They were demanding the return of 20,000 hectares of private forest, a castle and several houses in Vienna. But the three-member arbitration panel ruled that the claim was outside its jurisdiction.

[Semper Paratus]

Does the von-Trapp family have a claim?

[PiersGaveston]

>>Does the von-Trapp family have a claim?<<

Now wouldn't that be great fun. I doubt it though, these courts seem to be terribly boring, m'dears.

[Grendel9]

One has to ask...is this Austrian Arbitration Panel
a PART of the Austrian government? Are the Hapsburg
lawyers so inept that they don't KNOW which Austrian
government agency to approach for restoration? Or is
the Austrian government determined to hang onto the
property which the Nazis confiscated? Did the Hapsburgs
collaborate with the Reichstag, and therefor are
deemed ineligible to sue for former land? What's the
pitch here?

[Grendel9]

Saw the von Trapp great-grandchildren singing
on the TV the other night; 3 girls and 1 boy,
very talented.

[wideawake]

This is typical.

[Erasmus]

Trivia:

The young son of the Habsburg emperor who was forced to abdicate at the end of WWI is named Otto von Habsburg.

Otto was still alive as of three years ago (I haven't heard of him since). He was some kind of special envoy from Austria the European Parliament or the European Commission.

IIRC, he long ago renounced any pretensions to the Austrian throne (given the unlikelihood of its restoration, not a very expensive concession). I wonder if this renunciation also referred to claims to former royal property.

[Lee Heggy]

Honey! we are almost out of diamonds and sapphires. Would you go to the court and see if they have some?

[kjvail]

Or is the Austrian government determined to hang onto the property which the Nazis confiscated?

DING DING DING DING.... Good info on everything Hapsburg here

The Imperial House of Hapsburg: Österreich Über Alles

[PAR35]

Did the Hapsburgs collaborate with the Reichstag,

NO.

Otto spent much of the war in Washinton, sucessfully convincing the Americans that Austria was a victim of the Nazis, rather than collaborators. He was also working on what has become the European Union.

[kjvail]

Ping for the “Crown Crew”

FReepmail me to get on or off this list

[Goetz_von_Berlichingen]

The modern Austrian government fears the Habsburgs because it understands rightly that it is illegitimate two times over. Now if the FPÖ were to be in charge, perhaps that would be another matter.

In any event, The wording of the article suggests that the claim was presented under the wrong jurisdiction, rather than that it is denied without recourse. Perhaps the claims should be pursued through EU administrative channels.

If Jewish emigrants can make claims against Germany and Austria on the basis of being "Holocaust Survivors" then certainly the Habsburgs have a right to make a claim for restitution on the same basis.

Unless, that is, there is one law for Jews and another for Gentiles.

[kjvail]

Unless, that is, there is one law for Jews and another for Gentiles.

I wouldn't count on there not being a different law for nobility as opposed to the much lauded "common people"

[Goetz_von_Berlichingen]

Certainly in Austria there is, just as there was in Jacobin France.

It is instructive to note that the same nation that had no objection to an ex-SS officer being president continued to uphold the prohibition against the Habsburgs returning to their homeland. At least we know whom the current illegitimate goverment's REAL enemies are.

Did you know that the current national anthem of the "Republic of Austria" is one of Mozart's masonic songs? Utterly deplorable.

[kjvail]

You said it yourself, their government is illegimate and there is a great deal of sympathy for the monarchy in general and the Hapsburgs in particular among the people of Austria. Revolutionary governments can't tolerate those threats to their regime.

[Guelph4ever]

In this they are just the same as the Italians (not that I would ever shed too many tears over the misfortunes of the Savoias) who expelled their royals for not stopping Mussolini from taking power (guess they should ignored the voice of the people, huh) and yet at the same time have allowed Il Duce's own granddaughter Alessandra Mussolini to serve in the Italian government.

-Not that I'm completely against Alessandra Mussolini, her opposition to the EU and increased Muslim immigration both have my sympathy.

[royalcello]

Now if the FPÖ were to be in charge, perhaps that would be another matter.

It is worth noting that, as I mentioned on the other thread, it was the FPÖ's Suzanne Riess-Passer who had the nerve to publicly address Archduke Otto and Archduchess Regina as "Your Imperial Highnesses" at their golden wedding anniversary in 2001, for which offense she was furiously rebuked by the Socialists.

However, I was disappointed to read that another FPÖ politician could only muster a rather half-hearted and backhanded defense of Emperor Karl during the beatification controversy, something like, "I'm against the constant trashing of the Habsburg family, but does he have to be beatified?"

It's interesting that despite their differences on the European Union, which I'm afraid HI&RH seems to view through rose-colored glasses, Archduke Otto has spoken out in favor of Jörg Haider's right to participate in Austrian politics.