The last Austro-Hungarian monarch, Charles I, died of pneumonia in 1922 in poverty and exile. He ascended the throne in 1916 and his main goal was to stop the war rampage. However, the attempt to achieve peace and save his empire and position ended with his exile, the abolition of his monarchical rights and the forfeiture of his property to the state. Pope John Paul II declared him blessed in 2004, thus presenting him to the Church as an example worth following. His great-grandson, Imre von Habsburg-Lothringen, who is still spreading his legacy today, will tell us about the turbulent fate of our last monarch, who embodies the fragility of the Christian identity in public life.
Archduke Imre was born in 1985 as the son of Carl Christian von Habsburg-Lothringen and Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg. He currently lives in Geneva with his wife and four daughters. He works as a financial consultant, specialising in the promotion of ethically responsible investing in the light of the principles of Catholic moral teaching. He also serves as a Vice-President of Accueil Louis et Zélie, an organisation dedicated to guiding people and families in difficult life situations, in line with the legacy of St. Louis and St. Zélie Martin, parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Archduke Imre is also a promoter of the legacy of his great-grandfather, Blessed Emperor Charles, about whom he has lectured in various countries. It is through his great-grandfather Charles that he is linked to the history of the Habsburgs and other families that have ruled Central Europe since the earliest times. Among other things, he is (in the 35th generation) a direct descendant of St. Ludmilla and her husband, the Bohemian prince Bořivoj, who was baptized in 882 in Great Moravia by St. Methodius.
Samuel Trizuljak studied political science and history at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Heidelberg. His interest in the history of Catholic thought is further developed as a PhD student at Charles University in Prague. As a lecturer he cooperates with the Ladislav Hanus Society and the Anton Neuwirth College. As a speechwriter, he has worked for several politicians, most recently for the Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď. His book At Height to Depth: 33 Advice to Faithful Students in Bratislava, Oxford or elsewhere was published in September 2021.
