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Otto was born in Reichenau an der Rax, Lower Austria. In November 1916, Otto's father, on the death of his granduncle Franz Josef I, ascended the throne and Otto himself, at the age of four, became Crown Prince of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. However, in 1918, at the end of the First World War, Karl had to abdicate, both monarchiesFor related meanings see also Monarch (disambiguation A monarchy (from the Greek monos archein , meaning "one ruler") is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. The distinguishing characteristic of monarchies is that the Head of State ho were abolished, the RepublicModern republics A republic is a form of government (and a state so governed) where the head of state is not a monarch. Many times people interchangebly use republic and democracy to refer the same. the truth is that in a country where the governmental sts of Austria and HungaryThis is the history of Hungary . See also the history of Europe and the history of present-day nations and states, Hungary: Pre-History and Early History, and Hungary Origins of the Hungarian state See also Hungary: Pre-History and Early History, Sources founded instead, and the family were forced into exile.
Otto spent the following years in SwitzerlandThe Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in central Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The country has a strong tradition of political and military neutrality, but also of international c and in Madeira, where Karl died prematurely in 1922Events January 7 Dali Eireann ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64-57 votes. January 10 Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dail Eireann January 11 First successful insulin treatment of diabetes. January 12 British government releases Irish prisoners, making him pretenderThis page is about the word Pretender as it applies to a monarchy, for other meanings see Pretender (disambiguation). A Pretender is a claimant to an abolished or already occupied throne. Deposed monarchs are not seen as pretenders, as the term only appli to the throne at the age of ten. Meanwhile, the Austrian parliament had officially expelled the Habsburg dynasty and confiscated all the official property (Habsburgergesetz of April 3April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. Events 1559 The Treaty of the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis is signed. 1860 The first successful Pony Express run from Saint Joseph, Missouri to Sacra, 1919). In 1935 he graduated from the University of Louvain, having studied social and political science. Otto spent most of the war years in Washington, D.C. ( 1940- 1944), after escaping from Austria to Portugal with a visa issued by the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux Aristides Sousa Mendes. A fervent patriot, he had opposed the Nazi " Anschluss" of Austria of 1938 and also fought Hitler's regime from America. After the war, he lived in exile in France and Spain.
Well after the end of the Second World War, Otto finally renounced all claims to the Austrian throne ( 1961) and was eventually allowed to return to his home country in 1966. An early advocate of a unified Europe, he served from 1979 till 1999 as a Member of the European Parliament for the conservative German CSU party.
Otto has been married since 1951 to Princess Regina von Sachsen-Meiningen . The couple have seven children and 21 grandchildren. They reside at the "Villa Austria" in Pöcking , Bavaria, Germany.
Otto von Habsburg's oldest son Karl (Charles) Habsburg (born January 11, 1961), who is to be the future head of the Habsburg family, married Baroness Francesca of Thyssen-Bornemisza in 1993. They have three children and permanently live in Salzburg, Austria.