Natalia A. Feduschak LVIV, Ukraine – Karl von Habsburg laughed heartily when asked what it feels like to walk the streets of Lviv, a city that was once ruled by his ancestors.
“I look at it from an academic point of view,” he said with a smile. “It had nothing to with me.”
Despite his easy manner, however, von Habsburg evidently has no intention of letting the past, particularly his ancestors’ role, remain lifeless in history books. Nearly a century after the Habsburg monarchy’s rule ended in Europe, he is dedicating himself to ensure its legacy lives on in western Ukraine.
The 49-year-old von Habsburg was in Lviv in March to announce the creation of a foundation that carries his family’s name. Based in Ivano-Frankivsk, the Habsburg Foundation will promote and preserve the cultural legacy that for centuries shaped and gave Central and Eastern Europe its identity.
Along with translating books about the Habsburgs, the foundation is also planning to create the Halychyna Award, a prize that will honor individuals who promote the region’s culture through art, books or media.
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