Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria
Encyclopedia
Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria was a member of the House of Habsburg and a Grand Admiral
in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
.
the son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
(son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
; 1818–1874) and of his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
(1831–1903). He was born at Židlochovice Castle (Gross Seelowitz), near Brno
in Moravia
. At his baptism he was given the names Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix Maria. Among his siblings were Queen Maria Theresia of Bavaria, Archduke Friedrich of Austria
, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain
, and Archduke Eugen of Austria
.
On 28 February 1886 at Vienna
Charles Stephen married Archduchess Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany (Brandeis-Altbunzlau (Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav
), 18 September 1862-Castle
of Saybusch (Żywiec
), 10 May 1933). She was the daughter of Archduke Karl Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany and his wife Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
. The ceremony took place in the Hofburg and was witnessed by Cardinal Ganglbauer.
Charles Stephen and Maria Theresia had six children:
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In 1879 Charles Stephen was commissioned as a Seefähnrich in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
. Appointed his naval governor in 1879 was Fregattenkapitän (later Admiral) Hermann von Spaun
, who accompanied him on a voyage to Brazil and North America in the goelette Saida. In 1896 he retired from active duty. He continued, however, to be
advanced in rank, attaining the rank of Admiral
in 1901 and Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral
) in 1911. He was named Marineinspekteur (Navy Inspector), making him the titular ranking officer of the Navy. Others, however, had effective control of operations in 1914-1918; Anton Haus
, Maximilian Njegovan
and Miklós Horthy
each served in turn as Flottenkommandant (Fleet Commander). In 1918 the Emperor Charles I put him in charge of the enquiry into the mutiny of the navy at Cattaro (now Kotor
in Montenegro
). Charles Stephen recommended a sweeping re-organisation of the navy and the appointment of Miklós Horthy
as commander-in-chief.
Charles Stephen was an officer
à la suite of the Imperial German Navy
and proprietary
head of the 8th Austrian Infantry Regiment. His brother, Feldmarschall Archduke Friedrich
, was commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army
from July 1914 to February 1917, and his eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, held the rank of Oberst (Colonel) at the end of World War I.
and the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
issued the 'Act of 5 November' creating the Kingdom of Poland
as an independent State with a hereditary monarchy. Charles Stephen was considered as a candidate to be regent and eventually king.
At the time Charles Stephen was living at the Castle
of Saysbusch (Żywiec
), in Galicia. His chances were enhanced by the fact that he spoke fluent Polish
. Two of his daughters were married to Polish princes belonging to the noble houses of Radziwill
and Czartoryski
. However as Charles Stephen was a member of the Imperial House of Austria he needed permission to become king from the head of the family, Emperor Charles I, who hesitated, having himself planned to assume the Polish crown. Moreover, the Radziwill and Czartoryski families urged the cause of Russia (as their ancestors had in the 18th century). Adding to the political muddle was the support of Ukraining nationalism by Charles Stephen's son, Archduke Wilhelm.
In the end, the proclamation was so vague and tentative that it failed to inspire enthusiasm among its supposed beneficiaries or even among the Germans and Austro-Hungarians themselves.
. He was a flag officer
of the Imperial and Royal Yacht Squadron. His interest in yachting brought him to England on several occasions including in 1879 for the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta, in 1900, and in 1911. In 1892 he was made a member of the (British) Yacht Racing Association. He purchased several British yachts including the Valkyrie from the Earl of Dunraven
in 1892 and the Ul from Ramage and Ferguson Limited in 1911.
died in 1895, he and his brothers each inherited large estates. His largest properties were in Galicia especially at Saybusch (now Żywiec
in Poland). Among the businesses operated here was the Żywiec Brewery
which was nationalized by the Communists after World War II. Charles Stephen had a palace at Pola (now Pula
in Croatia
) and a winter palace in Lussin (now Lošinj
). He also had a palace in Vienna
in the Wiedner Hauptstrasse.
and Grand Cross
of Honour of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Knight
Grand Cross
of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword
, and a Knight
of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece
, the Danish Order of the Elephant
, the Swedish Order of the Seraphim
, the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle
, and the Tuscan Order of Saint Stephen
. In 1916 he was named Protector of the Polish Academy of Learning
in Krakow
. He was a Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral
) in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
, equivalent to the rank of Feldmarschall (Field Marshal
) in the Army.
Polish nobility
Grand Admiral
Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use was in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
.
Family
Charles Stephen was born in ŽidlochoviceŽidlochovice
Židlochovice is a town in Brno-Country District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic.The town covers an area of , and has a population of 3,075.Židlochovice lies approximately south of Brno and south-east of Prague.- References :*...
the son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria-Teschen was the second son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, and the maternal grandfather of King Alfonso XIII of Spain.A son of the "hero of Aspern" he started a military career in Infantry Regiment 57 in Brno...
(son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
; 1818–1874) and of his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
Elisabeth Franziska Maria, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia ....
(1831–1903). He was born at Židlochovice Castle (Gross Seelowitz), near Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
. At his baptism he was given the names Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix Maria. Among his siblings were Queen Maria Theresia of Bavaria, Archduke Friedrich of Austria
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen was a member of the House of Habsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.-Early life:...
, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain
Maria Christina of Austria
Maria Christina of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain...
, and Archduke Eugen of Austria
Archduke Eugen of Austria
Archduke Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria of Austria-Teschen was an Archduke of Austria and a Prince of Hungary and Bohemia...
.
On 28 February 1886 at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
Charles Stephen married Archduchess Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany (Brandeis-Altbunzlau (Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav
Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav
Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic on the banks of the Elbe River, in the heart of an agricultural region about 25 km northeast of Prague. The town is part of the Prague metropolitan area. Brandýs nad Labem dates its origin to the...
), 18 September 1862-Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
of Saybusch (Żywiec
Zywiec
Żywiec is a town in south-central Poland with 32,242 inhabitants . Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship....
), 10 May 1933). She was the daughter of Archduke Karl Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany and his wife Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1844–1899)
Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was fifth child and second-eldest daughter of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and his wife Maria Theresa of Austria...
. The ceremony took place in the Hofburg and was witnessed by Cardinal Ganglbauer.
Charles Stephen and Maria Theresia had six children:
- Archduchess Eleonora of Austria (1886–1974) married morganatically Alfons von Kloss.
- Archduchess Renata of AustriaArchduchess Renata of AustriaArchduchess Renata of Austria was a daughter of Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria and a first cousin of King Alphonso XIII of Spain...
(1888–1935) married Prince Hieronymus Radziwill. - Archduke Karl Albrecht of AustriaArchduke Karl Albrecht of AustriaArchduke Karl Albrecht of Austria-Teschen Archduke Karl Albrecht of Austria-Teschen Archduke Karl Albrecht of Austria-Teschen (Karl Albrecht Nikolaus Leo Gratianus von Österreich, later Karl Albrecht Habsburg-Lothringen, since 1919 – Karol Olbracht Habsburg-Lotaryński, since 1949 – Karl von...
(1888–1951) married Alice Elisabeth Ankarcrona. - Archduchess Mechthildis of Austria (1891–1966) married Prince Olgierd Czartoryski.
- Archduke Leo Karl of AustriaArchduke Leo Karl of AustriaArchduke Leo Karl Maria Cyril-Methodius Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduke of Austria was the son of Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria and Archduchess Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany....
(1893–1939) married Maria-Klothilde von Thuillières Gräfin von Montjoye-Vaufrey et de la Roche, had issue, among others Count Leo Stefan of HabsburgCount Leo Stefan of HabsburgCount Leo Stefan Maria Carl Wolfgang Rudolf von Fidelis of Habsburg is a morganaut of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and the representative of the Teschen ducal line. He is the son of Archduke Leo Karl and Countess Maria-Clothilde de Thuilleres and a grandson of Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria...
. - Archduke Wilhelm of Austria (1895–1948).
Military career
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
. Appointed his naval governor in 1879 was Fregattenkapitän (later Admiral) Hermann von Spaun
Hermann von Spaun
Hermann Freiherr von Spaun was a admiral in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He was the Commanders-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from December 1897 to October 1904.-Background:...
, who accompanied him on a voyage to Brazil and North America in the goelette Saida. In 1896 he retired from active duty. He continued, however, to be
advanced in rank, attaining the rank of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in 1901 and Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral
Grand Admiral
Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use was in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
) in 1911. He was named Marineinspekteur (Navy Inspector), making him the titular ranking officer of the Navy. Others, however, had effective control of operations in 1914-1918; Anton Haus
Anton Haus
Anton Haus was an Austrian naval officer. Despite his German surname, he was born to a Slovenian-speaking family in Tolmein . Haus was fleet commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in World War I and was the Navy's Grand Admiral from 1916 until his death.-Biography:Haus entered the Navy in 1869...
, Maximilian Njegovan
Maximilian Njegovan
Maksimilijan Njegovan was a Croatian admiral in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He was the Navy's senior administrator as well as its fleet commander in 1917-18.-Background:Njegovan was born in 1858 in Agram...
and Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
each served in turn as Flottenkommandant (Fleet Commander). In 1918 the Emperor Charles I put him in charge of the enquiry into the mutiny of the navy at Cattaro (now Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
). Charles Stephen recommended a sweeping re-organisation of the navy and the appointment of Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
as commander-in-chief.
Charles Stephen was an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
à la suite of the Imperial German Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
and proprietary
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
head of the 8th Austrian Infantry Regiment. His brother, Feldmarschall Archduke Friedrich
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen was a member of the House of Habsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.-Early life:...
, was commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
from July 1914 to February 1917, and his eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, held the rank of Oberst (Colonel) at the end of World War I.
Candidate for Polish crown
On 5 November 1916 the German Emperor William IIWilliam II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
and the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
issued the 'Act of 5 November' creating the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)
The Kingdom of Poland, also informally called the Regency Kingdom of Poland , was a proposed puppet state during World War I by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916 after their conquest of the former Congress Poland from Russia...
as an independent State with a hereditary monarchy. Charles Stephen was considered as a candidate to be regent and eventually king.
At the time Charles Stephen was living at the Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
of Saysbusch (Żywiec
Zywiec
Żywiec is a town in south-central Poland with 32,242 inhabitants . Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship....
), in Galicia. His chances were enhanced by the fact that he spoke fluent Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. Two of his daughters were married to Polish princes belonging to the noble houses of Radziwill
Radziwill
The Radziwiłł family is an noble family of Lithuanian origin. The descendants of Kristinas Astikas, a close associate of the 14th century Lithuanian ruler Vytautas, were highly prominent for centuries, first in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the...
and Czartoryski
Czartoryski
Czartoryski is the surname of a Polish-Ukrainian-Lithuanian magnate family also known as the Familia. They used the Czartoryski Coat of arms and were the leading noble family of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century.-History:The Czartoryski is a family of a Grand Ducal...
. However as Charles Stephen was a member of the Imperial House of Austria he needed permission to become king from the head of the family, Emperor Charles I, who hesitated, having himself planned to assume the Polish crown. Moreover, the Radziwill and Czartoryski families urged the cause of Russia (as their ancestors had in the 18th century). Adding to the political muddle was the support of Ukraining nationalism by Charles Stephen's son, Archduke Wilhelm.
In the end, the proclamation was so vague and tentative that it failed to inspire enthusiasm among its supposed beneficiaries or even among the Germans and Austro-Hungarians themselves.
Yachting
In addition to his professional career as a naval officer, Charles Stephen took an active interest in yachtingYachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
. He was a flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
of the Imperial and Royal Yacht Squadron. His interest in yachting brought him to England on several occasions including in 1879 for the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta, in 1900, and in 1911. In 1892 he was made a member of the (British) Yacht Racing Association. He purchased several British yachts including the Valkyrie from the Earl of Dunraven
Windham Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl KP PC , styled Viscount Adare between 1850 and 1871, was an Irish journalist, landowner, entrepreneur, sportsman and Conservative politician. He served as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies under Lord Salisbury from 1885 to...
in 1892 and the Ul from Ramage and Ferguson Limited in 1911.
Estates
When Charles Stephen's uncle Archduke Albert, Duke of TeschenArchduke Albert, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Albrecht Friedrich Rudolf Dominik of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian Habsburg general. Inspector General for 36 years, he was honored with the rank of Field Marshal in the armies of Austria-Hungary and Germany .-Early life:He was the eldest son of Archduke Charles of Austria,...
died in 1895, he and his brothers each inherited large estates. His largest properties were in Galicia especially at Saybusch (now Żywiec
Zywiec
Żywiec is a town in south-central Poland with 32,242 inhabitants . Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship....
in Poland). Among the businesses operated here was the Żywiec Brewery
Zywiec Brewery
Żywiec Brewery is a brewery founded in 1852, in Żywiec, Poland, then part of Austria-Hungary. It was nationalised after the Second World War. Grupa Zywiec S.A. consists of five main breweries: Żywiec Brewery, Elbrewery, Leżajsk, Warka Brewery and Cieszyn Brewery...
which was nationalized by the Communists after World War II. Charles Stephen had a palace at Pola (now Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) and a winter palace in Lussin (now Lošinj
Lošinj
Lošinj is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, in the Kvarner Gulf. It is almost due south of the city of Rijeka and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
). He also had a palace in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in the Wiedner Hauptstrasse.
Honours
Charles Stephen was a BailiffBailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
and Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
of Honour of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
, and a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
, the Danish Order of the Elephant
Order of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
, the Swedish Order of the Seraphim
Order of the Seraphim
The Royal Order of the Seraphim is a Swedish Royal order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star...
, the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
, and the Tuscan Order of Saint Stephen
Order of Saint Stephen
The Order of Saint Stephen is a Tuscan dynastic-military order founded in 1561. The order was created by Cosimo I de' Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany. The last member of the Medici dynasty to be a leader of the order was Gian Gastone de Medici in 1737...
. In 1916 he was named Protector of the Polish Academy of Learning
Polish Academy of Learning
The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning , headquartered in Kraków, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences....
in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. He was a Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral
Grand Admiral
Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use was in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
) in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
, equivalent to the rank of Feldmarschall (Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
) in the Army.
Later life
After 1918 Charles Stephen continued to live in Żywiec, which had passed to the sovereignty of the Republic of Poland. He died there on 7 April 1933. Archduchess Maria Theresia died there a month later, on 10 May 1933.Ancestry
External links
- Admiral Erzherzog Karl Stefan von Österreich-Teschen at www.geocities.com
Polish nobility