Archduke John Salvator of Austria
Encyclopedia
Archduke Johann Salvator of Austria , was a member of the Tuscan
branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was Archduke and Prince of Austria, Prince of Hungary, Bohemia and Tuscany. After renouncing those titles, he was known as John Orth. He disappeared in 1890 and was declared dead in 1911.
the youngest son of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
, and his second wife, Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies
. He was baptized in the Battistero di San Giovanni as Giovanni Nepomuceno Maria Annunziata Giuseppe Giovanni Batista Ferdinando Baldassare Luigi Gonzaga Pietro Alessandrino Zanobi Antonino. He pursued a career in the Austrian Army and was a close friend of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, with both sharing liberal views.
After Bulgaria was granted autonomy by the Ottoman Empire
, Johann Salvator was an unsuccessful candidate for the throne. Prince Alexander of Battenberg
would be elected Prince of Bulgaria in 1879. During the Austro-Hungarian occupation of the Ottoman territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina
in 1878, he was put in command of a division of the occupying army and won numerous honours.
On 16 October 1889, he resigned his army commission and renounced his title and the privileges he enjoyed as a member of the Austrian Imperial Family. After dropping his titles he assumed the name John Orth. Orth was taken from the name of a castle he had owned, Schloss Orth.
dancer in a London
registry office, and after purchasing a ship called the Santa Margareta, he and his wife sailed for South America
. In February 1890 he set off from Montevideo
, Uruguay
, heading for Valparaíso
in Chile
. He was never heard from again and his ship is believed to have been lost off Cape Horn
, though rumours persisted that he survived and settled in Patagonia
. He was officially declared dead in 1911.
In 1945, Hugo Køhler of Kristiansand, Norway, claimed on his deathbed that he was actually Johann Salvator. In 2007, relatives of Køhler requested that Køhler's grave be opened, so that a DNA test can be performed. Should Køhler and Johann Salvator actually be the same person, the descendants may be entitled to Johann Salvator's heritage, including Schloss Orth.
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was Archduke and Prince of Austria, Prince of Hungary, Bohemia and Tuscany. After renouncing those titles, he was known as John Orth. He disappeared in 1890 and was declared dead in 1911.
Early life
Johann Salvator was born in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
the youngest son of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Leopold II of Tuscany was the last reigning grand duke of Tuscany ....
, and his second wife, Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies
Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies
Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies was Grand Duchess of Tuscany from 1833 to 1859 as the consort of Leopold II...
. He was baptized in the Battistero di San Giovanni as Giovanni Nepomuceno Maria Annunziata Giuseppe Giovanni Batista Ferdinando Baldassare Luigi Gonzaga Pietro Alessandrino Zanobi Antonino. He pursued a career in the Austrian Army and was a close friend of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, with both sharing liberal views.
After Bulgaria was granted autonomy by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, Johann Salvator was an unsuccessful candidate for the throne. Prince Alexander of Battenberg
Alexander, Prince of Bulgaria
Alexander Joseph, Prince of Bulgaria GCB , known as Alexander of Battenberg, was the first prince of modern Bulgaria, reigning from 29 April 1879 to 7 September 1886.-Early life:...
would be elected Prince of Bulgaria in 1879. During the Austro-Hungarian occupation of the Ottoman territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in 1878, he was put in command of a division of the occupying army and won numerous honours.
On 16 October 1889, he resigned his army commission and renounced his title and the privileges he enjoyed as a member of the Austrian Imperial Family. After dropping his titles he assumed the name John Orth. Orth was taken from the name of a castle he had owned, Schloss Orth.
Disappearance
Johann Salvator married Milly Stubel, an operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
dancer in a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
registry office, and after purchasing a ship called the Santa Margareta, he and his wife sailed for South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. In February 1890 he set off from Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, heading for Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. He was never heard from again and his ship is believed to have been lost off Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, though rumours persisted that he survived and settled in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
. He was officially declared dead in 1911.
In 1945, Hugo Køhler of Kristiansand, Norway, claimed on his deathbed that he was actually Johann Salvator. In 2007, relatives of Køhler requested that Køhler's grave be opened, so that a DNA test can be performed. Should Køhler and Johann Salvator actually be the same person, the descendants may be entitled to Johann Salvator's heritage, including Schloss Orth.