View source for Géza von Habsburg

{{Short description|Austrian art historian and curator (born 1940)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Géza von Habsburg
| title        = 
| image        = File:Erzherzog Géza UNDWC.jpg
| caption      = Géza von Habsburg in 2014
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1940|11|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]]
| spouse       = Monika Decker<br>Elizabeth Jane Kunstadter
| issue        = Franz Ferdinand<br>Ferdinand Leopold Joseph<br>Maximilian Philip<br>Isabella Maria Luisa
| full name    = Géza Ladislaus Euseb Gerhard Rafael Albert Maria von Habsburg
| house        = [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
| father       = [[Archduke Joseph Francis of Austria]]
| mother       = [[Princess Anna of Saxony (1903–1976)|Princess Anna of Saxony]]
| occupation   = Curator and art historian
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
'''Géza Ladislaus Euseb Gerhard Rafael Albert Maria von Habsburg''' (born 14 November 1940)<ref name=ADG/> is a [[House of Fabergé|Fabergé]] expert who has published books and articles on the jewellers [[Peter Carl Fabergé]] and [[Victor Mayer]]. He is the curator of several major international Fabergé exhibitions. Géza von Habsburg coined the term [[Fauxbergé]]. As a member of the [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]], he holds the [[Austrian nobility#Abolition of nobility in 1919|abolished]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Law of April 3, 1919, on the referral from the state and the takeover of the assets of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine|website=Rechtsinformationssystems des Bundes|url=http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10000038|access-date=7 May 2011|archive-date=30 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930002328/https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10000038|url-status=live}}</ref> but courtesy titles of ''Archduke of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia'', with the style of ''[[Imperial and Royal Highness]]''.<ref name =ADG>[[Almanach de Gotha]] (2018), 'Austria', Pages 42-86</ref>

==Life==
Géza von Habsburg is the son of [[Archduke Joseph Francis of Austria]] (1895–1957) and his wife [[Princess Anna of Saxony (1903–1976)|Princess Anna of Saxony]] (1903–1976); thus, he is a grandson of King [[Frederick Augustus III of Saxony]] and great-great-great-grandson of Emperor [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor]].  Géza attended universities in [[Fribourg]] and [[Bern]], Switzerland; [[Munich]], Germany; and [[Florence]], Italy, before graduating as a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] from the [[University of Fribourg]] in 1965.

In 1966 he joined the staff of [[Christie's|Christie, Manson & Woods Auctioneers]] as Chairman, Switzerland, overseeing a network of offices throughout Europe. In 1980 he became Chairman of European Operations for the company. Later in his career, he served for four years as chairman, New York and [[Geneva]], of Habsburg Fine Art International Auctioneers. In both companies, he specialized in silver and gold, objects of [[Vertu (collections)|vertu]] and Russian art. Since 1998, he has been based in New York.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why European Royalty and Aristocrats are flocking to New York|url=http://gotham-magazine.com/living/articles/why-european-royalty-and-aristocrats-are-flocking-to-new-york|access-date=1 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509142857/http://gotham-magazine.com/living/articles/why-european-royalty-and-aristocrats-are-flocking-to-new-york|archive-date=9 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Géza von Habsburg is an internationally renowned author and leading authority on [[House of Fabergé|Fabergé]]. Much of his career has been devoted to organizing and curating exhibitions all over the world. He served as the curator and organizer for Fabergé, Jeweller to the Tsars (1986–87) at the ''Kunsthalle'' in Munich. Also, while a Board Member of the Fabergé Arts Foundation, he was Chief Curator of Fabergé, Imperial Court Jeweller (1993–94), which was shown in [[Saint Petersburg]], Paris and London. He also served as guest curator of [[Fabergé in America]], which toured five cities in the United States (1996–97).

As an educator, Géza von Habsburg served as an associate professor at the [[New York School of Interior Design]], the [[Bard Graduate Center|Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts]], and [[New York University]]. He is currently a lecturer for the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in New York. Some of his topics include "Princely Collections," "The Habsburgs as Collectors and Patrons of the Arts", and "Celebrated Habsburg Women".

Fluent in seven languages, Géza joined [[House of Fabergé|Fabergé Co.]] in 1994 as a consultant, spokesman and lecturer worldwide. He has written seven and co-written two books on Fabergé and related topics, as well as some 75 articles, which have been published in various art journals all over the world. In addition, he has been featured in a Russian film (1994), a Japanese film and two biographies for the [[A&E Networks|Arts & Entertainment Networks (A&E)]], all in association with Fabergé.

Géza has also been featured in the A&E documentary ''Treasures of the Habsburgs'' (1998), and in ''Habsburgs Today'' on the [[Romance Channel]] (1999).

==Marriage and children==
On 7 July 1965, his first marriage was to Monika Decker (born 1 December 1939 at [[Frankfurt-am-Main]], [[Germany]]). As he contracted a [[morganatic marriage]], he has to renounce his ancestral dynastic rights and regal titles for the downgraded title of ''Count von Habsburg''. Together, they have three sons:<ref name=ADG/>

* Franz Ferdinand (born 8 May 1967)
* Ferdinand Leopold Joseph (born 14 Jul 1969)
* Maximilian Philip (born 7 July 1974)

Géza and Monika Decker were divorced on 23 September 1991, and their marriage was [[annulled]] 6 July 1993.<ref name=ADG/>

On 4 January 1992, he married civilly (and religiously on 1 Dec 1993) Elizabeth Jane Kunstadter (born 1957), with whom he has a daughter:

* Isabella Maria Luisa (born 24 September 1996 in [[New York City|New York]])<ref name=ADG/> 

Elizabeth von Habsburg graduated from [[Stanford University]] and received a master's degree in international relations from [[Columbia University]].<ref name=Kunstadter>{{cite news|title=Elizabeth Kunstadter Is Married|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/05/style/elizabeth-kunstadter-is-married.html|access-date=22 June 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=5 January 1992|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624234451/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/05/style/elizabeth-kunstadter-is-married.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Her parents run the Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation, a philanthropy in New York.<ref name=Kunstadter/>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
*[http://www.faberge-exhibition.com/ghabsburg.html faberge-exhibition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070506043534/http://www.faberge-exhibition.com/ghabsburg.html |date=6 May 2007 }}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080423212533/http://www.gvhabsburg.com/ Géza von Habsburg's homepage]

{{Austrian archdukes}}{{better source|date=July 2020}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hapsburg, Geza von}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nobility from Budapest]]
[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:Hungarian people of Austrian descent]]
[[Category:Hungarian people of German descent]]
[[Category:University of Fribourg alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Hungarian people]]
[[Category:21st-century Hungarian people]]
[[Category:Knights of Malta]]
[[Category:Fabergé]]