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The Habsburgs, originally of German and Austrian background, had been controlling various regions of Europe since the 13th century.  The Habsburgs: From a Tiny Castle to a European Empire

The Habsburgs became one of the most powerful ruling families in European history, but their beginning was surprisingly small. Long before Vienna, Austria-Hungary, Spain, emperors and enormous royal palaces, there was a family in what is now Switzerland. The first reliably traceable Habsburg ancestor was Radbot of Klettgau, born in the late tenth century, and the family name came from Habsburg Castle, constructed in present-day Switzerland. From that modest beginning came a dynasty that would eventually control a collection of kingdoms, duchies, counties and territories extending across much of Europe. The important thing to understand from the beginning is that there was not originally a single country called the Habsburg Empire. The Habsburgs accumulated territories over centuries, and those territories frequently retained their own governments, laws and customs. What connected them was the ruling family.

The family's great rise began in earnest in 1273 when Rudolf I of Habsburg was elected King of Germany. In 1282 he assigned the Duchy of Austria to his sons, establishing the Austrian hereditary lands that would become the foundation of Habsburg power. Over the following centuries the family continued expanding, sometimes through warfare, but remarkably often through marriage and inheritance. That became one of the defining characteristics of the dynasty. A marriage could give the family a claim to another territory; the death of an heir could suddenly move that territory into Habsburg hands; and a succession crisis could redraw the political map without the Habsburgs having originally conquered the territory themselves. From 1438 until 1806, with only brief interruptions, Habsburg rulers also held the position of Holy Roman Emperor, placing the family near the center of European politics for centuries.

One of the most consequential Habsburg marriages was that of Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy. Through Mary, the Burgundian Netherlands entered the Habsburg inheritance. Their son Philip the Handsome then married Joanna of Castile, daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. This is where the timing becomes especially interesting, because Joanna's parents were the rulers responsible for some of the defining events of 1492. In January of that year Granada fell to Ferdinand and Isabella, ending the last Muslim-ruled kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula. In March came the Alhambra Decree ordering practicing Jews to leave their kingdoms unless they converted, and later that year Christopher Columbus made his first Atlantic voyage under their sponsorship. Four years later, in 1496, Joanna married Philip of Habsburg. The marriage connected the Habsburg dynasty directly to the Spanish royal succession at precisely the moment Spain was undergoing an extraordinary political, religious and overseas transformation.

The consequences became enormous because Joanna and Philip's son was Charles V. Through a combination of inheritance and dynastic succession, Charles inherited the Habsburg Netherlands in 1506, the Spanish kingdoms and their expanding overseas possessions in 1516, and the Austrian Habsburg territories in 1519. He was also elected Holy Roman Emperor. In only a few generations, the descendants of the family associated with that little Swiss castle had become rulers over territories scattered across Europe and across the Atlantic. This was not the creation of a conventional unified empire. Charles ruled different territories under different titles, with different laws and institutions, and the enormous geographical spread of his possessions forced him to rely on deputies and regents. The Habsburg system was increasingly a network of crowns tied together through one family.

Another enormous expansion followed a death in 1526. Louis II, king of Hungary and Bohemia, was killed fighting the Ottoman army at the Battle of Mohács and left no legitimate children. Ferdinand of Habsburg was Louis's brother-in-law through his marriage to Louis's sister Anna. Ferdinand was subsequently elected king of Bohemia and claimed the Hungarian crown, bringing the Habsburg dynasty into an even larger confrontation with the Ottoman Empire. The resulting struggle over Hungary and Central Europe would continue for generations. Once again, the Habsburg pattern is visible: marriage created the family connection, death created the succession crisis, and the succession crisis created an opportunity for another enormous expansion of Habsburg power.

Eventually the family's possessions became too extensive to remain concentrated under one ruler. Charles V abdicated in the sixteenth century and the dynasty divided into Spanish and Austrian branches. His son Philip II received Spain and its enormous overseas possessions, while Charles's brother Ferdinand headed the Austrian branch and became Holy Roman Emperor. The Spanish male line eventually died out in 1700, setting off another major European succession struggle. The Austrian male line ended in 1740 with the death of Charles VI, but even that did not eliminate the dynasty. His daughter Maria Theresa married Francis of Lorraine, and their descendants continued under the name Habsburg-Lorraine. Marriage had helped create the Habsburg system, and marriage once again allowed it to survive.

The Habsburg territories continued changing as wars, treaties, marriages and inheritances rearranged Europe. In 1804 the family's realms were formally organized as the Austrian Empire. Two years later the Holy Roman Empire disappeared during the Napoleonic upheaval, ending an institution with which the Habsburgs had been associated for centuries. The dynasty nevertheless survived and continued ruling. Following another century of political upheaval, revolution, nationalism and military defeat, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 created Austria-Hungary

Habsburgs and Zionism 

The House of Habsburg was one of the most dominant imperial families for centuries all over Europe including in Germany, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Hungary and they still have a high authority in society and large amounts of concealed wealth in private banks in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen is a politician, investment banker, businessman, Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Rome, and the Austrian Grand Master of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Habsburgs frequently employed Jewish bankers to manage their business interests. They are closely allied with the royal family of Liechtenstein.  

They are claimants to the title of King of Jerusalem and claim part ownership over Israel. The Congress of Vienna was held in Habsburg's empire which was the basis for the creation of the Great Powers and later the United Nations. The Habsburg family were the emperors of the Eastern Holy Roman Empire and they also ruled over most of Switzerland in the past. The Habsburgs are closely allied with the royal family of Liechtenstein which rules their own nation, own an international bank, and use private banking for money laundering. They lost their remaining territories in Austria and Hungary after the Nazi regime and are currently being propped up by Rome to lead in the imperial takeover agenda with the motivation of reclaiming their former reign.   

The Habsburg family have always worked with Rome as Knights of Malta and are allied with the Lucchesi-Palli and Pallavicini families of Rome. The Lucchesi-Palli princes currently reside in Austria and the Pallavicini family have an Austrian branch and have been managing the House of Habsburg as their proxy. Today Eduard Habsburg-Lorraine is a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See and Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Prince Mariano Hugo of Windisch-Graetz is a Habsburg noble and high-level member of the Knights of Malta. Georg von Habsburg is a major supporter of the European Union. Karl's cousin Prince Ulrich von Habsburg is an Austrian politician today.   

The Habsburgs have a close alliance with the House of Hesse which started out as Dukes of Lothier. Lothier and Lothringen have the same origins. The Hesse family were the first to employ the Rothschilds which are also barons under the Habsburgs. The name Hesse has etymological connections with Hest which means in English to "command" and in ancient Greek means "horse." The House of Hesse is the head of imperial equestrians or knights and command armies and paid soldiers even to this day. Hessians were German mercenary soldiers that served the British Crown and even fought in the American Revolution on the side of the British. The Order of the Golden Fleece takes its name from Greek Mythology. 

The Golden Fleece was a prize of kingship offered to Jason and other false heroes to fight for their interests like mercenaries. The term "Man on the White Horse" refers to false heroes who seek fame and fortune. Alex Jones is a primary example of this as he pretends to be opposed to corruption while he works for them for money and fame. The Habsburgs and their Order of Golden Fleece have control over large amounts of gold and use this for financing shills.  

This is why Alex Jones is working with Midas Gold Corp owned by Ted Anderson who broadcasts Infowars through his Genesis media. Midas was a king located in modern Turkey mentioned in Greek Mythology whose "touch turned objects into gold." Schilling was the name of Austrian currency until the Euro and this is where the term shill derives from. They pay shills in the alternative media to promote lies and propaganda as controlled opposition. Infowars is also working with Stratfor Intelligence located in Austin, Texas and Alex Jones has hired former Stratfor employees like Molly Maroney. Stratfor is covertly connected with militias and contract killers similar to Hessian mercenaries. 

George Friedman founded Stratfor and was from Budapest, Hungary which was part of the Habsburg's empire and where Karl von Habsburg's father in law Baron Hans Henrik Thyssen-Bornemisza was from. George von Habsburg lives in Hungary. My IP was blocked from Infowars for exposing the Pallavicini family which have an Austrian branch. Raymond Creemers is VP of Stratfor today and a Dutch Crown agent. Luke Rudowski of WeAreChange is another shill working for the German nobility.   

The Habsburg family have broad influence and oversight in both east and west and that is what their double-headed eagle represents. The House of Kalergi is a Bohemian nobility under the House of Habsburg which developed the Pan-Europa Movement. Count Dominik Coudenhove-Kalergi and Countess Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi are current members of this family. Some Holy Roman nobility working closely with the Habsburgs include the Esterhazy, Indermaur, Pallavicini, Schwarzenberg, Windisch-Graetz, Lichnowsky, Kinsky, Schonborns, Kalergi, Schomburg's,  

Thun-Hohenstein, and Colloredo-Mansfeld families. Count Christopher Indemaur in Australia is one of the evilest members of the Habsburg's nobility. The Schomburg's are a large Austrian family and them and the Schonborns were part owners of the old Jewish Mafias in the United States. Christoph Schonborn is the Archbishop of Vienna today and chaplain of the Habsburgs Order of the Golden Fleece. 

The Austria-Este family were established from a merger of the Italian Este and Austrian Habsburg families with Prince Lorenz of Belgium as the top member today along with his brothers Archduke Gerhard and Archduke Martin. Prince Lorenz is a Swiss banker and executive for Gutzwiller Bank. The Habsburg family of Austria also settled a branch in Belgium which run the Swiss investment firm Triple-A Gestion with Archduke Carl Christian of Austria and his brother Prince Rudolf von Habsburg.  

The House of Habsburg is a massive family with the Habsburg-Lorraine and Austria-Este branches. There are dozens of Habsburg dukes and duchesses. Von Oppenheim family of Cologne, Germany served the Habsburg Prince-Bishops of Cologne and were granted titles of barons in Habsburg territory. Baron Christopher von Oppenheim is a member of this family and was convicted of financial fraud through his family's bank about a decade ago. Deutsche Bank later purchased the Sal. Oppenheim bank. The Habsburg's Hohenzollern rivals were likely behind this criminal investigation and bank takeover. Baron Benjamin de Rothschild is a French-Swiss banker and chairman of Edmond de Rothschild Group and worth about 1.6 billion although he claims to be worth about 6 billion. 

His father Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild was a Knight of the Legion of Honour and he established their Swiss banking group. Benjamin de Rothschild's great grandfather Edmond James de Rothschild was a Zionist who purchased large amounts of land in Palestine and helped to establish Israel. Edmond James de Rothschild had business deals with the Habsburg's Valero bankers in Palestine. The Swiss Rothschild branch is managing private Swiss bank accounts of criminal Zionists in Israel. One of their subsidiaries Banque Privee Edmond de Rothschild does a lot of business in Israel as well as in Europe, South America, and Asia.  

The Swiss Rothschilds which branched off from the French Rothschild family have been given the titles of barons and baronesses in Austria through Alice Charlotte von Rothschild who willed their estates to James de Rothschild the great uncle of Baron Benjamin de Rothschild. The Swiss Rothschilds hold Austrian titles and are serving the Habsburg family which once ruled over Switzerland. Benjamin de Rothschild's mother is Nadine de Rothschild born Nadine L'hopitalier and she was a Roman Catholic that converted to Judaism. She is an Austrian Baroness that owns a castle in Switzerland. 

The name L'hopitalier means hospital and this uncommon last name was established and taken by members of the Knights Hospitaller an old branch of the Knights of Malta. The Swiss Rothschilds are the Court Factors for the House of Habsburg and finance their knights like those working for the House of Hesse which was the Rothschilds original employers. Edmund de Rothschild Group uses the lion for its logo similar to the Hesse and Habsburg lions.  

Mayer Amschel Rothschild was employed as a Court Factor by Prince William I of Hesse. The Rothschild family originate from Frankfurt which is in the German state of Hesse. Archduke Sigismund is the head of the Tuscan House of Habsburg-Lorraine and they have Medici blood through several marriages and this is why he currently holds the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany. Archduke Sigismund resides in Switzerland today and is a high-level banking authority.   

The recent Bank Medici in Austria was shut down for corruption involved with the Bernie Madoff scandal. Grand Duke Sigismund was covertly running the Bank Medici. Archduke Geza of Austria works for Faberge a Russian jewelry company now owned by Gemfields. Archduke Joseph Arpad of Austria who died in 2017 has seven children and they are members of the House of Habsburg. When the House of Habsburg ruled in regions of Venice they managed the Jews and appointed Jewish bankers. Arianne de Rothschild is Chairman of Edmond de Rothschild Group and made a partnership with the yacht company Nautor's Swan which is headed up by Italian billionaire Leonardo Ferragamo.  

The House of Habsburg has often used Jewish Court Factors throughout history like Jacob Bassevi von Treuenberg, Joachim Edler von Popper, and Israel Edler von Honigsberg. Many Zionist bankers today serve the Habsburg family. The House of Habsburg is a wicked and ruthless imperialist family working closely with the Black Nobility through the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.  

I believe the House of Habsburg were originally ancient Khazarian royalty and merchants. The Khazars were Saturn worshiping pagans that converted to Judaism before the nation of Khazaria was disestablished. Archduke Karl von Habsburg is a claimant to the title of King of Jerusalem. The Habsburgs are an extremely evil family and act similar to Jesuits in that they lie, slander, and defile their enemies. The Habsburgs and their Austrian nobles are ruthless evil. 

HABSBURG-LOTHRINGEN 

Karl von Habsburg (Karl Thomas Robert Maria Franziskus Georg Bahnam; born 11 January 1961), also known as Karl of Austria and referred to by his ancestral titles as Archduke of Austria, Royal Prince of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia,[4] is an Austrian politician, the current head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine which ruled the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Empire of Austria, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and the Kingdom of Hungary as well as the Crown lands of Bohemia and Croatia by hereditary right until the end of World War I. 

House of Habsburg: Sovereign and Knight of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece 

House of Habsburg: Sovereign Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross of the Imperial and Royal Order of Saint George 

Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta 

 Ferdinand Zvonimir Maria Balthus Keith Michael Otto Antal Bahnam Leonhard von Habsburg-Lothringen[2],[1] known colloquially as Ferdinand Habsburg (born 21 June 1997 in Salzburg),[3] is the eldest son of Karl von Habsburg, head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. 

Georg von Habsburg[1] (given names Paul Georg Maria Joseph Dominikus; born 16 December 1964 in Starnberg), referred to in Austria as Georg Habsburg-Lothringen,[1] in Hungary as Habsburg György, and by his royal name as Archduke Georg of Austria,

Georg was the President of Red Cross in Hungary, having been named Hungary's Ambassador extraordinary to the European Parliament in 1996.[2] Georg has been a strong supporter of the enlargement of the European Union. 

EDUARD HABSBURG-LOTHRINGEN is a diplomat, an author, and media personality. He is the great-great-great grandson of the late Austro-Hungarian emperor and Hungarian King Franz Joseph I and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen has previously been director of communications of the diocese of St. Pölten and scriptwriter of television series and of the film Mary, Queen of Scots. He has published writings about arts and history and he is also a member of the European Cultural Parliament. 

Eduard Habsburg-Lorraine 

Since 2015 he is Ambassador of Hungary to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta. 

Since November 2016, Eduard Habsburg-Lorraine is Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.   

Source: Mirrors of Truth: Habsburgs and Zionism

Created by Izreal Zeus

From obscurity to empire 

The Habsburg story begins not with grandeur, but with mystery. While later mythmakers would attempt to trace the family back to legendary five-horned bulls and Merovingian kings, author Martyn Rady confirms that their verifiable origins were far more humble. The earliest documented Habsburg ancestor was a minor nobleman named Kanzelin who lived around the late tenth century in what is now the border region between France, Germany, and northern Switzerland. 

It was Kanzelin's son, Radbot, who would establish the family's namesake. According to a popular legend, Radbot was out hunting when he lost his prized hawk. While searching for it, he discovered a rocky outcrop above the River Aare that seemed perfect for a fortress. He built his castle there and named it Habichtsburg – Hawk's Castle – which eventually shortened to Habsburg. 

In reality, of course, things were far less romantic. The name Habsburg likely referred to a nearby river ford (Hafen) rather than any hawk. For centuries, the family barely used the name, listing it as just one among their growing collection of properties. The Habsburg name was only popularly revived in the 1800s when Europeans became fascinated with ancestral origins. 

The original Castle Habsburg was imposing but modest: a stone keep with thick walls, a four-story residence, and a square tower. Later expansions added a courtyard and additional living quarters. Far from just a military fortress, it was designed as a family home, though today only portions remain for tourists to visit. 

But the family's true rise to power began with Rudolf I, who became the first Habsburg to be elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1273. This happened almost by accident – the prince-electors, deadlocked between more powerful candidates, chose Rudolf as a compromise. They believed this minor Swiss count would be easy to control. They were quite wrong. 

Rudolf used his new position to acquire the Duchy of Austria for his family in 1282, establishing a power base that would sustain Habsburg ambitions for centuries. This strategic acquisition changed everything – moving the family's center from their modest Swiss beginnings to a wealthy territory at the crossroads of European trade. 

The Habsburg marriage strategy began its sharp rise to prominence in the 15th century under Maximilian I. In 1477, Maximilian married Mary of Burgundy, heiress to the vastly wealthy Burgundian territories that included much of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of France. This marriage wasn't just a personal union, but a strategic masterstroke that nearly doubled Habsburg holdings overnight. When Mary died in a hunting accident just five years later, Maximilian fought tenaciously to preserve these territories for their son Philip.  

This Burgundian inheritance provided the Habsburgs with immense resources and positioned them at the commercial heart of Europe. Which is why Maximilian would later cement this strategy with his famous motto: "Let others wage war, you, happy Austria, marry," establishing the blueprint for Habsburg expansion that would soon also bring them control of Spain and a global empire. 

The double-headed eagle: the omnipresent emblem of the Habsburgs

The Habsburg family story is full of surprises, murders, clever marriages, wars, and sad endings.

Let's look at the family, starting with Rudolf I., and trace the history of the family back to the present head, Karl von Habsburg.

Rudolf I (1218-1291)

It all starts with Rudolf I. He was the first German king of the Habsburg dynasty. He won wars against rivals like Ottokar II of Bohemia and gained popularity. In 1273, he was chosen King of the Romans. This was the start of Habsburg power in Europe.

Rudolf II & Albrecht I

Rudolf's sons kept the family strong. Rudolf II ruled parts of Austria but stayed in the background. His brother, Albrecht I, became King of Germany and made the Habsburgs stronger. In 1308, he was killed by his own nephew.

Johan & Albrecht II

Albrecht I's sons were the next generation. Johan stayed mostly in the background. Albrecht II kept Austria strong. These quiet rulers helped the family survive during hard times.

Albrecht III, Leopold III & Rudolf IV

The family split into branches here. Rudolf IV was clever. He even called himself "Archduke of Austria" to make his family stronger. Albrecht III and Leopold III also ruled. Leopold's children helped divide and grow the family lines.

Albrecht IV & Ernest "the Iron"

Albrecht IV ruled for a short time. His brother Ernest was stronger and stricter. People called him "the Iron." From him came many important future emperors.

Albert II (Albert V of Austria)

Albert II became King of Hungary, Bohemia, and the Romans. But he died young. Even so, his rule showed how important the Habsburgs were in Europe.

Friedrich III & Eleonore of Portugal

Friedrich III was the first Habsburg to be fully crowned Holy Roman Emperor. His marriage to Eleonore of Portugal brought money and respect. His son would take the family to even greater heights.

Maximilian I & Marie of Burgundy

Maximilian I is a major Habsburg figure. By marrying Marie of Burgundy, he gained lots of land, including the Netherlands. He used marriage to grow power. This plan helped the Habsburgs for many generations.

Philip I "the Handsome" & Joanna of Castile

Their son Philip married Joanna of Castile. She was the daughter of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella. This linked the Habsburgs to Spain. From here, the family split into two lines: the Spanish Habsburgs and the Austrian Habsburgs.

The Spanish Habsburgs Charles V / Karl V (1500-1558)

Charles, son of Philip and Joanna, inherited a huge empire. People said the sun never set on it because it was so big. He ruled Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, and the Americas. As Holy Roman Emperor, he showed the peak of Habsburg power. In 1556, he gave up the throne. His brother Ferdinand took Austria. His son Philip got Spain.

Philip II of Spain (1527-1598)

Philip II ruled during Spain's golden time. He built the palace of El Escorial. He supported the Catholic Church. He also ruled lands in the Americas and Asia. But he faced many problems. He was defeated and dethroned in 1588.

Philip III & Philip IV

Philip III let his helpers do most of the ruling. Philip IV oversaw Spain's art and culture. Famous painters like Velázquez worked for him. But Spain's power was shrinking. During his reign, wars and debt made the country weaker.

Charles II "the Bewitched" (1661-1700)

The last Spanish Habsburg, Charles II, was weak. He could not have children. His death in 1700 ended the Spanish line. This caused the War of the Spanish Succession.

The Austrian Habsburgs Ferdinand I (1503-1564)

Charles V's brother Ferdinand got Austria and the emperor's crown. He became Holy Roman Emperor and started the Austrian Habsburg line. He ruled Central Europe during the Reformation. At that time, religion caused many conflicts.

Maximilian II, Rudolf II & Matthias

Ferdinand's son, Maximilian II, tried to calm religious fights. Rudolf II loved art and made Prague a cultural center. But he was not as strong a ruler. Matthias followed. Religious fights grew, leading to the Thirty Years' War.

Ferdinand II & Ferdinand III

Ferdinand II was a strong Catholic. He started the Thirty Years' War by fighting Protestants. His son Ferdinand III led during the war. Finally, the war came to an end with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

Leopold I (1640-1705)

Leopold I ruled for almost 50 years. He fought France and the Ottomans. He also won the Siege of Vienna in 1683. His long rule kept the Habsburgs strong in Central Europe.

Joseph I & Charles VI

Leopold's sons took over. Joseph I died young, and Charles VI became emperor. He made the Pragmatic Sanction. This allowed his daughter Maria Theresa to inherit the throne.

Maria Theresa (1717-1780) & Francis I of Lorraine

Maria Theresa was a great ruler. She modernized Austria and defended her land in war. She had 16 children, including Marie Antoinette of France. Her marriage to Francis I of Lorraine created the Habsburg-Lorraine line.

Joseph II & Leopold II

Her son Joseph II made reforms. He allowed religious freedom and ended serfdom. Not all reforms lasted. Leopold II ruled for a short time but kept the peace.

Francis II (Franz I of Austria)

Leopold's son, Francis II, was the last Holy Roman Emperor. After Napoleon, he ended the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. He became Emperor of Austria. This started the Austrian Empire.

Ferdinand I & Franz Joseph I

Francis's son Ferdinand I was kind but sick. He gave up the throne in 1848. His nephew, Franz Joseph I, ruled for almost 70 years. He led a modernizing but troubled empire. Though his wife Elisabeth "Sisi" was loved by the people.

Crown Prince Rudolf

Their only son, Rudolf, died in 1889. It may have been a murder-suicide. He left no children.

Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914)

Next was Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was Franz Joseph's nephew. His assassination in 1914 started World War I.

Karl I & Empress Zita

After Franz Joseph died in 1916, Karl I became Austria's last Emperor. He tried to stop World War I. But the empire fell in 1918. He died young in exile. His wife Zita lived until 1989.

Otto von Habsburg (1912-2011) & Regina

Karl and Zita's eldest son, Otto, led the family. He never became emperor. He fought Hitler and worked in European politics. His wife, Regina, helped with charity and family matters.

Karl von Habsburg (1961)

Today, Karl von Habsburg leads the family. He is Otto's son. He works in politics. He also works to protect the history of the Habsburg family. The family may not rule anymore. But people still remember their story across Europe.

A 1913 book tells essentially the same origin story: an early ancestor is trapped by vultures, a flock of ravens saves him, and the ravens become connected with the family's ancestral place. Project Gutenberg 

The chronology in the legend is what jumps out: 

1. 1000:Habsburgancestor supposedly saved by ravens from vultures. 
2. 1020–1030:Radbot'sactual Habsburg Castle begins appearing in the historical record. 

Ravens 

Ravens are large black birds in the crow family. The common raven, Corvus corax, lives across much of North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Ravens are among the most intelligent birds. They can solve problems, remember people and places, hide food for later use, communicate with other ravens, and learn from watching animals and humans. 

Ravens have attracted human attention for thousands of years. One of their earliest appearances in surviving literature is in the ancient Mesopotamian flood story. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim releases several birds after the flood. The raven is the bird that finds conditions suitable and does not return. 

The raven also appears prominently in the Bible. In Genesis 8:7, Noah sends out a raven after the Flood before sending the dove. Ravens appear again in 1 Kings 17, where they bring food to the prophet Elijah. Other biblical passages mention ravens as scavengers and as animals provided for by God. 

Ravens were important in the ancient Greek and Roman world. They became associated with Apollo and with prophecy, messages, and omens. Romans also observed the behavior and calls of birds, including ravens, as part of augury. 

Ravens were especially important in Germanic and Norse culture. Odin had two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, generally associated with Thought and Memory. According to Norse literature, they flew throughout the world gathering information and returned to Odin with what they had learned. Ravens were also associated with warfare, and raven imagery appeared in the Viking world. 

The association between ravens and death has a practical explanation. Ravens eat carrion and could gather where animals or people had died. They could therefore be seen around battlefields, slaughter sites, and other places containing dead animals. Over time, this real behavior contributed to their reputation as birds of battle, death, and omens. 

Ravens also became important in medieval Christian traditions. Their meaning was not always negative. Noah's raven sometimes acquired negative interpretations in later Christian writing, but the biblical ravens that fed Elijah represented divine provision. Saint Benedict was also associated with a raven in a medieval story in which the bird carried away poisoned bread intended to kill him. 

Raven traditions developed independently in North America. Among several Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, Raven became an important mythological figure, appearing as a creator, transformer, trickster, or bringer of knowledge and light. 

The word raven itself has deep Germanic roots. Old English had hræfn, Old Norse hrafn, and Old High German hraban. Modern German uses Rabe.

By the Middle Ages, therefore, ravens already carried thousands of years of history. Different cultures associated them with different things, but several themes repeatedly appeared: intelligence, information, prophecy, survival, warfare, and death.

The raven's reputation was probably built largely upon the real bird. Ravens are unusually intelligent, highly observant, capable of remembering what they see, and willing to follow humans and other animals in search of food. Ancient people were observing a bird that really did seem to watch what humans were doing—and remember it. 

An account published in 1917 describes the Turnfalken as "enormous white birds" belonging specifically to Habsburg folklore. According to the tradition, they normally appeared at night; seeing them during daylight supposedly foretold disaster for the ruling family. IAPSOP

The legend was already circulating before that. A 1916 account described people in Vienna supposedly seeing a flock of enormous white birds circling and crying shortly before the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. A 1918 publication repeated the story and called them Turnfälken. IAPSOP

There is also a later version connecting the Turnfalken to ravens. In that story, around AD 1000, ravens supposedly saved a Habsburg ancestor from vultures. The ancestor protected the ravens, but a later Habsburg allegedly destroyed their home and killed some of them while constructing or enlarging a castle. The ravens then supposedly summoned their supernatural protector, the Turnfalken, which thereafter appeared before Habsburg disasters. Historic Mysteries

Here's the strange part: Turnfalken does not straightforwardly mean "raven." Falken is German for falcons. The older sources I found call the Turnfalken huge white birds, not black ravens. Modern retellings appear to have increasingly blended the Turnfalken with the separate raven story.

The Trains, the Gold and Switzerland: Nazi Assets During World War II

During World War II, Switzerland was officially neutral. But neutrality did not mean that Switzerland was economically isolated from Nazi Germany. Germany used Swiss banks, Swiss currency and Swiss transportation routes throughout the war. By the 1990s, investigations in the United States and Switzerland had uncovered an enormous paper trail showing just how important Switzerland had been to Germany's wartime financial system.

The story involves trains, gold, jewelry, money, banks and property stolen from occupied countries and individual victims, including Jews murdered during the Holocaust.

The Trains Through Switzerland

Germany made extraordinary use of the Swiss railway system during the war.

The Gotthard route through Switzerland connected Germany with Italy. American wartime intelligence records later examined by PBS FRONTLINE documented enormous traffic through the Gotthard passage during 1943 and 1944.

At its peak, German trains carrying coal and other supplies toward Italy were reportedly passing through Switzerland at a rate of up to one train every ten minutes.

This was not some occasional train crossing neutral territory.

It was a major transportation corridor.

A German-Italian-Swiss treaty dating from 1909 provided the legal framework for traffic through the Gotthard Tunnel. Switzerland officially prohibited the transportation of soldiers and weapons through its territory, but Germany depended heavily upon the route for commercial traffic between Germany and Italy.

American government records later described Germany's wartime use of Swiss railways as unprecedented. Large quantities of raw materials, food, chemicals and other supplies traveled through Switzerland.

Money and Jewelry Arriving by Train

Then the records become even more interesting.

The United States National Archives contains wartime diplomatic files concerning Switzerland with remarkably specific titles.

One is:

"Mail Trains Arriving from Germany Contain Money, Jewelry, Assets, etc. Destined for Davos."

Another is:

"Shipment of Money from Munich Arrived at Swiss Frontier."

The same collection contains records concerning German assets, Swiss banking activity, gold crossing borders, the Swiss National Bank and "Gold Looted by Axis From Occupied Countries."

These records establish that American officials were tracking more than ordinary freight moving between Germany and Switzerland.

They were tracking money, jewelry and other assets coming out of Germany and entering Switzerland.

Davos appears specifically in the American archival index as a destination.

Nazi Germany Had a Money Problem

There was a fundamental reason Switzerland became so important.

Germany could steal enormous quantities of property, but stolen property alone could not easily purchase everything Germany needed internationally.

The Reichsmark had limited usefulness outside German-controlled territory.

Germany needed currencies accepted internationally.

Switzerland provided one solution.

Nazi Germany could transfer gold to Switzerland. The Swiss National Bank and other institutions could purchase the gold and provide Swiss francs. Those francs could then be used internationally to purchase strategic materials and other goods.

A massive U.S. government investigation conducted during the 1990s concluded that Switzerland played a pivotal role in this system.

In effect, gold could become usable money.

Where Did the Gold Come From?

Some of it belonged originally to Germany. A great deal did not.

When Nazi Germany occupied European countries, it seized gold from national and central-bank reserves and transferred much of it into the German Reichsbank's holdings.

But Nazi confiscation went far beyond the treasuries of conquered countries. Jewish families and other victims were systematically stripped of their property. Money, jewelry, watches, coins, precious metals and other valuables were seized.

There was even a special Reichsbank account associated with SS officer Bruno Melmer. The so-called Melmer account received valuables taken from concentration-camp prisoners and other victims of Nazi persecution.

Surviving records of these shipments describe jewelry, rings, watches, gold and even dental gold.

The distinction matters. This was not simply "German gold." Some of the wealth moving through the German financial system had been taken from conquered countries. Some had been stolen directly from individual human beings who had already been stripped of virtually everything else.

The Gold Was Melted

Tracing the stolen property became even harder because gold could be melted down and recast. Gold taken from occupied central banks and other sources was melted or remelted into bars, making its original source increasingly difficult to determine.

Investigators found that identifying marks could be changed and gold from different sources could be mixed together. Once that happened, determining exactly where a particular bar of gold had originated could become extremely difficult.

This distinction matters. Investigators later established that some gold taken from individual victims of Nazi persecution entered the larger stream of gold that eventually reached neutral countries.

They did not establish that the Swiss National Bank knew that particular bars contained gold taken from individual Holocaust victims.

What they did establish was significant: Swiss authorities knew that substantial quantities of the gold coming from the German Reichsbank had been looted from occupied countries.

How Much Gold Went to Switzerland?

The numbers are enormous.

The original American investigation estimated that approximately $400 million in gold moved from Nazi Germany to Switzerland during the war, measured in wartime dollars.

The later Swiss Bergier Commission calculated approximately $440 million in total German gold transfers to Switzerland and estimated that roughly $316 million was looted gold. These are 1940s dollars.

Switzerland consequently became the principal continental marketplace through which Germany could transform gold into internationally useful financial resources.

The U.S. investigation concluded that roughly three-quarters of more than $300 million in Nazi gold ultimately reaching Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey passed through the Swiss National Bank.

The route therefore did not necessarily end in Switzerland.

Germany → Switzerland → other neutral countries

Switzerland functioned as an important financial junction. Jewish Property Was Being Destroyed and Dispersed

There was another side to the story.

European Jews had deposited money and property in Switzerland before and during the war because Switzerland appeared to offer protection from political instability and Nazi confiscation.

Then millions of those people disappeared into ghettos, deportations and extermination camps. Approximately six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.

That created an extraordinary financial problem after the war. Accounts remained in Switzerland whose owners were dead.

Entire families had been murdered. Potential heirs might not know an account existed. Documents establishing ownership might have disappeared with the people who owned them.

And survivors and descendants subsequently complained that Swiss banks placed enormous documentary obstacles in the way of recovering accounts.

The dormant-account controversy finally exploded internationally during the 1990s.

In 1997, the Swiss Bankers Association published a list containing 1,756 dormant non-Swiss accounts worth approximately $42 million. Another list later that year contained thousands more accounts.

The controversy ultimately produced investigations, settlements and compensation programs.

The principal European neutral or officially non-belligerent countries relevant to the Nazi-assets story were:

• Switzerland — neutral throughout the war; major financial center and purchaser/transit point for German gold.
• Sweden — neutral; traded extensively with Germany, particularly iron ore, and received German gold.
• Spain — officially neutral/non-belligerent; traded with Germany and received German gold and assets.
• Portugal — neutral; extremely important because of tungsten, which Germany needed for armaments. Portugal received substantial quantities of German gold.
• Turkey — neutral for most of the war and declared war on Germany and Japan only in February 1945. It traded strategic materials, particularly chromite.
• Ireland — remained neutral throughout the war, under its policy known as "The Emergency."
• Vatican City — formally neutral.
• Liechtenstein — neutral and closely connected economically with Switzerland.
• Andorra — officially neutral, although in a geographically unusual position between France and Spain

References

Beller, Steven. The Habsburg Monarchy 1815–1918. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Encyclopaedia Britannica. "House of Habsburg." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed September 28, 2026.

Holzer, Hans. The Habsburg Curse. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1973.

National Archives and Records Administration. "Records Relating to Nazi Gold and Other Looted Assets." National Archives. Washington, DC.

Rady, Martyn. The Habsburgs: To Rule the World. New York: Basic Books, 2020.

United States Department of State. U.S. and Allied Efforts to Recover and Restore Gold and Other Assets Stolen or Hidden by Germany During World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, 1997.

Vilas, Roman, et al. "Is the 'Habsburg Jaw' Related to Inbreeding?" Annals of Human Biology 46, no. 7–8 (2019): 553–561.

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The Holy Bible. Genesis 8:7; 1 Kings 17; 2 Kings 2:23–25.

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Smithsonian Institution. Materials concerning ancient Egyptian trade, animals, and representations of Syrian bears during the Old Kingdom.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. "The Story of Smokey Bear." Smokey Bear. Accessed September 28, 2026.

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