ATDTDA (2): Austrian Archduke (45.4)

[Tim Strzechowski]

Nate showed up at Lew's desk one day with a thick folder that had some kind of royal crest on it, featuring a two-headed eagle.
 
"Not me," Lew edging away.
 
"Austrian Archduke is in town, we need somebody to keep an eye on him" (p. 45).

 
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria-Este (December 18, 1863 – June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, and from 1896 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated the Austrian declaration of war which triggered World War I.
 
[...]

As a young man, Franz Ferdinand developed two great passions: hunting and travel. It is estimated that he shot more than 5,000 deer in his lifetime. In 1883, he visited Italy for the first time in order to see the properties left to him by Duke Francis V of Modena. In 1885, he visited Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey. In 1889, he visited Germany.
In 1889, Franz Ferdinand's life changed dramatically. His cousin Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide at his hunting lodge in Mayerling, leaving Franz Ferdinand's father, Archduke Karl Ludwig, as first in line to the throne. Henceforth, Franz Ferdinand was groomed to succeed. [...]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria


The double headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology. Several Eastern European nations use this symbol today, having adopted this symbol from the Byzantine Empire. In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor (secular and religious) and/or dominance of the Roman Emperors over both East and West. The Russian tsars adopted the symbol both to position themselves as successors to the Byzantine state and to likewise symbolize their dominion over the west (Europe) and the east (Asia).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-headed_eagle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms


Great photos of Austria, Hungary, and Prague from an August, 2006 vacation:

http://www.pbase.com/rcorreia/v200603