(1918) MiNr. 147 - O - Bosnia and Herzegovina (Austria-Hungary) - Bridge in Mostar - reprint 1918 Item 1

Emperor Charles I (1887-1922): The Last Monarch of the Habsburg Empire

Emperor Charles I of Austria, also known as Charles IV. Hungary, was born on 17 August 1887 in Persenbeug Castle in Lower Austria. He was the last Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty. He assumed power in October 1916 during World War I after the death of his great-aunt, Emperor Franz Joseph I. His brief but historically significant reign ended with the dissolution of the monarchy in 1918.

Charlemagne I was known for his peace efforts. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he sought a diplomatic end to the war, including through the so-called Sixtus Affair - secret peace negotiations with the League. Although he was a Catholic monarch with strong moral convictions, he no longer had the power to save an empire decimated by war, nationalism and economic decay.

After abdicating in November 1918, he was forced to leave Austria and later Hungary, where he tried unsuccessfully to return to the throne twice. He died in exile on the Portuguese island of Madeira on April 1, 1922. In 2004, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II for his efforts for peace and Christian values.

Historians still assess Charles I as a markedly different monarch of his time - a man with high moral ambitions but little chance of influencing the course of history. His figure also appears in philatelic themes, especially in collections of postage stamps focused on the end of the Habsburg monarchy and the First World War.