Géza von Habsburg

Archduke Dr. Géza von Habsburg is the grandson of King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony and great-great grandson of Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria. Born in Budapest in 1940, Dr. von Habsburg attended universities in Fribourg and Berne, Switzerland; Munich, Germany; and Florence, Italy, before earning his Ph.D. from the University of Fribourg in 1965.

In 1966 he joined the staff of 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, for Habsburg Fine Art International Auctioneers. At both organizations, his work specialized in silver and gold, objects of vertu and Russian art.

Dr. von Habsburg is an internationally renowned author and leading authority on Fabergé. Much of his career has been devoted to organizing and curatorial work for exhibitions all over the world. He served as the curator and organizer for Fabergé, Jeweller to the Tsars (1986-87) at Kunsthalle in Munich. Also, while as a Board Member with the Fabergé Arts Foundation, he was Chief Curator of Fabergé, Imperial Court Jeweler (1993-94), which was shown in St. 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, Dr. von Habsburg served as an adjunct professor for The New York School of Interior Design, The 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, Dr. von Habsburg joined Fabergé Co. in 1994 as a consultant, spokesperson and lecturer worldwide. He has authored seven and co-written two books on Fabergé and related topics, as well as 75 articles, which have been published in various art journals all over the world. In addition, he has been featured prominently in a Russian film (1994), a Japanese film and two biographies for the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E), all in association with Fabergé.

Dr. von Habsburg has also been featured in the A&E documentary, Treasures of the Habsburgs (1998), and Habsburgs Today on the Romance Channel (1999).