Kaiserstadt Wien on the Eve...

Yours truly stood in line for about fifty minutes before he could even get into the Capuchin Church in Vienna today. This was my first attendance at a lying-in-state since 1991, when I attended the lying-in-state of my own late King.




The waiting public could watch a film about the late Archduke when standing in line. The documentary actually showed the phrase “Otto von Habsburg” – despite the childish ban against the three letter word. The main language of the documentary was German.




Many paid their respects.




Someone claimed there was to be a 13 day period of national mourning in Austria. Yours truly finds no evidence of such. To the extent that flags were flown, they were flown from the most official of places, and it was all at full staff.




Except for the long line and the large screen outside the Capuchin Church, to some extent, the city was full of signs that the era whose survivor will be brought to his grave tomorrow ended a long time ago. Exceptions again are architecture and tourist horse carriages.




It seems Vienna is quite capable of refurbishing old architecture. How about restoring som substance of the old?

Meanwhile, the Imperial funeral goes ahead here in Vienna. Apparently, the Honourable Artillery Company will contribute to tomorrow's ceremony, as this German article states, of which two independent sources have informed me. It seems as the Honourable Artillery Company contributed in 1919 to the Emperor leaving as Emperor, even though he could not act as Emperor, the Honourable Artillery Company will contribute to the Archduke Otto leaving this world as Emperor, even though he sadly never was allowed to act as Emperor.

On a related note, over at Taki's Magazine, Mr. Charles Coulombe pays tribute. Also, Roman Christendom has paid tribute.