Habsburg's civil professions # 2022

The documentary about those Habsburgs who defied family law and social conventions and learned a middle-class profession or practiced their talent and passion– often secretly - “professionally”.

The path in life of the Habsburgs was prescribed from birth: to serve the monarchy - whether as reigning emperors, archdukes with military or representative duties, or archduchesses as supportive wives and mothers in the service of maintaining the dynasty. Their training was geared exclusively to the given roles, completing an academic degree or learning or even practicing a "civil" profession was not only not intended, it was even expressly forbidden. The crown princes and thus future emperors learned a craft of their choice - but in fact this meant getting to know each other and not real professional training. 

While most of the Habsburgs accepted their roles without protest, there were also a few exceptions who flouted family laws and social conventions and exercised their talent and passion professionally – either by tricky circumventing family statutes or even in secret. The bandwidth of the chosen professions was unusual and exciting and ranged from stock market speculator to archaeologist and set designer to undercover journalist and grocer in the city on the Danube.