25 Facts About Karel Schwarzenberg

Karel Schwarzenberg served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2010 to 2021 and in the Senate from 2004 until 2010.

From July 1990 to July 1992 Karel Schwarzenberg served as the chancellor to Vaclav Havel, while he was president.

Karel Schwarzenberg went on to be elected as Senator for the municipal district Prague 6 from 2004 to 2010 and to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic from 2007 to 2009 and again from 2010 to 2013, originally as a non-partisan minister nominated by the Green Party.

Karel Schwarzenberg was the head of the House of Karel Schwarzenberg, a formerly leading family of the Habsburg empire, from 1979 until his death.

Karel Schwarzenberg was related to Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg, a statesman of the Austrian Empire.

From 1948 to 1990, he lived in Austria, where he was known as Karl Karel Schwarzenberg, and was involved in politics for the Austrian People's Party and became a noted critic of human-rights violations in the Eastern Bloc, chairing the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights.

Karel Schwarzenberg was married to Countess Therese von Hardegg and they had three children, all of whom live in Austria.

Karel Schwarzenberg was the eldest son of Prince Karel VI of Schwarzenberg of the junior line, and Princess Antonie von Furstenberg.

Karel Schwarzenberg was the 1,322nd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Austria.

Karel Schwarzenberg was first cousin of Princess Ira and Prince Egon von Furstenberg and second cousin of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.

Karel Schwarzenberg was born in Prague and he spoke only Czech with his father and both Czech and German with his mother.

Karel Schwarzenberg studied law and forestry at the universities of Vienna, Munich and Graz but left studies prior to graduation.

Karel Schwarzenberg's wife spends most of her time in Vienna and does not speak Czech.

Karel Schwarzenberg was the second Czech Patron of The English College in Prague, succeeding the founding Patron Vaclav Havel after the latter's death.

Karel Schwarzenberg's daughter co-directed and co-wrote a documentary about her father and their strained relationship which was released in 2022.

Karel Schwarzenberg soon became active in the resistance against the communist dictatorship in Czechoslovakia and became a prominent human-rights advocate, and a leading voice against the communist rule of his native country after the Prague Spring.

Karel Schwarzenberg left office as Foreign Minister on 8 May 2009.

Karel Schwarzenberg became Foreign Minister on 13 July 2010; he held the post until 10 July 2013.

Karel Schwarzenberg continued to comment on public events, usually in the form of comments in the media, interviews or debates.

Karel Schwarzenberg was hospitalised in Prague in August 2023 with heart and kidney problems and was later flown to a clinic in Vienna.

Karel Schwarzenberg died there on 12 November 2023, at the age of 85.

In January 2013, while running for President of the Czech Republic, Karel Schwarzenberg stated, referring to the Benes decrees, that "what we committed in 1945 would today be considered a grave violation of human rights and the Czechoslovak government, along with President Benes, would have found themselves in The Hague," referring to the International Criminal Court.

Karel Schwarzenberg was generally known as Karl zu Schwarzenberg in German and used the Czech form of his first name, Karel, in Czech.

Karel Schwarzenberg was the 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg, through his adoption by Heinrich Schwarzenberg, the brother of Joseph Schwarzenberg, the 11th Prince and last male member of the major Schwarzenberg line.

Karel Schwarzenberg was a regular attendant to the Trilateral Commission and the Bilderberg meetings.