Franz Ferdinand
Archduke of Austria-Este (non-ruling member of the dynasty); heir designate to the Austrian throne 1898–1914
Born 18 December 1863 in Graz
Died 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo
Franz Ferdinand, a nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph, had become the favourite for heir to the throne after the suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889 and official heir after the death of his father Karl Ludwig in 1896. The clerical-conservative archduke observed the developments in the Balkans with particular concern. Together with his wife Sophie, Franz Ferdinand was shot by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This incident triggered the outbreak of the First World War.
