 Leaving behind their children at Gödöllő , Charles and Zita travelled to the Schönbrunn Palace . By this time ministers had been appointed by the new state of " German @-@ Austria " , and by 11 November , together with the emperor 's spokesmen , they prepared a manifesto for Charles to sign . Zita , at first glance , mistook it for an abdication and made her famous statement " A sovereign can never abdicate . He can be deposed ... All right . That is force . But abdicate — never , never , never ! I would rather fall here at your side . Then there would be Otto . And even if all of us here were killed , there would still be other Habsburgs ! " Charles gave his permission for the document to be published , and he , his family and the remnants of his Court departed for the Royal shooting lodge at Eckartsau , close to the borders with Hungary and Slovakia . The Republic of German @-@ Austria was pronounced the next day . 
