Re: Franziska -An Interesting Story on Her own - A Timeline of Her Life #4

[Annie]

To be fair to Ms. Wingender, it was said that a part of the money was compensation for time off work, when she had to meet with individuals concerning Anna. I think anyone in her position would have asked for expenses to be covered, too. The rest of the money was extra for her time and the information, which is where the controversy begins, as some frown upon it, and feel any information on her part should have been voluntary.

I am not among those who blame her for wanting to be paid, though it would have been better if she didn't because AA supporters use it against her. It doesn't mean she was 'paid off' to 'lie' it only meant she felt fortunate to be in a position to have valuable info someone wanted and took advantage of it. Hey times were hard! Even now people sell TRUE stories of famous people to newspapers, magazines and TV shows and it doesn't mean it's not true. In some rare cases where it hasn't been there are lawsuits.

According to a sworn affidavit by the Baroness von Kleist from 1929, she denied the written account of the story written in the Nachtausgabe. However, I never understood why the reporter full-out lied and printed a false story. Allegations of being paid off by Grand Duke Ernest aside, surely someone at that paper would have spilled his guts if something was amiss concerning this story. Moreover, why did neither the Baron nor Baroness von Kleist sue the paper, or threaten to sue it (or the reporter) if they felt the article was defamatory, or slanderous to Anna, as well as to their own personal beliefs concerning her identity? Why not demand a retraction of the story, or even go to another paper and insist the story printed by the Nachtausgabe was completely false? Better yet, why not notarize a sworn affidavit two years earlier and have it published by a rival paper? Now that would give the public something to talk about!

You know, I doubt a lot of the allegedly 'sworn affadavits' the AA supporters toss around as being totally accurate, especially now that we know AA was FS and not AN. It sure is weird that though Mrs. Von Kliest claimed she didn't say that, the husband and daughter later denounced AA as a fraud. I don't think the newspaper lied, though that's always a handy and common excuse used by AA supporters.

[LisaDavidson]

Regarding Ernst Ludwig, I have it on good authority that he considered his two sisters and Alexandra's children to be dead. He provided funding for the investigator into the Anna Anderson case as a matter of form, as the right thing to do, but he was not in any way personally invested in their work. He knew his niece was gone from this world.

[Foxglove]

We had the reporter, Martin Knopf, Doris Wingender, Anna, and who else was present? If this account is also believed to have been falsified, what did Anna’s supports claim actually happened? I am curious to know both sides.

I am going to answer my own question and provide additional information: apart from Martin Knopf, Doris Wingender, the reporter, and Anna, there was also an English governess present, Faith Lavington. Interesting, Ms. Lavington found Anna's reaction to Doris Wingender to be one of suspicion and perhaps slight disgust, as a proper English lady would when a stranger is treated poorly. She wrote in her diary that, "One would hardly treat a soi-distant unknown person in such a fashion. Anastasia did not even seem to trouble about the two men, she concentrated entirely on the woman" (A Romanov Fantasy, Frances Welch, p. 133-34).

What is of interest here is that Ms. Lavington appeared to be a supporter of Anna, and yet she herself had doubts she expressed in private. Moreover, her mention that Anna focused her attention on Ms. Wingender is also strange (to say the least!). If one of the family members had tipped Anna off that someone was coming to "discredit her", then it is stranger still as to why her focus was on only one person instead of all three. It should also be mentioned that after Mr. Knopf produced the now-infamous photo of Franziska, one of the Duke's daughters told Ms. Lavington that "her heart had sunk because the likeness was unmistakable," even as she accused the detective of faking the photograph.

After Anna's initial meeting with Felix Schanzkowski, the Leuchtenbergs told Ms. Lavington that Felix and Anna "were uncannily alike, sharing the same height, colouring, and features, particularly, apparently their mouths" (p. 136). I agree that Felix and Anna both had full lips; I admit surprise about sharing the same height. If Anna was to be 5'2" tall, then Felix must have been a very short man, or else he was a couple of inches taller, which means Anna was, too (which would fit in with the height of Franziska). On the other hand, knowing full well how subjective height can appear to the eye, it is probably too skewed a topic to broach anyway.

A sharper image of Felix Schanzkowski:

[Michael HR]

Does anyone know what the Schanzkowski think about Anna Anderson today? Do they accept that AA was FS or AN or someone else? Just wondering.

Michael

[Proud_Olga]

"The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" Robert K. Massie, pages 178-179 softback:

Doris Wingender said that Franziska had been a lodger in her mother's home until her disappearance in March 1920. Over two years later, during the summer of 1922, Doris reported, Franziska had suddenly returned and said that she had been living with a number of Russian monarchist families "who apparently mistook her for someone else." Franziska had stayed for three days, Doris continued, and while she was there, the two women had exchanged clothing: Franziska took from Doris a dark blue suit....she handed over a mauve dress, some monogrammed underwear, and a camel's hair coat. Then, once again, Franzkisa vanished.

I know someone who supports an historian's theory, this historian claims that Alix & OTMA survived. Anyway, this person, who supports this theory, told me that AA (Anastasia in his point of view) disappeared for three days, during this time, she  went at Maria's home, her 'sister', in Romania. I knew that AA vanished for three days  but I was checking where she got away because this fact was bothering me. Now, I know, thank you. I guess in a conspiracy theory you can say anything wherever there is a hole.

[Michael HR]

I'm not sure you could get from Berlin to Romania and back in three days anyway. Not that it matters as we know Anastasia died in July 1918 and that Anna Anderson was not her if only due to the DNA evidence that is now available. 

We also know that the Emperor, Empress and OTMA and Alexis died together.

[Proud_Olga]

Yes, I know. DNA tests don't lie.
But this person doesn't believe them, anyway  I always wanted to know where AA went during these three days.

[hubaczek]

If you go to mapquest or another map finder,  look for the name Bytow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byt%C3%B3w

Seeing the distance from Berlin,  it doesn't seem to me that FS would have traveled from Buetow/ Bytwo every night.   

How much in touch were the Wingenders with FS during this time?

Did she return to the Wingenders on the weekends???

AGRBear

The distance from berlin to Bytow is about 400 km

[hubaczek]

And,  yes,  Annie,  13 milies does seem like a long way to walk. 

It would take me a couple of days with a lot of stops. 

In those days,  people were use to walking distances,  so,  how long would it take to walk 13 miles at a normal pace (not in a hurry /  not running)?

AGRBear

it would take about 5-6 hours... (from Borowy Las to Bytow - try Google Maps )

[LisaDavidson]

Does anyone know what the Schanzkowski think about Anna Anderson today? Do they accept that AA was FS or AN or someone else? Just wondering.

Michael

My understanding is that privately the Schanzkowski never doubted that AA was FS. There were some legitimate worries FS's siblings had about being charged with various wrong doing in identifying Franziska due to all of her problems, but then and now, they always knew who she really was.