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In 1920, a young woman was pulled out of the Landwehr Canal in Berlin after attempting suicide. Her identity was to become one of the most debated in history.
Anna Anderson famously claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, the only survivor of the Russian Royal family. The explanation of her supposed survival and escape is one that captured the imagination of the world and convinced many. But does the evidence back it up?
How ‘Anastasia’ survived
On 17th July 1918, Vladimir Lenin received a telegram informing him of the death of the entire Romanov family. It was stated that they had been awoken in the middle of the night and informed they were going to be photographed. When they were all assembled, the family were shot and bayoneted repeatedly, until they appeared to be dead.
Some claim the story does not end there. The bayonets used were blunt and one of the bodies moved. A soldier called Tschaikovsky noticed the movement. Out of loyalty, the young soldier rescued the princess, taking her to his family’s house to recover.
The two married and settled in Romania. The new bride discovered she was pregnant. It would seem that the Grand Duchess had a chance of a new life, but tragedy struck when her husband was killed in a street fight. Being unable to provide for her child, the baby boy was placed in an orphanage.
Having lost her husband and son, Anastasia made her way to Berlin, to seek help from her aunt, Princess Irene of Berlin. However, upon arriving, Anastasia feared she would not be recognised. Desperately, she threw herself into a canal.
After being rescued, the young woman was admitted to the Dalldorf Asylum, where she refused to reveal her identity for 18 months, after another patient mistook her for her sister, Tatiana.
Facts that discredit Andersonn
- DNA testing has proved that Anna Anderson was in fact a Polish factory worked named Franziska Schanzkowska.
- When the bodies of the family were discovered in 1991, scientists theorised that the bodies of Royal children Alexi and Mailitsa were missing, rather than Anastasia.
- Following discoveries made in July, 2007, all the Romanov family have been identified.
- Anna Anderson was not known to speak Russian.
- The tutor to the Royal children, Pierre Gilliard, claimed that Anderson was “a first rate actress”.
- There has been no trace found of the soldier she claimed rescued her.
- The scars Anderson claimed were caused by the blunt bayonets could have been caused by an accident involving a hand grenade (in which Franziska Schanzkowski was known to be involved).
- It is puzzling that ‘Anastasia’ did not seek out her parents’ cousin, Queen Marie, while in Romania, instead of travelling to Berlin.
Facts that support Anderson
- An article published in the Annals of Human Biology in 2004, casts doubt upon the DNA results of the bodies found in 1991.
- It is feared that the sample from Anna Anderson (a piece of intestine from an operation in 1979) could have been contaminated during transit.
- Princess Irene of Berlin did concede that Anderson was “similar” to Anastasia.
- Prince Sigismund (Irene’s son) sent Anderson a list of questions only a family member would know and was satisfied with her answers.
- Anderson seemed to give a viable reason for not speaking Russian, it was the language of those who had murdered her family.
- Anderson could speak several languages, this would have been unusual for a factory worker.
- Maria Rasputin (daughter of Rasputin) supported Andersons claims, stating after a meeting in 1968 that Anderson had reminded her of things from their childhood that she had forgotten.
- Anna Anderson had a deformed foot, as did Anastasia.
- Anthropologist Dr. Otto Reche claimed that Anderson and Anastasia were “either the same person or identical twins.”
Sources
Anastasia: The Unmasking of Anna Anderson, by John Godl, The European Royal Hostory Journal, issue VI: August 1998
Anastasia: The Lost Princess, by James Blair Lovell
The Real Romanovs, by Gleb Bodkin
Molecular, forensic and haplotypic inconsistencies regarding the identity of the Ekaterinburg remains, by A.Knight, L.A.Zhivotovsky, D.H.Kass, D.E.Litwin, L.D.Green, P.S.White, J.L.Mountain, Annals of HUman Biology, January 2004.
The copyright of the article Was Anna Anderson Anastasia? in Historical Biographies is owned by Graidi Taylor-Rose. Permission to republish Was Anna Anderson Anastasia? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Oct 19, 2008 4:29 AM
Guest :
Useful precis of the facts of the case. Would have liked to know the
author's personal view.
Nov 3, 2008 8:41 AM
Guest :
so is it her or not?
Nov 3, 2008 10:36 AM
Guest :
I want to know if Anna Anderson was really Anastasia.
Nov 10, 2008 1:04 PM
Guest :
she wasn't anastasia they found her body. useful info
Dec 12, 2008 8:52 PM
Guest :
She really couldn't speak any language but German until she took up with
the Russian emigres' in Berlin and they coached her. A lot of the legend of
Anna Anderson really doesn't check out if you get the whole story. Besides
now that the other two bodies are found there's no question.
Dec 12, 2008 8:54 PM
Guest :
She really couldn't speak any language but German until she took up with
the Russian emigres' in Berlin and they coached her. A lot of the legend of
Anna Anderson really doesn't check out if you get the whole story. Otto
Reche was a Nazi discredited by his peers for bad science. Modern computer
techniques show her face actually matched Franziska. Besides now that the
other two bodies are found there's no question.
May 21, 2009 6:19 PM
Guest :
LOL
Sep 8, 2009 3:58 PM
Guest :
Is she??????????
Sep 15, 2009 6:22 PM
Guest :
According to nurse Erna Bucholz, Gleb Botkin, Albert Coyle, Prof. Rudnev,
Xenia Leeds and others, Anna Anderson spoke fluent Russian. Professors
Eyckstedt, Klenke, Reche and Furtmayr found her face to be identical with
Anastasia. Graphological experts Minna Becker, Lucy Weiszäcker and the
president of the French Graphological Society found Anna Anderson's
handwriting to be identical to that of Anastasia. Professors Furtmayr and
Vanezis found the ears of Anastasia and Anna Anderson to be identical. No
modern computer technology showed that the faces of Anna Anderson and
Franzisca Schanzkowski matched, only a "possibility that they might be
the same person." Pierre Gilliard believed Anna Anderson to be
Anastasia until he suddenly changed his mind in January of 1926.
Anastasia's aunt Olga, wrote after her visit to Anna Anderson: One CANNOT
say that it is NOT she. Later, at the behest of Gilliard, she changed her
mind. Franzisca Schanzkowska was, according to her family, not injured in
the factory explosion at AEG.
A strange story, isn't it.
Sep 22, 2009 12:39 PM
Guest :
I beleive Anna Anderson was Anastasia... why?
The DNA test was said to
be possibly wrong, by the SAME people who preformed it.
The two bodies
found in '08 (at that point, they were bone fragments) proved that ALL of
the family had died.
But did they?
The boy found was roughly
between the ages of 10-13 (Alexi was 13 at the time of his death)
The
girl found was roughly between the ages of 18-21 (Maria was 19, Anastasia
was 17)
The girl must have been Maria, or at least parts of
Maria...
Well then: "Was Anastasia in the mass grave?"
The shortest body in the mass grave measured at 5'7"
It was
buried under the name of Anastasia....
But at the time of her
"death", Anastasia's height was 5'2"
Maria's height was
5'7"
In less words: Anastasia's body is still missing and the
core of Maria's skeleton
Also, Anna Anderson knew secrets of the
family. Stuff that they covered up, she knew! Her ears were exactly the
same as Anastasia's (which is scientifically impossible) Ears maybe
similar, but never are they the same. She had the same tooth disease that
only the royals had, she had bunions (which Anastasia had). Her eyes were
the same color. Her handwriting was the same as Anastasia's. She was the
same age. And, she spent her whole life fighting for her name. Any fraud
would have given up after a certain amount of years.
Anna also knew
about the Tsar's bank account and knew how to gain access using a secret
password (this was later proved by Ambassador Zahle).
Romanov
relatives had been turned away at the same bank. Why did no other Romanov
relative know this password?
The Russian emperor may have told only
his daughters about this information.
And how would a demented peasant
girl (which Anna had been accused of being) how would she alone know
information that senior Romanov family members were ignorant of?
Other
things and this convince me that she's Anastasia....
Another
interesting point is that whenever she grew angry, Anna's face became
covered with red blotches......
Family and friends close to the Tsar
and his wife, said that Alexandra's face always grew red blotches whenever
she was extremely upset...(Was it a trait she inherited from her
mother?)
Anastasia had a mole removed from her right shoulder blade,
which left a distinct mark. Anna had a very distinct scar in the exact same
spot....
Anastasia got her fingers caught in a carriage door when she
was a child...
Anna had a scar at the base of her left
Sep 22, 2009 1:27 PM
Guest :
Hello! I refer to myself as Richy.
I have and always will
believe in Anna Anderson's claim. You might ask why? Well...
The DNA test was said to be possibly wrong, by the SAME people who
preformed it.
The two bodies found in '08 (at that point, they
were bone fragments) proved that ALL of the family had died.
But did
they?
The boy found was roughly between the ages of 10-13 (Alexi
was 13 at the time of his death)
The girl found was roughly between
the ages of 18-21 (Maria was 19, Anastasia was 17)
The girl must
have been Maria, or at least parts of Maria...
Well then:
"Was Anastasia in the mass grave?"
The shortest body
in the mass grave measured at 5'7"
It was buried under the name
of Anastasia....
But at the time of her "death",
Anastasia's height was 5'2"
Maria's height was 5'7"
In less words: Anastasia's body is still missing and the core of
Maria's skeleton is in the mass grave, while pieces of her were put with
Alexi.
Also, Anna Anderson knew secrets of the family. Stuff
that they covered up, she knew! Her ears were exactly the same in seventeen
anatomical points. (which is scientifically impossible) She had the same
tooth disease that only the royals had. She had bunions (which Anastasia
had). Her eyes were the same blue/grey color. Her handwriting was the same
as Anastasia's. She was the same age. And, she spent her whole life
fighting for her name. Any fraud would have given up after a certain amount
of years.
Anna also knew about the Tsar's bank account and knew
how to gain access using a secret password (this was later proved by
Ambassador Zahle).
Romanov relatives had been turned away at the same
bank. Why did no other Romanov relative know this password?
The
Russian emperor may have told only his daughters about this information.
And how would a demented peasant girl (which Anna had been accused of
being) how would she alone know information that senior Romanov family
members were ignorant of?
Another interesting point is that
whenever she grew angry, Anna's face became covered with red
blotches......
Family and friends close to the Tsar and his wife, said
that Alexandra's face always grew red blotches whenever she was extremely
upset...(Was it a trait she inherited from her mother?)
Anastasia had a mole removed from her right shoulder blade, which left a
distinct mark. Anna had a very distinct scar in the exact same spot....
In my opinion: Anna was Anastasia!
11 Comments
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Oct 11, 2008
