Francesca Habsburg-Lorraine

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Francesca Habsburg (2012)

Francesca Habsburg-Lothringen (also known as Francesca von Habsburg ; born June 7, 1958 in Lausanne as Francesca Anna Dolores Thyssen-Bornemisza ) is a Swiss - Austrian art expert, art mediator, collector and patron.

Life

Origin and education

Francesca Anna Dolores Thyssen-Bornemisza is the older daughter of Hans Heinrich "Heini" Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921–2002) from the marriage with his third wife, who was married in 1956, the British model Fiona Campbell-Walter (* 1932; “the Heidi Klum of the late fifties ”). Her parents divorced in 1965. Her younger brother Lorne (* 1963) comes from the same marriage, she has an older half-brother Georg Heinrich (* 1950) from her father's first marriage, and half-brother Alexander (* 1974) from her fourth marriage.

Francesca grew up with her father in the Villa Favorita Lugano-Castagnola on Lake Lugano and with her mother in London . After she attended the noble boarding school Le Rosey on Lake Geneva from 1974 to 1977 , she enrolled in London's St Martin's School of Art in 1979 , but gave up the training after two years (1981). After leaving school, she worked as an actress , singer and model . She owes her reputation as "'Chessy', the party girl of London" to her lifestyle as a party-goer in London in the 1980s. After St Martin's School, she lived in England, New York and Los Angeles for ten years before becoming curator of her father's art collection in Lugano .

In addition to her native English , Francesca Habsburg speaks French and Spanish , but only "tolerably German".

Art educator and patron

During the war in Croatia in the early 1990s, Francesca Habsburg visited the country to protect heritage and works of art. She worked to restore churches and paintings that had been destroyed during the fighting.

Francesca Habsburg, who prefers to describe herself as an art mediator, is considered a leading personality and patron in the world of the art world. She regularly takes part in the Biennale di Venezia . In 2002 she founded the Austrian Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation (TBA21) together with the actor Markus Reymann in Vienna , thus building up her own art collection with over 400 works of contemporary video and digital technology. Since 2004, your foundation has had an exhibition space in the historic Palais Erdödy-Fürstenberg in the first district of Vienna . Habsburg shows works from the collection in thematic exhibitions there twice a year. The foundation also organizes exhibitions of its collection around the world. In Vienna's Augarten , the Foundation for Contemporary Art has been running the TBA21 - Augarten exhibition since 2012 , which was due to be relocated to Zurich after the lease expired at the end of 2017 . In June 2016 she announced that she wanted to stay in Austria with her collection. So "since their outcry last year, a lot has changed: 'A new wind is blowing.'" With the new Minister of Culture Thomas Drozda ( SPÖ ), the climate is very open to collaborations on the internationalization of the Austrian art and culture scene. In general, good discussions had taken place with all sides. She sees the TBA21 as "not a museum, but rather [as] a cultural center."

Private citizen

Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza met Karl von Habsburg , son of Otto Habsburg-Lothringen and grandson of the last Austrian Emperor Charles I , know. In the Kapuzinergruft , the family crypt of the Habsburgs, Karl Habsburg proposed to her: "How would you like to be buried here once?" He was quoted by the Daily Telegraph . Francesca became a Catholic and the two married in a media-acclaimed wedding in Mariazell on January 31, 1993.

They have three children, Eleonore (born February 28, 1994), Ferdinand Zvonimir (born June 21, 1997), who is making a career in motorsport, and Gloria (born October 15, 1999). The family lived in Salzburg for ten years and then moved to Vienna. The couple separated in 2003, but they are still married because a divorce is hardly conceivable in the "House of Habsburg". The magazine News quoted Otto Habsburg, Francesca's father-in-law, once: "My son is catholic enough that he knows what he is doing," which she denies.

Francesca Habsburg lives in London and in Vienna's Inner City in a loft above an exhibition room with works from her collection.

In November 2009 she was awarded the Golden Medal of Merit of the State of Vienna in connection with her foundation Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TB A21), which has been based in Vienna since 2002 . According to Andreas Mailath-Pokorny , City Councilor for Culture at the time , “Vienna not only gained an important cultural address” and “thanks to her diverse work and high degree of networking, Francesca Habsburg is also an outstanding 'ambassador of art', of which Vienna is proud”. In her acceptance speech, Francesca Habsburg said:

“It is a great honor to receive this award from the State of Vienna and I am very grateful for it! I really enjoy living here and through my work with TB A21 I feel part of the cultural life in Vienna. Until now, however, I always had the feeling that our contribution was not visibly noticed! This award changed that! I'm very glad about that!"

- Francesca Habsburg : In: Rathauskorrespondenz from November 26, 2009.

In 2015 she tried to move “back home” from Vienna to Switzerland, taking her collection of contemporary art with her. In an interview with the Swiss Sunday newspaper at the beginning of November 2015 she took a position on Vienna: “'Austria is not mine. I am not at home there '. And in contrast to the increasing internationalization of Zurich, 'Vienna is very static'. "

In June 2016 Habsburg announced to stay in Vienna:

“At the presentation of a new exhibition in TBA21 on Friday, the art patron emphasized that the election of the Federal President had opened her eyes: 'We have to do everything we can in the fight against these nationalist movements .' The past few weeks had shown her that the reason why she had spent the past 25 years in Austria and raised her children - the open, free society - was at risk. 'Victory cannot be taken for granted,' said Habsburg. After all, the right-wing are on the advance: 'They are all around us - that will not change without a fight and argument.' "

- Francesca Habsburg quoted by the Austria Press Agency : In: unsertirol24.com/APA

Unlike her Austrian husband, whose official name is Karl Habsburg-Lothringen , Francesca von Habsburg is entered in her Swiss passport .

Genealogical classification

Francesca, née Thyssen-Bornemisza, is the great-granddaughter of August Thyssen (1842–1926) and granddaughter of Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1875–1947), Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza (* 1943) is her stepmother. Furthermore, Margit von Batthyány , who is connected to the Rechnitz massacre , is a daughter of Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and is therefore an aunt of Francesca Habsburg.

Awards

literature

  • Dietmar Pieper: Heini against Heini . In: Der Spiegel . No. 29 , 2001 ( online - on the inheritance dispute in the Thyssen-Bornemisza family clan).
  • Mark van Huisseling: The last empress. She is part of the jet set, of the nobility - but Francesca von Habsburg is only with herself as an art collector. In: Welt am Sonntag , October 24, 2004.
  • Thyssen-Bornemisza: wrong way of the will. Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza's will is worthless. The heirs dismantle the industrial empire. In: Bilanz , November 1, 2005.
  • William Shaw: We Are Not a Muse. In: The New York Times Magazine , February 25, 2007 ( online article ).
  • Millions heiress, mother & patroness. In: Woman , issue 29/2007, March 2nd, 2007, p. 29. Caption: “Mass-Stab. Francesca Habsburg sets the tone in the art scene. Her credo: Don't collect, but create freedom for artists. "
  • Christof Huemer: The Alchemist. In: Falter , edition 10/2008, March 5, 2008.
  • Carmen Stephan: The cross-over ride. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung - Magazin, issue 43/2014, October 27, 2014.
  • Olga Kronsteiner: Francesca Habsburg: To Zurich or Venice? In: Handelsblatt , November 11, 2015.
  • TBA21 - Where does Francesca Habsburg want to go with her collection? In: Art Market. Sabine Vogel (Ed.), December 14, 2015, published in: Die Presse , December 13, 2015.
  • Rainer Nowak : Francesca Habsburg stays - for the time being. In: Die Presse , print edition, June 17, 2016.
  • "Artists have always been a voice of reason". Francesca Habsburg on the future of her foundation. In: Vienna Art Week 2016. hasenlechner artconsult GmbH (publisher), November 2016.
  • Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum . Museum information folder, March 2017.
  • Irene Gludowacz: Francesca von Habsburg: Arterritory's Irene Gludowacz talks to art patron and philanthropist Francesca von Habsburg about art as a political weapon. In: Independent Collectors. Independent Connectors GmbH (Ed.), Berlin August 12, 2017 ( article online ): This interview was originally published in Arterritory's “Conversations With Collectors, No. 3 ”, 2015.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c heiress of millions, mother & patron. In: Woman , Issue 29/2007, March 2, 2007, p. 29: “'She commissions work and thus extends the concept of a collection - she is a real patron,' says Peter Weibel , [...] in ' Vogue ' . Francesca Habsburg describes herself as an 'art mediator'. [...] 'What makes me really happy is when I can communicate art.' ”( Article online (PDF) on the Katharina Müller / Müller & Partner Rechtsanwälte website , accessed on May 7, 2019.)
  2. ↑ Note: Francesca Habsburg is in the Austrian telephone directory, ed. by Herold Business Data , registered as "Habsburg-Lothringen Francesca Anna" in 1010 Vienna ; accessed on May 7, 2019.
  3. ↑ a b Thyssen-Bornemisza: Wrong path of the will. In: Bilanz , November 1, 2005, accessed on May 7, 2019: “... clan chief Georg Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (55) wants to blissfully completely dismantle his father's empire. [...] Testator Hans Heinrich ("Heini") Thyssen-Bornemisza, citizen of Lugano ... "As well as:" Georg Heinrich wants to secure the (stripped down) TBG for himself and son Simon alone. To this end, he is setting up an Urvanos Investments in Cyprus. For his half-sister Francesca Archduchess of Habsburg-Lothringen (47) and the two real half-brothers, the barons Lorne (42) and Alexander Thyssen-Bornemisza (31), ... "
  4. ↑ a b Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Information folder of the museum, March 2017, p. 1, accessed on May 7, 2019: “The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza was opened on October 8, 1992 to house one of the best and most renowned private collections that came into being in barely two generations with the names Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1875-1947) and Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921-2002) is connected. The most important group of paintings owned by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family was acquired by the Spanish state in July 1993 ... "
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g Mark van Huisseling: The last empress. She belongs to the jet-set, to the nobility - but Francesca von Habsburg is only with herself as an art collector. In: Welt am Sonntag , October 24, 2004, accessed on May 7, 2019.
  6. ^ A b Francesca von Habsburg. Contemporary art collector, film producer, art commissioner and explorer Francesca Habsburgs on LinkedIn , accessed on May 9, 2019.
  7. ↑ When the coral reefs fall silent. From the Ö1 series Zeit-Ton, designed by Susanna Niedermayr, broadcast on August 10, 2017. ( On sound journeys with Jana Winderen. In: oe1. ORF .at, September 10, 2017, accessed on May 7, 2019.)
  8. ^ Olga Kronsteiner: Art Collection TBA21: Francesca Habsburg plans to move to Zurich. In: Der Standard , November 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ a b c Olga Kronsteiner: Francesca Habsburg: To Zurich or Venice? In: Handelsblatt , November 11, 2015, accessed on May 7, 2019: “'Austria is not mine,' recognizes Francesca Habsburg. Now the heiress of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza is planning to move from Vienna together with her art collection. Zurich or Venice could be considered for a settlement. "
  10. ↑ a b Culture: Francesca Habsburg wants to stay in Vienna and fight. In: unsertirol24.com/ APA , June 17, 2016, accessed on May 7, 2019: “Francesca Habsburg stays : Last year, the art collector, who since 2012 with her“ Thyssen Bornemisza Art Contemporary ”(TBA21) was based in Augarten, Vienna is still threatened to withdraw her collection in the direction of Zurich. But now the decision to stay has been made - thanks to the political situation. "This is not the right time to leave Austria," said Habsburg. "
  11. ↑ See for example: Habsburg - a winter fairy tale. If the death of seventeen-year-old Mary in 1889 at Jagdschloß Mayerling was the beginning of the end of the Danube Monarchy, then the marriage between Karl and Francesca is the end of the end. In: Die Zeit , Edition 07/1993, February 12, 1993 Article online , accessed on May 9, 2019.
  12. ↑ a b High distinction for Francesca Habsburg in the town hall. In: Archive report of the town hall correspondence from November 26, 2009, accessed on May 7, 2019.
  13. ^ A b Rainer Nowak : Francesca Habsburg stays - for the time being. In: Die Presse , print edition, June 17, 2016. ( Article online (PDF) on the basis wien website . Art. Information and archive, accessed on May 7, 2019.)
  14. ^ Nicole Scheyerer: Francesca Habsburg: Waiting for the perfect wave. In: Der Standard , April 4, 2019, accessed on May 7, 2019: “Speaking of names: Francescas Nochehemann Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, from whom she has long since separated, was recently reported because of the use of his title of nobility. The Emperor's grandson is forbidden from “from” in this country, but curiously enough, his wife doesn't have to do without it in her Swiss passport. The press photos on the TBA21 homepage meanwhile reveal the distance to the noble family into which the heiress married: Habsburg's download portraits run under "Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza". "
  15. ^ Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (October 31, 1875 - June 26, 1947). In: The founding families - history on the website of ThyssenKrupp AG , undated, accessed on 7 May of 2019.
  16. ↑ Hans Rauscher : Completely normal murderers, completely normal rescuers. In: Der Standard , print edition, April 1, 2008: “Among other things, the art collector Francesca Habsburg, née Thyssen-Bornemisza, is now trying to clarify.” ( Article online on the website of the Hadersdorf am Kamp Virtual Memorial , accessed on 7 May 2019.)
  17. ↑ a b Christof Huemer: The Alchemist. In: Falter , 10/2008 edition, March 5, 2008 ( beginning of the article freely available): “Art: Francesca Habsburg can make art out of money. Now the patron saint of the art stars wants to finally clarify the role of her aunt in connection with the Rechnitz massacre. "
  18. ↑ Carmen Stephan: The cross-over ride. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung - Magazin, Issue 43/2014, October 27, 2014, accessed on May 9, 2019: “You put artists and scientists together to create something completely new. Sounds like a good idea. But on a boat off Panama, our author experienced two worlds that simply cannot speak to each other. "
  19. ↑ "Arterritory Conversations with Collectors" is publication of annual. The first issue was released in 2013. In: shop.talka.lv/products, accessed on May 7, 2019.


personal data
SURNAME Habsburg-Lothringen, Francesca
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Habsburg-Lothringen Thyssen-Bornemisza, Francesca; Thyssen-Bornemisza, Francesca Anne Dolores (maiden name); Habsburg, Francesca von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss-Austrian art expert, art mediator, collector and patron
DATE OF BIRTH June 7, 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH Lausanne , Switzerland