Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol ( RTGS : Ananthamahidon; pronunciation: [ʔaːnantʰáʔ máʔhìʔdon] ; also Rama VIII .; Full throne name Phrabat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Ananda Mahidol Phra Atthama Ramathibodin, Thai พระบาทสมเด็จ พระ ปร เมน ทร อัฐม รา มา นันท นันท นันท อัฐม รา มา นันท นันท ทร , * September 20, 1925 in Heidelberg , Germany ; † June 9, 1946 in Bangkok , Thailand ) was King of Thailand from March 2, 1935 until his death.
Live and act
Prince Ananda Mahidol was born as the first son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej von Songkhla (a son of King Chulalongkorn ) and Mom Sangwan (the future princess mother Srinagarindra ), who were studying at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg at the time .
His father died when he was only five years old. In 1935 his childless uncle Prajadhipok (Rama VII) abdicated. This made Ananda king at the age of nine. However, he spent most of his reign in Switzerland to complete his training. A council of three regents performed his duties on behalf of him, initially consisting of his second uncle Prince Anuwat Chaturon (Oscar-nudis; 1883-1935), his cousin Prince Aditya Dibabha (1904-1946) and the former interior minister Chao Phraya Yommarat (Pan Sukhum; 1862-1938). Prince Oscar died a short time later and was replaced by Chao Phraya Bijayendrayodhin (Um Indrayodhin; 1871-1942). For Chao Phraya Yommarat, who died in 1938, the former Minister of Finance Pridi Phanomyong (1900-1983) succeeded him in 1941 (after a three-year vacancy ). After the death of Chao Phraya Bijayendrayodhin in 1942 and the resignation of Prince Aditya in 1944, no new regents were appointed, so that Pridi was the only one who remained. Ananda maintained contact with the country only through occasional trips to Thailand (first in November 1938).
The German National Socialists had good relations with Siam (Thailand) and had high hopes for the boy. In 1936 the magazine Die Woche dedicated a richly illustrated double page to him (title: The ten-year-old "Cousin of the Morning Star" ) and wrote:
"Ananda, who by the way has an aunt , Elisabeth Schnarrnberger [ recte: Scharnberger ], a tailor's daughter from Heidelberg [...] is still in Lausanne for the time being, has to practice the piano, learn rules and, last but not least, acquire technical knowledge."
After the end of World War II , the Thai government asked him to return. Therefore, on December 5, 1945, he came to Bangkok with his brother, Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej . He made numerous trips around the country, learning about agriculture and justice, and occasionally exerting influence to alleviate hardship and bring about improvements.
On June 9, 1946, at the age of 20, he died of gunshot wounds under unknown circumstances in his bedroom. It is still speculated today whether it was an accident while handling handguns , a suicide or an assassination attempt.
He was succeeded by his brother Bhumibol Adulyadej . In 1959 he set up the Ananda Mahidol Foundation , which aims to provide international advanced training for Thai students.
Birth Name
After his birth, King Vajiravudh , his uncle, sent a telegram on October 13, 1925, in which he called him “Ananda Mahidol” ( อา , das), which means “The joy of Mahidol”. (“Ananda Mahidol” is a word and the prince's first name, it is pronounced [ ʔaːnantʰá máhìdon ]. At his birth he had the title Mom Chao , the lowest level of the Thai prince title. As a surname he used his father's name “Mahidol” , his full birth name was thus "Mom Chao Ananda Mahidol Mahidol".)
See also
Web links
- Literature by and about Ananda Mahidol in the catalog of the German National Library
- Newspaper article about Ananda Mahidol in the 20th century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Biography of Ananda Mahidol ( Memento from March 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Rolf Reismann in Die Woche , issue 21 of May 20, 1936, pages 24-25
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ananda Mahidol |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rama VIII .; Phra Chaoyuhua Ananda Mahidol (name as king) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Thai nobleman, King of Thailand (1935–1946) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 20, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Heidelberg |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 9, 1946 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Bangkok , Thailand |