Stoffentwicklung zu einer TV-Dokumentation über Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein
von Wolf Rajszár-Kruse
Seit 2009 recherchiere und arbeite ich an dieser Dokumentation über Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein, die in diesem Jahr zum Abschluss kommen soll.
Baron Eduard Alexandrowitsch von Falz-Fein wurde 1912 im zaristischen Russland als Spross der zwei berühmten Familien des russischen Adels Falz-Fein und Epantschin geboren. Als Fünfjähriger erlebte er die russische Revolution und die anschließende Emigration mit seiner Familie über St. Petersburg nach Berlin.
Nachdem sein Vater 1919 überraschend in Berlin verstarb, ging die Familie 1923 nach Frankreich und ließ sich in Nizza nieder.
Später verschlug es den Aristokraten nach Liechtenstein, wo er sich endgültig niederließ und ein Liechtensteiner, deutsch-russischer Abstammung, wurde. Er war Spitzensportler und gewann für das Fürstentum Liechtenstein viele internationale Radrennen. Gleichzeitig war er Mitbegründer des Olympischen Komitees im Fürstentum. Nicht wegzudenken als Begründer des modernen Tourismus in Liechtenstein und als „Mister Quick“ (Souvenierhandel) über die Grenzen vom Fürstentum Liechtenstein berühmt.
Ende der 80iger Jahre lernte ich in Liechtenstein Baron von Falz-Fein kennen und schätzen. Es entstand mit dem belesenen-, vielsprachigen- und lebenserfahrenen Kosmopoliten eine Freundschaft. Anfang der 90iger Jahre übergab mir der Baron sein 16mm Filmmaterial über das Fürstentum Liechtenstein, das aus den 50er und 60er Jahren stammte zur Bearbeitung. Aus diesem Material entstand die Filmdokumentation „Liechtenstein – Gestern“.
Seit jener Zeit bestand ein lockerer Kontakt zu Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein. Mit Freude verfolgte ich seine Auszeichnungen und Würdigungen durch die russischen Präsidenten Jelzin und Putin, sowie des ukrainischen Präsidenten Kutschma für seine Verdienste um die Erhaltung und Rückführung russischer Kulturgüter, sowie über sein Mäzenatentum.
2008 meinte er zu mir, dass es an der Zeit sei für ein ausführliches Interview, da es sein letztes sein könnte. Im darauffolgenden Jahr verwirklichten wir das mehrstündige Interview, welches ich als Grundlage für die geplante Dokumentation über den letzten deutsch-russischen Aristokraten in der Welt verarbeiten werde. Er hat mir viele Kontakte zu Weggefährten und Freunden vermittelt, die ich teilweise in dieser Dokumentation zu Wort kommen lasse.
Ich war sehr froh, dass er 2012 bei guter Gesundheit auch noch seinen 100. Geburtstag feiern konnte. Filmaufnahmen zeigen ihn im Kreis seiner Freunde und seiner Tochter Ludmilla.
Heute lebt er sehr zurückgezogen in seinem Haus in Vaduz. Er empfängt nur noch wenige Freunde, er ist aber nach wie vor ein Grandseigneur und eine einzigartige Persönlichkeit. Im Frühjahr 2017 erhielt er aus der Hand des IOC-Präsidenten Thomas Bach die höchste Auszeichnung des Internationalen Olympischen Komitees, die Pierre-de-Coubertin-Metaille. Am 14. September 2017 beginn er seinem 105. Geburtstag.
Stand Januar 2018
Material development for a TV documentary about Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein
from Wolf Rajszár-Kruse
I have been working and researching into the life of Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein for a television documentary since 2009 which should be complete at the end of this year.
Baron Eduard Alexandrowitsch von Falz-Fein was born in tsarist Russia in 1912. He was the offspring of two famous families of the Russian nobility, namely Falz-Fein and Epantschin. As a five-year-old, he experienced the Russian revolution and subsequently the emigration with his family from St Petersburg to Berlin.
After his father unexpectedly passed away in Berlin in 1919, the family later moved to France in 1923 and lived in Nice.
Later the aristocrat ended up in Liechtenstein where he finally settled down and became a Liechtenstein citizen of German and Russian descent. His contribution to the principality was considerable. He was an outstanding sportsman and won many bicycle races for the Liechtenstein. He also was a co-founder of the Olympic Games Committee in the principality. In addition, he was the creator of modern tourism in Liechtenstein and thanks to his success in the souvenir trade became well known across the borders as “Mr Quick”.
At the end of the 1980s, I got to know Baron von Falz-Fein in Liechtenstein and began to appreciate his many talents and achievements. Since this time, a friendship has developed between me and this well-read, multilingual and life-experienced cosmopolitan. At the beginning of the 1990s, the baron handed over to me 16mm film material about the Liechtenstein principality during the 1950s and 1960s for processing. From this material the film documentary “Liechtenstein Yesterday” came into being.
Since that time, an informal contact has existed between us. With pleasure, I have followed the honours and recognition bestowed upon him by the Russian presidents Jeltsin and Putin as well as accolades from the Ukraine president Kutshma for his services towards the preservation and return of Russian art assets and his patronage.
In 2008, the Baron decided it was high time to have a detailed interview with me, because he believed it could be his last chance. In the following year, I conducted many interviews with him, lasting for several hours. This will be the basis for the planned documentary about the last German and Russian aristocrat in the world. He has provided me with many contacts and friends, who will to a certain extent be allowed to speak in the documentary.
I was very happy that Eduard was able to celebrate his 100th birthday in good health. Photographs show him in a circle of friends with his daughter Ludmilla.
Today he lives very much secluded at his home in Vaduz. He receives very few visitors. However he is still a Grandseigneur and a unique personality. In spring 2017 he received from the IOC president Thomas Bach the highest possible honour from the International Olympic Committee, the Pierre-de-Coubertin Medal. On the 14th of September 2017, he celebrated his 105th birthday.
© Wolf Rajszár-Kruse, 2018
Introduction to a TV documentary
The Peoples Baron
Baron von Falz-Fein, the last Russian aristocrat with German roots
Johann Georg Fein was born in 1773 in Erfurt in Saxon Chemnitz. In 1807, he went with his family to Ekaterinoslaw in Russia, where he built textile and cloth factories. This was the beginning of an incredible history and odyssey. The Falz-Fein family became one of the richest landowners in South Russia. The family owned a flock of up to half a million merino sheer, a harbour “Chorly” and the largest animal park in Russia, the “Askania Nova”. Tsar Nicholas the second visited the park in 1914 and stayed overnight there. This caused concern in the Duma at the time because a tsar did not normally reside in private accommodation. The Fatz-Feins owned dozens of estates whose total area amounted to 64000 hectares. The documentary describes the life of this family, but more especially the unique personality of Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein.
He was born in Ukraine at the family seat Falz-Feinowo (Gawrilowka). In Russia, as a five year old boy, he experienced the Russian Revolution in 1917.
On his mother’s side, Eduard is descended from one of the oldest Russian noble families, the Epantschin. She was related by blood to the Tsar and was unique in that she produced three admirals.
Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein harbours no resentment or animosity towards Russia. On the contrary, he is happy because he was able to take his life into his own hands. The tragic years when he lost both his father and uncle deeply influenced his life. He never gave up. He became the first aristocratic racing cyclist. He later became a sports journalist for the newspaper “L’Equipe” under Jacques Goddet. He reported on major sports events including the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. During World War Two he stayed in Nice and Switzerland where he studied agriculture and looked after his sick mother until her death.
In the principality, Eduard built up tourism making good use of his multilingual and rhetorical skills. As a sports journalist he developed many contacts and succeeded in founding the National Olympic Committee in Liechtenstein.
In the post-war period, his friends remind one of “Who’s Who in the World”. His friends included Grace Kelly, Joan Crawford, Maurice Chevalier, Marc Chagall, Pierre Cardin, Rudolf Caracciola, King Faruk, Soraya, the former wife of the Shah of Persia and many others. His two marriages with Virginia Curtis-Bennett and Christine Schwarz were not altogether happy, but nevertheless Eduard showed very little rancour about them during my interviews with him. He was and still is a great patron of art. He brought back many art treasures and documents back to Russia. He was often honoured. He was, for example presented with the Pushkin medallion by Vladimir Putin for his significant contribution to the “preservation of cultural heritage of Russia”. Recently in 2017, he received the Pierre-de-Coubertin medal for services to sport from the IOC president Thomas Bach.
Eduard von Falz-Fein, who is now 105 years old, is an extraordinary man, a philanthropist, a contemporary witness and the last German Russian aristocrat.
© Wolf Rajszár-Kruse, 2018
