Goodbye, Franziska
The Last Years of Anna Anderson- Mrs. Anastasia Manahan
After dragging on for over thirty years, Anna Anderson's court case finally came to an end in 1970. It was declared she had not proven her identity of Grand Duchess Anastasia. But because this was years before the DNA tests, no one had officially disproven it, either. But for all intents and purposes, she lost. It was over. What became of her in her later years?
For nearly twenty years, she had lived in U in the old shack given to her by Prince Frederick and supported by him and other Steinerists in the village. She had several large dogs and many cats and a lot of junk. She rarely came in or went out, would not answer the door, and did not want visitors. In 1968, she was taken to Paris to meet the Tsar's old mistress, Mathilde K. When she returned home, she fell ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She then found to her horror that in her absence Prince Frederick and others had cleaned up her compound, threw away her belongings, and had her dogs and cats killed.[1] This was very devastating for her. Anna was heartbroken and had another breakdown. She called her old supporter 'the new Yurovsky' and wanted no more to do with him. [2] She then decided to move, almost penniless, to the US with Gleb Botkin. In Charlottesville, VA, she met up with Gleb's friend John(Jack) Manahan, a wealthy but eccentric history professor who accepted her claim and wanted to marry her. Gleb, who still felt himself obligated to be her protector, went along with the marriage because at least she would have a home and be taken care of this way. There are rumors that John made her sign an affadavit swearing she was Anastasia before the wedding, and he then bragged about being 'the son in law of the Tsar!' Gleb, who had become archbishop of his own "Church of Aphrodite", [3] had heart problems and was growing ill.When his home in New Jersey burned down, he had moved to Charlottesville to be near his daughter Marina. After finding his "Anastasia" a final home and support, Botkin passed away in 1969.[4]
Anna Anderson and Jack Manahan were strange, but seemed very happy together. He called her Anastasia, she called him Hans. They had a lovely home on prestigious University Circle in Charlottesville near the University of Virginia, and a farm in Scottsville. As years passed, the home on University circle fell into disrepair, looked much like Sleeping Beauty's castle from the outside with a jungle of overgrowth and a yard littered with dog food cans and other debris. Inside, things were much worse. She never threw anything away. Her Anastasia collection mingled with the rest of the mess. Pictures show the floor and furniture covered with clothes, books and newspapers, some of it to hide the 'accidents' of some 68 dogs and cats they owned in the house. Jack made excuses for her, explaining that "this is the way Anastasia likes to live." Once again she had acquired a large number of cats, and Jack had a large number of dogs. One of her most honorable attributes was her love for animals, but despite John's wealthy financial status, they did not take very good care of the pets. Some were very mangy and sickly, and when one died, she would cremate its body in the fireplace.[5] She believed they had been reincarnated from old friends, and would be reincarnted again. Finally, neighbors complained about the garbage, unkept property and the smell. In court, Manahan declared that they hadn't cleaned up because "we haven't used the vacuum in at least six years, now it's too late."[6] They were allowed to stay as long as they cleaned the place up and moved the animals out to the farm. There were even more dogs on the farm, and some had been shot by neighbors and deputies because they had been raiding barns and killing livestock when they had not been fed properly. John once counted a tragic loss of 41 of his dogs this way. In addition to that, cruel teenagers who shouted rude names at the couple, calling her 'Apple Annie' or 'bag lady', also shot at the animals.[7] One of them was a favorite dog of Anna's, and they drove around with him in the car, the bullet still lodged in his hind leg, making him yelp with every bump they hit. Dr. Terry Melton, who would later work on a DNA test proving she wasn't Anastasia, grew up in Charlottesville and had met the couple once at a local cafeteria in their old station wagon full of dogs and dog food.[8]
The pair became well known throughout the area, driving around in a beat up blue station wagon with dogs inside. As Anna's health worsened, she had to use a wheelchair, and this was always seen stuffed in the station wagon too. Both of them had become so paranoid they were afraid they were under surveillance all the time, and in danger of being killed by the KGB or some other spy. They often ate out at restaraunts and buffets, but rarely came inside, since both somehow feared the KGB was trying to poison them. Manahan would take the meals out in styrofoam containers, his pockets stuffed with condiments and plastic cutlery, and they'd dine in the car. They were such a familiar, even beloved, area fixture, they were even let off the hook by the police, the officers telling people 'it's okay, we know these two!' [9] It was also said said by some that Manahan refused to shake hands because he feared someone was going to kill him with a poisoned joy buzzer. They set all sorts of booby traps about their yard to catch enemies that may come sneaking around.
From time to time, visitors still came to see "Anastasia" and when she felt like it, she'd tell her story. Though both she and Manahan were very content in their lifestyles, others became concerned as her health deteriorated and it was determined that he could no longer properly care for her. She was made a guardian of the court, and the guardian had her committed to UVA's Blue Ridge Psychiatric Hospital. In Nov. 1983, Jack Manahan abducted his wife from the facility, leading to a widespread police search. They were found in December, living in an old abandoned farmhouse in Amherst County. The station wagon, which had broken down, had been hidden from view of the road by trees. The incident and being exposed to the elements for so long weakened her health even more. On Feb. 12, 1984, Anastasia Manahan, aka Anna Anderson, passed away from pneumonia at Martha Jefferson Hospital. Jack said she was just 'worn out.' It had been quite a life. [10]
By Franziska's birthdate of Dec. 1896, she had lived 87 years, 2 months. This was a full 70 years, one month more than the real Anastasia got. According to a neice, the family always said that Franziska didn't want to be buried in a one horse town, she wanted to go out into the world and make something of herself. She wanted to die a famous actress. [11]
And so she did.
Goodbye, Franziska
Goodbye, Franziska
A "blog" commentary on her story
Thinking of Anderson as Franziska instead of Anastasia, what may have led her to try to take her own life? She must have been so down, miserable, lonely and feeling desperate and unloved when she jumped into that canal. We will never know what all led up to it, heartbreak, the loss of her child (however it happened) the loss of her fiance', possible estrangement from those she loved, a series of difficult, unrewarding, dead end low paying jobs, financial woes, any or all of these and other things we may never know led her to feel she had no future worth living to see. In this way, she was to be pitied. So imagine how, after experiencing such sad situations, it must have felt for her to have been given the chance to 'live again' as a dead princess! It was a lucky break to say the least. In the right place at the right time, she accepted the role and played it to excess, though not always perfection. The girl who had wanted to run away and become a famous actress had become, without even really trying, just that!
Franziska, who otherwise might have died in the canal in 1920, or who might have lived and died in obscurity, succeeded in making people believe she was, or at least might have been, a Grand Duchess. In this way, Franziska got what she wanted more than the real Anastasia, or any of the other Romanovs. In a strange twist of fate, her dream of being a famous actress ironically came true. Why are people so upset to learn, or refuse to believe, she was a peasant and factory worker? Hollywood is and has always been full of actresses from poor backgrounds who can play the part of high class or royal people. So why should anyone feel ashamed of having been 'tricked?' Give her an Oscar. "The Anastasia Affair", Starring Franziska Schanzkowska as Anastasia Romanov, stage name "Anna Anderson." So technically, every time we see a movie, we are being 'fooled' by some ex-factory worker, farmer, cook, waitress, etc., who was just pretending in a role, just as Anderson did in the part if Anastasia.
Did Franziska really believe she was Anastasia? She did have a history of mental illness, so it is possible, but the more research I do on her, the more I am convinced she knew exactly who she was and what she was doing for a lot longer than most people would suspect. There are just too many incidences of her being afraid of being caught or exposed. Her behavior and her unwillingness to cooperate at times shows perhaps she was weary of it all, or wanted the outcome and payoff while others did the work. We can only speculate now. The only thing we know for sure is that Anna Anderson was indeed Franziska Schanzkowska and not Grand Duchess Anastasia. It is very possible that as she aged, reality and fantasy became intertwined, memories and learned or imagined scenes became one, and in her own mind, she was Anastasia. This has been known to happen to actors as they age and sink into dementia. Johnny Weissmuller, famous for playing Tarzan in old movies, became so emersed in his role that as an elderly man, he was on occasions found running down the street making the Tarzan cry and often had to be brought home by force. Dreams,f antasies, knowledge, thoughts, memories, ideas...they're all just images in your mind. Maybe they all get a little mixed up sometimes? And in some cases, perhaps it's better that way.
What happened to Franziska Schanszkowska? In reality, she died Feb. 12, 1984 in Charlottesville, VA under the name of Anastasia Manahan. In the realm of the mind, perhaps she did die on Feb. 17, 1920 in Berlin, because Franziska committed 'metaphorical suicide.' After being pulled from the canal, she never once admitted to her identity (unless you count the story of her visiting the Wingenders in 1922) or answered to the name of "Franziska." She essentially killed herself off, and with her old identity went whatever had been too difficult to live with that led to her suicide attempt. She lived on as "Anastasia", a girl who died in Russia at only 17, a girl she never met, but whose identity she made a life of fame using for seven decades. Her brother Felix was once quoted as saying they (family) had left her to her 'career' as 'Anastasia' and apparently felt that was best for her. While this indentity theft is not good for the memory of the real Anastasia, it did give Franziska a life worth living, something she tragically did not have as herself.
Did Franziska die in 1920 or 1984? Both, from a certain point of view.
Do I have anything good to say about her? Yes. She loved animals very much. A person with that much love and compassion for their pets cannot be completely bad at heart.
Goodbye, Franziska.
Franziska Schanzkowska Manahan 1896-1984
A "blog" commentary on her story
Thinking of Anderson as Franziska instead of Anastasia, what may have led her to try to take her own life? She must have been so down, miserable, lonely and feeling desperate and unloved when she jumped into that canal. We will never know what all led up to it, heartbreak, the loss of her child (however it happened) the loss of her fiance', possible estrangement from those she loved, a series of difficult, unrewarding, dead end low paying jobs, financial woes, any or all of these and other things we may never know led her to feel she had no future worth living to see. In this way, she was to be pitied. So imagine how, after experiencing such sad situations, it must have felt for her to have been given the chance to 'live again' as a dead princess! It was a lucky break to say the least. In the right place at the right time, she accepted the role and played it to excess, though not always perfection. The girl who had wanted to run away and become a famous actress had become, without even really trying, just that!
Franziska, who otherwise might have died in the canal in 1920, or who might have lived and died in obscurity, succeeded in making people believe she was, or at least might have been, a Grand Duchess. In this way, Franziska got what she wanted more than the real Anastasia, or any of the other Romanovs. In a strange twist of fate, her dream of being a famous actress ironically came true. Why are people so upset to learn, or refuse to believe, she was a peasant and factory worker? Hollywood is and has always been full of actresses from poor backgrounds who can play the part of high class or royal people. So why should anyone feel ashamed of having been 'tricked?' Give her an Oscar. "The Anastasia Affair", Starring Franziska Schanzkowska as Anastasia Romanov, stage name "Anna Anderson." So technically, every time we see a movie, we are being 'fooled' by some ex-factory worker, farmer, cook, waitress, etc., who was just pretending in a role, just as Anderson did in the part if Anastasia.
Did Franziska really believe she was Anastasia? She did have a history of mental illness, so it is possible, but the more research I do on her, the more I am convinced she knew exactly who she was and what she was doing for a lot longer than most people would suspect. There are just too many incidences of her being afraid of being caught or exposed. Her behavior and her unwillingness to cooperate at times shows perhaps she was weary of it all, or wanted the outcome and payoff while others did the work. We can only speculate now. The only thing we know for sure is that Anna Anderson was indeed Franziska Schanzkowska and not Grand Duchess Anastasia. It is very possible that as she aged, reality and fantasy became intertwined, memories and learned or imagined scenes became one, and in her own mind, she was Anastasia. This has been known to happen to actors as they age and sink into dementia. Johnny Weissmuller, famous for playing Tarzan in old movies, became so emersed in his role that as an elderly man, he was on occasions found running down the street making the Tarzan cry and often had to be brought home by force. Dreams,f antasies, knowledge, thoughts, memories, ideas...they're all just images in your mind. Maybe they all get a little mixed up sometimes? And in some cases, perhaps it's better that way.
What happened to Franziska Schanszkowska? In reality, she died Feb. 12, 1984 in Charlottesville, VA under the name of Anastasia Manahan. In the realm of the mind, perhaps she did die on Feb. 17, 1920 in Berlin, because Franziska committed 'metaphorical suicide.' After being pulled from the canal, she never once admitted to her identity (unless you count the story of her visiting the Wingenders in 1922) or answered to the name of "Franziska." She essentially killed herself off, and with her old identity went whatever had been too difficult to live with that led to her suicide attempt. She lived on as "Anastasia", a girl who died in Russia at only 17, a girl she never met, but whose identity she made a life of fame using for seven decades. Her brother Felix was once quoted as saying they (family) had left her to her 'career' as 'Anastasia' and apparently felt that was best for her. While this indentity theft is not good for the memory of the real Anastasia, it did give Franziska a life worth living, something she tragically did not have as herself.
Did Franziska die in 1920 or 1984? Both, from a certain point of view.
Do I have anything good to say about her? Yes. She loved animals very much. A person with that much love and compassion for their pets cannot be completely bad at heart.
Goodbye, Franziska.
Franziska Schanzkowska Manahan 1896-1984
The legacy of the strange saga
What has come from the story of Anna Anderson, good, bad and ugly?
Good
Because of Anna Anderson's claim and interest in her story, many people have been drawn to learn about the real Romanov family and their tragic story. While not everyone who develops an interest in the Romanovs came to them through Anna Anderson, many have. As long as they find out the truth, that Anna Anderson wasn't Anastasia, this can be a good thing for history. Because of her story and the pop culture, movies, books, cartoons and legends associated with it, the name Anastasia is a household word.
But that can be
Bad
It is a tragic shame that the girl who died at 17 is mostly remembered as an eccentric old woman who used her identity. While Anderson's story may be interesting, it should not overshadow or replace the story of the real Anastasia. See the section here on this site The Real Anastasia for more on this subject.
Ugly
Much time, effort and money was invested in this case, as it turns out, basically for nothing. The British royals, and the German taxpayers who had to foot the bill for much of the marathon trial had their money wasted. A lot of people were hurt, reputations questioned and ruined, and many died unvindicated of their accusations. Hard feelings caused by the court case led to pain, stress and anguish for many who were unfortunately involved through no desire of their own. In this way, it was negative and distasteful. People have very strong feelings aobut Anderson and her true identity, and it causes arguments even to this day, years after the DNA proved her a fake.
There are many ways of looking at this story, but no one can deny that overall it was very interesting.
Other Claimants
While Anna Anderson was the most famous claimant, she was certainly not alone.Here are some links to other sites that tell stories of a few of the others who claimed to be Anastasia or one of the other Romanovs:
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~alexofdenmark/
http://www.npsnet.com/tsarevich_alexei/
http://celebrityspy.org/indepth/Eugenia%20Smith
http://www.romanov-memorial.com/pretenders.htm
these sites seem to have gone down since the recent DNA announcements, but here are the links just in case
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rmgibsonryan/The_Great_Romanov_Deception.html
http://www.romanovfamily2000.com/
A Final Word
This site is a work in progress, I will continually be adding and updating things as research continues. I was compelled to produce this site after reading so many pro Anna Anderson sites I strongly disagreed with and felt the other side needed to be told. Most people who accept the DNA results don't think this needs to be done, but I think it does. We owe it to history and to the dead not to let a myth perpetuate until a fictional story overtakes reality.
The details expressed here were painstakingly researched over a long period of time by me and occasionally by a few friends. Sources cited are listed in the Bibliography and Notes section. Commentary and viewpoints expressed on some of the topics are my own. In most cases I feel the valid sources I present support my hypothesis. Though it has cost me to track down some of the sources, and it has taken many unpaid hours and days over the last two years, (2007-2009}I have in no way gained financially from this project. That was not my intention. I offer all the information I've collected and composed for free use in personal projects such as school reports, research papers, blogs, websites and other internet postings. Since it is now sourced and documented, it may be used as reference in most school projects. All I ask is please do not take my personal work as I have presented it here and use it under your own name in any for-profit venture, such as a published book. I believe the truth about Anna Anderson and Anastasia is a message that needs to be spread around to stop all the misinformation and conspiracy theories, so please do keep paying it forward!
I hope the information gathered here has been of some use to you on your search for the truth about Anna Anderson and Anastasia. Thank you for visiting and please come again. If you have any questions or comments, please sign the guestbook.
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