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Secrets of a Suitcase: The Countess, the Nazis, and Middle Europe's Lost Nobility
When Pauline Terreehorst bid for a vintage Gucci suitcase at Sotheby’s Amsterdam, she had no idea what was inside. After picking up her prize, she found that the case was filled with dresses, fur collars and lace voiles, and accompanied by two brown boxes of postcard albums showing churches and castles in Austria, France, England and Scotland. This curious correspondence was addressed to an Austrian countess, businesswoman and philanthropist called Margarethe Szapáry, and her daughter.
These unexpected family treasures open a window onto a lost world. The Szapárys’ social, cultural and political landscape disappeared in the upheavals that seized Europe during the first half of the twentieth century—a time when borders were redrawn, old cities received new names, communities changed loyalties, and the transnational, monarchist aristocrats of Middle Europe had to decide whether to become Germans under Nazi rule.
What did Margarethe choose, when her neighbour Hermann Göring came knocking? What were the consequences for her and her children? And how did her family’s suitcase cross war-torn Europe and survive decades of rupture to end up in Terreehorst’s hands?
These unexpected family treasures open a window onto a lost world. The Szapárys’ social, cultural and political landscape disappeared in the upheavals that seized Europe during the first half of the twentieth century—a time when borders were redrawn, old cities received new names, communities changed loyalties, and the transnational, monarchist aristocrats of Middle Europe had to decide whether to become Germans under Nazi rule.
What did Margarethe choose, when her neighbour Hermann Göring came knocking? What were the consequences for her and her children? And how did her family’s suitcase cross war-torn Europe and survive decades of rupture to end up in Terreehorst’s hands?
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2024
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May 5, 2025
Hats off to the author who pieced together a decent and touching tale from the possessions of Austrian aristocrat Countess Margarethe 'Margit' Szapary (nee Henckel von Donnersmarck), the former owner of the Gucci suitcase she bought at an auction in Amsterdam.
Margarethe married into the Hungarian aristocracy. Margarethe's full maiden name may seem long to some but it is a mere appetiser to Sandor's full name (Count Sandor Szapary de Murazombath Szechysziget and Szapar). Fascinating trip back to the dying days of the Habsburg Empire, although Margarethe was never to let it go.
As indeed she was to hang on and on to Finstergrun, the castle Sandor bought in the Lungau region of Austria. She even battled Hermann Goering, who threw his considerable weight (in both senses of the word) into wresting it away from her. Goering for his part knew the area well as Dr Epenstein, his godfather and lover of his mother, had his own castle Mauterndorf.
Goering tried to charm then cajole and finally through Epenstein's widow secure the castle to no avail, but all he got was a four poster bed ...which of course he never paid for. His endowment to the widow for her help...a condom factory formerly belonging to a Jewish family.
Through it all though Margarethe stands head and shoulders above most of the personalities, her gracefulness and generosity to the locals especially impressive. Great class. It is a tale of a lost era but also ironically post her death her grand daughter Yvonne marries into the German aristocracy the von Hessen family, the groom's father and uncle having been close to Goering at one point.
The dogged author tracks down Yvonne living in Munich 'a slender woman who looked a young seventy' but the grand daughter is far from forthcoming and when Ms Terreehorst suggests it might be worthwhile writing a biography about Margarethe...'The princess took another sip of tea, stared out into the distance for a moment, and said: "Oh, so much has already been written about my grandmother.".....Thankfully Terreehorst disagreed and did it herself and to great and touching effect.
Oh and the four poster bed Goering 'stole' ...well no record exists of it anymore ....it may have gone up in flames along with many other possessions at his hunting lodge Carinhall. But there was a second one which Margarethe sold at auction and does still exist, now housed in Burghausen, the longest castle in Europe at 1km, east of Munich, on permanent display.
'The bed is covered with a sky-blue sheet. There is no reference to Margit Szapary anywhere, and nobody has ever asked where the bed came from.'
Margarethe married into the Hungarian aristocracy. Margarethe's full maiden name may seem long to some but it is a mere appetiser to Sandor's full name (Count Sandor Szapary de Murazombath Szechysziget and Szapar). Fascinating trip back to the dying days of the Habsburg Empire, although Margarethe was never to let it go.
As indeed she was to hang on and on to Finstergrun, the castle Sandor bought in the Lungau region of Austria. She even battled Hermann Goering, who threw his considerable weight (in both senses of the word) into wresting it away from her. Goering for his part knew the area well as Dr Epenstein, his godfather and lover of his mother, had his own castle Mauterndorf.
Goering tried to charm then cajole and finally through Epenstein's widow secure the castle to no avail, but all he got was a four poster bed ...which of course he never paid for. His endowment to the widow for her help...a condom factory formerly belonging to a Jewish family.
Through it all though Margarethe stands head and shoulders above most of the personalities, her gracefulness and generosity to the locals especially impressive. Great class. It is a tale of a lost era but also ironically post her death her grand daughter Yvonne marries into the German aristocracy the von Hessen family, the groom's father and uncle having been close to Goering at one point.
The dogged author tracks down Yvonne living in Munich 'a slender woman who looked a young seventy' but the grand daughter is far from forthcoming and when Ms Terreehorst suggests it might be worthwhile writing a biography about Margarethe...'The princess took another sip of tea, stared out into the distance for a moment, and said: "Oh, so much has already been written about my grandmother.".....Thankfully Terreehorst disagreed and did it herself and to great and touching effect.
Oh and the four poster bed Goering 'stole' ...well no record exists of it anymore ....it may have gone up in flames along with many other possessions at his hunting lodge Carinhall. But there was a second one which Margarethe sold at auction and does still exist, now housed in Burghausen, the longest castle in Europe at 1km, east of Munich, on permanent display.
'The bed is covered with a sky-blue sheet. There is no reference to Margit Szapary anywhere, and nobody has ever asked where the bed came from.'
Displaying 1 of 1 review