Dunkelgrafen
Encyclopedia
The Dunkelgrafen - « Dark Counts » in German -is the nickname given by the locals to a wealthy couple who resided from February 1807 until their death in the vicinity of Hildburghausen
, Thuringia
, mainly in the castle of Eishausen where they settled in 1810. The man presented himself as Count Vavel de Versay and kept the woman’s identity secret, making only clear that they were neither married nor lovers. They led a secretive life, particularly the Countess who ventured out only in a carriage or with a veil covering her face. At her death (November 28, 1837) she was inhumated very fast, possibly without a religious service. The Count - later identified as Leonardus Cornelius van der Valck (born 22 September 1769 in Amsterdam
), secretary in the Dutch embassy in Paris from July 1798 to April 1799 - gave her name as Sophie Botta, single woman from Westphalia
; according to the Dr Lommler, the physician who constated her death, she looked about 60 years of age. The Count stayed in the castle and died there on April 8, 1845.
The mysterious couple sparked much interest and speculations about the identity of the Countess started early on. The most notable – with very few support from historians though – proposes that she would be the true Marie-Thérèse
, daughter of Marie Antoinette
, imprisoned in the Temple
and supposedly redeemed in 1795 in exchange for French prisoners. According to this hypothesis, Marie-Thérèse, traumatized by her trials or pregnant by rape, would have refused to go back in the world ; her half sister, Ernestine Lambriquet, would have taken her place.
The theory of exchanging the person ("Vertauschungstheorie" / "Substitution de personnes") sprang immediately after the wedding of Marie-Thérèse with the Duke of Angoulême in 1799. Pictures of the Duchess of Angoulême look remarkably different from pictures of Marie-Thérèse before 1795 and her social style is said to be very unlike that of the original Madame Royal. Following the theory it was her half-sister Ernestine Lambriquet ensuring at least a royal lineage. According to her lady in waiting Mme von Heimbruch, Mary of Hanover
believed that she was indeed a Princess of Condé.
Among the counter evidence however there are letters of the Comtesse des Ténèbres written in plain German. The name given by the count, Sophie Botta, was not found in any civil registry in Westphalia however. As the dark count was later identified as Leonardus Cornelius van der Valck it looks however improbable that an officer fighting against the French monarchy would choose a life of covering a royal member for more than three decades. Also there are records about Ernestine Lambriquet to marry in 1810 in France and to have died in 1813 in France. So may be it was nothing but a photoallergy of a member of some important aristocratic family that made for the Comtesse to seal her face. The dark count continued to live in Castle Eishausen after her death.
The Dunkelgrafen are the theme of numerous historical essays and fictions in German and French. The graves of the Dark Counts are still untouched on the Eishausen
cemetery. The local administration is repelling a possible DNA test since there is an interest in keeping the myth alive. The derelicts of Castle Eishausen were torn down in 1887 already.
Hildburghausen
Hildburghausen is a town in Thuringia in central Germany, capital of the district Hildburghausen. It is situated on the river Werra, 20 km south of Suhl, and 25 km northwest of Coburg....
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, mainly in the castle of Eishausen where they settled in 1810. The man presented himself as Count Vavel de Versay and kept the woman’s identity secret, making only clear that they were neither married nor lovers. They led a secretive life, particularly the Countess who ventured out only in a carriage or with a veil covering her face. At her death (November 28, 1837) she was inhumated very fast, possibly without a religious service. The Count - later identified as Leonardus Cornelius van der Valck (born 22 September 1769 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
), secretary in the Dutch embassy in Paris from July 1798 to April 1799 - gave her name as Sophie Botta, single woman from Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
; according to the Dr Lommler, the physician who constated her death, she looked about 60 years of age. The Count stayed in the castle and died there on April 8, 1845.
The mysterious couple sparked much interest and speculations about the identity of the Countess started early on. The most notable – with very few support from historians though – proposes that she would be the true Marie-Thérèse
Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France
Marie Thérèse de France was the eldest child of King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette...
, daughter of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, imprisoned in the Temple
Temple (Paris)
The Temple was a medieval fortress in Paris, located in what is now the IIIe arrondissement. It was built by the Knights Templar from the 12th century, as their European headquarters. In the 13th century it replaced earlier works of the Vieille Temple in Le Marais...
and supposedly redeemed in 1795 in exchange for French prisoners. According to this hypothesis, Marie-Thérèse, traumatized by her trials or pregnant by rape, would have refused to go back in the world ; her half sister, Ernestine Lambriquet, would have taken her place.
The theory of exchanging the person ("Vertauschungstheorie" / "Substitution de personnes") sprang immediately after the wedding of Marie-Thérèse with the Duke of Angoulême in 1799. Pictures of the Duchess of Angoulême look remarkably different from pictures of Marie-Thérèse before 1795 and her social style is said to be very unlike that of the original Madame Royal. Following the theory it was her half-sister Ernestine Lambriquet ensuring at least a royal lineage. According to her lady in waiting Mme von Heimbruch, Mary of Hanover
Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg was Queen of Hanover and the consort of George V, a grandson of George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte.-Early life:Marie was born at Hildburghausen, as Princess Marie of...
believed that she was indeed a Princess of Condé.
Among the counter evidence however there are letters of the Comtesse des Ténèbres written in plain German. The name given by the count, Sophie Botta, was not found in any civil registry in Westphalia however. As the dark count was later identified as Leonardus Cornelius van der Valck it looks however improbable that an officer fighting against the French monarchy would choose a life of covering a royal member for more than three decades. Also there are records about Ernestine Lambriquet to marry in 1810 in France and to have died in 1813 in France. So may be it was nothing but a photoallergy of a member of some important aristocratic family that made for the Comtesse to seal her face. The dark count continued to live in Castle Eishausen after her death.
The Dunkelgrafen are the theme of numerous historical essays and fictions in German and French. The graves of the Dark Counts are still untouched on the Eishausen
Straufhain
Straufhain is a municipality in the Hildburghausen district of Thuringia, Germany.-Municipality subdivisions:...
cemetery. The local administration is repelling a possible DNA test since there is an interest in keeping the myth alive. The derelicts of Castle Eishausen were torn down in 1887 already.