Bror von Blixen-Finecke
Encyclopedia
Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke (25 July 1886 – 4 March 1946) was a Swedish
baron, writer, and African big-game hunter.
Born to an aristocratic Swedish family, he married his Danish second-cousin Karen Blixen
(better known by her pen name Isak Dinesen) in 1913. The couple then moved to Kenya
, where they bought a coffee plantation.
Bror's identical twin, Hans
, died in a plane crash in 1917.
Although the couple were divorced in 1925 (with Karen retaining the coffee plantation that had been financed by her parents), shortly before her death she was quoted as saying, "If I could wish anything back of my life, it would be to go on safari once again with Bror..."
For many years Blixen ran a firm of safari
guides, and among his clients was Edward, Prince of Wales
. "Hunting with Blix was a magnificent experience," said one client. "With his quiet, almost lyrical narrative of what happened around us he got nature to live like I have never experienced since (from The Man Whom Women Loved, a biography of Blixen written by his godson Ulf Aschan)." He was also a talented writer; his best-known book was his autobiography, African Hunter (1938).
In 1936, he remarried the explorer Eva Dickson
, who died two years later. Blixen left Africa in 1938 and returned to his native Sweden, where he died, in 1946, at the age of 59, following the crash of a car in which he was a passenger, in the village of Gårdstånga
.
According to Beryl Markham
, "Bror was the toughest, most durable white hunter ever to snicker at the fanfare of safari or to shoot a charging buffalo between the eyes while debating whether his sundown drink would be gin or whiskey . . . . The mould has been broken."
In the film Out of Africa which was based on Karen Blixen's memoir of the same name, the role of Bror von Blixen-Finecke was played by Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
baron, writer, and African big-game hunter.
Born to an aristocratic Swedish family, he married his Danish second-cousin Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen
Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , , née Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. She also wrote under the pen names Osceola and Pierre Andrézel...
(better known by her pen name Isak Dinesen) in 1913. The couple then moved to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, where they bought a coffee plantation.
Bror's identical twin, Hans
Hans von Blixen-Finecke
Baron Hans Gustaf von Blixen-Finecke was a Swedish equestrian champion who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics...
, died in a plane crash in 1917.
Although the couple were divorced in 1925 (with Karen retaining the coffee plantation that had been financed by her parents), shortly before her death she was quoted as saying, "If I could wish anything back of my life, it would be to go on safari once again with Bror..."
For many years Blixen ran a firm of safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
guides, and among his clients was Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
. "Hunting with Blix was a magnificent experience," said one client. "With his quiet, almost lyrical narrative of what happened around us he got nature to live like I have never experienced since (from The Man Whom Women Loved, a biography of Blixen written by his godson Ulf Aschan)." He was also a talented writer; his best-known book was his autobiography, African Hunter (1938).
In 1936, he remarried the explorer Eva Dickson
Eva Dickson
Eva Dickson, born Eva Lindström , was a Swedish explorer, rally driver and writer. She was the first woman to have crossed the Sahara desert by car...
, who died two years later. Blixen left Africa in 1938 and returned to his native Sweden, where he died, in 1946, at the age of 59, following the crash of a car in which he was a passenger, in the village of Gårdstånga
Gårdstånga
Gårdstånga is a locality situated in Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 339 inhabitants in 2005. Route E66 ran straight through the village until 1984 when the road routed was outside the community....
.
According to Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham was a British-born Kenyan aviatrix, adventurer, and racehorse trainer. During the pioneer days of aviation, she became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west...
, "Bror was the toughest, most durable white hunter ever to snicker at the fanfare of safari or to shoot a charging buffalo between the eyes while debating whether his sundown drink would be gin or whiskey . . . . The mould has been broken."
In the film Out of Africa which was based on Karen Blixen's memoir of the same name, the role of Bror von Blixen-Finecke was played by Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer
Klaus Maria Brandauer
Klaus Maria Brandauer is an Austrian actor, film director, and professor at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna.-Personal life:...
.