Count von Racowitza
Encyclopedia
Bajor Janko Prince von Racowitza (died 1865) was a nobleman from Wallachia
, who participated in a notable duel on 28. August 1864. He had come from Romania to Berlin in 1856, where studied philosophy and law at Berlin university. He became a member of a German Student Corps
there.
The diplomate in Bavarian service Wilhelm von Dönniges (d. 1872), father of Helene von Dönniges (b. 1846, d. 1911) intended the prince to marry his daughter. She preferred a Social Democratic leader of the labour movement
, Ferdinand Lassalle
, known for his independence from persons such as Karl Marx
. When her father heard of their plans to marry he locked her into a room and arranged an engagement with von Racowitza. Lasalle challenged Helenes father. When the count heard of this, he instead of Wilhelm von Dönniges took over Lasalle's challenge. This was a common duelling procedure, when an older man was challenged by a younger one. Racowitza had no experience in the use of pistols and only one day to exercise. Lassalle died in this pistol duel in Switzerland, shot in the groin. Racowitza became ill shortly after the duel and Helene von Dönniges married him. Von Racowitza died shortly after the marriage. His widow married a second time an actor named Friedmann and became an actress herself. This marriage was divorced in 1873. Together with her third husband, the Russian nobleman Sergej Jegorowitsch Schewitsch she moved to America and returned to Europe 1890.
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, who participated in a notable duel on 28. August 1864. He had come from Romania to Berlin in 1856, where studied philosophy and law at Berlin university. He became a member of a German Student Corps
German Student Corps
Corps are the oldest still-existing kind of Studentenverbindung, Germany's traditional university corporations; their roots date back to the 15th century. The oldest corps still existing today was founded in 1789...
there.
The diplomate in Bavarian service Wilhelm von Dönniges (d. 1872), father of Helene von Dönniges (b. 1846, d. 1911) intended the prince to marry his daughter. She preferred a Social Democratic leader of the labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
, Ferdinand Lassalle
Ferdinand Lassalle
Ferdinand Lassalle was a German-Jewish jurist and socialist political activist.-Early life:Ferdinand Lassalle was born on 11 April 1825 in Breslau , Silesia to a prosperous Jewish family descending from Upper Silesian Loslau...
, known for his independence from persons such as Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
. When her father heard of their plans to marry he locked her into a room and arranged an engagement with von Racowitza. Lasalle challenged Helenes father. When the count heard of this, he instead of Wilhelm von Dönniges took over Lasalle's challenge. This was a common duelling procedure, when an older man was challenged by a younger one. Racowitza had no experience in the use of pistols and only one day to exercise. Lassalle died in this pistol duel in Switzerland, shot in the groin. Racowitza became ill shortly after the duel and Helene von Dönniges married him. Von Racowitza died shortly after the marriage. His widow married a second time an actor named Friedmann and became an actress herself. This marriage was divorced in 1873. Together with her third husband, the Russian nobleman Sergej Jegorowitsch Schewitsch she moved to America and returned to Europe 1890.