Anna Nahowski (1860–1931) was the mistress of

Franz Joseph of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

from 1875 until 1889. She was from the age of fourteen married to the silk manufacturer Heuduck, who was heavily indebted by gambling and

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

ism. She met Franz Joseph at a walk in the park of Schönbrunn. The relationship was arranged between Anna and Franz Joseph without the knowledge of her spouse. Franz Joseph visited her discreetly and regularly while her husband (whose debts were paid) was away. This arrangement continued also after she remarried the decadent Franz Nahowski. In 1889, Nahowski discovered that Franz Joseph was in parallel involved, and this time more publicly, with Katharina Schratt, which made Franz Joseph end the relationship to Nahowski. Anna Nahowski was given economic compensation for both herself and her children (whose paternity is uncertain) in exchange for signing a contract of silence. Her daughter Helene, who is believed to have been the emperor's, was the wife of the composer

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...

. Her diary was published in 1976.

Notes

Sources

Friedrich Saathen (Hrsg.): Anna Nahowski und Kaiser Franz Josef. Aufzeichnungen. Böhlau, Wien 1986, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Nahowski, Anna 1860 births 1931 deaths Mistresses of Austrian royalty Mistresses of Bohemian royalty Mistresses of Hungarian royalty People from Austria-Hungary