Count Edwin Hugo Lazarus Henckel von Donnersmarck (23 January 1865 – 23 March 1929) was a German statesman, industrialist, and landowner. As a member of the Catholic Centre Party, he served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives from 1908 to 1918. From 1925 to 1929, he served as President of the German People's League for Polish Silesia.

Early life and family

Count Edwin Henckel von Donnersmarck was born on 23 January 1865 in Romolkwitz to Count Lazarus IV Henckel von Donnersmarck, a deputy of the Reichstag, and Countess Maria von Schweinitz und Krain. His grandfather was the German-Austrian industrialist Count Hugo Henckel von Donnersmarck. He was a member of the House of Henckel von Donnersmarck, a family of the Silesian nobility.

Business, politics, and civic life

Henckel von Donnersmarck owned a manor in Romolkwitz, known as Romolkwitz Castle. At his estate in Beauthen O.S., he operated a coal and ore mining and zinc smelting businesses. He bred thoroughbred race horses owned a racing team. From 1908 to 1918, he served in the Prussian House of Representatives, the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the Landtag of Prussia, as a representative of the Centre Party. He ran in the

1912 German federal election Federal elections were held in Germany on 12 January 1912.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p762 Although the Social Democratic Party (SPD) had received the most votes in every election since 1890, i ...

for the Centre Party's constituency of Breslau in the Reichstag. Prior to 1918, Henckel von Donnersmarck was the chairman of the Silesian Automobile Club, a regional section of the

German Motor Sport Federation The German Motor Sport Federation (german: Deutscher Motor Sport Bund or ''DMSB'', formerly known as or ''ONS'') is Germany's motor racing governing body. It represents Germany at FIA and FIM. The , founded in 1972 by Herbert Linge as , is consi ...

. In 1919, he sold part of the family's estate in Radzionkau to fund the construction of houses for his employees. From 1925 to 1929, he served as the President of the German People's League for Polish Silesia. Henckel von Donnersmarck was deeply religious and was very involved in the Catholic Church. He served as the Vice President of the German Catholic Convention in

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

in 1912 and in Frankfurt am Main in 1921. In 1926, he declared loyalty to the Polish Bishop of Katowice, August Hlond.

Personal life

Henckel von Donnersmarck was married to Countess Wilhelmine Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, a member of the

Bohemian nobility Czech nobility consists of the noble families from historical Czech lands, especially in their narrow sense, i.e. nobility of Bohemia proper, Moravia and Austrian Silesia – whether these families originated from those countries or moved into them ...

. They had five children: * Count

Friedrich-Carl Henckel von Donnersmarck Count Maria Friedrich-Carl Lazarus Emanuel Franz Johannes Henckel von Donnersmarck (27 May 1905 – 1 September 1989) was a German-Polish philosopher and landowner. His specialized in Scholasticism and studied the works of Thomas Aquinas. In 194 ...

(1905–1989) * Count Lazarus Friedrich Carl Alois Anton Vinzenz Henckel von Donnersmarck (1902–1991) * Countess Theresia Maria Gabriela Margarete (1899–????) * Countess Marie Alice Anna Gabriela Margarethe Henckel von Donnersmarck (1897–1971) * Countess Sophie Josefine Margarete Henckel von Donnersmarck (1896–1972) He is the grandfather of Count

Leo-Ferdinand Henckel von Donnersmarck Count Leo-Ferdinand Maria Lazarus Romwolt Wilhelm Edwin Gerhard Henckel von Donnersmarck (26 December 1935 – 23 July 2009) was a German-Polish historian, businessman, and Catholic lay worker. He worked as an executive for the German airline Luf ...

, the Abbot Count Gregor Henckel von Donnersmarck, and Count Karl Josef Henckel von Donnersmarck, the husband of Princess Marie-Adélaide of Luxembourg. He is the great-grandfather of the film director Count Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and the great-great-grandfather of the social media influencer Countess

Lara Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck Countess Maria Lara Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck (born May 17, 2003), known as Lara Cosima, is a German-American model, socialite, and social media influencer. In 2023, she was selected to open Le Bal des débutantes in Paris, where she was p ...

. He died on 23 March 1929 in Nakło.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henkel von Donnersmack, Edwin 1865 births 1929 deaths Counts of Austria Counts in Germany German industrialists German landowners German Roman Catholics Edwin Members of the Prussian House of Representatives People from Środa Śląska County Politicians from the Province of Silesia Silesian-German people