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{{Infobox royalty|princess
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Archduchess Assunta
⚫
| name =Archduchess Assunta of Austria, Princess of Tuscany
| image = Assunta, Erzherzogin von Österreich-Toskana (1902 - 1993).jpg
| title =
| titles =
| caption =
| image = Archduchess Assunta of Austria.jpg
| spouse = Joseph Hopfinger
⚫
| house = [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg-Tuscany]]
| caption = Archduchess Assumpta of Austria of Austria
⚫
| father = [[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]]
| spouse = & (1939 - 1950) Joseph Hopfinger (1905-1992)
| issue =
| mother = [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]]
| full name = {{lang-de|Assunta Alice Ferdinandine Blanca Leopoldina Margarethe Beatrix Raphaela Michaela Philomena}}
⚫
| house =[[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]] <small>(by birth)</small>
| issue = Maria Teresa Hopfinger <br/> Juliet Elisabeth Hopfinger
⚫
| father =[[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]]
⚫
| birth_date = {{birth date|1902|08|10|df=y}}
| mother =[[Infanta Blanca of Spain]]
⚫
| birth_place = [[Vienna]], [[Austria-Hungary]]<ref name = " Harding 20">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 20</ref>
⚫
| birth_date ={{birth date|1902|08|10|df=y}}
⚫
| death_date = {{death date and age|1993|01|24|1902|08|10|df=y}}
⚫
| birth_place = [[Vienna]], Austria<ref name = " Harding 20">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 20</ref>
⚫
| death_place = [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], [[U.S.]]
⚫
| death_date ={{death date and age|1993|01|24|1902|08|10|df=y}}
| burial_place =
⚫
| death_place = [[San Antonio]], Texas
⚫
}}
| place of burial =
⚫
'''Archduchess Assunta of Austria''' {{lang-de|link=no|Assunta, Erzherzogin von Österreich-Toskana}};(10 August 1902 – 24 January 1993) was the youngest daughter of [[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]] and [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]]. She was a member of the [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscan]] branch of the Imperial [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]], an Archduchess of [[Archduchy of Austria|Austria]] and Princess of Tuscany by birth. Born and raised in the twilight years of the [[Habsburg monarchy]], Archduchess Assunta lived in exile in Barcelona, Spain after the [[dissolution of Austria-Hungary]]. She entered religious life in a convent in Barcelona, but was forced to leave it in 1936 due to disturbances during the [[Spanish Civil War]]. In 1939, she married Joseph Hopfinger, a Polish doctor. In 1942 the couple emigrated to the United States. Archduchess Assunta and her husband had two daughters, but they divorced in 1950. She moved to [[San Antonio]], Texas where she had a variety of jobs living in anonymity until her death.
|}}
⚫
'''Archduchess Assunta of Austria''' {{lang-de|link=no|Assunta, Erzherzogin von Österreich-Toskana}};(10 August 1902 – 24 January 1993) was a daughter of [[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]] and [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]]. She was member of the Tuscan branch of the Imperial [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]], an Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Bohemia, Hungary, and Tuscany by birth. Born and raise in the twilight years of the Austrian Empire, Archduchess Assunta lived in exile in Barcelona Spain after the fall of the [[Habsburg]] monarchy. She entered religious life in a convent in Barcelona, but was forced to leave it in 1936 due to disturbances during the [[Spanish Civil War]]. In 1939, she married Joseph Hopfinger, a Polish doctor. In 1942 the couple emigrated to the United States. Archduchess Assunta and her husband had two daughters, but they divorced in 1950. She moved to [[San Antonio]], Texas were she had a variety of jobs living in anonymity until her death.


== Early life==
== Early life==
Archduchess Assunta of Austria was born on 10 August 1902 at Vienna, Austria.<ref name=" Harding 20"/> She was the eight of ten children of [[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]] (1863–1931) and of his wife [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]] (1868–1949). She was given the baptismal names Assunta Alice Ferdinandine Blanca Leopoldina Margarethe Beatrix Raphaela Michaela Philomena.<ref name = " McIntosh 36">McIntosh, ''The Archduchess From Texas'', p. 36</ref>
Archduchess Assunta of Austria was born on 10 August 1902 in Vienna, Austria.<ref name=" Harding 20"/> She was the eighth of ten children of [[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]] (1863–1931) and his wife [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]] (1868–1949). She was given the baptismal names Assunta Alice Ferdinandine Blanca Leopoldina Margarethe Beatrix Raphaela Michaela Philomena.<ref name = " McIntosh 36">McIntosh, ''The Archduchess From Texas'', p. 36</ref>


Archduchess Assunta grew up in the last period of the Habsburg monarchy. She was raise with her many brothers and sisters in the various properties owned by he parents enjoying a comfortable and privileged life. Their main residence was the [[Palais Toskana]] in the district of Wiede in Viena with [[Schloss Wilhelminenberg]], on the Eastern slopes of the Gallitzinberg, in the Wienerwald Western parts of the Austrian capital as their country state. Vacations were spent near Viareggio, Italy where Infanta Blanca owned, la Tenuata Real, a rural property. Theirs was a multi cultural household as Assunta's paternal ancestors had reigned in Austria, Tuscany and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Her maternal family had reigned in Spain, Parma, Modena, Portugal and France.
Archduchess Assunta grew up in the last period of the Habsburg monarchy. She was raised with her many brothers and sisters in the various properties owned by her parents enjoying a comfortable and privileged life. Their main residence was the [[Palais Toskana]] in the district of Wieden in Viena with [[Schloss Wilhelminenberg]], on the Eastern slopes of the Gallitzinberg, in the Wienerwald Western parts of the Austrian capital as their country estate. Vacations were spent near [[Viareggio]], Italy where Infanta Blanca owned, la [[Tenuta Reale (Viareggio)|Tenuta Reale]], a rural property. Theirs was a multicultural household as Assunta's paternal ancestors had reigned in Austria, Tuscany and the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]. Her maternal family had reigned in Spain, [[Duchy of Parma and Piacenza|Parma]], [[Duchy of Modena and Reggio|Modena]], [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]] and [[Kingdom of France|France]].
The youngest of five sister, Archduchess Assunta was raise paired with her sister Archduchess Maria Antonia.
The youngest of five sisters, Archduchess Assunta was raised paired with her sister Archduchess Maria Antonia.


== Exile==
== Exile==
Archduchess Assunta was sixteen years old at the fall of Habsburg monarchy, following the end of World War I. This marked a sharp down turned in her family's prosperity. The republican government of Austria confiscated the properties of the Habsburgs. The family lost all their fortune.<ref name = " McIntosh 48">McIntosh, ''The Unknown Habsburgs'', p. 48</ref> Assunta's eldest brothers, Archdukes Rainer and Leopold, remained in Austria and they recognized the new republic. The rest of the family moved to Spain in January 1919.<ref name=" McIntosh 36"/> They settled in Barcelona living with simplicity as they have limited means. Assunta's three elder sisters, [[Archduchess Dolores of Austria|Archduchess Dolores]], [[Archduchess Immaculata of Austria|Inmaculata]] and [[Archduchess Margaretha of Austria|Margaretha]] were pliable; Archduchesses Assunta and [[Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria (1899–1977)|Maria Antonia]] were more rebellious and clashed often with their mother Infanta Blanca.
Archduchess Assunta was sixteen years old at the fall of Habsburg monarchy following the end of World War I, which marked a sharpdown turn in her family's prosperity. The [[Republic of German Austria|republican government]] of Austria confiscated the properties of the Habsburgs, and the family lost their entire fortune.<ref name = " McIntosh 48">McIntosh, ''The Unknown Habsburgs'', p. 48</ref> Assunta's eldest brothers, Archdukes Rainer and Leopold, remained in Austria and recognized the new republic, while the rest of the family moved to Spain in January 1919.<ref name=" McIntosh 36"/> They settled in Barcelona, living with simplicity as they had limited means. Assunta's three elder sisters, Archduchesses [[Archduchess Dolores of Austria|Dolores]], [[Archduchess Immaculata of Austria|Inmaculata]] and [[Archduchess Margaretha of Austria|Margaretha]], were pliable; Archduchesses Assunta and [[Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria (1899–1977)|Maria Antonia]] were more rebellious and clashed often with their mother Infanta Blanca.


While living in Barcelona, Assunta following in the footsteps of her sister, Maria Antonia, turned increasingly towards religion.<ref name = " Harding 115">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 115</ref> Although their parents were observant Catholics, they found their youngest daughters religious fervor worrisome. Archduchess Maria Antonia abandoned her desire to become a nun and married an impoverished Majorcan aristocrat, but Assunta remained adamant in her determination to become a nun.<ref name = " Harding 135">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 135</ref> After running away in a ship to South America, Assumpta, still a minor, was returned to her parents who relented their opposition.<ref name = " Harding 140">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 140</ref> With their permission, she entered the convent of Santa Teresa de [[Tortosa]] near [[Barcelona]].<ref name = " Harding 145">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 145</ref> At the outbreak of the Spanish civil war the convent was attacked and the nuns were forced to flee for their lives. Those, like Assunta, who had not yet taken their final vows were free to follow a secular life. Assunta obtained permission to leave her order and joined her mother and unmarried siblings who were then living in Viareggio.<ref name = " Harding 237">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 237</ref> In the late 1930s, through one of her brothers, Archduchess Assunta met Joseph Hopfinger (1905-1992), a Jewish Polish doctor.<ref name = " Harding 280">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 280</ref> Against her mother opposition, they marry in September 1939 at [[Ouchy]], Switzerland. Shortly after, her husband was called to service in the army until the fall of France when he was demobilized.<ref name = " Harding 281">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 281</ref> They were reunited in London and moved to Barcelona were their eldest daughter, Teresa, was born in October 1940.<ref name = " Harding 282">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 282</ref>
While living in Barcelona, Assunta, following in the footsteps of her sister, Maria Antonia, turned increasingly towards religion.<ref name = " Harding 115">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 115</ref> Although their parents were observant Catholics, they found their youngest daughter's religious fervor worrisome. Archduchess Maria Antonia abandoned her desire to become a nun and married an impoverished Majorcan aristocrat, but Assunta remained adamant in her determination to become a nun.<ref name = " Harding 135">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 135</ref> After running away on a ship to South America, Assumpta, still a minor, was returned to her parents who relented their opposition.<ref name = " Harding 140">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 140</ref> With their permission, she eventually entered the convent of Santa Teresa de [[Tortosa]] near [[Barcelona]].<ref name = " Harding 145">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 145</ref> At the outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]], the convent was attacked and the nuns were forced to flee for their lives. Those like Assunta, who had not yet taken their final vows, were free to follow a secular life. Assunta obtained permission to leave her order and joined her mother and unmarried siblings who were then living in Viareggio.<ref name = " Harding 237">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 237</ref> In the late 1930s, through one of her brothers, Archduchess Assunta met Joseph Hopfinger (1905–1992), a Jewish Polish doctor.<ref name = " Harding 280">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 280</ref> Against her mother's opposition, they married in September 1939 at [[Ouchy]], Switzerland. Shortly after, her husband was called to service in the army until the [[Battle of France|fall of France]] when he was demobilized.<ref name = " Harding 281">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 281</ref> They were reunited in London and moved to Barcelona where their eldest daughter, Teresa, was born in December 1940.<ref name = " Harding 282">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 282</ref>


== Later life==
== Later life==
The German persecution of the Jews compelled them to leave Europe. Both of her husband's parents were killed by the Germans. As her husband was Jewish, they decided to emigrate to the United States with the help of Assunta's brothers, Leopold and Franz Joseph, who were living in America and paid for their trip to New York.<ref name = " Harding 291">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 291</ref> Assuntas's husband worked as a doctor and a second daughter was born in New York City in 1942.<ref name = " Harding 292">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 292</ref>
The German persecution of the Jews compelled Assunta, her husband, and their infant daughter to leave Europe. Both of her husband's parents were killed by the Russians, as their property was within the mineral-rich region of modern-day [[Lviv]], Ukraine. As her husband was Jewish, they decided to emigrate to the United States with the help of Assunta's brothers Leopold and Franz Joseph, who were living in America and paid for their trip to New York.<ref name = " Harding 291">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 291</ref> Assunta's husband worked as a doctor, and a second daughter was born in New York City in 1942.<ref name = " Harding 292">Harding, ''Lost Waltz'', p. 292</ref>


Archduchess Assumpta had two daughters from her marriage to Joseph Hopfinger:
Archduchess Assunta had two daughters from her marriage to Joseph Hopfinger:
* Maria Teresa Hopfinger b. 5 Dec 1940 ∞ (1961-1967) Edward Joseph Hetsko, Jr ∞ 1969 Anatole Ferlet . She had two children
* Maria Teresa Hopfinger b. 5 Dec 1940 ∞ (1961–1967) Edward Joseph Hetsko, Jr ∞ (1969–1970) Anatole Ferlet. She had two children.
* Juliet Elisabeth Maria Assunta Hopfinger b. 30 Oct 1942. Married five times. She had three children.
* Juliet Elisabeth Maria Assunta Hopfinger b. 30 Oct 1942. Married five times. She had three children.


However, the marriage was not a success.<ref name = " McIntosh 37">McIntosh, ''The Archduchess From Texas'', p. 37</ref> Assunta's husband, having married a European princess, had hoped to inherit a fortune from his wife. As this never materialized, he became disenchanted with the marriage. The couple separated after the war, divorcing on 25 July 1950.<ref name=" McIntosh 37"/>
However, the marriage was not a success.<ref name = " McIntosh 37">McIntosh, ''The Archduchess From Texas'', p. 37</ref> Having married a European princess, Assunta's husband had hoped to inherit a fortune from his wife. As this never materialized, he became disenchanted with the marriage. The couple separated after the war, divorcing on 25 July 1950.<ref name=" McIntosh 37"/>


Archduchess Assunta moved with her daughters to San Antonio Texas were she lived for the rest of her life. She remained very attached to the catholic church and hold a variety of jobs to support herself.<ref name=" McIntosh 37"/> For some time she worked as a claim clerk. Late in her life, she made one trip to Europe to visit her surviving siblings. She died on 24 January 1993 at age 90 at San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A <ref name=" McIntosh 37"/>
Archduchess Assunta moved with her daughters to [[San Antonio, Texas]], where she lived for the rest of her life. She remained very attached to the Catholic Church and held a variety of jobs to support herself and her two young children, including for some time working as a claim clerk.<ref name=" McIntosh 37"/> Late in her life, she made one trip to Europe to visit her surviving siblings. She died on 24 January 1993 at age 90 in San Antonio, Texas.<ref name=" McIntosh 37"/>


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 44: Line 43:


==Ancestry==
==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel top|width=100%}}
{{ahnentafel
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|1= 1. '''Archduchess Assunta of Austria, Princess of Tuscany'''
|1= 1. '''Archduchess Assunta of Austria'''
|2= 2. [[Archduke Leopold Salvator, Prince of Tuscany]]
|2= 2. [[Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria]]
|3= 3. [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]]
|3= 3. [[Infanta Blanca of Spain]]
|4= 4. [[Archduke Karl Salvator, Prince of Tuscany|Archduke Karl Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany]]
|4= 4. [[Archduke Karl Salvator of Austria]]
|5= 5. [[Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1844–1899)|Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
|5= 5. [[Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1844–1899)|Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies]]
|6= 6. [[Carlos, Duke of Madrid]]
|6= 6. [[Carlos, Duke of Madrid|Infante Carlos, Duke of Madrid]]
|7= 7. [[Princess Margherita of Bourbon-Parma]]
|7= 7. [[Princess Margherita of Bourbon-Parma]]
|8= 8. [[Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
|8= 8. [[Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
|9= 9. [[Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies]]
|9= 9. [[Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies]]
|10= 10. [[Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies]]
|10= 10. [[Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies]]
|11= 11. [[Maria Theresa of Austria (1816-1867)|Maria Theresa of Austria]]
|11= 11. [[Maria Theresa of Austria (1816–1867)|Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria]]
|12= 12. [[Juan, Count of Montizón]]
|12= 12. [[Juan, Count of Montizón|Infante Juan, Count of Montizón]]
|13= 13. [[Archduchess Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este]]
|13= 13. Archduchess Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este
|14= 14. [[Charles III, Duke of Parma]]
|14= 14. [[Charles III, Duke of Parma]]
|15= 15. [[Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France]]
|15= 15. [[Princess Louise of Artois]]
|16= 16. [[Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
|16= 16. [[Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
|17= 17. [[Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily|Princess Luisa of the Two Sicilies]]
|17= 17. [[Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily]]
|18= 18. [[Francis I of the Two Sicilies]]
|18= 18. [[Francis I of the Two Sicilies]]
|19= 19. [[Maria Isabella of Spain]]
|19= 19. [[Maria Isabella of Spain|Infanta Maria Isabella of Spain]]
|20= 20. [[Francis I of the Two Sicilies]] (= 18)
|20= 20. [[Francis I of the Two Sicilies]] (= 18)
|21= 21. [[Maria Isabella of Spain]] (= 19)
|21= 21. [[Maria Isabella of Spain|Infanta Maria Isabella of Spain]] (= 19)
|22= 22. [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen]]
|22= 22. [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen]]
|23= 23. [[Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|23= 23. [[Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|24= 24. [[Infante Carlos, Count of Molina]]
|24= 24. [[Infante Carlos, Count of Molina|Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain]]
|25= 25. [[Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal]]
|25= 25. [[Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal]]
|26= 26. [[Francis IV, Duke of Modena]]
|26= 26. [[Francis IV, Duke of Modena]]
|27= 27. [[Maria Beatrice of Savoy]]
|27= 27. [[Maria Beatrice of Savoy|Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy]]
|28= 28. [[Charles II, Duke of Parma]]
|28= 28. [[Charles II, Duke of Parma]]
|29= 29. [[Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy]]
|29= 29. [[Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy]]
|30= 30. [[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry]]
|30= 30. [[Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry|Prince Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry]]
|31= 31. [[Caroline Ferdinande Louise, duchesse de Berry|Princess Caroline Ferdinande Louise of the Two Sicilies]]
|31= 31. [[Princess Marie Caroline of Naples and Sicily]]
⚫
}}
}}</center>
{{ahnentafel bottom}}


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
⚫
{{Commons category|Archduchess Assunta of Austria}}
*Harding, Bertita. ''Lost Waltz: A Story of Exile''. Bobbs-Merrill, 1944. ASIN: B0007DXCLY
*Harding, Bertita. ''Lost Waltz: A Story of Exile''. Bobbs-Merrill, 1944. ASIN: B0007DXCLY
*McIntosh, David. '' The Archduchess From Texas''. The European Royal History Journal. V 7.2, April 2004.
*McIntosh, David. '' The Archduchess From Texas''. The European Royal History Journal. V 7.2, April 2004.
*McIntosh, David. ''The Unknown Habsburgs''. Rosvall Royal Books, 2000. ISBN 91-973978-0-6
*McIntosh, David. ''The Unknown Habsburgs''. Rosvall Royal Books, 2000. {{ISBN|91-973978-0-6}}

{{Austrian archduchesses}}
{{authority control}}


{{Persondata
| NAME = Assunta Of Austria, Archduchess
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Austrian archduchess
| DATE OF BIRTH = 10 August 1902
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Vienna]], Austria
| DATE OF DEATH = 24 January 1993
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[San Antonio]], Texas
⚫
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assunta Of Austria, Archduchess}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assunta Of Austria, Archduchess}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:Archduchesses of Austria]]
[[Category:Austrian princesses]]
[[Category:Austrian people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Austrian people of Spanish descent]]

Latest revision as of 06:13, 2 May 2024

Archduchess Assunta
Born(1902-08-10)10 August 1902
Vienna, Austria-Hungary[1]
Died24 January 1993(1993-01-24) (aged 90)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
SpouseJoseph Hopfinger
IssueMaria Teresa Hopfinger
Juliet Elisabeth Hopfinger
Names
German: Assunta Alice Ferdinandine Blanca Leopoldina Margarethe Beatrix Raphaela Michaela Philomena
HouseHabsburg-Tuscany
FatherArchduke Leopold Salvator of Austria
MotherInfanta Blanca of Spain

Archduchess Assunta of Austria German: Assunta, Erzherzogin von Österreich-Toskana;(10 August 1902 – 24 January 1993) was the youngest daughter of Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria and Infanta Blanca of Spain. She was a member of the Tuscan branch of the Imperial House of Habsburg-Lorraine, an Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Tuscany by birth. Born and raised in the twilight years of the Habsburg monarchy, Archduchess Assunta lived in exile in Barcelona, Spain after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary. She entered religious life in a convent in Barcelona, but was forced to leave it in 1936 due to disturbances during the Spanish Civil War. In 1939, she married Joseph Hopfinger, a Polish doctor. In 1942 the couple emigrated to the United States. Archduchess Assunta and her husband had two daughters, but they divorced in 1950. She moved to San Antonio, Texas where she had a variety of jobs living in anonymity until her death.

Early life

[edit]

Archduchess Assunta of Austria was born on 10 August 1902 in Vienna, Austria.[1] She was the eighth of ten children of Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria (1863–1931) and his wife Infanta Blanca of Spain (1868–1949). She was given the baptismal names Assunta Alice Ferdinandine Blanca Leopoldina Margarethe Beatrix Raphaela Michaela Philomena.[2]

Archduchess Assunta grew up in the last period of the Habsburg monarchy. She was raised with her many brothers and sisters in the various properties owned by her parents enjoying a comfortable and privileged life. Their main residence was the Palais Toskana in the district of Wieden in Viena with Schloss Wilhelminenberg, on the Eastern slopes of the Gallitzinberg, in the Wienerwald Western parts of the Austrian capital as their country estate. Vacations were spent near Viareggio, Italy where Infanta Blanca owned, la Tenuta Reale, a rural property. Theirs was a multicultural household as Assunta's paternal ancestors had reigned in Austria, Tuscany and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Her maternal family had reigned in Spain, Parma, Modena, Portugal and France. The youngest of five sisters, Archduchess Assunta was raised paired with her sister Archduchess Maria Antonia.

Exile

[edit]

Archduchess Assunta was sixteen years old at the fall of Habsburg monarchy following the end of World War I, which marked a sharpdown turn in her family's prosperity. The republican government of Austria confiscated the properties of the Habsburgs, and the family lost their entire fortune.[3] Assunta's eldest brothers, Archdukes Rainer and Leopold, remained in Austria and recognized the new republic, while the rest of the family moved to Spain in January 1919.[2] They settled in Barcelona, living with simplicity as they had limited means. Assunta's three elder sisters, Archduchesses Dolores, Inmaculata and Margaretha, were pliable; Archduchesses Assunta and Maria Antonia were more rebellious and clashed often with their mother Infanta Blanca.

While living in Barcelona, Assunta, following in the footsteps of her sister, Maria Antonia, turned increasingly towards religion.[4] Although their parents were observant Catholics, they found their youngest daughter's religious fervor worrisome. Archduchess Maria Antonia abandoned her desire to become a nun and married an impoverished Majorcan aristocrat, but Assunta remained adamant in her determination to become a nun.[5] After running away on a ship to South America, Assumpta, still a minor, was returned to her parents who relented their opposition.[6] With their permission, she eventually entered the convent of Santa Teresa de Tortosa near Barcelona.[7] At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the convent was attacked and the nuns were forced to flee for their lives. Those like Assunta, who had not yet taken their final vows, were free to follow a secular life. Assunta obtained permission to leave her order and joined her mother and unmarried siblings who were then living in Viareggio.[8] In the late 1930s, through one of her brothers, Archduchess Assunta met Joseph Hopfinger (1905–1992), a Jewish Polish doctor.[9] Against her mother's opposition, they married in September 1939 at Ouchy, Switzerland. Shortly after, her husband was called to service in the army until the fall of France when he was demobilized.[10] They were reunited in London and moved to Barcelona where their eldest daughter, Teresa, was born in December 1940.[11]

Later life

[edit]

The German persecution of the Jews compelled Assunta, her husband, and their infant daughter to leave Europe. Both of her husband's parents were killed by the Russians, as their property was within the mineral-rich region of modern-day Lviv, Ukraine. As her husband was Jewish, they decided to emigrate to the United States with the help of Assunta's brothers Leopold and Franz Joseph, who were living in America and paid for their trip to New York.[12] Assunta's husband worked as a doctor, and a second daughter was born in New York City in 1942.[13]

Archduchess Assunta had two daughters from her marriage to Joseph Hopfinger:

  • Maria Teresa Hopfinger b. 5 Dec 1940 ∞ (1961–1967) Edward Joseph Hetsko, Jr ∞ (1969–1970) Anatole Ferlet. She had two children.
  • Juliet Elisabeth Maria Assunta Hopfinger b. 30 Oct 1942. Married five times. She had three children.

However, the marriage was not a success.[14] Having married a European princess, Assunta's husband had hoped to inherit a fortune from his wife. As this never materialized, he became disenchanted with the marriage. The couple separated after the war, divorcing on 25 July 1950.[14]

Archduchess Assunta moved with her daughters to San Antonio, Texas, where she lived for the rest of her life. She remained very attached to the Catholic Church and held a variety of jobs to support herself and her two young children, including for some time working as a claim clerk.[14] Late in her life, she made one trip to Europe to visit her surviving siblings. She died on 24 January 1993 at age 90 in San Antonio, Texas.[14]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 20
  2. ^ a b McIntosh, The Archduchess From Texas, p. 36
  3. ^ McIntosh, The Unknown Habsburgs, p. 48
  4. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 115
  5. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 135
  6. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 140
  7. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 145
  8. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 237
  9. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 280
  10. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 281
  11. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 282
  12. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 291
  13. ^ Harding, Lost Waltz, p. 292
  14. ^ a b c d McIntosh, The Archduchess From Texas, p. 37

Ancestry

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Bibliography

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archduchess Assunta of Austria.
  • Harding, Bertita. Lost Waltz: A Story of Exile. Bobbs-Merrill, 1944. ASIN: B0007DXCLY
  • McIntosh, David. The Archduchess From Texas. The European Royal History Journal. V 7.2, April 2004.
  • McIntosh, David. The Unknown Habsburgs. Rosvall Royal Books, 2000. ISBN 91-973978-0-6
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