Georg von Franckenstein – A sir for Austria
Currently in the exhibition “Against the Force” a portrait of Sir George Franckenstein can be seen in the House of History of the Museum of Lower Austria in St. Pölten (see illustration below). THIS MEANS A remarkable personality in Austrian and European history.
The Austrian ambassador resided at the posh London address 18 Belgrave Square for most of the interwar period. The painting also dates from this period (we owe it to the General Director of the State Archives, Helmut Wohnout), which in turn has its own history. It is on loan from the Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance in Wipplingerstrasse in Vienna and bears the title “Baron Sir Georg(e) Franckenstein on account of being awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford”. It was created in 1936 and was rescued from the Austrian Embassy in London in 1938.
From old nobility
Image and title mark the end of an unusual diplomatic career. It came to an end with the invasion of German troops in Austria on March 11, 1938 and ended more than seventeen years as an envoy with the official title “Austrian envoy at the court of St. James“. The salutation “Sir George” expresses salvation and appreciation: salvation from being ordered back by the National Socialist regime with the granting of citizenship and appreciation with the accolade by King George VI. Sir George Franckenstein” was exhibited.
Who was this Baron Georg Franckenstein’s war nun? That’s what his longtime friend Hugo von Hofmannsthal called him on an envelope of a letter from Bad Aussee to London on July 12, 1914. Born Georg Freiherr von und zu Franckenstein on March 18, 1878 in Dresden, he was a son of the Austro-Hungarian envoy to the court of the King of Saxony. His career had already taken this diplomat to posts in Berlin, London, Copenhagen, Washington and St. Petersburg. On his father’s side, Georg Franckenstein thus came from a noble family that had resided as imperial barons on the Middle Rhine since 1670. His mother’s family, the Schönborn family, also came from this area, although they were already at the Viennese court in the Baroque era.
After his father’s return from Dresden Georg attended the Vienna Schottengymnasium, where he – as he is entitled to – did not always attend his primary education. Already at this time he got to know Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who was four years his senior and he genuinely admired poetry.
After military service as a one-year volunteer, the young Franckenstein decided to do diplomatic service. He completed his probationary year far from home, namely in the USA, where his brother Clemens gave concerts. As Lothar Höbelt notes in his introduction to Franckenstein’s memoirs, which were only published in German in 2005, he spent an unusually long time outside of Europe at the beginning of his service.
He proudly reports on his diplomatic examination and his appointment as chamberlain. Proof of this is an anticipatory prerequisite. In his autobiography he takes this as an opportunity to bring us closer to their story. We learn that the first Franckenstein was mentioned in a document as early as 884, i.e. shortly after Charlemagne.
He particularly singles out Uncle Georg Arbogast (1825-1890), who, as an important German politician, advocated the reestablishment of the Holy Empire under Austrian leadership. The new chamberlain also tells of the custom of German aristocratic families to send younger sons into the service of the Austrian imperial family as officers or diplomats. So Georg’s father also became a diplomat.
The maternal line, the Schönborn family, can be traced back to the 12th century. Numerous bishops and archbishops emerged from it, some of whom were also electors. Thus, spiritual members of this family played a decisive role in the Peace of Westphalia, but also in the election of Francis Stephen of Lorraine, Maria Theresa’s husband, as emperor.
In Japan and India
These references and the benevolence of the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, Count Aehrenthal, certainly served the young Franckenstein well. First he was assigned to the ambassadors in St. Petersburg and Rome. After a short time in Vienna, he wanted to be his department head, who had previously expressed doubts about Franckenstein’s initiative, to give him the opportunity to work independently and broaden his horizons. He therefore sent him to Tokyo as chargé d’affaires until a new ambassador was appointed. The return journey to Europe followed Franckenstein on a special mission via India and thus enabled him to meet numerous high-ranking people, which gave him comprehensive insights into the current situation of the subcontinent, but also its richer culture.
A decision made by Aehrenthal shortly before his death brought Franckenstein to the center of the empire in 1913: he became commercial director in London. He also experienced the beginning of the First World War there. His descriptions of the diplomatic attempts to avert this catastrophe are oppressive. On the one hand there was hope that Great Britain would mediate, on the other hand even the government of this world power was deeply divided. Ultimately, on August 12, 1914, war was declared on Austria-Hungary.
On a personal level, however, friendly contacts continued. The Austro-Hungarian ambassador, Count Mensdorff, met several male British government officials and was received, albeit unofficially, by the king and queen. On the way back home, the embassy staff’s ship even received a radio message from an express warship: “Have a good trip, come back soon“Before Franckenstein could return to London, he served first as an envoy to the German occupation administration in Belgium and then to the Ottoman Empire, where he attempted to ease the lot of the Armenians.
When the republic was proclaimed, nobles faced the question of whether they should resign from the diplomatic service. Many of his peers opted for this and disapproved of Franckenstein continuing his service. In fact, great tasks awaited him in a highly precarious situation. The first of these was participation in the 1919 peace negotiations of St. Germain. The result was devastating for the now forty-year-old diplomat, but he was still willing to contribute to a new beginning.
Appreciating his valuable contacts, the new republican government sent him back to London. Upon his arrival, the new envoy soon found that the appearance of the old, ornate embassy palace at 18 Belgrave Square contrasted blatantly with the role of beggar he had to play for a time. Time and again it was necessary to provide bridging aid in order to prevent the collapse of the new state. Then he even took part in the negotiations for the League of Nations loan, through which – albeit at great sacrifice – Austria could be financially stabilized.
In the years that followed, Franckenstein was finally in his element. He organized concerts, dance events and masked balls. The list of visiting Austrian artists covers three pages in the English edition of his memoirs, “Facts and Figures of My Life”. The committed diplomat also wanted to present English art in Austria. Thus, the painters Turner, Blake and Hogarth could also be shown in Vienna. These achievements in cultural mediation have been recognized several times. Well-known newspapers published praiseworthy reports, Franckenstein was flattered by the aforementioned honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford, and the Austrian medals only seem like a special bonus. At least once he was even in serious consideration as foreign minister.
This fight could not stop the downfall of Austria. However, Franckenstein did not want to accept this as final. With unshakable optimism, he prefaced his autobiography, published in England in 1939, with the following dedication: “I dedicate this book to the resurrection of Austria” (I dedicate this book to the rebirth of Austria). He stayed in Great Britain and continued to represent the interests of the old homeland with his contacts in the highest circles.
He opened his own office for this purpose, but his salon was also a meeting point for exiled Austrians. Privately, he changed in 1939 through his inheritance with the Englishwoman Editha King. The son of the two, Clement, born in 1944, took up the profession of an actor in the USA, where he star in 2019.
After the war
After the end of the war, Sir George pulled out all the stops at his disposal to support the resurgent Austria. He campaigned for economic aid, propagated local tourism and presented Austrian art and culture. He also held lectures and organized events himself. The heads of state and government appreciated this commitment. In December 1945 he was received for talks by Federal President Karl Renner and Federal Chancellor Leopold Figl.
Apart from Vienna, he was particularly interested in Salzburg. As an envoy, he organized a fundraising campaign for the university in Great Britain. As before 1938, he was a regular guest at the festivals he co-founded. He mentions his attachment to his childhood friend Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who died in 1929, in speeches at the unveiling of a bust of the poet in the Festspielhaus, initially in 1937 and, since it was lost during the Nazi era, for the new one in 1950.
On October 14, 1953, Feld died with his wife in a plane crash near Frankfurt. In his old homeland, he was commemorated with honorable obituaries and a mass in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral, because Baron Georg von Franckenstein was a sir for Austria to the end.