The False Anastasia - The Story of Anna Anderson (The Romanov Impostors, Part 1)

Following the execution of the Russian imperial family, the House of Romanov, at the hands of a firing squad led by Yakov Yurovsky in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on July 17, 1918, several impostors began to appear in public, coming forward claiming to have survived this execution.
Anna Anderson, real name Franziska Schanzkowska, was, by far, the most famous impostor.
In 1920, Anderson was institutionalized in a mental hospital after a suicide attempt in Berlin. At first, she went by the name Fräulein Unbekannt (German for Miss Unknown) as she refused to reveal her identity. Later, she used the name Tschaikovsky and then Anderson. In March 1922, claims that Anderson was a Russian grand duchess first received public attention. Most members of Grand Duchess Anastasia's family and those who had known her, including court tutor Pierre Gilliard, said Anderson was an impostor but others were convinced she was Anastasia. In 1927, a private investigation funded by the Tsarina's brother, Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, identified Anderson as Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish factory worker with a history of mental illness. After a lawsuit lasting many years, the German courts ruled that Anderson had failed to prove she was Anastasia, but through media coverage, her claim gained notoriety.
Part 2 - The Stories of Anastasia’s Many Impostors
• The Stories of Anastas...
Part 3 - The Rival “Anastasia” - The Story of Eugenia Smith
• The Rival “Anastasia” ...
Part 4 - Anastasia's Most Obscure Impostors
• Anastasia's Most Obscu...
Part 5 - The Stories of Maria's Impostors
• The Stories of Grand D...
Part 6 - The Stories of Tatiana's Impostors
• The Stories of Grand D...
Part 7 - The False Olga - The Story of Marga Boodts
• The False Olga - The S...
Part 8 - The False Tsesarevich - The Story of Heino Tammet
• The False Tsesarevich ...
Part 9 - Alexei’s Original Impostor - The Story of Alexei Putsiato
• Tsesarevich Alexei’s O...
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[@mariana96ssantos]

She looked nothing like Anastasia, + the fact she didn't speak english was enough to not believe her, the czarina only spoke in english with her kids

[@katarinasvensson9801]

Yes and they was also fluent in french, german and russian.

[@juliegoldman411]

And she didn't speak Russian either.

[@saradis8163]

Anna only Spoke polish and German and she looked nothing alike Anastasia Her claim was Proven to be False when dna results Revealed it all.

[@chatnoir206]

None of the daughters spoke German.@@katarinasvensson9801

[@roses-of-the-romanovs]

@@katarinasvensson9801 Not French or German.

[@ronnie7075]

Longest running court case in history, disturbed by ww2, then the verdict in Karlsruhe, - Non Liquet. Meaning neither proved nor disproved.

[@KarlWitsman]

Well-researched and presented very well.

[@heartforhistory1]

New video, The Stories of Anastasia's Many Impostors, is now online! 😀 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2m9n4iXr6uZd6M

[@kathymetzger5862]

It would have been nice if Anastasia would have survived; but because of the the terrible death of the whole family I fought she did

[@maggie5318]

she did Surivied

[@nanaof7preciousgrands115]

The girls and mother were gorgeous ! Just stunning womrn and girls. I loved the tiara and necklace on the Queen consort ..

[@heartforhistory1]

New video is now online! The Stories of Maria's Impostors kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5yxmmWef9FsY5I

[@coyotedust]

Anna Anderson didn't look anything like Anastasia or the Romanov family. She also didn't speak Russian. I never believed her story.

[@myroselle6987]

My understanding is that she refused to speak Russian. That’s very different from not being able to. It’s funny that Gleb Botkin, who was the son of Dr. Botkin who died with the family, believed her until the day he died. Gleb knew Anastasia very very well as a child and teenager.I’m not saying that Anna was Anastasia but there were some odd coincidences.

[@saradis8163]

Franziska Had Brother Felix Schanzkowska They Resemble eachother very much he even admit that Anna was his missing sister Franziska Let her be to live out her Luxury Wealthy life.

[@maggie5318]

yes she did

[@kleomenis456]

Shameful, no respect for the deceased family

[@joannem6878]

Very interesting story, looking forward to part 2. But, what's the deal with the people standing with thought bubbles and moving their mouths?

[@heartforhistory1]

Part 4 is now online! Anastasia's Most Obscure Impostors kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ3LiXWdarxleLc

[@user-ie1kd9of4w]

There are some who claimed to be Alexei....even though they did NOT have hemophilia.....MAGIC Cure?

[@samanthab1923]

I remember before all the DNA testing reading about her & thinking how cool if true. Even the movie with Amy Irving.

[@lindabederio4603]

Anna Anderson looked nothing like any of the Sisters.

[@bluestrife28]

Ahh the world before DNA testing was so different. This looks good I love Anna’s story and sure wanted it to be true when I was younger . Edit: it’s wild how far off the Unsolved Mysteries episode was on this topic .

[@annnee6818]

Lol

[@eileenhudson4934]

I keep Up with this story about Anastasia....I guess I was really hoping she was the real Anastasia..but she proved to be an imposter. So sad what happened to the Romanoff Family .😢

[@aishwaryahalve6535]

Just another recorded victim of the politics and greed

[@andrealuisecandido1154]

i h.ave no idea whaT you speak of

[@gunnarthorsen]

It's been proven that Anna Anderson wasn't Anastasia, but how was she privy to information about the royal family that wasn't common knowledge? For example, she surprised some members of the family by describing a game that "she" and her siblings played with their tutor, Mr. Gilliard. She knew personal details about her uncle Ernst. And when asked if she remembered a certain palace guard, she laughed and cried, "The man with the pockets!" The guard in question was an old Romanov family retainer who felt so at ease in their presence that he stood with his hands in his pockets. The family affectionately indulged him in this but it wasn't made public. Given that Anderson was an uneducated Polish factory worker, how did she know these things?

[@chatnoir206]

She didn't actually say: The man with the pockets. What she said, was: Big soldier. Always his hands in his pockets. And if the photo showed a man with his hands in his pockets, it was not exactly an earth shattering comment. The things she told about Ernst of Hesse, were just a repetition of rumors swirling around Germany. And she was not a Polish factory worker, she was a German woman from the working class.

[@jamiemohan2049]

Who knows? Either way, she wasn't Anastasia. Maybe she was coached by someone who also wanted to bank in all her being Ana.

[@ocean4332]

Приветствие! Я внучка, оставшейся в живых дочки царя Николая Романова, Анастасии Романовой. Моя бабуля и я очень любили друг друга, она была самым прекрасным человеком в моей жизни. У нее был чудесный характер. Она была аскетом, никто некогда не мог подумать, что она дочка царя. Она скрывала это от нас с мамой. Мы жили нормальной советской жизнью. Бабушка была первой агитаторшей и работала на кондитерских фабриках и очень любила готовить. Я помню с детства ее пироги и булки. Она хорошо готовила и много работала, Бабушка была не Анастасия, а Галина Алексеева,- это имя она получила, скорее всего, когда приехала в Советскую Россию. Она закончила Плехановский университет, Химический факультет, она была очень эрудированным и образованным человеком. Она много читала книг и была интересной женщиной. Всю жизнь она прожила в своем доме в городе Тула. Последние годы она жила с нами в городе Дмитров, Московской области. У нее было много интересного и полезного для меня. Я хотела бы написать о ней книгу. Я ищу своих родных. Я хотела бы познакомиться с ними, для написания книги. PS. К сожалению, моя бабуля не смогла доказать своим оставшимся в живых родственникам, что это она и есть Анастасия Романова. Они ее не признали дочкой царя и отвернулись от нее. Это тенденция продолжается, эти люди не имеют права иметь царский титул и носить корону. Они не цари, они самозванцы, которые прикрываясь своими титулами, по прежнему творят насилие и зло.

[@briardan9226]

My assumption is this was written in Russian? I tried to copy it so I could let Google translate. My app won't let me do that. I think it would interesting to read a Russian's thoughts on Anastasia and her family.

[@heartforhistory1]

Part 3 is now online! The Rival “Anastasia” - The Story of Eugenia Smith kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqjUd62wqbCafZI

[@briardan9226]

I remember seeing show when I was a kid they claimed the lady claiming to be Annastasia was the real one because their ears matched. Ears are (alledgedly) like fingerprints. No two are alike.

[@user-ie1kd9of4w]

Close....but DNA trumps ear resemblance !

[@chatnoir206]

From new photos found of Anastasia, it becomes very clear that the ears did not at all match.

[@user-ie1kd9of4w]

Interesting that some people.....despite DNA proof....STILL believe that she was Anastasia.....and Elvis is still alive.....Sheeeeeesh !

[@myroselle6987]

It’s all in your perspective. If you believe the “DNA evidence” then of course you believe she was a fake but maybe some people don’t believe in the DNA evidence. If you’re cynical about the “powers that be” you might have doubts. The DNA tested was from Prince Philip and nearly all the people involved had a vested interest in the outcome. What if she was Anastasia? A lot of people had a lot to lose. I’m not saying that I absolutely believe that Anna was Anastasia but I do have some doubts about some things.

[@rogerpropes7129]

Can you do the false Dmitrys?

[@heartforhistory1]

Yes indeed! That will be one of the future topics.

[@andrealuisecandido1154]

in our Family are no female FacTory worker also no male ... we were no ... also no imposers

[@annnee6818]

Are you ok?

[@lindabederio4603]

She presents a very plain, and had none of the elegance of members of any European Court. She had hutzpah I’ll give her that for continuing to state she w grand duchess Anastasia, and after everything still maintaining that claim.

[@Kate-gt2wo]

I just always chose to believe that Anastacia survived...any amount of imposters doesnt change that.

[@lindymcbroom953]

When will you post part 2?

[@heartforhistory1]

Working on it right now. It should be up by the next week or two!

[@lindymcbroom953]

@@heartforhistory1 Thanks Looking forward to it!

[@heartforhistory1]

@@lindymcbroom953 It's online now! 😀

[@lindymcbroom953]

@@heartforhistory1 THANKS!

[@heartforhistory1]

Part 6, the Stories of Tatiana's Impostors, is now online! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYCTZaGorJmGqa8

[@andrewgan557]

If she did survive she's gonna have a serious case of PTSD

[@lindabederio4603]

This woman couldn’t have possibly have been 😮Anastasia as a royal she would have had some English but NOT POLISH.

[@aliciacruz5957]

Interesting😊❤

[@gordforbes417]

🇨🇦 nice job !!!

[@lolapinay9210]

Good research docu

[@andrealuisecandido1154]

again i like HisTory we in our Family never had athe feeling ThaT we should Take over The personality of famous people.

[@garfixit]

Wow

[@annnee6818]

Sounds here like Anna Anderson fooled no one of importance. Which seems more plausible than other docs who claim she "knew stuff only Anastasia would have known"...

[@maggie5318]

she did not fool any one she was Grandduchess

[@maggie5318]

Anna Anderson was Grand Duchess Anastasia. some her family say she was. she has same birth mark. and same scar .

[@saradis8163]

No she wasn’t her Stop Spreading Falsehood here!.

[@susannebuck5093]

The asylum was not in Daldorf but in Berlin. (Daldorf is a completely different town in a different federal state.) The part of Berlin is called Dalldorf. The asylum still exists today. On the pictures in Wikipedia you can see the bricks from the wall where Franziska was photographed. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl-Bonhoeffer-Nervenklinik?wprov=sfla1

[@ronnie7075]

Longest running court case in history, disturbed by ww2, then the verdict in Karlsruhe, - Non Liquet. Meaning neither proved nor disproved.