“Anastasia” Refused To Speak Russian

Press, Volume C, Issue 29509, 10 May 1961, Page 15

“Anastasia” Refused To Speak Russian

IAZ Preet Association—Vop<zrs»ni> HAMBURG, May 9. Mrs Anna Anderson, who claims that she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia, refused to prove that she speaks Russian, a Hamburg Court was told yesterday.

A report to the Court, submitted by the Court president. Judge Backen. who visited Mrs Anderson two years ago. quoted her as saying: “I will not speak a word of the language spoken by a people who did such harm to my family.” The Judge’s report was introduced as evidence as the Court resumed its hearings of Mrs Anderson’s claim that she is the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and was the only person to escape alive from the family massacre by the Bolsheviks said the British United Press Judge Backen said that Mrs Anderson had refused to shake hands with him because of fear of infection, and had displayed the "aloof mannerisms of a person of high standing”

Mrs Anderson, aged 81 lived alone, except for a dozen cats and four leonberger dogs, in a hut tn the Black Forest. The Court heard conflicting reports from more than a dozen people who met Mrs Anderson since the early 1920’5, when she appeared in Berlin claiming that she was Anastasia The Court was told that neither the sister of Anastasia’s mother. Princess Heinrich of Prussia, nor the Grand Duchess Olga. the late sister of the Tsar, recognised her as Anastasia But Mrs Herman Jud. of New York, the former Imperial Princess Xenia Romanov. testified that she believed Mrs Anderson was Anastasia The hearing will continue tomorrow.