Eva Erisso
Encyclopedia
Eva von Sacher-Masoch Baroness Erisso (1912–1991) was an Austrian
aristocrat
.
Born Eva Hermine von Sacher-Masoch, Freiin Erisso she was the grand-niece of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
and the mother of Marianne Faithfull
. She was born in Budapest
, when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Her parents were Artur Wolfgang, Ritter von Sacher-Masoch (1875–1953) and his wife Flora. She was the sister of renowned novelist Alexander von Sacher-Masoch (1901–1972) with Jewish ancestry on her maternal side. Erisso spent her early childhood living on her family's estates near the town of Karansebes in Transylvania, now part of Romania, moving with her family to Vienna
in 1918. As a young woman she moved to Berlin where she worked as a ballerina for the Max Reinhardt Company, and danced for productions of Bertolt Brecht
and Kurt Weill
. At the outbreak of World War II, Erisso returned to her parents' home in Vienna and lived there for the duration of the war. Despite their Jewish ancestry, Erisso and her mother were afforded a degree of protection from the Nazis due to Artur's World War I military record and his status as a well-regarded Austrian writer (under the pseudonym Michael Zorn). Having opposed Hitler since the Anschluss, and witnessing atrocities against Jews in the streets of Vienna, Erisso and her parents used their home to conceal Socialist pamphlets, narrowly evading detection by the Gestapo. Erisso witnessed the USAAF daylight raids on Vienna from 1944 onwards, and the Soviet Red Army assault on Vienna in 1945. When the British arrived to occupy part of the liberated city, Erisso fell in love with Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, a British army officer and spy who called on the family to inform them that Alexander von Sacher Masoch was alive. The couple married in 1946 and late that year had their only child, daughter Marianne Faithfull
(born Marian Evelyn Faithfull), and lived together at Braziers Park
, Oxfordshire, before separating six years later. She also spent some time as a dance teacher at "Bylands", Stratfield Turgis, Nr Basingstoke, Hants, UK, a boarding school for maladjusted children.
She is buried in Saint Mary's churchyard, Aldworth, Berkshire, England.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
.
Born Eva Hermine von Sacher-Masoch, Freiin Erisso she was the grand-niece of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch was an Austrian writer and journalist, who gained renown for his romantic stories of Galician life. The term masochism is derived from his name....
and the mother of Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
. She was born in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Her parents were Artur Wolfgang, Ritter von Sacher-Masoch (1875–1953) and his wife Flora. She was the sister of renowned novelist Alexander von Sacher-Masoch (1901–1972) with Jewish ancestry on her maternal side. Erisso spent her early childhood living on her family's estates near the town of Karansebes in Transylvania, now part of Romania, moving with her family to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1918. As a young woman she moved to Berlin where she worked as a ballerina for the Max Reinhardt Company, and danced for productions of Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
and Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
. At the outbreak of World War II, Erisso returned to her parents' home in Vienna and lived there for the duration of the war. Despite their Jewish ancestry, Erisso and her mother were afforded a degree of protection from the Nazis due to Artur's World War I military record and his status as a well-regarded Austrian writer (under the pseudonym Michael Zorn). Having opposed Hitler since the Anschluss, and witnessing atrocities against Jews in the streets of Vienna, Erisso and her parents used their home to conceal Socialist pamphlets, narrowly evading detection by the Gestapo. Erisso witnessed the USAAF daylight raids on Vienna from 1944 onwards, and the Soviet Red Army assault on Vienna in 1945. When the British arrived to occupy part of the liberated city, Erisso fell in love with Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, a British army officer and spy who called on the family to inform them that Alexander von Sacher Masoch was alive. The couple married in 1946 and late that year had their only child, daughter Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
(born Marian Evelyn Faithfull), and lived together at Braziers Park
Braziers Park
Braziers Park is a country house and Grade II* listed building located near Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England. The house is owned and operated by a charitable trust as a residential adult education college, and centre for the School of Integrative Social Research.-History:Braziers Park was built in...
, Oxfordshire, before separating six years later. She also spent some time as a dance teacher at "Bylands", Stratfield Turgis, Nr Basingstoke, Hants, UK, a boarding school for maladjusted children.
She is buried in Saint Mary's churchyard, Aldworth, Berkshire, England.