Ellen Franz (30 May 1839 – 24 March 1923) was a German pianist and actress.

Biography

Early life

She was born in Berlin. According to Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt, Ellen Franz made her first appearance in the ''Hoftheater'' of

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).

in 1867.

Marriage

On 18 March 1873 she married, as his third wife,

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the ''Theaterherzog'' (theatre duk ...

, in the Villa Feodora in

Bad Liebenstein Bad Liebenstein is a municipality and spa town in Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. Geography Location Bad Liebenstein is situated 25 km north of Meiningen, and 18 km south of Eisenach. It is located in the ''Mittelgebirge' ...

. Because of her ''

bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

'' origin, the Duke ennobled her shortly before their marriage, as Baroness von Heldburg, the title by which she was henceforth known. This morganatic marriage annoyed the German Emperor Wilhelm II so much that because of his aversion towards Helene he decided not to visit the Schloss Altenstein after the reconstruction undertaken by Georg II and completed in 1889. Ellen Franz - Parkfriedhof Meiningen

Development of Meiningen Theatre

The Duke and she, together with the Director Ludwig Chronegk, established the "Meiningen Principles" (''Meininger Prinzipien''), a profound reform in theatrical practice, and created what would become the world-famous Meiningen Ensemble (''Meininger Hoftheater''). Helene also implemented major changes in the dramaturgy, as well as being responsible for commitment and cast decisions and the education of young students. Her husband Georg II together with Chronegk undertook the direction, and decided on the appropriate scenery and costumes. After the death of her husband in 1914, Helene retired to her country seat, the Veste Heldburg. From 1918 she lived in the palace " Helenenstift", her widow's residence built in 1891/92. She died in the year 1923, aged eighty-three, in Meiningen. She was buried near the Duke Georg II in a common grave arrangement in the Meininger Park Churchyard (Meininger Parkfriedhof).

Bibliography

* Ludwig Eisenberg: ''Großes biographisches Lexikon der Deutschen Bühne im XIX. Jahrhundert''. edited by Paul List, Leipzig 1903,
online
* Eva Hoffmann-Aleith: ''Ellen Franz'', Evangelische Verlagsanstalt Berlin, 1989, * * Kuratorium Meiningen (ed): ''Lexikon zur Stadtgeschichte Meiningen.'' Bielsteinverlag, Meiningen 2008, . * Norbert Klaus Fuchs: Das Heldburger Land–ein historischer Reiseführer; ed. Rockstuhl, Bad Langensalza 2013,

External links

* * 1839 births 1923 deaths House of Saxe-Meiningen Morganatic spouses of German royalty Actresses from Berlin 19th-century German actresses German stage actresses {{Germany-duchess-stub