Clara (Bach) Bohm Story

To Descendants of: Clara (nee Bach) Bohm *geni -- see Geni Discussion

By: Arthur S. Klimes - January 14th, 1997

As the subject of the Imperial Habsburg family once came up in a conversation with my Grossmama (Leonie (nee Böhm) Friedmann), she mentioned that her mother's Clara Böhm's, doctor also treated the Royal family. Leonie remembered (she was then 5 years old) that when her brother Victor Böhm, was born (at home, as all children at that time) on Sunday, January 27th, 1889, in Vienna, her doctor (Dr. Herman von Widerhofen? *below) came to the house on one of his visits in considerable agitation and told them in confidence that he is just coming from Mayerling, 25 km. (16 miles) from Vienna near Baden, where Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary (see Habsburg family) *wiki *geni, the 50 year old successor to the Habsburg throne, had just been found dead.

I recently checked out the chronology of these events and found that indeed Archduke Rudolf, after having been seen alive and well at 6:50 AM on Wednesday morning, January 30th, 1889, and decided not to go hunting as planned due to very icy conditions, was found dead of gunshot wounds at 8:50 AM, together with Marie Vetsera (18 years old). Rudolf had arrived by horse-drawn coach over icy roads in Mayerling from Vienna the previous day, on Tuesday the 29th and met there 2 companions for a week of hunting and writing a book he was working on at the time. Marie had arrived separately by train from Vienna to Baden Tuesday afternoon unbeknownst to Rudolf, apparently, and from Baden to Mayerling by hired coach.

On finding the two bodies on Wednesday morning, Rudolf's companions Count Hoyos and his brother-in-law Prince Phillipe of Couburg telegraphed (no phones yet at that time) Dr. Herman von Widerhofer (in his mid-forties at that time) in Vienna to come immediately as there has been an "accident". Dr. Wiederfofer took the next train at Vienna's Sudbahhof to Baden and from there a horse drawn coach to the Mayerling hunting lodge where he arrived at 12:15 PM. After examining the two bodies he returned to Vienna during the afternoon. Count Hoyos had taken a train from Baden at 9:50 that morning to inform the Emperor Franz Joseph of his son's death. The following day there was a post-mortem examination at the Hofburg, at which there were also present in addition to Dr. Herman von Widerhofer a Dr. Franz Auchenthaler, another bur considerably older Imperial doctor, assisted by a Dr. Kerzl.

There were attempts initially to keep this event quiet in view of the political ramifications. On Thursday, it was announced that the Archduke Rudolf had died of a heart-attack, which, however, most people did not believe. Graf Taaffe, the prime minister held a cabinet meeting on Friday, February 1st, after which it was announced that Rudolf had committed suicide. The funeral was on Tuesday, February 5th. No members of European Royalty, with many of whom Rudolf was related, were invited except his wife's parents, the King and Queen of Belgium.

There is considerable circumstantial evidence that the Archduke and Marie were murdered by 4 German (Prussian) agents on the instructions of Bismark, the then German chancellor, in view of Rudolf's known liberal outlook and his desire to form an alliance with France and England against Germany once he ascended to the throne. King Ludwig of Bavaria was dealt with in a similar manner when he proved unwilling to cede command of his army to the Prussians. His death was also called a mysterious suicide.

The romantic aspects of the Mayerling story, as related in two films on this event, the first with Charles Eoyer and a more recent one Mayerling (1968 film) with Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve, are apparently far from actual events. Rudolf's and Marie's relationship was a very recent one, only 5 weeks old and not very serious at that.

To anyone interested in these events I recommend the book The Mayerling Murder by Victor Wolfson, 1969. I do not know the English publisher as I read a French translation printed in Paris.

** If anyone can remember or find Birth, etc. Certificates with the Doctor's name of Clara (nee Bach/Bauch) Friedmann children; Sofie, Leonie, Hedwig, Viktor, Josef - it would be greatly appreciated OR any confirmation - that it was Dr. Herman von Widerhofer, as is suspected.

*already added on Geni - Widerhofer tree & internet links below -- *Hermann below, was a doctor of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary *wiki, geni (Peter Rohel's) 3rd great aunt's aunt's husband's sister's husband's daughter's husband's great nephew's wife's 1st cousin 2x removed --- *see Geni Discussion

Lorenz von WIDERHOFER Born: abt 1785 Died: Sep25, 1839 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria + Caroline SCHOISWOHL *geni

Note: any relation to? M.Dr. Franz Widerhofer in Klosterneuburg, Austria on: Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich; 1868 OR Franz Widerhofer aus Graz (Gratz), Styria, Austria in Oesterreichische Zeitschrift für practische Heilkunde, Volume 1 OR Franz Mayr. Widerhofer 8 S. (S.59-66), Abb. Wien, Leipzig: Zamarski & Dittmarsch 1863 aus: Jb.f.Kinderheilkunde u.physische Erziehung Jg. 6 (1863) H. 4 SA 1.792 in UB Med Uni Wien: NK Medizinhistorische Literatur 1850-1989 ?

Baron Dr. med, prof. Hermann von WIDERHOFER Born: Mar 24, 1832 in Weyer, Austria parish. occupation: Physician to the Crown Prince Rudolf Habsburg,

later his father Emperor Franz Josef, etc. Died: Jul 28, 1901 in Bad Ischl, Austria buried Hietzinger cemetery NFP obituary + Eugenia (Eugenie) JORIS Born: abt 1845 Married: Feb 13, 1875 Died: Jul 31, 1896 in Bad Ischl, Austria buried Vienna-13, Hietzinger cemetery NFP *geni Siblings: Louis Joris (abt 1849 - 7/6/1886 Götzendorf, Austria) k.k. rittmeisters D. R besitzers der kriegsmedaille NFP, Heinrich (Henri) Joris (abt 1846 - 12/23/1901 Vienna bur? Götzendorf?) NFP Father: dr. Caspar (Kaspar) Joris (abt 1807 Orgewies, Switzerland /Schweiz parish - 11/18/1880 Götzendorf, Austria) prospodat 4/26/1842 *genteam, NFP *geni =?same as Kaspar Emanuel Joris ( m. 1843 St. Michael parish - ) *genteam?

Note: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayerling_Incident ... It was only when the court medical commission headed by Dr. Widerhofer arrived in Mayerling that afternoon that a more accurate cause of death was established, and not until 6 a.m. the following morning of the 31st when Widerhofer made his report to the Emperor, that the true state of affairs became known. The official gazette of Vienna still reported the original story that day: "His Royal and Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Archduke Rudolf, died yesterday at his hunting lodge of Mayerling, near Baden, from the rupture of an aneurism of the heart...

*1st husband of Eugenia Joris: unknown NEUMANN

Hugo NEUMANN Died: aft 1898
Baron Hermann Otto von WIDERHOFER Born: Feb 28, 1881 Buried: Mar 2, 1910 in Vienna-13, Austria Hietzinger cemetery
Baron Rudolf von WIDERHOFER Died: aft 1929

*another wife of Hermann von Widerhofer: Rosa KORKUS Born: abt 1856 Married: Sep 24, 1900 Buried: May 23, 1930 in Vienna-13, Austria Hietzinger cemetery

Moriz WIDERHOFER Born: 1833 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria. Died: aft 1901
Karl Engelbert WIDERHOFER Born: 1834 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria
Anton Michael WIDERHOFER Born: 1836 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria. Died: 1842 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria
Adolf WIDERHOFER Born: 1837 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria
Albin Anton WIDERHOFER Born: 1838 in Weyer, upper Austria, Austria. Died: aft 1901 + unknown
- Albin WIDERHOFER *geni

References:

Rohel-Bach-Bohm-Loew + Associates Stories

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