Valerie-Marie Marie von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenurg, Herzogin von Arenberg

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•Cinderella from Liptovský Mikulá :

The fairy tale of Cinderella, who turned into a princess from a poor girl, happened also in Liptovský Mikulá . The story was experienced by a Jewish girl called Valéria Mária. The new English princess could probably not fully identify with her new identity and this probably caused her suicide. The fact that she was a princess didn to bring much happiness into her life, she died before her time and there is a suicide speculation.

The life of grandson of the English Queen Victoria, Albert Ján Charles Frederick Arthur George, later duke of Schleswig- Holstein (1869 1931), not only influenced the English Royal family, but also the town of Liptovský Mikulá . Some time at the end of the 19th century, he had a love affair with the 30 year old Prussian noblewoman, Baroness Berta von Wernitz and they were expecting a child. A single mother and an illegitimate child were enough reason for scandal among the high aristocratic circles. Therefore, she had to give birth in secret and the child in adoption says Peter Vitek, historian and director of the State archives in Liptovský Mikulá . The leading role of this story was played by the sister of the later surrogate mother of the child, Anna Rosenthal, who came from Weissenohe in Bavaria. According to the documents, she told Anna to take the child in return of a high financial sum. She probably served on the estates of the family Schleswig-Holstein and she advised the duke to choose the distant Liptovský Mikulá as a place for the secret childbirth , explains the historian.

Biological father: Prince Albert.

FROM THE CONFESSION OF PATERNITY: I am not sure whether it was not cruel that I wrote you all that. Please, forgive the dead. I wish you all the best from my heart. God bless you. Your father. (hand-written in German)

Life in Mikulá :

At the end of the year 1899, Anna Rosenthal met a widower, Rubin Schwalb, the director of the Jewish school in Liptovský Mikulá . The wedding took place some time at the turn of the years 1899 and 1900, at an unknown place, as there are no records about this event in the registry books of Liptovský Mikulá during the years 1899-1900 explains the historian. Baroness von Wernitz gave birth to the daughter, Valéria Mária, on the 3rd of April 1900 in Liptovský Mikulá . After a difficult childbirth, she died the next day. Anna Rosenthal was probably present during the delivery, acting as servant of the Baroness. She lay hidden all the time and showed up in town only after the baby was born, so that the people of Mikulá would not notice that she had not been pregnant , assumes P. Vitek. The real mother of Mária Valéria was secretly buried near the church of Granč- Petrovce in Spi . There are no records about it, but it is being claimed by the current descendants of family Wernitz, adds the historian. During her childhood, Valéria Mária grew up in the Jewish family and was brought up with the surname Schwalb in the Jewish community. She went to a Jewish school with her half brother Alfréd, who was one year younger. She had quite good results in school, but not always in behaviour. According to a later claim of her surrogate mother, a mysterious man occasionally came to the family. He brought money and had an interest in Valéria. Thanks to him, the Schwalb family found out that the child's father was a prince and the mother a distinguished princess, states the historian.

Life in Vienna:

Further information about Valéria is from the twenties, when Valéria, on the 28th of June 1925, married Ernest Johan Wagner, a University professor of Law in Vienna, where they lived until 1938 , says P. Vitek. In 1938, Valérias life changed after receiving a letter from her biological father, Duke Albert of Schleswig-Holstein. He confessed that she was his illegitimate daughter, whom he had had with a lady of a high noble family. He apologised for everything and he mentioned also that he was in poor health. Valéria was supposed to present the letter to the Duke's sister. The last sentences of the letter are dramatic: I am not sure whether it was not cruel that I wrote you all that. Please, forgive the dead , he adds. The duke died in 1931.

She had to change her life:

The sisters of the Duke decided to reveal her origins. The fear of Jewish persecution forced them to, as Valéria was officially Jewish. The request to change a surname, along with evidence materials, was filed at the County Council in Bratislava. These included officially authenticated documents and certified translations , says P. Vitek. On the 14th of February 1938, Valéria Mária divorced E. Wagner and moved to Budapest. After the official surname change, she had a civil marriage on the 15th of June 1939 in Berlin Charlottenburg with Belgian Charles Engelbert, 10th Prince of Arenberg (1899 1974) and on the 9th of October 1940 their church wedding took place in Münster, Westphalia. She spent her agitated lifetime in seclusion and had no children. She felt wrenched from the environment where she had grown up. She imagined pictures of the deceased members of the Schwalb family, especially of her adoptive mother, who died in a concentration camp and whom Valéria loved so much. Perhaps also the feeling of helplessness, caused by the lost identity, drove her to the extreme and forced her to put an early end to her life , assumes the historian. Valéria Mária died childless on the 14th of August 1953 in Mont Boron in Nice, South of France. Her husband outlived her 21 years.