Anna Anderson
The most famous royal impostor of the 20th century, whose decades-long claim to be a murdered Romanov princess captivated the world.
1896–1984 (age 88)·Impostor of Grand Duchess Anastasia·Birthday: December 16·The Lost Generation
Biography
In 1920, a young woman was pulled from a Berlin canal, and from that murky rescue emerged one of history's most persistent mysteries. Claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the last Tsar of Russia, Anna Anderson spent the next 60 years insisting she had survived the execution of her family. Her story, a tapestry of vague memories, convincing emotional fits, and physical resemblances, divided exiled Russian aristocrats and the public alike. Some relatives vehemently denounced her; others became devoted supporters, drawn in by her haunting demeanor and knowledge of intimate court details. She lived a peripatetic, often destitute life, her identity claim the central drama of her existence. The debate raged through books, lawsuits, and a famous Hollywood film. It was only after her death that DNA testing conclusively proved she had no relation to the Romanovs, finally closing a chapter of romantic speculation that had overshadowed the grim reality of the imperial family's fate.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Anna was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Died at 88
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
Key Achievements
- Her claim sparked a global fascination with the Romanovs, leading to numerous books, documentaries, and a 1956 film.
- Successfully garnered support from several members of European nobility and some Romanov relatives for decades.
- Her legal case for recognition in German courts became a long-running public spectacle that kept her story in the news.
- Became the direct inspiration for the fictional character 'Anya' in the 1997 animated film 'Anastasia'.
Did You Know?
Her real identity was later established through DNA testing to be Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish factory worker with a history of mental illness.
She spent time in mental asylums both before and after making her identity claim.
Anderson married a history professor named John Manahan in 1968, shortly before the statute of limitations on her appeal case expired.
She lived in the United States for the latter part of her life, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“I am Anastasia Nikolaevna, and I demand you recognize my name.”
