Viktoria zu Eulenburg

also known as: Tora Haas-Heye



Viktoria Ada Astrid Agnes zu Eulenburg was born on 13 June 1886 in Starnberg (Germany). She was the youngest child of Philipp Prince zu Eulenburg (1847-1921), a close friend of German Emperor Wilhelm II. and therefore important diplomat in the German Empire.
I found no information about the childhood and education of Viktoria zu Eulenburg, but it seems clear she received a very good musical education. Her father Philipp Prince zu Eulenburg himself was artistically trained and interested - he composed the quite popular "Rosenlieder". And one of Viktorias brothers - Botho Sigwart zu Eulenburg - made a career as a professional composer known just by his given names Botho Sigwart.
As an aristocratic lady at that time there was no need to learn a profession or find a job, but marry well. In 1908 Viktoria - nicknamed "Tora" (or sometimes "Thora") - became engaged to Count Alfred zu Dohna-Mallmitz, but this liaison was broken the same year (maybe as a result a new trial against Philipp Prince zu Eulenburg within the Harden-Eulenburg Affair). On 12 May 1909 Viktoria zu Eulenburg finally married the painter and fashion designer Otto Haas-Heye. In those years Viktoria zu Eulenburg named herself "Tora Haas-Heye". They settled in Partenkirchen, but soon moved to first London and since 1911 to Saint-Cloud near Paris because of the professional success of Otto Haas-Heye. With the outbreak of World War I Viktoria zu Eulenburg and her husband had to leave France and they returned to Germany. At that time the relationship between Viktoria and her husband was already burdened and Otto Haas-Heye settled in Berlin, Viktoria zu Eulenburg in Liebenberg, in the north of Berlin. There is little known about the activities of Viktoria zu Eulenburg in the following decades. In 1921 she got divorced from Otto Haas-Heye and returned to her maiden's name. A huge scandal around the family occured in 1942 when the youngest daughter of Viktoria zu Eulenburg - Libertas and her husband Harro Schulze-Boysen - were discovered as resistance fighters by the Nazi regime. Both were executed on 22 December 1942. Viktoria zu Eulenburg as well as the two other children Ottora and Johannes were not part of the resistance movement and remained unoffended.
Viktoria zu Eulenburg died on 23 September 1967 in Starnberg (Germany).

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the composition "Volkslieder" by Viktoria zu Eulenburg. The sets contains of 5 songs, composed in 1905 when she was 19 years old and still unwed. My manuscript was penned down in 1911 and therefore signed as "Tora Haas-Heye". At the end of the manuscript is a handwritten dedication "Für die liebe Marie" (to the beloved Marie) and the time and place "1911, Saint-Cloud". The dedication might refer to Marie von Mayr-Melnhof, her sister-in-law.

The 5 "folk songs" are scored for two voices (or two-part choir) and piano. There are no references about the authors of the texts, so they were very likely written by Viktoria zu Eulenburg herself or by someone of her family. The 5 songs are titled 1. Auf der Wiese, 2. Frühlingstanz, 3. Herbst, 4. Tanzlied and 5. Der Hirt.