Castle bric-a-brac sale to make pounds 7m
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.FAMILY treasures to be sold later this month by Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, nicknamed Germany's 'punk princess', were unveiled by Sotheby's yesterday.
Gloria von Thurn und Taxis - who in 1980, at the age of 20, married into one of Europe's oldest and wealthiest aristocratic families - is selling thousands of items to cover tax and debts.
The princess, who was working as a barmaid in a Munich cafe when she met her prince, delighted the gossip columnists. Her hairstyles came in a punk palette of colours, she was arrested with hashish in her hat box, and she loved motorcycles as much as parties.
However, since becoming business manager of the family fortunes, she has orchestrated a clear-out from the family's 25 castles - including the 500-room Schloss St Emmeram in Regensburg, northern Bavaria. She is selling 3,500 lots of bric-a-brac - paintings, prints, jewellery, silver and 75,000 bottles of wine.
Such is the scale of this sale - furniture alone includes 400 tables, 940 chairs, sofas, stools and benches - it will be spread over nine days. Sotheby's describes it as the longest sale held by an English auction house this century. And it is only a fraction of what is left in the collection. The items, expected to fetch more than pounds 7m, are being sold to cover duties following the death in December 1990 of Prince Johannes von Thurn und Taxis. Family heirlooms worth pounds 9m were sold in November 1992.
The family's fortune, built up on Europe's first postal system in the 15th century, includes property in the United States, Canada and Brazil as well as Europe. The Thurn und Taxis family is one of Europe's biggest landowners.
The auction takes place in the Carriage Museum at Schloss St Emmeram from 12 to 21 October.
(Photographs omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments