FERDINAND I (Prince Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg, 1861-1948, King of Bulgaria 1908-1918, ‘Foxy Ferdinand’)

Typed letter boldly signed ‘Ferdinand R’ with a subscription, in German with translation, to Dr Werner Kieschke, thanking him for his “kind letter... reached me here at Piestany which I have come to whilst following a minor follow-up cure at Trencin. It was a particular pleasure for me to read your kind words reminding me of the hours we spent together which, as they do for you, constitute some of my most treasured memories because of the abundance of sparkling conversation I heard whilst with your family. I was very interested to hear about the journey you are now about to make to the town where I spent tens of years working. I am especially gratified that the far-reaching preparatory work you have done with regard to extending Mitropa international facilities to the countries in the south-east has been more and more successful. Once the chaos of war is over, you will get all the credit when the vision of fast comfortable railway links between central and south-eastern Europe, which are already longed for today, can be brought to full fruition. In the meantime I hope that your Slovakian cure will prove very beneficial to you and your wife...”, 1 side A4 with a fine headed monogram with crown and collar at the head and original hand written envelope with seal, Piestany, 10th October

Ferdinand, highly intelligent but vain, developed modern Sofia and proclaimed himself Tsar (King) of Bulgaria the day before Austria annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina. By surrendering to the Allies in September 1918 he cut off Austria from Turkey and hastened the end of the first world war, abdicating the following month, and retiring to Coburg. His son Boris III was in great difficulties with the Germans at the time of this letter, and died mysteriously later that year. Sväty-Antal is the Slovak name for Szent-Antal (St. Anthony), on his Kohary estates, transferred from Hungary when the new Czechoslavakia was formed.
There is an entry in a list of Prisoners of War of “Dr Werner Kieschke, Prussian State Railway Department, detained in London: request that he be considered a consular official for purposes of possible exchange” which may refer to the recipient of this letter.

Item Date:  1941

Stock No:  42587      £375

             Add to Wish List     Order/Enquire