Eleonore Schönborn

Eleonore Gräfin von Schönborn ( Freiin von Doblhoff; 14 April 1920 – 25 February 2022) was an Austrian politician and member of the House of Schönborn. Being ethnic Germans, she and her family were expelled from Czechoslovakia in 1945, settling in Austria. She became the first woman to hold a procuriate in Vorarlberg, and to be elected to the Schruns municipal council.

She was director of the Montafoner Heimatmuseum, and co-founded an association for care of senior citizens at their homes. Schönborn had four children, including Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and the actor Michael Schönborn. She received awards for her work for cultural and social improvements in the region, including the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.

Life and career Eleonore Ottilie Hilda Maria Freiin von Doblhoff was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, the youngest daughter of Baron Herbert von Doblhoff (1887–1932) and his wife, Gertrud von Skutezky (1891–1945). By birth, she was member of the Doblhoff family, an Austrian noble family dating back to the 16th century, originating in Tyrol. She grew up at her family estate in Ratschitz, where she attended a boarding school. Her father died of multiple sclerosis while she was still young.

In April 1942, she met the painter Count Hugo-Damian von Schönborn (1916–1979), They married in Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Germany, on 10 May that year and took up residence in Skalka Castle in Vlastislav. He was convinced that Hitler was a criminal, wanted to do as little as possible for the war, and stubbornly refused to become an officer in the Wehrmacht, which would have been his position.

In September 1945, Schönborn was expelled from Czechoslovakia and fled with her two small children Philipp and Christoph. She found shelter first with relatives in in Lower Austria. From 1946, she lived with her sister in Graz, where she was later reunited with her husband. She made a living working at the company in Bludenz, where she worked for 30 years. Due to her language proficiency, she was promoted to chief secretary, procurist and press speaker, the first woman in such positions in Vorarlberg. She had a house built for her family, and was active in the council of the church parish. From 1979 to 2000, she was museum director of the . She founded, together with nurse and nun Bernardis Hinrichs, an association for medical assistance and care at home (Krankenpflegeverein Außermontafon). In 2008, she was made an honorary member. She was a committed European and also a passionate card player. With limited ability to move, and almost completely blind, Schönborn died in Schruns on 25 February 2022, aged 101.