Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg

Princess Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg (born Princess Tatiana Hilarionovna Vassiltchikova; ; 1 January 1915 – 26 July 2006) was a Russian aristocrat, philanthropist, artist, and patron of the arts. She published her books and watercolours under the name Tatiana von Metternich. She supported charity, especially the Red Cross and the Order of St. Lazarus, which she served as Grand Bailiff for Germany. She was a founding member of the Rheingau Musik Festival, made parts of Schloss Johannisberg available as concert venues for the festival and served as the president of its Kuratorium until her death.

Family Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg was born in Saint Petersburg, the second daughter of Prince Hilarion Sergueïevitch Vassiltchikov (1881–1969), a member of the Russian Imperial Parliament Fourth Duma, and his wife, the former Princess Lidiya Leonidovna Vyazemskaya (1886–1946). On 6 September 1941 in Berlin-Grunewald, she married Paul Alfons von Metternich-Winneburg, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg, Grandee of Spain, Duke of Portella and Count of Königswart (1917–1992), son of Clemens von Metternich, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg, and Isabel de Silva y Carvajal, Countess of Castillejo.

They took refuge, initially in France, where she and her sister Princess Marie Vassiltchikov (1917–1978) were educated at the Lycée of St Germain-en-Laye.

Tatiana von Metternich published several books, some of them illustrated with her own watercolours. After her husband's death, the hall was named "Fürst-von-Metternich-Saal". Concerts of sacred music are performed in the Basilika; chamber music, including the annual composer's portrait, in the Fürst-von-Metternich-Saal; open-air concerts are performed in various courts; and the annual "Sommerfest" takes place on all public grounds of the estate. She served as the first president of the festival's curators until her death and was kept on the list as "Gründungsvorsitzende" (founding president).

Upon her husband's death in 1992 she faced that he had left a considerable portion of his fortune to a mistress, which meant she was forced to sell her remaining share of Schloss Johannisberg to the Oetker family. She was permitted to remain at the Schloss until her death; suffering ill health in her last years. She adopted a relative, Don Alvaro de Salinas, as her heir.

She sponsored charity projects, especially in the Order of Saint Lazarus, which she joined in 1978. She succeeded her husband as the organization's "Grand Bailiff" in Germany until her death at Schloss Johannisberg on 26 July 2006. She and her husband are buried next to the Basilika of Schloss Johannisberg.

Awards 1970: Award of Honour (Ehrenzeichen) of the German Red Cross 1990: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st class 1999: Georg August Zinn Medal 2001: , the highest award of the state of Hesse 2003: Ring of Honour (Ehrenring) of the District of Rheingau-Taunus

Selected publications Tatiana Metternich: Purgatory of fools: A memoir of the aristocrats' war in Nazi Germany 1976 Tatiana Metternich-Wassiltchikow: Was wird aus Russland? Der dornige Weg in die Demokratie, Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main 1992, Tatiana Metternich: "Pfauenthron / Peacock Throne: Reisetagebuch / Travelling Chronicle Johannisberg, Teheran, Persepolis, German/English, Modul-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2002, Tatiana Metternich: Tatiana: Five passports in a shifting Europe, 1976