Photos of Duke Radziwill’s granddaughter on show at Osipovichi’s Museum of Local History
The exhibition features unique photos from the collection of Duke Konstantin Hohenlohe Schillingsfürst; for over a century, these were kept by heirs of Duchess Martia Hohenlohe, in an ancient palace in the north of Bavaria. Duchess Maria — a granddaughter of Dominik Radziwill — owned over 170 mansions within Belarusian territory (covering a million hectares). Being a citizen of Germany, she lived there, but loved to visit the land of her forefathers, hunting deer and bear.
In the autumn of 1889 and the winter of 1890, Duchess Maria toured her mansions across the Russian Empire (most situated in Belarus), accompanied by professional photographer Johann Hicks. German by origin, he served the Verki mansion (owned by Piotr Wittgenstein) for a long time. In the photos, Maria and her family members appear in hunting attire, often posing near killed animals. Hunting was common in what is now known as the Osipovichi District, where the duchess had several mansions. The collection also includes group photos of hunters (taken by local residents).
The granddaughter of the powerful Radziwill was clearly a success at hunting.
Photos of Duke Radziwill’s granddaughter on show at Osipovichi’s Museum of Local History
Successful hunting by Duchess Maria Hohenlohe
