Anna Anderson: why or why not?

[Anna was Franziska]

Let's have a thread where we can state in so many words if we believe in AA or not ,and give the reasons for why we feel the way we do. If you believe, don't believe, or used to believe, tell us where you stand and why.

[PrinceOfCanada]

I'm pretty certain this has been done to death around here.

To summarize the positions:

Yes she is because I believe it and it's so romantic and tragic.

No she isn't because there is absolutely no credible evidence to support it, and a lot of evidence against it.

Which position is more tenable is an exercise best left up to the reader.

[Menarue]

No she isn't because there is absolutely no credible evidence to support it, and a lot of evidence against it.

Couldn´t say it better. Just one more detail to add. DNA.

[PrinceOfCanada]

More to the point, this isn't a matter of 'belief'. It is a matter of fact. The simple fact is that Anna Anderson was not related to the Romanovs. Period. People can believe otherwise if they choose--you can believe anything you like--but in the world of fact, the real world that we live in, there is only one answer.

[bbb]

NO...her claims aren't credible and DNA has proved it.

[ChatNoir]

The DNA says NO! But since we cannot be 100% sure if the samples in question really did belong to AA, it leaves the door open for the mystery to continue.
On the other side, we all know that AA looked very much like AN, so much that 4 expert professors came to the conclusion that they had to be the same people or identical twins. Their ears matched, they had Bilateral Hallux Valgus, both more developed on the right foot than the left. They had identical scars, and in addition AA had a fractured upper and lower jaw, damage to her scull and signs of inner bleeding on her brain. All signs of a hard blow to the head. Plus a scar that was apparently from a glancing bullet behind her ear. And a scar from a triangular bayonet on her foot. They shared the same "unimitable" laugh, the same rapid gait and the same temperament. They both had reddish blonde hair with "the same wave", and both had the luminous blue eyes that by several people in the know were described as "the eyes of the Tsar." AA had a lot, and I mean a lot, of information about the private lives of the IF. She could name ladies in waiting and servants from photographs, and she recognized people like Gilliard, Shura, Olga, Tatiana and Gleb Botkin on sight. Her handwriting was found by two experts to be identical to that of AN, and when angry, red and white blotches would break out on her skin, just like on the Tsarina. She knew the same languages and never made a faux pas in the company of royalty or members of the upper classes. Even in her delirious fever fantasies she never gave herself away as somebody else. Several people who knew AN as a child and teenager never wavered in their conviction that AA was AN.
All this must be considered and weighed against the DNA.
And that's what makes the story interesting.

[Odette]

No, I do not believe AA was the daughter of the Tsar. I read that her grandmother refused to meet with her, after members of the court met with her. This sounds strange. If there was a scintilla of evidence that she may have been her grand daughter shouldn't I believe they would move her to Danemark to meet her? What everyone saw or said could be fueled by a hope that AA was actually one of the Grand Duchesses but it is doubtful she survived the massacre.

[lilytornado]

When I was a little girl I grew up believing the story was true. It is a tragic fascinating and romantic story and I understand why so many people want to believe it is true.
Later when I was about 14 I made a trip to the countryside with my mother and grandmother and we looked at different churches including the graveyard at Seeon where Anna Anderson is buried and we looked at the graves.
There my mother showed me "Anastasia"'s grave but told me that meanwhile a DNA test has proven that she was fake.
At first I didn't want to believe it and was quite disappointed. But DNA is quite convincing to me.
Later I started reading more about it as I find the whole case quite interesting.
I have to say that personally I find the photo-evidence very convincing. To me Anastasia has a very distinctive face (especially the chin and the nose but also something around her eyes). She didn't look like Anna Anderson at all; every time I see a picture that is new for me (no matter how much it is posed) I can tell the very first second if it is Anna Anderson or Anastasia! How would that be possible if they were the same person or looked like identical twins!
Yes, people's faces change but not that much. If you look at a 4-year old Anastasia or a 16-year old, it is still the same face.
And then, there is so much evidence against it... some of the arguments that she was Anastasia are just that unconvincing.

[COUNTESS]

No, DNA is quite reliable. Too many forced coincidences.

[PrinceOfCanada]

On the other side, we all know that AA looked very much like AN

It has been proven time and time and time again that no matter how much we humans like to think we can see family resemblance, it is completely unreliable.

DNA, on the other hand..

[PrinceOfCanada]

And again.. facial resemblance means less than nothing, especially when DNA completely rules it out.

[COUNTESS]

Many unrelated people may resemble others. I have a dear friend people take for my sister. We are totally unrelated.

[Marengo]

This thread has been re-opened and a poll has been added, as suggested by some of you. Enjoy .

Note that the main discussion about Anna Anderson's claim is in this thread. We urge you to keep the discussion there so this thread can be used by voters explaining why they think who Anna Anderson was who. Extensive discussions in this thread will be deleted or moved to the appropriate thread.

Marengo, on behalf of the Russian Moderators

[Russophile]

I still am undecided. I know there is DNA and I know AWF tells us all to "give it up", but it just doesn't smell right to me. We have been known to have intuition in the family and mine tells me something's not right here.

[AnastasiaEvidence]

My vote will always be AA is FS. There really isn't any evidence at all that AA was Anastasia. The photographs clearly show the differences between AA and Anastasia. No, I don't believe AA was Anastasia. DNA, witnesses and accounts, from people who actually known Anastasia well, is good enough to explain that AA isn't Anstasia for me.

[Warren]

As we're having a re-hash of the Anna Anderson's claim to be Grand Duchess Anastasia thread I have moved the relevant posts over and closed this thread.

Warren
Russian Forums moderator