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110-588: Until around 1910, there was a longstanding division between the southern side of the village, known as Greater Appony ( Nagyappony in Hungarian, Veľké Oponice in Slovak) and traditionally held by the Apponyis , and the northern side or Lesser Appony ( Kisappony , Malé Oponice ), where other families have long been dominant. The Church of St Peter and St Paul marked the boundary between the two sections. The name

220-748: A Jewish baby, but she settled for a French one. She also raised them in different religions in order to further her model for the world, taking two children from Algeria and raising one child as a Muslim and raising the other child as a Catholic . One member of the Tribe, Jean-Claude Baker, said: "She wanted a doll". Baker raised two daughters, French-born Marianne and Moroccan -born Stellina, and 10 sons, Japanese -born Janot (born Teruya) and Akio, Colombian -born Luis, Finnish -born Jari (now Jarry), French-born Jean-Claude, Noël, and Moïse, Algerian -born Brahim (later Brian), Ivorian -born Koffi, and Venezuelan -born Mara. Later on, Josephine Baker would become

330-451: A count , persuaded her to let him manage her. He became not only Baker's manager, but her lover as well. The two could not marry because she was not yet divorced from her second husband, Willie Baker. During this period, she released her most successful song, "J'ai deux amours" (1931). The song expresses the sentiment that "I have two loves, my country and Paris." In a 2007 book, Tim Bergfelder, Sue Harris, and Sarah Street claimed that "by

440-559: A hysterectomy . The infection spread and she developed peritonitis and then sepsis . After her recovery (which she continued to fall in and out of), she started touring to entertain British, French, and American soldiers in North Africa. The Free French had no organized entertainment network for their troops, so Baker and her entourage managed for the most part on their own. They allowed no civilians and charged no admission. After

550-488: A "Bakerfix" hair gel, as well as bananas, shoes, and cosmetics, among other products. In 1929, Baker became the first African-American star to visit Yugoslavia , which she included on a tour through Central Europe via the Orient Express . In Belgrade , she performed at Luxor Balkanska, then the city's most luxurious venue. In a nod to local culture, she included a Pirot kilim in her routine, and donated some of

660-577: A castle near Pressburg (Pozsony, today's Bratislava ) which had been purchased by his grandfather György and which his descendants kept until the dismemberment of the Kingdom of Hungary . Members of this branch are still alive today. György, son of György and grandson of Antal György, was a prominent conservative politician. He was Hungarian chancellor (1846–48) and Speaker of the Hungarian House of Magnates in 1861. Albert, son of György ,

770-462: A child, and developed street smarts playing in the railroad yards of Union Station . Her mother married Arthur Martin, "a kind but perpetually unemployed man", with whom she had a son and two more daughters. She took in laundry to make ends meet, and, at eight years old, Josephine began working as a live-in domestic for white families in St. Louis. One woman abused her, burning Josephine's hands when

880-510: A decent voice to la grande diva magnifique ... I swear in all my life I have never seen, and probably never shall see again, such a spectacular singer and performer." Despite her popularity in France , Baker never attained the equivalent reputation in America . Her star turn in a 1936 revival of " Ziegfeld Follies " on Broadway was not commercially successful, and later in the run she

990-531: A grand ceremony on 27 April 1938. She reigned as Queen consort for less than a year, then spent most of her long life in exile. The two brothers Rezső and Gyula Apponyi inherited Lengyel Castle in 1863 from their uncle József Apponyi (1788–1863), third son of Antal György. Rezső took over Lengyel while Gyula stayed in Appony (Oponice). Members of this branch lived in Lengyel until 1930. Rudolf , son of Antal,

1100-542: A hill above the village probably already existed in the time of Great Moravia and was acquired by the Apponyis in 1392. In 1645 it was badly damaged by fire and was finally destroyed by the Habsburg army in 1708 after it had been used by Kuruc rebels during Rákóczi's War of Independence . The manor in the village was built in stages from the 16th century onwards and was used as one of the family's many residences from

1210-701: A living with street-corner dancing . It was at the Old Chauffeur's Club that Josephine met Willie Wells, whom she married at age 13, but the marriage lasted less than a year. Following her divorce from Wells, she found work with a street performance group called the Jones Family Band. In her teens, she struggled to have a healthy relationship with her mother, who opposed her becoming an entertainer and scolded her for not tending to her second husband, William Howard Baker, whom she had married in 1921, at age 15. She soon left him when her vaudeville troupe

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1320-673: A local show manager led to her recruitment for the St. Louis Chorus vaudeville act. At the age of 13, she headed to New York City during the Harlem Renaissance and performed at the Plantation Club, Florence Mills 's old stomping ground. After several auditions, she secured a role in the chorus line of a touring production of the groundbreaking and hugely successful Broadway revue " Shuffle Along " (1921) that helped bring public attention to Florence Mills, Paul Robeson , and Adelaide Hall . In "Shuffle Along", Baker

1430-582: A monastery dedicated to Saint Catherine in Dejte (now Dechtice ) in 1618. The monastery, today known as Katarínka , was dissolved in 1786 by Joseph II but its ruined church still stands. Lázár fought at the Siege of Buda (1686) , where his father Miklós Apponyi died. He was personally raised to the hereditary rank of Baron by Charles VI in Vienna on 16 February 1718, for his outstanding military contribution to

1540-475: A plaque honors his memory and that of his son György. The Apponyi Library ( Bibliotheca Apponiana ) was created around 1774 by Count Anton György Apponyi in Vienna, who took advantage for its build-up of the abolition of the monasteries by Joseph II. In 1827 it was moved to Pressburg in a dedicated building on Kozia Street, and on to Appony in 1846. It was partly dispersed in stages from the late 19th century to

1650-769: A position he held until 1848. He received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1836. He died in the Apponyi castle on 17 October 1852. Maria Teresa, née Nogarolla in Munich of an old family originally from Verona , married Antal Apponyi in 1808. She impressed diplomats at the Congress of Vienna and gained the nickname la divine Thérèse . Frédéric Chopin dedicated her his Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1 and Op. 27 No. 2 . Lajos, grandson of Antal and son of Gyula Apponyi (1816–1857),

1760-889: A renewed interest in non-Western art forms, including those of African origin, which Baker would represent. In later shows in Paris, she was often accompanied on stage by her pet cheetah , "Chiquita", donning a diamond collar. Chiquita frequently escaped into the orchestra pit , terrorizing the musicians and adding another element of excitement to the show. After a while, Baker became the most successful American entertainer in France. Ernest Hemingway called her "the most sensational woman anyone ever saw." The author spent hours talking with her in Parisian bars. Picasso depicted her alluring beauty. Jean Cocteau became friendly with her and helped vault her to international stardom. Baker endorsed

1870-675: A school. It was privatized in 1999 and renovated into a luxury hotel, but was embroiled in the troubles of controversial financier Ghaith Pharaon which led to its closing in the 2010s. The Swabian village of Lengyel ("Polish" in Hungarian) in Tolna County was purchased by Count Antal György Apponyi in 1799. The castle was built by Antal György's third son József in 1824–1829 and extensively remodeled from 1878 by Sándor Apponyi . It suffered fire damage in 1905. After Sándor's passing away, his widow Countess Alexandra Esterházy donated

1980-500: A series of harsh public rebukes, including accusations of Communist sympathies (a serious charge at the time). The ensuing publicity resulted in the termination of Baker's work visa, forcing her to cancel all her engagements and return to France. It was almost a decade before U.S. officials allowed her back into the country. In January 1966, Fidel Castro invited Baker to perform at the "Teatro Musical de La Habana" in Havana , Cuba, at

2090-694: A short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace, became an iconic image and a symbol both of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties . Baker was celebrated by artists and intellectuals of the era, who variously dubbed her the "Black Venus", the "Black Pearl", the "Bronze Venus", and the "Creole Goddess". Born in St. Louis, Missouri , she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French national after her marriage to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937. She raised her children in France. Baker aided

2200-660: A standing ovation. The following year, she appeared in a Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium , and then at the Monegasque Red Cross Gala , celebrating her 50 years in French show business. Advancing years and exhaustion began to take their toll; she sometimes had trouble remembering lyrics, and her speeches between songs tended to ramble. She still continued to captivate audiences of all ages. Although based in France, Baker supported

2310-524: A successful tour of Europe, she broke her contract and returned to France in 1926 to star at the Folies Bergère , setting the standard for her future acts. Baker performed the Danse Sauvage , wearing little more than a skirt of strung-together artificial bananas. Her success coincided with the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs , which gave birth to the term " Art Deco ", as well as

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2420-654: Is also believed to have composed several pieces for him. In 1795, Antal György Apponyi invited Ludwig van Beethoven to try his hand at a string quartet, an attempt that only materialized a few years later with the Opus 18 quartets published in 1801. From 1784 he rebuilt the castle in the domain his father had purchased in Hőgyész , and spent much of his later life there. György (Georg) Apponyi (1780–1849), eldest son of Antal György, established himself in Eberhárd (now Malinovo ),

2530-465: Is an Australian sculptor, born 1949 in a refugee camp near Munich. His father Albert Friedrich Apponyi, who descended from an illegitimate line of the family, was allowed to use the family name after emigrating to Australia. Over the years the Apponyis built or acquired numerous properties in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Vienna. At the peak they had around 30 properties to their name over the empire. Several of these still stand. The Apponyi fortress on

2640-549: Is an ancient hillside castle that may have been first built under the Great Moravian Empire and took a high medieval shape in the 13th century. It once belonged to Matthew III Csák , and subsequently to the King's demesne for most of the 14th century. It was granted to the family in 1392 by Sigismund of Luxemburg , following which they took up the Apponyi name. The Apponyis made major alterations and extensions in

2750-540: Is derived from Slovak opona , oponica – "a cover", "a tent", in modern Slovak "a curtain" ( Apon 1218, Opon 1315 – Veľké Oponice, Oponh 1300 – Malé Oponice). The name was probably motivated by a guard camp belonging to the neighbouring castle. It was Apponitz in German and Appony in Hungarian, thus the name of the Apponyi family which retains that spelling even when referred to in Slovak . The village's history

2860-553: Is the southern part of the area, which was long ruled by the Apponyi family. Many Apponyis were active in the military, politics, and/or the Catholic Church , as was customary in Hungarian aristocratic families. More distinctive of the Apponyi family was its tradition of Diplomacy for the Kingdom of Hungary then the Habsburg monarchy, and briefly for Interwar Hungary in the significant case of Albert Apponyi. Bibliophilia

2970-833: The Revue des deux Mondes in 1913. She devoted herself to philanthropy, together with her husband, especially with the hospital and school in Oponice. Henrik started a diplomatic career, in Berlin (1912–1913) and Istanbul (1913–1914), but that was cut short by World War I and the end of the Habsburg monarchy . He relocated to Oponice in 1918 and dedicated his life to adventurous traveling, particularly in Sudan (1924) and India and Tibet (1930). His travel notes were published in London in 1937 under

3080-727: The American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s. When she arrived in New York with her husband Jo, they were refused reservations at 36 hotels because of racial discrimination. This led her to write several articles about segregation in the United States. She also traveled in the South, giving a talk at Fisk University , a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee , on "France, North Africa and

3190-681: The Compromise of 1867 , however, the use of Hungarian was suppressed in nobility families such as the Apponyis, and German names were more customary. The Apponyis claimed ancestors among the Magyar tribes through the Péc clan . Beyond genealogy , little is known of the family history until the Late Middle Ages . In Miklós's time the family was granted the fortress of Appony (now Oponice ) by King Sigismund in 1392, upon which it took up

3300-655: The Deuxième Bureau , the French military intelligence agency, as an "honorable correspondent". Baker worked with Jacques Abtey, the head of French counterintelligence in Paris. She socialized with the Germans at embassies, ministries, night clubs, charming them while secretly gathering information. Her café-society fame enabled her to rub shoulders with those in the know, from high-ranking Japanese officials to Italian and Vichy bureaucrats, reporting to Abtey what she heard. She attended parties and gathered information at

3410-822: The French Resistance during World War II . After the war, she was awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation , the Croix de Guerre by the French military , and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by General Charles de Gaulle . Baker sang: "I have two loves: my country and Paris." On November 30, 2021, Baker was inducted into the Panthéon in Paris,

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3520-838: The Habsburg fights against the Ottoman Empire . Charles VI then made Lázár Count of Nagy-Appony on 30 May 1739 in Laxenburg , and his descendants kept that title until the end of the monarchic period. The family's coat of arms also dates from that moment. József, son of Lázár, joined the Society of Jesus in Vienna in 1736, studied there and in Graz until 1741, then taught grammar in Győr (1742) and Trnava (1743). He later lectured in philosophy, logic, mathematics, physics, theology, and ethics. His Oratio de augustissimo verbi incarnati mysterio

3630-645: The Hungarian name Apponyi Antal refers to the same individual as Anton Apponyi (German), Antoine Apponyi (French), or Antonius Apponyi (Latin) - Latin having remained widely used as a written language in Hungary well into the modern era. English-language historiography generally displays the first given name in Hungarian, but with the family name put last as customary in Europe outside of Hungary, e.g. Antal Apponyi. During Josephinism and its aftermath until around

3740-600: The Ku Klux Klan but said publicly that she was not afraid of them. In 1951, Baker made charges of racism against Sherman Billingsley 's Stork Club in Manhattan, where she had been refused service. Actress Grace Kelly , who was at the club at the time, rushed over to Baker, took her by the arm and stormed out with her entire party, vowing never to return (although she returned on 3 January 1956 with Prince Rainier of Monaco ). The two women became close friends after

3850-675: The Maharaja of Patiala in 1930. It was sold in the late 1930s to the Slezák family and was taken over under Czechoslovakia's Communist regime by an agricultural cooperative , which caused considerable degradation to both the building and the Library. It was acquired by a school in 1970 but renovation projects did not come to fruition. In 2007 it was privatized by the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture . The new owners subsequently restored

3960-552: The Order of the Golden Fleece in 1921. He was also well respected by all of the major leaders of the time, such as Theodore Roosevelt who considered him a very dear friend, along with stayed at his estate when he came to visit Budapest in 1910. Upon his death he was also granted the title of prince regent a title which although not hereditary in nature can still be used for state matters and when referring to Albert Apponyi . Clotilde, née von Mensdorff-Pouilly and wife of Albert,

4070-416: The civil rights movement , Baker began to adopt children, forming a family which she often referred to as "The Rainbow Tribe". Baker wanted to prove that "children of different ethnicities and religions could still be brothers." She often took the children with her cross-country, and when they were at Château des Milandes , she arranged tours so visitors could walk the grounds and see how natural and happy

4180-436: The 'primitive-to-Parisienne' narrative that would become the staple of Baker's cinema career, and exploited in particular her comic stage persona based on loose-limbed athleticism and artful clumsiness." The sound films "Zouzou" (1934) and "Princesse Tam Tam" were both star vehicles for Baker. Under the management of Abatino, Baker's stage and public persona, as well as her singing voice, were transformed. In 1934, she took

4290-467: The 12th century. It has an 1869 organ donated by Countess Szofia Apponyi. On the southern side is a low building that leads to the crypt of the Apponyi family , where burials were made from the late 18th century to the death of the last resident family member, Count Henrik Apponyi , in 1935. Before 1790, Apponyi family members were buried in nearby monasteries such as Zobor Abbey , but these were dissolved under Joseph II and remains were transferred to

4400-467: The 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. It fell into ruin in the 17th century following fire in 1645. Count Lazar Apponyi moved to the more comfortable Apponyi Castle downhill in the village, which he had started to build. The fortress was last used as a stronghold during Rákóczi's War of Independence ; following the Habsburg victory near Trenčín in August 1708 it was destroyed like many nobility strongholds in

4510-676: The 16th to the early 20th centuries. A major addition was the construction in the mid-19th century of a dedicated new wing to host the Apponyi Library following its transfer from Bratislava . The castle was inhabited by a number of members of the family, including Count Lajos Apponyi (1849-1909) and his two sons, Gyula (1873-1924) and Henrik (1885-1935), the last occupant from the family. Geraldine Apponyi , daughter of Count Gyula also spent part of her childhood there and kept fond memories of it. The castle hosted illustrious visitors, including Theodore Roosevelt in 1910, Josephine Baker , and

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4620-584: The 1930's, Baker's assimilation into French popular culture had been completed by her association with the song." She starred in four films, which found success only in Europe: the silent film Siren of the Tropics (1927), Zouzou (1934) and Princesse Tam Tam (1935). She starred in Fausse Alerte in 1940. Bergfelder, Harris, and Street wrote that the silent film Siren of the Tropics "rehearses

4730-570: The Apponyi name. Brothers Péter and Pál were made Barons in June 1606 by King Rudolf in recognition of their fight against the Ottomans . They were signatories of the Peace of Vienna with Stephen Bocskai in the same year. They died without heirs, which meant no sons could carry on the baronial title. Balázs, a cousin of Péter and Pál, inherited the Appony domain after Péter's death. He in turn

4840-819: The Budapest Park Club and of the Budapest Applied Art Society. Marguerite, née von Seherr-Thoss ( de ) from an ancient noble family in Silesia , married Lajos Apponyi in 1871. She was an active manager of the Appony estate and of the family's literary legacy. She ensured the publications of the memoirs of Rezső Apponyi (of the Jablánc line) and of her son Henrik Apponyi. She also had the decades-long correspondence of her mother-in-law Szofia (née Sztáray, wife of Gyula) with Charles de Montalembert edited by François Buloz and published in

4950-402: The Equality of the Races in France". She refused to perform for segregated audiences in the United States, although she was offered $ 10,000 by a Miami club; the club eventually met her demands. Her insistence on mixed audiences helped to integrate live entertainment shows in the Las Vegas Valley . After this incident, she began receiving threatening phone calls from people claiming to be from

5060-408: The Folies Bergère. Bolstered by recognition of her wartime heroism, Baker the performer assumed a new gravitas, unafraid to take on serious music or subject matter. The engagement was a rousing success and reestablished Baker as one of Paris' pre-eminent entertainers. In 1951, Baker was invited back to the United States for a nightclub engagement in Miami. After winning a public battle over desegregating

5170-402: The French industrialist Jean Lion, and became a French citizen. They were married in the French town of Crèvecœur-le-Grand , in a wedding presided over by the mayor, Jammy Schmidt. Between 1933 and 1937, Baker was a guest at the start of the Tour de France on four occasions. In September 1939, when France declared war on Germany in response to the invasion of Poland, Baker was recruited by

5280-589: The Italian embassy without raising suspicion. When the Germans invaded France, Baker left Paris and went to the Château des Milandes , her home in the Dordogne département in the south of France. She housed people who were eager to help the Free French effort led by Charles de Gaulle and supplied them with visas. As an entertainer, Baker had an excuse for moving around Europe, visiting neutral nations such as Portugal, as well as some in South America. She carried information for transmission to England, about airfields, harbors, and German troop concentrations in

5390-480: The Lengyel line; 1802–1853) served as a junior diplomat ( attaché ) in Paris from 1826 to 1850, hired by the Habsburg monarchy's ambassador his distant uncle Antal. Long after his death, his notes from this period, which had been kept in the family library, were edited in Paris by Ernest Daudet at the instigation of Count Lajos Apponyi's wife Marguerite, and published by Plon in four volumes between 1913 and 1926 as Journal du Comte Rodolphe Apponyi . Silvio Apponyi

5500-523: The March; some thought her time overseas had made her a woman of France, one who was disconnected from the Civil Rights issues going on in America. In her speech, one of the things Baker said: I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens, and into the houses of presidents and much more. But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth. And then look out, 'cause when Josephine opens her mouth, they hear it all over

5610-475: The Oponice church crypt. In 1846, following the closure of the Apponyi Public Library in Bratislava , the monumental coat of arms that had decorated the Library building was transferred and placed above the exterior entrance of that building. In 1910 following the previous year's death of Count Lajos Apponyi , his widow Margarethe had a large memorial plaque added on the side. Apponyi family The House of Apponyi , also known as Apponyi de Nagy-Appony ,

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5720-416: The Stork Club incident was overblown. ) Baker also worked with the NAACP . Her reputation as a crusader grew to such an extent that the NAACP had Sunday, May 20, 1951, declared "Josephine Baker Day". She was presented with life membership with the NAACP by Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche . The honor she was paid spurred her to further her crusading efforts with the " Save Willie McGee " rally. McGee

5830-586: The Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret). In 1937, Baker married Frenchman Jean Lion, but they separated in 1940. She married French composer and conductor Jo Bouillon in 1947, and their union lasted 14 years before also ending in divorce . Later, she was involved with the artist Robert Brady for a time, but they never married. Speculation exists that Baker was also involved in sexual liaisons, if not relationships, with blues singer Clara Smith , Ada "Bricktop" Smith , French novelist Colette , and Frida Kahlo . During her participation in

5940-588: The United States by Coretta Scott King , following Martin Luther King Jr. 's assassination . After thinking it over, Baker declined the offer out of concern for the welfare of her children. Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri . Baker's ancestry is unknown—her mother, Carrie, was adopted in Little Rock, Arkansas , in 1886 by Richard and Elvira McDonald, both of whom were former slaves of African and Native American descent. Baker's estate identifies vaudeville drummer Eddie Carson as her natural father despite evidence to

6050-424: The West of France. Notes were written in invisible ink on Baker's sheet music. As described in Jazz Cleopatra , "She specialized in gatherings at embassies and ministries, charming people as she had always done, but at the same time trying to remember interesting items to transmit". Later in 1941, she and her entourage went to the French colonies in North Africa. The stated reason was Baker's health (since she

6160-399: The acquisition of seventeen grand domains between 1760 and 1800. In the last century of the Habsburg monarchy , four of its members received the Order of the Golden Fleece , a total held in a draw among the European nobility by the houses of Esterházy , Batthyány , Cziráki  [ de ] and Pálffy (4 each). In addition, Albert Apponyi received the Order in 1921 shortly after

6270-425: The capitals cities of Vienna, Pressburg (Pozsony, today's Bratislava) and Budapest, many of which were rented. The Apponyi Palace in Bratislava, built by Count György Apponyi (1736–1782), was sold in 1865 to the municipality of Pressburg. The Palais Apponyi in Vienna was built in 1880 for Marguerite and Lajos Apponyi. Albert Apponyi lived in an old house on Castle Hill in Budapest, now Táncsics Mihály utca 17, where

6380-399: The castle in 1899. Albert Apponyi lost property of the castle following the Treaty of Trianon. It became an agricultural school in 1923, a function it still serves despite an obvious need for repair. The manor in Jabloncza , inherited by the family in 1772, was remodeled by József Apponyi around the time of his elevation as Count in 1808, possibly to better reflect his new higher status. It

6490-424: The castle in 1926 to the Hungarian National Museum but kept the privilege of living there until her death in 1930. During World War II it was used by Hungary's National Cartography Office , then became a Russian military hospital from January to March 1945, and later that year an internment camp for displaced Germans . It has been an agricultural school since 1946. The Apponyis inhabited various properties in

6600-437: The cause. In 1963, she spoke at the March on Washington at the side of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Baker was the only official female speaker. While wearing her Free French uniform emblazoned with her medal of the Légion d'honneur, she introduced the "Negro Women for Civil Rights". Rosa Parks and Daisy Bates were among those she acknowledged, and both gave brief speeches. Not everyone involved wanted Baker present at

6710-399: The children were in "The Rainbow Tribe". Her estate featured hotels, a farm, rides, and the children singing and dancing for the audience. She charged an admission fee to visitors who entered and partook in the activities, which included watching the children play. She created dramatic backstories for them, picking them with clear intent in mind: at one point, she wanted and planned to adopt

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6820-414: The club's audience, Baker followed up her sold-out run at the club with a national tour. Rave reviews and enthusiastic audiences accompanied her everywhere, climaxed by a parade in Harlem in honor of her new title: NAACP 's "Woman of the Year". In 1952, Baker was hired to crown the Queen of the Cavalcade of Jazz for the famed eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, which

6930-453: The collection mentions several other comparable donations, but adds that "Among all these generous, valuable donations, that of Count [Sándor] Apponyi is by far the most important." Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker ( née   McDonald ; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker , was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She

7040-429: The contrary. In 1993, Josephine Baker's foster son Jean-Claude Baker published a biography titled Josephine: The hungry Heart , which was the culmination of decades of exhaustive research into Baker's life and career. In the book, he discusses at length the circumstances surrounding Baker's birth: The records of the city of St. Louis tell an almost unbelievable story. They show that (Baker's mother) Carrie McDonald ...

7150-404: The elevation of Lázár to Baron in 1718. He was buried in the monastery of Horné Lefantovce . János is said to have joined the Franciscan order as a young nobleman and to have had a vision of Saint Catherine of Alexandria , in 1617 or 1618. Tradition has that he died shortly afterwards, after his family refused to acknowledge his religious vocation. In his memory, Count Kristóf Erdődy founded

7260-423: The end of the monarchy. In addition to this the Apponyi family sat within all Hungarian Kings and then Habsburg private courts which was reserved only for the most powerful and important members of the Kingdom. The family's name refers to Appony, now Oponice , a region located North of Nitra in present-day Slovakia , in which the family established itself in the late 14th century. Nagy-Appony ("Greater Appony")

7370-489: The eve of World War II, and what was left in Apponyi Castle deteriorated during the Communist era . It was restored in the early 21st century and reopened in 2011 as part of the Slovak National Library . Count Sándor Apponyi's extensive collection of books and incunables was kept at Lengyel Castle . This included a collection of Hungary-related prints or Hungarica , and a separate collection of items he called rariora et curiosa , mostly in French, Latin and Italian. Part of

7480-406: The first black woman to receive one of the highest honors in France. As her resting place remains in Monaco Cemetery , a cenotaph was installed in vault 13 of the crypt in the Panthéon. Baker, who refused to perform for segregated audiences in the United States, is also noted for her contributions to the civil rights movement . In 1968, she was offered unofficial leadership in the movement in

7590-407: The incident. When Baker was near bankruptcy, Kelly—by then the princess consort —offered her a villa and financial assistance. (During his work on the "Stork Club" book, author and " New York Times " reporter Ralph Blumenthal was contacted by Jean-Claude Baker , one of Baker's sons. He indicated that he had read his mother's FBI file and, using comparison of the file to the tapes, said he thought

7700-406: The latter collection was specifically dedicated to the history of Verona and the local Nogarol[l]a family from which his grandmother (Antal's wife Teresa) stemmed, including the late medieval humanist Isotta Nogarola . Sándor donated the whole collection to Hungary's National Széchényi Library in 1926. A special law adopted in 1926 by the Hungarian National Assembly to acknowledge the donation of

7810-420: The lead in a revival of Jacques Offenbach 's opera La créole , which premiered in December of that year for a six-month run at the Théâtre Marigny on the Champs-Élysées of Paris. In preparation for her performances, she went through months of training with a vocal coach. In the words of Shirley Bassey , who has cited Baker as her primary influence, "... she went from a petite danseuse sauvage with

7920-550: The legal guardian of another boy, also named Jean-Claude , and considered him an unofficial addition to the Rainbow Tribe. For some time, Baker lived with her children and an enormous staff in the château in Dordogne , France, with her fourth husband, Jo Bouillon. Bouillon claimed that Baker bore one child, though it was stillborn in 1941, an incident that precipitated an emergency hysterectomy. Baker forced Jarry to leave

8030-569: The mid-17th century to 1935. It underwent extensive renovation in 2007–2011 and has since operated as a luxury hotel, branded Chateau-Appony, with the library wing of 1846 again hosting the Apponyi Library. The old castle at Ybrehart (today Malinovo ) was acquired by Count György Apponyi, son of Lázár, in June 1763. It was reconstructed into its current form sometime after 1817 by Count György Apponyi (1780–1849), eldest son of Antal György. It then went to his son György Apponyi who died in

8140-443: The museum (whose exact name is Museum of Apponyi and Hunting - Apponyiho Poľovnícke Múzeum ). The museum, which was created in 1993, has collections on the village's history and Apponyi family history, as well as remains from a plane that crashed in the nearby hills during World War II . The village church, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul , was built in the late 18th century, replacing an earlier building possibly as old as

8250-605: The property between 2007 and 2011, and rebuilt the Apponyi Library . Apponyi Castle is now a luxury hotel, branded Chateau Appony . The Apponyi Museum is in an old manor which was built in the late 16th or early 17th century. It was later bought by the Apponyis . In the Interwar period , Count Henrik Apponyi donated it to the Oponice municipality, in exchange for an exemption from municipal tax. Henrik Apponyi spent much of his time and money on traveling and hunting in exotic locales, and also donated many of his hunting trophies to

8360-521: The region, and permanently abandoned. It was first excavated in 1981 and further in 2002, 2008, and 2015–2016. A thesis in archaeology held in 2019 at Masaryk University in Brno provides an extensive analysis of the Apponyi fortress as well as the Apponyi Castle and the nearby ruined castle of Čeklís near Bernolákovo . Apponyi Castle was built up by the Apponyi family in various phases from

8470-499: The screams of the Negro families running across this bridge with nothing but what they had on their backs as their worldly belongings... So with this vision I ran and ran and ran... By age 12, she had dropped out of school. At 13, she worked as a waitress at the Old Chauffeur's Club at 3133 Pine Street. She also lived as a street child in the slums of St. Louis, sleeping in cardboard shelters, scavenging for food in garbage cans, making

8580-566: The seventh-anniversary celebrations of his revolution. Her spectacular show in April broke attendance records. In 1968, Baker visited Yugoslavia and made appearances in Belgrade and in Skopje . In her later career, Baker faced financial troubles. She commented, "Nobody wants me, they've forgotten me"; but family members encouraged her to continue performing. In 1973 she performed at Carnegie Hall to

8690-473: The show's proceeds to poor children of Serbia . In Zagreb , adoring crowds greeted her at the train station, but opposition from local clergy and morality police led to the cancellation of some of her shows. During her travels in Yugoslavia, Baker was accompanied by "Count" Giuseppe Pepito Abatino. At the start of her career in France, Abatino, a Sicilian former stonemason who passed himself off as

8800-724: The sublease of the Habsburg Embassy in London on Belgrave Square , where the Embassy of Austria remains to this day. Sándor, son of Rezső, started as a diplomat. He left that service in 1876 to devote himself to bibliophilia. He received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1907. The brothers Pál and János Apponyi (not descendants of Lázár, thus not counts) together inherited the castle in Jablánc (German Jablonitz or Apfelsdorf , formerly also Jabloncza or Jablonicz in Hungarian, now Jablonica in Slovakia) in 1772. In 1784 it

8910-803: The title My big-game hunting diary from India and the Himalayas , with a foreword by the Viscount Halifax whom Henrik had met while in India. The book came out after the deaths of both his mother Marguerite, who had promoted the publication project, and that of Henrik himself. He died in Berlin in unclear circumstances. Geraldine was a granddaughter of Lajos and daughter of Gyula Apponyi (1873–1924) and his American wife Gladys Virginia Steuart (1891–1947). She married King Zog I of Albania in Tirana , in

9020-467: The war, Baker was awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation , the Croix de Guerre by the French military , and was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by General Charles de Gaulle . Baker's last marriage, to French composer and conductor Jo Bouillon , ended around the time she adopted her 11th child. In 1949, a reinvented Baker returned in triumph to

9130-556: The world ... After King's assassination, his widow Coretta Scott King approached Baker in the Netherlands to ask if she would take her husband's place as leader of the Civil Rights Movement. After many days of thinking it over, Baker declined, saying her children were "too young to lose their mother." Baker's first marriage was to American Pullman porter Willie Wells when she was only 13 years old. The union

9240-581: The young girl put too much soap in the laundry. In 1917, when she was 11, a terrified Josephine McDonald witnessed racial violence in East St. Louis . In a speech years later, she recalled what she had seen: I can still see myself standing on the west bank of the Mississippi looking over into East St. Louis and watching the glow of the burning of Negro homes lighting the sky. We children stood huddled together in bewilderment ... frightened to death with

9350-592: Was a black man in Mississippi convicted of raping a white woman in 1945 on the basis of dubious evidence, and sentenced to death. Baker attended rallies for McGee and wrote letters to Fielding Wright , the governor of Mississippi, asking him to spare McGee's life. Despite her efforts, McGee was executed in 1951. As the decorated war hero who was bolstered by the racial equality she experienced in Europe, Baker became increasingly regarded as controversial; some black people even began to shun her, fearing that her outspokenness and racy reputation from her earlier years would hurt

9460-490: Was a dancer at the end of a chorus line. Fearing she might be overshadowed by the others, she used her position to introduce a hint of comedy into her routine, making her stand out from her fellow dancers. She began in "Shuffle Along" with one of the U.S. touring companies, but, once she came of age, she was transferred to the Broadway production, where she remained for several months, until the show closed, in 1923. Next, Baker

9570-459: Was a diplomat, initially in Paris and Saint Petersburg where he married in 1843, with Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna both attending. He later served in Karlsruhe (1847–1849), Turin (1849–1853), Munich (1853–1856), London (1856–1871, from 1860 as Ambassador), and Paris (Ambassador, 1871–1876). He received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1865. In 1866 he contracted

9680-572: Was a major Hungarian statesman of the conservative Party of Independence and '48 . He is remembered both for his notorious 1907 legislation on the Magyarization of public education in the Kingdom of Hungary , known as Apponyi Law or Lex Apponyi , and for his brilliant (though unsuccessful) defense of Hungarian positions in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. He received

9790-742: Was a prominent advocate of women's rights and women's suffrage , and a delegate for Hungary to the League of Nations in 1935–1937. Antal György Apponyi's second son Antal and his descendants kept custody of the ancestral family property in Oponice, where they lived until 1935. A branch of this family line held the Hőgyész domain until 1939. Antal was a diplomat for the Habsburg monarchy in Karlsruhe ( Grand Duchy of Baden ), Florence ( Grand Duchy of Tuscany ) from 1816 to 1819, and Rome ( Papal States ) from 1820 to 1826. In 1826 he became Ambassador in Paris,

9900-474: Was a prominent and powerful Hungarian family of the high upper nobility of the Kingdom of Hungary , whose members remained notable even after the kingdom's dismemberment in the successor states of Hungary and Czechoslovakia . While tracing its origins to the High Middle Ages , the family became prominent in the 18th century with its elevation to the rank of Counts of Nagy-Appony in 1739 and

10010-443: Was admitted to the (exclusively white) Female Hospital on May 3, 1906, diagnosed as pregnant. She was discharged on June 17, her baby, Freda J. McDonald having been born two weeks earlier. Why six weeks in the hospital? Especially for a black woman (of that time) who would customarily have had her baby at home with the help of a midwife? ... The father was identified (on the birth certificate) simply as "Edw"... I think Josephine's father

10120-499: Was again remodeled in the late 19th century by Count Antal Apponyi (1852–1920), who inherited it from József's son Rezső Apponyi. After World War I it changed hands several times and eventually went into disrepair. In 2017 it was purchased by a non-profit group that intends to renovate it and convert into a hotel and cultural facility. The Hőgyész domain in Tolna County was acquired in 1722 by Count Claude Florimond de Mercy , and purchased by György Apponyi (son of Lázár) in 1772. It

10230-559: Was another distinguished Apponyi family tradition, the most prominent legacy of which is the Apponyi Library , now a part of the Slovak National Library and still located in the former Apponyi Castle in Oponice. The Apponyis, like other Hungarian magnates , juggled different languages when it came to given names . They were typically bilingual in Hungarian and German and educated in other languages as well, and went by corresponding names depending on context. Thus,

10340-632: Was appointed Marshal of the Court in Hungary ( Hofmarschall in Ungarn ) by Emperor Franz Joseph in December 1895, a newly created position that entailed guardianship of the royal palaces of Budapest and Gödöllő . Among other functions, he represented the monarchy at the ceremonial reburial of King Béla III and Queen Agnes of Antioch in Matthias Church on 21 October 1898. He was a member of

10450-407: Was booked into a New York City venue. They divorced in 1925, during a period when her career success was beginning. Still, she continued to use his last name professionally for the rest of her life. Though Baker was often on the road, returning with gifts and money for her mother and younger half-sister, larger career opportunities drew her farther afield, to France. Baker's unrelenting badgering of

10560-577: Was cast in " The Chocolate Dandies ", a revue that opened on September 1, 1924. Again, she was relegated to the chorus line. The show ran for 96 performances, finally closing in November 1925. Baker sailed to Paris in 1925 and opened on October 2 in " la Revue nègre  [ fr ] " at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées . She was 19 at the time. In a 1974 interview with The Guardian , she explained that her first big break came in this bustling European city. "No, I didn't get my first break on Broadway. I

10670-562: Was dominated by disputes between the Apponyi family and the Chapter of Nitra Cathedral in the 15th century, by the widespread adoption of Lutheranism in the 16th century (reversed in the 17th), and then by Ottoman raids especially in 1530-1531 and in the late 16th century. In 1663–1685, a period of Ottoman rule between the fourth Austro-Turkish war and the War of the Holy League , it

10780-455: Was made a Baron by King Ferdinand II , on 12 November 1624, possibly for his literary activity and/or role in negotiations in Vienna with the supporters of Gabriel Bethlen . On 8 January 1636 Ferdinand II appointed him one of his Hungarian royal advisers. He was a distinguished writer of religious poetry in Latin. He died without male heirs, which meant the Apponyi family remained untitled until

10890-517: Was only in the chorus in 'Shuffle Along' and 'Chocolate Dandies.' I became famous first in France in the twenties. I just couldn't stand America and I was one of the first coloured Americans to move to Paris. Oh yes, Bricktop was there as well. Me and her were the only two, and we had a marvellous time. Of course, everyone who was anyone knew Bricky. And they got to know Miss Baker as well." In Paris, she became an instant success for her erotic dancing and for appearing practically nude onstage. After

11000-661: Was part of the Uyvar Province as an administrative unit of the Nahiye of Nitra . The parish was merged with nearby Kovarce in the early 18th century, and made independent again in 1788. Census data from the 19th century documents that the overwhelming majority of the village's population were Slovaks, the rest being mostly Germans and Hungarians. In 2015, a memorial plaque was dedicated in Oponice in honor of Queen Geraldine of Albania , who grew up in Oponice and retained fond memories of her time there. The Apponyi fortress

11110-626: Was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 1. Also featured to perform that day were Roy Brown and His Mighty Men, Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Toni Harper , Louis Jordan , Jimmy Witherspoon and Jerry Wallace . An incident at the Stork Club in October 1951 interrupted and overturned her plans. Baker criticized the club's unwritten policy of discouraging Black patrons, then scolded columnist Walter Winchell , an old ally, for not rising to her defense. Winchell responded swiftly with

11220-549: Was published in Vienna in 1745. He remained a Catholic priest after the Suppression of the Society of Jesus . Antal György (or György Antal), grandson of Lázár and son of György László (Georg Ladislaus) Apponyi (1736–1782), was a major cultural figure who founded the Apponyi Library . Joseph Haydn dedicated him six quartets in 1793 (No. 54 to 59, Op. 71 & 74), since known as "Apponyi Quartets". Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

11330-417: Was rebuilt in the late 18th century by György's son, Count Antal György Apponyi, who spent much of the rest of his life there. The castle later went to Antal George's grandson Károly Apponyi (1805–1890), his son Géza (1853–1927) and the latter's son Károly (1878–1959) who sold it to the Hungarian state in 1939. During and after World War II it became a center for displaced people and military hospital, and later

11440-431: Was reconstructed and went to Pál, while János stayed in Appony (Oponice). After Pál's death it went to his son József (Joseph) Apponyi (1784–1853), who was made a Count by Emperor Francis I in April 1808. Members of this branch stayed in Jablánc until the aftermath of World War I, after which it changed hands . József's son Rezső (more often referred to as Rudolf, sometimes Rudolf II to distinguish him from his relative of

11550-622: Was recovering from another case of pneumonia), but the real reason was to continue helping the Resistance. From a base in Morocco, she made tours of Spain. She pinned notes with the information she gathered inside her underwear (counting on her celebrity to avoid a strip search). She met the Pasha of Marrakech , whose support helped her through a miscarriage (the last of several). After the miscarriage, she developed an infection so severe it required

11660-521: Was replaced by Gypsy Rose Lee . Time magazine referred to her as a "Negro wench ... whose dancing and singing might be topped anywhere outside of Paris", while other critics said her voice was "too thin" and "dwarf-like" to fill the Winter Garden Theatre . She returned to Europe heartbroken. This contributed to Baker's becoming a legal citizen of France and giving up her American citizenship. Baker returned to Paris in 1937, married

11770-585: Was reportedly very unhappy, and the couple divorced soon after marrying. Another short-lived marriage followed in 1921, to William Howard Baker. Since her career was already taking off under that last name, she retained it after the divorce. Jean-Claude Baker wrote that Josephine was bisexual and had several relationships with women. In 1925, she began an extramarital relationship with the Belgian novelist Georges Simenon . On an ocean liner, in 1929, en route from South America to France, Baker had an affair with

11880-477: Was the father, and Carson played along, (but) Josephine knew better. Josephine McDonald spent her early life on 212 Targee Street (known by some St. Louis residents as Johnson Street) in the Chestnut Valley neighborhood of St. Louis, a racially mixed low-income area near Union Station, consisting mainly of rooming houses, brothels, and apartments without indoor plumbing. She was poorly dressed, hungry as

11990-537: Was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 French silent film Siren of the Tropics , directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant . During her early career, Baker was among the most celebrated performers to headline the revues of the Folies Bergère in Paris . Her performance in its 1927 revue Un vent de folie caused a sensation in the city. Her costume, consisting only of

12100-433: Was white—so did Josephine, so did her family...people in St. Louis say that (Baker's mother) had worked for a German family (around the time she became pregnant)... I have unraveled many mysteries associated with Josephine Baker, but the most painful mystery of her life, the mystery of her father's identity, I could not solve. The secret died with Carrie, who refused to the end to talk about it. She let people think Eddie Carson

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