Count von Racowitza
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Bajor Janko Prince von Racowitza (d. 1865) was a nobleman from Wallachia, who participated in a notable duel on 28. August 1864. He had come from Romania to Berlin in 1856, where studied philosophy and law at Berlin university. He became a member of a German Student Corps there.
The diplomate in Bavarian service Wilhelm von Dönniges (d. 1872), father of Helene von Dönniges (b. 1846, d. 1911) intended the prince to marry his daughter. She preferred a Social Democratic leader of the labour movement, Ferdinand Lassalle, known for his independence from persons such as Karl Marx. When her father heard of their plans to marry he locked her into a room and arranged an engagement with von Racowitza. Lasalle challenged Helenes father. When the count heard of this, he instead of Wilhelm von Dönniges took over Lasalle's challenge. This was a common duelling procedure, when an older man was challenged by a younger one. Racowitza had no experience in the use of pistols and only one day to exercise. Lassalle died in this pistol duel in Switzerland, shot in the groin. Racowitza became ill shortly after the duel and Helene von Dönniges married him. Von Racowitza died shortly after the marriage. His widow married a second time an actor named Friedmann and became an actress herself. This marriage was divorced in 1873. Together with her third husband, the Russian nobleman Sergej Jegorowitsch Schewitsch she moved to America and returned to Europe 1890.
