Download: Das Rätsel der Dunkelgräfin von Hildburghausen. Bilanz einer 160-jährigen Forschung. (PDF 7,5 MB).

Content:
What does the science of history says about the secret of the Dark Countess? A lecture on the 7th symposium to Dark Count and Dark Countess from 7/9 to 9/9/2007 in Hildburghausen has dealt with this question. The lecture is available in a written German version under the title "The mystery of the Dark Countess of Hildburghausen. Balance of 160 years of research".

In the balance from historical-scientific view the arguments and indications are investigated which speak for the theory, the Dark Countess has been the French princess Madame Royale, a daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette of France. On the one hand, this concerns the indications in connection on the Dark Countess, like the immense protective precautions during her stay, the instances for her French origin, the hints to her Bourbon descent, the choice of the place Hildburghausen, the connections with the court of Hildburghausen, the similarity of the Dark Countess to the Bourbons as well as her constant veiling. On the other hand the several hints to an unauthenticity of the Duchess of Angoulême (for the official history the real Madame Royale) are treated, like possibly changes of her character, changes in her appearance and her isolation at the court of Vienna.

As a temporary result of the consideration it is found out that after 160 years of research no proof of the so-called theory on substitution of Madame Royale exists. The arguments which were presented for the acceptance of an identity of the Dark Countess with the king's daughter seem not plausible from view of the science of history. Many as "instances" or "indications" named circumstances do not withstand to a closer consideration. They can be also explained differently than by a personal exchange. Thus possibly the veiling of the Dark Countess could have taken place for medical reasons, for example, through an illness in a photo dermatosis (light allergy). The preferential treatment of the lady and her companion van der Valck (the Dark Count) by the court of Hildburghausen would be also explicable by the fact that van der Valck was exceedingly wealthy and the impoverished duke Friedrich granted to such a man with pleasure stay in his duchy.

Besides, newer knowledge seems to speak against the theory of substitution, like aspects from the life of van der Valck which a stated revolutionary was, the membership of Saxony-Hildburghausen in the "Rhine alliance" and the control and supervision of France about the duchy, the absence of a plausible motive for the substitution and also the absence of a suitable exchange-person for Madame Royale.

Finally solution possibilities are demanded in form of a DNA analysis and a new comparison of handwritings of Madame Royale and the Duchess of Angoulême. Besides, it is pointed out to alternative interpretation attempts.