Hans von Blixen-Finecke

Hans von Blixen-Finecke
At the 1912 Olympics
Personal information
Born25 July 1886
Näsbyholm Castle, Trelleborg, Sweden
Died26 September 1917 (aged 31)
Malmslätt, Sweden
Sport
SportEquestrian
EventDressage
ClubK6 IF, Ystad
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1912 Stockholm Individual dressage

Baron Hans Gustaf von Blixen-Finecke (25 July 1886 – 26 September 1917) was a Swedish officer and equestrian who won a bronze medal in dressage at the 1912 Summer Olympics.[1] He died in an aeroplane crash in 1917.[2][3]

Early life

Von Blixen-Finecke was born on 25 July 1886 at Näsbyholm Castle, Sweden. He was the grandson of Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke, and the son of Baron Fredrik von Blixen-Finecke, a Hovjägmästare, and his wife Countess Clara Krag-Juel-Wind-Frijs.[4] He was the twin brother of Bror von Blixen-Finecke, a famed professional hunter in Africa who was married to writer Karen Blixen née Dinesen from 1914 to 1925. Hans had experienced a failed love affair with Karen, who then accepted an offer of marriage from his twin brother.[5]

Von Blixen-Finecke passed mogenhetsexamen on 29 May 1906 and became a volunteer in the Scanian Dragoon Regiment (Skånska dragonregementet, K 6) on 31 May 1906.[6]

Career

von Blixen-Finecke was commissioned as an officer on 19 December 1908 and served as an underlöjtnant in the Scanian Dragoon Regiment from 31 December the same year. He was promoted to lieutenant there in 1910.[6] He was a rare equestrian talent, especially on the racetrack, where he 1910-15 was the foremost in Scandinavia, with 57 victories in 171 races. One of his achievements was when he, in 1914, after a victory in Gothenburg, flew to Klampenborg, where he had his second victory of the day. von Blixen-Finecke won a bronze medal in dressage at the 1912 Summer Olympics. His best horses were those on his father's estate Näsbyholm, Aimable, Baccarat, Hops and Hilarion.[7]

Personal life

The plane of von Blixen-Finecke at the crash site

On 15 July 1915 at Trollenäs Castle he married Hilla-Brita Trolle (born 4 April 1894), the daughter of överhovjägmästaren, baron Nils Axel Arvid Trolle and baroness Anna Eleonora Sofia Leijonhufvud.[6] Their son, Hans von Blixen-Finecke Jr., won two gold medals in eventing at the 1952 Summer Olympics.[2][3]

Death

Hans von Blixen-Finecke Sr. died in an aeroplane crash on 26 September 1917 and was buried at Gärdslöv Cemetery in Trelleborg Municipality.[8]

In the film Out of Africa, which is based on Karen Blixen's memoir of the same name, Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer plays Hans von Blixen-Finecke. He also plays his brother Bror—he was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting role.

References

  1. ^ "Hans von Blixen-Finecke". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Hans von Blixen-Finecke, Sr". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Hans von Blixen-Finecke sr" (in Swedish). Swedish Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. ^ Vem var det?: biografier över bortgångna svenska män och kvinnor samt kronologisk förteckning över skilda ämbetens och tjänsters innehavare [Who was it?: biographies of deceased Swedish men and women and chronological list of different office and services holders] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1944. p. 29. SELIBR 8079633.
  5. ^ O'Brien, Sally (2005). Copenhagen - City guide. Lonely Planet, 2005. ISBN 9781741040357. Retrieved 11 July 2016. She (Karen) married her second cousin Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke, after having a failed love affair with his twin brother Hans.
  6. ^ a b c "Hans Gustaf". www.adelsvapen.com (in Swedish). Adelsvapen. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  7. ^ Cederström, Claes (1938). Svahn, Åke (ed.). Nordisk familjeboks sportlexikon: uppslagsverk för sport, gymnastik och friluftsliv. Bd 1, A-Brännboll (in Swedish). Vol. 1. Stockholm: Nordisk familjeboks förlags aktiebolag. pp. 863–864. SELIBR 893563.
  8. ^ "Hans Von Blixen-Finecke" (in Swedish). Gravar.se. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
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