Beatrix von Storch
| Beatrix von Storch née Duchess of Oldenburg MEP | |
|---|---|
 Beatrix von Storch in 2014 | |
| Member of the European Parliament for Germany | |
|
Assumed office 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
27 May 1971 Lübeck |
| Political party | Alternative for Germany (AfD) |
| Spouse(s) | Sven von Storch |
| Mother | Felicitas Anita, Countess Schwerin von Krosigk |
| Father | Huno, Duke of Oldenburg |
| Occupation | Politician, Lawyer |
| Religion | Lutheran |
| Website |
www |
 |
Extended family
|
Beatrix von Storch, née Duchess Beatrix Amelie Ehrengard Eilika of Oldenburg (born 27 May 1971 in Lübeck) is a German politician and since 2014 has been a Member of European Parliament for right-wing Alternative for Germany party.[1]
Early life
Family background
Storch is the elder daughter of Countess Felicitas-Anita Schwerin von Krosigk and Duke Huno of Oldenburg, a younger son of Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg (1897–1970), erstwhile head of the former ruling family of Oldenburg.
Her mother is a daughter of Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk.[2]
Her cousin Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg is married to Georg von Habsburg.
Education and early career
Storch was a banker before she studied law in Heidelberg and Lausanne. She worked as a lawyer in Berlin when she began her political career.
Political career
Since 2014, von Storch has been a Member of European Parliament with right-wing Alternative for Germany party. Initially a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, she left the group in April 2016, foregoing her imminent expulsion. She immediately joined the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group.[3]
Controversies
Legal battle with the Berliner Schaubühne
In November 2015, a leading Berlin theatre, the Schaubühne, was brought into legal conflict with Beatrix von Storch over a piece, Falk Richter's FEAR, that parodied AfD leaders as zombies and mass murderers. Beatrix von Storch is depicted facing retribution for her grandfather's role as a minister in Hitler's government.[4] AfD Spokesperson, Christian Lüth, responded by interrupting a performance and filming it. Beatrix von Storch, and Conservative spokesperson Hedwig von Beverfoerde, then requested and obtained a preliminary injunction against the theatre, prohibiting it from using images of them in the production. They charged that the images' use violated their human dignity protected under the Constitution.[5] On 15 December 2015, the court ruled against the complainants in favour of the theatre's freedom of expression and lifted the injunctions against using the images. The judges commented that 'any audience member can recognize that this is just a play'.[6]
Remarks about the use of deadly force against refugees
In late February 2016, von Storch was pied by members of German activist group Peng Collective at a party meeting in Kassel. The activists, dressed as clowns, protested against her controversial remarks when she asserted that German border control had the right to shoot down trespassing refugees. A YouTube video of the pieing gained wide attention in social media.[7][8]
Personal life
She is married to Sven von Storch.[9]
Titles and styles
- 27 May 1971 – 22 October 2010 Her Highness Duchess Beatrix of Oldenburg
- 22 October 2010 – present: Her Highness Duchess Beatrix of Oldenburg, Mrs. Sven von Storch
Ancestry
Storch is the daughter of Duke Huno of Oldenburg, by his marriage to Countess Felicitas Schwerin von Krosigkof. As well as her mostly German descent, she also has some distant Scottish blood. The ducal family of Oldenburg is a cadet branch of the royal family of Holstein-Gottorp, different branches of which have held the crowns of Denmark, Sweden, and the Russian Empire.
On her father's side, Storch is a great-grandniece of Queen Emma of the Netherlands. She is descended in three lines from the House of Hanover and is thus in the extended line of succession to the British throne. Her maternal great-great-grandmother Lisette von Krosigk, a daughter of the German-Scottish Ludwig von Westphalen, was a sister-in-law of Karl Marx.
| Ancestors of Beatrix von Storch |
|---|
|
|
See also
- European Parliament election, 2014 (Germany)
- Counts, dukes and grand dukes of Oldenburg
- List of people who have been pied
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beatrix von Storch. |
- Official website (German)
- Personal profile of Beatrix von Storch in the European Parliament's database of members
- Personal video channel on YouTube
References
- ↑ www.europarl.europa.eu
- ↑ www.thepeerage.com
- ↑ Martin Banks (11 April 2016). "ECR reject joins EFDD group". The Parliament Magazine. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ↑ "Aufregung Um Theaterstueck. AfD Populisten wollen deine Zombies Sein". Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ↑ "Fear siegt ueber die Angst von AfD und Pegida". Tagespiele.
- ↑ "AfD Unterliegt im Zombie Streit". Handelsblatt.
- ↑ 'Tart War with AfD politician attacked in meeting' http://videos.huffingtonpost.de/politik/tortaler-krieg-afd-politiker-bei-veranstaltung-attackiert_id_5320539.html
- ↑ 'Tart attack' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonpEPdeXcc
- ↑ Amann, Melanie; Bartsch, Matthias; Friedmann, Jan; Minkmar, Nils; Sauga, Michael; Winter, Steffen (10 February 2016). "The Hate Preachers: Inside Germany's Dangerous New Populist Party". Spiegel. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||