Emmerich Hugo Friedrich von und zu Eisenstein

Emmerich Hugo Friedrich von und zu Eisenstein was born in Prague as the legitimate son of the landowner Emmerich Wenzel von und zu Eisenstein and Irene Berta, née Baroness Dačicky von Hesslowa. After completing his schooling and A-levels, he moved to Vienna in 1914 and subsequently took part in the First World War as a first lieutenant in the cavalry.

With the defeat of Austria-Hungary, the break-up of the dual monarchy and the expulsion of the House of Habsburg, Emmerich von und zu Eisenstein's possessions were expropriated in the newly founded Czech Republic, and inflation and pension devaluation wiped out his savings. All he has left is an allowance from the Adalbert Ritter von Eisenstein'schen Familienstiftung.

Emmerich von und zu Eisenstein becomes a Czech citizen, but lives in Vienna from 1918, where he works as a racing stable manager until 1924. He then became estate manager of St. Lambrecht Abbey in Styria and between 1930 and 1932 estate manager in Thomatal in Lungau. In 1933, he became a canvasser for the Berlin Victoria insurance company in Vienna.

Emmerich von und zu Eisenstein met the French military attaché and was recruited by him as a spy for France. He is to investigate plans for weapons designs from the Krupp company. He joins the NSDAP, apparently as a cover.

The German counterintelligence service is not unaware of Emmerich von und zu Eisenstein's activities and urges the Austrian authorities to expel the Czech citizen. After his expulsion in 1935, he took a job at the Felber bank in Prague and in 1936 moved to the Gilbert Douglas & Co bank in London, where he worked for this institution in Prague, Paris, Brussels and Berlin. During a business trip to Berlin on March 5, 1938, he was arrested by the Gestapo on suspicion of espionage.

A few days later, while in prison, he witnessed the occupation of Austria on March 12, 1938. He was held in Berlin-Mohabit, Münster and Brandenburg-Görden before being sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage by the People's Court on February 15, 1940. He served his sentence in Creussen near Beyreuth.

Emmerich von und zu Eisenstein was liberated by the US Army in Creussen on April 14, 1945. The English-speaking victim of National Socialist justice served in the US Army until February 1946 before returning to Vienna.

He joined the newly founded Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich and founds an import-export company. As a businessman and owner of the company, he lived in Vienna, Linz, Hall and Innsbruck.

Emmerich von und zu Eisenstein died at the age of 69 and was laid to rest in Vienna's Central Cemetery.