### Biography of Anna Anderson
Anna Anderson was a woman who became infamous for her claim to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, the youngest daughter of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II.
#### 1. Early Life
Anna Anderson, born on December 16, 1896, as Franziska Schanzkowska in Borowy Las, West Prussia (now part of Poland), came from a working-class background. She was one of several children in a family of Polish farmers. Little is known about her early education or childhood experiences, but her life took a dramatic and historic turn following her involvement in a series of events after World War I.
#### 2. Career
Anna Anderson’s "career" can be best described not in terms of professional achievements but in the context of her role as an impersonator of the Grand Duchess Anastasia. After a failed suicide attempt in Berlin in 1920, she was taken to a mental hospital where she refused to reveal her identity. It was only later that she began claiming she was Anastasia Romanov, having supposedly escaped the execution that killed the rest of her family in 1918.
Over the decades, Anderson fought legal battles to be recognized as the Russian Grand Duchess, a saga that captured the attention of the media and the public across the world. Her claim was supported and also contested by various groups and individuals, leading to a long, drawn-out legal and public relations battle that lasted until her death.
#### 3. Notable Achievements
Anna Anderson's most notable achievement was her ability to maintain her claim to the Romanov identity in the face of considerable opposition. She gained the support of various Russian émigrés and members of European nobility who believed her story. Her life and claim have been the subject of numerous books, films, and theatrical productions, significantly impacting popular culture’s view of the Romanov family tragedy.
#### 4. Personal Life
Anna Anderson married Jack Manahan, an American history professor, in 1968, after having moved to the United States. The couple led a reclusive life in Charlottesville, Virginia. Throughout her life, Anderson's mental health and claims to the Romanov lineage were subjects of controversy and fascination. She died on February 12, 1984, in Charlottesville, and her burial was marked by a modest headstone engraved with the name "Anastasia Manahan."
### Related People
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Nicholas-Romanov**: The last Tsar of Russia, father of the real Anastasia.
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Anastasia-Nikolaevna**: The youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, whom Anna Anderson claimed to be.
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Gleb-Botkin**: Son of the Romanov family's doctor and a strong supporter of Anderson's claim.
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Pierre-Gilliard**: The tutor of the Romanov children who opposed Anderson’s claims.
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Jack-Manahan**: Anna Anderson’s husband, who supported her throughout their marriage until her death.
Anna Anderson's story remains one of the most tantalizing and controversial tales of identity and impersonation in the 20th century.