Secrets of a Suitcase: The Countess, the Nazis, and Middle Europe's Lost Nobility

When Pauline Terreehorst bid for a vintage Gucci suitcase at Sotheby's Amsterdam, she had no idea what was inside. The case turned out to be full of fine dresses, furs, and lace, with boxes of postcard albums showing grand castles and churches in Austria, France, England, and Scotland. The curious correspondence revolved around Austrian philanthropist Countess Margarethe Szapary, and her daughter.



These unexpected family treasures are a gateway to a lost world: social, cultural, and politica...