Anna Plochl, Countess Meran was born on 6 January 1814. Her place in the Habsburg family calendar was secured through her marriage to Archduke Johann, one of the youngest sons of Emperor Leopold II and Maria Luisa of Spain.
Anna was a commoner, the daughter of a postmaster in Styria, where Johann — withdrawn from active political and military service — led a simple, rural lifestyle. The couple’s first meeting was romantic and almost adventure-like: one day, Johann discovered that his occasionally hired coach driver, seemingly a young boy, was in fact 15-year-old Anna. She, for her part, did not believe the traveller’s claim to be a member of the Imperial family.
It took eleven years to obtain permission for a morganatic marriage from Emperor Francis I of Austria — and it came at a cost. Johann had to renounce his succession rights to the throne. Anna was granted a modest noble title, but due to her low rank she was refused admission to court. The couple’s only child, Franz, was considered not a Habsburg but Count of Meran. His descendants remain active in Austrian politics and culture.
Anna was described by contemporaries as a kind, sociable, and well-respected personality. She was socially active, founding schools and hospitals in Styria and gaining recognition as an expert in local cuisine. She died at the age of 81, having outlived her husband by 26 years.
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