Draft:Michael Paulus Xaver - The Lost Prince of Germany (1848-1902)

Early Life

Michael Paulus Xaver was born in the year of 1848 as the third son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of BavariaFranz Joseph I was the older brother to Michael. Michael was baptised two days after his birth under the name of Michael Paulus Xaver Franz Joseph Archduke Ludwing Sophie. In his early life, it became clear that Franz did not like Michael at all. He would throw dirt at him and try to get him in trouble. Franz however, when he was older, made a very tight bond with his other younger brother Maximilian I of Mexico

Probably a small, decorative page given to the parent after a baptism with the given first name on it before the real, artistic, expensive page finished for the parents.

They soon got two other young brothers Ludwing Viktor and Karl Ludwing By this point Franz was 13, and Michael was anywhere from 8-12 years old. They also had a sister, her name was Maria Anna known to her immediate family as Annchen. She died at four years old after a seizure.

Michael stayed an "outcast" in his family on terms for years.

As he got older, his brother, Maximilian, began to pull pranks on people, including Michael. Maximilian tried to outshine Franz, and their friendship weakened.

In school, all of the children would learn and study for up to fifty hours a week. They had nurses(nannies) until they were 5-7 years old when tutors would teach them. They learned all things from maths and science to foreign languages, laws, diplomatic/politic studies, geography, and history. Michael was very skilled in his schoolwork and became a fabulous learner. Because of Michael's skills in his studies, his father began considering giving more inheritance and maybe even the throne to Michael after he passed away. Franz was furious at this to the point that he even threatened Michael. His threats, though, were hollow then At least until the brothers reached their twenties.

Hiding

When Michael was twenty two years old, Franz, who had trained in fencing, tried to attack Michael after a dinner one night. Michael must have survived just barely, because he went missing the next day and Franz was repeatedly absent and was known to be looking for his brother.

In 1859, Michael met a woman named Walburga WInter. Michael had decided that he would have to get married and start a family to hide from his brother at that point, and asked to marry Walburga. But,Walburga was already engaged to a man named Josef.

But Walburga still agreed to help Michael after she found out about his true identity. Michael took on the last name of Mader, and lived in hiding as a middle-class dye seller. Walburga married Josef Weinzierl a year later in the beginning of the new year of 1860.

In October, 1860, Michael had to leave the town and live in the town nearby because of Franz's searches for him reaching Walburga's home  town. Walburga would send Michael letters often, though few have been recovered.

On June 19th, 1862, Walburga tells Michael to marry a girl named Anna Rietberger as soon as possible to keep himself hidden after Franz comes to his new town.

On June 19th, 1862, Walburga tells Michael to marry a girl named Anna Rietberger as soon as possible to keep himself hidden after Franz comes to his new town.

Michael married Anna the next year in May, 1863, and then he still stays hidden as a dye seller. It is unknown if Anna ever knew Michael's true identity or if he kept it a secret that only Walburga knew.

In December, 1863, Michael's shop flourished. Walburga sent Michael a letter warning him to still lay low because Franz was still looking for him. Michael then hired a helper to be the face of his business and he worked behind the scenes, making the dye and getting it ready to sell. He earned a good amount of money doing that, paying his helper a quarter of the earnings, keeping the rest.

On Christmas, there is a fire in the dye shop, but it is put out. Lots of Michael's possessions are burned or damaged, including several letters from Walburga.

End of and After Hiding

Prince Maximilian was executed five years later, in 1868.

Franz Joseph took the loss of his favoured brother very hard, even though in their adult life they had parted ways, he seemed to remember his childhood all too well and stopped his search for his other brother, Michael.

Michael and Anna had soon birthed a son who Michael named Paulus. Thirteen years later, Walburga and Josef had a daughter named Maria. Michael knew that he could have still been in danger even though his brother temporarily stopped the search for him, so he kept writing to Walburga. Eventually, so that they could always be close in contact, Michael and Walburga decided to have Maria marry Paulus. Maria married Paulus and they had a son and gave Michael the honour of naming. Michael named him Franz Xaver.

Death

Michael Mader died in 1902 on the night of July 27th at the age of 54 years old out of natural causes.

He had a secluded burial that only his family after him (children, grandchildren, so on) , Walburga and Josef attended. He was buried in a quiet forest soon after his death.

Sources

A Little Long Guide to German Monarchs

A Personal Work of Michael Mader's Life

Franz Joseph I of Austria wiki page