Introduction
Shortly after Garbo died, the designation of her estate went unchallenged for some time. Garbo's sole heir was her niece Gray Reisfield. A man claimed to be Greta's brother illegitimate son, Sven (Åke) Fredriksson wanted to break her last will and some time later, in late 1990 or early 1991, a German “half-sister” appeared - Christine Schmitz from Frechen/Cologne.
Christine Schmitz
Christine Schmitz as a young woman and in later years
Mrs Schmitz told reporters, that her friends and family members always said, when a Garbo film was on TV, that she looked a bit like Greta. One day, Christine did a research in her family and her old aunt told her an amazing story....
Her father had an affair with Garbo's mother?
Christine's old aunt told her that her father Hermann Mück was on a Sweden journey one day and lived as a Subtenant in the Gustafsson house in Södermalm. Mück, was a brick-layer, born 1883 in Frechen by Cologne/Germany and later worked in Stockholm for some time.
Christine's father and Garbo's mother
He said that he had an affair with the unhappy married Anna Lovisa Gustafsson and that he was the real father of Greta Lovisa Gustasson. Mück told his sister (the aunt of Mrs. Schmitz) that Anna Lovisa didn't want to separate from her husband Karl Alfred and so Mück returned to Cologne and started a family on his own. His daughter Christine was born December 18, 1925.
Was she Garbo's half sister?
One day, in the early 1980s, Mrs Schmitz had the courage and wrote Greta a letter about this unbelievable story. The first reaction was that Mrs Schmitz received a big flower bouquet from Garbo and the wish to send her pictures and photos of her family and her father. Mrs Schmitz told that story to German reporters.
Interview on German TV
Schmitz visited Garbo
After exchanging letters, Mrs Schmitz said that she was invited by Garbo to visit her at 450 East Fifty-second Street in New York. Mrs Schmitz said that during the two visits, September 1983 and March 1985, a real sisterly friendship developed.
Schmitz in New York
Did Garbo gave her jewles?
Schmitz told reporters that Garbo gave her real jewels as a present. Than the actress told her that her mother, Anna Lovisa, told her the story about her "real" father when she was 18 years old. Mrs Schmitz was interviewed for German TV and showed reporters the "Garbo-Jewels".
Garbo's jewels?
Garbo wanted her as her Sole heiress?
Mrs Schmitz told reporters that Garbo even wanted Schmitz as the sole heiress of her estate. Schmitz than showed a handwritten copy of Garbo's Last will.
The handwritten letter
Garbo wanted to buried in Germany?
Christine Schmitz also claimed that Greta told her that, after her death, she wanted to be buried, were her “real” father was born, in Frechen/Cologne.
The Garbo Monument
For years, even until her death in 1997, Schmitz fought to fulfill Garbo's wish and teh promise she gave to her - to bury her in Frechen. A gravesite was chosen and a monument with Garbo's like-ness was designed Sculptor Höhnen but Garbo's Urn stayed in New York.
Mrs Schmitz at the Graveyard in Frechen
Mrs Schmitz wrote to President Bill Clinton
Mrs Schmitz even wrote to American President Bill Clinton and told him that it is a shame what is happening with Garbo's Urn in New York. She told him about Garbo's last wish to be buried in Germany. She never got an answer.
Mrs Schmitz writing to President Clinton
Mrs Schmitz appeared on TV and in Magazines
Mrs Schmitz appeared on TV, in News Reports and magazines. She even was a guest in the well known Late Night show “Gottschalk”, but all her efforts failed.
Schmitz on TV
The "Garbo-Bench"
In memory of her big “sister”, Mrs Schmitz even instigated a “Garbo-Bench” in front of the church in Einruhr (Eifel/Germany) were she worked as a young girl. Schmitz told reporters that Garbo was so impressed, when Mrs Schmitz told her about the Eifel. The Eifel is a low volcanic mountain range in western Germany.
Garbo-Bench
Advertisements
Mrs Schmitz released, in memory of her sister, every year an Advertisement in Cologne's biggest Newspapers.
Advertisement in Cologne's biggest Newspapers
Was she Garbo's half sister?
The story never appeared in the USA print or TV Media. No Garbo books ever mentioned her. Was it totally made up or true? Mrs Schmitz died in August 1997. She is buried at the place she wanted Garbo to be buried.
Mrs
Schmitz died in August 1997.
More Pictures
* Special thanks to Bea from Germany for helping to collect the infos and photos for this section *
