The plantation had to be sold-my home was broken up. : 20, 54, 61, 63 In Blixen's words, 'Difficulty upon difficulty arose. Blaming the farm's losses on Blix, Aage banned Blix from the farm in the spring of 1920, and by 1921 Tanne and Blixen were separated. Yet, thirty years after their first safari, Karen was quoted as saying, 'If I should wish anything back of my life, it would be to go on safari once again with Bror Blixen.' : Editor's Note, 14, 26Īage Westenholz, Tanne's maternal uncle and family trustee after her father died, turned the farm into a company in 1918 with Aage as the chairman. Capstick goes on to say, 'His forays into town and his often wild socializing at the Muthaiga Club, coupled with a legendary indiscipline when it came to money and honoring his debts, soon gave the charming Swede a notorious reputation.' The farm did not prosper, the couple separated, and eventually divorced. : 33–36, 40–43, 47 According to Peter Capstick, 'It was not long after Blixen and his wife settled on their farm that he started womanizing.' Karen became infected with syphilis as a consequence. During WWI, Blix served in Lord Delamere's patrols along the border with German-Tanganyika, and Tanne helped transport supplies. They lived in the manager's house, located on the Mbagathi River, until 1917, when they moved into the main two-story stone farm house. They then ran a 4,500 acres (1,800 hectares) coffee plantation at the foot of Ngong Hills, bought by Blixen from Ake Sjogren, using funds provided on behalf of her family. : 12, 17–18 : 4–5īror Fredrik von Blixen-Finecke became engaged to Karen Dinesen, who followed him to Kenya in 1913, where they were married on 14 January 1914 in Mombasa.

A visit from Blix's maternal uncle, Count Mogens Frijs, and his tales of life in Naivasha, inspired Blix to seek his future in Africa. Hans had actually turned down Tanne, before she became attached to Blix. Blix and Hans had known 'Tanne', Karen Dinesen, since childhood, since Blix's mother and Tanne's father were cousins. Bror's maternal grandfather was Count Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, Denmark's prime minister 1865–1870 and a descendant of Frederick III of Denmark.īlixen-Finecke attended agricultural college at Alnarp, and then managed the Stjetneholm farm, within the Nasbyholm estate.

: 3–7 His paternal grandfather was Baron Carl Frederik Axel Bror von Blixen-Finecke (1822–1873), who held the family seat at Näsbyholm Castle and served Denmark as its Minister of Foreign Affairs 1859–1860, while his grandmother was the Baron's first wife, Gustava Charlotta Ankarcrona (1821–1890), a descendant of John III of Sweden. Bror Fredrik 'Blix' von Blixen-Finecke and his twin brother, Hans Gustaf, were the youngest of seven children born to Baron Fredrik von Blixen-Finecke (1847–1919) and his wife, Countess Clara Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs (1855–1925).

Bror blixen out of africa