Michael Stourdza or Michail Stourtzas, also Mihail Sturdza (Greek: Μιχαήλ Στούρτζας; * 1794 in Iasi; † May 8, 1884 in Paris) was a Moldavian prince of Greek origin and an honorary citizen of Baden-Baden.
Life and Work The Stourdza family was a Phanariot Greek family. Mikhail Stourdza's parents moved from Constantinople to the Principality of Moldavia. Stourdza was taught by a French tutor, soon spoke eight languages, and was known for his education, which enabled him to work in the civil service. His maternal grandfather was chancellor under Prince Skarlatos Kallimachi (Scarlat Calimah), enabling him to participate in the creation of the Moldovan legal code, published in 1817.
In 1834, Michael Stourdza was elected Prince of Moldavia. After the Treaty of Balta-Limani in 1849, he was forced to abdicate. He took up residence in Paris.[1]
He was married twice: with his first wife, Rosetti, he had two sons (Gregor and Demeter Michael); his second wife, Smaragda (daughter of the Bulgarian nobleman Stefan Bogoridi), 21 years his junior, gave birth to a son, Michael, and a daughter, Maria. According to the relevant registers, all three sons studied together for several semesters in Berlin at the Humboldt University from 1857 onwards.
From 1854 onwards, the family spent the summer months in Baden-Baden, where they had built the Stourdza Palace on Lichtentaler Strasse. In June 1863, his son, Michael Stourdza Junior, died at the age of 16. His father donated 10,000 guilders to the Stulz Orphanage in Lichtental and 4,000 guilders to the Baden-Baden Hospital in memory of him. He was buried at Michaelsberg, named after his son, where a Greek Orthodox Stourdza Chapel was built. He also created a public park there. The chapel was designed by Leo von Klenze and was intended to serve as a burial place for the entire family, but also for services according to Greek Orthodox rites.[2] It was consecrated on October 25, 1866. His daughter married Prince Konstantin Alexandrovich Gorchakov and moved to the Russian Empire.
Stourdza left behind a vast fortune, over the distribution of which his relatives pursued numerous lawsuits after his death. [Q: Wikipedia]
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