This is an incredible journey of a marked history filtering throughout as two giants connect, The Holzer's and The Buxhoeveden's. Surviving the first war, ghostly premonitions and death comes a re-birth that continues the family's roots and legacy.
Learn of the Parisian woman who was brave enough to marry the Russian Count and bear five children with him, already having five from a previous failed marriage. Experience her life with what gravitated her to this strong, enthusiastic powerful man willed to save the family. One woman's struggle to keep it all together while losing along the way. Personal accounts of the war from the eyes of a soul, that would not take no for an answer thus persevering on for her quest of life and liberty. It wouldn't be until one of their children would go on to be brave enough to marry again another powerful entity, The Ghost Hunter.
Ghost hunting is more then what it is spooked up to be in the case of the original famed Ghost Hunter. The 1960s pioneering brave professor Dr. Hans Holzer, took on Manhattan and the eastern seaboard Indiana Jones style. He was in search of the unusual, unexplained and unholy. A paranormal marriage, haunted children, one of which was obsessed with the volleyball demon, deceitful times and famous personalities give way to a true living ghost story.
And so, history is in the making again as these two domineering and spiritually protected families join forming a union in the sixties. While Andy Warhol and his crew were out and about so were the ghosts and ghouls of Manhattan. The socialites weren't the only ones having fun. Among the many exciting revolutionary times and personalities, the 60s also gave us the original Ghost Hunter. Holzer started his life in Vienna, Austria and had quite an extraordinary upbringing laced with strong family values. However, that didn't quite stop him at the ripe old age of five into scaring his classmates to death.
This circumferences the beginning of decades of countless stories, eye witness testimonials, TV personality's, radio shows, book after book, TV appearances and extensive traveling during good and bad times. Evolving into what was going to become his first novel out of 145 plus thereafter was 'Ghost Hunter'.
An unheard of eleven printings followed suit with this still today successful title. It was quite an achievement and Hans became recognized and eerily respected as a certified ghost man. Before 'Ghost Busters' and reality TV, Holzer broke the barriers and made the rules about the afterlife. He was helping countless ghosts move beyond the grave and free themselves. He also brought some home. In his ghost hunting's, he helped mere mortals become less afraid of the dark and get back to their lives peacefully learning to accept. Saying the word 'ghosts' was no longer considered taboo. Soon everyone was reporting that they too had a ghost, like a popular brand of house ware. He salvaged their homes and their inner fears showing them it was natural and all par for the course in the game of life. Along the way he mingled with actors by the likes of Leonard Nemoy and Tina Louise among others throughout his career. Training mediums to become visionary's and guides between two worlds spun out Ethel Johnson-Meyers, Sybil Leek and recently the Late Yolana Bard as some of the famous among Hans' psychic network. Dionne Warwick had nothing on Hans!
Nothing is perfect as our family was quite dysfunctional. The other half of this dynamic duo is Catherine. The appropriate catalyst and partner in crime in order to achieve the full haunting effect. She is Countess to the Baron side of the Royal Russian Family, Buxhoeveden. Catherine's tale is a different haunting from that of Hans'. One beginning when her father meet her mother. Growing up, Catherine recounts the haunted mansion up on a hill in Italy as one of many turbulent times in their lives.
The Amityville murder case came about a mere decade after Hans had established himself as the lead authority in the paranormal arena; and was one of the first to be on the scene. He lead the most investigations, spoke with Ronald Defeo in prison several times as he was moved around, and has gone on to write the most books on this topic.
It's 2 a.m. and the phone is frantically ringing off the hook. Someone is witnessing their home being shaken up by unseen hands awaiting Hans' arrival. Off Hans goes with his crew, basic Nikon and Panasonic tape recorder to investigate the rowdy entity.
This story will open up a few locked doors to the Holzer theories and perhaps questions to what was fact or fiction. In our upper west side pre-war building, Hans sometimes brought 'things' home, resulting in an atmospheric vortex of paranormal activity. Ghosts still peek our interests and whether your a believer or a skeptic, it is quite a topic for conversation. In my home a conversation reserved for an evening with a lot of wine set aside. This prompted many guests and sometimes family members leery to turn in that evening. And so, you will be transformed from the period of the early twelve hundreds all the way through to today's times. An emotional, reflective yet frightening roller-coaster ride that was pre-destined, pre-fated and pre-planned by those in-charge of unearthly worlds. Perhaps this shall leave many to question their own fate and path in their lives.
Always be well-Alexandra Holzer
