
Johannes
11th Prince of
Thurn & Taxis (1926 - 1990)
knew about the Cremerie from his grandfather Albert.
Albert was always telling his young grandchildren
Johannes, Anselm, Gabriel and Mathilde
about the fascinating postal adventures of their ancestors.
The picture was taken around 1936.

1986
Johannes came to Paris during the fashion week.
The editor of this article,
at the time a young student
was making some extra money working in fashion shows.
This is how he happened to meet
the great great great great great great grandson
of the old postmasters.
The fashion show meeting resulted in a lunch invitation at the Ritz.
Johannes had met wild people
like Soraya of Iran or Marilyn Monroe
but his most captivating stories
were the ones in reation
to his ancestor's adventures
operating Postal services ...
Nobody knew such amazing stories,
even though they sounded
almost unbeleivable ...
for a student used to La Poste beeing a State owned Monopoly.
Sometimes Johannes said,
"you know
when the horses of my great great grandfather
were carrying letters,
they were faster
and more reliable
than today ..."
1986 May in Paris again Thurn & Taxis showed the student
a fascinating building,
The Hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon,
the place where his ancestors Anselm Franz
and Alexander Ferdinand
had been 300 years earlier.
It was one of the Telecom hotspots of the 17th and 18th century
and the only still exisiting major Telecom building
completely unchanged,
even the water fountains for the post horses are still there.
Thurn & Taxis was a little astonished
the young student also knew about the building,
but what the student knew were stories from Russia
and had nothing to do with Telecom ...

50 meters away from the old postal building
was a little Boutique with a sign "for sale" ...
Thurn & Taxis called the number on the sign
and
told the young student:
"The price of this Boutique is not even half
of what my wife spends
on a cocktail dress.
I enjoy that the Telecom adventures
of my ancestors interest you so much.
I should give you a few thalers we received for our Thurn & Taxis Post
and you start a new Telecom business.
Our Thurn & Taxis buildings from Brussels
and Francfort have been destroyed
but in Paris everything is still there.
There is so much history and so much energy from the past ...
"
"Telecom has been blocked by State monopolies,
one of these day these monopolies will fall
you will see the business my family once has invented
has a lot of future ...
At age 20 you have a lot of energy
and people will be surprised that you are still so young
this will help you ...
Find an idea
I will enjoy to follow the adventure ...
"
1986 July the student had the key of the little Boutique
in the heart of Paris
50 m from the old Postal Building
...
This was like jumping into water ...
Used to live in a chambre de bonne and owning a bicycle
having a Boutique in the heart of the city
was quite something ...
The Telecom project was so captivating,
the student was no longer interested in studying ...
The Boutique took a bit of time to open.
An idea needed to be found
and the place needed to be renovated
...

Well when you are 20 and you open a Boutique
in the center of Paris
a lot of adventures are waiting for you ....
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