Anna Eynard–Lullin (Source: Wikipedia)
Anna Eynard–Lullin (1793–1868) was born on May 26, 1793, in the municipality of Lancy in the canton of Geneva; she was the fifth and last child of banker Michel Lullin de Châteauvieux and Amélie Christine Pictet. Her full name was Charlotte Adélaide Anne [1].
In 1810, at the age of 17, she married the prominent philhellene politician and banker Jean-Gabriel Eynard (1775–1863) [2]. The couple initially lived at Cour Saint-Pierre and later built the Palais Eynard, which today houses the offices of the Geneva Administrative Council (Conseil Administratif de Genève).
In 1820, the couple adopted a little girl born in Rolle and named her Sophia (1817–1887) [3].
Anna was a woman of great beauty and exceptional communication skills. Drawing on her strengths, she played an informal diplomatic role in support of Geneva’s cause, as the entire diplomatic community of post-Napoleonic Europe frequented her salon [4]. Thus, when Jean-Gabriel Eynard was appointed Geneva’s representative to the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) alongside François d’Ivernois and her uncle Charles Pictet de Rochemont, Anna accompanied them and helped advance Geneva’s demands on the sidelines of the conference’s deliberations [5]. This fact is confirmed by Charles Pictet de Rochemont in his letters from January 1815, in which he notes that Anna not only corresponded with Grand Duchess Catherine but also danced with the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia [6]. It is worth noting that she supported her husband with equal success at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) in 1818 [7].
Her Philhellenic Activities
Anna Eynard was a woman of social and political sensibilities. She emerged as one of the most prominent philhellenes in Central Europe during the Revolution, as she founded the region’s Philhellenic Committee in Geneva, which organized philhellenic performances, receptions, and lectures, with the aim of both informing the public about the Greek Revolution and raising funds, food, clothing, and medicine [8].
In fact, in 1866—three years after the death of Jean Gabriel Eynard—on her own initiative and that of the National Bank of Greece, a bust of the Swiss philhellene was commissioned and placed in the National Garden, a short distance from the bust of his friend Ioannis Kapodistrias [9]. Furthermore, in 1867 she took the lead in supporting the Cretan Revolution (1866–1869) [10].
The interior of the Palais Eynard, the Eynard family residence. (Source: collections.geneve.ch.)
Thanks to her husband’s diplomatic contacts and acquaintances, Anna had become friends with Ioannis Kapodistrias, who even mentions her in his correspondence, frequently sending her greetings. It is worth noting that Kapodistrias, after settling in Geneva in 1822, was a frequent guest at the Eynard mansion. Furthermore, the Palais Eynard had hosted other prominent figures of the Greek struggle for independence, such as Alexandros Mavrokordatos and Michael Soutsos [11].
Her gift to Kapodistrias
Η εσάρπα-ζώνη που δώρισε η Anna Eynard-Lullin στον Καποδίστρια. (Πηγή: Εθνικό Ιστορικό Μουσείο)
Shortly before Kapodistrias’s departure for Greece in 1827, Mrs. Eynard offered him a beautiful, all-silk striped sash in blue and white as a gift. Moreover, it was common in the philhellenic circles of the time to have sashes and belts made in the colors of the Greeks [12]. We glean interesting information about this sash from letters sent by Kapodistrias to Jean Eyanrd, which were published by Elie Ami Betant (1803–1871), secretary to the first Governor of Greece.
On 28 January/9 February 1828, Kapodistrias wrote a letter from Aegina to his Swiss friend in Geneva. At the end of the letter, in the form of a postscript, the Governor of Greece expressed his gratitude to Anna Einardou for the sash she had given him: “Tell Mrs. Eynard that her blue-and-white scarf impresses me and will continue to impress me. It is the only distinctive adornment of the President of Greece” [13].
Another reference to Anna Eynard’s belt is recorded in a letter from Kapodistrias, written from Poros to Anna’s husband and dated 2/14 July 1828. In it, Kapodistrias wrote: “I kiss Mrs. Eynard’s hands and ask her to consider a new sash for the president; the one I’m wearing is now quite worn, though I won’t retire it along with my old clothes. See how I also pay attention to my appearance, as a sign of good faith” [14].
Ioannis Kapodistrias’s belt is currently in the collection of the National Historical Museum under catalog number 2169 and is on display in its temporary exhibition “Epanasistasi ‘21.” The belt was donated to the National Historical Museum by the Naval and Veterans’ Fund, to which it had been given by a descendant of the Kapodistrias family [15].
The graves of Jean Eynard (left) and Anna Eynard (right) in Geneva. (Source: Wikipedia)
Her Final Years
After her husband’s death, Anna Eynard continued her extensive philanthropic work. On her initiative, a convalescent home for young women, a nursing home, and schools were established in Geneva. In addition, she donated 30,000 francs (approximately 18,700 euros today) to the Geneva hospital [16]. The Swiss philhellene died at the age of 75 on 30 October 1868 and was buried in the Cimitière des Rois cemetery in Geneva, next to her husband’s grave.
Giorgos Giannikos - Magda Balafouti
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the National Historical Museum for providing information for the preparation of this feature, as well as to the Museum’s historian and curator, Ms. Nikoletta Zygoori, for her assistance and cooperation.
Bibliographic References:
[1] Dommen, B. & Dommen, C. (2014). Mademoiselle de trop. Geneva: La Joie de lire, p. 5.
[2] Ghervas, S. & Herrmann, I. (2005). Anna Eynard-Lullin (1793–1868) . In D. Ziegler & N. Tikhonov (Eds.), Les femmes dans la mémoire de Genève. Geneva: S. Hurter, p. 82
[3] Ghervas, S. (2008). Réinventer la tradition: Alexandre Stourdza et l’Europe de la Sainte-Alliance. Paris: Honoré Champion, pp. 505–509.
[4] Zygoori, N. (2021). Mme Anne Eynard-Lullin and Ioannis Capodistrias (Facebook post).
[5] Blandin, B. (2021). Anna Eynard-Lullin, Ambassador of Charm in Vienna. In B. Blandin & F. Pajor (Eds.), Geneva and Greece: A Friendship in the Service of Independence. Athens: Melissa, p. 44.
[6] Pictet de Rochemont, C. (2010). Letters Written to His Family During His Diplomatic Missions—In Basel to Allied Sovereigns, at the First Congress of Paris, at the Congress of Vienna, at the Second Congress of Paris, and in Turin (1814–1816). Geneva: Pictet Family Archives Foundation, Retrieved from:https://www.archivesfamillepictet.ch/
[7] Ghervas, S. & Herrmann, I., ibid. p. 82.
[8] Pipili, F. (March 30, 2021). “Philhellenism of the Female Gender.” Kathimerini. Retrieved from: https://www.kathimerini.gr/k/k-magazine/561310141/filellinismos-genoys-thilykoy/
[9] Bust of Ioannis Gabriel Eynard. Retrieved from: https://topoimnimis.keni.gr/index.php/el/mnimeia/item/160-protomi-ioanni-gavriil-eynardou
[10] Pipili, F., ibid.
[11] Swiss Philhellenism (2015, November 2015). Retrieved from: https://www.mfa.gr/switzerland/ellada/ellada-kai-elvetia/elbetikos-philellenismos.html
[12] Zygouri, ibid.
[13] Bétant, E-A. (1839). Correspondance du comte J. Capodistrias, président de la Grèce (Vol. A). Genève: Abraham Cherbuliez et Ce, Libraires, p. 400.
[14] Bétant, E-A. (1839). Correspondance du comte J. Capodistrias, président de la Grèce (Vol. B). Genève: Abraham Cherbuliez et Ce, Libraires, p. 222.
[15] Zygouri, ibid.
[16] Dommen, B. & Dommen, C., ό.π.
