Tchaikovsky
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Karl von Meck (1821–1876)

Karl von Meck

Engineer and army officer (b. 22 June/4 July 1821; d. 26 January/7 February 1876 in Moscow), born Karl Fyodorovich fon Mekk (Карл Федорович фон Мекк), also known as Otto Georg Karl von Meck.

Born into a Baltic German family, Karl was the only son of Otto Adam von Meck (1790–1830), a customs official, and his wife Wilhelmina (b. Hofferberg). On 14/26 January 1848 he married Nadezhda Frolovskaya (1831–1894), and they had eleven children: Yelizaveta (1848–1907); Aleksandra (1850–1920); Vladimir (1852–1892); Yuliya (1853–1915); Lidiya (1855–ca.1910); Nikolay (1863–1929); Aleksandr (1864–1912); Sofya (1867–1936); Maksimillian (1869–ca.1950); Mikhail (1871–1883); and Lyudmila (1872–1946).

After Karls death, his widow Nadezhda became Tchaikovsky's close friend and patroness (from 1876 to 1890), and their son Nikolay married the composer's niece, Anna, in 1884.