Róża Thun

Róża Maria Thun (Róża Maria Barbara Fürstin von Thun und Hohenstein, née Woźniakowska, born 13 April 1954), is a Polish politician, more usually known as Róża Thun than by her formal style of Countess and from 1990 her style changed to Princess.

Thun has served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Poland, representing Civic Platform since 2009, being returned to Brussels at the 2014 European elections.

Previously, Róża Thun was involved in two anti-communist organizations (the Student Committee of Solidarity and the Workers' Defence Committee) in the People's Republic of Poland.

After the fall of Communism, she was the chairwoman of the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation, a non-governmental organization promoting European integration.

Thun was also the head of the European Commission representation to Poland between 2005 and 2009. Since 2011 she has been Vice President of the European Movement International.

Early life and ancestry

Thun was born Róża Woźniakowska, Prawdzic coat of arms on 13 April 1954 at Kraków, Poland.

Her father, a Polish nobleman, Jacek Woźniakowski (1920-2012), was a professor in the Catholic University of Lublin (who also served as Mayor of Kraków for 1990-1991).

Her mother, Countess Maria Karolina of Plater-Zyberk (b. 1925), was a biologist and an expert on the species of bats.

Marriage and children

In 1981, Thun married Franz, 5th Prince von Thun und Hohenstein (b. 1948), an economist. As the Head of the family, he nominally holds the title of Prince in Austria and Imperial Count.

Through her mother, Franz and Róża are 3rd cousins, as both share mutual descent from Count Friedrich Franz von Thun und Hohenstein (1810-1881) and his wife, Countess Leopoldine von Lamberg (1825-1902).