The testament is interesting cases. The most unusual wills in the world
Light in the grave
A certain Viennese millionaire, afraid of the dark, demanded that a light always be on in his grave.
I will return from the other world! ..
John Bowman, an entrepreneur from Vermont, died after burying his beloved wife and two daughters. Absolutely confident that he will meet them in the next world and somehow be able to return to this world, he ordered to keep his mansion in full readiness to return and serve a late dinner every night. Bowman died in 1891. Late supper at his mansion stopped serving only in 1950, when the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants ran out.
The world's longest testament
It was abandoned by the American housewife Frederica Cook in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read aloud in its entirety, as is usually the case. Mrs. Cook did not have a large fortune, and her property could be counted on one hand. But Mrs. Cook, who made many friends and enemies, had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or bad is another matter) to all of them. She wrote a will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. By the way, those who nevertheless were able to read the will in its entirety claim that it reads like a real women's novel, and if it is printed, success is guaranteed!
The shortest will
The shortest will belongs to the German Karl Tausch. On June 19, 1967, in the presence of a notary, the dying Tausch wrote only two words on a piece of paper: "Everything to my wife."
The most offensive testament
Compiled by Australian Francis Lord, who, after writing off his fortune to charities, friends and servants, only mentioned his wife at the end. He bequeathed her one shilling - so that she "bought a ticket on the tram, went somewhere and drowned herself."
Most impractical testament
In Iran or Belgium, you can never bequeath your property to a dog or cat, and in America or Europe, you can indicate Osama bin Laden as the heir. However, a large number of strange wills written in Britain, America or other states whose legislation is based on Anglo-Saxon law is explained precisely by the fact that the testator's rights are practically unlimited there. Your last will is only yours. It can be challenged only if there is reason to doubt that the testator was of sound mind.
First testament to animals
The first person who bequeathed all his property to animals is a resident of the American city of Columbus Jackson, who instructed his executors to build a dormitory for cats with comfortable bedrooms, a dining room, a library and a concert hall in which cats could enjoy music, and a comfortable roof for walking.
Testament to God
A woman from Cherokee County left her entire fortune to God. The court, having considered the will and found no grounds for cancellation, instructed the local sheriff to find the beneficiary and ensure the transfer of the inheritance to him. A few days later, Cherokee County became famous as the only place on the planet that officially recognized its God-forsakenness! The sheriff's report to the local judge said:
After extensive and careful research, we were unable to locate God in the area.
Testament to Satan
The Finnish government has every reason to be considered the official representative of the devil. One of the citizens of the country bequeathed all his property to Satan. The state has successfully sued itself all the money!
Testament in favor of the "most beautiful nose" competition
One Frenchman left money for an annual competition for the most beautiful nose, which is open to representatives of all nations and races, with the exception of Russians, provided that the contestants have red hair and black eyebrows.
Bury Sandra in the car!
California high society star Sandra West's last wish was to bury her in a silk night robe while driving her beloved Ferrari. The executor was instructed to see to it that the chair was pulled back for maximum comfort. Among other things, the executor decided to fill the grave with concrete, fearing vandals who might encroach on the car.
Don't take your clothes off Dorothy!
It was much easier to fulfill the will of the American singer Dorothy Dandbridge, who wrote: “In case of death, do not take off my clothes, no matter what I find myself in - with a scarf, a dressing gown or whatever. Cream as it is! "
Most generous testament
belongs to Robert Louis Stevenson, who gave one of his friends his birthday. The lady was born on Christmas Day on December 25th and her own holiday has always been forgotten. Changing this date to November 13, the writer's birthday, could have changed the situation, but the court forbade the last will of the author of "Treasure Island" to be satisfied: Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.
Cruel testament
The last wish of Mary Murphy, a wealthy California widow, was not fulfilled. She ordered to put her beloved dog Saido to sleep in order to "save the latter from the moral torment associated with the loss of the mistress."
The Society for the Fight Against Cruelty to Animals stood up for the dog, which proved that killing a healthy and young dog violates California law.
Charles Millar's "educational" testament
Canadian lawyer Charles Millar in his will showed a remarkable sense of humor and helped some people to better understand their own essence. His will is not just a collection of jokes on his neighbors, but also a document that had a fantastic impact on the life of his hometown of Toronto and all of Canada. Charles Millar died in 1928, and his last will became a sensation. He mentioned in his will of two friends, a judge and a preacher, who are known throughout Canada for their hatred of gambling. He left them with a large block of shares in one of the racetracks. In addition to profitable from gambling as a result, both of them automatically - as shareholders - became members of the jockey club, with which they fought for many years. The judge and preacher accepted the gift!
The main point of the will was an unprecedented amount of money, which the lawyer bequeathed to the one from Toronto who, within ten years from the time of his death, will give birth to the largest number of children.
What happened next in Canada was called the "big Toronto derby." The surge in fertility in Toronto and across Canada this decade has been phenomenal. On May 30, 1938, exactly ten years after Millar's death, the city court began considering inheritance claims. A woman who managed to give birth to ten children in ten years was disqualified, since not all of her children were from the same man, as Millar demanded. Another woman was also disqualified: she gave birth nine times, but five children were stillborn. Both ladies received a consolation prize of $ 13 thousand. $ 500 thousand were distributed in equal shares between four families in which nine children were born in ten years. As newspapers later reported, there were no more children in these families.
Millar bequeathed shares of the brewing company to five more of his comrades, the principled opponents of alcoholic beverages. Only one in five refused the inheritance. To three more acquaintances who hated each other so much that they refused to be at the same time in the same place, he bequeathed his villa in Jamaica.
Nobel's testament
“I, the undersigned Alfred Bernhard Nobel, upon reflection, hereby declare:
... all my remaining property must be invested by my executor in safe papers and will constitute a fund, the interest from which will be annually distributed in the form of bonuses to those who have brought the greatest benefit to humanity during the previous year
... The interest should be divided into five parts, which are distributed as follows: one part to the one who will make the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; one, to the one who will make the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; one - to someone who will make an important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; one - to the one who, in the field of literature, creates the most outstanding work of the idealist tendency; and one - to the one who will make the greatest contribution to the cause, contributing to the destruction or reduction of existing armies, support or encouragement of peace congresses. "
This is probably the most famous and most useful testament for all mankind.
Most Impossible Will
So far, it is impossible to fulfill the will of a Frenchman who wrote that he bequeaths all his property "to the first person who came into contact with an inhabitant of any celestial body, except for Mars."
William Shakespeare left most historically useful testament: he listed all his belongings from furniture to shoes, disposing of each item separately.
Niels Bohr's laboratory assistant compiled world's hardest testament, which consisted of special terms and very complex phraseological phrases - experts-linguists were even called in to decipher it.
The largest amount of money indicated in the will - $ 500 million - Henry Ford bequeathed to distribute this amount among 4157 educational and charitable institutions.
"I categorically and unequivocally prohibit any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my condition" - the will of Michel Rothschild was recognized the most secret will in the world.
In the will of the famous illusionist Harry Houdini, it was said that he wrote down all the secrets and secrets of his tricks and put them in a safe, which he allowed to open on the day of his centenary. The safe was empty.
The great comedian Charlie Chaplin bequeathed $ 1 million to anyone who can release five cigarette rings from his mouth and let the sixth through them. This amount has not yet been received by anyone.
A very unusual testament
left at the beginning of the twentieth century German professor Paul Wolfskel: the one who is the first to present a complete proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, the Göttingen Academy of Sciences is obliged to present 50,000 gold marks. This prize has not yet been received by anyone either.
And finally, one very funny story.
Each of 11 antique cars from the collection of one famous lawyer was estimated at $ 25,000. In his will, he distributed them among 3 sons as follows: half was to go to the elder, a quarter to the middle, one-sixth to the younger. But how can you split 11 cars in half? Or separate one sixth from them? The sons argued for a long time, but could not come to a consensus in any way. At that time, the famous numerologist Mrs. Zero drove past them in her new sports car. After the brothers explained the situation to her, she did the following: put her car along with the collectible cars - the cars turned out 12. In accordance with the will, she gave half of the cars - 6 - to the eldest, the fourth part - 3 cars - received the middle part and the sixth part - 2 cars - junior. 6 plus 3 plus 2 - 11 cars - that's right!
A source
1. Smoker
Samuel Bratt, an avid smoker, decided to take revenge on his wife, who forbade him to smoke his favorite Cuban cigars, and he did it in a very original way. In his will, which was made public in 1960, Samuel left her £ 330,000 with one condition - the widow must smoke 5 cigars a day in order to receive this inheritance.
2. Stand firmly on your feet
The lifeless body of the Puerto Rican Angel Pantoja was found under the San Juan Bridge, without police knowing who killed him. According to his brother Carlos, Angel wanted to be happy and firmly on his feet in his home. Relatives fulfilled the wish of the deceased - Angel was embalmed in an upright position. Now he is standing in one of the rooms in his mother's house, in a bench outfit, fashionable glasses and a baseball cap, almost as if he were alive ... Brr ...
By the way, anyone who wishes for only $ 5 can visit Angel's mother and admire the embalmed body.
3. Everything for your beloved dog
When Leona Helmsley passed away at the age of 87, her highly unusual will was made public. On her instructions, a special fund of $ 12 million was created, the money from which went exclusively to the maintenance of her beloved dog named Trouble, so that the animal would live the rest of its life in luxury and prosperity.
The deceased's brother, Alvin Rosenthal, was appointed manager of the fund, to whom she left almost $ 10 million. When the dog dies, it should be buried next to its owner in a lush mausoleum worth nearly half a million dollars. Granny didn't forget about her grandchildren either (she has 2 of them) and left some "miserable" $ 5 million, with which they, of course, did not agree and are still challenging this decision in court.
4. Maximilian
And one more curious case from the same topic.
Millionaire and film producer Roger Dorcas left all his $ 65 million to his beloved dog Maximilian. The court recognized this decision as legal, since during his lifetime the millionaire straightened out completely human documents for Maximilian. He left his wife, Wendy Dietrich, 1 cent. But she, according to the same canine documents, married a dog and, after his death, calmly entered into inheritance rights, since the dog, of course, did not leave a will.
5. Women are not allowed
A lawyer with a strange name, Ti M Zink (TM Zink), who died in 1930, treated women very badly, so his last wish, according to his will, was to build a library in which all works would be written only by men (in the beginning, he also wanted to prohibit all women from visiting this library, but then changed his mind), and the staff also consisted of only men.
To do this, he bequeathed his $ 35,000 fortune to a fund with interest for 75 years, and then use the funds received to build the Zink Womanless Library, and over the entrance to hang the slogan "No Women Allowed" (Women are not allowed). Perhaps fortunately, his daughter, who received $ 5 by will, successfully challenged her father's decision, and the library was never built.
6. Bitch
In 1841 the poet Heinrich Heine married Eugenie Mirat, an uneducated, rude and narrow-minded, but pretty clerk in a shoe store. His love sometimes took strange forms, so the poet left a will, according to which the entire fortune passes to Eugenia, but with one condition - she must marry after his death. Why is that? According to the writer, in this way, he will be sure that at least one person will regret his death.
7. After death, I want to go to the stars
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry, the creator of the StarTrack phenomenon, adored space science fiction, so his last wish, according to his will: "After death, I want to go to the stars." This desire was fulfilled: his body was cremated and in 1997 a Spanish satellite delivered the deceased's ashes into orbit, where the contents of the urn were released into the upper atmosphere. Ten years later, his wife followed him ... Romantic and sad, isn't it? ...
8. Testament - novel
The longest testament in the world was left behind by the hitherto unknown American housewife Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read aloud in its entirety, as is usually the case. Mrs. Cook did not have a large fortune, and her movable and immovable property could be counted on one hand.
But Mrs. Cook, who made many friends and enemies during her long life, had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or bad is another matter) to all of them. She wrote a will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. By the way, those who nevertheless were able to read the will in its entirety claim that it reads like a real women's novel, and if it is printed, then readership is guaranteed.
9. Gift birthday
The most generous and touching gift was made by the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who bequeathed his birthday to one of his friends. The lady was born on Christmas Day on December 25th, and her own holiday has always been forgotten.
Changing this date to November 13, the writer's birthday, could have changed the situation, but the court refused to satisfy the last will of the author of "Black Arrow" and "Treasure Island": Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.
10. Back from the other world
John Bowman, an entrepreneur from Vermont, buried his beloved wife and two daughters, and two years later he himself went to the next world. Absolutely confident that he would meet them in the next world and somehow be able to return to this world, in his will he ordered to keep his mansion in full readiness for his return and to serve a late dinner every night. Bowman died in 1891.
Late supper at his mansion stopped serving only in 1950, when the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants ran out.
11. Favorite car
Californian high society star Sandra West's last will was to bury her in a silk night robe while driving her beloved Ferrari, with the executor tasked with ensuring that the chair was pushed back as comfortable as possible and the mirrors adjusted for the best view.
The last will was done. True, the executor decided to fill the grave with concrete, fearing vandals who might encroach on an expensive car.
12. Dreamer from Toronto
With all the multitude of the most eccentric wills, the champion among testators can rightfully be considered the Canadian lawyer Charles Millar, whose will is not just a collection of not too kind jokes on his neighbors, but also a document that had a fantastic impact on the life of not only his hometown of Toronto, but also all over Canada.
Charles Millar passed away in 1926, and his last will was an instant sensation. He mentioned in his will of two friends, a judge and a priest, who are known throughout Canada for their hatred of any form of gambling. He left them with a large block of shares in one of the racetracks. In addition to profitable from gambling as a result, both of them automatically - as shareholders - became members of the jockey club, with which they fought for many years. The judge and preacher accepted the gift.
Millar bequeathed shares of the brewing company to five more of his comrades, ardent opponents of drunkenness and alcoholic beverages. Only one in five refused the inheritance. To three more acquaintances who hated each other so much that they refused to be at the same time in the same place, he bequeathed his luxurious villa in Jamaica, oddly enough, but no one refused.
But the most important point was the all-time large sum of money that the lawyer bequeathed to “the one of the Toronto women who, within ten years from the time of my death, will give birth to the greatest number of children.” They tried to challenge this clause of the will more than once in court, but Millar was a good lawyer, so there was nothing to complain about.
What happened next in Canada was called "the big Toronto derby". The surge in fertility in Toronto and across Canada this decade has been phenomenal. As a result, on May 30, 1938, exactly ten years after Millar's death, the city court began to consider applications for inheritance.
The lady, who managed to give birth to a dozen babies in ten years, was disqualified - it turned out that not all of her children are from the same man, as Millar demanded. Another woman was also disqualified: she gave birth nine times, but five children were stillborn.
Both ladies received a consolation prize of $ 13 thousand. $ 500 thousand were distributed in equal shares between four families in which nine children were born in ten years. As newspapers later reported, after receiving the prize, no more children were born in these families.
Longest testament belongs to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. In the document in which the politician disposed of his property, arguments about the history of the country were often wedged in. As a result, Jefferson's heirs received the right to inherit only on the condition that all their slaves were freed. But in 1925, the fame of the longest will passed to the hitherto unknown American housewife Federica Cook. It turned out that she had been working on her farewell document for 20 years. As a result, the will turned out to be so long (95,940 words) that the few who could read it to the end claim that this reading is more like a novel. Indeed, over the years of her existence, a woman has managed to make many friends and enemies, devoting a couple of lines in her work to each of them. Needless to say, the will was not read aloud, as is usually the case.
The most offensive testament. It was a document drawn up in the Middle Ages by one farmer. A man bequeathed to his wife 100 livres, and in the event of her remarriage, the amount could double. The farmer explained this by the fact that the future husband of such a grumpy woman would probably need this money. The situation for the future chosen one was aggravated by the fact that divorce was prohibited in those days. Another offensive document of this kind belongs to the Australian Francis Lord. He left all his property to charities, friends, not forgetting his servants. But the wife was mentioned at the end of the list. Francis bequeathed her 1 shilling so that she could buy a tram ticket and go somewhere to drown herself.
The most historically useful testament became a document left by William Shakespeare. The writer turned out to be so meticulous and petty that he left orders for all his property, including furniture and shoes. As a result, the document turned out to be almost the only indisputable document that proves the existence of Shakespeare in general.
The shortest will left by one London banker. It contained only three words: "I am completely ruined." But this record soon fell. The laconic German Karl Tausch went down in history with the testament "Everything to my wife".
And here is the most indecent testament belongs to a shoemaker, which is not surprising. One resident of Marseille drew up a will of 123 words, while 94 of them turned out to be such that in a decent society they simply cannot be pronounced.
The most difficult testament to understand became a document drawn up by a laboratory assistant Niels Bohr, a famous physicist. The note contained so many special terms and complex phraseological phrases that in order to understand what the man actually had in mind, he had to resort to the help of linguistic experts.
The largest cash amount in his will was left by Henry Ford. The industrialist ordered the distribution of $ 500 million among 4,157 organizations - educational and charitable.
The most famous testament became such from Alfred Nobel. Shortly after his death, the document was disputed by his relatives. This is not surprising, because Nobel left them only half a million crowns, while the remaining 30 million went to create the famous Nobel Prize and the corresponding fund.
Michelle Rothschild is listed as the author of the most secret will. The billionaire wrote in it: "... I categorically and unequivocally prohibit any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my fortune ..." As a result, no one found out the true size of the financier's fortune.
Caring people leave their funds to the representatives of the fauna. So, the author of the largest fortune among animals was the film producer Roger Dorkas. The rich man left all his 65 million dollars to his beloved dog Maximilian. Then the story took on a completely stupid shade. The court decided that such a decision was absolutely legal on the basis that during his lifetime Dorcas managed to make human documents to the dog. And according to the will, the producer's wife received only 1 cent. The resourceful woman managed to marry the dog, since he had real human documents. As a result, after the death of the animal, she was able to enter into inheritance rights, since the dog, of course, did not leave a will.
The most vengeful testament left in 1960 by a certain Samuel Brother. He knew that his wife could not stand the smell of tobacco smoke. So the man ordered that in order to enter into the inheritance of 330 thousand pounds, his widow had to smoke 5 cigars daily.
Sexiest testament left by German businessman Rolf Eden. He announced that he would leave all his property to the woman in whose bed he would die. Now the 76-year-old businessman feels great and enjoys the fruits of such a sexual testament with might and main!
The funniest testament left by the famous comedian Charlie Chaplin. The actor bequeathed $ 1 million to anyone who can, let us release five rings of cigarette smoke from our mouths, and pass a sixth through them. The task turned out to be so difficult that until now no one has been able to do it.
Will-raffle left by the famous illusionist Harry Houdini. He told everyone that all the secrets of his tricks will be kept in a safe, which should be opened on the day of his centenary. However, when the designated box was opened, it turned out that there was nothing inside it.
Most masculine testament left lawyer Ty Zink. In 1930, in view of his bad attitude towards women, he bequeathed at his own expense to build a library in which all books would be written exclusively by men. Initially, the lawyer even planned to ban women from entering there, but changed his mind. Zink donated his capital of 35 thousand dollars to a special fund for 75 tapes, and the interest was to go to the construction of the Zink Womanless Library. But fortunately for humanity, the daughter of the deceased, who, according to her will, received only $ 5, was able to challenge the will of her father, and the strange library was never built.
Most cosmic testament left by Eugene Rodenberry, creator of the fantasy odyssey "Star Trek". The man wished to go to the stars after his death. His wish was eventually fulfilled - after cremation in 1997, the ashes were brought into orbit by a Spanish satellite and scattered in the upper atmosphere. Romantic, but 10 years later, his wife followed Eugene.
Most touching testament compiled by Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous English writer. He bequeathed his own birthday to one of his friends. The fact is that the lady was born on December 25, at Christmas. It was not surprising that everyone was constantly forgetting about her holiday. The writer "let" his girlfriend take his birthday, November 13th. Such a step would change the situation. However, the court did not satisfy the will of the author of "Treasure Island" - after all, Stevenson was not the legal owner of this day, therefore, he could not bequeath it to anyone.
Will-hope was compiled by Vermont entrepreneur John Bowman. He buried his beloved wife and two daughters. Unable to bear the loss, John died two years later. In his will, being confident that he would meet relatives in the next world and then be able to return with them back, Bowman ordered to keep the house in perfect order pending the return of the owners. Late supper was served every evening. From 1891 to 1950, the mansion awaited the return of its owners. But the story ended with the end of the funds allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants.
Most influential testament. Among all the eccentric wills, the document prepared by the Canadian lawyer Charles Millar has had the greatest impact on the life of an entire country. He passed away in 1926, and his last will immediately became sensationally known. In his will, Charles gifted his two friends, a priest and a judge, with a stake in one of the racetracks. The irony was that both of them were known as champions of any kind of gambling. As a result of such a gift, friends began not only to profit from the hippodrome and bets on it, but also automatically entered the jockey club, which they had been fighting with for a long time. It should be noted that both the judge and the preacher did not refuse such a gift. Millar bequeathed shares of the brewery to five other friends, fighters against alcohol. Only one of them refused the inheritance. Three other acquaintances who could not stand each other and be together, the lawyer bequeathed a luxurious villa in Jamaica. But the most interesting was the fact that Millar bequeathed a large sum of money to that resident of Toronto who, within 10 years after his death, will give birth to the largest number of children. Although they often tried to challenge this clause of the will, it did not work out - it was not for nothing that Millar was a good lawyer. What happened then in Canada was called the "Great Toronto Derby". Over the next 10 years, the surge in fertility both in Toronto and across Canada as a whole was phenomenal. On May 30, 1938, exactly 10 years after Millar's death, the city court began considering inheritance claims. One woman managed to give birth to ten during this time, but was disqualified. It turned out that not all of her children are from one man, as required by Millar's conditions. Another woman stated that she gave birth nine times, but it turned out that five children were stillborn. However, both women received a consolation prize of $ 13,000. The main prize of half a million was divided equally between four families, in which 9 children were born during this period. Newspapers later reported that no more children were born in the families of the winners.
Divine testament made up one lady from Cherokee County, North Carolina. The woman left all her possessions to God. The court found no compelling reason to revoke the will and instructed the local sheriff to find an heir to take over. A few days later, the town became famous - the sheriff wrote a report in which he said that God was not found on the territory entrusted to him. As a result, the inheritance passed into the possession of the district administration.
Satanic Testament left by one of the inhabitants of Finland. He indicated the devil as his only heir. The authorities of the country, without thinking twice, sued all the funds in their favor, becoming a kind of representative of Satan on earth.
The most theatrical testament left by actor Juan Potomacs from Buenos Aires. He decided to remain in the theater after his death. The administration of the cultural institution was asked to receive several tens of thousands of dollars by will, but on condition that the skull of the deceased would be used in further productions of Hamlet. The administration fulfilled the request of the deceased with pleasure, earning a lot of money.
The most cruel testament may be the one left behind by one of the residents of Springfield, Oregon. The man asked after his death to make a binding out of his skin for a collection of his own poems. The heirs wanted to fulfill the will of the deceased, but the authorities did not allow it - such treatment was contrary to the norms of the law on the treatment of corpses.
The most selfish testament owned by a wealthy Californian widow Mary Murphy. She loved herself so much that after her death she decided to put her dog to sleep as well, supposedly so that it would not suffer from mental anguish. However, members of the Society for the Protection of Animals stood up for the dog, members of the organization were able to prove that killing a healthy dog \u200b\u200bis contrary to state law.
“I, the undersigned Alfred Bernhard Nobel, upon reflection, hereby declare:
... all my remaining property must be invested by my executor in safe papers and will constitute a fund from which interest will be distributed annually in the form of bonuses to those who have brought the greatest benefit to humanity during the previous year
... The interest should be divided into five parts, which are distributed as follows: one part to the one who will make the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; one, to the one who will make the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; one - to someone who will make an important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; one - to the one who, in the field of literature, creates the most outstanding work of the idealist tendency; and one - to the one who will make the greatest contribution to the cause, contributing to the destruction or reduction of existing armies, support or encouragement of peace conventions. "
Also in the will it was said that before he was buried in the cemetery, his veins were cut in his arms. More than anything, he was afraid of being buried alive.
This is probably the most famous and most useful testament for all mankind.
Usually, all wills begin with the words: "Being of sound mind and strong memory ..." - but ... there are such wills that give rise to doubt in this phrase ... especially in its first part ...
Leaving all his inheritance to the children, one London banker made it an indispensable condition that they: "will never become members of parliament, will not occupy any other public office, will not play on the stock exchange, will not convert to another faith and will not marry a non-Jewish woman."
One Frenchman left money for a competition for the most beautiful nose, but demanded: "representatives of all nations and races, with the exception of Russians, are allowed, provided that the participants in the competition have red hair and black eyebrows."
Another Frenchman apparently did not like his country so much that he left a will in favor of the poor of London, writing: "France is a country of bastards and fools."
The Viennese millionaire bequeathed that a light should always be on at his grave - obviously, he was very afraid of the dark.
Vermont businessman John Bowman buried his wife and two daughters and was firmly convinced that he would meet them in the next world. And after the meeting, he hoped to somehow return to this world with them. His will said that they should keep their mansion in full readiness for the return of the owners, and even serve a late dinner every evening. John Bowman died in 1891, and late supper was stopped at his house in 1950 - the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants simply ran out.
Jonathan Jackson from the American city of Columbus was the first person who bequeathed all his property to animals. He ordered to build a dormitory for cats with a bedroom, a dining room, a library and a concert hall.
American producer Roger Dorkas left 65 million dollars to his dog Maximilian, having made human documents to the dog during his lifetime. Leaving his wife just one cent. But his wife turned out to be more cunning than Roger: she married a dog with human documents, and inherited his entire fortune.
German millionaire Countess Carlotta von Liebenstein left 139 million German marks in 1991 to her dog Gunther S. His only son and heir was ... Gunter IV ...
To avoid such things in the future, in many countries of the world it was forbidden to bequeath property to animals, but it was allowed to create a charitable foundation or some other organization, the task of which would be precisely to take care of his beloved animal. Leona Helmsley did just that: she did not bequeathed $ 12 million to her beloved dog, she set up a charitable foundation with this money to take care of this animal.
But there are even more unusual heirs.
In Cherokee County, North Carolina, a woman left her entire fortune to God. A few days later, this state was formalized in favor of Cherokee County, as God's protege on earth ...
A Finnish citizen bequeathed his property to Satan. But the state has successfully proved that this money should belong to it.
In many countries, laws have been passed that protect the rights of heirs and restrict the power of testators. For example: in Iran, the testator can dispose at his discretion only one third of his property, and the remaining two thirds must certainly be received by his heirs and other relatives. Residents of Spain, France and Cyprus receive 50 percent of the “inheritance by right”. But, the killer cannot inherit the property of his victim - this is an exceptional circumstance as a norm present in the laws of many countries of the world and even applies to the next of kin.
There is another measure of protection against abuse in relation to inheritance: "Doctors, other doctors and pharmacists who observed a person during the illness that caused his death are prohibited from making a profit in the form of lifetime or posthumous gifts from such a person made during the illness." service fee.
There are so many eccentric wills left that it is impossible to talk about them even briefly.
In 1928, Toronto resident Charles Millar left his friends - a judge and a priest who hated gambling - a large block of shares in one of the racetracks. He bequeathed the shares of his brewing company to five of his friends who had fought against drunkenness and alcoholism all their lives. His villa in Jamaica was received by three people who hated each other so much that they could not be in the same place at the same time. And a large amount of money was bequeathed to a resident of Toronto, who within ten years will give birth to the largest number of children.
So far, it is impossible to fulfill the will of a Frenchman who wrote that he bequeaths all his property "to the first person who came into contact with an inhabitant of any celestial body, except for Mars."
A very generous testament was left by the writer Robert Louis Stevenson. One of his acquaintances was born on December 25, at Christmas - on this day everyone usually forgot her holiday. So Stevenson gave her his birthday - November 13th. But the court refused to comply: "Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone."
California socialite Sandra West asked to be buried in a silk robe, driving her beloved Ferrari car. Her last will was fulfilled, but the grave was filled with concrete.
One of the longest wills in the world was left by Thomas Jefferson: instructions regarding his last will in the distribution of property were interspersed with discourses on the history of America.
Another very long will was written by American housewife Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook in 1925 - 95,940 words. It has never been read in its entirety. Mrs. Cook distributed all her small fortune among her many friends and acquaintances, finding for each of them a few warm words, as well as for her enemies.
The shortest wills can be recognized as two documents: the banker from London - "I am completely ruined" and the German Karl Tausch - "Everything to my wife."
One of the most offensive wills. Australian Francis Lord signed off all his property to charities, leaving his wife one shilling to "buy a tram ticket, go somewhere and drown herself."
Of the 123 words of the will of one shoemaker from Marseille, 94 could not be pronounced in decent society - this will was recognized as the most indecent.
William Shakespeare left the most historically useful testament: he listed all his possessions from furniture to shoes, disposing of each item separately.
Niels Bohr's laboratory assistant drew up the most complex testament in the world, which consisted of special terms and very complex phraseological phrases - even linguistic experts were called in to decipher it.
The largest amount of money indicated in the will - $ 500 million - Henry Ford bequeathed to distribute this amount among 4157 educational and charitable institutions.
“I categorically and unequivocally prohibit any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my fortune” - Michel Rothschild's will was recognized as the most secret in the world.
In the will of the famous illusionist Harry Houdini, it was said that he wrote down all the secrets and secrets of his tricks and put them in a safe, which he allowed to open on the day of his centenary. The safe was empty.
The great comedian Charlie Chaplin bequeathed $ 1 million to anyone who manages to release five cigarette rings from his mouth and let the sixth through them. This amount has not yet been received by anyone.
A very unusual testament was left at the beginning of the twentieth century by a German professor Paul Wolfskel: the one who is the first to present a complete proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, the Göttingen Academy of Sciences is obliged to present 50,000 gold marks. This prize has not yet been received by anyone either.
And finally, one very funny story.
Each of 11 antique cars from the collection of one famous lawyer was estimated at $ 25,000. In his will, he distributed them among 3 sons as follows: half was to go to the elder, a quarter to the middle, one-sixth to the younger. But how can you split 11 cars in half? Or separate one sixth from them? The sons argued for a long time, but could not come to a consensus in any way. At that time, the famous numerologist Mrs. Zero drove past them in her new sports car. After the brothers explained the situation to her, she did the following: put her car along with the collectible cars - the cars turned out 12. In accordance with the will, she gave half of the cars - 6 - to the eldest, the fourth part - 3 cars - received the middle part and the sixth part - 2 cars - junior. 6 plus 3 plus 2 - 11 cars - that's right!
The longest will was made by one of the founding fathers of the United States - Thomas Jefferson. In this document, property instructions were juxtaposed with reflections on the history and future of America. Jefferson's heirs could take over only after the release of all their slaves.
The most boring testament in the world, consisting of 95,940 words, was written by an unknown until 1925 (the year of her death) American housewife Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook. It seems that no one has managed to finish reading this work, which she has been creating for 20 years, to the end.
The acquaintances who caught her doing this, believed that she was writing a novel. However, they were not too wrong. The fact is that the housewife has made many friends and enemies during her long life, and she dedicated a couple of lines to each of her acquaintances. By the way, there was practically no talk of money in the document - Frederica was poor.
The shortest
But one London banker found only three words for his loved ones: "I am completely ruined." But still the shortest suicide order in the world belongs to the German Karl Tausch. On January 19, 1967, in the presence of a notary, he wrote a simple and understandable phrase on a sheet of paper: "Everything is for my wife."
Most offensive
The most offensive testament was made by a medieval farmer. He left 100 livres to his wife, but ordered to add another 100 livres if she remarried in order to brighten up the lot of the poor man who decides to become her husband.
Although the will of the Australian Francis Lord would have fought for this title. He signed off all his property to charities, leaving his wife one shilling so that she "I bought a tram ticket, went somewhere and drowned myself."
Wills to four-legged friends
Shot from the movie "The Diamond Arm"
Also wanting to annoy his wife, American producer Roger Dorkas left $ 65 million to his dog Maximilian. During his lifetime, he made sure that the will not be challenged, having made human documents to the dog. He left only one cent to his wife. But his wife turned out to be more cunning than Roger: she married a dog and inherited all his fortune.
The largest amount left to the animal was 139 million German marks. This is exactly what the German millionaire Countess Carlotta von Liebenstein bequeathed to her dog Gunther III in 1991. By the way, his only son and heir was ... Gunther IV.
To avoid such things in the future, in many countries of the world it was forbidden to bequeath property to animals, but it was allowed to create a charitable foundation or some other organization, the task of which would be precisely to take care of his beloved animal. Leona Helmsley did just that: she did not bequeathed $ 12 million to her beloved dog, she set up a charitable foundation with this money to take care of the dog.
The most ridiculous
In general, despite the fact that wills must be drawn up "in sound mind and sober memory," authors of several documents could compete for the prize in the "strangest testament" nomination.
A certain Frenchman bequeathed to hold a competition for the most beautiful nose for all the money left by him, but demanded that: "representatives of all nations and races, with the exception of Russians, are allowed, provided that the participants in the competition had red hair and black eyebrows."
The London banker left a legacy to the children, provided that they: "will never become members of parliament, will not occupy any other public office, will not play on the stock exchange, will not convert to another faith and will not marry a non-Jewish woman."
Vermont businessman John Bowman buried his wife and two daughters and was firmly convinced that he would meet them in the next world. And after the meeting, he hoped to somehow return to this world with them. His will said that they should keep their mansion in full readiness for the return of the owners, and even serve a late dinner every evening. John Bowman died in 1891, and late supper ceased to be served in his house in 1950 - the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants ran out.
A Finnish citizen bequeathed his property to Satan. The state has successfully proved that this money should belong to it.
Most useful for historians
But enough of the curiosities! William Shakespeare left the most useful testament from a historical point of view: he listed all his property from furniture to shoes, disposing of each item separately. For historians, such a list is simply an invaluable gift, moreover, it is practically the only document that indisputably proves the existence of Shakespeare himself.
Shot from the film "Shakespeare in Love"
The hardest part
Niels Bohr's laboratory assistant drew up the most complex testament in the world, consisting of special terms and very complex phraseological phrases - even linguistic experts were called in to decipher it.
The most secret
Michel Rothschild's will was recognized as the most secret in the world: "I categorically and unequivocally prohibit any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my fortune."
The most famous
The most famous and, perhaps, one of the most useful testament for all mankind sounded like this: “I, the undersigned Alfred Bernhard Nobel, after mature reflection, hereby declare: ... all my remaining property should be invested by my executor in reliable papers and will constitute a fund , the interest on which will be annually distributed in the form of awards to those who, during the previous year, brought the greatest benefit to humanity ... The interest should be divided into five parts, which will be distributed as follows: one part to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field physics; one, to the one who will make the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; one - to someone who will make an important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; one - to the one who, in the field of literature, creates the most outstanding work of the idealist tendency; and one - to the one who will make the greatest contribution to the cause, contributing to the destruction or reduction of existing armies, support or encouragement of peace congresses. "
The most impossible
The most difficult condition for entering into inheritance rights was set at the beginning of the twentieth century by the German professor Paul Wolfskel: the one who is the first to present a complete proof of Fermat's theorem, the Göttingen Academy of Sciences is obliged to present 50,000 gold marks. The amount has not yet been received by anyone.
Just as nobody received the million dollars that Charlie Chaplin bequeathed to the one who can release five rings of tobacco smoke and let the sixth through them.
The best part for the compiler
And the most pleasant testament for himself was made in 2002 by the 72-year-old German disco tycoon Rolf Eden, who deservedly enjoys the fame of the main playboy of Germany. Since he never married and has no direct heirs, the eccentric rich man promised to leave part of his fortune, or rather 250 thousand euros, to the woman in whose passionate arms he would die.
“I want to die at the most beautiful moment of my life. First I'll have a lot of fun with a beautiful woman, then I'll have violent sex with her, then I'll have a heart attack, from which I'll die, ”he explains.
Eden prefers that a person not older than 30 years old be with him at the hour of death. Eden's proposal caused a serious stir among the fair sex and he has been using the fruits of his ingenuity with success for 14 years. Now he is 86 and he is not going to die yet.
Rolf Shimon Eden, sourcea photo
Preview illustration: Strais, Alexander Theodore Honore, “Birds of Prey. Testament ", fragment of the picture
