Editing Nikolaus Harnoncourt (section)

== Early life ==

Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt was born as an Austrian citizen in Berlin, [[Weimar Republic|Germany]], in 1929. His Austrian mother, [[Ladislaja Harnoncourt|Ladislaja]] née [[Franz, Count of Meran|Gräfin von Meran]], Freiin von Brandhoven, was the great-granddaughter of the [[Habsburg]] [[Archduke Johann]], the 13th child of Emperor [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]], making him a descendant of [[Holy Roman Emperor]]s and other European royalty. His father, Eberhard Harnoncourt, born de la Fontaine [[Graf]] d'Harnoncourt-[[:de:Unverzagt (Adelsgeschlecht)|Unverzagt]],<ref name="Munzinger"/> was an Austrian engineer working in Berlin who had two children from a previous marriage. Two years after Nikolaus's birth, his brother [[Philipp Harnoncourt|Philipp]] was born, and also in 1931, the family moved to the [[Styria]]n capital [[Graz]], Austria, where they took up residence in their ancestral home, [[Palais Meran]]. Eberhard obtained a post in the state government (''Landesregierung'') of Styria. 

Harnoncourt was raised in Graz, and studied music in [[Vienna]]. During his youth, he served in the [[Hitler Youth]] under duress, where, as he noted:<ref name="Oestreich">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/arts/music/nikolaus-harnoncourt-conductor-and-early-music-specialist-dies-at-86.html | title=Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Conductor and Early-Music Specialist, Dies at 86 | work=The New York Times | author=James R Oestreich | date=6 March 2016 | access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref>
{{Quote|If you didn't go there every Wednesday and Saturday, the Hitler Youth police would come, fetch you, cut your hair and toss you into a group with other difficult ones who were treated terribly.}}

At the [[Vienna Music Academy]], Harnoncourt studied cello with [[Paul Grümmer]] and Emanuel Brabec, and also learned [[viola da gamba]].<ref name="Millington"/>