Brigitte Bardot: A love for Austria and the splendor of the legend

Brigitte Bardot: A love for Austria and the splendor of the legend

Brigitte Bardot, the French legend and style icon, died on December 28, 2025 at the age of 91. Known as “B.B.”, she was a sex symbol of the 1950s and 60s who revolutionized French cinema. Bardot was born on September 28, 1934 in Paris and began her career as an actress in 1952. Her international breakthrough came in 1957 with the role in “And the Woman Always Lures”. She appeared in 47 films, took part in musicals and released over 60 songs. After retiring from the film business in 1973, she devoted herself intensively to animal protection.

Bardot's remarkable connection to Austria is closely linked to her marriage to Gunter Sachs, a German-Austrian playboy and multimillionaire. Their wedding in 1966 was a major media event that made the couple a popular attraction in Kitzbühel. They often spent free time there, while Sachs, in a romantic gesture, dropped hundreds of red roses from a helicopter over Bardot's estate. These poignant moments not only remained in their memories, but also contributed to Kitzbühel's popularity as a luxury ski resort.

A life for animal protection

After years in the spotlight, Bardot turned to animal welfare and worked closely with Michael Aufhauser, the founder of Gut Aiderbichl. She supported numerous animal protection campaigns and was passionate about protecting animals. In the 1970s she often stayed in Styria and Salzburg to escape the hustle and bustle of Saint-Tropez, and will be remembered in Austria as one of the personalities who brought the glamor of Cannes to Kitzbühel and campaigned for animal welfare.

The legacy of Gunter Sachs

The connection between Bardot and Sachs also brings with it a complex financial history. Gunter Sachs, who died by suicide in 2011, had a complicated offshore fortune. According to a report by ICIJ, he set up a sophisticated offshore system to manage his wealth. In his final years, Sachs was in the public eye due to his extensive offshore activities and his non-transparent handling of assets. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at 470 million Swiss francs, while he hid offshore companies and assets in various tax havens.

Sachs set up five trusts between 1994 and 2007 to manage portions of his assets, with his three sons acting as beneficiaries. These offshore activities could have legal implications for his heirs, especially if tax fraud can be proven. Such aspects of his financial dealings were only recently exposed by investigative journalists and have further defamed the image of a mysterious and opaque financial landscape surrounding Gunter Sachs.

The memory of Brigitte Bardot remains a mix of glamor, artistic influence and a profound commitment to animal welfare. She leaves behind a poignant legacy that includes both her film career and her humanitarian endeavors. While she left the world of entertainment, she remains an unforgettable pop culture figure and a symbol of the fight for animal rights.

Further information about Brigitte Bardot's life and impact can be found in the reports from 5min.at, ICIJ as well as on Wikipedia.