Daisy from Pless

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Daisy von Pless, around 1898

Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West , called Daisy (born June 28, 1873 at Ruthin Castle , Wales , Great Britain , † June 29, 1943 in Waldenburg ) became Princess of Pless , Countess of Hochberg and Baroness of Fürstenstein through her marriage . She was considered the first high society lady of the European aristocracy.

Life

Daisy was the mistress of immense family estates in Silesia and a generous hostess to the magnificent castles of Fürstenstein and Pless . She was considered a "fixed star" of society before the First World War , her invitations were highly regarded and the hunting parties were extremely exclusive. She was friends with the outstanding men of her time, such as the German Emperor Wilhelm II and the British King Edward VII. The Queen of Romania was one of the closer friends, her sister Victoria Melita was also often visiting, as was her sister Constance, who was married and traveled extensively with one of Britain's richest men, Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster . Despite all efforts to "become a good subject of my new country" after her marriage, Daisy von Pless always felt a British feeling of superiority over Germany, which she clearly expressed in her memoirs, which she wrote after her divorce. In her work Tanz auf dem Vulkan u. a .:

“But Germany was primitive back then. When I left England, with its beautiful and comfortable life (Germany has now imitated it to a certain extent), I thought: Do I really have to live in this uncivilized country? Should this be my home? But I got used to taking everything from the joking side. "

Daisy as a Red Cross sister in 1916

In 1909, at her instigation, a grand hotel was built in Bad Salzbrunn , which is still operated today as Dom Zdrojowy, and equipped according to her specifications. In addition to its social splendor, Daisy von Pless had a reputation for social and health care projects in Silesia. It created a number of social innovations and initiated successful reforms that successfully promoted entire communities, but especially working women and mothers, disabled children and the needle point industry in the Silesian Mountains.

Information board at the mausoleum in the park of Fürstenstein Castle

At the beginning of the First World War she left Fürstenstein Castle as a permanent residence due to political and family circumstances . Although exposed to constant political hostility, including treason, since August 1914, Daisy von Pless worked as a Red Cross nurse on hospital trains in France and experienced the end of the war in an Austrian hospital in Serbia in 1918 . She never saw her husband during the war. From 1916 she often met with the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolf Friedrich VI. , in Neustrelitz and Heringsdorf , until his suicide in February 1918 put an end to it. As an Englishwoman, she was not badly affected in Germany after the war and did not return to Silesia until 1921.

On December 12, 1922, Daisy divorced in Berlin with an asset settlement, which, however, lost value due to inflation. She first lived in the English community of La Napoule near Monte Carlo and in Munich, until she moved back to Waldenburg for reasons of cost . In the years that followed, she also published several volumes of memoirs for a living . The entire property of the von Pless family was expropriated in 1939. She had to move out of the castle in 1940 when a new Führer headquarters was being built there ( Riese project ). She demonstratively visited the nearby Groß-Rosen concentration camp several times and sent food there. In 1943, lonely by chronic illnesses and social isolation, she died impoverished in Waldenburg. Her coffin was reburied in an undisclosed location before the Red Army marched in in 1945. In 2009, the Princess Daisy Memorial was erected in Pless to commemorate her .

origin

Daisy was the eldest daughter of British Colonel William Cornwallis-West (1835-1917) and his wife Mary FitzPatrick (1856-1920), born. She grew up on Ruthin Castle and in the townhouse in London , along with her younger siblings:

  1. ⚭ 1900–1914 Jeanette (Jennie) Jerome (1854–1921), widowed Lady Randolph Churchill and mother of Winston Churchill
  2. ⚭ 1914 Beatrice Stella Tanner (1865–1940), known as Mrs. Patrick Campbell as a stage actress .
  • Constance Edwina (1875-1970)
  1. ⚭ 1901–1917 Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster (1879–1953)
  2. ⚭ 1920 John FitzPatrick Lewis (1880–1960), Wing Commander
Daisy von Pless with her son Hans Heinrich, around 1902

Marriage and children

On December 8, 1891, she married the future Prince Hans Heinrich XV in London . von Pless (1861–1938), son of Prince Hans Heinrich XI. (1833–1907) and his first wife Marie von Kleist (1828–1883). The marriage produced three sons:

  • Hans Heinrich XVII. (* February 2, 1900 in Berlin; † January 26, 1984 in London, called Henry)
  1. ⚭ 1924–1952 Countess Maria von Schönborn-Wiesentheid (1896–1994)
  2. ⚭ 1958–1971 Dorothea Mary Elisabeth Minchin (* 1930)
  • Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm (born February 1, 1905 in London, † February 22, 1984 in Mallorca)
  • Bolko Konrad Friedrich (born September 23, 1910 in Berlin - † June 22, 1936 in Pless, Silesia; the cause was probably a congenital heart defect)
  1. ⚭ 1934 Clothilde de Silva y Gonzalez de Candamo (1898–1978); her first marriage was to his father, with whom she had two children; two children from Bolko were born.

literature

  • W. John Koch: Daisy von Pless. A discovery. John Koch Publishing, Edmonton Canada 2006, ISBN 0-9731579-3-3 .
  • Barbara Borkowy: Siostry. Daisy from Pless i Shelagh Westminster , Walbrzych 2017 ISBN 978-8394176327
  • Sandra Lembke: Highnesses, diplomats and rescuers of honor : guests at the Strelitzer Hof , Steffen 2013 ISBN 978-3-942477-60-4 (on Daisy pp. 55–94)

Novel and film

  • Sabine Weigand: The English Princess: Between Shine and Rebellion , Fischer Krüger 2019 ISBN 978-3-810530592 (novel is based on historical research, see epilogue)
  • Joanna Bator : Dunkel, almost Nacht , Suhrkamp 2016 ISBN 978-3518424971 (Daisy's death and burial as well as her legendary pearls play a role.)
    • Filming by Borys Lankosz, Poland 2019
  • Magnat (1987), Polish film about Hans Heinrich XV. with Jan Nowicki .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Princess von Pless: Dance on the volcano. Volume 1, Dresden 1930, p. 43.
  2. ↑ Princess von Pless: Dance on the volcano. Volume 1, Dresden 1930, p. 57 f.

Web links

Commons : Daisy von Pless  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Pless, Daisy from
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cornwallis-West, Mary Theresa Olivia (maiden name); Pless Daisy Princess of
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Princess and high society lady
DATE OF BIRTH June 28, 1873
PLACE OF BIRTH Ruthin Castle, Wales
DATE OF DEATH June 29, 1943
Place of death Waldenburg