Amalia von Dyhrn
Encyclopedia
Baroness Amalia Frederica Wilhelmina von Dyhrn-Czettritz-Neuhaus née
Baroness von
Rabenau (30 July, 1790 in Breslau – 14 June, 1866 in Herzogswaldau
) was a well-known German
multi-millionaire heiress
and a philanthropist
.
in the army, was an impoverished aristocrat, who owned a bankrupted estate in Schwiebus
. Her mother Baroness Johanna “Jeanette” von Schlichting was an illegitimate daughter of the Prussian general
Baron Samuel von Schlichting; because of her opportunistic and promiscuous nature she had a quite bad reputation in the society. Amalia’s parents were divorced in 1791. She moved with her mother and her older sister Henrietta to Breslau, where they lived very modestly in a small apartment at a monastery
. In 1794 her father Friedrich committed suicide and Amalia never got to know him.
As an impecunious divorcée Jeanette von Schlichting, who was a close relative of the Lichnowsky family, had to take care of herself and her two daughters. She established a small private tailor school for noble ladies in Breslau and her older daughter Henrietta, who was old enough to work, was sent to the estate of the Counts von Schweinitz-Krain in Niebusch (county of Freystadt in Schlesien), where she worked as a governess of the young Countess Johanna von Schweinitz-Krain, who was a granddaughter of Baroness Helene von Dyhrn (née Countess von Schweinitz). Henrietta stayed unmarried.
In 1810 Amalia and her mother attended a high society
ball
at the family von Berge-Herrndorf’s house in Breslau. There she met the young Baron
Julius von Dyhrn
, with whom she was officially engaged two years later. The Dyhrn family strongly disapproved of this union, because of the bride’s trivial background and her low economic status, but Julius was determined to marry the woman he fell in love with. They married in April 1814 in Freystadt. Her mother Jeanette was overjoyed, especially because this marriage meant the end of her family’s financial problems.
von Dyhrn moved to the Dyhrn family’s mansion in Herzogswaldau together with her mother and her older sister. Amalia’s mother-in-law Baroness Caroline von Dyhrn (née Baroness von Berge), who was actually a stepmother of Julius, was so disappointed with her stepson’s choice, that she decided to leave the family residence and move alone to her house in Freystadt.
In 1825 Julius took the name von Dyhrn-Czettritz und Neuhaus of his uncle Ernest Carl von Dyhrn-Czettritz-Neuhaus, who had no children, and inherited his fortune and his large properties in Waldenburg
. Amalia and Julius moved to their manor house in Neuhaus (county of Waldenburg), leaving Herzogswaldau to Julius’ younger brother Heinrich von Dyhrn.
The couple had no children, but their marriage was said to be a very happy one. It was only a few years before Julius’ death, when the things got bad. The Baron lost his reason and was transmitted to a psychiatric institution. A few years earlier Amalia, born and married into protestant families, converted in Catholicism
and began a close friendship with a catholic priest from Herzogswaldau, named Franz Gyrdt. After her husband Julius died in 1841, the priest moved to the new-build mansion of the Dyhrn family in Hermsdorf. Amalia inherited this mansion and all the properties and buildings, that previously belonged to her husband. She was also very successful in leading the Dyhrn family mining
business. The estate, which Amalia von Dyhrn inherited, was enormous; estimated to be 10 million Prussian thalers (nowadays approx. 165 million US dollars). It was because of this princely wealth that people very often referred to her as »Princess
« instead of »Baroness«.
Although she had no children, Amalia and Julius took care of two of their closest relatives. Since 1822 their nephew Alfred von Dyhrn was living at their mansion in Hermsdorf, and later Amalia also took care of her niece Baroness Anette von Dyhrn.
of her finances. He was encouraging her to make several donations for Catholic Church and for catholic institutions in the province of Silesia
. Amalia, as a humanitarian person, made numerous donations also for poor and less fortunate people during her life. Franz Gyrdt had a very big influence on the Baroness; it was probably because of him that the Baroness von Dyhrn converted to Catholicism.
In the middle of the 1860s she got very ill and in June 1866 she died. Surprisingly, the principal heir of her fortune was her longtime friend and advisor Gyrdt. Her closest relatives –the Dyhrns from Herzogswaldau, were extremely unpleasantly surprised by the content of Amalia’s testament. The part of the Dyhrn family fortune, estimated to something more than 12 million thaler (nowadays approx. 200 million US dollars), which at the time was in Amalia’s hands, was being inherited by a person who was not even a member of the family and who was actually catholic. She left more than 9 million thaler (nowadays approx. 149 million US dollars) to Gyrdt, only 1,5 million thaler to her niece Anette (married to Count Heinrich Wilhelm von Dyhrn from the Dolzig
estate), half of a million thaler to her nephew Alfred and the rest to charities in Breslau and for rebuilding of her mansion in Hermsdorf into an orphanage
. She also left some of her money to her loyal longtime servants –especially appreciated was her personal maid and companion Clara Jäschke.
The Dyhrn family was not prepared to give up the fortune. But after more than 10 years of law suits between the family and Gyrdt nothing could be done in favor of the family, because the will was constructed perfectly, allowing neither a refutation nor the right for jurisdiction of the government
. The Dyhrn family, who was always convinced, that the priest either forged the testament or forced Amalia to appoint him the main heir of the family fortune, was powerless. Even the Emperor Wilhelm himself could not help them.
After Franz Gyrdt received his share of the assets, his lifestyle changed dramatically. He bought new properties, traveled a lot and he also gave up working as a priest. After Gyrdt’s death the fortune of this protestant family was inherited by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wroclaw and was being administrated by the Prince-Bishop
dr. Heinrich Förster, who already in 1866 also directly inherited a share from Amalia von Dyhrn’s estate, and by dr. Adolph Franz. When dr. Franz was leading the German catholic newspaper Germania, this was also being, among many other catholic institutions, financially supported by Dyhrn family’s protestant fortune.
The story was mentioned in several European newspapers, being one of the biggest scandals in the German Catholic Church in 19th Century
.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Baroness von
Von
In German, von is a preposition which approximately means of or from.When it is used as a part of a German family name, it is usually a nobiliary particle, like the French, Spanish and Portuguese "de". At certain times and places, it has been illegal for anyone who was not a member of the nobility...
Rabenau (30 July, 1790 in Breslau – 14 June, 1866 in Herzogswaldau
Mirocin Górny
Mirocin Górny is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kożuchów, within Nowa Sól County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It lies approximately west of Kożuchów, west of Nowa Sól, and south of Zielona Góra.The village has a population of 633.-References:...
) was a well-known German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
multi-millionaire heiress
Heiress
Heiress may refer to:* A female beneficiary of an inheritance* Heiress , a line of perfumes* The Heiress , by John Burgoyne* The Heiress , a 1947 play by Ruth and Augustus Goetz...
and a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Family
Baroness Amalia von Dyhrn was born into the Prussian noble family of Rabenau. Her father Friedrich George von Rabenau, a tax officer and a former majorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the army, was an impoverished aristocrat, who owned a bankrupted estate in Schwiebus
Swiebodzin
Świebodzin is a town in western Poland with 21,757 inhabitants . It is the capital of Świebodzin CountyIt was formerly part of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship , a reconfiguration of the old German state of Prussia, the eastern 40% of which was inherited by Poland in 1945, and led to the expulsion of...
. Her mother Baroness Johanna “Jeanette” von Schlichting was an illegitimate daughter of the Prussian general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Baron Samuel von Schlichting; because of her opportunistic and promiscuous nature she had a quite bad reputation in the society. Amalia’s parents were divorced in 1791. She moved with her mother and her older sister Henrietta to Breslau, where they lived very modestly in a small apartment at a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. In 1794 her father Friedrich committed suicide and Amalia never got to know him.
Early life
Amalia was known as a beautiful, dark-hared and black-eyed young lady, whose origin is actually still not quite clear. Especially because of her looks, the rumors were circling around, that she was a product of her mother’s affair with a Gipsy from a South-European country. These rumors were however never confirmed as truth.As an impecunious divorcée Jeanette von Schlichting, who was a close relative of the Lichnowsky family, had to take care of herself and her two daughters. She established a small private tailor school for noble ladies in Breslau and her older daughter Henrietta, who was old enough to work, was sent to the estate of the Counts von Schweinitz-Krain in Niebusch (county of Freystadt in Schlesien), where she worked as a governess of the young Countess Johanna von Schweinitz-Krain, who was a granddaughter of Baroness Helene von Dyhrn (née Countess von Schweinitz). Henrietta stayed unmarried.
In 1810 Amalia and her mother attended a high society
High society
High society may refer to:* Upper class, group of people at the top of a social hierarchy* Gentry, origin Old French genterie, from gentil ‘high-born, noble* High society , social grouping which socialites may be affiliated with....
ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
at the family von Berge-Herrndorf’s house in Breslau. There she met the young Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Julius von Dyhrn
House of Dyhrn
The House of Dyhrn is a prominent German noble family originally from Saxony. The family was first mentioned in the 12th century and was settled in early age in Prussia and Silesia...
, with whom she was officially engaged two years later. The Dyhrn family strongly disapproved of this union, because of the bride’s trivial background and her low economic status, but Julius was determined to marry the woman he fell in love with. They married in April 1814 in Freystadt. Her mother Jeanette was overjoyed, especially because this marriage meant the end of her family’s financial problems.
Later life
After the marriage Amalia, now a BaronessBaroness
Baroness is the female equivalent of the nobility title Baron.Baroness or The Baroness may also refer to:* Baroness , a metal band from Savannah, Georgia* Baroness , a fictional villain in the G.I...
von Dyhrn moved to the Dyhrn family’s mansion in Herzogswaldau together with her mother and her older sister. Amalia’s mother-in-law Baroness Caroline von Dyhrn (née Baroness von Berge), who was actually a stepmother of Julius, was so disappointed with her stepson’s choice, that she decided to leave the family residence and move alone to her house in Freystadt.
In 1825 Julius took the name von Dyhrn-Czettritz und Neuhaus of his uncle Ernest Carl von Dyhrn-Czettritz-Neuhaus, who had no children, and inherited his fortune and his large properties in Waldenburg
Walbrzych
Wałbrzych is a city in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland, with 120,197 inhabitants . From 1975–1998 it was the capital of Wałbrzych Voivodeship; it is now the seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych is by far the largest city in Poland that does not itself form a separate...
. Amalia and Julius moved to their manor house in Neuhaus (county of Waldenburg), leaving Herzogswaldau to Julius’ younger brother Heinrich von Dyhrn.
The couple had no children, but their marriage was said to be a very happy one. It was only a few years before Julius’ death, when the things got bad. The Baron lost his reason and was transmitted to a psychiatric institution. A few years earlier Amalia, born and married into protestant families, converted in Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and began a close friendship with a catholic priest from Herzogswaldau, named Franz Gyrdt. After her husband Julius died in 1841, the priest moved to the new-build mansion of the Dyhrn family in Hermsdorf. Amalia inherited this mansion and all the properties and buildings, that previously belonged to her husband. She was also very successful in leading the Dyhrn family mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
business. The estate, which Amalia von Dyhrn inherited, was enormous; estimated to be 10 million Prussian thalers (nowadays approx. 165 million US dollars). It was because of this princely wealth that people very often referred to her as »Princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
« instead of »Baroness«.
Although she had no children, Amalia and Julius took care of two of their closest relatives. Since 1822 their nephew Alfred von Dyhrn was living at their mansion in Hermsdorf, and later Amalia also took care of her niece Baroness Anette von Dyhrn.
Dyhrn family versus Catholic Church
The priest Franz Gyrdt became the closest friend of the Baroness and was also the administratorAdministrator
Administrator may refer to:* Administrator , a person for the performance or management of administrative business operations* Administrator of the Government, in various Commonwealth realms and territories...
of her finances. He was encouraging her to make several donations for Catholic Church and for catholic institutions in the province of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. Amalia, as a humanitarian person, made numerous donations also for poor and less fortunate people during her life. Franz Gyrdt had a very big influence on the Baroness; it was probably because of him that the Baroness von Dyhrn converted to Catholicism.
In the middle of the 1860s she got very ill and in June 1866 she died. Surprisingly, the principal heir of her fortune was her longtime friend and advisor Gyrdt. Her closest relatives –the Dyhrns from Herzogswaldau, were extremely unpleasantly surprised by the content of Amalia’s testament. The part of the Dyhrn family fortune, estimated to something more than 12 million thaler (nowadays approx. 200 million US dollars), which at the time was in Amalia’s hands, was being inherited by a person who was not even a member of the family and who was actually catholic. She left more than 9 million thaler (nowadays approx. 149 million US dollars) to Gyrdt, only 1,5 million thaler to her niece Anette (married to Count Heinrich Wilhelm von Dyhrn from the Dolzig
Lubsko
Lubsko is a town in Żary County in the Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland. It is the administrative seat of the Gmina Lubsko and has a population of 15,370 as of February 1, 2005.- History :...
estate), half of a million thaler to her nephew Alfred and the rest to charities in Breslau and for rebuilding of her mansion in Hermsdorf into an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
. She also left some of her money to her loyal longtime servants –especially appreciated was her personal maid and companion Clara Jäschke.
The Dyhrn family was not prepared to give up the fortune. But after more than 10 years of law suits between the family and Gyrdt nothing could be done in favor of the family, because the will was constructed perfectly, allowing neither a refutation nor the right for jurisdiction of the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. The Dyhrn family, who was always convinced, that the priest either forged the testament or forced Amalia to appoint him the main heir of the family fortune, was powerless. Even the Emperor Wilhelm himself could not help them.
After Franz Gyrdt received his share of the assets, his lifestyle changed dramatically. He bought new properties, traveled a lot and he also gave up working as a priest. After Gyrdt’s death the fortune of this protestant family was inherited by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wroclaw and was being administrated by the Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
dr. Heinrich Förster, who already in 1866 also directly inherited a share from Amalia von Dyhrn’s estate, and by dr. Adolph Franz. When dr. Franz was leading the German catholic newspaper Germania, this was also being, among many other catholic institutions, financially supported by Dyhrn family’s protestant fortune.
The story was mentioned in several European newspapers, being one of the biggest scandals in the German Catholic Church in 19th Century
19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
.
Legacy
- The Dyhrn palace in Hermsdorf was later in fact rebuilt and modernized, and named after the Baroness as Amalia von Dyhrn-Czettritz Waisenhaus in Hermsdorf-Waldenburg.
- Several hospitals were established in Lower SilesiaLower SilesiaLower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
under the Baroness von Dyhrn’s supervision and financial support.
Sources
- Archiv für schlesische Kirchengeschichte, Bands 8-9. A. Lax
- F. Petermann: Das Priestererbe. Selbstverlag, 1890.