Hans Heinrich XV von Hochberg ( pl, Jan Henryk XV; 23 April 1861 – 31 January 1938) was Prince of Pless (
Pszczyna
Pszczyna (german: Pleß, cs, Pština) is a town in southern Poland with 25,823 inhabitants (2019), and a seat of a local gmina (commune). It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship, and was a part of the Katowice Voivodeship from 1975 until adm ...
), Count von Hochberg and Baron of Fürstenstein (
Książ). He was the husband (1891–1923) of
Mary Theresa Olivia Hochberg von Pless, also known as ''Princess Daisy''.
A member of one of the wealthiest European noble families, he was the owner of large estates and coal mines in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
(
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
) which brought him enormous fortune and his extravagant lifestyle coupled with disastrous events and political and family scandals were tasty morsels for the international press.
The historical drama ''
Magnat
The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...
'' (1987) was based on the life of Hans Heinrich between both
World Wars
A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
. The film eventually became one of the most celebrated in Polish cinematic history.
Biography
Early life
![Pless-Wappen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Pless-Wappen.jpg)
He was born on 23 April 1861, in
Pless, now known as
Pszczyna
Pszczyna (german: Pleß, cs, Pština) is a town in southern Poland with 25,823 inhabitants (2019), and a seat of a local gmina (commune). It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship, and was a part of the Katowice Voivodeship from 1975 until adm ...
in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. He was the son of Hans Heinrich XI and Maria von Kleist. In 1879 he graduated from the exclusive St. Mary Magdalene high school in
Breslau. He then studied economics at the universities of Berlin, Geneva and Bonn. Later the studies prepared him to manage the wealth of the Hochberg family in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
. At the age of 22 Hans Heinrich XV, the son of a duke (''Herzog von Pless'') received from Emperor
Wilhelm I
William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the f ...
a lower princely title and officially became the ''Fürst von Pless'' (Prince of Pless). In the years 1881–1882 he served in the
German Imperial Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...
, first as a volunteer in the Royal Hussar regiment and later the Guard Hussars. After two years he left the army as a lieutenant. Between 1882 and 1885 he participated in a long, eventful hunting trip around the world and visited, among others,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. After his return, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Germany. There he met and became friends with the young heir to the throne William Hohenzollern (later Emperor
Wilhelm II
Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...
). In 1886, Hans Heinrich XV was moved to a diplomatic post in Brussels, and a year later he became an attaché at the embassy in Paris.
Career and First Marriage
![Pałac w Pszczynie 37](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Pa%C5%82ac_w_Pszczynie_37.JPG)
In 1890, Hans Heinrich XV was awarded the position of secretary at the German embassy in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. There he met and proposed to the younger
Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West called ''Daisy''. Since the Cornwallis-West family was impoverished, the Hochbergs were forced to pay and organise the wedding. The wedding ceremony took place at St. Margaret's in Westminster on 8 December 1891. Notable witnesses were
Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his wife
Princess Alexandra, while
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
personally gave the couple her blessing. They began their married life by traveling throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and America. As a wedding gift from Hans Heinrich XI, the senior head of the house, the young couple received
Schloss Fürstenstein
''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house.
Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cognate ...
near
Waldenburg , where they hosted the finest European aristocracy throughout their entire marriage. The couple had four children:
[''Jan Henryk XV von Pless'' in: genealogia.grocholski.pl](_blank)
etrieved 5 February 2015
*Daughter (25 February 1893 – 11 March 1893).
*Hans Heinrich XVII William Albert Edward (2 February 1900 – 26 January 1984),4th Prince of Pless, Count von Hochberg and Baron of Fürstenstein. Married twice but had no issue.
*
Alexander Frederick William George Conrad Ernest Maximilian (1 February 1905 – 22 February 1984),5th Prince of Pless, Count von Hochberg and Baron of Fürstenstein. Unmarried and childless.
*Bolko Conrad Frederick (23 September 1910 – 22 June 1936), married his stepmother (the second wife of his father) Clotilde de Silva y
González de Candamo (19 July 1898 – 12 December 1978) and caused a scandal. They had four children (including Bolko, 6th Prince).
Since 1902 Hans Heinrich XV, as one of the representatives of the Prussian House of Lords, was a supporter of the Free Conservative Party (''Freikonserwative Vereinigung'') that represented and supported the interests of wealthy and influential landowners. At the provincial level Hans Heinrich XV served as Vice President of the Silesian province (1897–1918) and also participated in the work of the Silesian provincial parliament. Additionally, he was the chairman of the Pless Regional Council (''Kreistag''). In November 1902 he travelled to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
as a diplomatic representative of Kaiser Wilhelm II and took part in the inauguration of the German Chamber of Commerce, visited several industrial plants (including the one in Pennsylvania), and the highlight of the trip was a visit to the White House and a conversation with President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
.
Prince of Pless and Second Marriage
![Tomb of Hochberg family in Pszczyna](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Tomb_of_Hochberg_family_in_Pszczyna.jpg)
After his father's death in 1907, Hans Heinrich XV became the Prince of Pless and the owner of the largest estates in the German Empire – In Pless (Pszczyna) (approx. 40 thousand hectares of land, 6 coal mines, a brewery in
Tychy
Tychy (Polish pronunciation: ; german: Tichau; szl, Tychy) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, approximately south of Katowice. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city boders Katowice to the north, ...
and others) and in Waldenburg (Wałbrzych) (approx. 10 thousand hectares and 3 coal mines). These assets systematically decreased due to debt caused by the profligate lifestyle of the family and huge architectural investments (including the reconstruction of the Książ Castle). However between 1914 and 1924 he made many industrial investments in the
Upper and
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska; Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the ...
(expansion of mines). He financially supported the German nationalist organisations (e.g. ''Deutscher Flottenverein''), however, opposed the activities ''
Ostmarkenverein
German Eastern Marches Society (german: Deutscher Ostmarkenverein, also known in German as ') was a German radical,Geoff Eley, op.cit.p.43/ref> extremely nationalist xenophobic organization founded in 1894. Mainly among Poles, it was sometimes kno ...
'' in his Upper Silesian estates. During World War I he was promoted to the rank of a colonel and served as an officer. In the years 1915–1917 he lent his
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in Pless to the German Army. After the war all of his estates in Pless became Polish and the city was renamed to Pszczyna.
In 1922 he received Polish citizenship. In order to win the favour of the Polish authorities he often relied on his
Piast
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I of Poland, Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Poland during the Piast dynasty, Piasts' royal rule i ...
roots and hosted the representatives of the Polish political establishment in his castles. On 22 October of that year he divorced
Princess Daisy
is a fictional character in the ''Mario'' series of video games. She debuted in 1989's '' Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland. Described as a tomboy, she used to be rumored to be Luigi's love interest, similarly to Princess Peach ...
.
On 25 January 1925 in London he married secondly Clotilde de Silva y
González de Candamo (19 July 1898 – 12 December 1978), a Spanish noblewoman and daughter of the 10th
Marquis de Arcicóllar, then Spanish Ambassador to the Court of Saint James. They had two children:
*Beatrice Maria Luise Margaret (15 July 1929 – 10 October 2021). Married twice and has issue.
*Conrad Joseph Hans (12 June 1930 – 29 November 1934).
This marriage also ended in a divorce in 1934 because of the family scandal – the seduction of the youngest son of Hans Heinrich XV – Bolko – by his stepmother. They subsequently married and had two children, Hedwig Maria and Bolko Constantine.
As a result of the global economic crisis, the Lower Silesian estates belonging to the Hochbergs fell into debt. In 1936, against the pressures of creditors Hans Heinrich XV left Waldenburg (now Książ) and came to Pszczyna, where his son Hans Heinrich XVII fought tax disputes with the Polish authorities, which became the heading of international media. Finally Hans Heinrich himself led to the end of the crisis by signing in 1937 an agreement in which the Hochbergs lost the privilege of mining in Pszczyna and lost control over the tax system.
Eventually the Polish state took over 56% of his assets.
Last years
He died of a heart attack on 31 January 1938 in the
Ritz Hotel in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and was buried in Pszczyna. During World War II his surviving sons both fought against the Nazis, Hans Heinrich XVII as John Henry Pless in the British
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and
Alexander Hochberg
{{Infobox noble
, name = Alexander
, title = 5th Prince of Pless
, image =
, caption =
, alt =
, CoA =
, more = no
, succession =
, reign =
, reign-type =
, predecessor = Hans-Heinrich XVII, 4th Prince of Pless
, successor =
, suc-typ ...
under the name of Aleksander Pszczyński as the shooter in the Polish Army under the command of General
Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyears ...
.
Film adaptations
*''
Magnat
The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...
'' (1987) – Hans Heinrich XV portrayed by Polish actor
Jan Nowicki
Jan Nowicki (5 November 1939 – 7 December 2022) was a Polish actor. Biography
He appeared in 90 films and television episodes since 1967.
Nowicki died on 7 December 2022, at the age of 83.Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
:
** Knight of the
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
, 1st Class
** Knight of the Royal
Order of the Crown, 1st Class
* : Grand Cross of the Merit
Order of Philip the Magnanimous
The Order of Merit of Philip the Magnanimous (german: Verdienstorden Philipps des Großmütigen) was an order of chivalry established by Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse on 1 May 1840, the name day of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, in his honour to a ...
, ''1 October 1898''
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of the Griffon
*
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
: Knight of the Imperial
Order of the Iron Crown
The Order of the Iron Crown ( it, link=no, Ordine della Corona Ferrea) was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy.
The order took its name ...
, 1st Class
* :
Order of the Medjidie
Order of the Medjidie ( ota, نشانِ مجیدی, August 29, 1852 – 1922) is a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I.
History
Instituted in 1851, the Order was awarded in fi ...
, 2nd Class
Notes
References and bibliography
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heinrich, Hans, XV
1861 births
1938 deaths
German landowners
Silesian nobility
People from Pszczyna
People from Wałbrzych
Members of the Prussian House of Lords
Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 2nd class