Dorothea Stempowska, the Last Resident of Książ Castle, Dies at 91

Passing of a lifelong castle resident

Dorothea Stempowska, born Dorotea Wawrzyczek, died on Thursday afternoon, 1 October 2026, at the age of 91. She passed away at Książ Castle surrounded by her family, having spent her entire life living within the castle grounds in Wałbrzych. Administrators at Książ Castle announced her death, recognizing her as the final permanent resident of the property and an essential figure in preserving regional memory. Her close friend and biographer, Mateusz Mykytyszyn, described her as an essential bridge linking the pre-war era of the site with modern society.

Mykytyszyn spoke of her commitment to staying in her family home despite the complex postwar changes in Lower Silesia.

She came into the world at Książ and spent her final moments of life at Książ. A person of exceptional importance for the history of Wałbrzych, the history of Książ Castle. She was a bridge, linking past times with contemporary times. She was a person who loved her homeland, and although she was born here as an indigenous resident, she stayed in her family home.

Childhood memories of Princess Daisy

Stempowska was born on 14 February 1935 in the stables, now operating as a stud farm, of the Fürstenstein estate belonging to Prince von Pless in Silesia. She grew up on the property and remained the last living resident of Wałbrzych who personally remembered Princess Daisy von Pless. Later in life, Stempowska lived in the first-floor apartment of the castle's southern outbuilding, facing south-west, which had previously housed Princess Clothilde and her children before becoming Daisy's residence.

Excerpts from her upcoming book recount her childhood recollections of the estate and its noble residents.

In the days of my childhood, only Princess Daisy lived in Książ among the nobility. The first wife of the old prince Jan Henryk XIV lived in the southern outbuilding in an apartment on the first floor on the south-west side, which before her was occupied by Princess Clothilde with the children, and where I live today. Even though I was very young back then, I remember how the princess's English maid, Miss Dolly Crowther, pushed her in a wheelchair around the park.

Civic leadership and reconciliation

Beyond her role as a witness to the castle's past, Stempowska was actively engaged in community organizations throughout Wałbrzych. She served for many years as the chair of the German Social-Cultural Society in Wałbrzych, dedicating her work to strengthening Polish-German reconciliation and cultural preservation. Her civic contributions received formal municipal recognition in 2023, when local leaders awarded her the title of Distinguished Citizen of the City of Wałbrzych. Castle officials stated that her personal recollections represent an irreplaceable part of the collective heritage of both Książ and the city.

Memorial books and upcoming biography

Following her death on 1 October 2026, public tributes were established across the city to honor her memory. Beginning on Friday, 2 October 2026, condolence books were made available for residents and visitors to sign at both Książ Castle and the Wałbrzych Town Hall. A biographical book documenting her life, titled "Całe życie w Książu" (A Whole Life in Książ), was authored jointly by Stempowska and Mateusz Mykytyszyn and is scheduled for publication in 2027. The volume compiles her personal records and memories across more than nine decades of regional history.