By a happy turn of events, Książ Castle has recovered still more precious relics of its history. Only a few years ago, unaware of the significance of his family roots, Rolf Kranz knocked on the door of the office of Książ's Touristic and Cultural Division. Soon after, he was able to appreciate just how important to the castle his great-grandfather, Karl Johann Endemann, was as its teacher and librarian at the turn of twentieth century.
It might seem surprising that one of the castle's former employees should be so exciting. However, Endemann was in charge of one of the largest private libraries of his time, containing over 65 thousand volumes. That statistic is not surprising, as the von Hochberg family had created the library as early as the beginning of the 18th century, and many precious works could be found there: among others, old texts about the history of Silesia, a unique collection of manuscripts and many books from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, deemed rare works by the Russian Centre for the Preservation and Study of Historical Documents. Even more dramatic, they were subjected to burning or carried away from the castle after the Second World War.
Having had access to this vast collection, Karl Johann Endemann is also known today as the author of one of the most important publications about the history of Książ: Darstellungen und Quellen zur schlessischen Geschichte, which may be translated as “Sources of Silesian history”. It is in this very book, published in Wrocław in 1910, that most of the historic pictures of Książ Castle were published, as well as those of several members of the Hochberg dynasty, who dwelled in the castle. Today we are pleased to have this publication in the original.
- “Coffee was spilt on the first pages – and we'd like to know if Endemann himself was drinking it,” jokes Katarzyna Matula of the castle's Touristic and Cultural Division. She adds, more seriously, “It really means a lot to Książ to recover these items, as they have allowed us to learn more about the history of the castle, thoroughly plundered after the war. The Hochbergs valued knowledge and art highly, and so they possessed huge collections of scholarly and artistic works. It would be difficult to overlook what an influential figure Endemann must have been, especially as he managed to publish, in those times, such an important work. A lesser-ranked servant would not have permitted himself to attempt anything like that.”
It is worth adding that the librarian also appears in the pictures taken by the castle's former cook and photographer, Louis Hardouin, who documented especially significant people and moments in the history of Książ of that time.
Karl Johannes Endemann (1860-1926) lived in the times of Książ's last Hochberg masters, Hans Heinrich XII and Hans Heinrich XV, as well as the latter's wife, Princess Daisy. It is also possible that their children were pupils at the castle school in the Gate Building, where the famous library was located (in 1897 it was moved out of the castle). What kind of teacher was Endemann? He appears to have been strict but fair. Among the items that the castle has received is the report cards of the librarian's daughter, Elsa Kranz (her married name), on which her marks may be seen, as well as a column designated “Place”. At that time the better a pupil's results, the closer to the teacher the pupil could sit, as a reward. It is clear, from these impeccably kept records, that Elsa sat further and further back as her marks worsened. There could be no question of favouring the daughter. Interestingly, one of Louis Haroduin's pictures also shows his son, Louis Harodouin Jr., sitting in the ignominious back row.
Karl Johann Endemann died in 1926. Unfortunately, we do not know where the teacher was buried, but It is thought that his remains might be in the Protestant church cemetery in Szczawienko.
Rolf Kranz, Endemann's great-grandson and Elsa's grandson, has provided the castle with items that include a picture of his great-grandfather in Silesian costume with his family, his marriage certificate, further school report cards, and sheet music from this period. He has also stated that upon his death he may give back to the castle the historic furniture that once belonged to the librarian (and later to his grandmother, Elsa), in order to create “the Endemann Room” in the castle.
The Książ Castle group has reached another milestone in its quest to recover not only material objects, but also aspects of the castle's remarkable history. We encourage you to discover and explore it with us!
