Princess Daisy Bench in Pszczyna

On the market square of Pszczyna, right next to the castle where she lived for years, a bronze Princess Daisy has sat down on a bench. The monument to Mary Theresa Olivia Hochberg von Pless was unveiled in May 2009; it is the work of Pszczyna sculptor Joachim Krakowczyk, a graduate of the Wrocław Academy of Fine Arts, created as part of the Pszczyna Art Plein-airs.

Six hundred kilograms of bronze

The bench weighs nearly 600 kilograms, and the casting was made at the Gliwice Technical Equipment Works. The princess is shown in a relaxed, approachable manner — this is one of those monuments that residents and tourists readily sit down beside for a shared photo.

Who Daisy was

Born on 28 June 1873 at Ruthin Castle in Wales, the aristocrat settled in Pszczyna in December 1891, becoming the lady of one of the largest residences in Silesia. She kept close relations with the kings of England, Edward VII and George V, organised charity receptions for the poor, cared for the wounded during the First World War, and during the Second sent food parcels to prisoners of the Groß-Rosen camp. She also became famous for her memoirs describing life on the Silesian courts.

In practice

The bench stands on the market square, accessible around the clock — nearby are Pszczyna Castle and the town's historic architecture, so a visit fits easily into a longer walk through the centre.