Goczałkowice-Zdrój is a large village, one of the two in Śląski voivodeship, which has a status of a health resort. Originally it consisted of two independent villages: Goczałkowice Górne and Goczałkowice Dolne. In 1856 Prussian miners were looking for the source of salt in the second village, and they have discovered a 4% brine at the depth of 616 meters. However, it turned out that the source is unprofitable that is why in 1861 the government has decided to sell it along with surrounding buildings. The land was purchased by Heinrich Schiller and Wilhelm Czech. The new owners have decided to do a chemical analysis of the water in Goczałkowice, which showed that they are as valuable as other famous springs. In June 1862 the first treatments began.
Heinrich Schiller was one of the founders of the resort, born on 18th of January 1826 in Pszczyn, the son of Ludwig and Rosalia. He was a merchant, just like his father. In 1854 he bought a house with a number 16 at the main square in Pszczyn with the 500 talars from his inheritance, where he opened a store with groceries and spices. On the 24th of November 1853 he married Bertha Jaschkowitz (born in 1827). Their two children: Hedwig (1854) and Ludwig (1855) were born in Pszczyn. Thanks to a loan from his brother-in-law, he has successfully expanded the resort opened in 1862.
Heinrich Schiller died on the 5th of March 1875 his wife died on the 8th of August 1890. They were both buried at the Jewish cemetery in Pszczyn. Their graves were created by Louis Rosenthal from Bytom and are the most impressive elements of the necropolis. They have an interesting form and are were made with huge attention to detail, unlike other surrounding gravestones from 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, their current state is not the best. They have been knocked over and robbed, so they are in need of an urgent renovation.
Heinrich Schiller is not an anonymous figure in Goczałkowice-Zdrój. He has been commemorated with the three other founders of the resort (Adolf Babel, Wilhelm Czech and Josef Lustig) with a monument at Uzdrowiskowa street in Goczałkowice. His biographies were recently published by Sławomir Pastuszka and Małgorzata Tomczykiewicz. However, the people living in Goczłkowice do not realize that his gravestone needs urgent renovation. It is an important monument commemorating a significant figure responsible for the current character of Goczałkowice-Zdrój.
Text: Association of Friends of Goczałkowice-Zdrój
Amount granted by the Association: 2.700 PLN