The Story of the Amazing Guttler Family

Carl GuttlerThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Carl Guttler

One of the first ancestors of the Guttler family who had a real influence on the development of the town of Złoty Stok. Through his marriage, he came into the possession of the local gunpowder factory, which is in operation to this day.

Wilhelm GuttlerThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Wilhelm Guter

Wilhelm inherited a powder magazine from his father, but this activity was not enough for the ambitious young man. He decided to buy post-mine burnouts and, using an innovative method using chlorine, began to smelt gold from them.

Baptismal pitcherThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Baptismal pitcher

In 1851, King Frederick William IV commissioned Wilhelm Gutler to donate 1.5 kilograms of gold to make a baptismal pitcher for the royal family.

The Guttler Mausoleum in Złoty Stok.The Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

The Guttlers Mausoleum

After Carl's death, his wife Paulina and son Wilhelm built a mausoleum out of beautiful sandstone, in which, over time, other bodies of family members will be buried ...

Herman and Gertruda GuttlerThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Herman and Gertrude

Herman made bold steps, decided with time to buy the gold mines and the nearby smelters, and his wife, Gertruda, actively accompanied him in his business steps.

Guttlers PalaceThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Construction of the Guttler Palace

Herman decided to build a house worthy of his family, a neoclassical building was erected on the market square, with an entrance to the gardens, reworked many times over the years, and to this day it is the dominant feature of the Market Square in Złoty Stok.

Palace salon, From the collection of: The Gold Mine in Złoty Stok
Show lessRead more

This is what the music room in the palace looked like, on the wall you can see the portraits of Herman, Carl and Paulina Guttler.

The Gutler siblings.The Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Children of Herman and Gertrude

In total, they had seven offspring, but two of them died fairly early. In the photo Fritz, Gerhart, Maria-Theresa and Wolfgang. The years 1914-1918 

The Gutler siblings.The Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Death in the skies

Wolfgang Guttler won victories in the empire's air force during World War I, and was awarded twice with an iron cross. He died in an accident on his plane. His brothers fought to bring his body to Złoty Stok.

Wooden propellerThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

He was buried in the family mausoleum

In addition to his awards, a wooden propeller from his plane was placed with him in the grave. During the renovation of the mausoleum in 2019, a propeller was found, which was secured and made available in the Złoty Stok museum.

Gertrude Guttler and the Gertrude AditThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Getrude Guttler

The mother of Gerhart and Wilhelm was heavily involved in the family business, she also devoted funds to the construction of a municipal bathhouse and to support poorer families. In the photo, she proudly stands in front of the drift named after her - today the main part of the tourist route of the Gold Mine.

Clara, Herman's wife with childrenThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

The last of the family - Clara, Gerhart's wife and children

In the center of her daughter Barbara, an important figure for the whole story. After the war, the Guttlers receive compensation for all lost property in Złoty Stok, which is transferred to Poland. And then the trace of their great family fades away ...

Barbara Guttler at the age of 93The Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Barbara Guttler found!

In 2014, the owner of the mine, with the help of friends, finds Barbara Guttler - the last of the Guttler family. Barbara is 93 years old and has an amazing family history and her life. It is thanks to her that she manages to put the entire history of her family into one story.

Barbara Guttler in BorneoThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

Barbara in Borneo

She spent the years of her youth in Borneo, where she documented the life of orangutans. Years later, she came to the Netherlands, where she lived until her last days, in country house, which was equipped with the last palace furniture from her family's palace in Złoty Stok.

Barbara GuttlerThe Gold Mine in Złoty Stok

For Barbara Guttler (1922-2015)

Barbara helped write her family history, which was to be published. On the day when the authors - Piotra Romanowski and Elżbieta Szumska - confirmed that the book had been published and that they knew everything, Barbara said goodbye to them... two days later she died.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Related theme
The Tales of Lower Silesia
The Tales of Lower Silesia
View theme
Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites