They called her “Silesian Cinderella”. Her mother abandoned her at the age of 4. Two years later she was rich

Joanna Gryzik was born on April 29, 1842 into a working-class family in Silesia. After the birth of her sister and the death of her father, her mother remarried. Initially, for a drunkard who died after a few months, and then for a man who did not agree to support his two daughters. And so, the only four-year-old girl came under the care of a friend who worked for one of the richest men in Europe, Karol Godula, called the “king of zinc”.

He was one of the richest men in Europe. He preferred solitude

Karol Godula was a rich man, the owner of several dozen different mines, fields and forests, but at the same time a loner, even called a weirdo, who preferred to spend time in his home. There were many legends and misconceptions surrounding him. The man came from a simple family, but this did not stop him from achieving the success he had worked hard for all his life. He invented a new method of zinc production, which was called the Silesian method, and at the same time took care of his employees.

Joanna Gryzik gained the sympathy of a rich man. He left her all his fortune

It was to Karol Godula’s house that Joanna Gryzik came. Her cheerful disposition and childlike directness meant that although the man was irritated by the youngest, the girl quickly gained his sympathy. So much so that he decided to take care of her. Unfortunately, he died two years later. However, before this happened, he managed to write a will in which he left all his property to Joanna. It emerged that he was illegitimate. The girl was 6 years old then and was called “Silesian Cinderella”.

Joanna Gryzik went to college and then got married. She increased her fortune sevenfold

Joanna Gryzik received an appropriate education, and at the age of 16, she had no shortage of admirers around her. Because her lowly origins were a problem, after an appropriate fee paid by a lawyer, the Prussian king gave her a nobility title and the name Gryzik von Schomberg-Godulla. Shortly thereafter, she married Hans Ulrich Schaffgotsch, who was 11 years older and of respectable origin. They had four children. Even though Joanna did not have to worry about her future, she decided to use the knowledge she acquired during her studies and developed the business founded by Godula, multiplying the wealth she received. sevenfold. At the same time, she supported those in need, built churches, schools and hospitals. She died on June 21, 1910 due to a heart attack.