Column of Tears

In the centre of small Ulesie, between Legnica and Złotoryja, stands a stone obelisk regarded as the oldest modern monument of a purely secular character raised in a public place in Silesia. The Column of Tears was built in the 17th century not to mark a victory or an anniversary, but to commemorate a farewell.

A foundation of Duke Georg III

The obelisk was funded in 1664 by Georg III, Duke of Legnica and Brzeg. The column was meant to commemorate the departure of his daughter, Dorothea Elisabeth, who set off from this spot on a journey to Dillenburg in Hesse, where she was to marry Henry of Nassau-Dillenburg. The Latin inscription on the monument invited passers-by to reflect at the place "which Dorothea Elisabeth watered with tears" - hence the column's name.

Destruction and successive rebuildings

By the end of the 18th century the obelisk was already badly damaged. It was rebuilt in 1858, and a further restoration was carried out at the start of the 20th century, through the efforts of the Legnica Historical and Antiquarian Society, with financial support from the regional authorities. During one of the restorations, the column was moved from the edge of the village, where it originally stood, to the centre of Ulesie, where it stands today. The last conservation work on the monument was carried out in 1995.

A mark on the municipality's coat of arms

An image of the obelisk found its way onto the coat of arms of the Miłkowice municipality, in which Ulesie lies - a reference to the Piast history of the region, which is also the origin of Duke Georg III's foundation itself.

Practical information

• The Column of Tears stands in the centre of the village of Ulesie, in Legnica County.
• It is a good spot for a short stop on the way to Legnica, where it is worth seeing, among others, the Piast Castle or the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
• The obelisk stands in the open air and can be viewed at any time.