The Prince is obliged to choose: either become the Great Huntsman of the Crown and receive additional land for building new factories, coal mines and manufacturing plants, or become an Ambassador of the German Empire in London.

Upon receiving the land from Wilhelm II, Hans Heinrich XV, while taking part in an event near his residential palace, decides to give the gained territories to his German loyal servant, court adviser and collaborator, Heinberg.

The Prince, initially shocked but later comfortable with the tight situation, made a mistake that would later cost him his entire investment in the mines and affect his involvement in the Central-Western European and global trade market.

In 1932, the workers and the administration of the von Teuss coal mine factory complex receive distressing news: they believe that the Prince is dying at his palace in Pszczyna which became part of the newly established Second Polish Republic following World War I.

Eventually after Hans Heinrich, with the help of his new loyal adviser, Manager Zbierski, known as Wróżka (future-teller), and his secretary Kazimierz, found out that all of the personal savings were sent to Hitler in order to secure the reputation of the Nazi party, he removes Franzel from office and places Conrad in charge.

After being released from a Nazi prison, Bolko is safely transported to Poland, but unexpectedly dies soon upon arrival at the residence, while Franzel is excluded from the family and left without any income for which he curses his father.

Following World War II, Conrad, already after the death of Prince Hans Heinrich, becomes the only heir to the fortune, but soon realizes that all of his possessions and estates, including the industrial district and the factories, were seized by the communist government of the Polish People's Republic.

Eventually Bajon decided that the charred facade from the fumes of the surrounding industrial district would ideally suit the context and plot of the overall film, focused on the dark secrets of a maniac and his deteriorating relationship with the princely family.

Although known to be a masterpiece of the 1980s Polish cinema, the film was often criticized by the general public and some of the living members of the princely family for its historical inaccuracy, especially for the changing of names of the characters and other titles that may have confused the audience.