1802 map showing
Świecie (Schwetz) and Przechówko.[1]
A quality which makes the Przechówko group very unique among
Vistula Mennonites was the way the church continually spawned filial
communities in outlying areas or villages.
The first of these filials was established already near the turn of the
17th century at Schönsee, about 10 miles (16 km) east of
Przechówko on the right bank of the Vistula.
This expansion was necessitated by Vistula flooding which prevented
right-bank villagers crossing the Vistula to attend church services in
Przechówko. In following years filials
were established in Jeziorki (1727), near Drezdenko (Driesen) in the Neumark
(1765), at Sady near Gąbin (Gombin) (c1787), at Deutsch Michalin by Makhnivka
(Махнівка) (1791), and at Karolswalde by Ostroh (Острог) (1801).[2] These filial settlements remained in close
communication with one another, and adherents moved between the different
settlements and will be discussed in more detail below.
In the summer of 1772 the great powers of the Habsburg
Monarchy (Austria), the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Empire of Russia, began to
divide and appropriate portions of Poland with the annexations known as the
Partitions of Poland. In the years 1772,
1793, and 1795, portions of Poland were annexed resulting in the elimination of
the country as an independent sovereign entity.
Royal Prussia, the area where most Mennonites lived, was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia with the First Partition in 1772. The basic area that had been Royal Prussia thereafter
came to be known as West Prussia and many facets of life for the Mennonites
changed. The Prussians set about with
their agenda meant to increase the prosperity of West Prussia. Initiatives such as equality of rights among
Catholics and Lutherans, financial support of protestant church and schools,
abolition of serfdom, reconstruction of towns and cities, improvement and
promotion of agriculture, and cultivation and administration of forests, were
all implemented.[3]
Governmental administration in West Prussia was divided
between Gdańsk (Danzig) in the north and Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) in the
south. A land survey was implemented
which resulted in taxation reforms by 1784.
However, immediately upon annexation villagers in West Prussia were
required to pay fees to help fortify the military – the Truppenmärschen
and Festungsbauten. These were heavy
and oppressive fees.[4]
At the time of the First Partition, the population of
Mennonites in Polish lands was between 10-12,000 persons and in 1772, 25% of
agricultural land of the Vistula delta was in Mennonite hands.[5] Przechówko village was enumerated for
taxation purposes in March 1773. By the
date of this census the village had grown to a total population of 95 persons.[6] Cultivated land equaled 13 Hufen.[7] The 12 wirtschaften divided 10 Hufen
averaging .8 Hufe individually.
Together they shared an additional 3 Hufen. The villagers kept horses and a small number
of livestock (primarily dairy cattle) and collected hay from the southern half
of the village lands; the meadow stretched toward the canal about ½ mile (0.8
km) south of the main village road. The
hay fed the dairy cattle which were the primary source of income. The villagers also grew rye in fields
stretching out to the north of the farmyards.
By the late 18th century, the Mennonites also leased the folwark[8]
(Vorwerk) immediately east of Przechówko which was owned by the
village of Przechowo. On the fields of
the 6-Hufen folwark (≈8.2 Hufen after 1774) the Mennonites
primarily grew rye but also a small amount of wheat, barley, oats, and peas. Hay was also gathered here.[9]
The administration of the Mennonite village was set up with
a mayor (Schulz) and two councilors (Rathsmänner). Together, these three formed the Schulzenamt. A leaseholding resident of the village was
called a Nachbar (neighbor) and together, all the leaseholding residents
were the Nachbarschaft (association of neighbors). The Nachbarschaft and the Schulzenamt
met regularly to manage all village matters.
Important village documents were held in the Rathslade (council-chest)
which was a lockbox with three locks.
Each member of the Schulzenamt had a key so each needed to be
present in order to open the box.
Rathslade;
reconstruction from Olenderski Park Etnograficzny w Wielkiej Nieszawce.[10]
The Schulzenamt ensured proper use of standard
weights and measures in the village. It
tracked thieves and punished petty abuses of crime. Each member of the Nachbarschaft was
responsible for his portion of dike or canal maintenance, hedge or fence
maintenance, as well as ensuring his chimney was clean and cleared the top of
his roof by at least one cubit. The Schulzenamt
would be responsible for estate administration in the event of the death of a Nachbar. The village regulated itself according to the
village ordinance code called Willkür (Wilkierz).
Each Nachbar needed a certificate of good standing to
move into a village. In addition to the Nachbarschaft,
villages were home to a certain number of Einwohner (aka Einlieger
or Instleute) or landless residents.
These landless folks would be tenants to a Nachbar and therefore
some houses would be occupied by multiple families. Before a Nachbar could take on an Einwohner,
the Einwohner’s residency needed to be approved by the Nachbarschaft. Similarly, if a Nachbar wanted to take
in a widow, the action would need approval.
An Einwohner would make a living by doing blacksmith work or
carpentry or weaving or cobbling or the like.
Mennonites, like the general population, were subject to
several different forms of taxation. In
addition to the poll tax (Poglowne or Kopfschatz/Kopfgeld),
villagers were subject to a progressive tax on property (Podymne or Rachfangsteuern),
a tax on cultivated land (Pobor or Hufenschoss), a tax on
livestock (Rogowe or Horngeld), and the Hyberne which was
a tax in lieu of quartering soldiers (after the standing army had been
established in 1717). Mennonites were further
required to pay a surcharge on their Kopfschatz since they were exempt
from the military. They also were
required to pay the Rogowe at a double rate in certain years.[11]
In 1776 there were approximately 1,059 Mennonites living in
the Vistula River valley between Nowe (Neuenburg) and Świecie/Chełmno. The Mennonites inhabited at least 20
different villages. Przechówko was
populated by 17 men and 16 women, 25 sons and 17 daughters, with an additional
5 male and 1 female servants. Of the 20
villages populated by Mennonites in the area, only Gross Lubin, Niedergruppe,
Montau, and Jeziorki, had larger numbers of Mennonite residents.[12]
Even before the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, Vistula
Mennonites who resisted assimilation to the Kingdom of Prussia and sought new economic
opportunities began moving into Imperial Russia. Large colonies were established in New Russia
by Mennonites who planned to take advantage of the benefits granted foreign
colonists by the tsars. Some Old Flemish
Mennonites associated with Przechówko had already moved into the Russian
Governorate of Volyn within the first few years of the 19th century.[13]
Some of the Mennonites who began moving into Imperial Russia
escaped the devastation of the Napoleonic invasions of the early 19th
century. La Grande Armée advanced
into the Przechówko area by winter of 1806 and the occupation of troops caused
severe hardship on all the people of the Vistula valley. Between 1806 and 1815 French, Prussian, and
Russian soldiers requisitioned money, horses, cattle, swine, carts, hay, oats,
wheat, rye, rations, weapons, tools, implements, and clothing from the peasants
of the lowlands. Villagers were forced
to help build a bridgehead, Grudziądz was besieged for almost a year, and cattle
became infected and died. The area was so
ravaged it took more than 20 years to recover.
Sweeping military changes were made in reaction to the French invasions and
a new general military conscription law was passed by the Prussian government
in 1813-14.[14] Indeed, correspondence exists written among
Przechówko church leaders that clearly shows the Mennonites’ anxiety regarding
the political situation during this time.[15]
The Mennonites who remained in Przechówko struggled to
rebuild their lives after the invasions.
But by 1819, the remainder of Mennonites at Przechówko also made plans
to move into the Russian Empire. By
1821, they moved to the Molotschna Colony, immediately north of Melitopol'
(Мелітополь) in present-day Ukraine, founding the villages of Alexanderwohl and
Franzthal.[16]
Of course, a very small number of Mennonites stayed in the Przechówko
area after 1821. These either joined the
nearby Montau or Schönsee Mennonite congregations or intermarried into Lutheran
families in Przechówko or other adjacent villages. Mennonite names could be found among
Przechówko villagers right up until the early 20th century.[17]
Wintersdorf (Przechówko), 1905/1906[18]
After the Mennonites migrated away from Prussia, Przechówko
became populated by German Evangelical Lutherans. Indeed, these Lutherans can be seen creeping
into the Przechówko death records already by 1819. The names of the Lutheran villagers which
occur most often in the death records include Fölske,
Wordelmann, Brüschke, Lüdtke, and Zieroth.
In contrast to some of the Mennonite families who could have lived in
Przechówko for more than 200 years, these Lutheran families appear to have
moved in and out of the village far more frequently. The families Brüschke and Müller were by far
the most durable Lutheran families, residing in the village for perhaps even
more than 80 years. The families Köpke,
Fölske, and Will, appear to have resided in the village for more than 50
years. In all, families with more than
150 different surnames populated the village for the period 1821-1930. These Lutheran villagers were members of the Kirchspiel
of Schwetz and appear to have moved about from village to village in a way
comparable to the Mennonites. Families
with surnames similar to those at Przechówko also populated villages such as
Konopat, Jeziorki, Kosowo, Christkowo, Ostrower Kaempe, etc., where Mennonites
also formerly lived.[19]
-1933_300dpi_bcuj298287-285620.newest.png)
Przechówko and
environs, 1933[20]
In either 1823 or 1833 the Lutheran residents constructed
the first school building in the village and in 1852 that structure burned
down. Documents related to the
rebuilding of the school tell us only very little about the village during the
mid-19th century. Przechówko in 1854 was
divided into 16 farms and there were also 5 Einwohner (Einlieger) families
present. The Schulze was Jacob Wolter
(b1803-d1856). Like the Mennonites
before them, the Lutheran families were generally of very modest means. The soil in the village fields was very sandy
and the whole was still prone to spring flooding from the Vistula River.[21] The villagers held 150 Morgen of
meadow, 98 Morgen of productive land, and a further 54.5 Morgen,
for a total of 302.5 Morgen of land.[22]
After the formation of the German Empire in 1871, Przechówko
village was officially renamed Wintersdorf.
Other nearby villages were also renamed; for instance, Dworzysko became
Wilhelmsmark, Przechowo became Schönau, etc. Some local records reflect the name change by
the year 1876.[23]
By the late 19th century, the village had subdivided
into 17 wirtschaften. The number
of wirtschaften fluctuated somewhat indicating villagers divided their plots. In 1893 there were 17 properties, in the
1920s: 17, in 1942: 20. In 1910 there
were 92 einwohner in the village.[24]
The most recent specific event that can be found about the
German villagers in Przechowko is listed in a local newspaper, the Bydgoszcz
Journal, on 25 September 1938. The paper
reports that on the 22nd, a very sad and probably rare story
unfolded in Przechowko. Members of the
Zieroth family went to their fields to harvest potatoes but 64-year-old Zelma
stayed behind to prepare dinner. When
the other family members returned home, they found a broken window. Upon entering the home, they saw that the
rooms had been ransacked; chests of drawers were all opened and clothes were
thrown about. There was no immediate
sign of Zelma. Upon investigating the
cellar, the unfortunate family found Zelma, deceased and hanging from a
beam. Money an valuables were later
discovered missing so the case was treated as a robbery/homicide by local
authorities in Świecie.[25] The results of the ensuing investigation are
unknown.
In 1961 the Mondi paper plant was established, and it became
functional in 1966. The plant today
occupies land which previously served as meadowland for the village of
Przechówko.
[1]
von Schrötter,
Friedrich Leopold. Karte von Ost-Preussen nebst Preussisch Litthauen und
West-Preussen
nebst
dem Netzdistrict
[2] Richert,
John D. “Ministers of the Groningen Old Flemish Society”.
[3] Maercker,
Hans. Eine Polnische Starostei, pp 67-78.
[4] Ibid.,
p 74.
[5] Shapansky, Henry. The Mennonite Migrations, pp
97, 109.
[6] Przechowka
Village, 4 March 1773. Extracted by Glenn H. Penner, Translated by Sabine
Akabayov.
[7] According
to Adelbert Goertz, 1 Culmisch Hufe = 30 Morgen (=16.8 ha = ca 41.5 acres). Goertz, Adalbert. FAQ: Preußen (Prussia).
[8] Folwark
was also known as Przechowski Folwark and later called Marienhöhe. Sulimierski, Chlebowski, Walewski, Et al. Geographical
Dictionary, Volume IX, p127.
[9] Przechowka
Village, 4 March 1773. Extracted by Glenn H. Penner, Translated by Sabine
Akabayov. Until 1774 the Mennonites
lease 6 Hufen of the folwark, after 1774 they leased the entire
folwark which amounted to approximately 8.2 Hufen according to Przechowo:
Act of Granting the Hereditary Possession…1774.
[10] Rathslade. Olenderski
Park Etnograficzny w Wielkiej Nieszawce.
[11] Maercker,
Hans. Eine Polnische Starostei, pp28-9.
It should also be noted that some taxes were not levied every year. For instance, the Rogowe was only
apparently levied in 1673, ‘76, ‘77, ‘97, 1700, and 1701.
[12] Ibid.,
p 80. Maercker names 1789 as the date of
these statistics, however, the numbers are identical to those found in the 1776
census of Mennonites in West Prussia. Some
villages, such as Deutsch Konopat and Ostrower Kaempe, seem to have escaped
this list.
[13]
Namely, Karolswalde and Antonowka. These
colonies did not enjoy the same benefits as did colonies in New Russia.
[14] Maercker,
Hans. Eine Polnische Starostei, pp 67, 74, 334-7. See the males listed from Przechówko, as well
as surrounding villages, at Mennonites in the Przechowka Area, West
Prussia. Compiled by Adalbert Goertz.
[15]
Peter Ratzlaff to Peter Kerber 26 May 1813 (translated by John D. Richert; see https://mla.bethelks.edu/archives/elecrec1669/Ms%201252/);
Wilhelm Lange to Peter Wedel 12 Apr 1815 (translated by John D. Richert; see https://mla.bethelks.edu/archives/mf_mss_139/lange/2.jpg).
[16] Duerksen,
Jacob A. "Przechowka and Alexanderwohl”.
[17] Death records 1775-1829.
[18] Culm
2676 and Schwetz
2576.
[19] Death records 1775-1829.
[20] P35
S27 Grudziadz.
[21] Baue
und Reparaturen an den Kirchen-, Pfarr- und Schulgebäuden zu Przechowko. The records indicate that the fire
occurred in 1823 or 1833; Leonhard Stobbe indicates it was 1832. Since there was no school building prior to
this we can conclude the Mennnonites did not have a dedicated school building
but instead used the church.
[22] Ibid.,
According to the March 1773, the Mennonite Przechówko possessed 300 Culmisch Morgen
of land.
[23] Death records 1775-1829.
[24] Gemeindeverzeichnis Deutschland 1900, edited by Uli Schubert.
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