The Mennonite community at Przechowko established daughter colonies in a manner not seen with other Mennonites communities in Poland. Settlements in Jeziorki and the Netzebruch were established already in the mid-18th century. Others moved towards Masovia and then Volhynia in the late-18th century. In 1820, a large group left Przechowko and established Franzthal in the Molotschna Colony, and then in 1821 came those remaining, establishing Alexanderwohl (of course, a small number stayed in the Przechowko area).
Replacing the Mennonites were Lutheran (Evangelical) Hollenders who moved into the Mennonite housebarns in the village. Many of these Lutherans had already lived in the area for a long time; indeed, there was likely more fluidity between these Lutheran groups and the Przechowko Mennonites than we modern Mennos would like to believe. These Lutherans inhabited the village, then, until modern times – right up until WWII.
As a consequence, obviously, the cemetery at Przechowko is not exclusively a Mennonite cemetery with the largest number of “new” markers being Lutheran. In fact, there would be a very large contingent of “Przechowko descendants” who would be Lutherans instead of Mennonites.
The oldest periodical in the country of Poland is the "Zwiastun Ewangelicki" (The Evangelical Herald) which has been published since January 15, 1863. Among Polish Protestant periodicals, it has the widest reach and largest circulation. Every two weeks, this publication brings readers articles that build faith, hope, and love, and inform about events in Poland and abroad and they’ve done this for more than 150 years.
This month, the Zwiastun Ewangelicki has published a story focused on the restoration of the Przechowko cemetery where so many of the Lutheran descendants would be buried.
