Wedel and Ratzlaff roots in Neumark

Susanna (Wedel) Ratzlaff’s Wedel, Nickel and Buller ancestors, like the Ratzlaffs, can be associated with the Old Flemish sect of Mennonites living in West Prussia; namely Przechowka and its associated villages/congregations.  At this time, unfortunately, I have little further specific information about Susanna’s ancestors.  The Wedel, Nickel and Buller families lived in the Karolswalde villages surrounding the time when Susanna was born.  Indeed, the Tobias Unruh Karolswalde baptism lists record many names from these families.  However, I don’t know any other details for certain about them.  There were also a very small number of Litkes (also spelled Luetke or Lichti) around Karolswalde, but more about them later.

GRANDMA tells us little about these specific families.  Nickel was a fairly common Mennonite name and Nickels can be found in the Prussian Mennonite records in locations from Danzig to Schonsee and everywhere in between as far back as the 17^th Century. (http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/N535ME.html/?searchterm=nickel)

The Buller family may have been somewhat more limited.  Mennonite records suggest that the first Buller Mennonites were found in the 17^th Century near the Schonsee area of West Prussia, which is near Przechowka (http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/B8464.html/?searchterm=buller).

Like the Nickels, the Wedel family name could also be found among West Prussian Mennonites from Danzig to Przechowka (http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/W435ME.html/?searchterm=wedel).  It’s especially prevalent, though, among the families associated with Przechowka and/or Alexanderwohl.  Many Wedels are listed in the GRANDMA database.

Bullers and Wedels (as well as Ratzlaffs) can all be found in the records of the Old Flemish Mennonite villages of Brenkenhoffswalde, Franzthal and Neu-Dessau near Driesen in Brandenburg. The names can be found in the Przechowka Churchbook, as well as Court and Land records from the Neumark in Brandenburg during the mid-18^th Century:

http://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/prussia/neumark.htm

http://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/prussia/neumark2.htm

http://www.mennonitegenealogy.com/prussia/court1.htm

Here are the Wedel, Buller and Ratzlaff names from the above sources, as well as from the Przechowka Churchbook, who lived in the Brandenburg villages in the 18^th century:

Deed Records		Land Tax		Brandenburg			Przechowka
Neu-Dessau		Driesen Area		Settlers			Churchbook
1771-1787		1826		1767-1778			18th Century
Buller	David	Buller		Buller	David	Neu-Dessau	Buller	David	Franzthal
							Buller	Hans
				Buller	George	Franzthal	Buller	Jeorg I
							Buller	Jeorg II	Franzthal
				Buller	Peter	Brenkenhoffs.	Buller	Peter	Brenkenhoffs.
		Rettschlag	Friedrich
		Rettschlag	Tobias
		Retzlaff	Behrend				Ratzlaff	Hans I	Neumark
				Ratzlaff	Hans	Franzthal	Ratzlaff	Hans II	Neu-Dessau
Ratzlaff	Johann			Retzlaff	Johann	Neu-Dessau
				Ratzlaff	George	Franzthal
							Ratzlaff	Hinrich
							Ratzlaff	Peter I
				Ratzlaff	Peter I	Franzthal	Ratzlaff	Peter II	Brenkenhoffs.
				Ratzlaff	Peter II	Brenkenhoffs.	Ratzlaff	Peter
Wedel	Cornelius						Wedel	Benjamin	Brenkenhoffs.
							Wedel	Jacob	Brenkenhoffs.
		Wedell	Peter				Wedel	Peter

Johann Ratzlaff, who was discussed at length earlier, can be found among the records, as well as several different Buller families.  The Wedels in these records are relatively few.  One name that’s particularly intriguing is Cornelius Wedel who was associated with Deutsche Konopat.  I’m not sure yet where Deutsche Konopat was located, but it was associated with the Przechowka congregation.  It’s interesting to note that GRANDMA tells us there was a Cornels Wedel associated with the Przechowka congregation who was born in 1747.  This Cornels had a son named Benjamin, born 1772.

If this is the same Cornels (Cornelius) Wedel who we find mentioned in the records above, he could be Susanna (Wedel) Ratzlaff’s great great grandfather. 

GRANDMA indicates that Benjamin, son of Cornels, was born in 1772.  We know Susanna’s grandfather, Jacob Wedel, was born in 1818.  We also know that Jacob’s father’s name was Benjamin.  We don’t know a birthdate for Benjamin, but it would probably have been in the last quarter of the 18^th Century.  GRANDMA doesn’t list any children for Benjamin Wedel (b. 1772).  It’s common for sources to lose track of a person after they move out of the area and that’s probably why no children are listed for this Benjamin.  It’s very possible that Cornels moved into Brandenburg in the late 18^th century (thus his name in the Brandenburg land records) and the Przechowka Mennonite records lost track of him.  His son Benjamin may have moved into Volhynia.  Benjamin’s great-granddaughter may have been our Susanna.

As stated earlier, the Buller name is common among the Brandenburg Mennonites and Susanna might be descended from any of these.  The Nickel name, however, is absent from all the above-mentioned land and court records as well as from the Przechowka Churchbook.  There are a fair number of Nickels listed in the Tobias Unruh Karolswalde baptism lists in Volhyhia though.  The Nickels, apparently, followed a different path to Volhynia than did the Ratzlaffs, Wedels and Bullers.

Here's a map of the Netzebruch area from around 1900.  Note the marshes on either side of Driesen.  Franzthal and Brenkenhoffswalde are west of Driesen, Neu-Dessau is to the east:

Geographically, the area around Driesen is sometime called the Netzebruch (http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/N478.html).  It's the marshy area along the Netze River near Driesen.  The larger surrounding area is sometimes politically called the Neumark (http://prussianpoland.com/neumark.html).  When the Mennnonites occupied these villages, the Neumark was controlled politically by the German State of Brandenburg.  Like other German states (Prussia or Bavaria for example) Brandenburg was controlled at various times by different German Princes.  In the 18th Century, Brandenburg was closely linked with the Prussian States.

Susanna Wedel family

When Andreas returned home to Leeleva in very early 1895, he promptly married to Susanna Wedel on February 17, 1895.  Susanna was born May 14, 1873, in Karolswalde to Peter Jacob and Katarina (Nickel) Wedel.  Susanna was the eldest child of Peter and Katarina who had been married in Karolswalde on March 24, 1864, and must have moved to Leeleva by the 1880s.

Peter Jacob Wedel was born March 21, 1848, in Karolswalde to Jacob Wedel (b.1818) and Maria (Buller) Wedel (b. c1820).  Jacob’s father and mother were Benjamin and Maria Wedel.  Peter’s baptism can be found on Tobias Unruh’s baptism records from 1866.  Peter was baptized in Karolswalde, but it looks like he lived in Pelagin-Gruenthal (Gruental) at the time of his baptism.  Note: the Susanna (Heinrich) Ratzlaff at the end of the list is probably Jacob Ratzlaff’s younger sister:

                        Taeuflinge die ich Tobias Unruh getauft habe                                     

1.  Abraham Samuel            Schulz                    von Karolsberge aus

2.  Andreas Cornelius         Nickel                    von Pelagin-Gruentha

3.  Benjamin Peter               Becker                   von Karlsberge

4.  Benjamin Jacob              Wedel                     von Pelagin-Gruentha

5.  Benjamin Peter               Janz                        aus Karlswalde

6.  Carl Friedrich                Schartner              aus Karlswalde

7.  Cornelius Johann          Schulz                    aus Karlswalde

8.  David Benjamin              Schulz                    aus Karlswalde

9.  George Peter                   Unruh                    aus Karlswalde

10. Heinrich George           Unruh                    aus Karlswalde

11. Heinrich Jacob             Siebert                   aus Karlswalde

12. Johann Benjamin          Janz                        von Karlsberge

13.  Johann Karl                 Decker                   von Karlsberge

14. Peter George                 Unruh                    aus Karlswalde

15. Peter Jacob                    Wedel                     von Pelagin-Gruentha1

16. Tobias Carl                    Decker                   von Pelagin-Gruentha

                                Taeuflinge die ich Tobias Unruh getauft habe.

1.  Agnetha Andreas           Unruh                    aus Karlswalde

2.  Anna Carl                        Dircks                    von Jadwininnen

3.  Anna Peter                      Schmidt                 von Jadwininnen

4.  Else Abraham                 Janz                        von Pelagin-Gruentha

5.  Else Peter                        Penner                   aus Karlswalde

6.  Eva Heinrich                   Buller                     aus Karlswalde

7.  Eva Jacob                        Siebert                   aus Karlswalde

8.  Helena David                  Unruh                    von Jadwininnen

9.  Helena Johann               Schluz                    aus Karlswalde

10. Helena Peter                  Unruh                    aus Karlswalde

11. Maria Peter                   Richert                   von Jadwininnen, aus dem Kirchspie

12. Susanna Carl                Deckert                  von Pelagin-Gruentha

13. Helena David                Ruediger               aus Karlswalde

14. Susanna Heinrich         Eck

15. Susanna Heinrich         Ratzlaf

Diese 16 Juenglige und 15 Jungfrauen sind in dem Bethause zu Carlswalde getauft worden den 25.ten Mai neuen Stils 1866 am Palmsonntage.

According to GRANDMA, Peter Jacob Wedel was the third of six children who were all born in Volhynia; in Karolswalde, Gruental, and Karolsberge.  Peter’s younger brothers, Benjamin and Andreas, both immigrated to America at some point and both lived near Galva, KS.  GRANDMA does not indicate whether Jacob’s other siblings, older sisters Helena and Susanna, or youngest brother Heinrich, made their way to the U.S.A. or not. 

Katarina (Nickel) Wedel was born November 13, 1846, in Karolswalde to Johann Nickel and Susanna (Litke) Nickel.  Katarina’s baptism can also be found on Tobias Unruh’s baptism records from 1864.  Unruh doesn’t specify where the baptism took place, but it looks like Katarina (Catharina) lived in Karolsberge.  Note: I do not know the identity of Elisabeth Ratzlaff, #4 on the list below.  Her father’s name was Heinrich, so could this be another sibling of our Jacob Ratzlaff about whom we didn’t know previously?

Aufschreibung von Diejenigen welche durch die heilige Wassertaufe in unsere Gemeine zu Karolswalde, Karolsberge, Jadweninne und Anotonwke als Brueder und Schwestern auf- und angenommen worden sind.

                 Nun folgen die Jungfrauen.

1.  Susanna Heinrichs Tochter         Vothen                   in Karolsberge

2.  Helena Cornelius Tochter            Unruhen                in Karolswalde

3.  Helena Carls Tochter                    Baiern                    in Karolswalde

4.  Elisabeth Heinrichs Tochter        Ratzlaffen              in Karolswalde

5.  Elske Andreas Tochter                  Unruhen                in Jadweninne

6.  Karolina Cornelius Tochter        Vothen                   in Karolsberge

7.  Eva Davids Tochter                       Bullern                  in Karolsberge

8.  Catharina Johanns Tochter        Nickeln                  in Karolsberge

9.  (blank)

10.  Elske Tobias Tochter                  Janzen   in Karolswalde oder auf Jadweninne

11. Elisabeth Peters Tochter             Vothen                   in Jadweninne

Diese hier aufgeschriebene… 10 weibliche Seelen sind auf ihrem Verlangen durch dem heiligen Worte Gottes und dem Befehle Jesu Christi im Beisein vieler Zeugen getaufet und durch eine Handaufnehmung als Glieder in der mennoniten Gemeine in dem Bethause allhier zu Karolswalde am 24. Maerz neuen Stils 1864 an unserm Gruendonnerstage auf- und angenommen worden.

GRANDMA gives no further information regarding Katarina’s family.  However, the Tobias Unruh baptism record does list an Elske Nickel, daughter of Johann Nickel, of Karlsberge, baptized in 1865.  This Elske’s father’s name is the same as our Katarina’s.  Also, this Elska was from the same village and baptized at a similar date to our Katarina.  Could it be that this Elska was a sister to Katarina?

According to GRANDMA, Peter Jacob and Katarina (Nickel) Wedel had the following children after they were married in 1864:

            1) Susanna, (05/14/1873 – 1958)

            2) Henry, (03/16/1875 – 04/21/1875)

            3) Eva, (05/29/1878 – 09/10/1879)

            4) Maria, (03/05/1881 – 03/20/1935)

            5) Carolina, (12/25/1881 – 10/17/1941)

            6) Anna, (09/26/1885 – 1895)

            7) Elisabeth, (11/11/1887 – 01/28/1963)

            8) Agnetha, (03/29/1890 – 10/14/1972)

As stated earlier, the Peter Jacob and Katarina Wedel family must have moved to Leeleva at some point by the 1880s.  Their house can be seen on the hand-drawn map of Leeleva, second from the right on the front row.

Maps of Leeleva

The Leeleva area was mapped many times around the turn of the 20^th Century.  The Austro-Hungarians, Poles, Russians, Germans, Soviets and Americans all mapped the area.  If we compare these maps to the hand-drawn map of Leeleva we can see that the author’s memory was fairly accurate.  All the elements of the hand-drawn map are correct, some are just slightly out of place.  Note that different spellings are used for many of the locations from map to map.  This was probably due to language differences from German to Russian to Polish, etc.  For comparison’s sake, here are a few maps of the area.  First is the hand-drawn map, probably drawn from memory, many years after the author had left Russia:

Next is one that was mapped by the Austro-Hungarians in the late 1880s.  Note that on this map Leeleva is marked as Nikitskaja and Menziliski is marked simply as M.H.

This one was also done by the Austro-Hungarians, but slightly later, probably around 1900.  Again, Leeleva is marked as Nikitska, but Menziliski is not marked at all:

This map was charted by the Polish Army when Poland claimed the area in the early 1920s:

This map is of an unknown date.  Neither Leeleva nor Menziliski are shown on this map.  Leeleva would lie immediately south of Siever (Siwerka on this map) and Menziliski would be in the clearing immediately southeast of Kuniv (Kunew):

This map is also of an unknown date.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t show the entire area:

This map of a portion of the area was mapped by the Soviets in the 1940s:

This map of a similar portion of the area was also mapped by the Soviets in the 1940s and is marked in Cyrillic.  Leeleva (Лесная) is toward the bottom right while Kuniv (Кунев) is near the middle left.  Note that on this map, many small canals are seen across the area.  These canals obviously helped drain the many small streams and ponds dotting the area previously.  For instance, the two small ponds near Sievers (the village immediately north of Leeleva) that appear in the map above, do not appear in this map, having been drained.  The Soviets must have sponsored this type of hydraulic design sometime in the late 1930s to early '40s.  These canals can still be seen criss-crossing the area today:

This map was drawn by the American Army at some point after World War II.  It's compiled from data from the 1930s and '40s.:

Finally, here's a satellite view of the immediate Leeleva area today.  Note that Leeleva is marked Lisna.  Menziliski is no longer there, but it once stood in the clearing to the upper left.

Based on all the above maps, we can see where geographical changes need to be made to the hand-drawn map.  If we retain the same elements and just move them around a little, we could get something like this.  My apologies to the original author of the map for my crude rendition; I’ve tried to save the spirit of the original map while making the geography a little more accurate:

Based on information from all these maps, my best guess for where Andreas Ratzlaff’s house stood is marked by a green X on this map which was charted by the Polish army around 1921.  From the hand-drawn map, we can see that Andreas’ house stood to the west of a cemetery, south of the main road through Leeleva, east of the road to Kuniv:

I should also point out that the chronology on the hand-drawn map is probably not altogether accurate.  Andreas Ratzlaff was born in 1869, so he probably wouldn't have had his own house until after 1890.  Among the listed residents on the map, according to GRANDMA a few left for America in 1874.  Obviously if they left in 1874 they wouldn't have had a house in Leeleva at the same time as Andreas Ratzlaff.  Perhaps the Andreas Ratzlaff house was also the Jacob Ratzlaff house.  Jacob and family moved into the area in the 1860s and perhaps Andreas inherited the house after his Forestry stint was over in the 1890s.