Czarnikau, Arthur Speth, 1909. 60 pages.
The Czarnikau district lies in the western part of the Bromberg administrative district between 34° 00 ' and 34° 30 ' eastern longitude of Ferro, and is bordered on the north by the Deutsch-Krone district, on the east by the Kolmar district, on the south by the Obernik and Samter districts, and on the west by the Filehne and Deutsch-Krone districts. The greatest elongation of the district from north to south amounts to 48 km., and from east to west 33 km. The district is divided by the Netze into two halves, a northern [a] and a southern [b] half. The northern half is cut in two, almost exactly in the middle, by the 53rd degree of northern latitude. It touches the following places: Karolina, Stieglitz, Neudorf, Radolin and the northern extremity of Romanshof. The furthermost border places of the district are: in the north: Niekosken and Lemnitz; in the east: Fitzerie and Gembitzhauland; in the south: Klempitz; and in the west: Hammersitzko and Karolina.
Setting: (specified for a later time). Located in the local region a) Lake Genezareth, b) the whole ocean.
Construction: in a) Shape: Egg or pear. Size: 20 km. long, 12 km. wide. Entry of the river in the north at Nowen, Exit of it in the south at Czarnikau. On the east edge are situated: Czarnikau, Briesen, Sarben, Kruschewo, Jablonowo, Miroslaw, Nowen; on the west edge: Fratzig, Bomblin Lake, Schönlanke, Neudorf, Radosiew and Hammer. Within the lakes are situated, and hence are covered with water: Malzmühle, Romanshof, Walkowitz, Behle, Theresia, Radolin and Floth.
in b) Shape: elongated. Size: about 80 km. long, 20 km. wide. Entry of the river in the north: Rüddow at Usch. On the west edge: the Netze as far as Czarnikau, Dembe, Lubasch, Milkowo, Klempitz, Obersitzko, Samter; On the east edge: Posen, Obernik, Ritchenwald, Gramsdorf, and Tempelberg at Kolmar.
The surface area of the district forms a rolling country of 75-125 m. above sea level. The highest elevations of the district are: Windmill Hill between Dembe and Lubasch, south of Czarnikau, 126.5 m. high, Goray Hill southwest of Czarnikau, 120-125 m. high, and the rolling country north of Niekosken close by the West Prussian border, 120-123 m. high. Midway through this rolling country extends the Netze valley, with its central meadow as a broad green band there. It is more than a kilometer wide and 40-50 m. above sea level. Together with the various shaped valley borders, it gives the whole region a picturesque charm.
The pearls among the beautiful wooded vertical banks of the Netze and, consequently, the most beautiful part of the Czarnikau district, are the hills named after the village of Goray.
[description of area's beauty - 12 paragraphs]
The only river in the district is the Netze. It originates as a very small riverlet from Skorzencin Lake, which lies in the Witkowo district and flows, to begin with, to the north on past the small city of Gembitz. At Blütenau it is fortified on the left side by the Panna river, the discharge of the Mogilno Lake. Soon afterwards it enters the south end of Pakosch Lake, which, by the way, has several names. The Montwey, the discharge of Soplo Lake, which is approaching from the east, also empties into this lake. Here this river has more water than the original Netze, so it will be observed frequently for the Netze. The residents of that region, however, distinguish very sharply between the Montwey and the Netze.
After its exit from the Pakosch Lake it flows along in a northerly direction to the cities of Pakosch, Bartschin and Labischin, until Hopfengarten (15 km. south of Bromberg). Here it leaves the northerly alignment and follows a northwesterly alignment, and, indeed, until the junction of the Bromberg canal at Nakel. On this stretch it undergoes a loss of water and, indeed, of 207,000 cbm daily = 2.4 cbm per second, as the water needed for the filling of the Bromberg canal locks is withdrawn from it. Nevertheless, soon after that this loss to it is replaced by the Gonsawka, which is flowing here from the south, at the small city of Netzwalde. (Note: A similar phenomenon happens at the Pregel: influx from the south through the Ulle, discharge towards the north through the Deime. By this a natural contact {dividing into two branches} is made between two different river regions.) A portion of the previously mentioned water loss, and indeed about 1/4 of it, is supplied to the Netze again by the junction of the Bromberg canal, which is situated in the neighborhood of Nakel.
At Nakel the Netze enters into the former great riverbed of three large glacial rivers and, starting here, delineates the Netze marsh. At Netztal it receives, here from the north, the small but fast- flowing Lobsonka and at Usch, also approaching from the north, the Küddow, its greatest tributary, also the most water it carries by itself as the Netze. (Note: Other examples of rivers in which the tributary is greater than the main river are: the Elbe and the Moldau, the Donau and the Inn, the Mississippi and the Missouri.)
Shortly before its entrance into the Czarnikau district, the Netze again changes its alignment, as it flows to the south until the city of Czarnikau. From Czarnikau on it follows the alignment to the west again, which it maintains until its outlet into the Warthe at Zantoch. On this last stretch it receives, at Kreuz, also here from the north, its last greater tributary, the Drage. (Note: With respect to its tributaries, the Netze belongs to the so-called asymmetrical rivers, inasmuch as it receives almost all of its tributaries from the right, because the Welna and the Warthe come too close to its left bank for larger tributaries to develop on this side. That's why the Netze does not belong to the branch-shaped rivers.)
In the Netze's course we distinguish clearly four natural segments, namely:
1. the upper Netze, from Skorzencin Lake until the junction of the Bromberg canal at Nakel, with predominately northerly alignment and abundant with respect to lakes, about 150 km.
2. the sluggish or lazy Netze (grade = 1:25,000), from the outlet of the Bromberg canal until the outlet of the Küddow at Usch, with westerly alignment, about 70 km.
3. the lively Netze (grade = 1:3,700), from the outlet of the Küddow until the outlet of the Drage at Kreuz, with southwesterly alignment, about 80 km.
4. the lower Netze, from there until its junction into the Warthe, with a westerly alignment, about 50 km,
so that the length of the whole river comes to about 350 km.
Until the year 1777 the Netze at Czarnikau flowed close by, past the city, and there, indeed, where now are found the new untiring "bend" marshes, also called the city marshes. The rest of this former riverbed is still visible today, and, indeed, about 100 paces above the marsh a small fishpond, the Grobbel, and below, the castle brewery, the Pferdenetze.
In the year 1777 Frederick the Great had a canal dug at Czarnikau, because of the many bends which were impeding navigation, and directed the river into it. Hence the marsh is named the Netze canal marsh {the present "hoist" marsh, after this great river.
[more recent improvements, the water depth, the dikes, etc. - 7 paragraphs]
Of the larger streams, the following are found in the district:
a) right of the Netze
1. the Lemnitz or Kapper river, which forms the district's northeastern boundary, and empties into it below Fratzig;
2. the Schönlanke river, which flows through Niekosken, Schönlanke and Radolin. and empties into it at Floth;
3. the Hammer river, which originates at Runau, flows through Radosiew and Hammer, and empties into it at the Robber hills above Czarnikau;
4. the Papiermühle river, which originates in the district's northwest, goes for a short course in the Filehne district, and empties into it opposite Dratzig Mill.
The first three flow towards the southeast, the last towards the southwest.
b) left of the Netze:
1. the Rohrlake, the discharge of the drainage water in the Romanshof boundary canal in the Netze marsh, which flows to the south, picks up the Malzmühle millstream, and empties into it 1 km. above Czarnikau;
2. the Flinte, which originates in the district's extreme east from the drainage water of the ditches on the boundaries of Kahlstädt, Fitzerie and Sarben, picks up the Gembitz millstream, flows in southerly alignment through Gembitzhauland, Radom, and Ritchenwalde, and empties into the Welna above Rogasen;
3. the Gultsch mill river, which originates on the boundaries of Lubasch, Slawno, Bismarkshöhe and Krutsch, flows to the northwest, and empties into it at Rosko;
4. the Radenak or Miala river, which originates in Krutchhauland Lake, flows in westerly alignment through a long chain of lakes, and empties into it at Driesen.
[discussion about springs - 4 paragraphs]
a) to the right of the Netze:
1. Straduhn Lake, between Theerofen and Straduhn, with southwesterly alignment = 92.25 ha [hectares] large;
2. Los or Logo Lake, east of Straduhn, almost circular = 59.51 ha large;
3. Zasker Lake, north of Schönlanke, with westerly alignment = 53.83 ha large;
4. Bomblin Lake, north of Ostbahn = 10.08 ha large;
5. Mussitgen Lake, between Behle and Schönlanke - 7.82 ha large.
b) to the left of the Netze:
1. Lubasch Lake = 41.45 hectares large;
2. Krutchhauländ Lake = 100.20 hectares large, both with northeasterly alignment and knee-shaped. The first reminds me of Gorka Lake at Moschin because of its shape and surroundings.
After the Netze district's seizure by King Frederick the Great's 13 Sept. 1772 charter of occupation, he molded the Czarnikau vicinity to the south part of the Deutsch-Krone district, which included 13 cities, namely: Deutsch-Krone, Jastrow, Märkisch-Friedland, Tütz, Schloppe, Filehne, Czarnikau, Radolin, Schönlanke, Schneidemühl, Usch, Chodziesen (Kolmar) and Budsin.
District magistrates of this comprehensive district were:
1773-1775 von der Often, from Klausdorf
1775-1778 von Wobeser, in Deutsch-Krone
1778-1793 von Oppeln-Bronitowski, with various residences
1793-1795 vacant (by proxy)
1795-1807 von Falkenhayn, from Lüben
This district was divided in two by the 9 July 1807 Tilsit peace, and the south half was added to the Duchy of Warsaw. After the reunion with the Prussian monarchy, by the 3 May Vienna treaty and King Frederick William III's 15 May 1815 charter of occupation, the present Deutsch-Krone district, along with the Flatow district, was added to the province of West Prussia. The newly formed Carnikau district, on the other hand, was added to the province of Posen.
On 1 March 1816 the administrative district of Bromberg was divided up into the following 6 districts: Bromberg, Czarnikau, Gnesen, Inowrazlaw, Wirsitz and Wongrowitz. The Czarnikau district at that time included 8 cities, namely: Czarnikau, Filehne, Schönlanke, Radolin, Schneidemühl, Usch, Chodziesen and Budsin. From 1 July 1816 on the district magistrate's office and the district financial office for the Czarnikau district was moved from Schneidemühl to Czarnikau. On 1 January 1818 a new division of the Bromberg administrative district occurred, in which three new districts were created, namely: Chodziesen, Mogilno and Schubin. By this, the cities of Schneidemühl, Usch, Chodziesen and Budsin were transferred from the Czarnikau district and assigned to the new Chodziesen district, so that the Czarnikau district contained four, and from 1857-1887 only three, cities, inasmuch as the city of Radolin was changed into a rural community by the royal cabinet order of 23 December 1857.
According to the decree of 6 July 1887 the Czarnikau district was divided again on 1 October of that year, namely, into the Czarnikau district (eastern half) and the Filehne district (western half). Until that time the Czarnikau district had 28 square miles = 1563.41 sq. km. = 156,341 ha and 70,780 residents. Of them lived:
Protestants |
Catholics |
Jews |
Total | |
| North of the Netze (German side) | 28,914 |
5,429 |
740 |
35,083 |
| South of the Netze (Polish side) | 13,950 |
20,006 |
1,741 |
35,697 |
| Total | 42,864 |
25,435 |
2,481 |
70,780 |
After the partition, the Czarnikau district numbered 803.13 sq. km. = 80,313 ha and 38,772 residents, which were:
Protestants |
Catholics |
Jews |
Total | |
| in the city of Czarnikau | 2,129 |
1,540 |
890 |
4,559 |
| in the city of Schönlanke | 2,554 |
920 |
497 |
3,971 |
| in the police district Czarnikau I | 4,016 |
3,611 |
56 |
7,683 |
| in the police district Lubasch | 1,630 |
6,186 |
112 |
7,928 |
| in the police district Czarnikau II | 5,811 |
1,414 |
63 |
7,288 |
| in the police district Schönlanke | 5,059 |
2,220 |
64 |
7,343 |
| Total | 21,199 |
15,891 |
1,682 |
38,772 |
Gazetteer Census data for all communities, broken down by sex and by religion, with summary comparisons by comunity types and location groupings
Largest communities Census data for the 26 communities with more than 500 residents, broken down by religion
Police Districts Lists of communities by Police district (4)
Postal Districts List of communities by Postal district (19)
During this 90 year period the following district magistrates administered the Czarnikau district:
1816-1820 von Zawadski
1820-1821 von Dembinski
1821-1837 Riedel
1837-1838 von Baumann
1838-1844 Baron von Hoheneck
1844-1849 Baron Juncker von Ober-Conreut
1849-1853 von Puttkamer
1853-1864 von Knobloch
1864-1872 Baron von Young
1872-1877 Baron von Müffling
1877-1887 von Boddien
1887-1907 von Bethe
1907- Rauschning
1. Lubasch, an old heathen burial-place [p. 22-25]
2. Behle, a old heathen place of sacrifice [p.26-27]
3. The discovery of bronze in Floth [p. 27-29]
4. Hammer, an old German cultural place and Polish place of execution [p. 29-33]
5. The Robber Hills at Czarnikau [p. 33-34]
6. The Los lake at Schönlanke, a story [p.34-35]
7. The Midsummer Day Hill at Czarnikau, a storied place [p. 35-37]
8a. A story about the origin of the Netze dike at Czarnikau [p. 37-38]
8b. On the story of the Czarnikau Netze dike [p. 38-40]
9. War and plague in Czarnikau, 1706-1711 [p. 40-41]
10. A cloudburst in Czarnikau, 1747 [p. 41-42]
11. A midsummer day fire in Schönlanke, 24 June 1759 [p. 43]
12. A trial session in Czarnikau, 1768 [p. 43-44]
13. A heavy storm in Putzig, 5 August 178? [p. 44-45]
14. Prussian humiliation and exaltation, 1806-1815 [p. 45-47]
15. The flower-vases of Mr. von Lipski, 1848 [p. 47-50]
16. A flood in Czarnikau, more frequently in 1888 [p. 50-51]
17. Inauguration of the Rogasen-Kreuz railway, 1 Oct. 1896 and 10 Apr 1897 [p. 51-53]
18. The Netze marsh, a place of beneficial work [p. 53-54]
19a. The coat-of arms of the city of Czarnikau [p. 54-56]
19b. The most significant facts about the Czarnikowski family [p. 56-58]
In the year 1192 Miecislaus III, Duke of Greater Poland, granted the Czarnikau castle, along with the district belonging to it, to the provincial ruler Nikolaus of Kalisch, a descendant of Dzierzyfray of Schloppe. From then on he renounced his previous family name and assumed the name Czarnkowski. He received the honorary title of Se~dziwo'j (Latin: Sandivogius), that is like an counsellor.
Vincent, the oldest son of this Nikolaus Czarnikowski, was Archbishop of Gnesen from 1220-1232. In his time (1222-1224) Poland was stricken with a terrible famine. He made use of all the stores and revenue from his and the Archbishop's estates for easing the misery and the recovery of those who were dying, and, for this reason, was named a father of the poor and deserted. Also he founded the German cloister of Obra in the year 1231 and, moreover, spent his entire fortune.
His brother, Bogumil, built the first house of God in Czarnikau in the year 1247, and died in the year 1252 as Woiwode [provincial ruler] of Posen.
In the year 1325 King Wladislaus I took away Count Czarnkowski's Czarnikau landlordship and gave him Rogasen instead, for having stronger bases and greater freedom of movement on the Netze in the war between Brandenburg and the Teutonic Knights. In the peace of Kalisch (1343) King Kasimir III cancelled this exchange again.
In the year 1378 Vincent Czarnkowski successfully defended the city of Schloppe against a strong Pomeranian army with his own household troops.
Johann Czarnkowski (who died in 1387 as Archdeacon of Gnesen) was a well-known author and historian. Another Johann Czarnkowski died in the year 1460 as Governor of Prussia during the war between Poland and the Teutonic Knights (1453-1466).
In the year 1499 the Czarnkowski family split into two lines, older and younger. The Czarkinau landlordship passed over to the younger line.
Matthias Czarnkowski was steward of Bromberg from 1510-1540.
Andreas Czarnkowski, born in 1507, was Bishop of Posen from 1553-1562.
Stanislaus Czarnkowski, born in 1526, secretary to the crown of King Sigismund August (1548-1572), was a man of great learning and refinement. He had the present genealogy drawn up, which is in the local Catholic church, and died in the year 1602.
His brother, Albert, succeeded in getting a charter from the king in the year 1550 for the establishment of a yearly fair and for the construction of a trading center for foreign products in Czarnikau, through which the city profited significantly and developed a lively business and trade. Also, the Reformation gained entry to Czarnikau and Schloppe in his time (1550-1555). He died in the year 1580 as commanding ruler (president) of Greater Poland.
His son, Adam, born in 1555, is of special significance for us because in his time, and on his order, the first German-Evangelical villages in the local region were founded, namely: Schönlanke in 1580, Putzig in 1586, Stieglitz and Neudorf in 1618, and Fitzerie and Runau in 1623. (Note: The name Schönlanke was not derived, as one might suppose, from "schön lang" [beautiful long], as is frequently maintained, but from "trzcinna laka" = reed meadow. Since the German settlers could not pronounce this difficult Polish word they made it easy for themselves to pronounce and called this place "Schönlanke". -- The name Runau originally meant "repose near" or "place of repose", after a tavern which stood here long ago, next to a glassworks and an ash kiln, before the founding of the village. -- The name Fitzerie originally meant "Bitches Row".) The most important German villages in the neighborhood of Schönlanke ( Zaskerhütte, Theerofen and Straduhn) were also probably created around this time, although their year of founding is unknown. Also he built the present Catholic church in Czarnikau on the site of the old ruined one (1586), furnished it with expensive equipment and, in addition, willed it 20,000 Polish Gulden = 10,000 Marks more. He died in 1627 as commanding ruler of Greater Poland and Marshall of the king's highest court of justice.
His son, Franz Kasimir, founded the German-Evangelical community of Althütte in 1634, and in 1649 the local rifle club. Also, at his suggestion, the local Catholic church was converted into a seminary in 1632. He was the last Czarnikau landlord from this family, for after his death (around 1660) the Czarnikau landlordship passed over into other hands and certainly, above all, into those of his son-in-law, Andreas Gembicki, steward of Gnesen and chamberlain of Posen.
The Czarnkowski family died out in the male line in the year 1727 with Wladislaus Czarnkowski, a grandson of Franz Kasimir. Of his two daughters, one died in the year 1745 and the other, in the year 1775 at over 80 years old, as the last heir of this name. She had lived through the first partition of Poland.
Among the women of the Czarnkowski family we find more German ancestry as well, as, for example:
Maria Anna (born in 1566, died in 1598), daughter of Count Stanislaus Latalski of Labischin and the Princess Georgia from Stetten, Pomerania, was the wife of Andreas Czarnkowski, steward of Rogasen.
Sophie, born Herburt von Fullstein (born in 1631), the founder of Grünfier, Follstein and Neuhöfen, was the wife of Count Johann Czarnkowski of Filehne.
Anna Konstantia, born von Weyher, was the wife of Count Franz Kasimir Czarnkowski of Czarnikau.
These three women were praised by their contemporaries because of their piety, charity and broad-mindedness. The von Weyher family, namely: Melchior, from 1623-1643, Ludwig, from 1643-1651, and Franz, from 1651-1685, had administered the Deutsch-Krone District for a fairly long time.
The successors of the Czarnkowskis, however, did not live in Czarnikau, but in Behle. Around the middle of the 18th century the landlord, Stanislaus Poniatowski, the father of the last Polish king, split the Czarnikau rule into five parts: Schloppe, Schönlanke, Behle, Kruschewo and Czarnikau. The Count Nikolaus Swinarski, who made his home in Dembe, acquired these latter places in the year 1749.
According to the "From Czarnkowski Times" the following German villages were founded in addition: Klempitz in 1687, Gembitzhauland in 1721, Krutschhauland in 1727, the city of Schönlanke in 1731, the city of Radolin in 1756 (converted into a rural community in 1857), Floth in 1757, Putzighauland in 1763, Sophienberg in 1794, Romanshof in 1796, Theresia in 1797, Buchwerder in 1819, Mikolajewo in 1829 (during the Polish time), Schönfliess in 1830 (combined with Zaskerhütte), Palischewo in 1841 and Karolina in 1847. The founding year of the rest of the district villages is unknown.
20. Calvary at Czarnikau, a story [p. 58-60]
21. Festival song for the inauguration of the Kaiser's monument in Czarnikau, 2 Sept. 1909 (for 4 part men's choir with orchestral accompaniment, composed by Ernst Niepel, Bromberg) [p. 60]