City of Kolmar | Chodziez~
History
HISTORY OF THE TOWN (as translated from an unknown source by a student in
Poland)
On the 3rd of March, 1434 at Trojan from Lekno's request (the owner of the
settlement - a village and a town), Polish King Wladyslaw Jagiello drew
up a foundation privilege. Chodziez has been proud to posses its civic rights
for over 560 years now. From the very beginning it was a private town. The
LÍkiÒscy - Granowscy Family were the first owners, then from
the mid of the 15th century Chodziez belonged to the Potuliccy Family. From
1648 to 1830 the GrudziÒscy Family were the owners of Chodziez. Their
crest Grzymalaî has been the town's crest since that time.
The affluence of a new group of settlers, weaver - clothiers from Leszno
in the mid of the 17th century was the turning point in the town's history
and image. Development of weaver craft influenced the extention of the town
and brought about changes in its character. The monumental buildings of
that period has been preserved until now. Typical weaver homesteads stand
along the present day Koúciuszki Street. Narrow and elongated building
plots are separated with tiny passages and all that determines the character
of that beautifully situated town. St. Florian's church situated at the
Market Square, however, is the oldest monument in Chodziez. Its probable
founder was the first owner of the settlement, Trojan from Lekno.
The decline of weaver's craft occured in the years 1812-1815, when a frontier
customs post between the Duch of Poznan and the Warsaw Kindgom was demarcated.
The production became unprofitable, whereas the weavers moved to ?Lodz?
and other towns with well - developed textile industry.
As the result of the First Partition of Poland, Chodziez and the whole region
became a member of Rejencja Bydgoska (Bromberg administrative district)
making it a part of Prussian State. The following years were the period
of germanization of that area.
The year 1818 was the beginning of Chodzieski District, which was formed
from the separated grounds of the following districts: Wyrzysk, Wogrowiec,
Oborniki, Czarnkow.
At first, within the limits of the burnt castle, the brewery was founded
and then in 1855 a group of German Merchants founded a faience factory.
In 1897 the excellent merchant called Hein, the former owner of a faience
factory built a porcelain factory. Since then Chodziez has always been an
important and significant center of pottery industry.
1879 was an important date in the history of the town the railway Poznan
- Chodziez - Pila was opened. And that time the name of Chodziez was changed
into Kolmar in Posen. This name came from District von Colmer - Meyenburg,
extremely meritorious for the building of the railway mentioned above. The
town's economy was greatly influenced by the railway.
Wielkopolskie Rising spread to Chodziez. After bloody fighting the insurgents
captured the town. But it was not before the Versailles Treaty when Chodziez
became Polish again. It took place in 1920. The Polish administration was
established and the expected development. Unemployment and living conditions
getting worse and worse caused a wave of strikes, starting in 1921. In the
30s, the years of the great world crisis, workers from Chodziez porcelain
factory started a new series of protests.
The Nazi occupation, both in Chodziez and the whole country, was the period
of constant terror directed against Polish citizens. On the 7th of November
1938 44 Polish men were killed in the execution on Morzewskie Hills. The
population of Chodziez within the war years was reduced almost by a half.
The liberation came at night on the 22nd-23rd of January 1945, when Russian
troops captured the town. The first years after the war were a period of
restoration and an intensive development of pottery industry.
It seems that future development of Chodziez and the region should be closely
bound up with sport. Chodziez possesses all necessary elements for being
a real beauty spot - it attracts many tourists with its charming sorroundings.
On Chodzieskie Lake the National, European and World championships have
taken place for many years. Chodziez was also a meeting place of famous
Polish jazz musicians. In the last few years the town and the parish has
estabilished a fruitful cooperation and frendship with the German parish
of Nottuln.
More information about Kolmar / Chodziez
is provided by its sister city of Nottuln, including some pictures of it
as it is today.
Records
Available from the LDS library
Computer printout, extracted christenings, 1821-1853, Evang. Kirche, Kolmar.
Extracted from parish registers of christenings, (microfilms #807991-807994).
(It is believed that these extractions have all been entered into the IGI.)
Christenings (Extracted) 1821-1853 ---------- 1180434 (item 3) & 1180203 (item 3)
Protestant parish register transcripts.
Includes Ober Lesnitz|Olesnica, Podanin, Radwonke|Radwanki,
Rattai|Rataje, Strelitz|Strzelce and others. (Text in German and Polish.)
Marriage 1809-1811 --------------- 0807991
Christening, marriage, death 1818-1822
Christening, marriage, death 1823-1831 --------------- 0807992
Christening, marriage, death 1832-1845 --------------- 0807993
Christening, marriage, death 1848-1859 --------------- 0807994
Christening, marriage, death 1860-1865 --------------- 0807995
Christening, marriage, death 1866-1871 --------------- 1201273 (items 30-35)
Christening, marriage, death 1872-1874 --------------- 1201274 (items 1-3)
Transcripts of Roman Catholic parish register of births, marriages and
deaths for Kolmar, Posen, Germany; now ChodzieÁz (ChodzieÁz),
Pozna,n, Poland. Includes Ostrowke (Ostr,owko), Rattay (Rataje),
Radwonke (Radwanki), Prossen (Prosna), Slomke (S±omki), etc. Text in
Polish and German.
EUROPE
FILM AREA
Christening, marriage, death 1819-1840 ---------------- 0807956
Christening, marriage, death 1841-1858 ---------------- 0807957
Christening, marriage, death 1859-1865 ---------------- 0807958
Christening, marriage, death 1866-1874 ---------------- 1201273
item 3-29
Roman Catholic parish register of baptisms, marriages, conversions
and deaths of Kolmar, Posen, Germany; now ChodzieÁz (ChodzieÁz),
Pozna,n, Poland. Text in Latin, Polish and German.
EUROPE
FILM AREA
Akta zgon,ow 1821-1832 ------------------------- 1194678
Akta urodze,n 1821-1833 item 6-10.
Konwersja 1821-1836
Akta ma±Áze,nstw 1832-1844
Akta zgon,ow 1833-1844
Akta urodze,n 1834-1842
Akta urodze,n 1842-1852 ------------------------- 1194679
Akta ma±Áze,nstw, zgon,ow 1845-1857
Akta urodze,n 1853-1878
Akta ma±Áze,nstw 1858-1882
Akta ma±Áze,nstw 1882-1892 ------------------------- 1194680
Akta zgon,ow 1858-1895
Akta urodze,n 1878-1900
Akta ma±Áze,nstw 1892-1900 ------------------------- 1194681
Akta zgon,ow 1896-1900 item 1-2
Civil register of births, marriages and deaths for Kolmar
(Posen), Germany, now ChodzieÁz (ChodzieÁz), Poland.
EUROPE
FILM AREA
Geburten 1874-1888 ------------------------------- 0071921
Geburten 1888-1898 ------------------------------- 0071922
Geburten 1898-1904 ------------------------------- 0071923
Geburten 1904-1910 ------------------------------- 0071924
Geburten 1910-1916 ------------------------------- 0071925
Geburten 1916-1924 ------------------------------- 0071926
Geburten 1924-1931 ------------------------------- 0071927
Geburten 1931-1938 ------------------------------- 0071928
Geburten 1938-1945 ------------------------------- 0071929
Geiraten 1930-1945
Tote 1921-1923
Tote 1923-1935 ------------------------------- 0071930
Tote 1935-1945 ------------------------------- 0071931
Heiraten 1945
Jewish records for Kolmar, Posen, Germany; now ChodzieÁz, Pozna,n,
Poland. Includes Friedland (Kr. Waldenburg); now Mierosz,ow; and
SchËonlanke; now Trzcianka. Text in German.
EUROPE
FILM AREA
Die von JËudische Kaufmann Markwald in Berlin ------------- 0496013
fËur die JËudische Gemeinden Kolmar, Fried- item 3
land und SchËonlanke ausg. Legate 1818-1824
Researchers
Boehm, Brian
Bursack, Brian
Fox, Michael Joseph
Goltz, Colleen
Nelson, Barbara
Rekow, Warren
Roberts, Sandra
Ross, Linda
Sommerfeldt, Bob
Stapor, Steve
Tuck, MaryAnn