WEST POMERANIA / Województwo Zachodniopomorskie
Very Difficult Situation of
Sources
My paternal grandmother’s ancestors, with the surnames Kath, Weske, Labrenz, Treichel, Schwanten, Dilgen, Janke, and Jesken, came from Pomerania. More precisely, near Karlino (German: Körlin), in present-day Poland.
So far, four places of origin are known: Lenzen, Grüssow, Dassow, and Alt Marrin.
It took a while before I could locate the places in detail, as some of them are quite small. All four villages are located in today’s West Pomeranian administrative district (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie) and are quite close to each other. Near Belgard, about 45 km southeast of the port city of Kołobrzeg (Kolberg). All four villages are within a 15 km radius. Lenzen and Grüssow are located south of the main road DW112 and Dassow and Alt Marrin are located north of it.
I was able to combine a visit to these four towns with a trip to Poland in 2012. The area is very beautiful and very rural. It is covered by tree-lined roads and occasionally large forests. It consists mainly of fields and meadows. The area is gently hilly. Grains and potatoes thrive in the very sandy soil. In the autumn, the forests provide mushrooms and blueberries, which, along with other agricultural products, can be bought everywhere along the roadside. Industrial plants are found almost exclusively in the cities. Otherwise, the people seem to make their living from agriculture.
Prices are lower than in Germany. Eating out, in particular, is significantly cheaper (if you can find a proper restaurant). Very good and fresh fish can be found near the sea, right at the harbor. Mainly cod and flatfish, such as plaice or sole. Occasionally, herring or salmon are also available.
Lenzen is the largest of the four villages. The current population is difficult to estimate. I estimate it to be around 300 residents.
The village has a beautiful, imposing, east-facing church from the 15th/16th century. Judging by the interior, this brick building is now used as a Catholic church. It used to be Protestant. Unfortunately, the hall was closed off with a gate, so I was able to take pictures, but only from the outside. I couldn’t spot a priest. The church itself and the churchyard are completely unadorned, except for a statue of the Virgin Mary, which appears to be of recent date.
The information board on the exterior wall of the church is interesting. The pulpit and altar are old and, according to the board, date from the first half of the 17th century.
The churchyard certainly used to contain graves. This is evidenced by the slightly uneven ground, where grass now grows. Old trees have been planted around the churchyard, which probably date back to the 19th or 18th century.
Houses are arranged around the church. They are mostly farms. Some are tumbledown, others have been renovated. The buildings date back to before the war, as is the case with most strongly rural villages. There are no sidewalks, but the streets are mostly paved. Occasionally, you will encounter cobblestones.
The village is predominantly agricultural. There are no industrial enterprises. The village is surrounded by large fields, where mainly grain is grown. Several paved roads lead to the village, but there are no connecting roads. The streets are lined with alee trees, as is the case almost everywhere in this region.
My great-great-grandparents were married in the above mentioned church in 1850: August Ludwig Kath, who lived in Lenzen, married Wilhelmine Karoline Weske, who came from Alt Marrin.
Grüssow (Gruszewo):
latitude: 53°56’49.16″N
longitude: 15°57’32.03″E
Gruszewo is a small hamlet, 3 km south of Lenzen, with perhaps 10 to 15 buildings. All of the buildings are located more or less along the main road. This is paved. There are no sidewalks. People walk along the road. It’s also very rural.
Dassow (Daszewo):
latitude: 54° 4’40.69″N
longitude: 15°52’51.04″E
Dassow is located about 20 km north of Lenzen. To get there, you have to cross the major east-west road DW 112, which connects Stettin with Gdansk.
This village is also very rural and consists of a few houses with an estimated 150 residents. There was probably once a manor house here. Some of the buildings are in a poor state or dilapidated.
There is a large industrial facility near the nearest major road. It may be a paper mill. Otherwise, there are no other companies located in Dassow itself.
Alt Marrin (Mierzyn):
latitude: 54° 6’47.27″N
longitude: 15°52’55.25″E
From Dassow, it’s another 3.5 kilometers north to Alt Marrin. Between there’s a small turnoff to Neumarrin.
In Altmarrin, five or six streets and paths converge. However, everything seems very tranquil. People walk along the street, taking walks or running errands; children play along the sidewalk. Some of the houses and gardens are well-kept, others less so. The buildings are also mixed. You can see older farms mixed with buildings from the second half of the 20th century, which, however, don’t seem particularly well-maintained.
In the middle of Altmarrin stands a church. This is a Catholic church, built in the second half of the 19th century. I couldn’t find a Protestant church. However, there must have been one, since Alt Marrin had its own parish. In addition, my ancestor, Pagel Wilhelm Weske from Dassow, married Dorothea Regina Treichel from Marrin there in 1810.
Impressios Lenzen
Impressionen Grüssow
