The Early Remus Families
in Kreis Schlochau and Kreis Flatow
West Prussia
The Millers in Kreis Schlochau
According to Blanke’s Der Kreis Schlochau (DKS) there was the sale of a mill in 1730 in Bergelau (actually Rogonitza which is between Pollnitz and Bergelau) owned by Johan (Michael) Remus. This Johan (Michael) Remus and his sons of fighting age (Michael, Martin and Joachim) appear on the 1718 Muster Roll for Braunsfelde, Neumark. That probably means the family did not settle in Bergelau until after the Great Northern War (1721). They were millers, both using water mills and wind mills. According to the marriage record of Johan Michael’s daughter Dorothea to Franz Ewald Klahr on 7 July 1743, Johan Michael was already deceased.
The earliest appearance of Johan Michael’s son Michael Remus (* < 1718; Michael1 in the genealogy) is in 1737 when he combines three undeveloped farmsteads in Pollnitz, Kreis Schlochau into one named Kolmergut (DKF) (Kolm is loam (good farming soil) so Kolmer is farmer with good land, gut is estate - so Kolmergut is a farmer's estate). His land included a wind mill. The King of Poland and Saxony confirmed on that land record that he made the latter grant probably for Michael’s service in the Great Northern War (ending 1721). And he must have been at least in his mid twenties placing his birth date in 1700 or before. This means he is the Michael Remus listed on the 1718 Muster List in Braunsfelde, Neumark. Michael later sold the land and moved his family to Okiersk, Kreis Tuchel where he owned a grain mill and saw mill.
Another of Johan Michael’s sons was Franz Remus who was born in 1711 and therefore too young for the 1718 Muster Roll. Franz and his wife Anna Catherina lived in the milling village of Rogonitza. Later he was Schultz (village head) and estate owner in Stretzin, and later yet he was Schultz and estate owner in Stegers. His children married well and are discussed elsewhere.
Another of Johan Michael’s sons was Martin Remus of Koperica (* < 1699; a Koperica was village associated with a saw and grain mill which was later called Kuftermuhl) who is shown to be the brother of Michael of Pollnitz and Franz of Stretzin by the linkages as witnesses and god parents. He is not listed as a miller but must have worked in something associated with the mill as that is the only work in this village which was surrounded by forests.) He was born before 1699 likely in Braunsfelde, Neumark and is likely the Martin Remus in the 1718 Braunsfelde Muster Roll.
Martin Remus died on 12 Apr. 1727. He was lease holder in Prutzenwalde, Lutheran, and buried in Landeck. He and his wife Eva had a daughter Barbara Elisabeth about 1719 who married David Friedrich Klahr in 1737 and moved to Gorsdorf, Kreis Konitz. Another daughter was Eva Rosina born around 1727; she married Paul Ratz in Koperica in 1747.
As noted earlier Johan Michael had daughter Dorothea who married Franz Ewald Klahr on 7 July 1743. They later moved to Gorsdorf, Kreis Konitz.
There is also a second Michael (Michael2 in the genealogy) in Pollnitz; he was born in 1723. He was a shepherd and his first wife Eva Rosine Janke had three children prior to her death. He remarried to Catherine Klotz and had six more children. He is clearly related to the above Remus family above because of the baptisms witnessed and villages they were located in.
I think Michael2 is Martin’s son. He is the right age to fit in Martin’s family. He does not fit as Johan Michael’s son or Franz or Michael1’s son. The occupation fit is reasonable since Martin was related to millers and in fact worked in the mills himself. Several of Michael2’s sons turned out to be millers. However, if not Martin’s son, he still must be in this family.
The dates, godparent’s records, working and managing mills, and money are the cement that I used to link them together.
The Managers in Kreis Flatow
The first records from the earliest Remus family members in Kreis Flatow are from Johan Remus (* < 1686), his wife Christine Berendt (*< 1688) and their children Christian Martin, Lorenz Christoph, and Christoph. Johan and Christine purchased the Lanken Estate (Gut) privilege in 1724 following the end in 1721 of the Great Northern War. This means that most if not all of their children were born elsewhere, most likely in Neumark but perhaps even Saxony. The Gut was sold on 24 March 1752 after the death of Johan. The value of the estate was divided up among the remaining family; his wife Christina and sons Christian, Martin, Lorenz Christoph, and Christoph.
His widow Christina choose to live with son Christian (* < 1734 but probably much earlier); Christian bought out the other brothers interests in Ossowo on 11 July 1754. Johan’s son Martin (* < 1705) had lived in Schmierdau since at least 1732. Martin’s eldest son Caspar (* < 1734) bought the krug privilege in Schmierdau on 18 November 1749. Martin bought the Schultz privilege for nearby Schwente on 2 August 1751. Johan’s son Lorenz Christoph (* <1715) lived in Lukowo and ultimately acquired the estate (Gut) in nearby Gnielke. Also living in Lukowo was the Johan’s youngest son Christoph (* <1721) who shortly after his marriage moved to Waldowo. Christoph and his sons managed estates and a krug in addition to farming.
All his children did well with the aid of the estate of their father Johan and their hard work. The dates, godparent’s records, the ability to know and manage estates, and money are the cement that I used to link them together.
My ancestral line above is Johan to Martin to Caspar and onward.
One person I am not certain about is Johan David Remus (* < 1716). He married Eva Halweg (* 1720) before 1737 and had many children in Preuss Friedland. He is a farmer. He could have been a descendent of either family. The birth year works for either and the occupation for neither; he has Franz Remus and his wife Elisabeth (her family name unknown) as baptism witnesses and the location is between the two clusters.
Click here to go to other West Prussia Villages.
Please send any queries to Bill Remus at
2 April 2018