Wusterbarth, Kreis Belgard, Pommern
Wusterbarth
was an important location for the Rotzoll family. The earliest recorded Rotzoll
lived here, his name was David Rotzoll. The first story is that he worked and
was the manager of the manorial farm that was here in this village. The second
story is that he owned this manorial farm. The third story is that he actually
lived in the town of Belgard. In any case,
here are some pictures of the village including places David would have known.
At the end of this page I will find the first story the most likely.
Saint
Katherine�s was the village church. It was built in 1693-94 and so David would
have seen it. Here is a picture of the exterior followed by a picture of the
old details on the window and doors:
Inside many of the elements of the church go back to
his time.� Here is the altar:
Note
the writing on the panel on the balcony to the right of the altar. In David�s
time this village was a large manorial farm
owned by the von Wolde family shown here on that balcony panel of the church:
Here is the pulpit and baptismal of the church:
Outside the church is an old Linden tree that is said
to date back to David�s time here.
The
manorial house (gut) shown on the map was destroyed after WW II as this
manorial farm became a state owned communal farm. It the background on the next
picture you see the workers housing from the post war era (Osteo Bardo is the
Polish name of the village).
Other
elements of the old estate remain like the house where the estate manager
lived. This house is too modern for David�s time but is likely the location of
the prior estate manager�s house. The noble Wolde family that owned this estate
owner many other estates in Pommern so they would have needed a manager.
And lots of barns are on the estate and shown on the
initial map:
The
Rotzol family was associated with water, wind and glass mills and there was a
water mill here. The mill is gone but the mill pond remains:
My
experience in Wusterbarth was enhanced by meeting the Priests who now serve at
this church. They also were responsible for getting grants to restore the
Wusterbarth church to its former glory. Here we are in front of the restored
church:
So
the first story Rotzoll oral history is consistent with what I saw. There was a
large manorial farm that did make use of the talents of an estate manager like
David Rotzol. The farm also had a water mill so David would be familiar with
managing mills. Also we find the birth of at least Johan Andreas Rotzoll here
in 1641. So support for this story. Not much for the second story. It seems
Wusterbarth was owned by the von Wolde family during this period so it was not
owned by the Rotzolls. The third story said he lived in the town of Belgard, a town near Wusterbarth. That is
possible but he and his wife lived in Wusterbarth for part of his life if not
all of his life; they were clearly in Wusterbarth.
�In the era when Augustus the Strong was King
of both Saxony and Poland, the descendents of David moved to Rotzollen near Konitz where they had a land
grant from Augustus and where their story continues.
It
is worth noting that I believe the Rotzoll family originally came from Saxony.
The evidence is only circumstantial. First there were officers in the Saxon
army of that era named Rotzoll. Second the Rotzoll family got a land grant from
the Augustus the King of Saxony and Poland. Third in Rotzollen they married other people from
Saxony (for example ladies in my Remus family).
Click here to go to other villages.
Please
send any queries to Bill Remus at
September
1, 2014