BeActive Tour - Interesting Facts

Olender settlement in the area around Nekla started in the middle of the 18th century. German peasants (followers of Old-Lutheran denomination) were settled there under Dutch law and founded Nekielskie Olędry, presently called Nekielka. They arrived in the area from the Brandenbug - Wielkopolska border and settlements estabished earlier west from Poznań. After Prussia started to occupy this Polish area in 1793, the settlement was renamed Nekla Hauland.

Reasons for Olender settlement in Wielkopolska (Great Poland) Region:
1) Lack of workforce caused by wars and epidemics which decimated the local people.
2) Faults of the feudal system, low quality of serfs' work.
3) Economic and demographic problems, caused by difficult situation in settlers' motherland. Overpopulation caused by law allowing only one (usually the oldest) heir to inherit the farm. It forced other members of the family to struggle on alone.
4) Religious persecution.

Features of Olender settlement:
1) The settlement agreement included the whole community in the form of a so-called priviledge signed by the whole group. It regulated the settlement conditions and relations with the owner of the land and with the Catholic Church.
2) The owner of the land leased the ground for a long time and let the settlers reclaim the area (clear forests, dry bogs). The area of the land depended on "okupne" (a kind of rent) they payed. In exchange they usually got a one "włóka" (76 597,6 m2) or half a "włóka" of land.
3) A settler didn't have to pay the rent for 3 to 7 years (it was called "wolnizna"). The settlers could build a house and reclaim the area with the money saved.
4) Olenders had personal freedom and could give their farms to their heirs or sell them if their landlord agreed. In such a case they had to pay a 10% tax (so called "dzisiąty grosz" tax).
5) The rent for the grounds was paid in cash and in goods or sometimes in labour.
6) The whole community was responsible for paying taxes on time.
7) They had a self-government. Once a year they chose a village leader and a councillor whose job it was to make sure that all the responsibilities were carried out on time. They were also judges, but in criminal cases they obeyed the lord's court.

Advantages of Olender settlement:
1) New ways of farming were implemented (breeding, fruit farming, gardening) and agriculture was raised to a higher development level.
2) More income for landlords from fees for the use of land.

The process of Olender settlement was similar to the process of settling people from Bawarian Bamberg to the areas around Poznań, who are called "Bambrzy" even today. The only difference was their religion. Bambrzy were Catholic and assimilated with the Polish people much faster, however they managed to maintain their cultural difference, customs and traditional costumes.

Olenders were influenced only to a minor extent because of their religious and national identity. Some of the Olender descendants sold their farms after Poland gained independence in 1918. Those who didn't move and claimed the vicinity of Nekla to be their motherland, stayed there until the beginning of 1945 when Nazi authorities ordered them to evacuate before the Red Army entered.

Olenders left reclaimed grounds, developed landscape and unattended cemeteries which slowly fell into ruin. The original character of those places was lost. 60 years later, thanks to the efforts of Social Committee for Renovation of Olender Cemeteries, together with support of local government, youth and residents, the dignity of the cemeteries was restored.



	NTERESTING FACTS The Olender (Old-Lutheran) colonization in Poznań /Posen/ Province Olender settlement in the area around Nekla started in the middle of the 18th century. German peasants (followers of Old-Lutheran denomination) were settled there under Dutch law and founded Nekielskie Olędry, presently called Nekielka. They arrived in the area from the Brandenbug - Wielkopolska border and settlements estabished earlier west from Poznań. After Prussia started to occupy this Polish area in 1793, the settlement was renamed Nekla Hauland. Reasons for Olender settlement in Wielkopolska (Great Poland) Region: 1) Lack of workforce caused by wars and epidemics which decimated the local people. 2) Faults of the feudal system, low quality of serfs' work. 3) Economic and demographic problems, caused by difficult situation in settlers' motherland. Overpopulation caused by law allowing only one (usually the oldest) heir to inherit the farm. It forced other members of the family to struggle on alone. 4) Religious persecution. Features of Olender settlement: 1) The settlement agreement included the whole community in the form of a so-called priviledge signed by the whole group. It regulated the settlement conditions and relations with the owner of the land and with the Catholic Church. 2) The owner of the land leased the ground for a long time and let the settlers reclaim the area (clear forests, dry bogs). The area of the land depended on "okupne" (a kind of rent) they payed. In exchange they usually got a one "włóka" (76 597,6 m2) or half a "włóka" of land. 3) A settler didn't have to pay the rent for 3 to 7 years (it was called "wolnizna"). The settlers could build a house and reclaim the area with the money saved. 4) Olenders had personal freedom and could give their farms to their heirs or sell them if their landlord agreed. In such a case they had to pay a 10% tax (so called "dzisiąty grosz" tax). 5) The rent for the grounds was paid in cash and in goods or sometimes in labour. 6) The whole community was responsible for paying taxes on time. 7) They had a self-government. Once a year they chose a village leader and a councillor whose job it was to make sure that all the responsibilities were carried out on time. They were also judges, but in criminal cases they obeyed the lord's court. Advantages of Olender settlement: 1) New ways of farming were implemented (breeding, fruit farming, gardening) and agriculture was raised to a higher development level. 2) More income for landlords from fees for the use of land. The process of Olender settlement was similar to the process of settling people from Bawarian Bamberg to the areas around Poznań, who are called "Bambrzy" even today. The only difference was their religion. Bambrzy were Catholic and assimilated with the Polish people much faster, however they managed to maintain their cultural difference, customs and traditional costumes. Olenders were influenced only to a minor extent because of their religious and national identity. Some of the Olender descendants sold their farms after Poland gained independence in 1918. Those who didn't move and claimed the vicinity of Nekla to be their motherland, stayed there until the beginning of 1945 when Nazi authorities ordered them to evacuate before the Red Army entered. Olenders left reclaimed grounds, developed landscape and unattended cemeteries which slowly fell into ruin. The original character of those places was lost. 60 years later, thanks to the efforts of Social Committee for Renovation of Olender Cemeteries, together with support of local government, youth and residents, the dignity of the cemeteries was restored.