History of the Piotrkow Lutheran Diocese
Quick Jump to parishes connected in some way to Piotrkow:
Alexandrow (affiliate Huta Bardzinska) •Belchatow (affiliates Pozdzienice and Brzeziny) • Czestochowa • Kleszczow (affiliate Dziepolc) • Konstantinow (affiliate Poddebice) • Lask •St. Trinitatis Lodz • St. Johannis Lodz • Nowosolna • Ozorkow (affiliates Leczyca, Pabianice) • Petrikau (affiliates, Przedborz, Pilica, Kamocin) • Radomsko-Dziepolc • Sosnowiec (affiliate Dombrowa) • Tomaschow (affiliate Tschenstochau, Zawiercie) • Wielun • Zgierz • Affiliate of Zawiercie • Affiliate of Kamocin • Affiliate of Pozdzienice
Diocese Piotrkow
(courtesy of Omar Welke)
The Diocese of Petrikau (Piotrkow) was created in 1901 by splitting the previous four diocese (Warschau, Plock, Kalisch and Augustowo) into five dioceses. It included 15 Kirchspiele (Parishes) and 10 Filialen (affiliates). Click on the parish name to go directly to the detail about it.
Alexandrow (affiliate Huta Bardzinska)
Belchatow (affiliates Pozdzienice and Brzeziny)
Czestechowa
Kleszczow (affiliate Dziepolc)
Konstantinow (affiliate Poddebice)
St. Trinitatis Lodz
St. Johannis Lodz
Nowosolna
Ozorkow (affiliates Leczyca, Pabianice)
Petrikau (affiliates, Przedborz, Pilica, Kamocin)
Sosnowiec (affiliate Dombrowa)
Tomaschow (affiliate Tschenstochau, Zawiercie)
Zgierz
The boundaries were once again changed in 1936. This a summary of the Piotrkow Diocese parishes and affiliates as listed in the book by Eduard Kneifel "Die Evangelisch-Augsburgischen Gemeinden in Polen 1555-1939".
Belchatow
Settlement and history – The German colonies of Rassy Hol., Kalduny Hol. and Myszaki Hol. in Petrikau were first settled in 1795. Other colonies followed in the Belchatow area, including – Huta Poraj, Pawlow szkolny, and Szkolwierzyniec. But the first German evangelical Tuchmacher (cloth makers) and Handwerker (craftsmen) did not arrive until 1804. The same occurred in the nearby small city of Grocholice.
A much stronger colonization by German Evangelicals is apparent in 1824 to 1830 when evangelical entries in the Catholic Church books are very evident. The first evidence of an organized Evangelical Church in the Belchatow area dates to 1820. But the first Belchatow Parish was not established until 1837. Kle which had been part of the parish, broke away in 1847 and in 1850 Belchatow absorbed the former Reformed Church members of Zelow.
A mass exodus occurred from the parish between 1870 and 1875, and most of these souls headed for Volhynia. Whole settlements uprooted including Zwierzyniec, Stoki, Wola, Mikorska, Janow, Rassy, Kelchenhof.
Villages associated with Belchatow:
Zwierzyniec
Stoki
Wola
Mikorsk
Janow
Rassy
Kelchenhof
Huta Poraj
Pawlow Szkolny
Szkolwierzyniec
Kalduny
Myszaki
Pawlow
Czestochowa
Settlement and history – The German-Evangelical Weber Kolonie (Weaver colony) of Hilsbach-Czarnylas was created in 1802, 8km north of Czestochowa-Tschenstochau. And Czech weavers from Prussian Silesia settled the town of Kamienica Polska.
The nearest Evangelical parish was in Wielun (65 km), so births, deaths, etc. were registered in the Catholic Parish until 1846 when the affiliate of Hilsbach-Czarnylas was formed. This Parish centre was transferred to Czestochowa- Tschenstochau in 1852.
There was one church, 2 prayer halls, 5 cemeteries and 2 schools with Polish instruction before WWII.
Kleszczow
Settlement and history - Evangelical Lutheran settlers of German, and Polish nationalities as well as Czechs of the Reformed faith bought the Dominium Kleszczow in 1818. They came from Prussian Silesia and the Province of Posen. A number of villages were formed. The more affluent Evangelical farmers settled the better soil of Kleszczow, Kucow and Folwark (Nowe Folwarki). The poorer colonists settled in the sandier soil of Stawek (Stawki), and Rogowiec (Pustkowie-Rogowiec).
In addition to these original settlers there also came colonists from the parishes of Lask, Wielun and Belchatow. Single Evangelical Czech and Polish families also settled in the surrounding towns of Kleszczow, Kucow, Luszczanowice, Zlobnica, , Folwark, Janow and Wiewiec.
The actual foundation of the parish did not take place until 1847. Before that the Catholic Church performed marriages and baptisms.
The affiliate Dziepolc was bound to Kleszczow in 1853.
There was 1 church, 3 prayer halls, 13 cemeteries.
Villages associated with Kleszczow:
Kleszczow
Kucow
Folwark (Nowe Folwarki)
Stawek (Stawki)
Rogowiec (Pustkowie-Rogowiec)
Zlobnica
Janow
Wiewiec
Gatka
Modrzewiec
Lask
Settlement and history - Evidence of Evangelical Lutheran settlers in the Lask area exists from the beginning of 1800. Germans from Posen, Thuringen, Sachsen, and Pommern settled new villages in the area. The parish of Lask and surrounding towns was formed in 1809. It appears that the Parish had a hard time retaining a Pastor and from 1824 to 1927 the parish bacame affiliated with the Parish of Zdunska-Wola, whose pastor visited once a month to conduct parish business. During that time, from 1839 to 1855 the pastor of Pabiance also conducted parish business. So much of the recording of births and marriages is in surrounding parishes.
There were 2 churches (Lask and Chorzeszow), 3 prayer houses (Rokitnika, Zabloty, Drzewociny), 2 prayer halls (Anielin, Okup), and 7 cemeteries.
Villages associated with Lask:
Anielin
Bocianichy
Chorzeszow
Drzewociny
Erywangrod
Jesionna
Mierzaczka
Okup (1807)
Rembow
Rokitnika
Teodory
Zabloty
Zalesie
Piotrkow
Settlement and history - Piotrkow Parish was founded in 1796 in the form of Kantorat Leonow. But it wasn’t officially inaugurated until 1813. A large number of Prussian officials, military personnel and craftsmen settled here after the second partition of Poland in 1793. A number of Evangelical Lutheran villages were established around the City of Petrikau . They were served by the military parish until the regular parish was established. Even then, until the end of Prussian rule, the regular parish was served by a military pastor.
From 1807 to 1824 the parish became “orphaned” and was served by periodical visits from pastors of the Lask, Bruzyca, and Ilow Parishes.
In 1852 the parish formed the affiliate of Przedborz. In 1857 the parish formed the affiliate of Pilica, and in 1874 the affiliate of Kamocin.
There were 2 churches, 6 prayer halls and 7 cemeteries.
Villages associated with Piotrkow:
Piotrkow
Polichno
Meszcze
Kamocin.
Przedborz
Pilica
Radomsko-Dziepolc Parish
Settlement and history - Feliksow and Waldhollanderei, in the area of Radomsko, were established in 1795. In 1809 there was an influx of German Lutheran colonists from the areas of Kondratow, Teodorow, Elzbietow, Florentynow, and Michalopol. Dziepolc was established 1811.
The parish business was conducted by pastors from the Bruzyca, Kielce, Petrikau and Belchatow parishes. Then in 1841, the pastor of Belchatow Parish organized the Affiliate of Feliksow (also known as Zapolice). The affiliate seat was moved to Radomsko in 1842. The affiliate of Dziepolc (5 km from Radomsko) was also absorbed shortly thereafter. The new amalgamated affiliate in Dziepolc consisted of six Kantorate: Teodorow, Feliksow, Bugaslowow, Krery, Antoniew, and Michalopol. A separate Affiliate of Radomsko was formed in 1917. And in 1936 the Parish of Radomsko-Dziepolc was created.
The parish consisted of 2 churches, 1 prayer house, 4 prayer halls, 10 cemeteries, and 2 Kantor houses.
Villages associated with Radomsko-Dziepolc Parish:
Feliksow
Waldhollanderei
Radomsko
Kondratow
Teodorow
Elzbietow
Florentynow
Michalopol
Dziepolc
Bugaslowow
Krery
Antoniew
Michalopol
Tomaschow Parish
Settlement and history - The oldest German colony in the area was Laczkowice. It was established in 1797. Almost simultaniuosly, the colony of Maksymow was formed to the south. The colonies of Wykno, Ciosny and Lipkianki followed in 1818. These communities were very small farming communities until 1815 when a “Fabriktores” (factory complex ?) was formed in Tomaschow. The government seat was located in Ujazd Ostrowskis until 1812 when it was moved to Tomaschow. From 1821 onwards the area administrators actively sought out Tuchmachers from the Grunberg, Sagan, and Gorlitz areas. Most of these new colonists settled in Ujazd.
The parish was not formed until 1830. In 1863 the parish organized the affiliate of Wielka-Wola situated across the river from Tomaschow parish. The following villages belonged to this affiliate: Konstantynow, Blogie, Skorkowek, Opczno, and Feliksow. This affiliate was dissolved and absorbed into the parish in 1878 because of a large-scale exodus of Germans to Volhynia.
The parish consisted of 2 churches, 20 cemeteries, 11 prayer halls.
Villages associated with Tomaschow Parish:
Laczkowice
Maksymow
Wykno
Ciosny
Lipianki
Ujazd
Konstantynow
Blogie
Skorkowek
Opczno
Feliksow
Olszewice
Syski
Ciosny
Helenow
Walentynow
Wielun Parish
Settlement and history - Wielun is one of the oldest cities in Poland and played an important role during the time of the Reformation. During the Reformation period, and after, there was a strong Kalvanist Parish in Wielun, Parcice and Mielecin.
During South Prussian rule of the area, a number of Polish Lutheran and German Lutheran farmers, craftsmen and workers moved into the area. The Poles came from the provinces of Posen and Oberschlesien (Upper Silesia), the Germans came from Niederschlesien (Lower Silesia), Prussia and Pommern. Their religious centre was in the town of Krzeczow and they established the parish in 1820. In 1859 they built their first permanent (brick) church. In 1824 Wielun established their first fine linen factory.
The Lutheran parish dwindled in size from 1848 onwards due to many deaths and a steady stream of emigrants later. The colony of Barczew was added to the parish in 1854. That same year the Affiliate of Panki and the Kantorat of Marianow were created. These two stayed affiliated with Wielun until 1876.
This parish was mixed ethnically and services were held in Polish and German in some towns as well as just Polish in others.
Villages associated with Wielun Parish:
Wielun
Parcice
Mielecin
Barczew
Marianow
Panki
Czarnylas
Tschenstochau
Wolnica
Grabowsa
Wierunszow
Sieradz
Wolka-Bedkowska
Swoboda
Kloniczki
Janow
Swoboda –Swiakowika
Lututow
Affiliate of Zawiercie
Settlement and history - Zawiercie, a small village with a number of Evangelical Lutheran families belonged to the Landlord Poreba Mrzyglodzka. The first Evangelical church service was held in Poreba in 1860. It wasn’t until the late 1880s that Zawiercie began to develop into a larger factory centre.
The village was included in the affiliate of Dombrowa until 1888 and then in Tschenstochau. The first corner stone of the Zawiercie Church was not laid until 1898 and it was inaugurated in 1899. The actual affiliate of Zawiercie wasn’t formed until 1914.
There were approximately 80 Lutheran families in the town in 1900.
Affiliate of Kamocin
Settlement and history - German Lutheran colonists built a school and a prayer hall in Kamocin in 1830. Kamocin is 10 km from Petrikau. The Lutheran community stayed small because of a strong Baptist presence. But in 1873-74 Kamocin, together with surrounding villages was formed into an affiliate of Petrikau. A church as well as a school were built. Their new church was innaugurated in 1881.
Affiliate of Pozdzienice
Settlement and history - Pozdzienice, Pawlowa, Korablew, and Janow-Grabiecki were part of the Reformed Church Parish of Zelow until 1849. But when this Parish was absorbed by Belchatow in 1857, and Pozdzienice became affiliated with Belchatow.
Villages associated with Pozdzienice:
Pozdzienice
Pawlowa
Korablew
Janow-Grabiecki