Igor Myszkiewicz “Ilustrowana Kronika Zielonej Góry – The Illustrated Chronicle of Zielona Góra”

This book, in Polish and English, tells the history of Grünberg (German name)/ Zielona Gora (Polish name) from 990 to 2020, with dry humour.

It is a story of constant upheavals, whether by war and invasions, change of ruling regime (and hence, forcibly, religion), epidemics, climate change (yes, 500 years of it, a Minor Ice Age) and witch trials, sometimes all at the same time.

The English version, at the back of the book, is easy to read; this is fortunate as I don’t read Polish.

My only quibble is the lack of an index to names and places in the book.

The launch of the book is at Illustrated Chronicle of Zielona Góra – Museum of the Lubuskie LandMuseum of the Lubuskie Land (mzl.zgora.pl); right-click and translate the page so you can read it in English.

Why am I interested in Grünberg/ Zielona Gora? It is a town/city in Silesia/Schlesien  and is close to many villages from which my ancestors left to come to South Australia. Hence its history is also (part of) my history. Grünberg/ Zielona Gora became part of Prussia in 1745 although there were German people there beforehand.

A reference is made to Australia’s Grünberg in the Barossa Valley:

1855 – eruption of cholera. Vineyards are also sick. The mysterious disease holds them from giving fruits. Meanwhile another Grünberg appears on the global map – it’s located in Australian Barossa Valley, and it was established by emigrants from our region. They were Old Lutherans who have been escaping from their fatherland since 1830s, due to rejection of the religious reform that was to consolidate all Prussian Protestant churches. The settlers bring the wine making traditions to Australia. Today, the Barossa Valley is one of the oldest, as well as most famous wine regions in Australia.

Grünberg/ Zielona Gora is about:

• 8 miles from Tschicherzig, from where the Old Lutherans left in barges for Hamburg in 1838;
• 9 miles from Niebusch, from whence Johann August Riedel and Anna Rosina (nee Stephan) left in 1862, with their 5 daughters, including my grandmother;
• 12 miles from Kay/Sulechow, from whence my 3xgreat grandparents, Christian Klenke and Anna Dorothea (nee Gierke), with their daughter, Johanne Dorothea, left in 1838;
• 15 miles from Klemzig, where my 3xgreat grandparents, Johann Georg Kuchel and Anna Dorothea (nee Seiffert), with my 2xgreat grandfather, Johann Samuel and 2 of his brothers, left in 1838 as part of Pastor Kavel’s congregation of Old Lutherans;
• 18 miles from Hirschfeldau, where my great grandfather Johann Christian Mann was born in 1812;
• 19 miles from Grossenborau, where my 2xgreat grandfather, Friedrich Mahn, was a bauer (peasant, farmer); and
• 20 miles from Crossen, from near which (Küttel to be exact), my great grandfather, Gustav Nicksch, came to Australia as a single man in 1877.

Names I am interested that feature in this book include:

• Hirte – in 1663, Christoff Hirte was the Mayor and a (short-term) member of a special secular inquisition committee;
• Apelt – Elzbieta Apelt was accused of witchcraft in 1664 but her trial was extinguished in 1669; she and another woman were members of the town’s elite and their husbands intervened to higher authorities; and
• The Foersters were wool factory owners and financiers.

I recommend this book to anybody who has ancestors that came from near that area or have a wish to gain a broader view of the state of Europe over the last 1,000 years and how the residents were treated.