The Wendish Research Exchange - Crostwitz

Crostwitz

Translated by Ed Bernthal

Crostwitz lies between the two cities of Bautzen and Camenz, the first three hours distant and the second one half hour distant. A brook flows through the town that is known as the Sattula with its source in the hill springs at Prautitz and Kopschin, but which is soon joined by other brooks.

The time of the founding of the town is really not known, but it seems to go back to the dim ancient times. According to the tradition, there was here, earlier than the present church, a heathen temple, which is made more likely by the different signs during the construction of the church in 1769. If Lusatia was founded in 873 by the sainted Cyrillus and Methodius, but the greater part by the Bishop Benno from Meissen, who died in 1106 after he had been the bishop for 40 years after being converted from heathendom to the religion of Christ, and, as mentioned earlier, that a heathen temple had stood here, so it is assumed that Crostwitz had existed in 893 rather than at the beginning of the 12th century. Basic information of existence in 1346 comes from the foundation letters of the The Young Womens St. Marienstein Cloister and in the Meissen Matriculation Register.

In 1508, two bells were ringing here in the church tower, with the inscription on the first one which reads thus: “Anno Milessimo Quingentessimo Octao Feria Sexta Post Penteocasten,” But the inscription on the second one is not legible, but seems to have come from the same time.

There was no knights property in this place. Crostwitz belonged to the jurisdiction of the St. Marienstein Cloister. The main occupation of the town’s citizens was agriculture and cattle raising.

The undersigned Jacob Barth has occupied the position of chaplain since 1822 to 1834, and since then that of the pastor.

The present church was newly rebuilt from 1769 to 1772, except for the tower that was left standing, but the time of its construction is not known. It is assumed that it stood in 1508, since at that time the two bells had existed, and that they had been added to the earlier church which consisted of a heathen temple.

The first known pastor was George Temler, who had earlier been the pastor at Goeda. But when many of the people streamed to the preaching of the new found faith of Dr. Martin Luther, he left his congregation there and went to Crostwitz, where the congregation had remained true to the old Catholic faith, and in 1557 he became the pastor there, since their earlier pastor had left the Catholic faith and adopted the new teaching and had gone to Goeda to become the pastor there.

The second pastor was Johann Temler, who died in 1573; the third was Andreas Poerschk, who earlier was the Wendish pastor in Bautzen, and pastor in Crostwitz in 1573. He was followed by Nicolaus Glausch, who resigned in 1590 and took the position as a Wendish preacher in Bautzen. His successor was George Faber, who died in 1600.

He was followed by George Kolula, who became an apprentice scholar in the Cathedral in Bautzen, so Urban Sartorius became the pastor, who had earlier been pastor in Bohemia. After his death in 1618, Johann George Kretschmer became the pastor. The nith pastor was Johann Molitor who had been born in Wittigenau.

The tenth known pastor was Jacob Lebsa, born in Raeckelwitz. As pastor, he suffered much from the Swedish soldiers because of his faith, who, after having his ears cut off. was strung up, but even after having been tortured, he was released and lived till the year 1645.

His successor was Johann Czunka, and after him came Martinus Sutorinus, who had earlier been a pastor in Bohemia.

The thirteenth pastor was George Franz Senele. After his death in 1706, he was followed by Anton Joseph Nowotnick, who died in 1719. His successor was Gregory Just, pastor till 1742. After him came Andreas Cato, who was followed by Matthias Mros, followed by Georg Czicsch. After his death in 1791, he was followed by Matthaeus Just, who died in 1794. He was followed by Michael Rietscher, who was the pastor till 1824. After him came Johann Domaschka, and after him Michael Haschke. After he became a scholar in Bautzen, there followed the undersigned.

The inside of the church is spacious and bright with light. There are 6 bells, two of them I have already mentioned. On the third bell there is this inscription: Sanatissimo Trinitas, Jesus Nazaraemus, rex Judaeorem custodiat nos, obmobis malis. 1593.

The resources of the church are 4,000 Thaler. There are no special memorials in the church yard. There are 4 schools in the parish: Crostwitz, Kuckau, Tscharnitz and Raeckelwitz. Besides these, there is a Girl’s Institute in the St. Mariestern Cloister.

There are over 400 school children in Crostwitz, in Kuckau 80 boys (the girls go to the Institute), Tscharnitz 50, Raeckelwitz 130. The Crostwitz school fees are set at 230 Thaler, and the Raeckelwitz and Tscharnitz at 120 Thaler. I have no definite notice from Kuckau since they are not under this jurisdiction.

Andreas Brauer is the Crostwitz school master. The Tscharnitz school teacher is Andreas Brauer, born in Ralbitz, the Raeckelwitz school teacher is Johann Haufe, born in Seidau near Bautzen, and Kuckau has Joseph Maureck, born in Bohemia.

The Tscharnitz School was founded in 1839. The Raeckelwitz school was started in 1839.

The buildings of the parsonage are not in good repair, are already old, but otherwise nothing special is known about them. There are no state officials or factories in the town. The town has one congregation, which is made up of 21 farm properties, 31 subsistence families, some with and some without fields. The population runs around 407.

Attention should be drawn to both of the fortifications located near Crostwitz, namely, the Kotzschin one near the town of Kutzschin, and the Kuckau one at the town of Kuckau. The old Wends seemed to have used them, on the one hand, for their sacrifices, on the other hand, for their defense during their persecutions.

The church and school at the St. Marienstein Cloister had a Collatur. The following towns were (connected) with the local church: Crostwitz, Prauritz, Starcha, Liebow, Tschannitz, Pasditz, Rucknitz, Kozchin, Lehndorf, Tschaschwitz, Siebitz, Schweinerden, Kannewitz, Tauer, Niltitz, Duerrwittinitz, Kickau, Panschwitz, Alte-Ziegelscheune, Kobritz, Raeckelwitz, Schmeckwitz, Sommerluge, Grenzo, Neudorfel, Horke, Hoeflein, Guhra in part. The properties in the hands of the Catholic Church were the towns of: Solschwitz, Dreikretschau, Pannenwitz, Weidlitz, Zischkowitz, Autschkowitz, Neuhof or Kleinhaenchen.

Crotwitz, Jacob Barth
April 14, 1811, Town Pastor