Works by Ullrich Junker have been transcribed and some are available in the FamilySearch Library and the Digitalen Bibliothek von Jelenia Gora at this link: https://jbc.jelenia-gora.pl/dlibra/
About 1435 publications by Ullrich Junker are available. Type the name in the author field of the Polish website.
Flinsberg and its healing springs: https://jbc.jelenia-gora.pl/dlibra/publication/15115/edition/14529/content/
Flinsberg is not very old; it is rather one of the newer Silesian villages, which, however, owes not its original origin, but rather its size and population, largely to the sour springs and baths present there. The first historical information that informs us of the existence of this village is from the year
1550. In that year, an inn or tavern was built here, partly for the convenience of travelers who went through the mountains to the border, and partly for those who transported wood to the lower Queis region. Most likely, today's inn is the former inn, and this area was the former Fegebeutel - Several houses may have already been built there around this time, but the village was so insignificant that it could not yet be used for knightly services and listed by name, for the list of knights' horses provides the clearest evidence of this, which, on April 22, 1594, in the principalities of Schweidnitz and Jauer, were "rearranged and re-arranged" according to the old method of 1550. Friedeberg is listed therein with 1 Pferd, 1/4 and 18 of a foot [eines Fusses], Egelsdorf with 4 and 18, Ullersdorf with 1/16th of a foot, and Flinsberg, which was now to follow in the natural order, - with nothing at all; it then says: From the use of the mountains with one and a half horses and three-quarters of a foot.3
3 1600 Fl. machten ein ganzes Pferd, 400 Fl. ¼ Pferd oder 1 Fuß, u.s.w
On August 15, 1822, Flinsberg had the good fortune to see His Royal Highness, Prince Carl of Prussia, son of His Majesty the King, at the fountain.
In the same year, Josef Gläser, a native of Bohemia, established the first glass-cutting workshop, and almost at the same time, Gottlob Stelzer established a glass-grinding workshop.
d. Church and School Constitution
As for the ecclesiastical system in Flinsberg in all its parts, including the area above the Great Jser and below Ullersdorf, until
1654, what lay on the left bank of the Queise belonged to the parish church in Friedeberg. In that year, however, this church was taken away from the Protestants by the well-known commission, handed over to a Catholic priest, and the connection with it was thereby changed. Flinsberg, Ullersdorf, and the Great Jser allowed burials there as before, but all other spiritual services were carried out in the churches of Upper Lusatia, in Gebhardsdorf, Volkersdorf, and especially in Meffersdorf. At first, this was done against prohibition, but later freely and publicly, provided the priest
16
or parish priest in Friedeberg had correctly received the so-called Stoll fees and issued a license certificate for them. Thus, Flinsberg and Ullersdorf had to struggle with constant difficulties because of their church system, not to mention that many residents moved to Friedeberg and beyond at Queis on the hall in the tavern, his inauguration sermon.
The first child to be baptized in this hall was named Elenora; she was a daughter of Christoph Heinrich Weske, a cottager on the Langenberg, and Anna Regina, née Rösler. The first couple were the bachelor Gottfried Sender and the virgin Anna Maria Neumann, both from the Jser. The first Protestant schoolteacher was Gottfried Dreher, a native of Flinsberg, who had already rendered outstanding services to the congregation several years earlier through the instruction he gave to the youth;
17
he was therefore accepted as cantor and organist
Adverse conditions persisted for several months, resulting in the bodies having to be brought to Friedeberg. The Flinsberg pastor and the school accompanied the body to the last house in Ullersdorf, where it was taken over by the Friedeberg school, which occasionally provoked all sorts of ridicule. Fortunately, this imbalance only lasted until July 16, 1742. On that day, Flinsberg obtained royal permission for a churchyard and its own bells; and the first body to be buried in the new cemetery was Adam Gläser from Flinsberg.
The reluctance to this new ecclesiastical institution was evident among a small portion of the inhabitants of Nieder-Ullersdorf. They sought permission to remain in Friedeberg. However, this agreement did not last long. One house after another withdrew and turned to Flinsberg. Five innkeepers remained, but these were permanently expelled to Flinsberg by a Royal Rescript of October 25, 1770.
In 1742, on September 9, the 16th Sunday of Trinity, the Flinsberg congregation in Meffersdorf took a solemn farewell in this way. The Flinsberg congregation gathered on the market square in Wiegangdsthal and went in procession along with their new clergyman, led by the two Meffersdorf preachers, into the local church. It was a most solemn and moving day! For 88 years, the people of Flinsberg had been granted the privilege of attending worship together with the people of Meffersdorf. Almost all had been baptized there, and the married couples had been married there. All had been instructed, edified, led on the path of improvement, and strengthened in goodness through fervent prayer. With moved gratitude, they left these worship services today.
On October 23 of this year, the prayer house in Flinsberg, built by express order of Holz, was consecrated
In 1758, Pastor Christian Böttner died, and Christoph Bergmann, a native of Querbach, was appointed in his place. The existence of this church could only have been short-lived. The wobbling of the bells, although small, made it so dilapidated by 1757 that it had to be supported.
In 1764, the still-open cemetery was surrounded by a wall.
In 1764, the still open cemetery was surrounded by a wall.
In 1767, the increasing dilapidation of the church made it necessary to provide it with a foundation wall about 2 ells above ground level. Since the fungus had eaten through and corrupted everything, it was
19
no longer possible. Trusting in God, courage was taken, and
in 1776, preparations were made for a new, solid church. Due to the shortage of farmers who could have provided much assistance with carts, wood and stones—in short, everything—had to be procured by manual labor, which caused unspeakable costs. However, the congregation received significant support through two graciously approved church collections
The construction of the massive new church was diligently pursued and successfully completed under the leadership and active participation of Pastor Bergmann. During the construction, services were again held in the hall of the parsonage. The then owner of the parsonage, Gottlob Dreher, was a zealous supporter of the worship institution. He sold the land for the church and churchyard to the congregation for a very reasonable price and also donated his retirement house, which was converted into the preacher's residence. His name is inscribed on the rear side of the altar in honorable memory. He and his wife presented a silver chalice and paten, gilded inside.
In 1784, the cantor and organist Gottlob Hirt died. He was replaced by the adjunct, Friedrich Samuel Neugebauter, a native of Offenbar near Jauer. In earlier years, the cantor Rösler in Peterwitz had taught him music and other academic subjects He then worked as an assistant teacher for Cantor John in Blumendorf from 1774 to 1776, and then for 8 years and 2 months in Görrissseifen under Cantor Maiwald.
In 1792, on May 28, the second Pentecost holiday, the church celebrated its 50th anniversary. At this celebration, too, the congregation made a substantial contribution to the cost of reroofing the tower. Two voluntary collections were used to purchase two pulpit covers: the women in Flinsberg provided a beautiful white choir smock. The people of Ulersdorf had a new priest's robe made and bought two white altar candles. The court clerk Gottfried Liebig donated two beautiful new candlesticks to the altar.
In 1793, Pastor Christoph Bergmann died, and his son, Samuel Leberecht Bergmann, was appointed pastor in his place On July 15, 1816, Pastor Samuel Leberecht Bergmann died of a stroke at the age of 48. He had held his office for 23 years.
On June 2, 1817, Friedrich Samuel Neugebauter, a loyal schoolteacher, cantor, and historian, died at the age of 62.
On July 13, 1817, Wilhelm Günzel, a native of Kerzdorf, Lauban district,
21
was ceremoniously installed as pastor in place of the deceased pastor Bergmann.
Accidents.
On July 25, 1586, lightning struck the inn, and it burned down along with five houses. Count Schaffgotsch donated the wood needed to rebuild those who had been destroyed by the fire.
On June 24, 1591, the Queis was so great that seven houses were swept away by the river, and three people died in the flood.
On December 20, 1603, a fire broke out in Gottlob Hirte's house, and it, along with two houses, were destroyed by the flames.
On May 3, 1607, Hans Gläser drowned in the swollen Queis, leaving behind a wife and seven unruly children.
On January 5, 1610, Tobias Wolf was crushed by a wooden sledge and found dead
On September 27, 1614, Hans Finger fell from the gable of his house and died the following day.
On August 15, 1622, six more houses burned down in Flinsberg.
In July 1648, the Queis was so large that it swept away 10 houses in Flinsberg and Ullersdorf,
22
and 4 people died in the stream.
On July 14, 1702, the Queis swelled again to the point where it swept away 5 houses and caused great damage.
In 1703, the Queis swelled so much that it swept away 4 houses and 3 people died in the flood.
On November 28, 1725, Jgnatz Baumert's house burned down.
In 1737, Gottfried Dreher and Johann Wollstein lost their lives during a wooden sleigh ride.
On August 3, 1743, Gottfried Sender's child drowned in the swollen Queis.
On May 2, 1781, at 7 p.m., lightning struck the Niedermühle, and the owner, miller Gottlob Kretschmer, completely burned down
In 1786, on the third Sunday of Advent, a house burned down near the church.
In 1800, Doctor Büttner from Friedeberg died in Flinsberg, God knows how. He had been with the wife of forester Ulbicht in Flinsberg, who was in labor; from there, it is said, he left in the evening; others claim he was carried away. In short, he was found several days later lying on dry sand, and his hat was with him.
On March 22, 1803, a carpenter's apprentice suffocated while drawing wells.
wanted. He lay with his body partly outside, partly inside the basin. Death was easy to explain, since a layer of carbonic acid gas hovered over the water, so he must have suffocated when his face was exposed to this suffocating gas.
On June 14, 1804, a cloudburst caused such a terrible flood that the Queis swept away several houses
30
and, in part, formed a completely new waterbed. The king, in addition to many tax remissions and many pensions, gave 78,000 thalers to support the country
On March 29, 1814, at noon, Johanna Friederike, the lively, hopeful three-year-old girl of churchwarden Wolf, fell into the nearby Queis River. When the girl was lost, the mother threw herself into the Queis to save her child. This loss was all the more painful for the parents, as only five weeks earlier they had lost a 23-year-old son in an accident
On August 24, 1817, at 9 a.m., the 18-year-old son of the cottager Schiberle arrived in Ober-Flinsberg with his father from the fields and walked across a narrow bridge consisting of only three beams over the Queis, which was heavily swollen from the rain. In front of his father, he was violently seized by the stream and swept away. The lifeless
24
body was only pulled out, badly damaged, in Röhrsdorf near Friedeberg.
On October 17, 1817, the 66-year-old wife of the gardener Johann Gottfried Gläser, who had been suffering from epilepsy for 11 years, had the misfortune of falling into the ditch near the house, where she was cleaning milk jugs, and instantly suffering a stroke, she died
On January 7, 1819, the 71-year-old cottager Johann Gottfried Scholz went to the Neustadt Forest in Bohemia to fell a beech tree he had bought there. In doing so, he had the misfortune of having both of his legs shattered by it, and he died after 20 hours.
On March 19, 1820, at 6:30 a.m., a fire broke out at the cottager Johann Christoph Gläser's house and consumed the very dilapidated house with such speed that saving the resident's belongings was impossible.
On December 5, 1820, around 10 o'clock in the evening, the cottager and glass dealer Johann Gottlieb Heinrich returned from a trip and had an accident right in front of his home in the swollen Queis River. He was trying to lead his horse across a narrow path. The horse fell and dragged its guide into the raging stream, from which he was only rescued on the third day in Ullersdorf. He was 40 years old.
25
On February 21, 1821, Johann Gottlieb Gläser was driving firewood home from a rather steep mountain height in the forest when he was driven between the trees by the unsustainable, lightning-fast sleigh and crushed. He was 22 years and 9 months old. His mother, a poor, helpless widow, lost her support in old age because of him.
f. Old age.
On November 14, 1814, Anna Maria Elisabeth Gläsern died in Flinsberg at the rare age of 89 years and 6 months. She had been married to her husband, who had died five years earlier, for a full 62 years. She left behind two sons and four daughters, from whose marriages she had seen a progeny of 50 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
On August 28, 1820, the oldest old man in the parish, Jeremias Sender, died on the Great Jser at the rare age of 90 years and 8 months.
On December 21, 1821, Maria Elisabeth, widowed Steckel, née Sender, died on the Jser at the age of 87 years and 2 months. Only in the last two years of her life did she become bedridden due to the consequences of an accident.
On January 1, 1822, the resident and invalid from the former Brown Hussar Regiment, Christoph Heinrich Scholz, 86 years old, died in Flinsberg. He fought in 5 battles
26
of the Seven Years' War and sustained honorable wounds. Many visitors to the Flinsberger healing spring knew him as a police guard.
On January 8, 1822, the resident Gottfried Gläser, 79 years and 3 weeks old, died. A few weeks before his death, he was still able to work as a board cutter at a local sawmill.
On January 9, 1822, the resident Mrs. Anna Rosine, widowed Hirte, née Rösler, died at the age of 88 years and 1 month. In her lifetime, she saw offspring of 6 children, 21 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. She became bedridden only one year before her death
On May 27, 1823, resident Gottfried Gläser died in his 84th year. He had been a gravedigger in the community for 55 years.
g. Crime.
On October 22, 1797, a woman in childbirth, who had attended church the day before, cut off her small child's head in the cradle with a cutting knife.
On August 1, 1803, the forester and gamekeeper Johann Christian Ulbicht was murdered by robbers in the Flinsberger Forest. His body was found only after an eight-day search (robbed of his watch and money) hidden in a forest pit.
About the inhabitants and their occupations.
The inhabitants of Flinsberg and the immediate surrounding area are
33
of medium height, strong limbs, and powerful appearance, combined with a brisk gait. They generally enjoy lasting health. Numerous observations and church records prove that the majority of the inhabitants survive past the age of 60, and there are also isolated examples of them reaching the age of 80, 90, or even 100. This health can be derived from nothing other than their moderate diet and the pure air they constantly breathe. Their diet consists mostly of strong milk, cheese, butter, and bread, along with vegetables, potatoes, and, in the case of the well-to-do, meat, which they rarely consume. Their drink is the purest spring water or goat's whey. For a certain class, brandy has become a necessity. Happy people! who do not poison their stomachs with indigestible food or excessive spices! Who would not at this moment think of the Lord.
v. Haller about the inhabitants of the Swiss Mountains when he says:
Their drink is their flood, and milk the richest food! -
The inhabitants' gait is mostly hopping and is divided into three sections according to their own vocation: walking, running, and jumping. According to them, the old walk; the middle-aged walks, and the younger ones jump. Their power and strength can be seen in the way they carry the heaviest loads, which they place on their backs, sometimes even on their heads, while running quickly, while trilling their German mountain song without noticing the oppressive weight on them. Their clothing is always clean and mostly green. In the summer, one can even find children up to 6 years old walking around completely naked in the Jeser houses. In earlier years, boys and girls of 12 and older were found walking around without any clothing. One saw them hopping one behind the other in the tall grass or in the dense woods, doing their work in Keep company.
Their language is German, according to the Silesian dialect, but it is difficult to understand them because the words flow very quickly from their lips. They like it when people try to imitate their speech.
The population is numerous; the most admirable thing is that the people born
and raised in the mountains feel absolutely no inclination to seek residence in the country.
Because of the harsh mountainous location, agriculture is not very productive; rather, it is extremely laborious and expensive. The harvest falls several weeks later than in the flatlands. The soil can only be cultivated for potatoes and for the production of rye and oats, so they have to buy bread for two-thirds of the year. With proper care, the fruit still grows quite well in Flinsberg, provided that the vine does not twine itself around the elm and the delicate fruits of the south do not want to become native
Cattle and goats provide the inhabitants of Flinsberg with a great source of food and entertainment.
Although the cattle are not particularly large, they have a strong bone structure and a very lively appearance, which, although the most careful care of them, may contribute greatly to this, which is an exclusive occupation of women. What reindeer are to the Sami people, cattle are to the local inhabitants. However, it should be remembered that livestock farming in this mountain region cannot be compared to Swiss Alpine farming, but bears only a distant resemblance. The goats, after consuming the best mountain herbs, also provide a Excellent milk, and the goat cheese made from it is among the most excellent.
35
Some of the inhabitants, especially those living near the forested areas, earn their living by chopping and logging. This occupation and the skill associated with it are remarkable, for, since the timber is often located on the steepest slopes of the mountains, they must be very careful not to lose their lives; the same is true for logging. When about a foot of snow has fallen in the mountains, the mountain dwellers hired for this purpose gather with their horn sledges. The heartiest and strongest among them makes the first attempt and loads about a third of a fathom of wood onto this sledge, stands between the horns, and drives down the steepest slope of the mountain He gives the direction with his feet, skillfully avoiding any danger the sledge might encounter, and the others follow him with the same caution. When the track has finally become completely smooth, they double the load, in the following manner: they hang They often attach a strong chain to the back of the sleigh, place wood on it, and make a firm bundle with it, which they call the tail, and then drive down the mountain again. Since the local forest district has 18,000 acres of land, it employs a large portion of the residents in forestry work all year round.
Another portion of the residents is engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of wooden goods; rims, sieve runners, boxes, kitchen utensils, etc. are made, boards and posts are cut, and wooden articles are shipped far into the country, even
4 Horn sleds are a type that can be compared to racing sleds, except that the runners do not converge at the front, but are equidistant from each other. The front points, which reach approximately man height, are called horns by the mountain dwellers, between which a narrow platform for sitting is attached.
36
traveled to Poland and set off
Several other residents support themselves through the trade in raw and cut glass. Joseph Gläser's glass-cutting shop, as well as Gottlob Stelzer's glass-polishing shop, employs many people and produces very excellent work, so that hardly a bather will leave here without taking a small souvenir of this kind back home with them.
Hunting and fowling should not be ignored either, and for a reasonable interest, some also engage in trout fishing. Even the blueberry, which grows here in great abundance and is practically combed with wooden combs, provides a considerable commercial article that is sold to liqueur manufacturers.
The bilberry, which also grows here in large quantities, provides a source of income for the poorer classes. Incidentally, a large portion of the inhabitants also make a living from spinning.
The healing spring finally contributes greatly to the livelihood and education of the inhabitants, and one can rightly say that it has conjured up a kind of prosperity in this narrow valley.
The only essential professionals here are four tailors, four shoemakers, two carpenters, one blacksmith, and one butcher. A surgeon also lives here
Winter is certainly very difficult for the inhabitants, especially in Ober-Flinsberg and further up the Jser, and as soon as the snow covers this area a foot deep, very few come out of their huts. In this case, they use snow tires to clear the path. But when the snow becomes deeper, they take the precaution of marking the path with poles. When these are finally completely covered in snow, another pole is placed next to each one, which sometimes has to be raised three times a year. By this designation of the Paths, they gain, firstly, that they can walk on already packed snow; and secondly, that they are not easily lost in heavy fog and snowstorms. If they have to carry some loads away or home, they use horn sledges. The same
thing happens when the priest wants to visit a sick person or a traveler in the mountains in winter. It has happened several times that newborn children and the deceased have had to wait 4-6 weeks, or even longer, the former for baptism, the latter for burial.
One cannot form a clearer idea of the amount of snow lying in the rear Flinsberg and the Jser than when one considers that entire houses are so covered in snow that one cannot find any trace of a building, because it is common here that in winter these people have to leave not through the usual exit of the front door, but through the roof windows.
But even if winter covers this region with its harsh, snowy robe; or the sun transfigures valley and heights with its rays, and snow and ice sparkle in all colors like precious stones, nature remains beautiful and sublime here too. The inhabitants of the snow-covered huts enjoy the fruits of their toil in quiet harmony. Content with their situation, they demand nothing more from nature than what their needs require, love their snow-capped mountains, are happy in the midst of storms, and the quiet, undisturbed enjoyment of their laborious work gives their simple food the richest flavor. No false desire, no needs born of
34
pride and ambition disturb the peaceful course of their simple life, but live happily beneath their hut concealed in snow and ice, as long as nature allows will.
But when winter's reign comes to an end, when the sun gradually rises higher again, when the snow finally melts, when the streams and the Queis rush bustling through the valleys, when the earth, gradually freed from the frost, thirstily drinks in the stagnant moisture, when bright east winds clear the air of clouds, then the mountains lift their bare peaks back to the sky, and the denuded fields once more wrap themselves in the most luxuriant green garment; bicycles and flowers spread their fragrances, the forests rush down delightfully from their shivering treetops, and the murmuring waters chatter after them from their pebbly banks
Here then is again the temple that nature built for the Creator; here the garden that we planted with our own hands: here the free inhabitants of the air resound when the awakening sun of spring calls them back from the grave of winter, or from other parts of the earth; their grateful hymns are loud concerts.
The days of rest are over. Busily emerging from their liberated huts, the inhabitants of Flinsberg and the Jeser once again entrust the plowed soil with the seeds for the future harvest. The shepherd drives again
Here then is again the temple that nature built for the Creator; here the garden that we planted with our own hands: here the free inhabitants of the air resound when the awakening sun of spring calls them back from the grave of winter, or from other parts of the earth; their grateful hymns are loud concerts.
The days of rest are over. Busily, the inhabitants of Flinsberg and the Jeser emerge again from their liberated huts, hopefully entrusting the plowed soil with the seeds for the future harvest. The shepherd drives again
5
The delicate herd, ringing far and wide with bells, to graze the rich and powerful mountain herbs, here takes up the peasant flute and awakens the echo of the valley. The grazing herds listen and stare, or interrupt the sounds of the flute with joyful bellows.
The sky arches in a deeper blue above the mountains, and the manifold play of clouds around the heights is worthy of thoughtful contemplation. When black storm clouds announce the approaching storm, or the veil of clouds lifts and the green mountains become visible, there the mass of clouds descends and obscures the ancient rocky heights, then this view perceives the great nature and the busy activity in it the most sublime and diverse contemplation.
At this time of year, one must see this region, one must admire the diligence of the inhabitants, how, with great effort and expense, here the many stones are cleared away to preserve a patch of arable land, there the hay is gathered around the hut, here a few harvests of rye and oats are sown, there a few beds are planted with potatoes and beet seeds, the latter reaching a considerable size thanks to the good and plentiful fertilizer. Thus, one sees all hands busy with these tasks.
The dwellings themselves are mostly spacious and made of wood. They consist
6
usually consists of a room, a closet, a kitchen, a cowshed, and the upper hayloft. The cleanliness in the rooms is admirable: all odors are neatly arranged, and tables and benches are clean and white. In those private houses that accommodate bathers, one will find the utmost cleanliness and the greatest possible comfort, which sick people so reluctantly do without; therefore, these advantages also make a stay in Flinsberg very pleasant.
Flinsberg currently has 1,488 inhabitants, of which 3 families profess the Roman Catholic religion, all the others are Protestant. There are 16 gardeners and 269 cottagers among them; In addition to these, there are 2 water mills, 1 tan mill and 2 board cutting mills.
1. This mineral spring, or sour spring, rises in the village of Flintzberg, belonging to the lordship of Greiffenstein, Count Schaffgott,
beneath the mountains in a meadow belonging to the widow of Christoph Tschirsch, the local yarn merchant and juror.
42
2. The first spring as one climbs out, and the last one as one descends, is actually the strongest and rightly deserves the name of a sour spring. The water from it is crystal clear, and when one draws it ex scaturigine, the subtle mineral smell penetrates the nose so strongly that it makes one sneeze. The taste is sweet, almost particularly pleasantly sharp, finally somewhat vitriolic, and therefore not repellent; such pleasant qualities are not often found in a sour spring
Giehren is a very old village that already had a Christian church in 1398. The parish belonging here at that time was very considerable, for everything from Greiffenstein on the right bank of the Queisses, with the exception of Röhrsdorf and Birkicht, to the monastery foundation
189
of Liebenthal, and then across the bare mountain to the borders of the lordships of Kemnitz and Kynast, belonged here. Until
1522, the Catholic service continued fairly quietly, but in that year, Lutheran doctrine quickly spread here as well, and
in 1523, the previous Catholic church was converted into a Protestant church.
In 1554, Rabishau separated from Giehren as a branch and maintained its own pastor at the local church
In 1571, the tin mine in Giehren was started and soon reached such a high level of activity that the citizens of Görlitz, who had this mine developed, benefited so greatly that they are said to have paid for most of the decorations of their St. Peter's Church.
In 1613, the new stone church was consecrated after the previous, dilapidated church had been demolished.
In 1620, the beginnings of a copper mine were made in Giehren.
On February 25, 1654, the Imperial Commission closed and confiscated the church from the Protestants
men.
On March 12, 1743, the newly built Protestant church was ceremoniously consecrated.
In 1767, the present new, massive Protestant church was built, and
on December 13, 1768, it was ceremoniously consecrated.
190
On October 16, 1777, the mill, newly built the previous year, burned down completely. A maid, the miller's 13-year-old daughter, and a 9-year-old boy also burned.
In 1786, two mines were still in operation; they were called the Hundsrück and the Morgenröthe.
On November 12, 1787, 27 residential buildings, not including stables and barns, were turned into a pile of ashes by fire.
In 1788, the mines closed
In 1826, Giehren, including the Fürstel colony, counted 1 Protestant, 1 Catholic church (the former with 2 clergymen), 2 parsonages, 2 schoolhouses, 18 farmers, 23 gardeners, 132 cottagers, 2 watermills, and 646 inhabitants.
Gotthardsberg. This colony was only begun to be built towards the end of the 17th century on old lands of the Blumendorf Schölzerey, and currently consists of 22 cottages. Initially, they were called Laidenhauser, after the land on which they were built, and received
in 1730 the name Gotthardsberg after the then reigning Count Gotthard von Schoffgotsch.
Greiffenstein. The ruins of this castle, born among the
Hernsdorf lies on the eastern bank of the Schwarzbach, close to Meffersdorf. There is no definite information about the origin of this village. This much is certain: it is very old and perhaps owes its first foundation to the Sorbian Wends, for at the end of the village there is a small stream that rises on the mountain, not far from the Schaumflüßchen known near Ullersdorf, and is still known today under the name Todtenflüßchen. Many historians derive this name from an idol worshipped here, Scheut or Thoyt. The author is of the opinion that this name comes from the idol Flynz, who, in German terms, was the god of death and resurrection.
The age of Hernsdorf is also evident from the fact that at the beginning of the 14th century it was already a very considerable
180
village, and that a local farmer laid the foundation stone for the Mefferdorf Church, which was already standing in 1346.
On July 14, 1702, there was also a major flood here, caused by a cloudburst during a 6-hour thunderstorm. In Hernsdorf, three paper mills and several houses were swept away.
In 1826, the village consisted of 19 farmers, 3 gardeners, 111 cottagers, 2 watermills, 3 paper mills, and 548 inhabitants. The latter mostly lived from trade, glass and smelting.
Jser, the large one, lies from the height of the Jser ridge about 3/4 hours downhill to the south, on an area called the Iserwiese. The first house was built in
Built in 1630 by a Protestant Bohemian named Thomas. He was a mighty hunter; if he shot, he hit the mark. However, being too bold is not a good idea. He shot at the night hunter, trembled, lay down, and died. No wonder! Our enlightenment had not yet reached this mountain at that time. Whether his successor and fellow countryman Babel was less superstitious cannot be determined; but it is certain that he once, through his natural goodwill, gave his landlord, Count Schaffgotsch, great joy. The latter had himself carried up the mountain and took lodgings with Babel. Babel, who appreciated this honor, shouted: Now, you
206
dogs! Get down! Count, sit down for that
Krobsdorf. This village, which lies from Flinsberg to Friedeberg on the right bank of the Queis, already existed in the 13th century. Most likely, the Sorbian Wends were the first reason for its founding. The first houses are said to have stood where Scholtisey and the Weske farm now stand. Later, the Hussites expelled from Bohemia prevented the village from being built. The village was then called Krebsdorf, a name said to derive from the Hellbach, which rises an hour from here, behind the so-called Bartelwiese, where many crabs lived and was surrounded by an alder forest. The still existing court seal, probably the first, also contains a crab, a fish, an alder, and a man with a fishing rod.
In the 16th century, the name Krebsdorf was transformed into Kroppersdorf for reasons that had become foreign.
In 1612, the village already consisted of 50 possessions, but
In 1613, the plague raged so terribly that, apart from a certain judge and his seven sons, no one survived.
In 1618, the first Protestant schoolteacher was hired. Around this year, the name Krobsdorf also originated. What occasion What may have caused the repeated name changes is not known.
In 1659, the first linen bleaching works were established in Krobsdorf.
In 1701, the Queis was so large that it completely destroyed six houses.
In 1732, on September 16, at 9 p.m., a fire broke out at Hans George Scholz's house, so violent that within half an hour the house and farm were reduced to ashes. The saddest thing was that the widow Maria Heidrich, who lived in the house, also burned down.
In 1774, while clearing away a pile of stones at the Gürbig farm No. 77, traces of a glassworks that had once stood there were found
In 1804, the Queis was so large that it swept away several houses completely. Since the Queis always forges a new path during such swells, this is also the reason why two houses belonging to the community of Krobsdorf stand on the left bank of the Queis.
In 1818, traces of a previously existing glassworks were also found in the fields of the Richter farm No. 21.
Incidentally, significant mining was also carried out in Krobsdorf territory, as evidenced by the many tunnels, shafts, half-timbering, and ditches that still exist. In 1826, the community consisted of 1 Protestant schoolhouse, 12 farmers, 8 gardeners, 90 cottagers
0
1 watermill, 1 fulling mill, 2 bleaching mills, and 577 inhabitants.
Meffersdorf is a very old village bordering Bohemia and Silesia and can be reached from Flinsberg in an hour. A church already stood in this village in 1346.
On April 21, 1527, the castle and all its outbuildings burned down, and the heiress
16
widow Catharina von Uechtritz, née von Zedlitz, could barely save her own life with her daughters.
In 1530, the inhabitants of Meffersdorf generally adopted the Lutheran religion.
In 1530, the village consisted, apart from the Lehnschölzerei, as it was then called, of 23 farmers, 47 gardeners, and several Auenhäusler
Until 1592, Meffersdorf, like Gebhardsdorf, was a town belonging to Schwerta, as stated in an old division document dated August 21 of that year. It now became an independent manor, and according to this division, Hans von Uechtritz was its owner.
The Thirty Years' War wreaked terrible fury here as well. With the frequent back and forth movements of the armies, there was no end to the plundering; the need was particularly great
on the second Sunday of Advent in 1645, when, during this harsh time of year, the Swedish general Leonhard Torstensohn from Moravské Lázně. through Silesia and broke into Bohemia near Ober-Schwerta. The entire region was stripped of livestock and everything else, and Meffersdorf suffered a similar fate. What was not taken by force had to be surrendered, as three regiments lay here from Sunday to Friday, wasting away everything. The same emergency arose
in 1646 at the local fair, when the Imperial troops felt inclined to recapture the mountain castles occupied by the Swedes. Monte-
217
kukuli advanced on Greiffenstein, and Strasolde on Friedland, and bombarded them. However, they accomplished nothing, and when the Swedes came to the aid of these mountain castles, they hastily raised the siege. The Swedish General Würtenberg, hurrying after them, arrived here with a great deal of cavalry, where things once again went very miserably
On February 1, 1648, ten companies of Swedish cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel von Ouast, made their last visit, which, however, was completed without looting.
On July 14, 1649, Meffersdorf was flooded by an extraordinary cloudburst that caused great damage.
In 1650, work began on the construction of a new church tower, which was not completed until 1660.
Until 1650, Meffersdorf was almost the only village in this area with around 500 inhabitants. Since the Protestants in Silesia and Bohemia were forced to convert to Roman Catholicism, they secretly fled to this area and established several new villages near Meffersdorf.
On August 2, 1651, the local stately castle burned down again.
At this time, Nieder-Schwerta, which had been connected with Meffersdorf for some time and had belonged to the von
Uechtritz family for over 350 years,
190
18
was torn away because Lieutenant Meuner seized it in 1653. Thus, certain administrators took care of Meffersdorf in the name of the creditors and managed it until 1658. These administrators were the ones who willingly accepted all the refugees from Silesia and Bohemia and assigned them building sites.
By 1654, the village had become so populous that the church had to be expanded
In 1658, the administrators sold Meffersdorf to Wiegand von Gersdorf in Ober-Steinkirch. It was this man who (like the administrators) knew how to make proper use of the moment. He willingly welcomed the emigrated Silesians and Bohemians, allocated them wasteland for cultivation, gave them advances of money, gave them timber, and he-They received advances of money, gave them timber, and granted them all kinds of freedoms.
In 1660, the first bleaching works were established here by an exile, Paul Ulrich, from Weißbach.
In 1661, the churchyard was expanded, for which a sizeable piece of meadow belonging to the parish was taken. In return, the so-called Hain was purchased from the hereditary and court bailiff Augustin Volkert, all members of the parish, for 65 thalers in cash, for Wiedemuth.The reason for this was as follows: Wiegand von Gersdorf gave a banquet at which several guests raised the question: What name should this child be given? Wit, jest, and seriousness brought this and that into play, until finally Magister Engelmann, the first local deacon, suggested Wiegandsthal, which was immediately and generally accepted.
In 1685, the glass master Preusler in Schreiberau presented the church in Meffersdorf with a new organ.
In 1694, Wiegandsthal already had 73 houses and 404 inhabitants.
In 1731, the trade in cut enamel (false garnets) began here, and with such acclaim that a considerable export to Poland, Russia, etc. soon opened up. A dozen strings were paid for with 2 thalers.
20
In 1758, Meffersdorf received Adolph Traugott von Gersdorf
In 1770, the first grinding mill was built to grind the smelting metal. From this time on, the price of this commodity fell so much that a dozen strings cost only 3 Sgr.
In 1794, Wiegandsthal had 98 houses and 482 inhabitants.
In 1799, through the tireless efforts of the noble owner, Mr. von Gersdorf, an improved and more practical school facility was introduced
In 1662, the new clock on the church tower was purchased, which struck for the first time on April 4th at 9 a.m
In 1666, the small town of Wiegandsthal was founded by citizens of Neustadt. However, they wished to retain the title of citizen. Their barber, Master George König, as he was still called at that time, was disliked by those of his ilk in Marglissa and Friedeberg. Wiegand von Gersdorf therefore sought market and mining rights and received them from the sovereign in 1668, and this new settlement was now called the Meffersdorf town.
In 1679, it was given the name Wiegandsthal. The event
In 1758, Adolph Traugott von Gersdorf received Meffersdorf.
In 1770, the first grinding mill was built to grind the smelting metal. From this time on, the price of this commodity fell so much that a dozen strings cost only 3 Sgr.
In 1794, Wiegandsthal had 98 houses and 482 inhabitants.
In 1799, thanks to the tireless efforts of the noble owner, Mr. von Gersdorf, an improved and more practical school facility was introduced
In general, this humane, learned man, and renowned writer, was unknown to any scientific traveler; his diverse, well-ordered collections and scientific apparatus consisted of a 17,000-volume library and a remarkable cabinet, with particular emphasis on the theory of electricity, one of the favorite subjects of Mr. von Gersdorf, for whose purpose he had a meteorological observatory built in the most august part of his new English park. This valuable cabinet thus acquired a special interest in that, among many valuable tools, the majority of the existing instruments had been made by the leading English
192
artists in his own village, Schwerta
Polish artists, the majority of the existing instruments had been manufactured in his own village, Schwerta.
Among the most outstanding Gersdorf collections was undoubtedly the mineral cabinet,
221
which, in my opinion, occupied one of the first places among its peers in Germany. An excellent collection of landscapes was also located here, along with a large number of copperplate engravings, drawings, sketches, etc.
All these treasures are now, according to the will of the late Mr. von Gersdorf, in Görlitz.
In 1800, the local rifle club reorganized itself, dressing in hunter's uniforms and, at the same time, uniting in the most expedient way to form a fire-fighting company
In 1804, the Lausitzbach once again caused extraordinary damage with its great flood, which, according to a court assessment, amounted to 1,966 thalers in Meffersdorf alone.
In 1819, Meffersdorf had one paper mill, five flour mills, two board mills, two garnet grinding mills, as well as several yarn and linen bleaching works.
Neuwelt, a new, elegant, and purpose-appropriate town belonging to Count von Harrach. Here is the large, beautiful glass factory, certainly the most active in the mountains, which, together with the associated grinding shops, produces the most perfect work. It can be reached comfortably from Flinsberg in four hours. Anyone who wants to experience the various jobs in a major glassworks, such as