The Years 1700 - 1899

Year

Event

1701

Prussia becomes a kingdom.

1709

The Black Death in East Prussia.

1713

Accession of Frederick William I. of Prussia.

1724

'Blutgericht' of Thorn. Arguments between Jesuit students and Protestant citizens lead to sharp measures and death sentences against the Protestants.

1727

During the religious conflicts the Lutheran inhabitants of the village Woluszewo are forced to either convert to Catholicism or leave the village.

1731

The village Leg Osiek is founded.

1732

Settlement of the Salzburger – Archbishop Firmian of Salzburg expels all non-Catholics. 30 000 Lutherans have to leave their homes. Frederick William I. of Prussia allowes a huge number of them to settle in East Prussia.

1738

The bishop of Kujawien signs a contract with 12 "Hollaenders" about the founding of the village Siarzewo.

1740

Fredric the Great becomes king of Prussia.

1740

The villages Leg Witoszyn and Wilcze Katy are founded.

1745

Count Kasimir Dombski places "hardworking Hollaenders" in the area of his estates Domb and Dobiegniewo. The village of Dab Wielki / Gross Dembe develops from these settlements.

1756

German settlers are placed on the Kepa Tokarska near Płock.

On the left bank of the Vistula the German villages Troszyn Niemiecki, Borki, Wionczemin Niemiecki and Wistka Krolewska are founded.

1764

Stanislaw II. August Poniatowski, favorite of Empress Catherine the Great, becomes the last Polish-Lithuanian king.

1770

Devastating Vistula flood.

1772

1^st Partition of Poland. Prussia, Austria and Russia divide Poland in three stages among themselves. During the first partition Galicia is assigned to Austria, White Russia, Lithuania and the Western Ukraine are assigned to Russia and West Prussia (except for Danzig and Thorn) is assigned to Prussia.

Devastating Vistula flood.

1786

Frederick William II. becomes king of Prussia. He is the nephew of Frederick the Great.

1787

War of Russia (allied with Austria and Poland) against the Ottoman Empire. Reason for this war is the conquest politics of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. In the consequence of this disturbance of the European balance Prussia allies with the United Kingdom, Holland, Sweden and Poland (!).

Devastating Vistula flood.

1791

Poland-Lithuania changes its political system to a constitutional monarchy. The Ministers and the government report to the parliament (Sejm).

The democratic ideals of the Polish constitution were considered by the absolutistic neighbors as threatening the existing order. It induces Empress Catherine the Great to send troops to Poland and to start negotiations with Prussia over a second Polish partition.

1793

2^nd Partition of Poland. Podlasia, Podolia, Volhynia and the remainder of Belarus are assigned to Russia. The province of South Prussia is founded. The area acquired by Prussia covers beside Danzig and Thorn also the Voivodships Gnesen, Posen and Kalisch.

1794

Uprising of Polish Patriots under Thaddaeus Kósciuszko. The rebellion is put down by Prussian and Russian troops. It served as justification for the following 3^rd Partition of Poland.

1795

3^rd Partition of Poland. West Galicia is assigned to Austria. Lithuania and the remainder of Volhynia are assigned to Russia. The region in the east with the capital Warsaw is assigned to Prussia. The Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth (or any Polish state) ceases to exist.

The new Provinces of "New East Prussia" and "New Silesia" are formed from the areas that were assigned to Prussia during the 3. Polish division.

1796

Secularization - by Prussian royal decree of 28.07.1796 all Catholic religious goods and real estate properties within South Prussia are handed over to the South Prussian government.

In areas, where no Protestant clergymen are established, the spiritual welfare is now provided by military clergymen.

1797

Accession of Frederick William III. of Prussia.

1798

The colonization of New East Prussia is pushed forward now and offers an alternative for colonists who cannot be settled in South Prussia.

1799

A commission is charged with the acquisition of colonists from areas outside of Prussia. They concentrate on areas threatened by war (Württemberg).

The commission is looking for capable craftsmen for the cities and for experienced farmers with their own fortune for the farmland.

1806

The arrival of French troops in Warsaw leads to a rebellion. A Polish army for support of Napoleon is established.

Departure of the Prussian authorities from Płock in the late autumn 1806.

1807

Battle of Friedland / Aller. Napoleon wins.

Napoleon meets on a raft on the Neman river with the Russian Czar Alexander. Napoleon gives a part of New East Prussia to Alexander, with the intention to cool down Russia's friendly relationship with Prussia.

Treaty of Tilsit - Napoleon meets Frederick William III. of Prussia and his wife queen Luise. Prussia has to give up half of its area, also the areas gained from the 2. and 3. Partition of Poland. Prussia stops being a great power.

1807

Establishment of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw - From the areas gained from Prussia Napoleon creates a very small Polish State, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. Duke of Warsaw becomes Frederick August I. of Saxony.

The "Code Napoleon" and the abolishment of serfdom are taken over from the French system.

1809

Polish Austrian war (1809-1814). Poland = Grand Duchy of Warsaw.

Extraordinary Vistula flood in spring.

1812

Franco-Russian War (1812-1814) - Starting from the area of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw Napoleon invades Russia without declaration of war.

1813

Battle of Leipzig - Final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte by the victory of the Austrian-Russian-Prussian army.

After Napoleon's defeat the Grand Duchy of Warsaw is invaded by Russian troops.

Vistula floods

1815

Congress of Vienna (1814-1815). The Allied powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia create "Congress Poland" as a new Polish nation. It is defined as an autonomous kingdom under Russian sovereignty. The "Grand Duchy of Posen" is assigned to Prussia. Galicia remains with Austria and  Cracow becomes a free city.

1816

Bad harvests.

1817

Bad harvests.

1820

Industrial site Lodz - an industrialization campaign releases a founder boom in the Russian occupied Lodz in 1820. In its consequence a multi-cultural society develops in the "Manchester of Poland" consisting of Russians, Jews, Poles, Germans and other nationalities.

1825

After the death of Czar Alexander I. Nicholas I. succeeds to the Russian throne. His reign is characterized by a national turn, which terminates the liberality concerning Poland.

1830

November Uprising (1830/1831) against the Russian foreign regulation. The rebellion is struck down by Russian troops. The Russian Czar (Nicholas I.) suspends the Polish constitution and Poland looses its autonomy.

1834

A customs frontier is defined between Congress Poland and Russia. This leads to an upturn of textile industry in Bialystok.

1839

Vistula flood.

1842

In the area of the "Dobriner Land" many Polish Landholders refuse to renew their contracts with German settlers. The settlers are forced to look for new land somewhere else. Some of the old contracts had been valid for 140 years and had been renewed regularly every 40 years.

1844

Devastating Vistula flood.

1845

Again a devastating Vistula flood.

1848

German March revolution - During the German March revolution the simultaneous implementation of a German and a Polish national state seems to come within easy reach.

1853

Devastating Vistula flood.

1854

Crimean War (1854-1856) between Russia and the alliance of the United Kingdom, France and the Ottoman Empire.

1855

Czar Nicholas I. dies. The liberal pro Western and pro Poland oriented Alexander II. succeeds to the Russian throne.

1860

Emigration wave for Volhynia.

1863

January Uprising (1863-1864) against the Russian rule and for the regaining of the Polish autonomy.

The rebellion is struck down. Congress Poland becomes a Russian province and Poland is Russianized.

Consequently Church Records from then on are written in Russian language.

1864

An Ukas of Czar  Alexander II. abolishes serfdom in Poland. The Polish peasants now become owners of the land they had been paying rent for.

1871

Establishment of the German Empire - this leads in the Prussian parts of Poland (Posen) to an enforced policy of Germanization.

1879

Devastating Vistula flood.

1880

Emigration wave to the German Ruhr district - due to the strongly increasing industrialization there are increased population migrations. Poles and Germans from the Russian, Austrian and German subsections of Poland move away to the industrial centers in the west.

1886

Promotion of German settlements in West Prussia and Posen.

1891

Devastating Vistula flood.