Glossary

For some German terms an explanation might be helpful ...

German Term

Description

Allmende

Common property. Areas that were owned by the village community and that could be used by all members of the community (usually pasture or woodland).

Evangelisch Augsburgische Kirche in Polen

Lutheran Augsburg Church in Poland: Name for the Lutheran church in Poland that followed the Augsburgian confession. The expression had been used to make a clear distinction from the "unierte" Lutheran church in Poland.

Generalgouvernement

General government: Administrative unit that existed from 1939 till 1945. It consisted of those parts of Poland that were occupied by Germany but were not incorporated into the "Deutsches Reich". Official name: "General government for the occupied Polish areas".

Hufe

Old surface measurement used to define the size of a farm. In Poland there were used "Kulmische Hufen". One "Kulmische Hufe" equals 66 2/3 Morgen or about 373.500 square meters.

Kongresspolen

Congress Poland: Name for the Kingdom of Poland that had been defined during the Congress of Vienna. It was defined as an autonomous kingdom under Russian sovereignty. It existed between 1815 and 1832. It mainly consisted of the former "Grand Duchy of Warsaw" without the "Grand Duchy of Posen" which was assigned to Prussia. Galician remained with Austria and  Cracow became a free city.

Marschhufendorf

Form of settlement where the buildings are lined up along a street and the farmland forms long strips of land immediately behind each house.

Mittelpolen

Central Poland: Informal name for the central area of Poland that roughly corresponds to the area of the former Congress Poland.

Morgen

Old surface measurement that equals the area that could be plowed within one morning using one ox. In Poland there were used "Kulmische Morgen". One "Kulmischer Morgen" equals 300 "Ruten" or about 5.600 square meters.

Neu Ostpreußen

Neu East Prussia: The Prussian Province of "New East Prussia" was formed in 1795 from the areas that were assigned to Prussia during the 3. Polish division.

Rute, Quadratrute

Old surface measurement. In Poland there were used "Kulmische Ruten". One "Kulmische Quadratrute" equals 18,67 square meters.

Scharwerk-, Hand- und Spanndienste

Specified labor services that the landholder got from the inhabitants of villages under his jurisdiction. These services could be plowing, harrowing, transportation of wood or seeds and other farm work.

Schulze, Dorfschulze, Schultheiß, Schulte

Mayor of a settlement (also called Vogt). In "Hollaender" villages the Mayor was free elected and represented the jurisdiction of the village.

Streusiedlung

Form of settlement where the buildings are isolated and surrounded by the farmland. This kind of places usually don't have a recognizable village center.

Südostpreußen

South East Prussia: Informal name for the administrative district of "Zichenau" which existed between 1939 and 1945 as a part of East Prussia (and thereby part of the "Deutsches Reich"). It had been formed from parts of the Voivodship Warszawa and consisted of the "Kreise" Mackeim, Mielau, Ostenburg, Plöhnen, Praschnitz, Scharfenwiese, Schröttersburg, Sichelberg and Zichenau.

Südpreußen

South Prussia: The Prussian province of "South Prussia" was founded in 1793 after the second Polish Partition. Beside Danzig and Thorn the area acquired by Prussia covered also the Voivodships Gnesen, Posen and Kalisch.

Ukas

Imperial order in czarist Russia.

Warthegau

Was founded in 1939 as "Reichsgau Posen" and was renamed in 1940 to "Reichsgau Wartheland". It was formed from areas of the former Prussian province of Poznan that had been handed over to Poland in 1920 and bigger parts of Central Poland that had not belonged to the "Deutsches Reich" before 1919.