The Lutheran parish of Sierpc

Name:

Sierpc / Sichelberg

Location:

32 km north of Płock

Established:

1837

Pastors:

Gottlieb Rosenthal (1837-1863),

Vacancy (1863-1897),

Gustav Tochtermann (1897-1904),

Vacancy (1904-1925),

Alexander Paschke (1925-1938),

History:

The majority of the Sierpc parish members lived in about 100 villages with German inhabitants in the area around Sierpc. In Sierpc there were only very few German families.

The German settlements around Sierpc mainly developed after members of the Polish nobility sold off parts of their estates in that area. For instance the landowner of the estates Ossówka and Gzdy in 1845 sold parts of her land to settlers from the area of Gostynin.

The parish of Sierpc has been established in 1837. The villages of Boguchwała und Michałkowo were 'Kantorate'. In Sierpc there was only a cemetery, which had to be closed in 1840 because it was already full. In 1853 Boguchwała built a prayer house with a schoolroom and living quarters for the teacher and his family.

Not until 1913 a church was consecrated in Sierpc. Boguchwała had it's own chapel.

During WW I four communities of the Sierpc area were deported to Russia.

Former Lutheran church of Sierpc - Photo by: Jutta Dennerlein, 2005

Entrance of the now Catholic church - Photo by: Jutta Dennerlein, 2005

Church interior - Photo by: Jutta Dennerlein, 2005

Sources:

Eduard Kneifel: Die evangelisch-augsburgischen Gemeinden in Polen 1555-1939