German Catholic Colonies at the Black Sea: A Bessarabian
Colony, Krasna
By Josef Malinowsky
Die Deutschen katholischen Kolonien am Schwarzen Meere: Berichte
der
Gemeindeaemter ueber Entstehung und Entwicklung dieser Kolonien
in der
ersten Haelfte des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts, herausgebeben von
Dr. J.A. Malinowsky, Ausland und Heimat Verlags-Aktiengesellschaft,
Stuttgart, Deutschland, 1927, 36 pages, photocopy. Institute Room
Germans
from Russia DK509.D38 1984 (not available on interlibrary loan).
Translation from German to English by Father Johanathan Fischer,
OSB,
St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota
Emigrating from Germany and Settling in Poland in the Years
1800-1803
The first settlers of the colony of Krasna, of the Roman Catholic
religion, were subjects of the electorate--now the kingdom--of
Bavaria in the Minker (Munich) district. In the years 1800--03,
because of the ravages of war caused by the French Revolution
many Germans left their fatherland intent on searching for a new
home in some other countries. An appeal from the king of Prussia
invited the colonists to come to the Prussian area of Poland.
Upon this invitation the present inhabitants of Krasna came into
the duchy of Warsaw where until 1814 they remained settled in
a colony not far from Warsaw.
Settling onto the present-day site
The completely devastating military campaigns of the French
against Russia which led through Poland pretty well cost the colonists
all they owned. Since they felt that this war-torn Poland could
no longer offer them protection and security for their future
the colonists accepted a timely invitation from the Russian government
to settle in Bessarabia. Proclamation of the Russian Government
from the year 1813:
I. The Russian government receives the emigrating colonists of
the Duchy of Warsaw under her special protection, and extends
to them the right to enjoy all the comforts as well as the privileges
and protections of the laws that are prescribed for native-born
Russians.
II. It will be expected of the emigrants that they concern themselves
primarily with agriculture: the planting and care of orchards
and vineyards, and in particular being concerned with silk culture.
[raising silk worms!] Whoever is qualified in these things, especially
if he can handle them all, should do them, as is fitting for a
good farmer and a new resident standing under the protection of
his monarch.
Promised Rights:
1. Freedom from all taxes and land obligations for a period
of 10 years from the day of their arrival in Russia, with the
exception of a small fee to the Bessarabian land lords.
2. Poor families will receive from the crown , by way of a 10-year
loan, 270 Rubels Banko. The others will be paid as much as their
situation demands based on the original arrangement made at the
time of arrival.
3. Each family will be allotted 60 Dess. [162 acres] as a permanent
and inheritable possession.
4. In addition, all those who have no provisions are to receive
for each soul a daily food stipend of 5 Kop. up until the first
harvest.
5. So too they and all their descendants are free once and for
all time from the military draft and the billeting of soldiers,
with one exception, namely when the military must pass through
the villages. And even this would happen only briefly, as for
an overnight or for a rest day.
6. Further, the colonists are free to build churches according
to their own religions, have clerics, and to observe their own
religious customs.
7. After the passage of the 10 years following their arrival
in Russia another 10 years shall be designated, during which period
all those funds which were received from the crown by way of a
loan must be paid back. Following this proclamation, in 1814 the
above mentioned settlers, 133 families in poor and pressing circumstances,
joyfully looking forward to a better future, left their Polish
settlements of Orschokowin and Schitonia. They were under the
leadership of Matthias Mueller and Peter Becker, some of them
traveling on their own miserable carts, some on rented wagons
and many others came on foot. When they had crossed the Russian
border at Utschiluk they were given quarters in some Moldavian
villages. Many also found places in Kitschinew. A large number
of them remained in Vender from September 1814 till June of 1815,
and some till the spring of 1816.
The Settling of Krasna 1815-1816
Upon official orders 90 of the families moved to the place designated
for the settlement in the Kugelnik valley. The other 43 families
followed them there in the spring of 1816. The Steppe-prairie
they were about to settle was overgrown with high grass and "Burian",
devoid of all human habitats. The land was leased out to three
Bulgarians named Iskro, Loto and Karpp. (Every now and then there
was also a carpenter to be found.) Each settler received the required
wood for building a house: four corner beams, doors, a window
and a piece of lumber for a bench along with 8 Rubels "Banco".
Whatever else was needed had to be provided for by the settlers
themselves. As household equipment each complete family received
a wooden wagon, for the repair and upkeep of which, a year later,
they were provided with some iron. They also received a harrow,
2 scythes, 2 sickles, one iron shovel, one hoe, one whetstone
and a few other smaller tools. By way of draft animals each family
got a pair of steers (oxen) and a cow. For seeding they received
4 Tschetwert [about 2.9 bushels] wheat and 2 Tschetwert potatoes
[about 1.5 bushels]. In addition, for a period of one and a half
years each soul received monthly one Pud flour from the storehouse
in Tarutino. And now although on the one hand the Russian government
was laying out millions [of Rubels] in advance to provide support
for the colonists, so on the other hand they were very often being
cheated by the suppliers, especially by a certain Pollners [This
seems to be a proper name, not a crack at the Poles]. The provided
cattle were often very skinny, the tools and equipment very poorly
made, the flour spoiled and the promised 5 Kopek daily stipend
was hardly ever received. For these reasons, to keep their families
from starving, the settlers were forced to hire themselves out
as day laborers. Because of the scarcity of draft animals the
agriculture was very poorly carried out. Sometimes 2 or 3 would
team together in order to get their acres plowed. Many just loosened
the ground with the hoe and planted their bit of seed. At the
beginning the colony was called "Elisabeta" and then
"Konstantinschutz". Later, following orders from the
highest authority, the village was named Krasna.
Splitting up the Krasna Colony and Why - In the Year 1825
Among the 133 families that settled in Krasna were 19 Lutheran
[Evangelische] families. Now, since both the Catholics as well
as the Protestants had their own specific holy days and religious
customs there arose during the nine years they lived together,
if not exactly fighting and hatred, at least a certain amount
of friction. For that reason the community agreed to petition
the higher authorities that the Lutheran families be allowed to
move to the recently established colony of Katzbach. The petition
was granted in 1825.
Description of the Valley and the Environs of the Colony
The river Kugelnik flows from the east towards the south. The
village, situated in the middle of the valley, is made up of two
rows of houses. Krasna lies at a distance of 100 Werst [c. 66.3
miles] from the government city of Kischenew, 90 W. [60 miles]
from Akkermann and 90 W. from Ismail. Early on most of the houses
were 'gestampft' [most likely made of sod]; there were also a
few made of air dried bricks [probably like adobe] and roofed
with 'Rohr' [The word means pipe, tube or reed. Clay pipe (half
pipe) might not have been available. Perhaps it is another word
for Strohdecke or thatch .] On both sides of the village, back
behind the yards, orchards were planted. In 1818 48 householders
planted vineyards on a slope one Werst [c. one half mile] from
the village, and these soon proved to be very profitable. Another
56 householders planted their vineyards on the other side of the
village, each of them nursing along 1500 grapevines. By the year
1847 there was already a rich wine [grape] harvest. In 1818 a
stone church was built and roofed with 'Rohr' [again, perhaps
clay half pipe or thatch]. The parish house was built out of sod
and stands 8 'Faden' from the church. In 1836 a pretty little
school house was built in the center of the village. In 1844,
not far from the schoolhouse, they built a commodity storage house
of stone with a tile roof ['Rohr'!]. The total amount of land
occupied by the colony of Krasna amounted to 6688 Dess. and 844
Faden [about 18,060 acres]. The land surface of the colony is
crisscrossed by several lakes and valleys. The soil in the valley
is 2 feet of black top soil; then comes a nitrous layer. On the
slopes there is also two feet of black soil but it is mixed with
sand. The soil produces good winter wheat, rye, oats, barley,
millet, corn (maize), legumes and potatoes. Types of grasses present
are: Schmellen, vetch, melilot, hairgrass, Zwecken and others.
Artificial feed plants had not yet been introduced.
Happenings:
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1827 the colonists experienced
troop billeting and had to provide lots of transport . [It's not
clear if they thus lost their wagons.]
Crop failures occurred in 1830, '32, '33, '34 : years when they
could harvest hardly enough for seed.
Field mice caused great damage in the years 1822, '23 and '24.
Locust infestations occurred in 1825, '26, '27, '36 and '47.
Hail stones caused the community much damage in 1843.
Cattle epidemics took place in the years of 1827, '34, '39 and
'44.
Horse epidemics came in 1847 and '48.
The colony is grateful for its welfare not only to God and the
government but also to the industriousness in the cultivation
of land, vines and animals. But especially appreciated are the
women and girls who work in the winter: spinning wool and flax
and making cloth and a variety of blankets (at 6 K. a piece).
Mayor Mueller
1st Assessor Soehn
2nd Assessor Bonakowsky
School teacher Caspar Matery
