Slownik Geograficzny Entry Zlotowo #1

Hello,

I have taken the entry below from the PolishRoots.org website, you can access the webpage directly through this link: http://www.polishroots.org/slownik/zlotowo.htm. The original source for this information is: Slownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego – Warsaw [1895, vol. 14, pp.646-647, 648]. This gives excellent background information on the area that my Kobs ancestors came from.

Slownik Geograficzny Entry
Zlotowo
1) Zlotowo, named in documents from the year 1370 Vulutovum, Welatowo, Zlothaue, in the XV century known as Majus Zlothkowo, in 1491 as Slothowo, in the XVIII century as Flotho, Flatow and in German as Flatow. It is a county town in western Prussia lying 53° 21’ latitude and 34° 43’ east longitude. 9 miles west of Bydgoszcz and 5 miles south of Chojnic. It has a rail station on the eastern line between Tczew and Pila. It is picturesquely situated between three lakes, one of which is called Baba (old woman). The river Glumia, a tributary of the Glda, meanders through these lakes. The soil is sandy and, in places, clayish. The main occupations are farming, small businesses and trades, especially coopering. There is a Landrat, county savings bank, recruitment and cadastre offices, county court, post and 2nd. class telegraph office, a 7-class school (in 1887 had 344 pupils) and a 5-class public school (in 1887 had 345 pupils). The town and surrounds cover 2500 hectares (1772 agricultural, 264 meadow, 10 forest).
In 1885 there were 405 houses, 798 homes, 3880 people, 1389 Catholics, 2046 Protestants and 445 Jews. In 1892 it was noted that 307 families kept livestock, namely: 249 horses, 577 heads of cattle, 1295 sheep, 631 pigs, 150 goats and 115 bee-hives.
We do not have detailed information about the beginnings of Zlotow. Excavated box coffins and urns show that the area had been settled for a very long, long time.
The city is first mentioned in 1370. A fortified castle existed here much earlier. It stood by the lake, on a man-made hill, which is today covered by oak trees. At the beginning of XVII century the Potulicki family built a new castle on the island, not far from the Catholic church. In 1657, the Swedes captured it and the occasion is depicted and described in Puffendorf’s work (IV, 294) “Flatow, Pommerelliae arx, difficillimi accessus, 400 militum praesidiomunita, post 24 horarum obsidionem a Serenissimo Rege Sueciae expugnatur 28 Jun. 1657. The present day castle is from more recent times. The original town charter has completely vanished but it is known that the town could hold markets as far back as 1532. The first known charter of 44 “wloka” (measure of land) and more, based on German law, was bestowed on the town by Karol Grudzinski in 1665. The rental fee for these lands and two hens were due on St. Martin’s Day. The townspeople also had to do their share of duty-work on the land. Those without land had to pay 12 grosz for their property. The manor collected three pennies from the stalls belonging to drapers, butchers, bakers and merchants. Every citizen had the right to brew 8 bushels of barley annually (Kalisz measure) but the manor received half a bucket. Whoever brewed more, had the malt confiscated. Apart from that, the town received a large tract on the road to Swieto and stretching up to lake Losionki. The mayor and council received the low-lying lands between the lakes Baba and Babiczyn. The town received its second charter, reinforcing all previous laws, from Augustyn Dzialynski, the Nakiel starost in 1736. In 1619, Jan Potulicki was the owner of Zlotowo followed by Zygmunt Grudzinski in 1642 and then by Andrzej Karol Grudzinski (owner of Falmierowo) in 1650. In 1688, Maciej Dzialynski owned the town and in 1783, the owner was von Fahrenheid, an army advisor. Then came Komierowski in 1805. From 1820 onwards, the town became part of the crown property of the Prussian kings in the following order: Fryderyk Wilhelm III, Wilhelm I, Prince Karol and presently Prince Leopold, son of Prince Fryderyk Karol.
Around 1674, almost the whole town was gutted by fire so that a mere 5 houses remained. On 29 -30 April 1801, another fire visited the town and burned down 26 houses and again on 01 October, when 69 more were destroyed. The town suffered severe losses in the years 1802, 1803 and 1804. The government granted monies for the rebuilding of homes but insisted the roofs be tiled.
In 1766, the town had a population of 890; 411 Catholics and 473 non-Catholics.
In 1783, there were 291 houses and 1597 inhabitants (around 600 Protestants, 300 Catholics, 714 Jews). There were 31 empty homes.
In 1804, there were 1814 people, 1058 Christians, 756 Jews and 162 homes.
In 1826, 1932 people and 206 homes.
In 1853, 2772 people (742 Catholics, 1421 Protestants, 609 Jews)
In 1861, 3154 people (927 Catholics, 1648 Protestants, 579 Jews)
In 1864, 3172 people (993 Catholics, 1631 Protestants, 535 Jews, 11 non-conformists).
The Hube family, which produced a number of well-known and talented lawyers, came from Zlotowo. Father Jozef Hube, a member of the Community of the Resurrection recently died in Rome.
No one knows when the parish church was founded. In 1619, Jan Potulicki from Potulic grants the church 6 old and 3 new wloka, which goes to show that the parish must have been in existence longer. During the second Swedish war in 1657, the church was razed to the ground. It was not until 1664 that Andrzej Grudzinski had the present day church built in brick. This Church of the Assumption of Our Lady was consecrated in 1669. The patronage rights were held by the heir to the royal estate. The priest’s lands covered 695.10 morgs. The sacristy is adjacent to the presbytery and two chapels with cupolas adjoin the elongated aisle. A steeple adorns the roof. Apparently, there used to be a brick tower in front of the church but it was dismantled. Today, bells hang in the wooden bell tower. There are 5 altars. Worth mentioning, is the painting depicting the coronation of Our Lady in the main altar. The paintings depicting the Way of the Cross were presented in 1885 for 1400 marks. Amongst some of the relics preserved is a crucifix embossed with mother-of-pearl and a richly embroidered ornate. The embroidered coat of arms and initials M.G.W.P.S. indicate that this was a gift from Maria Grudzinska nee Swiecicka, wife of the Posen voivode and Sredz starosta. In the crypts of the Zlotow church lie the remains of members of well-known Wielkopolska (a region of Poland) dynasties: Potulicki, Grudzinski and Dzialynski
Next to the church there has been a hospice housing 5 poor people and the Brotherhood of Sobriety, since 1859.
Outside the town, stands the timber church of St. Roch, which is under the town’s patronage. It probably dates back to last century. The parish (Kamienski deanery) is composed of the following: Zlotowo, Swirte, Stawnica, Blekwit, Kielpin, Klukowo, Dzierzazno, Smierdowo, Kujan, Nowiny and Wasosz. In 1866, there were 2748 parishioners and 3382 in 1895. The Protestant parish has been in existence since 1642. During the pest many people died and, in order to repopulate the area, Protestants from Lobzenica were resettled here. The heir in 1642, Zygmunt Grudyinski, gave his permission for the erection of the Protestant church. However, the Lutherans probably dismantled it in 1721 and so many moved to Pomerania. At the request of the Lutheran population, King Fryderyk II reinstated the church, in 1773 and in 1776 the heir Dzialynski also gave his permission. A new church was built in 1779 and was followed by a brick-built one in 1830. The Jewish parish was granted its first privilege by the Archibishop of Gniezno in 1690 and the second by Augustyn Dzialynski, the Nakiel starosta, in 1736.

Best Regards,
Al.