The Macz: The land of our ancestors

Genealogists have traced the roots of our Maczkowiack and Herrman families to the German-Lutheran emigrations from former Prussia during the 1840’s. Therefore, when we realised that our Great Trip would take us through these areas, we were keen to take a look.

We had prepared for this experience prior to our own embarkation in March, calling in to have a chat with a Mr Howard Thiele (Adelaide), principal author of a book tracing the history of the Maczkowiacks in Australia. Howard supplied us with lots of information, and more importantly, with contact details of key people in the town of Nekla. The key person is a Mr Jerzy Osypiuk (whose first name translates to Yurek or George), a keen, expert, and published historian, and his son Lukasz. George had provided Howard with the detailed information used in the ‘Maczkowiack’ book (and the family tree books of many other emigrant families of the period). Howard also contacted George on our behalf, asking him to be of assistance to us if possible. We were in touch with George and Lukasz in the weeks leading up to our arrival, and they were keen to make our visit meaningful and wonderful.

George Osypiuk with a teacher at the school we visited

Lucasz Osypiuk

So it was that on Thursday afternoon, 2^nd October, we arrived at Nekla, checked into the local hotel for a few nights, and later met Lukasz, George and his wife Christina. Together they described the itinerary they had prepared for us – visits to several cemeteries, churches and villages, as well as other places of general tourism interest. They also invited us to spend the Saturday night with them as guests in their house. Thus George and Lukasz became our personal expert tour guides and hosts for the next two days. We were very grateful to them for bringing the whole of the emigration tale to us with energy, warmth and expert knowledge. Without their input we could have driven around seeking in vain a cemetery here, a church there, ignorant of their significance in the lives of the ancestors.

The Osypiuk family were fully conversant with our genealogy – and in particular, of one Anton Maczkowiack, Bob’s great-grandfather. George and Lukasz escorted us to a series of relevant historic sites – the church where Anton had been baptised, the location of the farming area where he was brought up, his wife’s family homestead (still standing).

The church where Anton was baptised. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Bob and Anne inside the church where Anton Maczkowiack (1817 - 1899) was baptised. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

It is understood that Anton was raised on a farm at or near this location

Exterior of church near the location of the farm. This is no longer used for worship but is now owned privately and been restored for public events. Without such restoration old churches fall into ruin. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Interior of the church building. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

At the family home of Bob's great-grandmother. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

The Neckla region contains various cemeteries where the Old Lutherans were laid to rest. Some headstones still had legible inscriptions. All the cemeteries had been neglected until the past ten to twenty years, when George initiated community interest in their restoration. The local council now maintains most of these cemeteries, and has erected explanatory plaques.

Well-maintained cemetery plots

Happy descendants and Lucasz Osypiuk at an Old Lutheran cemetery. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Remnant of a memorial cross at a cemetery. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Cemeteries being overtaken by forest. These were cleared some years ago but without regular upkeep the forest soon takes over. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

A well-maintained cemetery plot and interpretive plaque. Local guide material lists visits to the cemeteries as one of the attractions of the area.

Commemorative plaque at the Herbig family cemetery. South Australian readers may recognise the "Herbig Tree". Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Nekla landscape. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

George also arranged for us to speak to group of fifty school children about our family history, our lives in Australia, and our trip. The children’s school is adjacent to one of the historic cemeteries, and there is some interest in making the cemetery's upkeep a school project, thus honouring our forebears.

Speaking to students through the interpretation of their English teacher. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

Student of the school. Photo by Jerzy Osypiuk

During our conversations, we were surprised many times to discover connections and coincidences – e.g. that our niece Debra White had also visited the Osypiuks (2011); discovering that from all of Anton’s numerous descendants, I was actually raised on Anton’s original farm at Birdwood, and that my brother now owns the same farm. Furthermore, that my brother had married a descendant of the Herbig forebears (with whose ancestory George is also familiar).

George was also familiar with Anne’s ’Herrman’ genealogy, and possesses a copy of the Herrman family history book (complete with an early photo of Anne).and her great grandfather's birth certificate.

Thanks to George and Lukasz, our passing interest in events of 175 years ago grew into a fascination with the general history of Poland, ethnic German migrations into and out of the Nekla region, and in particular, enthusiasm regarding our family roots. If you wish to explore more of your own family’s German-Polish-Lutheran roots, we would strongly advise you to contact Lukasz and his father via their web-site http://www.beactivetour.com/oferta.html Also, be sure to contact us for several other key web-sites or just for a chat.

If you consider a trip to this area of Poland, we would really recommend staying a night or two at a BNB house we visited, a restored, 18^th / 19^th century German house http://blog.chata-olenderska.pl/p/kontakt.html , or at a real, swanky Manor house http://www.podstolice.pl/ , both in the Nekla region.