[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Military Parishes in Prussian Northern Poland 1772 +

[William Remus]

Al Muth wrote a very interesting message on Military Parishes in South  Prussia following the third partition of Poland so I thought I could add information on the Military records in northern Poland. 

In 1772, the first partition of Poland was made and much of northern Poland was added to Prussia. Prior to the partition only the Catholic church was allowed to exist in Poland and the Catholic church was as the state church also the keeper of baptism, marriage, and death records. Hence, if you have gone back in your family history that far, you will find your Lutheran ancestors in the Catholic records. (This law was not totally enforced so there were islands of Lutheran church availability like Konitz and Danzig).

One of the big justifications for the partition was to allow Lutherans in Poland practice their faith. So as the Prussian military presence was established in northern Poland, their chaplains were required to provide Lutheran services not only to the soldiers but also to the ordinary citizens.  So if you look at these records, you find not only births, marriages, and deaths recorded for the military but also for citizens.  

The reality was the garrisons were often far away so the Catholic rites were still used until the regular Lutheran church established it presence.  In many areas like Kreis (county) Tuchel, that presence began around 1800.

Regards Bill Remus

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William Remus 
Emeritus Professor of Information Technology Management
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