Elbing Damals

10 Comments

1. irina pivtchev
   Aug 08, 2010 @ 07:28:54

   very nice – great to see the past

2. Mark Rabideau
   Aug 18, 2010 @ 10:22:40

   Hi Irina

   I’m glad you enjoy the pictures. If you have others you’d like to share I am happy to place them here.

   …mark

3. Karin Bock
   Feb 11, 2011 @ 09:48:24

   Wow – wonderful photos of “damals”.

   Awesome cathedrals! In particular I was captivated by the photos of St. Annen and Heilige Leichnam 1, which relate to Ellerwald, 2 Trift and Ellerwald, 4 Trift respectively in the 1811 Census of Mennonites in the Elbing Territory. My question is would these two cathedrals in Elbing (city, I presume) be the same as the ones in Elbing Territory?

   Thanks again,
   Karin

4. Mark Rabideau
   Feb 11, 2011 @ 11:38:41

   Hello Karin,
   Assuming by Territory you mean Kreis Elbing (more closely translated to Elbing County) then these were the Sankt Ahnen & Heilige Leichnam churches. Both were destroyed in WW2.
   …mark

5. DR FRED COTTRELL JR
   Mar 21, 2011 @ 13:50:56

   I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO VISIT THE AREA IN THE NEAR FUTURE …. FRED C.

6. William Schultz
   Jan 02, 2012 @ 13:58:32

   I have seen the Rabideau commentary on Kr.Heydekrug, OPr.
   My g.grdfather SCHUETZ was b.1831 Laugallen, Kr.Heydekrug,
   moved to Danzig c1855 and California 1890.

   Good luck,
   Wm Schultz, California

7. Katherine Czaykowska
   Jan 22, 2012 @ 06:05:42

   A little remark on the information. Elbing was a town in East Prussia (not West Prussia – Gdansk – Danzig was in West Prussia).
   Besides – it is becoming more and more beautiful. Unfortunately – the war (Soviet) destruction and post war neglection of the Old Town made it be one of the “emptiest” towns in Poland. Now however after more than 20 years’ archaeological research of the center – we know more and more about its granddeur in the past times. It was the main town of the Teutonic State – it was the capital untill Malbork became the main site of power. More – Elbing was one of the big English collonies, as here Elisabeth I of England settled her Eastland Company. Well, there is so much to see here – even though the Soviet Army nearly thoroughly destroyed the place. Every year I come here with my Menninite guests, to admnire how the house of Jost van Kampen was restored, and how the “retroversion” is going on… My family came to Elbing in the beginning of the 16th century – so no wonder I love the place so much:)

8. Mark Rabideau
   Jan 22, 2012 @ 06:58:52

   Hi Katherine. Thank you for the note. As for the location of Elbing, over the years it was classified as both East Prussia and West Prussia (and as you point out today it is totally classed by the current Polish owners yet differently again- I believe its province name has changed under their ownership, at least, twice since WW2). I personally choose the West Prussia location ‘label’ because that is the classification accepted by the LDS Church on FamilySearch (see: http://tinyurl.com/7gpcayd ) where I access almost all the wedding, birth, death records I have come to rely upon. But as you may have noted, on ManyRoads you will see it labeled as both East & West-Prussia (depending upon when the information was authored and whether or not I have decided to edit & change the label. ATB. …mark

9. Ellen baron
   Nov 11, 2012 @ 02:18:03

   Thank you for sharing these. I took my dad to visit Elbing, his birthplace in 2009. He had not been in germany for 60 years let alone prussia. After a 4 hr train journey from gdansk, we spent 30 mins before (I expect) a PTSD episode hit him and we had to leave. We hadn’t left the station area, and missed out on getting to see the town centre. He never has spoken about any of this so showing him photos of the past without war damage is really great for him. Thanks again for the effort. Ellen

10. Mark Rabideau
    Nov 11, 2012 @ 07:00:20

    I am glad the images help. I understand. My mother could never make the trip back “home”.