Rozewo, an important point of Mennonite trips (Mennonite Trail)

Różewo - Rosenort

It is hard to believe today, but the former Rozewo was a vibrant village a few centuries ago, and a significant part of its inhabitants were Mennonites. Rosenort, that was the original name of the village, was the seat of the commune of the followers of Menno Simons’ doctrine. Initially, services were held, as was the case with other communities, in private homes or farm buildings. The situation changed in 1754, when the Mennonites received permission to build their own temple and establish a cemetery. The wooden house of prayer was built a year later. Although it burned down in the early XIXth century, it survived until the end of World War II when it was rebuilt. Today, only the foundations remain.

The Mennonite community in Rozewo was one of the largest in the Low Lands. In 1787, it had over 1,800 members, and included, among others, Mennonite residents of Myszewo and Kmiecin. It should be noted, however, that many members of the community in Rozewo were not among the wealthiest people. Therefore, in search of a better life, they decided to emigrate deep into the Russian Empire. Many dangers and problems awaited those leaving their Low Land homeland.

Cornelius Warkentin

One of them was the organization of religious life. The person who undertook to solve this problem was the elder of the Mennonite community in Rozewo was Cornelius Warkentin. Not only did he take part in an expedition of one of the groups to the Chortycia district (in today’s Ukraine) in 1794, but he also organized the local church. After returning to the Low Lands, Warkentin continued to provide service and tried to support not only his native community, but also those who emigrated. In 1804, he received a gold medal from Tsar Alexander I for his services in colonization. He died in 1809 and was buried in the cemetery in Rozewo.

His tombstone has survived to this day, and in recent years, thanks to the efforts of Mennonitischer Arbeitskreis Polen and the Association in Nowy Dwor Gdanski, it has been renovated. Even before World War II, Warkentin’s burial site was surrounded by great respect. On the 100th anniversary of the first expedition to Russia, the Mennonite community placed a special commemorative plaque on the reverse of the tombstone, praising his services. Even today, this place is an important point of Mennonite trips to the Low Lands.

Poczytaj również

• Cerkiew pw. św. Mikołaja w Żelichowie -Pomorskie nioczywiste
• Loitzowie w Nowym Dworze Gdańskim – Pomorskie nioczywiste
• Lubieszewo żuławskie Detroit – Pomorskie nioczywiste
• „Zbożowiec”, „Starówka” i rodzina Stobbe – Pomorskie nieoczywiste