Prussian linear villages of the Lodz surroundings and their inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century

Odszukane w zbiorach Gabinetu Rycin Biblioteki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego rękopiśmienne plany wsi („kolonii”) założonych w latach 1799–1802 przez władze pruskie w okolicach Łodzi, stały się zachętą do przybliżenia ich historii. Na podstawie źródeł archiwalnych i literatury zrekonstruowano trudne początki gospodarowania sprowadzonych do nich osadników z głębi Niemiec. Scharakteryzowano przesłanki i omówiono czynniki pozwalające omawianym wsiom zachować układ przestrzenny oraz odrębność kulturową mieszkańców.Within 1799–1802 Prussian authorities created in the South Prussia province several villages inhabited with peasants brought from Schwaben. All of them were located in woodland and were to be reclaimed by the coming people. There are maps and plans preserved showing five of the villages hence it enabled more detailed description. All the villages, called colonies, had a linear and regular housing scheme. The amount of land given to the particular peasant was determined by his wealth. The area of the biggest farmlands was not bigger than 4 łan (67 h). Yet the most common were farmlands covering 5–15 h. All of the villages received help from the Prussian administrative offices and were given livestock, tools and seeds. After six years free of any chargé, settlers were obliged to pay rent. The expenses on forming the villages were never reimbursed since the South Prussia became a part of the Duchy of Warsaw and after 1815 a part of Polish Kingdom. The inhabitants preserved their cultural autonomy till 1945y. They were Lutherans and spoke Schwaben dialect difficult to understand even for other German settlers