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Wooden homestead architecture in nizina sartowicko-nowska in the light of social and economic transformation

The main factor influencing the development of colonisation is economy. It shapes the development of village and architecture. Its state is conditioned by the political and systemic situation of a given area.
The discussed period of the 19th century brings radical changes to the countryside. The use of new cultivation techniques and mostly the enfranchisement of peasants had a decisive influence on the character of the architecture of this period.
In case of Nizina Sartowicko-Nowska we should take into consideration not only the economic situation of this region, but also the resulting social differentiation manifesting itself in nationalistic and religious differences.
To start such considerations, first we have to draw conclusions from the chapter on the architecture. On the basis of the gathered material, its classification and determination of periods when different elements occurred, we can define the construction time of different houses. In some cases we can determine the year but mainly we can date it to a quarter of the century (Table 1)[1].
Of 68 sites three date from the first quarter of the 19th century. All have the form of a joint linear homestead (Langhof). The only problem is caused by Krusze 6, different elements of which indicate different periods of construction[2].
Eight homesteads are known to date from the second quarter of the 19th century. The dispersed type appears, although the joint linear type still dominates. From the mid-century five cottages of each type of joint homestead are preserved: linear, corner and dispersed.
The largest number of twenty two houses is known to date from the third quarter of the century. The difference in the homestead type is only slight. Buildings start having varied detail, referring not only to Classicistic patterns.
Nine sites originate from the turn of the seventies and eighties of the 19th century. Only one is connected with the farm section.
Singular homesteads having rich ornaments no longer look like rural cottages but rather like suburban houses.
Ten homesteads from the 4th quarter of the 19th century have survived. Three are connected with the farm section. However certain differentiation appears - next to very large sites smaller houses occur, where the spatial layout is much simplified.
Nizina Sartowicko-Nowska, from the times of the Mennonite colonisation, constituted an area of intensified agricultural economy. It was inhabited mainly free peasants paying the rent (emphyteusis). Farms were always bigger here than in the rest of the country[3].
The oldest preserved homesteads date from the enfranchisement period[4].
The largest homesteads in the first half of the century belonged to the Mennonites, probably not yet enfranchised (Mątawy 28 and 54). It is the proof of their high position, considering the unfavourable position of the Prussian government[5]. One of these sites is the oldest preserved example of a dispersed homestead[6]. The majority of sites are joint, linear homesteads with small section for animals. Probably part of their owners did not own their land. It had to belong to agricultural workers in manors and larger farms. The largest number in this area was constituted by the Poles[7].
A large number of preserved buildings date from the third quarter of the century. It was due to the development of agriculture (mostly enfranchised). The passage to new multi-field system increased the productivity of farms. Linear homesteads started having developed farm section that in the majority of cases was built of brick.

PERIOD

JOINT LINEAR HOMESTEAD

DISPERSED HOMESTEAD

CORNER JOINT HOMESTEAD

1st quarter of the 19th century

      
 

MICHALE 68

    
 

NOWE NAD WISŁĄ,        

UL. RYBAKI 9

    
 

WIELKI KOMÓRSK,     

 UL. GRUDZIĄDZKA 28

    
       

2nd quarter of the 19th century

DOLNA GRUPA 3

WIELKI LUBIEŃ 45

  
 

DOLNA GRUPA 81

WIELKI LUBIEŃ 78

  
 

MATAWY 54

    

 

DOLNA GRUPA 12

MĄTAWY 28

BRATWIN 39

 

 

 

  

c.a. mid-19th century

BZOWO 92

MICHALE 133(?)

KRUSZE 4

 

DRAGACZ 37

TRYL 38(?)

 

 

NOWE MARZY 11(?)

MICHALE 69

 

 

NOWE MARZY 5(?)

WIELKI LUBIEŃ 74

 

 

WIELKI LUBIEŃ 48

KRUSZE 3

 

 

 

 

 

3rd quarter of the 19th century

FLETNOWO 30

BRATWIN 21 (?)

 

 

KRUSZE 39

WIEKL KOMÓRSK,  

UL. NOWSKA 16

 

MATAWY 33

NOWE NAD WISŁĄ,    

UL. RYBAKI 1 (?)

 

MĄTAWY 27

DRAGACZ 56 (?)

 

 

MICHALE 9

DRAGACZ 58

 

 

NOWE MARZY 6(?)

DRAGACZ 53

 

 

OSIEK 5

GÓRNA GRUPA 54

 

 

TRYL 12

BRATWIN 38

 

 

TRYL 45

MATAWY 35

 

 

WIELKI LUBIEŃ 47

WIELKIE STWOLNO 55

 

 

 

NOWE NAD WISŁĄ 

UL. RYBAKI 5 (?)

 

 

 

MAŁE STOLNO 59

 
     

 

Turn of the 3rd and 4th quarter of the 19th century

DRAGACZ 42

MĄTAWY 63

 
   

NOWE NAD WISŁĄ, UL KWIATOWA 6

 
   

WIELKIE ZAJĄCZKOWO 33

 
   

WIELKIE STWOLNO 46

 
   

NOWE NAD WISŁĄ, UL. RYBAKI 10

  
   

MĄTAWY 52

  
   

DRAGACZ 117

  
   

OSIEK 3

 
       

4th quarter of the 19th century

MICHALE 65

NOWE NAD WISŁĄ, UL. WIŚLANA 13

  
 

TRYL 40

WIELKIE STWOLNO 29

  
 

WĄSKIE PIASKI 68

WIELKI KOMÓRSK, UL. GRUDZIĄDZKA 17

  

 

 

MĄTAWY 32

OSIEK 2

  
   

DRAGACZ 47

  
   

OSIEK 11

  
   

WIELKI KOMÓRSK,

UL. NOWSKA 5

  

Table 1. Types of homesteads in the 19th century (by the author)

The next visible development of agriculture falls on the nineties of the 19th century. It manifests itself by creation of many large homesteads, richly ornamented and mostly dispersed[8]. Its domination remains till the end of the seventies. One of the reasons to separate the farm section was probably the increase of animal husbandry and introduction of new production plants[9]. It rather was not the question of fire protection[10].
Was this tendency enhanced, besides economic reasons, by the willingness of free, rich peasants to increase their social status and identify themselves with a more respected stratum of townspeople? It could be indicated by the development of brick construction at the beginning of the 19th century. It had the character of typical suburban houses and not peasant cottages.
The territory of Nizina was characterised by medium-size peasant farms. The level of life of peasants in Nizina differed considerably from that of peasants in other regions of the country[11].
At the beginning of the century a typical joint linear layout dominates in the Olęder architecture. The economic revival in the second half of the century manifests itself in the development of farm sections. From the eighties the dispersed type prevails, often having a more decorative ornamentation. The owners of the most eminent farms over the entire century are the Mennonites and the German Protestants.

[1] Sites where the state of preservation of original elements is low or they were seriously modernised do not allow clear dating. In such case there is a question mark next to such homestead.
[2] According to the unconfirmed sources (oral information from the inhabitants) on the rafter there was a date - 1727. Unfortunately we did not manage to localise it. Early origins are confirmed by corner-notched walls and spatial layout. The preserved woodwork dates from the second quarter of the 19th century. Assembly marks on logs (and different marks on the roof frame) suggest that it was transferred, at which occasion the woodwork could have been replaced. This detailed description results from the fact that it is probably the oldest preserved site in Nizina Sartowicko-Nowska, the only one dating from the 18th century. There are more known from the iconography. Compare: H. Wiebe, op. cit., p. 15, 27.
[3] One of reasons for such state was the heritage custom of the colonists. The homestead was transferred always to one heir, sometimes even when the parents still lived. Compare: Z. Ludkiewicz, op. cit., p. 70-72.
[4] The Prussian government introduced it in 1807. In practice the enfranchisement process lasted for the entire first half of the century and in case of the Mennonites even longer (till the eighties of the 19th century). They were the least numerous group at this time, but still they were the richest.
[5] According to Z. Ludkiewicz the Mennonites lived on the level of manor owners. Part of their families lived in cities, and they constituted a stratum of intelligentsia. Compare: Z. Ludkiewicz, op. cit., p. 60.
[6] The division of different sections was inspired by fire policy and agriculture development
[7] Ibidem, p. 61.
[8] The good economic situation is confirmed not only by houses themselves but also by their furnishings. In the homestead Wielkie Zajączkowo 33 on the walls of the representative room two painted landscapes have survived. Many sites have decorative stairs bars and in Michale 68 there is a decorative tile stove.
[9] The increase of the market for cattle and slaughter cattle occurred in the mid-century. It was related to the development of railways. The development of feeding and root crops was probably caused by the development of distillery industry and creation of a sugar factory in Świecie in the eighties of the 19th century.
[10] It referred rather to the barn, built always of wood in the timber frame structure; the animal section was usually made of brick.
[11] It was manifested by the number of rooms per one inhabitant. In the area of Nizina there were 6,7 persons per one house. The majority of them have two or three rooms (none of the catalogued sites is a single-room site), what gives the number of 2 inhabitants per room. Compare: Z. Ludkiewicz, op. cit., p. 67.

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