This is a commissioned essay by Mennonite historians John Roth and Steve Nolt for a special issue of the Missionary Church historical journal, Reflections, for which I serve as editor in chief. The issue is devoted to the five traditions of the Missionary Church: Anabaptism, Pietism, Wesleyanism, Keswikianism, and evangelicalism.

Olęder settlement in Wieleń region

The beginnings of the Olęder settlement on Polish lands date back to the first half of the sixteenth century, when scores of migrants from the Netherlands began arriving on the land of Żuławy and the Lower Vistula Valley. They were induced to leave their homeland because of persecution for religious reasons - most of them were Mennonites, members of a Protestant church fought both by Catholics and
other Protestant denominations.
On the Polish lands they were greeted very willingly. At that time, Polish grain was in an excellent economic situation, and their specialized skills of managing on wetlands made them desirable partners for those landowners who wanted to increase profits from grain trading. The creation of the first Olęder villages in Żuławy in the middle of the sixteenth century turned out to be a great success. This caused
that within few decades the Olęders were settled also beyond the delta of the Vistula River. This led to the emergence of a new group of rural population, distinguished not only by their origen and profession, but also by a separate legal and economic situation.
Villages established in Wieleń properties before the early seventeenth century were located in the higher, forested areas at some distance from the river Noteć, which marshy valley was not conducive to settlers. Effective functioning of the settlement in the swampy, flood plain area required specific skills. These were brought only with the Dutch, who by the Gdansk area came over Notec.
The first Olęder settlement in Greater Poland was established in 1597 in Ługi Ujskie in the Ujsko-Pilskie County. Shortly later, in 1601, Jan Czarnkowski, owner of the Wieleń properties approved the establishment of the village by ten settlers “of the Dutch nation”. This settlement in the second decade of the seventeenth century was named Nowe Dwory (Neuhofen). A little later there were placed next Olęder villages: Marianowo (Mariendorf), Folsztyn (Follstein) and Herburtowo (Ehrbardorf).These villages soon gained the name the Great (Wielkie) or Upper (Górne) (Nowe Dwory and Folsztyn) and Small (Małe) or Lower (Dolne) (Marianowo and Herburtowo) Olęder.
In the second half of the seventeenth century the Olęder colonization on the lands of Wieleń came to a standstill for some time. Its renaissance occurs with the transition of wealth in the hands of the Sapieha family. Then, apart from the northern part of the property, it covered areas located to the south of Notec. Jan Kazimierz Sapieha founded Olędry Sapieżyńskie, later called Łokacz. The next Sapiehas founded five Olęder colonies: Kałądek (1714), Huta Szklana (1716), Wizany (1718),
Kwiejce Nowe (1740), Bronice (1753), and on the Prussian maps drawn up in the late eighteenth century as Olędry (Hollander, Haullander) were marked also Lubcz Wielki and Lubcz Mały.
Foundation documents of the Olęder villages contain many common features that make up legal specificities of the settlement. On one hand they arise from referring to the general model of Olęder settlement, on other hand to the solutions of the estate owner. Consequently, they guaranteed the settlers freedom of their religion.
Olęders, which was not so frequent, had their personal freedom. It was expressed in the right to sale and leave the farm at any time, subject to the obligation to find a replacement for the place.
A distinctive privilege for Olęder communities was also the temporal lease of the land. All contracts granted to Olęders from the Notec area the right to self-government and passing their own laws. A council consisted of the mayor (Schulz) and the college of lay judges (Gerichtsmaenner). Their competence included supervision of
the municipality - the care of temporary performance of duties and paying rents and the judiciary.
Other provisions common to the settlements formed in the first stage of colonization are primarily economic norms. First of all, they demonstrated the will of the land owner. He tried to provide the settlers attractive life conditions (freedom to use wood on rural land, customs duties exemptions, etc.), but on the other hand he tried to take care of his own interests, by imposing determined monopolies upon the
settlers. A common privilege of the settlers, not only in the Wieleń properties, was exempting from all labor for the benefit of the castle, leaving the rent of the land, as the sole obligation of the inhabitants towards to the land owner. These special privileges of Olęders meant that their established settlements were kind of settlement enclaves differing from surrounding towns not only by the regime but also nationality, culture and often by religion of residents.
Since the mid-seventeenth century Olęder villages at Wieleń were no longer inhabited by people of Dutch origen, but by the descendants of farmers from villages nearby. So the terms Dutchman or Olęder appearing in the then documents were not defining the nationality of a person, but its legal and social status.
In the early eighteenth century on the lands of Wieleń began the second phase of colonization. This time it engaged only local forces, without bringing, even temporarily, Olęders from Pomerania, and residents of the then forming settlements did not enjoy such big freedoms.
The basis of the Olęder economy on the land of Wieleń was agriculture. Barren, frequently flooded lands required plants with short growing season or adapted to waterlogged land. Cultivation of rye was dominating here; oats, barley, and millet were harvested in smaller quantities. Even smaller percentage of crops was flax, peas
and hops. Some villages specialized in the production of vegetables. Cattle (mostly pigs) and sheep farming were on a small scale.
Foundation contracts guaranteed Olęders religious freedom. It is not clear, however, if among the settlers brought to the Wieleń region in the seventeenth century were any followers of the doctrine of Menno Simons (Mennonites).Historical records seem to indicate that they were rather Lutherans.
Faith matters of few Olęder villages were regulated in a document issued by Wieleń owners in 1639. It allowed them free profession of their Lutheran religion and possessing a pastor on their own expense, and regulated the issues of intermarriage. Despite the declared privileges of religious liberty, Protestants living in Olęder villages,
however, were obliged to pay tribute to the Catholic parish priest of Wieleń.
The religious community was closely linked to the school. Teaching was usually limited to the basics of reading and numeracy. Sometimes also calligraphy, basic Latin, catechizing and, less frequently singing. Teachers employed by the municipality usually did not have any special education and were recruited from literate farmers, craftsmen and servants of the church.
In the autumn of 1772, the Prussian King Frederick II officially announced accession of the lands bordering the Noteć to his country. Thus, the inhabitants of the Olęder villages found themselves in the country, where - unlike in the Republic of Poland - Lutheranism was a state religion. The Prussian authorities took off certain benefits of Catholic priests. At that time in the region of Wieleń were numerous processes of the Wieleń parish priest Rontz and Olęders, trying to shed various tributes.
Giving the peasants the ownership of their farms in the first half of the nineteenth century meant that the specificity of the Olęder villages disappeared and under the law the Olęders were equated with the other inhabitants of rural areas. Speaking of the land of Wieleń it need to remembered what happened in 1945 after World War lost by the Third Reich. At that time, in the territory to the north of the Notec took
place almost complete replacement of the population, and the descendants of former Olęders has been replaced by people from different regions of the pre-war Poland.
During the centuries of managing the Noteć Valley, the Olęders have left permanent traces in the landscape. They are visible to this day. In the vicinity of Wieleń has survived a number of monuments associated with the life of the Olęder community.