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Dutch villages --> Mazowsze
NOWE WYMYŚLE
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gm. Gąbin, pow. płocki, woj. mazowieckie

The village was founded by Kajeten Dębowski in 1781 and was settled by: Jakub Konarski, Jerzy Drews, Jan Konarski, Jan Goln, and Dawid Górski. Under the agreement, the colonists undertook to clear the forest on the assigned area (half awłóka per colonist). They were granted a 7 year rent-free period in exchange. After the land had been cleared, its acreage was measured in order to determine the settlers' duties. The contract also provided for extensive legal and governmental autonomy. They were under the direct judicial authority of the district courts and were outside of the landowners' jurisdiction.

Although the village initially was settled by the Evangelical colonists it constituted one of the three most important Mennonite centers in Mazowsze for many decades. The Mennonite community was established in 1813 by settlers who moved here from villages located near the Vistula (e.g. Sady). They purchased land from Evangelicals. In ca. 1829, the village had approx. 50 Mennonite families, approx. 50 Evangelical families, and 60 families of unknown denomination. The majority of the farms were purchased by the Mennonites in 1840. The village was primarily inhabited by members of the Old Flemish church (they built the first church in 1813) but also by a few members of the Old Frisian sect. The differences between these two denominations eventually eroded and, beginning in the first half of the 19th century, there was only one church in Wymyśl that gathered all Mennonites. The first church burned in 1845. In 1854, the Mennonites erected a school in its place and a new masonry church was built in 1864 on Michael Loter's plot, located in the center of the village.

The villagers cultivated primarily sandy soils and made a living from animal husbandry (a large part of the land was occupied by meadows with a 4 ell thick layer of peat), cheese manufacturing, and growing osier. In the second half of the 19th century, the religious life of Mennonites underwent dramatic changes, which also affected the Wymyśl community. As a result of increasing wealth and abandonment of religious principles, the religious ties within the community loosened. In 1860, the religious revival began; it was caused by both missionary activities of Baptists and the changes in the Mennonite communities in Russia. In 1885, the majority of residents already belonged to the newly established church of Mennonite Brethren. At that time, the village had 27 farms and 455 morga of land. The Elder of the Mennonite church was the last to convert to the new Brethren church. This happened in 1907 and the old Mennonite church ceased to exist. In 1920s, many residents emigrated to the USA. The Wymyśl Mennonites were forcefully displaced after WWII as a result of the Jałta agreement. The majority of the residents who were interned in Łódź (where all local Germans were detained?) left for Canada.

Nowy Wymyśl is a linear village located on the eastern side of the Słubice-Dobrzyków road. The village can be reached by a dirt road from the Wymyśle Polskie - Świniary road. All buildings are located along an east-west line primarily on the northern side of the road on the embankment of the Vistula's ice-marginal valley. The village overlooks the fields, which border it on the northern side. The cultural landscape practically has not been transformed; all elements characteristic for the colonization have been preserved, that is, planted vegetation, man-made rises with homesteads, field layout, wattle fences, and drainage canals and ponds. Because of the large number of authentic cottages, the village is considered the best preserved Dutch settlement in Mazowsze. Building no. 3 was erected in 1840 and has a solid corner-notched, post and beam structure made of pine and oak (ground sill) wood with dovetail joints at corners and protruding log ends. The last log in the wall structure is decoratively carved. The high walls are covered with a rafter-collar beam roof with fiberboard roofing. It is a three-section building: the residential section located on the eastern side is connected to the cowshed with the barn situated behind the cowshed. Originally, the interior had a two-bay and two-and-a-half-axial layout with a centrally located chimney, a black kitchen low at the ground, and a brick fire system - kitchen tops located in the alcoves with vaulted ceilings. The hallway has entrances to two chambers and the cowshed. The ceiling joists rest on a summer beam. The spaces located on both sides of the central passages have a symmetrical layout. The barn serves solely as a storage space for carts; hay is loaded directly to the loft after a cart enters the barn. The building is preserved in good condition.

Buildng no. 5 is a masonry house; it was erected in 1860 and was called "the manor house" by the residents because it was inhabited by the richest farmer in the village - Kiesler; later, the estate belonged to the Loter family. In the post-war period, the building housed a district school. The building is located on the eastern end of the village, on the northern side of the road. The building was made of bricks and fieldstones (foundation) with walls plastered on both sides and topped with a crown molding. It is a two storey building. The building has a rafter roof with sheet metal roofing. The rafters rest on a purlin, which is situated on pointing sills. The house was built on the rectangular plan and has a three-bay and three-axial layout with a stairwell located on the northern side. The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 13 is a wooden house, erected ca. 1860. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded with a picket fence. A shed is situated behind the building (northern side). The building is made of pine and oak (foundation) wood and has two types of structure: a corner-notched log structure, joined at corners by dovetail halvings with protruding log ends and a timber frame structure, which is planked with vertical boards (barn). It has a high double-pitched, rafter-collar beam, straw thatched roof. Residential section, cowshed, and a barn are located under one roof. The residential section has a two-bay, and three-axial layout with an atypically situated - in the north-east corner - entrance to the loft. A centrally located fire system has a black kitchen, located in the middle and a brick kitchen stove located on the northern side. Brick heaters are situated in a room and a hallway (northern side). The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 19 is a former Mennonite church; it was erected in 1864 in the central section of the village. The site and the material for the church erection were donated by Michael Loter, who was the richest resident of Wymyśl. During WWI, the building was partially disassembled by the German forces - the roof structure was used to reinforce trenches and metal roofing was smelted. In 1924, the church was completely reconstructed due to aid provided by the Mennonites living in the USA A new truss-work has been installed and covered with galvanized sheet metal (preserved to the present day). The church is made of bricks bonded with cement-lime mortar and rests on fieldstone foundation. The rafter - queen post truss-work is made of pine and is fixed in the ceiling joists that rest on pointing sills. The building has a rectangular layout; it is covered with a triple-pitched roof. It is a one story two-pen building with an organ gallery located on the western sides; three small spaces are located underneath the gallery: centrally situated hallway, library on the northern side, and stairs leading to the organ gallery on the southern side. Initially, a balustrade made of eight profiled and paneled sections, was situated above the stairs at the level of the organ gallery.

The main room of the church was located on the eastern side; the room has eight windows which are topped with arch segments. The western wall is divided by four pilasters and topped with a profiled cornice (a door opening - currently walled up - was located in its central part). The gable has a window with a full arch; it is encircled with a finish casing. A metal cross fixed on a profiled base is located above the window. Elevations have decorative rustications; the windows are encircled by cornices; walls have plinth and topping cornices. The left elevation has two door openings; one of them serves as a direct entrance to the praying room; it was made after WWII. The building in very poor condition.

Building no. 20 was made of wood in 1860. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded by a picket fence. A shed is situated behind the building (northern side). The building is made of pine and oak (ground sill) wood and has two types of structure: a solid beam-post structure, joined at corners by dovetail halvings with protruding log ends and a timber frame structure, which was planked with vertical boards (barn). The walls of the residential section are white-washed at log joints. It has a high, double-pitched, rafter-collar beam roof with roofing paper. Residential section, cowshed, and a barn are located under one roof. The residential section has a two-bay and two-axial layout. A centrally located fire system was rebuilt after WWII. Authentic heaters, which were made solely of brick, are situated in a room and hallway (southern side). The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 21 was made of wood in 1860. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded by a picket fence. A shed is situated behind the building (northern side). It is built of poplar and oak (foundation) wood; it has a corner-notched log structure joined at corners by dovetail halvings with protruding log ends.

It has a high double-pitched, rafter-collar beam roof covered with fiberboard. The residential section and the cowshed are located under one roof. The residential section has a two-bay and two-axial layout with a fire system, centrally located in kitchens-hallways. The system has a black kitchen located in the middle and a brick kitchen stove located on the northern side. Brick heaters are situated in rooms (eastern side). The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 24 - a former mill - was erected in 1930 for Rajnold Wegert. The building is located in the central part of the village, on the southern side of the road. The building was made of bricks and fieldstones (foundation); its interior is plastered. The walls are divided with a plinth inter-storey cornice and topped with a crown molding. It is a two storey building. The building has a flat roof, which is covered with sheet metal. The rafters rest on a purlin, which is situated on pointing sills. The building has a rectangular, two-bay, and five-axial layout with a centrally located hallway with a centripetal arrangement. The hallway is flanked by two symmetrically located chimneys. The building is preserved in a good condition.

No. 26 is a wooden house, erected ca. 1880, which served as a school until 1945. The building is located on the northern side of the road at a certain distance from it and is surrounded by a picket fence. It is made of pine and oak (ground sill) and has a corner-notched log structure with corners joined by dovetail halvings with protruding ends. It has a high double-pitched, rafter-collar beam, rye straw thatched roof. The interior has a one-and-a-half-bay, three-axial, linear layout with centrally located fire system, which divides the hallway into two sections. The western part was originally used as a teacher's apartment; it has a tile kitchen and a brick heater located in the room. The eastern section functioned as a single room classroom; it has a tile stove. The southern entrance leads to the "black kitchen". The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 28 was made of wood in 1846. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded with a picket fence. It is located on the northern side of the road in a certain distance from it. It is built of poplar and oak (ground sill) wood; it has a corner-notched log structure joined at corners by dovetail halvings with protruding log ends. It has a high double-pitched, rafter-collar beam, rye straw thatched roof. The residential interior has a two-bay, four-axial, centripetal layout with a centrally located clay, traditional fire system, which includes: two kitchen sections, a smokebox, and a bread oven. The building is preserved in good condition.

No. 33 is a wood / masonry house, erected ca. 1900. It is part of a single-building homestead and is located on the northern side of the village road. It is surrounded by a picket fence. The walls of the residential section and the cowshed are made of bricks, bonded with cement-lime mortar and plastered from inside. The barn walls are made of wood and have a timber frame structure, which is boarded with vertical planks. The wall structure is covered with a high, rafter-collar beam, double-pitched, thatched roof. A brick porch has been added to wall that faces the yard; it has a gable roof. The residential interior has a one and a half-bay and two and a half-axial layout with a narrow chimney, which is located in the central section of the axis adjoining the cowshed. The cowshed has one room. The barn has one threshing floor and one storage space. The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 34 was made of wood in 1880. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded by a picket fence. It is located on the northern side of the road in a certain distance from it. The building is made of pine wood and has a corner-notched log structure, joined at corners by dovetail halvings with log ends. The walls are planked with vertical boards. It has a high, double-pitched, rafter-collar beam, rye straw thatched roof. The residential interior has a two-bay, two-axial, centripetal layout with a traditional, clay centrally located fire system, which includes: two kitchen sections (in the hallway and in the kitchen), a smokebox, and a bread oven. The loft can be reached by wide stairs located in the hallway. The cowshed has one room with animal stalls located on both sides of a central passage. The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 37 was made of wood in 1920. It is part of a single-building homestead, which is located on the northern side of the road. The walls are made of brick and stone bonded with cement-lime mortar - not plastered. The truss-work has a rafter-queen post structure; the roof is covered with roofing paper. The residential interior has a two-bay and three-axial layout with a narrow centrally located chimney. The building is preserved in satisfactory condition.

Building no. 39 was made of wood in 1840. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded with a picket fence. It is located on the northern side of the road in a certain distance from it. The building was built of pine and oak (ground sill) wood; it has a corner-notched log structure with dovetail halvings and protruding log ends. The interior walls of the residential section are plastered. It has a high double-pitched, rafter-collar beam, rye straw thatched roof. The residential interior has a two-bay, four-axial, and centripetal layout with a traditional, clay centrally located fire system, which includes: two kitchen sections, a smokebox, and a bread oven. A brick stove is located at the intersection of room walls and is connected with a chimney by a niedźwiadek - a brick pipe that connects a stove with a chimney. The cowshed has a single space with animal stalls located on both sides of a central passage. The barn has one threshing floor and two storage spaces. The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 40 was made of wood in 1890. It is part of a two-building homestead, which is surrounded with a picket fence. It is located on the northern side of the road in a certain distance from it. The house faces south with its residential section and it is located along a north-south line. It is built of pine and oak (ground sill) wood; it has a corner-notched log structure joined at corners by dovetail halvings with protruding log ends. It has a high double-pitched, rafter-collar beam, rye straw thatched roof. The residential interior has a two-bay, three-axial, centripetal layout with a traditional, clay centrally located fire system, which includes: two kitchen sections, a smokebox, and two bread ovens. The cowshed has a single room with animal stalls located on both sides of a central passage. The building is preserved in good condition.

Building no. 41 was made of wood in 1841. It is located on the eastern side of the road that runs from Wymyśl towards Świniary (in the western part of the village) below the village buildings (the homestead borders the village from the northern side). The building is slightly removed from the road and is surrounded by remains of a picket fence. The building is made of pine and oak (ground sill) wood and has two types of structure: a corner-notched log structure, joined at corners by dovetail halvings with protruding log ends and a timber frame structure, which was planked with vertical boards. A utility room has been added to the eastern side of the building; its walls are made of compressed clay. The residential section, cowshed, and barn have a high, double-pitched, rafter-collar beam roof with thatched roofing, while the annex has a separate double-pitched roof - also straw thatched. The residential interior has a two-bay, two-axial, and centripetal layout with a traditional, clay centrally located fire system, which includes: two kitchen sections, a smokebox, a heater, and a bread oven. The cowshed has a single room with animal stalls located on both sides of a central passage. The barn has one threshing floor; straw and hay are stored directly in the loft. The building is devastated.

House no. 44 is a masonry building, erected ca. 1920. It is located in the western section of the village on the northern side of the road in a three-building homestead. The building was made of bricks and fieldstones (foundation) and has not been plastered; the walls are topped with a crown molding. It has a double-pitched, rafter-queen post roof, which is covered with cement tiles. The rafters rest on a purlin, which is situated on pointing sills. The building was built on a rectangular plan and has a two-bay and two and a half-axial layout with two narrow duct chimneys located in gable walls. The building is preserved in good condition.

A building without number is a masonry house and was erected in 1939. It is part of a three-building homestead, which is located in the eastern section of the village on the northern side of the road. The walls are made of brick and stone bonded with cement-lime mortar. The residential section and the cowshed have two separate rafter-collar beam, gable roofs situated crosswise. Roofing is made of sheet metal. The residential section has a two-story, two-bay, and two-axial layout with a hallway opened on both sides and an asymmetrically located chimney (closer to the cowshed wall). The cowshed has a square layout with passages arranged on a cruciform plan. The building is in good condition (BK - all above and disassembled objects ( no. 35) - Wojciech Marchlewski, 1984).

The cemetery was established on the rectangular plan and is located in the eastern section of the village on the northern side of the road. It is surrounded by a dilapidated brick and stone wall. Several granite and cement gravestones have survived. There are visible remains of cast iron fences and grave mounds (without gravestones). It is mostly overgrown with bushes. Majority of gravestones have been destroyed.


    
W. Marchlewski, Mennonici w Polsce. O powstaniu społeczności Mennonitów Wymyśla Nowego "Etnografia Polska", t. XXX, 1986, z. 2;
W. Marchlewski, Studium ruralistyczne wsi Wymyśle Nowe, Warszawa 1984, mpis;
E. L. Ratzlaff, Im Weichselbogen. Mennonitensiedlungen...;
SGKP, t. XIV, 1895, s. 97.


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