The Oldest History of Olęder Settlements in the Nekla District, 1749-1793, by Zbigniew Chodyła Committee for Renovation of Oleder Cemeteries, Nekla 2005 The book has been published as part of the preparation for Nekla’s 600th Anniversary. The cover: A photocopied section of the agreement between the settlers of Nekla Olędry and Franciszek Odrowąż Wilkoński and Rev. Aleksym Błachowicz regarding payments to the Roman-catholic Parish in Nekla, made on 8 January 1753 at Nekla. From an original kept at State Archives in Poznan (Posen). Publisher: The Committee for Renovation of Oleder Cemeteries in Nekla The address: 62-330 Nekla, ul. Dworcowa 10; e-mail:
[email protected] Edited and corrected by Jerzy Osypiuk 400 copies printed. Printing and binding: KROPKA Publishers, J.W. Sliwczynscy 62-300 Wrzesnia, ul Fromborska 18,
[email protected] Graphic design: Przemysław Nowaczyk English Translation: Kazimierz Ken Jaworski 1 I N T R O D U C T I O N One of the most important types of rural settlements (based on land annuity) in Poland, 1527/1547-1864 was Olęder colonization, named after its pioneers – Hollanders, known in the old Polish language as ‘Olęders’, ‘Olenders’ or ‘Holęders’. This type of colonization (or settlement) has been determined neither by the ethnicity of the settlers, or the nature of the land, nor the way of its preparation (amelioration or clearing), but by the Hollander legal system (legislation) introduced by Hollanders and applied by their continuators, Germans and Poles, as well as by the manner of husbandry choosing land difficult for farming, bringing under cultivation one large piece of land and attaching great importance to animal husbandry.