Finding the Village of Trelkowo, Poland (Gross Schöndamerau, Germany)

Józef Niedziałkowski, the brother of my grandfather Kostanty Niedziałkowski, was married twice. Both times, he married a woman from the village of Trelkowo. He first married Józefa Kolarowira on 28 Jan 1928 in Trelkowo and, after her death, he married Anastasia Cheschowska on 12 Jul 1934 in Trelkowo.

For some time, I was unable to locate the village of Trelkowo, since I assumed the village was located in Poland. As it turns out, Trelkowo was located in East Prussia, Germany and was officially known as Gross Schöndamerau.

The Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) provides some information about this village.

Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Trelkowo

Source:  Chlebowski, Bronisław, Filip Sulimierski, and Władysław Walewski, eds., Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich [Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries] (Warsaw, 1892), Volume XII, page 459.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Trelkowo. Translated from the Polish, the entry reads:

Trelkowo and Trelkówko, called Gross Schöndamerau and Klein Schöndamerau in German, a village in Szczecin Powiat. There is a post office in Ortelsburg. Zygfried Walot, [komtur elbąski?], granted to the brothers Stanisław and Maciej in Pasłęk in the year 1391 64 włóki [1 włóka = 16.8 hectares] in Trelkowo for the foundation of a village, 4 włóki allocated for a church and 4 for the sołtys [chair of the village council] .  In the year 1602, almost all who lived here were Poles.

The location is shown on the map below. Gross Schöndamerau is highlighted in a box near the top of the map and the area where Józef Niedziałkowski and his ancestors were born is highlighted in the box near the bottom of the map.

Map of the Area around Gross Schöndamerau, East Prussia, Germany

SOURCE:  Bartholomew, J. G, “Baltic States & East Prussia,” The Times Atlas. (London: The Times, 1922); digital images, David Rumsey Map Collection (http://www.davidrumsey.com/maps5326.html : accessed 05 August 2008).

Click on the map to enlarge the image. The red line on the map is the border between Poland and East Prussia, Germany. After World War II, Gross Schöndamerau was incorporated into the territory of Poland and officially became known by its Polish name of Trelkowo.

Written for the Carnival of Eastern European Genealogy.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko