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History of Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
Journey back in time to Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
(Marklissa, Schlesien, Preußen)
Visit Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and ancestry.Do You Have Marklissa Roots? Share MY Ancestral Story!
NOTE: IF YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR LESNA (MARKLISSA), PLEASE CONTACT US (SEE LINK ABOVE). WE ARE TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT OUR FAMILY. THEY CAME TO THE UNITED STATES FROM MARKLISSA.
MARKLISSA, a town of Germany in the Prussian province of Silesia (Schlesien in German) --
Information from Greg Kordas' website - marklissa.com/ home_page.html
The town of Marklissa is located in Izerskie Foothills, upon the lower part of Kwisa/ Queis river. The settlement was mentioned in documents as early as year 1144 but the town received its civic rights from Prince Henryk Jaworski in 1329. After the fire and flood of 1431, the town was moved to a new location, where it remains to this day.
Marklissa was part of the Upper Region of Luzyce, which belonged to Prussia and then Germany from 1815 to 1945. In the 17th and 18th centuries Marklissa was an importnat and famous centre of woollen cloth and linen weaving.
In 1898 the government of Prussia decided to build a water dam on Kwisa River (German name Queis River) because in the past numerous floods caused a great deal of damage to the town of Lesna/ Marklissa and neighboring areas.
Construction began on October 5, 1901 and for this project many workers were brought form Italy because of their experience working in difficult rocky terrain.
After five years of hard work the construction ended in 1905. The grand opening took place at the crown of the water dam on July 15, 1905. In 1907 to 1908 the hydroenergy plant was equipped with 5 Siemens turbo propellers. Today they are the oldest continually used turbines not only in Poland but in the entire Central Europe.
NOTE: Marklissa is now part of Poland. It is called "Lesna."
From rootsweb.com
" From Meyers Orts und Verkehrs Lexikon (pub. 1912):
Marklissa, a city (230 meters above sea level), left of the Queis river, in Prussia, Silesia (Schlesien) province, administration district: Liegnitz, Kreis and military district: Lauben, courts at Görlitz, population 2329; has a post office with telephone and telegraph service, a train station with telegraph service on the Lauben-Marklissa line, a local court, a civil registration office, and a local administration office; has an evangelical and a Catholic parish church; [etc.]
My map shows Marklissa due east of Dresden about 110 km (about 68 miles).
Joan Neumann Lowrey"
History of Lauban and Marklissa - MAJOR thanks to Robert Theiss for this EXCELLENT history lesson!
Until 1945, Prussia was by far the largest state in Germany. The capital city was Berlin. Because Prussia was so large, it was divided into provinces. The cities of Lauban and Marklissa were "located in the District (in German: Kreis) of Lauban in the northwestern part of what was until 1945 the Prussian province of Silesia, the capital of which was the city of Breslau.
In 1939, Marklissa was a city of about 2200 people, and Lauban, the seat of the Kreis, a city of about 16,000 people. (A Kreis, abbreviated Kr., is roughly equivalent to a county in a U.S. state.)
Until the mid 18th century, Silesia (in German: Schlesien) was a province of Austria. Following Austria's defeat by Prussia in the two Silesian Wars of the 1740s and confirmed following Austria's defeat in the Seven Years War (1756-1763), Silesia became a province of the state of Prussia (in German: Preussen; capital: Berlin) and then remained a Prussian province for 200 years, until 1945. Prussia's King at the time, Frederick the Great, allowed Austria to keep one very small portion of Silesia, which became known as Austrian Silesia (capital: Troppau; now known by the Czech name Opava) and which is part of today's Czech Republic.
What I have just told you holds true for Silesia as a whole. It does not hold true, however, for Kreis Lauban, where the cities of Lauban and Marklissa were located! That area has a completely different history! What in 1815 became Silesia's Kreis Lauban is located in the region known as Upper Lusatia (in German: Oberlausitz). A large portion of Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz) lies in the eastern part of the German state of Saxony (in German: Sachsen), the capital of which is the city of Dresden, and the largest city in which is Leipzig. The major city in Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz) is Bautzen in Saxony. Until 1815, all of Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz) was part of Saxony. In other words, cities such as Lauban and Marklissa had nothing whatsoever to do with Silesia up to that point. Up until 1815, Lauban and Marklissa were located in Saxony. The King of Saxony had supported Napoleon, so following Napoleon's defeat in 1815, the Congress of Vienna awarded about three-fifths of Saxony's territory to Prussia. This was a way of "punishing", one might say, the King of Saxony for his having supported Napoleon.
Included in the Saxon territory awarded to Prussia in 1815 was the larger northeastern portion of Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz). This portion of Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz) included the cities of Görlitz...Hoyerswerda, Lauban, and Marklissa, as well as many other cities, towns, and villages.
I should mention here that Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz) is home not only to Germans, but also to a Slavic people known as the Wends or the Sorbs.
Following World War II, almost all of Germany lying east of the Oder and Neisse Rivers was given to Poland (with the exception of the northern half of the Prussian province of East Prussia, which was taken by the Soviet Union). The 12 million inhabitants of eastern Germany were thereupon expelled from their homes under horrific conditions! They had to leave everything behind. More than 2 million of those people did not survive the ordeal. It was hell on earth! The Polish authorities then moved Poles in from various parts of interior Poland to repopulate eastern Germany. So you would of course find no...relatives in Lauban or Marklissa today. (Although themselves a Slavic people, as are the Poles, the Wends or Sorbs have come to identify very strongly with the Germans, so most of the Wends or Sorbs living in that portion of Upper Lusatia lying east of the Neisse River were expelled along with the Germans after World War II.)
You also have to bear in mind that there was fierce fighting in Silesia during the last months of the war, so the people living there got a double dose of hell, you might say. Woe to any Germans who fell into the hands of the Red Army! The atrocities committed by the Russian soldiers against the civilian German population wherever they went were unspeakable. Knowing what would await them once the Russians arrived, many eastern Germans fled west during the bitter winter of 1944/ 45. By that stage of the war, there was no gasoline available, so the only means of transport for all those refugees was horse and cart. Many eastern German refugees perished during the long and arduous trek west that winter. (Many who lived nearer to coastal areas were evacuated by ship. The sinking in the Baltic of the refugee ship Wilhelm Gustloff by Soviet torpedoes on January 30, 1945, resulted in about 9,000 deaths and thus ranks as the worst disaster in maritime history!) Then when the war ended, those people who had made it west were all told that they would not be allowed to return home. Those eastern Germans who did remain behind were then, as mentioned, expelled from their homes in a most cruel and inhumane manner. It was horrible! The expulsion of the eastern Germans from their homes after World War II was one of the most horrendous events in history, but for whatever reason, it has always been swept under the rug in the U.S. The millions of eastern German expellees, who arrived in western Germany with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, were referred to after the war as "displaced persons", or "DPs" for short.
Only one tiny piece of Silesia lying west of the Neisse River remains part of Germany -- the Upper Lusatian cities of Görlitz and Hoyerswerda and environs, which, after 130 years, once again became part of the state of Saxony. But during the 130 years as part of Prussian Silesia, the people here developed a very strong Silesian identity which they still retain.
Following the expulsion of the original German inhabitants in 1945/ 46 and the repopulating of eastern Germany with Poles, all the cities, towns and villages were of course given new Polish names:
Breslau, Silesia's capital, is now known by the Polish name Wroclaw. Lauban is now known by the Polish name Luban. Marklissa is now known by the Polish name Lesna...
There is MUCH more to discover about Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany. Read on!
Marklissa Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
 - Marklissa marketplace. From Greg Kordas' website. http://marklissa.com/home_page.html){kind=small}
Marklissa marketplace. From Greg Kordas' website. marklissa.com/ home_page.html
Read more about Friedrich Wilhelm ("William") FEIGE
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
 - Marklissa. From Greg Kordas' website. http://marklissa.com/home_page.html){kind=small}
Marklissa. From Greg Kordas' website. marklissa.com/ home_page.html
Read more about Friedrich Wilhelm ("William") FEIGE
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
 - Church in Marklissa. From Greg Kordas' website. http://marklissa.com/home_page.html){kind=small}
Church in Marklissa. From Greg Kordas' website. marklissa.com/ home_page.html
Read more about Friedrich Wilhelm ("William") FEIGE
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
 - ){kind=small}
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
 - ){kind=small}
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
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Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
 - Map showing Lauban and Marklissa. Source: http://lazarus.elte.hu/hun/digkonyv/topo/200e/33-51.jpg){kind=small}
Map showing Lauban and Marklissa. Source: lazarus.elte.hu/ hun/ digkonyv/ topo/ 200e/ 33-51.jpg
Read more about Friedrich Wilhelm ("William") FEIGE
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
Postcard
 - (1907) The dam on the Queis River at Marklissa, Schlesien, Germany.
The Marklissa dam (also Queistalsperre) was built between 1901 and 1907 in Schlesien - for flood protection for Marklissa and for water power production.
The river controlled by the Talsperre is the Queis (Kwisa). The start-up of the dam was July 15 1905.){kind=small}
(1907) The dam on the Queis River at Marklissa, Schlesien, Germany.
The Marklissa dam (also Queistalsperre) was built between 1901 and 1907 in Schlesien - for flood protection for Marklissa and for water power production.
The river controlled by the Talsperre is the Queis (Kwisa). The start-up of the dam was July 15 1905.
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
Postcard
 - Marklissa in the Future?){kind=small}
Marklissa in the Future?
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
Postcard
 - Panoramic view of Marklissa (around 1928)){kind=small}
Panoramic view of Marklissa (around 1928)
Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/flashback/2011
 - ){kind=small}
Discover Marklissa: History, News, Travel, and Stories
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About
Volume 2
Page 144
Type St.
Extra Desc l/ d Queis
Lvl I Pr.
Prov Schles.
RB Liegnitz
Kr Lauban
BKdo Lauban
LG Görlitz
AG Marklissa [self]
StdA Marklissa [self]
A Marklissa [self]
kath. Pfk. 1
ev. Pfk. 1
Detail
Type St. - Marklissa is a Stadt (City).
Lvl I Pr. - Level I shows which Kingdom or State the place is located in. Marklissa is located in Preussen.
Prov Schles. - The Province shows which Province or State the place is located in. Marklissa is located in Schlesien.
RB Liegnitz - The Regierungsbezirk for Marklissa is Liegnitz. The Regierungsbezirk is a government district that is in hierarchy between the State and Kreis level.
Kr Lauban - The Kreis for Marklissa is Lauban. A Kreis is a government district (similar to a U.S. county).
BKdo Lauban - The Bezirkskommando for Marklissa is in Lauban. The Bezirkskommando is the District Military Command. You can look in the BKdo to find military records.
LG Görlitz - The Landgericht for Marklissa is in... Read MORE...
Volume 2
Page 144
Type St.
Extra Desc l/ d Queis
Lvl I Pr.
Prov Schles.
RB Liegnitz
Kr Lauban
BKdo Lauban
LG Görlitz
AG Marklissa [self]
StdA Marklissa [self]
A Marklissa [self]
kath. Pfk. 1
ev. Pfk. 1
Detail
Type St. - Marklissa is a Stadt (City).
Lvl I Pr. - Level I shows which Kingdom or State the place is located in. Marklissa is located in Preussen.
Prov Schles. - The Province shows which Province or State the place is located in. Marklissa is located in Schlesien.
RB Liegnitz - The Regierungsbezirk for Marklissa is Liegnitz. The Regierungsbezirk is a government district that is in hierarchy between the State and Kreis level.
Kr Lauban - The Kreis for Marklissa is Lauban. A Kreis is a government district (similar to a U.S. county).
BKdo Lauban - The Bezirkskommando for Marklissa is in Lauban. The Bezirkskommando is the District Military Command. You can look in the BKdo to find military records.
LG Görlitz - The Landgericht for Marklissa is in... Read MORE...
The name Marklissa first appeared in 1574.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
1635 (Marlkissa) - Upon the 1635 Peace of Prague it fell with Upper Lusatia to the Electorate of Saxony.
The town's economy was boosted by the immigration of Protestants fleeing from the Counter-Reformation in the adjacent Habsburg lands of Bohemia and Silesia.
Wikipedia
The town's economy was boosted by the immigration of Protestants fleeing from the Counter-Reformation in the adjacent Habsburg lands of Bohemia and Silesia.
Wikipedia
Records from Marklissa Evangelical Church?
Marklissa belonged to the parish center stone church.
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Marklissa belonged to the parish center stone church.
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page%3DThread%26threadID%3D57006&prev=/ search%3Fq%3DEvang.
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Following the Napoleonic wars, in 1815 the Lusatian territory around Lubań and Görlitz was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia after the Vienna Congress and incorporated into the Province of Silesia. (Markissa)
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
In 1840, Marklissa had a population of 1,666.
www.kartenmeister.com/ preview/ City.asp?CitNum=37705
www.kartenmeister.com/ preview/ City.asp?CitNum=37705
THE ZANGEN MAIDEN. By Mrs. E. F. Ellet. 1847
"———— Come l'Araba Penice
Che ci sia—ognun lo dice,
Dove sia—nessun lo sa."
Metastasio.
"_ Shapeless sights come wandering by,
The ghastly people of the realm of dream."
Prometheus Unbound.
FLINSBERG, at the foot of the Tafelfichte, is a comfortable watering-place; and many travellers resort thither for the benefit of the baths. There are other temptations to a sojourn in this region; the mountains well repay the most toilsome ascent; and the country is as rife with legends as with old bergs. A tourist, who lingered here-abouts, mentioned an incident received from a young man, a baker's apprentice, in the hamlet.
“Between the village of Schwerta and the town of Marklissa,” said the youth, "there is a mountain called the Zangenberg. I remember hearing in my childhood, that it was inhabited by a strange woman, who did not belong to the mortal race. At the foot of this mountain flows a stream, over which is thrown a foot-bridge. I crossed it late one night in 1837. As I... Read MORE...
"———— Come l'Araba Penice
Che ci sia—ognun lo dice,
Dove sia—nessun lo sa."
Metastasio.
"_ Shapeless sights come wandering by,
The ghastly people of the realm of dream."
Prometheus Unbound.
FLINSBERG, at the foot of the Tafelfichte, is a comfortable watering-place; and many travellers resort thither for the benefit of the baths. There are other temptations to a sojourn in this region; the mountains well repay the most toilsome ascent; and the country is as rife with legends as with old bergs. A tourist, who lingered here-abouts, mentioned an incident received from a young man, a baker's apprentice, in the hamlet.
“Between the village of Schwerta and the town of Marklissa,” said the youth, "there is a mountain called the Zangenberg. I remember hearing in my childhood, that it was inhabited by a strange woman, who did not belong to the mortal race. At the foot of this mountain flows a stream, over which is thrown a foot-bridge. I crossed it late one night in 1837. As I... Read MORE...
1859
MARK-LISSA, a township of Prussia, in the reg. and 50 m. WSW or Liegnitz, on the l. bank of the Queis. Pop. 1,508.
A Gazetteer of the World: Or, Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge, Publisher A. Fullarton, 1859
MARK-LISSA, a township of Prussia, in the reg. and 50 m. WSW or Liegnitz, on the l. bank of the Queis. Pop. 1,508.
A Gazetteer of the World: Or, Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge, Publisher A. Fullarton, 1859
1871 - With Prussia, Marklissa became part of the German Empire in 1871.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
1883 - A Little Boston Barber Blown up High
Theodore Voigt, a little German barber, was shaving at the shop of Mr. Chas. Baeumler, No. 25 Avery st. when as Star representative interviewed him. He said: "When I found that my ticket was the lucky one I did not drop my razor and stop work. When I finished I expressed my ticket to M. A. Daupin, New Orleans, La., for collection. $5,000 cash was returned to me for my $1 invested." He is a sober, industrious and prudent young man who will make good use of this wealth; was born in Marklissa, Germany; is aged 23. He has several brothers and sisters at home whom he will assist and will probably open a barder shop of his own in this city. - Boston (Mass.) Star July 26.
genealogybank.com
Owyhee Avalanche
Idaho
August 25, 1883
Theodore Voigt, a little German barber, was shaving at the shop of Mr. Chas. Baeumler, No. 25 Avery st. when as Star representative interviewed him. He said: "When I found that my ticket was the lucky one I did not drop my razor and stop work. When I finished I expressed my ticket to M. A. Daupin, New Orleans, La., for collection. $5,000 cash was returned to me for my $1 invested." He is a sober, industrious and prudent young man who will make good use of this wealth; was born in Marklissa, Germany; is aged 23. He has several brothers and sisters at home whom he will assist and will probably open a barder shop of his own in this city. - Boston (Mass.) Star July 26.
genealogybank.com
Owyhee Avalanche
Idaho
August 25, 1883
1895 - Marklissa
Marklissa, a town of Prussian Silesia, 42 miles W.S.W. of Liegnitz, on the Queiss. Pop. 2224.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
Marklissa, a town of Prussian Silesia, 42 miles W.S.W. of Liegnitz, on the Queiss. Pop. 2224.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
1905 - Opening of Marklissa-Talsperre Dam
It was opened on July 15, 1905, after a dam had been completed near the village of Czocha. The dam was constructed between 1901 - 1905, by the government of Kingdom of Prussia’s Province of Silesia. Most workers employed during construction came from Austria and Italy, and total cost was estimated at 1,270,00 reichsmarks. The dam is 45 m high, its length is 130 m, and its thickness - 8 m on top.
Wikipedia
It was opened on July 15, 1905, after a dam had been completed near the village of Czocha. The dam was constructed between 1901 - 1905, by the government of Kingdom of Prussia’s Province of Silesia. Most workers employed during construction came from Austria and Italy, and total cost was estimated at 1,270,00 reichsmarks. The dam is 45 m high, its length is 130 m, and its thickness - 8 m on top.
Wikipedia
1906
Marklissa, a town of Prussia, in Silesia, 42 miles WSW. of Liegnitz, on the Queiss. Pop. 2500.
Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
Marklissa, a town of Prussia, in Silesia, 42 miles WSW. of Liegnitz, on the Queiss. Pop. 2500.
Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
1945 - After World War II the town, located east of the Oder-Neisse line, was ceded to the Republic of Poland according to the 1945 Potsdam Agreement.
The German population was expelled and the area resettled with Poles deported from the eastern Kresy borderlands.
Wikipedia
The German population was expelled and the area resettled with Poles deported from the eastern Kresy borderlands.
Wikipedia
Here's a list of things to do in and around what was once Marklissa, Prussia and is now Lesna, Poland:
Lesna Castle (Zamek Lesna):
Start your journey in Lesna by visiting its most iconic landmark, Lesna Castle. This beautiful castle dates back to the 13th century and is surrounded by a picturesque park. While the interior is not always open to the public, the exterior and the park are worth exploring.
Lesna Arboretum (Arboretum w Leśnej): Adjacent to the palace, you'll find the Lesna Arboretum, home to a diverse collection of trees and plants from around the world. It's a serene place for a leisurely stroll and a perfect spot for nature lovers and photographers.
Lesna Reservoir (Zalew Leśna): Enjoy some water-based activities at the Lesna Reservoir. You can go for a swim, rent a paddleboat, or simply relax by the water's edge. The surrounding forested area is great for picnics and short hikes.
Kaczawskie Mountains:
Just a short drive from Lesna, you can explore the Kaczawskie Mountains. This area offers even more hiking and biking opportunities, along with the chance to... Read MORE...
Lesna Castle (Zamek Lesna):
Start your journey in Lesna by visiting its most iconic landmark, Lesna Castle. This beautiful castle dates back to the 13th century and is surrounded by a picturesque park. While the interior is not always open to the public, the exterior and the park are worth exploring.
Lesna Arboretum (Arboretum w Leśnej): Adjacent to the palace, you'll find the Lesna Arboretum, home to a diverse collection of trees and plants from around the world. It's a serene place for a leisurely stroll and a perfect spot for nature lovers and photographers.
Lesna Reservoir (Zalew Leśna): Enjoy some water-based activities at the Lesna Reservoir. You can go for a swim, rent a paddleboat, or simply relax by the water's edge. The surrounding forested area is great for picnics and short hikes.
Kaczawskie Mountains:
Just a short drive from Lesna, you can explore the Kaczawskie Mountains. This area offers even more hiking and biking opportunities, along with the chance to... Read MORE...
Discover MY Roots: Marklissa Ancestry
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
We currently have information about 153 ancestors who were born or died in Marklissa.View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
Ancestors Who Were Married in Marklissa, Silesia, Prussia, Germany
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Our Marklissa Gift Ideas
Frohe Weihnachten für Dich und Deine ganze Familie! - Ceramic Mug
Introducing our festive ceramic coffee mug, the perfect companion for your cozy holiday mornings. Embrace the spirit of the season with our special edition mug featuring the heartwarming caption, "Frohe Weihnachten für Dich und Deine ganze Familie!" which translates to "Merry Christmas to you and your entire family!"
GERMANY - German Heritage Deutschland Delights Ceramic Genealogy Mug
"My ancestors came from Germany. That explains a lot about my love for beer, sausages, and cuckoo clocks!"
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