The History of Redenitz

Redenitz bei Kaaden (known as Redenice in Czech) was a village located in Bohemia, a region in the modern-day Czech Republic. Here’s a detailed description of the village based on historical information:

Historical Overview

Location:

Redenitz was situated by the Dohnauer Bach stream, which was also known by various names such as Herrnbach, Forellenbach, Prödlas-Bach, Redenitzer Bach, Sosau-Bach, and Sosauer Bach.
It was located 6.5 km southwest of the town of Kaaden (Kadaň).
The village had an elevation of 505 meters above sea level.

Size:

In 1930, the cadastral area of Redenitz measured 361 hectares.

Significance

Redenitz was the most significant village in the Liesengebirge (Liesen Mountains) region, particularly within the part of the Duppauer Mountains that extend from the Eger (Ohře) River to the Linzbach.

Notable Structures

Rococo Church of Saint James the Greater: The village was home to this prominent church, along with a parsonage and several houses situated on a hill above the village. Originally, there was an older church built sometime between 1261 and 1384, which served as a filial church to the parish house in Okenau.
Renovation: The church was significantly remodeled between 1766 and 1767 by Count Thun and decorated with ceiling frescoes by F. Maier in 1781.
Sühnekreuz (Votive Cross): There was also a votive cross near the post office, featuring a sword engraving.

Historical Mentions

Redenitz was mentioned in historical records as early as 1295, where a "Peregrinus de Rednicz" was recorded.
In the 14th century, Redenitz was part of the Egerberg estate, with its owners frequently appointing priests to the local church.
The village was later listed in the property records of the Egerberg estate in 1443 and 1460.

Population and Economy

According to a 1654 tax record, the village was part of the Klösterle estate. At that time, the village had 4 farmers, 8 cottagers (one of whom had a tavern), and 5 subjects serving the municipality, including a blacksmith.
The village had 35 houses by the 1780s, and this number increased to 38 houses by the early 19th century with a population of 205 inhabitants.
It had a mill and an inn, and the economy was primarily based on agriculture, timber production for ironworks, and livestock farming.

Later Developments

In 1850, Redenitz became a municipality incorporating the hamlets of Horkau, Heinersdorf, and Westrum.
The local school served children from nearby villages including Dohnau, Horkau, Heinersdorf, Klein-Spinnelsdorf, Westrum, and Weiden.
The nearest railway stations were in Seelau (7.5 km away) and Klösterle (approximately 9 km away).
By 1914, the village had several larger farms, a mill, a dairy, taverns, shops, a tobacco shop, a Raiffeisen bank, and various artisans. There was also a postal service operating daily.

Decline

In 1930, there were 8 Czechs living in Redenitz.
The village was depopulated in connection with the establishment of a military training area on May 15, 1954, following the forced expulsion of the German population after World War II in 1945.

Redenitz bei Kaaden was a village with a rich history, notable architecture, and a community centered around agriculture and local trade. Its legacy remains a part of the cultural and historical tapestry of the Bohemian region.

My name is Lilian and my ancestors come from Böhmen (The kingdom of Bohemia), from villages that once existed in the Sudetenland. Some of the family names in my lineage were:

The Tobisch from Redenitz Nr. 22 and Nr. 36 (Czech name: Radnice) and Langenau (Czech name: Dlouhy Luh).
The Tippmann from Heinersdorf Nr. 29 (Czech name: Jindrichov).
The Melzer from Grün Nr. 7 (Czech name: Hrzin or Hrazin).
The Bernt from Merzdorf Nr. 15 (Czech name: Martinov).
The Stark/Stärk from Redenitz Nr. 36 but originary from Erbelstein Nr. 1 (Erblstein) (Czech name: Hrachov).
The Löffler from Mühlendorf Nr. 3 (Czech name: Smilov).
The Baÿer from Liesener Hof (Dvůr Litoltov) near Liesen.
The Lenck from Humitz Nr. 2 (Czech name: Humnice).
The Kÿlian from Heinersdorf Nr. 25 (Czech name: Hindrichov).
The Stöhr from Heinersdorf (Czech name: Hindrichov).
The Reim and the Siegel from Prödlas (Czech name: Brodce).
The Bernt from Männelsdorf Nr. 10 (Czech name: Zvonickov).
The Albrecht from Atschau (Czech name: Uhostany).
The Enderl from Sebeltitz (Czech name: Zebletin).
The Plahner from Melk (Czech name: Melnik).
The Fischer and Müller from Bettlern (Czech name: Žebrák)
The Feigel from Bocksgrün or Boxgrün (Czech name: Srni)

I feel incredibly fortunate to have successfully traced the lineage of many of my Bohemian ancestors, with some records dating back to the 1500s! Unfortunately, despite exhaustive efforts, I couldn't find any information predating the 16th century. It appears that either churches didn't document births or deaths before that century, or such records may have been lost due to unfortunate events. Nevertheless, I'm excited to share the oldest birth certificates I've obtained:

Mathas Tobisch my 7th great grand-father.

Born 30 October 1694 in Langenau.

Died 11 Feb 1752 in Dubschan.

Christian Tobisch had a young son baptized with the name of Mathas Tobisch.

I could not find the birth certificate for his father Christian Tobisch.

I found Mathas birth certificate in the baptismal records of the Ecclesia Atschariensis Crucificata in Atschau (Úhošťany). Katholic Baptismal records go from 1608-1722.

Adam Löffler my 9th great-grandfather.

Born 27 December 1592 in Mühlendorf Nr. 3.

Christof Löffler and Christina Tilp had a young son baptized with the name of Adam Löffler.

I could not find the birth certificates for his parents Christof Löffler and Christina Tilp.

I found Adam's birth certificate in the baptismal records from 1573 to 1659 that belonged to the Parish Church of "Our Lady" of Wotsch (Boč, p. of Stráž nad Ohř) that was property of the Benedictine Order that founded their church around 1350. The village of Wotsch was first mention in records from 1292 as property of the Benedictine Order and mainly populated by dutch immigrants. The village was later burned by the Swedish in 1636.

My Bohemian family tree

Here is a picture of my grand-father Josef Tobisch in WW1 Austro-Hungarian infantry uniform.

Picture of the Tobisch house at Redenitz Nr. 22

Here is an image of the church in Redenitz "Der Heilige Jakobus der Ältere". My gran-father was baptized there and his godfather was: Wenzl Wagner, owner in Nicklasdorf Nr. 30 and his godmother was Elisabeth Wagner (born Frisch) the wife of the godfather, they were his great-uncles.

Who were the German-Bohemian people?

German-Bohemians are people who have either lived in or have ancestry in the outer rim of the Czech Republic. Once this region was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, when people moved and settled freely in Central Europe. Later it became part of Austro-Hungary. When the nation of Czechoslovakia was created in 1919 out of the former Austrian crown colonies of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia, the German-speaking outer rim came to be known as the Sudentenland, named for the terrain that separates Germany from Bohemia.

A little bit of history of what once was "the Sudetenland"

The historical trajectory of the Sudetenland is marked by its incorporation into Germany until 1806 and its subsequent affiliation with the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866. Following the aftermath of the First World War, the Sudetenland, covering approximately 11,000 square miles, became an integral part of Czechoslovakia. Before Adolf Hitler rose to power, most Sudeten Germans expressed contentment within Czechoslovakia. However, in 1935, a Sudeten-German Party, backed by Nazi Germany, began voicing grievances, alleging discrimination by the Czech-dominated government. Amidst economic challenges, some Germans, influenced by Hitler's rhetoric, contemplated the potential advantages of aligning with him.

While Hitler aspired to annex Czechoslovakia, his military advisors cautioned against it. They recognized the formidable Czechoslovak army and the advantageous mountain defenses, making it a challenging conquest. Moreover, concerns were raised that intervention by Britain, France, or the Soviet Union in support of Czechoslovakia could lead to a significant defeat for Germany. In a notable development, a group of senior generals even formulated plans to overthrow Hitler if he disregarded their counsel and opted for war against Czechoslovakia.

This is an old postcard from Redenitz (Radnice).

This are the Austro-Hungarian monarchs.

The expulsion of Germans from the Sudetenland is rooted in a complex historical context. The Sudetenland, historically referred to as the German name for the border regions of present-day Northern and Western Czechoslovakia until 1918, was inhabited predominantly by ethnic Germans for centuries. Originally part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this region gained prominence after World War I when the empire was dismantled.

In 1918, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved, President Woodrow Wilson initially proposed ceding these ethnic German areas to Germany and Austria. However, in 1919, these regions were incorporated into the newly formed nation of Czechoslovakia. This decision led to over 23% of the post-war population of Czechoslovakia being of German origin, fueling tensions between the Czechs and Germans, particularly in the Sudetenland.

During the Great Depression, economic hardships in these mountainous regions made the population susceptible to extremist movements. German nationalist parties gained popularity, and Adolf Hitler positioned himself as an advocate for ethnic Germans in Czechoslovakia, triggering the Sudeten Crisis. The Munich Agreement of September 29, 1938, signed by Hitler, Daladier, Mussolini, and Chamberlain, facilitated the immediate annexation of the Sudetenland by Germany.

In March 1939, Germany annexed the Sudetenland, leading to a brief period of peace. However, Hitler's expansionist ambitions persisted, resulting in invasions of Bohemia, Moravia, Poland, France, the Low Countries, and England, eventually triggering World War II. Germany's defeat in 1945 marked the end of the war, and as a consequence, approximately 3,295,000 ethnic Germans were expelled to areas within the American and Soviet occupation zones. The former Sudetenland was resettled by Czechs, and confiscated German property was not compensated. Villages became internment camps where 50,000 ethnic Germans perished. The expulsions, though contested, are viewed by the Czech government as a retribution for Germany's brutal regime.

Today, the Sudetenland is part of the Czech Republic, and the historical events surrounding its annexation and subsequent expulsions continue to shape the region's narrative.

The school in Redenitz (Radnice).

This is the Tobisch Family house in Redenitz

and the little one on the left is my grandfather, Josef Tobisch.

This is a party in the village

Beautiful view of the village with the Catholic Convent "Saint Jacob".

Another view with the Convent of "Saint Jacob"

This is an aerial view of Redenitz.

These two pictures are some findings in the ruins left of Redenitz

This is a closer view of the convent of "Saint Jacob"

This is a photo of an old cross that used to be in Redenitz from ancient times.

This is a picture of the Ohre river today. This is the river where my grandfather used to swim. He told us a story of crossing this river with his little dog on his shoulders.

A map of the Sudetenland.

The Tobisch Family

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Monday, June 24, 2024