Neu Arcis - 1848 Village History
Copyright 1996, Elli Wise    
 

Notes:  Please see the Introduction to the Village History Project for additional information.  

NEU ARCIS

I. Founding
The German Bessarabian colony Neu Arcis was founded in 1825 and is under the jurisdiction of the Kloestiz government and belongs to the parish of Arcis. The inhabitants emigrated in 1816 along with the settlers of the colony Alt Arcis.  In the beginning, they belonged together as the colony Arcis.  The large size of the steppes and the extended time it took to work the fields, brought about great difficulties. The settlers then decided to divide the steppe and thus they had two colonies.

II.  Locality of the colony
The colony is about 10 werst from Alt Arcis and 120 from the government city Kischenow and 75 from the district city Akkermann.  It was founded in the valley Chalier and the land is fairly flat.  The ground consists of black soil heavily mixed with ashes and alkali.  During dry weather, the growth of the crops, as well the orchards, planted woods and vineyards, are poor. Besides the landscape planted years earlier, there were no woods, nor rock quarries, or any such peculiarities, to be found.  The stones, necessary to build the houses, had to be brought in from Brienne by the inhabitants. Brienne is located 12 werst from Neu Arcis.

III.  Naming of the colony
Upon its founding, the colony was named Neu Arcis by the request of the early head of the Welfare Committee of the foreign settlers in South Russia, his excellency, General Inzow.  The colony is still known by that name today.
 
IV.  Number and land of origin of the Settlers
The 41 families that settled in the new colony came from the Prussian Kingdom district Bromberg, to Poland, and from there, emigrated to Russia.

V.  Party and leaders of the emigrants.
The residing families emigrated together with the settlers of Alt Arcis as a third party.  Their leader was President Mueller who brought them to the steppe designated by the crown, which had been leased earlier by the Bulgarian Karastoi.

VI. Governmental support, and brought funds.
At the time of settlement to their original designated colony, each family had received 20 Dutch Dukaten as an advance, to be added to the cost to build, and to be repaid to the crown.  A few settlers also received a wooden wagon and a plow.  The remaining possessions of each family were small household items they had brought with them and the left over money from the journey.

VII.  Special occurrences since the settlement
They were spared the devastating fires and floods, praise God, in their first settlement as well as here.  But their small assets dwindled duringrelocation.  In the years 1828 and 1832 they experienced a cattle epidemic, had to deal with the devastating swarms of locusts, and endured severe drought in 1833 and 1834.  Above all else, they were not spared from the cholera outbreak in 1830-1831 and several lives were lost.  In 1828 and 1838 two earthquakes were felt but, thank God, did not cause harm.

VIII.  Conditions and welfare of the community.
There is not much to talk about in this colony regarding prosperity, but with the grace of God and the efforts of the authorities, one can notice that amidst the above mentioned hardships, the conditions had begun to improve. Thanks is also given to the local authority for their striving to better the welfare of this colony.

Lay preacher/teacher: Christian Ziemann (Author) The documentation of the founding and the condition of the colony Neu Arcis is acknowledged as truthful by being sealed with the mayors signature.

Colony Neu Arcis, April 24, 1848.

Mayor: Grieb
Assistant: Will
Assistant: Gottschalk
Community Secretary: Jank

as translated by Elli Wise 6/96
Coordinated with GRHS Village Research Clearing House
Coordinated with AHSGR/GRHS Translation Committee Chairman

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