Philipsek Part 1b

Note from LDW: This present Philipsek house was built in 1958 and replaced the old one that existed there. This might be the site where August lived for a time before coming to America. The Philipseks who presently live here moved to Germany some years ago to find jobs after the fall of Communism. They return here for their vacations.

The bus kiosk in the center of Mechnica.

Twardawa Note from LDW: My driver/translator, Zenon Znamirowski, found that Twardawa (Swardowa) is the ancestral home of the Philipseks, not Mechnica as previously thought.

2

In 1369, Swardowa’s (now called Twardawa) property and village followed line from Koźle to Głogowa and from the railroad from Nissa to Koźle (9 kilometers) located in the Nowy Targ district (Prussian Silesia). There was an evangelical parish in Koźle and Catholic parish in Twardawa. In 1885 the property consisted of 1657 acres 11 houses, 135inhabitants (6 protestants); the village had 857 acres, 84 houses, 645 inhabitants (6 protestants). Twardawa belonged to the Malkowice and Marienhof settlements (established in 1835). In the village there is a catholic parish church built in 1603, a catholic school and a railroad station. The Twardawa parish belongs to the disocese of Kościęcin (now Gościęcin ) and numbered 2989 Catholics and 20 Protestants in 1869.1

Twardawa on Google Note from LDW:Towns that were serviced by the church in Twradawa include Schwesterwitz, Comorno, Dubersdorf, Malkowitz, and Nesselwitz.

1

Source: "Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich"("Geographical Dictionary of Polish Kingdom and Other Slavic Countries")

Warszawa 1880, Vol.12, page 679. Translated by Zenon Znamirowski.

3

Main street in Twardawa

Catholic Church in Twardawa