Dworsky Origins in Wendisch Karstnitz and Rambow
The earliest mention of the Dworsky name in available records comes from the Blankenseesche Hufenklassifikation from 1717-1719. Here, the family is observed as farmers in Wendisch Karstnitz (also known in earlier texts as Wendisch Carstnitz or simply just Carstenitz).
Martin, Michel, and Tomtz Dwuske, as it was transcribed, were Bauern in this village in Stolp who farmed a half Hufen. At this time, other surnames in Wendisch Karstnitz were: Bandemer, Gaßke, Hofener, Kruse, Leick, Puttkamer, and Wendt. The Dworsky family would eventually move between there and the neighboring village, Rambow. The recorded names in that village were: Chrichel, Clewer, Genß, Hufener, Kahlfaß, Kruse, Rach, Rzech, and Schmidt. Interestingly enough, it seems that the family was in close relations with the von Kleist family, a very powerful family of nobles.
The church book for Lupow starts in 1743, and the surname appears shortly after in 1745. Each entry was critically examined and paired with the assumed correct person. When duplicate names existed, logical principles were applied to when each died, who the spouse was, and other identifiable information that could help pair the identity with the correct individual. Several land registers exist for Wendisch Karstnitz in the Stolp branch of the Koszalin Archives that could shed more light on this dilemma. The most difficult aspect of this research was determining which information belonged to the correct Gergen and Catharina, as these names appeared frequently and with no hints that could appropriately link them to their definite lineage.
These are the earliest generations of the Dworsky family. Numerous other generations would follow from Lauenburg to Berlin, New York, and Wisconsin.
- Tomtz Dwuske
- Michel Dwuske died on 06 Oct 1752 in Wendisch Karstnitz. He is assumed to be the same Michel mentioned in the Hufenklassifikation. No age was given for his death.
- Martin Dworsky died on 03 Jun 1745 in Wendisch Karstnitz. His death record lists him as a Bauer, and he is also assumed to be the same person named in the Hufenklassifikation. A Christian Dworsky, son of Martin, died the on the third of June as well.
- Maria Dwarske died on 30 Oct 1746 in Wendisch Karstnitz.
- Anna Dworsken died on 11 Apr 1757 in Wendisch Karstnitz.
- Paul Dworsky died on 07 Dec 1757 in Rambow. He was married to an unnamed wife who died on 09 Apr 1747 in Rambow.
- Erdtmann Dwurske died on 22 Dec 1795 in Wendisch Karstnitz at the age of 74 years old. He should have been born around 1721.
- Catharina Dworsksen was born about 1727 and lived in Rambow. She died on 12 Apr 1804 in Wendisch Karstnitz. (Also “Dwursken.”) She married George Fetten. They had one known son in Rambow, Gergen Fetten, who was baptized 20 Nov 1746 in Lupow.
- Hans (1) Dworsky died on 30 Aug 1757 in Rambow. He married Sophia Nowcen on 21 Apr 1749 in Lupow. He is assumed to be the first husband of Sophia, whose name was also spelled “Nowcz.” There is no death record in the Lupow Kirchenbuch for her, though there were two women named Sophia Noffzen who died in 1792 in Neu Jugelow at the age of 51 (born about 1741) and 1798 in Alt Jugelow (born about 1738).
- Hans (2) Dworsky died on 17 Oct 1784 in Wendisch Karstnitz and was known as the Schulz, or mayor, of the village. His duty would have been to collect taxes owed to the governing authorities as a leader of the village. He married was first Sophia Nowcen on 09 Nov 1758 in Lupow. They would be living in Rambow at the time, and this was possibly Sophia’s second marriage. It is unknown if Hans was married prior.
- There was an Anna Maria Zielken who married a Hans Dworsky on 14 Nov 1746 in Lupow while he was living in Wendisch Karstnitz. (No further information can help determine which Hans Anna married. The date was difficult to read, and it could be the 14th). No children were recorded from this marriage.
- Gergen Dworsky died on 05 Oct 1768 in Wendisch Karstnitz (assumed to be the correct Gergen). He was married to Sophia Heÿsen.
- Gergen Dworsky was born about 1726, and was possibly the brother of Paul based on Taufpate records. He died on 07 Apr 1800 in Wendisch Karstnitz at the age of 74. He married Anna Dworsky on 25 Nov 1751 in Lupow and was living in Rambow. She died before 1760. He was then remarried to Maria Gustken on 26 Oct 1760 in Lupow while living in Wendisch Karstnitz. She was born about 1737 and died on 15 Jun 1791 in Wendisch Karstnitz (died as “Maria Dwursken”) at the age of 54 years old from Schwindsucht (tuberculosis). She was buried 19 Jun 1791.
- Jürgen Dwurske was born about 1716 (date calculated from death). He died on 21 Jun 1795 in Wendisch Karstnitz at the age of 79. It is unknown if this was Gergen as written by a different pastor or if Jürgen was a separate person altogether; both names are technically from the same stem, but can be different depending on the dialect.
- Paul Dworsky was a Bauer who died on 01 Aug 1769 in Wendisch Karstnitz. He was first married Maria Albrechts who died on 29 Oct 1758 in Wendisch Karstnitz. He was then remarried to Gottlieb Birkholzen on 22 Feb 1759 in Lupow (registered as living in “Carstnitz”). She was widowed Baschelken. She died on 17 Sep 1763 in Wendisch Karstnitz. Paul was married for a third time to Barbara Hildebrandt on 12 Jan 1764 in Lupow. She probably died after 1786, and was mentioned as a Taufpate. A Barbara died in Schlawe in 1772, but it is unlikely to be the same person.
- Anna Maria Dwursken was born about 1721. She died on 28 Mar 1807 in Wendisch Karstnitz at the age of 86 years. Her inheritance was left to Jacob Redsem. Because of this, it is possible that Gergen (Georg) was her brother, as this would have left inheritance to her niece’s husband. However, this is just speculation).
- Martin Dwurske was born about 1728 and lived in house #6. He died on 09 Oct 1803 in Rambow being 75 years old. He was also listed as an Unterthäniger Bauer (peasant farmer subject to the ruling authorities) in house #5 in 1792. He married Sophia Charlotte Rzechen and had several children before her death. It is assumed that she died before 1789. (It’s possible she died in childbirth, though no concrete answer has been discovered in the church book). He then married Maria Louisa Dwursken on 31 Jul 1789 in Lupow, having residence in Wendisch Karstnitz at the time. (Her middle name was listed as Elisabeth in other records.) In this entry, he was listed as a widower. She was born about 1755 and died on 01 Mar 1832 in Rambow at the age of 77 years old (listed as Anna Maria Dwurske, estimated from death, also with reason of two children still living). Inheritors: 1. George 2. Carl. She was buried 04 Mar 1832 in the Kirchhof (churchyard), presumably in Lupow.
- Jacob Dworsky died on 21 Jan 1776 in Wendisch Karstnitz as “der alt Jacob Dworsky” to differentiate him from the other Jacob who would later become the Schulz. His wife died on 22 Mar 1752 in Wendisch Karstnitz without her name being recorded.
More generations of this family would permeate the villages around Wendisch Karstnitz and Rambow until the freeing of the peasants. In the early 1800s, the family is presumed to have moved between the parishes of Groß Dübsow and Sageritz.
To read the complete series about the Dworsky family from Wendisch Karstnitz, please see the origins of the Dworsky surname in Stolp.
This is one chapter in a ten-part series.
To read more about this surname study, please see the index to the entire series, "Dworsky and Dawurske Family Tree and Surname Series."
