Berthelsdorf
Encyclopedia
Berthelsdorf is a municipality in the district of Görlitz, in the southeastern part of the Free State of Saxony, Germany
.
and Poland
. Nikolaus Ludwig
, Imperial Count von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf bought the Berthelsdorf estates
(Upper, Middle and Lower Berthelsdorf) from his grandmother, Catharina, Baroness von Gersdorf(f)
(de), in 1722, where he built his manor house "Beth·el
" - "House of God
" in Middle Berthelsdorf. Soon after buying the estates and calling Johann Andreas Rothe as pastor
of the Lutheran parish
in Berthelsdorf, he agreed to receive Protestant exiles from the Kuhländchen (de) in Moravia
upon his new estate.
The first group arrived in December, 1721, under the leadership of carpenter Christian David. They founded the nearby city of Herrnhut
on the estate.
They were later joined by several hundred other refugees from Habsburg
oppression in Bohemia
/ Moravia
, now the Czech Republic
. Under the guidance of Zinzendorf they united to renew the ancient Unitas Fratrum
. 13 August, 1727, is the date usually considered as the renewal date, which took place in the parish church
in Berthelsdorf. From Berthelsdorf and Herrnhut then the "Brüdergemeine", in English, the Moravian Church, spread out across the world, beginning in 1732 with the sending of the first Moravian missionaries.
Zinzendorf also provided sanctuary in Berthelsdorf to persecuted followers of mystic Caspar Schwenckfeld from nearby Silesia
. They were forced by the Electoral Saxon government
to emigrate to Pennsylvania
, and Zinzendorf sent 2 Moravians to accompany them in 1734–35, in order to scout out the mission possibilities in America.
The municipality has two subdivisions: Rennersdorf and Berthelsdorf.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History
The municipality is next to the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Nikolaus Ludwig
Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf
Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Imperial Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf, , German religious and social reformer and bishop of the Moravian Church, was born at Dresden....
, Imperial Count von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf bought the Berthelsdorf estates
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
(Upper, Middle and Lower Berthelsdorf) from his grandmother, Catharina, Baroness von Gersdorf(f)
Henriette Catharina von Gersdorff
Henriette Catharina, Baroness von Gersdorff , was a German Baroque religious poet, an advocate of Pietism and also a supporter of the beginnings of the Moravian Church...
(de), in 1722, where he built his manor house "Beth·el
Bethel
Bethel was a border city described in the Hebrew Bible as being located between Benjamin and Ephraim...
" - "House of God
Place of worship
A place of worship or house of worship is an establishment or her location where a group of people comes to perform acts of religious study, honor, or devotion. The form and function of religious architecture has evolved over thousands of years for both changing beliefs and architectural style...
" in Middle Berthelsdorf. Soon after buying the estates and calling Johann Andreas Rothe as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the Lutheran parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in Berthelsdorf, he agreed to receive Protestant exiles from the Kuhländchen (de) in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
upon his new estate.
The first group arrived in December, 1721, under the leadership of carpenter Christian David. They founded the nearby city of Herrnhut
Herrnhut
Herrnhut is a municipality in the district of Görlitz, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.It has access to Bundesstraße 178 between Löbau and Zittau...
on the estate.
They were later joined by several hundred other refugees from Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
oppression in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
/ Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, now the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. Under the guidance of Zinzendorf they united to renew the ancient Unitas Fratrum
Unitas Fratrum
This article is about the coordinating body of the Moravian Church worldwide. For the Christian denomination based in Texas see Unity of the Brethren....
. 13 August, 1727, is the date usually considered as the renewal date, which took place in the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Berthelsdorf. From Berthelsdorf and Herrnhut then the "Brüdergemeine", in English, the Moravian Church, spread out across the world, beginning in 1732 with the sending of the first Moravian missionaries.
Zinzendorf also provided sanctuary in Berthelsdorf to persecuted followers of mystic Caspar Schwenckfeld from nearby Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. They were forced by the Electoral Saxon government
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
to emigrate to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Zinzendorf sent 2 Moravians to accompany them in 1734–35, in order to scout out the mission possibilities in America.
The municipality has two subdivisions: Rennersdorf and Berthelsdorf.
People
- Nikolaus Ludwig, Imperial Count von Zinzendorf-PottendorfNicolaus Ludwig ZinzendorfNikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Imperial Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf, , German religious and social reformer and bishop of the Moravian Church, was born at Dresden....
(1700, Dresden - 1760)- Christian Renatus von ZinzendorfChristian Renatus von ZinzendorfChristian Renatus, Count von Zinzendorf was the charismatic leader of the Single Brethren and of Herrnhaag , a Christian religious community built near Büdingen by his father, Nicholas Ludwig, head of the Brüdergemine or Moravian Unity...
(1727 - 1752), son of Nikolaus Ludwig, born here
- Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf
- August Gottlieb SpangenbergAugust Gottlieb SpangenbergAugust Gottlieb Spangenberg was a German theologian and minister, and a bishop of the Moravian Brethren. As successor of Count Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf, he helped develop international missions, as well as stabilize the theology and organization of the German Moravian Church.-Early life and...
(1704 - 1792), lived and died here - Johannes Baptista von AlbertiniJohannes Baptista von AlbertiniJohannes Baptista von Albertini was a German botanist and clergyman of the Moravian Church. He was born in the town of Neuwied....
(1769, Neuwied - 1831), lived and died here - Adolf Gottlieb FiedlerAdolf Gottlieb FiedlerAdolf Gottlieb Fiedler was a German entrepreneur in Saxony and Poland. He had one son, Edward Magnus.-Life:...
(1771 - 1850), an entrepreneur, made a factory in here - Peter Latrobe (1795, London - 1863), son of the English Moravian clergyman Christian Ignatius LatrobeChristian Ignatius LatrobeChristian Ignatius Latrobe was an English clergyman, artist, musician, and composer. He composed a large number of works for the Moravian Church, and most famously edited a Selection of Sacred Music in six volumes between 1806 and 1826, introducing the sacred music of Haydn, Mozart and...
, lived and died here - Heinrich WullschlägelHeinrich WullschlägelHeinrich Rudolf Wullschlägel was a Russia-born Dutch-German bishop, botanist and translator....
(1805 - 1864), Russia-born clergy, lived and died here - Karl Gustav Kreischer (1834 - 1891) (de)
- Oskar KorscheltOskar KorscheltOskar Korschelt was a German chemist and engineer who introduced the Asian strategy board game of Go to Europe, especially to Germany and Austria.He was an industrial chemist working in the brewing industry...
(1853 - 1940) - Martin Rade (1857 - 1940) (de)
- Caspar Schwenckfeld (1489-1561), Silesian Reformer, spiritual leader of the Schwenkfelders who lived in Berthelsdorf
See also
- HerrnhutHerrnhutHerrnhut is a municipality in the district of Görlitz, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.It has access to Bundesstraße 178 between Löbau and Zittau...
- GroßhennersdorfGroßhennersdorfGroßhennersdorf is a village and a former municipality in Görlitz district, Free State of Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Herrnhut. It is connected by Bundesstraße 178 linking Löbau and Zittau....
- The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center