The Wendish Research Exchange - Loebau, Part 2

Loebau

by George Mueller, Teacher
and
Eckhart, Sexton

Translated by Ed Bernthal

Alt-Loebau with Oelsa.

Immediately to the west side of Loebau is the bordering town of Alt-Loebau, and becomes its suburb. It stretches out like the adjacent town of Oelsa, so that it seems like both are one from east to west. Both are located at the bottom of two hills, which arise gently from the east to the west. In the middle there is a valley where the houses are divided into two rows. Through the middle, flows a brook, which flows into the Loebau creek. The origin of the two towns is lost in its grey antiquity. From its folk lore, this much seems to be sure, which reliable tradition was handed down from father to son, that both towns are from older origins than the city of Loebau and its bordering towns.

The city of Loebau, recognized as the oldest city in Upper Lusatia has existed for 1,100 years. The story is told: A young fiery Sorbian Captain Mlink, or Monk, loved with all his heart the daughter of another captain, yet was hopeless, since her father, a recognized proud man, would not give her to him. In vain did Mlink carry out his most impressive deeds. He had killed wolves, bears and other wild animals with this own hands, and also had tamed the wildest horses with his strong hands. Nothing persuaded the morose old man to be inclined toward him. The situation for both lovers was that they could only seldom see each other secretly, especially since Marja, the loved one, would not admit that he had violated her. One time at a sad midnight hour, the two lovers were walking happily hand in hand next to a rushing stream, when the holy fairy, the goddess Pschipowinza, the fortune teller, told Mlink that he should immediately at sunrise go and do a great deed, which would get him the reward of sweet Marja’s hand. So, full of strong hope, the lovers sadly parted. Mlink mounted his best horse, took weapons and his spear in hand, not forgetting the fortune teller, and sadly wandered on according to the directions of the fairy. After untold trouble and dangers, which often led him close to death, through woods forests and swamps, which could not be penetrated by any beams of godly light, he finally came, by the protection of the fairy, into a mountainous region. Here there rushed a mountain stream with it wild waves that looked like crystal. Lovely green meadow grasses were on its banks, and birds and animals of all kinds lived here in perfect Alsatian peace, an ancient wilderness perhaps never trod by human footsteps. A godly peace filled his heart, here it felt well for him. He thought of his beloved Marja and with the call, “Jow sso mi lube,” he decided to build a hut and settle here. And that, to make it short, was the place Loebau, which means Lubi, that is “I like it.” And so this is the founder of Alt-Loebau. With the help of the gracious fairy, he finally came back to his beloved. He told her father all that he had seen, and described to him with fervent joy the new paradise, which he, at the peak of his generation, understood to light up the ancient forest, and here he first built the town of Alt-Loebau and Oelsa. Mlink and Marja became a blessed married couple.

In Alt-Loebau, you can still see the place, (the nicest I have ever seen) where in remembrance, the gracious fairy is honored. Due to the shortage of time, I cannot provide all the details of the story now.

Alt-Loebau has 105 nice houses with 514 residents. Among them are 16 farmers, two large and 25 small gardeners and 62 lodgers. It is located toward the west and borders on the suburb of Loebau. Otherwise, it has many inhabitants that often change their residence.

Oelsa has eight large farmers, four middle and seven small farmers, and 33 lodgers. Together with the 61 houses and the school, there are 328 residents. It is located toward the west, ½ hour from Loebau. It is noteworthy that the farmers and gardeners on both sides of the town have built their houses, and that all the pieces of their property extending out from their homes are lying in a field, and also that the properties extend close to the houses of the neighboring towns of Gross-Dehsa and the other Lawalda, as shown in the old records. In the middle, on the town’s meadows, are the houses, and each has a piece of land for a small garden.

Otherwise, the town’s meadows are mostly planted with fruit trees, which are very attractive to behold in the summer. Fruit growing is very much in use here, and whole avenues of fruit trees are not uncommon. Most of the residents are nourished from land cultivation, and the hand workers find employment in Loebau year in and year out.

It is worth mentioning that the water pipes provide drinking water for all of Loebau. They begin already ½ street behind Oelsa, by way of which the water from 4 large springs is led through the pipes all the way to Loebau. In Oelsa itself, river water is gathered and this is led in again through a different pipe. Its maintenance is a considerable sum of money each year.

Alt-Loebau and Oelsa together have one school, which is located in Oelsa. Already since 1540, the first local school was established, which became too small due to the increase in population. Therefore, in 1826, a new school building was erected, which was furnished very practically. The earlier teachers were; Hobrack, Klose, Tietze, Hennig, most of whom served for a long time. Half of the population still consists of the descendants of the old Sorbian Wends.

It is noteworthy to mention that, at the later development of Loebau, and especially after the plague which visited the area, many property owners from Alt-Loebau moved to Loebau, and thereby their properties became citizen acres, which now also have to be taxed, even though the owners had lived in Alt-Loebau.