The Łęczyca Region

Informacje

During his first visit in the Kujawy region in 1860, Kolberg was in a few places in the Łęczyca region. The results of this research are included in volume 22, titled ‘The Łęczyca Region’. He conducted them mainly in Mazewo and its surroundings, where he was hosted by Wacław Aleksander Maciejowski, the leaseholder of those areas; he also stayed in Kłodawa. Maciejowski was a philologist and legal historian, but, in addition, he was interested in the Slavic folk culture. He knew Kolberg for some time and found his publications interesting.

The following quotation from Kolberg concerns the Łęczyca region: “similarly to many other regions of ancient Poland, this region was once a thick forest, full of swamps, bogs and mythological secrets. It was inhabited by Borut, the tutelary spirit familiar to the Polish people. Once powerful, later weakened by Christianisation process, the spirit was degraded to the position of the forest and mountain demon. It is believed that he lives in the Łęczyca region, and from here he leaves for his annoying excursions to the other regions of the country”.

Mapa

Podregiony

Kłodawa
According to the list of expenses from the trip to Kujawy and to the Łęczyca region, it is known that Kolberg was in Kłodawa at the end of July 1860.

Mazew
The manor farm in Mazew was leased for 30 years (beginning in 1846) by Wacław Aleksander Maciejowski, a philologist and historian interested in folk culture.


"Krośniewice (former Krásnowice) is a town situated by the stream which flows into the Ochnia river. In 1459 it already possessed the city rights. It was heavily destroyed by the Swedish wars."


Kolberg wrote about Łęczyca: "Łęczyca, a very ancient city, takes its name probably from the vast and swampy riparian forests (pol. łęgi) which surround it.