Of God, Earth and Water. Tiegenhagen and Petershagen

Walking the old roads of Tiegenhagen and Petershagen (Żelichowo) Hello. I live here in the delta area (Żuławy / Grosses Werder) and I spend my free time documenting what remains of the old villages and former residents. This video is a quiet walk along the Tiege River (today: Tuga). I visit two places that sit right next to each other: Tiegenhagen and Petershagen (today known together as Żelichowo). For many centuries, Mennonite families and Lutheran neighbours lived, farmed, and built their lives here. Today, I take my camera to show you how these places look right now: The old brick church in Tiegenhagen (now St. Nicholas): Built in the 14th century with a wooden bell tower. Today it serves the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community. The Lapidarium by the church: Gravestones (Stelen) and iron crosses saved from local cemeteries. You can still read some of the family names carved in stone, like Claassen, Dyck, Enns, Friesen, Penner, Reimer, Wiebe, and Wiens. Old houses in Petershagen: Traditional delta farmhouses (Langhof) sitting on earthen mounds (Terpen) that protected families from high water. The quiet Tiege River (Tuga): Waterways and open flat fields as they are today. The "Mały Holender" arcaded house: An authentic 18th-century wooden house (Vorlaubenhaus) preserved and open to visitors. If your family roots are from Tiegenhagen, Petershagen, or other villages along the Tiege River, I hope these pictures bring back a connection to your ancestral home.