German war memorial in the Upper Silesian village of Biestrzynnik (Biestrzinnik-Ringwalde)

Does anybody here have information on the Josef Warzecha, who is listed on the German war memorial in the Upper Silesian village of Biestrzynnik. During Prussian times the name of the village was spelled Biestrzinnik, and in 1932 the village was given the new German name of Ringwalde, because the village is ringed or surrounded by forests. I would like to know what Josef Warzecha's rank was and in which branch of the German Wehrmacht he served, and where he was killed.

My ancestor Johann (Jan, John) Warzecha was born in Biestrzynnik in 1826 and was baptized in the parish church in the nearby village of Szczedrzyk, which was spelled Sczedrzik in Prussian times, and given the new German name of Hitlersee (Hitler's lake) during the Third Reich. Johann Warzecha married Margareth (Malgorzata, Margaret) Kuczka and they had two children while living in Biestrzynnik, the first was named Josef Warzecha born in 1850 and the second was Ludwig Warzecha born in 1853.

The whole family came to America in 1855, but little Ludwig Warzecha died on the ship coming to America and he was buried at sea. The Warzecha family first settled in Panna Maria, but later moved to Yorktown, Texas. Johann Warzecha served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War reaching the rank of sergeant. Johann and Margareth Warzecha had four more children here in Texas, Constantina born in 1856, August born in 1859, Maria born in 1862, and Stanislaus born in 1868.

Johann Warzecha died at the age of 43 years, while he was digging a water well on his farm near Yorktown, Texas probably suffocating after hitting a shallow pocket of natural gas.

If anybody here knows about the Josef Warzecha listed on the German war memorial in Biestrzynnik, please let me know. Thanks!

Check this page, findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=91094177 , posted by Paul Warzecha, on May 31, 2012. He claims that he is a distant relative of Josef Warzecha, listed on the memorial in Biestrzynnik.

The page links to photographs of the monument, as well as to a hand written list of all who died.
The monument contains three group of names
1. Ehrentaffel der im Weltkrieg 1914 - 1918, Gefallenen aus Biestrzynnik (Died in WWI)
2. Die Gefallenen vom Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939 - 1945 (Died in WWII)
3. Ermorde 1945 (civilians murdered by Russians in 1945)
Josef Warzecha is listed in group #2. No ranks, or other details are shown.

P.S. Looking back, I realized that you must a person, who posted the link I referred to, or at least are aware of the link. I apologize for redundancy of my message, but you were not very clear that you wanted some additional information about Josef Warzecha, other than the confirmation about him being listed on that monument.

Thank you boletus, for the reply. You are correct, I am the person who put that memorial on Find-A-Grave.

This is a picture of the names on the German war memorial in the Upper Silesian village of Biestrzynnik. Josef Warzecha, Paul Mehlan, and August Mehlan were distant relatives of mine.

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  The German war memorial in Biestrzynnik.
  

Hi

Sorry, my english is bad. I can only German or Polish..
Google Transleter helps :)

I have a great grandfather: Stefan Warzecha, born on 25/12/1858 in Biestrzynnik. His father, Johann Warzecha, born 08/29/1813 died on 30.031886. His mother, Franziska Warzecha (born Mazur) born 5.071817, died in 1892

I have 3 photos taken when the mother was still alive, so it must have been before 1892. I can send you by mail.

Maybe we're related? :)

regards

Hi Beate Schlesien: It is good hearing from you, yes we might be related. I can't speak German or Polish, only English. I don't have any pictures of my Johann Warzecha (born 1826) but I have a picture of one of his sons, August Warzecha and family. August Warzecha was my great, great Grandfather. I would be happy to see any pictures you have of the Warzecha family from Biestrzynnik.

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  August Warzecha and Family
  

Hello
I hope you understand my english ..
Your Warzecha looks similar to mine related :)

I spoke with my mother yesterday. She says the woman in the photos is not the mother of Stefan Warzecha, but the sister. So the photos are not as old as I thought. They have been made ​​from 1920 to 1930. There's my grandmother Anna Warzecha and she was born in 1908.

You can see the little old house of the family.

Stefan Warzecha is born in 1858 and his mother was already 41 years old. So he had many (how many I do not know) older siblings. One brother lived on the farm in Biestrzynnik, a brother and sister Jule (Julia?, Not married) in Zabrze (Hindenburg)

I started looking for the related recently. Next year I'm going to Silesia and I will also go to Biestrzynnik. Hopefully I find there old people who still knew the family Warzecha

regards

Foto 1: left: Stefan Warzecha, above his son Thomas and the two women are sisters from Stefan Warzecha?

Foto2: right: Stefan Warzecha, left: his brother (? first name) , in the middle of a sister of Stefan, which themselves face :) the man above is unknown

Foto 3: Below, from left: unknown man, sister, Stefan Warzecha
Above from left: unknown woman, unknown man, Thomas Warzecha (son of Stefan), brother of Stefan (first name unknown), Jule Warzecha from Hindenburg, Anna Warzecha (my grandmother) and an unknown man

sorry photos were too big. I hope that is okay now

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  foto1
  
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  foto2
  
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  foto3
  

And this is the family of Stefan Warzecha: Agnes, his wife and 6 children. They had 11 children but 3 died and only eight have survived. The smallest daughter in the middle is Anna - my granny.

something else :)
In the address-book of 1926 on page 149 is Stefan Warzecha from Schodnia. Now I've searched Biestrzynnik and on page 43 I have 3 Warzecha found: Bartholomew, Franz and Paul..

wiki-de.genealogy.net/w/index.php?title=Datei%3AAdressbuch_Oppeln_1926.djvu&page=43

In the next days I call my mama in Poland. She should search for in the phonebook if still Warzecha are in Biestrzynnik. Poland does not have a phone book online .. only paper book..

Beate

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What a beautiful photo, Beate honey, thank you SO much for sharing
Kisses

An interesting picture. I have taken the photo of a similar one in Nowogrodziec (have forgotten the former German name of the town, sorry) in Nieder Schlesien, but that one only commemorated the victims of the 1914-1918 war. What is particularly interesting about your memorial is the fact that it shows the names of German soldiers of the WW2, something which would not be allowed in communist Poland. Even the more incredible is putting on it the names of civilians of the village murdered by the Soviets after 1945. My guess then is that the memorial was kept and hidden in a private farm until 1989 or the names in question have been inscribed thereon after 1989?

Beate Schlesien: Thank You for the beautiful pictures of the Warzecha family from Biestrzynnik. Do you know what kind of uniform Stefan Warzecha is wearing in the last picture? Those pictures are so good maybe you would like to submit them to this website, that has pictures of Silesia. fototekaslaska.pl

You can find most of my research on the Warzecha family from Biestrzynnik on the website Find A Grave. findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSmcid=47777319&

There is supposed to be at least one Warzecha that still lives in Biestrzynnik named Werner Warzecha, he has a paint and body shop.

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  Werner Warzecha paint and body shop in Biestrzynnik
  

Ziemowit: I think that the Biestrzynnik war memorial was erected after the fall of communism in Poland. Here is where you can find the Biestrzynnik and other German War Memorials in Silesia.

Nowogrodziec to dawniej Naumburg.. :)


The site I know. I have many photos. My family likes photographed :) and when I have sorted everything I put the photos on the page.


He was on the railroad. He is on foot! went to work to Opole. This is 18 km .. :)
He loved his work (I think) and that is why he is on private pics in railway uniform.

There are many Warzechas and Johann Warzecha is a very common name. From my family I know that used to be the eldest son was given the same name as the Father and with the women that was that. Stefan and Agnes Warzecha have their first children Stefan and Agnes called ..

I have found that in Biestrzynnik on 01/19/1813 a Peter Warzecha (born 1783, his father was Johann gardener) a Margaretha Gohly, has 18 years old from Sczedrzik married. As a witness to a Paul Warzecha was ..

Maybe the Johann except Peter also has a son Johann?

p-dziewior.de/heiraten2-Dateien/sheet021.htm

My great, great, great grandfather Johann Warzecha's (born 1826) father was named Matheus Warzecha (born 1799) and his parents were Johann Warzecha and Marianna Widera. On Johann Warzecha birth record his father's first name was spelled Matheus, but on Matheus Warzecha's birth record it has it spelled as Mathaus on one side and Matusz on the other.

Matheus Warzecha birth record
Johann Warzecha birth record

Oberschlesien

Back to your question by Joseph Warzecha: have you tried here?

dd-wast.de/frame_e.htm

And if that does not help I will in the summer people ask in Biestrzynnik by Joseph Warzecha .. :)

philosophically speaking, it could easily turned to be memorial to the German state

Beate Schlesien: Last year I was exchanging emails with this lady originally from Zebowice / Zembowitz, who was related to the Warzecha family from Biestrzynnik, she now lives in Germany. She was able to find out from the German Red Cross that Josef Warzecha was killed in Katowice / Kattowitz on January 25, 1945 when he was 17 years old. I guess he was drafted into the Wehrmacht at the last minute before the Russians invaded Upper Silesia. I have been able to find his birth record, his father was Paul Warzecha and his mother was Agnes Lipp and he was born on March 11, 1927. I still don't know what his rank was, but I guess he was probably a private, since he was so young. If you want to see if anybody in Biestrzynnik remembers him or has any other facts or pictures of Josef Warzecha, it would be nice.

Josef Warzecha birth record

I'm closer to Biestrzynnik as Zebowice :) The same community and church.
I sent my friend a link of this thread. My friend is also from the area and has for years been in search of his ancestors. Maybe he can help you better.

Regards

e-ozimek.pl/index.php/inne-miejscowosci/biestrzynnik

Hi
I have found 2x the name Paul Warzecha. You have not fallen as soldiers, but died in the camp near Katowice 1945.
Unfortunately, the age does not fit: they are 53 and 54 years old ..

ipn.gov.pl/publikacje/ksiazki/obozowe-dzieje-swietochlowic-eintrachthtte-zgoda
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zgoda_labour_camp

My ancestor was Andreas Warzecha, born in Biestrzinnik in 1810