Lusatian history: The great flood of water in the upper Rödertale in 1804
The upper Rödertal has repeatedly been hit by huge floods, the last time on July 29th and 30th, 1897. But the greatest flood of water that the inhabitants of the Upper Rödertal afflicted fell in as early as June 1804. The winter before had been extremely austere. All the water mills of the Rödertales froze, and the ice in rivers and ponds reached the bottom. theThe deepest and most firm basements could no longer keep the biting cold from himself.
The harsh winter of 1804: cold, frost and lack of water
The tubular water completely froze and the wells stopped flowing. As a result, there was a large lack of water. In Pulsnitz, the extreme cold smashed the large water trough on the market square. The residents of Stolpens had to buy the water in Rennersdorf because their own wells had dried up. There was also a shortage of water in Radeberg. The winter seeds suffered from the terribleCold so much that they had to be plowed over in spring.
Spring with hope, but soon the storm followed
Spring initially brought favorable weather, but soon the weather changed again. At the beginning of June, the sun’s rays had emitted a rayless, milky white light for eight days, which was happening at the time when Vesuvius and Etna were terribly raging. On June 12th it started to rain; The rain soon became a cloudburst and it seemed as if all the windows hadopen to heaven.
The flood spreads: flooding and destruction
Soon the waters of the ditches and streams rose from their banks. True watering streams fell from the mountains, and the Röder could no longer grasp the masses of water. She stepped out of her shores and flooded wide areas of the neighboring country. The highest water level was reached on June 14th. In Groß and Kleinröhrsdorf, Wallroda and Radeberg there were many residential buildings up tosecond floor under water. The paths and footbridges were torn, all bridges were destroyed, the meadows covered with mud and rubble, and the grain on the flooded fields was washed away. It was a misery without equal.
People, animals and new sources abound
Many people and animals drowned in the floods. The earth was soaked as far as it was dug, and stuffed with water. New sources were breaking out of the ground everywhere. On the way to the upper Kirchberg in Großröhrsdorf, not far from the school, a strong flow of water shot from the mountain, which had to be diverted into a special ditch. After the flood of water had subsided, came backrainy weather. It rained continuously all summer long.
The devastating summer: rot and hunger
The little grain that the water masses had spared began to grow, but harvesting was impossible because the fields flooded and the grain rotten. People got into despair. The coming winter was looking forward to anxious. The price for a bushel of grain rose to 9 thalers, and even 11 thalers for wheat.
Inflation and need: hunger and despair
A terrible inflation was the immediate result of the natural disaster. In July 1805, a bushel of grain already cost over 18 thalers. A lot of bread had to be paid for with ten pfennigs. There was hardly anything to buy for this little piece of bread. In the markets, people fought for the scarce grain, and at the bakers for bread. A small bread often cost a whole taler -A huge sum. It was particularly hard on the poorer people, who at the time hardly received any support, as is the case today.
Desperate procurement of food: herbs, roots and fruit
To survive, people resorted to unnatural means: they ate grass, all sorts of herbs and dug roots from the ground, some of which they consumed raw, partly cooked. The starving children looked for the fruit of the trees, which had often already faded. Bleach, emaciated figures crept through the villages, and the workers had to go about their work hungry.
The noble commitment of Elector Friedrich August
Although the wages of the workers were relatively high, it was hardly enough. A so-called “guilder bread” was hardly enough for one person. In this difficult time, the Elector of Saxony, Friedrich August the righteous, at the time, was the true father of the country. He opened the grain magazines and let Korn go to Saxony. The municipality of Großröhrsdorf in the upper Rödertale received on May 22.July 1805 about 60 bushels of grain. On July 23, it was distributed to the starving residents. On August 2nd, another 60 hundredweight of flour, 3 Zentner rice and 26 bushels of grain, as the harvest was again poor due to persistent moisture.
Comparable emergency in other parts of Saxony
Similar catastrophes and emergencies prevailed in other parts of the Saxon fatherland in those years. While the population welcomed the better years with thanks and praise, the parents later told their children about the difficult times they had gone through.
A time of misery and hope
The severe natural disasters and the resulting need shaped the lives of many people at that time. Despite all the hardships, hope was also sown, and the memory of the sufferings and the victims was passed on from generation to generation.
