The Colony llavla (Leichtling)

This chronicle was included in an article published by the Black Sea historian Konrad Keller in 1910 in Deutsche Erde, Heft 6/7, pages 184-192. The translation was by Herta Guenther, Erie, Colorado.

The Colony Ilavla, also known as Räsowka and Leichtling, was founded in the years 1764-1765 by German immigrants from the monarchy Saxonia (Saxony) and other German Provinces. The colony is situated on the left side of the River Ilavla, 26 Werst of the governmental city, Saratov, 52 werst of the town Kamischin (Kamyshin), and 19 werst of the government office, Simanowka.

The census of 1788, the colony had 45 families which consisted of 155 male and 126 female souls. Since the founding of the colony, two families emigrated in 1861 to the Kaukasus (Caucasus), in 1884, twelve more families emigrated to Samara and in 1886 six more families went to South America. Thirthy-seven families live out of town.
 
At this time, the colony has 185 farmyards with 1836 souls of both sexes, all of Catholic faith. 295 males and 275 females are able to read and write. The Colony Ilavla is affiliated with the Parish Panovka. A church does not exist, the divine service is held in the school. There are two schools, one a community and the other a national.
 
The trades of the men are: 15 shoemakers, 4 weavers, 2 vatmakers, 2 wheel- wrights, 2 carpenters, 1 tailor, and 2 musicians. The town also has a small wares shop, 1 tobacco shop, 1 oil mill and 1 mill (flour).
 
The live stock of the colonists consists of: 570 horses, 138 oxen, 479 cows 731 sheep, 549 pigs, and 244 goats.

The colony pays personal and land tax annually of 4661 roubles (rubles). The community land has an area of 5193 dessiatines: 11 for the threshing floor, 80 for vegetable gardens, 5117 for farming, 50 for hay, 154 for forest, and the rest for animal grazing.

One half of the land is black earth (soil), the other half has clay (loam) and gravel. The land is hilly and is divided by two valleys. On the fields there are two dams (drinking places) for the animals. The big road from Saratov to Astrakan goes through this colony. Their products are sold in the city Nishnaja-Panovka or in Kamischin (Kamyshin).


Parish Leichtling (Ilavla)
The founding of the colony: 1764-1765. Immigrants from the monarchy Saxonia (Saxony) and other German Provinces. In 1767 there were 143 settlers, in 1911 there were 1836, in 1912 there were 2535, and in 1926 there were 1330 settlers.
 
Founding of the parish apparently came after World War I, before that the services were held in Hildmann, in 1911?: 2100 souls.

Timely pastorships are as follows: Alois Oks (Nr. 209) during and after the first World War, Johannes Schneider sen. (Nr. 154) from 1928 (maybe earlier) until 1931.


Church:
The church (the year it was built is not known) burned on August 24, 1897 (the feast of the patron protector, Holy Apostle Bartholomew) very shortly after Mass was held. Three of the visiting ministers tried to help and each saved a flag of the Most Holy. The church could not be saved. The fire soon got a hold of the hay gardens and destroyed half of the food of the town. It also burned down six farms. After that, Mass was held in the school. In 1919? Leichtling again had a prayer house (church). The Sexton and religion teacher in 1914 was Th. Bihn.


note: a Werst or Verst = 2/3 of a mile