The Village Light: French Refugees Carry The Light Into Germany Following The Thirty Years’ War

By Rob May

The setting for the book is northern Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries. Authoritarian rule by monarchs and state-based religion is curtailed, as a result of the struggle for greater freedoms during this period. The story follows the adventures of an assembly of French refugees who escape from the conflict of the Thirty Years’ War to assist in restoring decimated Prussian villages. The theme of light overcoming the darkness is illustrated with personal stories of triumph, interwoven with the events of the time.
The style of this book is a biographical historical novel based on facts from reputable sources. Covering the refugee’s early life in Prussia, it includes details of their migration and settlement. Another key theme of the book is the gradual assimilation of the French with the native Prussians.
This is the first book in a series that covers roughly 200 years from the early 17th century. The next book covers the subsequent 200 years up to the modern day. The motivation to write these stories came from an inspired series of events following the author's visit to the family village in old East Germany. The book is well-referenced and further supported by various illustrations, maps and a family tree.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rob May
• Release date: Jan 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215796122

Rob May

Rob May is an Australian writer -• Enthusiastic family researcher for over 30 years• Widely travelled including a number of trips to England and Europe• Conducted on-the-ground historical and family research in Germany, UK and Australia, including South-East Queensland• In contact with European local history researchers• A writer for many years as part of a professional business career• Author of three books and working on a fourth.Published works -In praise of "The Village Light" -“Very good compilation, which describes the history of our region. Especially the story with little Friedrich and later his descendants” - Paul Stangenberg, Brüssow local history museum, Brüssow, Uckermark district, Brandenburg, Germany“The author capably weaves this personal saga into the complex historical events of those times. Moreover, he skilfully shares his knowledge with the reader allowing better understanding of the intricacies of politics, religion and everyday life in those far-off places and times. A book fascinating at both personal and historical levels“ – Dr Peter Kreminski, member of the AMA(SA) Historical Committee and writer of four historical biographical publications (including Northern European)"I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story, as it is well researched and written in an understandable way, very neatly put together. Congratulations!" - Professor Robert Heimann, Professional Genealogist (German Specialist)In praise of "The Two Sisters" -“You certainly have had some colourful and adventurous family members, who are well worth memorialising and you’ve done a pretty thorough job of researching their stories” - Associate Professor Peter Brinkworth, past editor of The Pioneer, Journal of the Pioneers Association of South Australia and writer of multiple historical publications“Fascinating story you wrote, thanks for letting me in on it” - Professor Robert Heimann, professional genealogist (expert in German / Australian connections)“You obviously have put in a phenomenal amount of time and effort into the project and your family, immediate and extended, are fortunate to now have such a text available. It is a very valuable acknowledgment of the life of their ancestors and a reference for future generations. It is also of value to genealogists and those interested in the history of European migration to Australia. Congratulations.” – Dr Peter Kreminski, member of the AMA(SA) Historical Committee and writer of four historical biographical publications (including Northern European)

Book preview

The Village Light

French refugees carry the light into Germany following the Thirty Years’ War

Rob May

Copyright © 2022 by Rob May. All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition.

Cover Design by Laura Shinn Designs.

Cover picture: Created from a photo of a field in the German village with the church tower in the background⁵

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

About the Book

These writings portray a historical picture of the northern European panorama between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Thirty Years’ War unfolds within these pages, with pertinent personal stories of affliction and renewal. An assembly of French refugees escaped from the conflict to assist in restoring some of the Prussian villages decimated by the war.

This is a story of light and darkness. The refugees emerged from the dark west and arrived in the village to rekindle the village light. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.¹. The refugees become settlers and then citizens of their newfound homeland. Frederick the Great ruled Prussia as an enlightened autocrat. Germany then embarked on its next historical chapter, but not without further struggles and oppression by the various rulers.

The adventures of these refugees are set in the historical context of the day using facts as documented from reliable sources. This first book in the series roughly covers 200 years, starting from the early 17th century. The next book covers the subsequent 200 years up to the modern day.

The inspiration for these books came from my visit to the family village in old East Germany in 2018. While walking down the village main street, two workers were repairing the gutter. They were the only other people in the street. I could hear their radio playing. The voice on the radio was in German. As I walked past the workers, a song came on the radio. A song that I recognised – ‘You're the Voice’ as sung by John Farnham². At the time, I thought that was a bit strange. Here was an Australian in a remote village where very little English was spoken. At the instant I walked past, this Australian song was played on German radio. Upon further reflection, I realised that the workers behaved somewhat like the refugees in this story. They contributed to the restoration of the village to make it fully functional again.

When I returned to my hotel, I thought I should not try and read too much into this. However, I was curious. While listening to the song's chorus, it became clear that I had some work to do to try and understand what happened in this village and somehow become 'the voice' to tell that story.

Even the first verse of this song had a message that said I had to research this village and its people further to 'join the dots' before I got much older. My writing would be about families and the challenges they face in life. In reference to the song, I also learnt that the Thirty Years' War was one of the first wars where guns or firearms were most prevalent.

Men at work in the German village street in 2018

Inevitably, every family story has 'gaps', and this one is no exception. I have endeavoured from time to time to fill these ‘gaps’ (‘join the dots’) with what can be described as ‘probable fiction’. This approach facilitates readability, provides the most likely set of events or circumstances and gives the facts further body and context. Hopefully, this makes the story more satisfying to read, even if it has entailed some educated guesswork.

When probable fiction is employed, I have tried to make it clear to the reader. The author, who is both a descendant of the villagers and close to the source material, has imagined some detail around various situations involving key characters. Obviously, the thoughts, feelings and detailed ‘day-to-day’ actions of people can’t be known from some 400 years ago unless documented in a historical work. Where these works exist (and they do), primary sources are referenced. The primary source references, can be used to conduct further research and checks as required. History that is ‘common knowledge’, such as wars and the lives of famous people, is not usually referenced. Of course, I am happy to make relevant corrections for the next edition.

All illustrations and sources are used with permission. Appendix B contains a family tree of the people in this book, which is a useful ‘reference’ to help keep track of family relationships.

I hope you find this book as fascinating and illuminating to read as I found it to write. Thanks to my family for allowing me time out to write this book. Thanks also to my friends and colleagues who provided information, constructive suggestions and feedback. A special thank you to Paul Stangenberg of the Brüssow Local History Museum in Germany who provided much valuable information and photographs. Enjoy your read!

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Darkness in the Village

Chapter Two: Darkness in the West

Chapter Three: Out of the Darkness

Chapter Four: New Foundations

Chapter Five: The Village

Chapter Six: Preparing the Light

Chapter Seven: The Village Light

Chapter Eight: To Prussia with Love

Chapter Nine: The Two Sisters – The Adventure Continues

List of Illustrations

Appendix A – Maps

Appendix B – Relevant Family Tree

Endnotes (List of Sources)

Chapter One

Darkness in the Village

Before the war, life in the village was idyllic. The village was surrounded by an unspoiled natural heritage in the field, meadow, forest and stream. Centuries of agricultural labour accompanied by marvellous timeworn traditions and celebrations. Several rough cobblestone roads that surrounded the village, led to a place from long ago. In the failing evening light emerged a magical place that time almost forgot. Modest landmarks were apparent, such as the local village church; made of stones that had a story to tell. Stones that helped to hold everything together