Loysen (Loisen, Loytzen)

Loysen (Loisen, Loytzen), is a former Polish banking house, to whom is due the credit for the settling of Dutch Mennonites in the lowlands of the Vistula in the second half of the 16th century. Hans, Simon, and Steffen van Loysen had possession of Tiegenhof as security for a loan made to the King of Poland. It was at that time a marsh, most of it covered with reeds and brush. In 1562 they persuaded the Dutch Mennonites to build a new home here; the offer was gladly accepted, for in Holland they were not tolerated, whereas in Tiegenhof they would not be subject to oppression. In a short time the land was made arable; and after the expiration of the free period the Mennonites took it on lease. The lease contracts promised them exemption from certain fees and from military burdens. The contracts were repeatedly renewed and confirmed by the Polish kings. The Privilegium which Ladislas IV (king 1632-1648) gave the Mennonites on 22 December 1642, stressed the cultural achievement of their ancestors, and stated that the Mennonites had been called into the country by the Loysen family with the consent of King Sigismund August. The area was at first called the "Neue Hof," later Loytzenhof, though it was only a short time in the possession of the Loysen family; in 1581 it was taken over by Ernst von Weiher, and was then called "Weihershof." After 1760 it was known as Tiegenhof.

There have been some Dutch Mennonites by the name of Loysen. They apparently came to the Netherlands from Flanders, Belgium. Joos Loysen, a Mennonite of Middelburg, a wood dealer and owner of a sawmill, and a certain Maillart in 1593 wrote a letter to Prince Maurice of Orange in the name of the "nonresistant Christians" (i.e., Mennonites) of Middelburg in order to plead for freedom from the oath, which had been granted by his father William of Orange.

Bibliography

Brons, A. Ursprung, Entwichlung und Schicksale der Mennoniten. 3rd edition. Norden, 1912.

Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1908): 40.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 696.

Mannhardt, W. Die Wehrfreiheit der Altpreussischen Mennoniten. Danzig, 1863.

Regehr, Ernst. "Geschichtstabelle der Gemeinde Rosenort." Mennonitische Blätter (1937): 2.

Szper, Felicia. Nederlandsche nederzettingen in West-Pruisen gedurende den Poolschen tijd: Acad. proefschrift . . . Enkhuizen: P. Bais, 1913: 95 f., 199.

Author(s)	Christian Hege
	Nanne van der Zijpp
Date Published	1957

Cite This Article

MLA style

Hege, Christian and Nanne van der Zijpp. "Loysen (Loisen, Loytzen)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Loysen_(Loisen,_Loytzen)&oldid=92479.

APA style

Hege, Christian and Nanne van der Zijpp. (1957). Loysen (Loisen, Loytzen). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Loysen_(Loisen,_Loytzen)&oldid=92479.

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