Berg (German) / Hora Svateho Vaclava (Czech) the Catholic Parish for 3 + generations of Prokosch families). Berg is located 2 km Southwest of Trohatin.
The old parish village of Berg, (means hill) is located about 4 km (2.5 miles) northwest of Ronsperg (Poberzovice), probably derives its name from an old castle or fortress; the existing church of the Holy Wenzel was probably built from its rubble. There is evidence that a parish church existed in Berg as early as 1384, which belonged to the archdeacon of Bischofteinitz.
The village consisting of six farms appears in the chronicles of the Lobkowitz family of Bischofteinitz in 1587, after it belonged to Hirchstein Castle along with Trohatin, Natschetin and Hoslau and had passed into the possession of the Teinitz family in 1539. The name Prokosch appeared in the chronicles from 1587 to 1946.
In 1789, the chronicler Schaller described some ruins of a former fortress and calls the village consisting of 16 houses “Berg at the Böhmerwalde”, “Bergium”, “Mons St.Wenceslai”. In 1839, Berg has 22 houses with 173 German inhabitants, who live off a thriving flax and yarn spinning mill and work in the neighboring glassworks.
In 1913, Berg counts 26 houses with 165 inhabitants; in 1945, it has 32 houses and 163 inhabitants. In 1937, it encompasses 124 hectars, including 71.72 hectars of fields, 25.81 hectars of meadows, 8.35 hectars of pastures, 9.16 hectars of forest, and 1.05 hectars of gardens.
The former rectory served as the clergyman’s office and school at the same time and was chronicled in 1707. It burnt down in1927 and was rebuilt in 1932. The Church of the Holy Wenzel was administered by priests of the Stockau monastery until 1787. On January 25, 1788 it again became a parish church. Trohatin, Natschetin, Schiefernau and Schilligkau also were part of the parish. After the closure of the monastery the priests were secularized.
The church tower had three bells. Two of the bells were melted in WWI and replaced in the 1920’s with new bells.
In 1787, the teacher moved out of the rectory into a house, which was then remodeled as a school building. However, the building was too small so that a new school house was built on the school hill in 1860. In 1893, the school offered three grades, in 1945, it was again just one. In addition to Berg, Schiefernau, Natschetin and the Hoslau mills also belonged to the school district, but after WW I, students were transferred to Münchsdorf. The municipality Berg included Berg itself, Schiefernau and Zeisermühl. In addition to the church and school, Berg was the seat of the Raiffeisen Bank of Trohatin and vicinity, had 1 consumer goods store, 1 butcher, 2 pubs, 1 tobacconist, 1 midwife.
While the inhabitants primarily worked in agricultural businesses, they also made bobbin lace during the winter.
During WW I, 6 soldiers from Berg were killed; during WW II, 9 soldiers from Berg died. According to Rudolf Womes
Visitors to the Berg cemetery in search of the Prokosch tombstones were informed that all gravestones were removed or ruined – because they were considered German families.
(1) Wallburg (also called Schanze, Spitzwall): entrenchment, field-work, ring-walls, which were built in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages castles were often built in it and the old ramparts were used as an additional hindrance for attackers.
(2) List in which were written down the possessory rights of the lord of the manor and the duties of his subjects. Also called “Urbarium”.
(3) Herrschaft = dominion or estate
(4) 1 ha (Hektar) = 100 a (Acre); 1 a (Acre) = 100 m
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