Skajboty (German: Skaibotten)
A Polish village in the Barczewo Gmina, Olsztyn Powiat, Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship.
Village Profile
Location:
The village of Skajboty is located in the western part of the Barczewo Gmina, away from main transport routes. While the village is small, the surroundings are remarkable for its extraordinary landscape, history and culture. The size, nature and the spirit of the village are worth preserving and cherishing.
Basic information:
Area: 1095 ha
Population: 242 (as of 31.12.2008, according to the General Register)
Major roads: powiat road Barczewo – Silice.
Institutions: there are no institutions in Skajboty (schools, kindergartens, post office, etc.)
Cultural and sports activity: There is a local community centre with a library situated in premises provided by the Church in the Skajboty chapel. The association Nasze Skajboty (Our Skajboty) has been recently formed in the village.
Location and environment: Skajboty is located in a forest area, in the immediate vicinity of Lake Linówko and Lake Bogdańskie. Post-glacial landscapes, which tourists find so appealing, as well as old and mysterious woods make it an attractive place for living, leisure and rest.
History
Skajboty was found by Henryk from Łajs, the founder of Barczewo and a brother of Jan, the founder of the city of Olsztyn. The Skajboty incorporation charter was signed on 11 November 1362. On 27 May 1487, the village was sold to monks by Sophia, the single heiress and Michael Schayboth’s widow. Initially, the village had the area of 60 łans (ca 1,039 ha).
According to the 1656 census, the village had 50 łans, 20 landlords, one sołtys (head of the village), three free tenants and one inn. Apart from the 50 łans belonging to tenants, there were 10 łans belonging to nobles, with 3 Chełmno landlords, and 8 łans left uncultivated.
First records from 1656 show that there used to be an inn in Skajboty.
Skajboty are associated with Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus had the Warmian villages repopulated after the devastating period of Polish-Teutonic wars as the economic administrator of the Warmian charter in the early 16th century, in 1516-1521. According to the available documents, Skajboty was populated by Nicolaus Copernicus three times: twice in 1517 and once in 1519, with Copernicus visiting the village two times.
From the very beginning, Skajboty was settled mostly by people of Polish descent. Below are the data on languages used by the population of Skajboty around 1910
Village | Polish | German | Masurian |
Skaibotten/Skajboty | 540 | 100 | - |
Natural and cultural environment
Landscape values - Skajboty is a picturesque village, situated between lakes and forests in the Warmian region in the Barczewo gmina. Our forests are inhabited by such species as the elk, wolf, deer, roe deer, wild boar, fox, hare, blackbird, jay, partridge, crane (with their summer nest sites in our area), stork, mallard or hoopoe.
We border Lake Bogdańskie, surrounded by the Olsztyn Lakeland Nature Park (Strefa Chronionego Krajobrazu Pojezierza Olsztyńskiego). There is the Kiermasz Canal crossing our village. There is the scenic Lake Linówko, connected with a pond in the village centre. The entire area abounds with field ponds and swamps, forming a natural habitat for wildlife.
Climate - the village has predominantly a lowland deciduous forest climate, with a moderating influence of the lake, which is favourable for living, sightseeing and leisure.
Groundwater and surface water - Lake Bogdańskie located in the immediate vicinity of the village.
Soils, minerals, geological formation - predominantly class IV (4) soils, large part of the area is forested. No other types of minerals.
Roads, accessibility- powiat and gmina roads, arterial and internal roads, very poor surface and no hard-surfaced roadsides in the case of arterial roads, internal roads require hardening.
Neighbourhood - close to the Barczewo gmina office, the Olsztyn powiat office, in the immediate vicinity of large forest units and Lake Bogdańskie
Sources:
- Georg Kellmann "Historia parafii Klebark Wielki jej wiosek i okolic" Klebark Wielki 2007 r.
- Languages in Polish Warmia ca 1910, according to Leo Wittschell’s map
- Private website: http://www.zenderowski.gower.pl/
- Skajboty restoration plan for 2009-2016
- Google maps
- Wikipedia