On Monday, 18th September 2023 I had the pleasure of visiting the town of Radnica, situated on the Oder River in what is now Poland.
It was a very emotional experience for me as it was this town that my great grandfather Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Kakoschke left behind when he migrated to Australia on 25 February 1878 on “SS Eduard” leaving from Hamburg and arriving in Adelaide on 18 June 1878.
I was accompanied by Natalia Osypiuk the daughter of Jerzy Osypiuk a local Historian from Nekla approximately 36 kms from Poznan on the Eastern side.
We drove to the Radnica station located on the outskirts of the town on a cobblestone road which seemed unusual but the road showed no sign of wear and tear so it served its purpose well. There was a glassworks business previously in the vicinity so perhaps this road gave the transport vehicles a smoother ride when distributing the glassware.
Overall, the town was very neat, we visited the cemetery where we saw a monument to commemorate the old graves that had been desecrated as a result of the wars.
Travelling from Nekla to Berlin we drove through the town taking note of the distinct line of old buildings in the backyards of nearly every home in the town.
It was like there were 2 villages, the newer house along the roadside and the older building surrounding the newer homes.
The older homes amazed me that the bricks were perfectly laid with no sign of ageing given the time that these buildings have been built.
Gardens were neat and tidy, apart from one house we looked at on the outskirts of the town. The garden had taken over an old building in the backyard and a tree was growing on the front doorstep. It brings to mind how nature wins in the end, it was like Mother Nature was saying this building is mine.
We visited the River Oder which passed close by the town of Radnica.
The water was very fast flowing and as a result a lot of people wanting to migrate used this river to reach the coastal towns to board ships to take them to their new homelands. It certainly played a big part in transportation over the years.
As we continued on our drive to Berlin I felt a lot of emotion knowing that I had visited an area that my ancestors lived.
Many thanks to Natalia and Jerzy Osypiuk for making this visit to Radnica happen and making my day.
Patricia Nuske.
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