A VILLAGE IN GERMANY ONCE NAMED WORGULLEN

 The following is a history of the village 0f "Worgullen" name changes since 1534 submitted by Rolf Worgul, Mainz, Germany

 WORGULLEN s. Worgule

Worgule,
Ortsname in der heutigen Woj. Suwalki, ehemalig Kreis Pisz (Johannesburg),
Gemeinde Drygaly (Drygallen), deutsch Worgullen

1534 Worgule

Um 1790 Worgullen

1882 Worgule

1893 Worgule, deutsch Worgullen

1946 Worgule Worgullen

1951 Worgule, deutsch Worgullen

1952 Worgule

mundartlich Vorgule / Vorgulen Expl.

Etymologie: Preuß. Name *Wargul-ai, erinnert an den Preußischen Lehnsmann von
1534 Wurgula.

Zur Deutung vgl. die preußischen Personennamen: Wargalle, Wargitte, Wargule.

Ortsnamen: Wargyn, abgeleitet von wargs. >schlecht, böse" oder evtl.
litauisch vargas >Unglück, Not", vargti: >martern, quälen, plagen".

Aufgrund der konsequenten Schreibung mit Wor- aber wohl eher als *Wor-gul-
und
Kompositum aus wors >alt" + gule  guolis >Lager" aufzufassen

 

 NAMES OF BALTIC ORIGIN IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF EAST PRUSSIA.

Worgule

A town name in todays district of Suwalki, formerly district of Johannisburg (Pisz), municipality of Drygaly (Drygallen). The german form of this name is Worgullen.

Dialectical versions are Vorgule / Vorgulen.

Etymology of the name: The Prussian name: Wargul - ai, reminds very much of the former prussian land man ( Lehnsmann) by the name of Worgula of 1534.This name can be compared to other prussian names: Wargalle, Worgitte, Worgule.

Place names: Wargyn, is a derivation of wargs, meaning "evil, naughty" and eventually the lithuanian name Vargas, meaning "poverty, tragedy" and Vargti, meaning: "torture, harassed, struggle". Due to the consistent writing of "Wor - more likely Wor - gul could be interpreted as a compound of wors "old" + gule which refers to guolis "Camp".

Submitted by Rolf Worgul. Mainz, Germany

 

 

 English Translation of a letter dated 11-16-99 from Werner Worgul

Duisburg, 16 Octl 1999

 

Robert Worgul
3125 E. Broadmoor
Lansing, Mi 48906

Dear Robert:

From memories of talks with my father, I know that the Worguls had owned a nobleman's estate (manor) in East Prussia and that a village called "Worgullen" was named after them.

Five generations before my father the family descended from a Maria Von Stumm. Later the Worguls became fishermen and lived on the shores of Spierdingsee ( Lake Spierding), in a place called Nikolaiken.

Prior to World War I the family moved to Gelsenkirchen. Johann Worgul's son was Frederich Worgul, whose siblings were Berta, Emil, Ernst, Margarethe, Martha and Henriette. He ( Frederich ) was married to Caroline Worgul. Their children were Emile, Heinz, Ruth, and Frederich. My sister Margaret and I are from Heinz and his wife Hildegard. My wife Karin and I have two children, Sascha and Corinna.

Werner Worgul
Andreas-Hofer-Strasse 21
47139 Duisburg

 

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 Village ( Dorf )WORGULLEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER WWII

 Hallo Bob,

wie bereits erwaeht, habe ich einen Brief sowie eine Einladung von einer Dame aus Polen erhalten. Sie erklaerte mir, dass es sich bei dem Ort Worgule, heute nur noch um eine kleine Siedlung handeln wuerde. Es gaebe aber noch einige Bewohner die die deutsche Sprache sprechen wuerden und sich sogar noch an den Namen Worgul erinnern koennten. Sie versprach mir weiterhin noch einige Nachforschungen bezueglich des Samuel Worgul anzustellen gab mir aber zu verstehen, dass beim Durchmarsch der Roten Armee bei Kriegsende fast alle Unterlagen vernichtet worden seien. Anbei ein Lageplan von Drygallen sowie eine detaillierte Aufstellung aller Bewohner um 1944/45. In 1945 waren noch zwei Familien mit dem Namen Worgul in Drygallen ansaessig, bei dem einen handelt es sich um den Schneider Worgul, bei dem anderen um Herrn Hartmann Worgul, Beruf unbekannt. Drygallen wurde im Jahre1438 gegruendet und hatte anfaenglich den Namen Zinsdorf. Im Jahre 1867 lag die Eiwohnerzahl in Zinsdorf bei 651 Einwohnern und im Jahre 1939 bereits bei 1798 Einwohner. Die von dir erwaehnte Kirche gibt es auch noch! In meinem Brief nach Polen hatte ich erwaehnt, dass ich fuer alle Unkosten und Ausgaben bezueglich der Nachforschungen aufkommen wuerde.

 From: WorgulBelair@aol.com
To: <bobworgul@earthlink.net>
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2000 6:08 PM
Subject: Drygaly-Poland

Hi Bob,

I have received as mentioned earlier a letter from Drygallen ( formrly East Prussia and now a part of Poland ) and an invitation as well. A lady from Drygallen responded to my letter and told me,
that Worgullen still exists - it is what she called a small settlement near
Drygallen. She said that there are still quite a number of people who speak
german and even know and remember some Worgull's. She was and still is doing
some research regarding old Samuel Worgul but as I suspected, she mentioned
that most documents had been distroyed by the Red Army in 1945. Attached to
the letter there is a detailed plan of the village of Drygallen dated
1944/45. Every house and resident is listed by number and name. In 1944/45
there where two Worguls left, one was the tailor Worgul, no first name, the
other one was Hartmann Worgull. Drygallen was founded in 1438 and was first
named Zinsdorf. In 1867 the population was 651 residents, in 1939 already
1798. There was even the church you had mentioned!

Best Regards
Ralph ( Worgul )

 

 Many persons with the Worgul surname who live in Germany trace their family history to the village of Worgullen and Sabielnen, now a part of Poland since the end of WW II. It is widely believed that all Worguls living today share a common ancestry and are related. Establishing proof of a common relationship is difficult. It is our hope that you will send us a letter regarding your Worgul families ancestry , as well as a genealogy chart, for inclusion in this web page. The letters may contain oral traditions as well as actual fact, and should be so noted. Doing so may be mutually helpful to all Worguls who want to learn more of their family history.

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Send responses to bobworgul@earthlink.net or mail to Bob Worgul, 3125 E. Broadmoor, Lansing, Mi. 48906, U S A ( e-mail submissions are preferable since they will be easier to enter onto this site.The material you send can be in German , English, or other language.) The German contact for this web page is: Rolf Worgul, Wallstrasse 27, 55122 Mainz, Telefan: (06131) 384086, Telefax: (06131) 320424, Mobilfunk:(0179) 6935755, E-Mail: www.worgulbelair@aol.com

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