5 April 2004, Monday Morning

We left at 6:20am to drive to Kwidzyn (Marienwerder), the city where Karen and Kurt's father Kurt Albert Matthia was born in 1902. The drive took longer than we expected, so we didn't have as much time as we would have liked there. From where we were in Konitz, there is no direct route or way to a bridge over the river Wista (Vistula in English or formerly Weichsel in German). One must either go North and cross to Marlbork (formerly Marienburg), or South and cross to Grudziadz (formerly Graudenz).

We don't know why the 'W' is yellow on the sign.

We saw the cathedral where he had attended church, but were unable to go in because they were holding church services. The city museum which is housed in part of the church was closed for the day, which was also a disappointment. This picture is taken from the West in Mareza (formerly Marese) looking East. Kwidzyn lies primarily on the East side (far side) of the cathedral.

The reason we drove down to Marese is that this is where Kurt Albert Matthia was born in 1902 to Albert Johann Matthia and Martha Hedwig born Kobitz. We did get to drive past the house where Kurt Albert was born. This photo of the house was take when we were there in 1984.

Across the street and down the street from the house in Marese is a former Marese stationhouse of the Marienwerder Kleinbahn (narrow-gauge railroad). This is the way it looks today. It is being used, in part, as a clothing store.

Kurt Albert Matthia did his apprenticeship on the Marienwerder Kleinbahn, primarily during World War I. Although the railroad was still operational when we visited in 1984, today the tracks have been ripped up. It used to be used for passenger and freight service. It is a sad thing to see it's passing. Here is a picture of Kurt Albert taken during his apprenticeship on the railroad.

Kurt Albert is standing in back in the center of the above photo. Here is a closeup of him.

After visiting Mareze, we drove back into the city of Kwidzyn and looked for the house where Kurt Albert grew up. Unfortunately, Kurt was unable to find it immediately, and, because of our appointment in Ostrowite, we didn't have time to really look. Kurt and Sheela had seen it in 1984, but Karen and Charice haven't seen it.

This is a picture we took of the house in 1984. Kurt Albert Matthia (1902) and Charlotte Frieda Matthia Schulz (1901) are standing at the right looking at the place where a rental house owned by the family once stood. Kurt Albert left for the United States in 1926. Charlotte fled with the family first eastward to Königsberg and then westward to West Germany during World War II.

The family moved to this house from the one in Mareze in about 1912, when Kurt Albert was 10 years old. This picture of the house was taken in the late 1930's. Part of the family is standing in front. The rental house discussed above is seen behind the family.

This is the house in Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) where Gustav Adolph Kobitz (1849) and his wife Ernestine Amalie (Groch) (1847) lived at the end of their lives. These are the maternal grandparents of Charlotte Frieda Matthia Schulz and Kurt Albert Matthia, who are standing in front of the house in the photo. Charlotte died 22 Nov 1999 in  in Berlin, Germany. Kurt Albert died on 19 Aug 1987 in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

This photo was taken in 1984. Unfortunately, we didn't get to this house on this trip either.