Rozumice [rɔzuˈmit͡sɛ] (German Rösnitz) is a village in the community of Gmina Kietrz, within Głubczyce County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, close to the Czech border.
[4] Then King Ottokar II of Bohemia encouraged skilled German immigrants to settle in this region, overseen by the Prämostratenser of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré.
The first documented evidence of Rösnitz dates from 1335 (then called Resenitz), when a five-year rent free lease of farmland was granted.
The original German settler surnames of Kremser, Proske, Krömer, Alscher, Grittner, Lamche, Weicht, Kolbe, Heidrich, Schindler, Klose survive from before this time,[4] despite being at times under Austrian, Czech, Polish or Prussian rule, and continued to dominate life in the village up until ethnic cleansing of the village in 1946.
In 1523 the principality of Jägerndorf, under the House of Hohenzollern, which includes the village, was bought by George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, also a zealous Lutheran.
From 1557 onwards the community bought the title deeds for their houses, the land they farmed and finally freed themselves from serfdom and most tithes.
In the Leobschütz area during the succeeding period, only two villages, Rösnitz and Steuberwitz, were not converted back to Catholicism, at some considerable personal cost.
The villagers were subjected to extreme pressures over a long period to convert back, but managed to withstand and remain Protestant.
In a document signed and sealed by Frederick II of Prussia the villagers’ freedoms were confirmed in 1743 and permission granted for a chapel.
A great many improvements undertaken, post office 1891, telegraph 1892, slate replacing thatched roofs around the same time, roads cobbled 1896–99, piped water 1899, electricity 1923, fire hydrants and volunteer fire service 1932, motorised mills replacing the old water and two windmills, and even a swimming pool and cinema.
Contrary to local traditions elsewhere the Laimes (grain stores) were positioned outside of the courtyard on the opposite side of the main street, or sometimes in the orchard.
After they left, fierce fighting went on in and around Rösnitz for a while, the church was bombed and many of the houses were destroyed, possession of the village changed four times, leaving behind 50 disabled tanks when a general surrender was declared on 8 May.
Between 5 and 14 July 1946, under the Allied Forces directive, the original German villagers were deported to the west with no more than 50 kg of food and possessions apiece.
[9] Polish and Ukrainian expellees from the Kresy regions of interwar Poland which had been annexed by the Soviet Union were settled here and the village renamed to Rozumice.
[10] The president of Poland Lech Kaczyński sent a letter supporting the proposal and congratulating them on their important role in furthering friendly Polish-German relationships.