Tauer: Sorbian Traditions and Village History

Tauer brings together Sorbian-Wendish customs and village history with the surrounding landscapes. The location of these themes is a helpful distinction when choosing a destination: the church and local history museum provide a connection to the village, while different landscapes lie to the north and south of Tauer. If you are looking for a hotel, you can choose based on which of these aspects of your stay matters most to you.

Customs and History of the Protestant Church

In Tauer/Turjej, the annual cycle includes Carnival (zapust), Easter (jatšy), raising the maypole (majski bom), the harvest festival (žnjowny swezen), and the cock plucking festival (lapanje kokota). The German names are given alongside the Sorbian/Wendish names. Along with the historic buildings, these recurring customs shape the character of the village.

The Protestant Church of Tauer was built from 1789 to 1790 as a subsidiary church of Peitz. Inside the church is a pulpit altar, whose pulpit basket probably dates from around 1600. It also has a small organ dating from 1852, built by Christoph and Wilhelm Schröter of Sonnewalde. The timeline therefore stretches from the altar’s pulpit basket, probably made around 1600, through the construction of the church to the organ of 1852. A pulpit altar combines the pulpit and altar in a single furnishing.

Local History at the Tauer Local History Museum

The Tauer Local History Museum is housed in a former village bakery. Its permanent exhibition focuses on the Sorbian or Wendish history of the village. The village’s local history is thus at the heart of a museum visit.

The Fryco Rocha Cabinet at the local history museum focuses on Fryco Rocha’s work as a teacher in Tauer from 1891 to 1915. He taught there in Lower Sorbian despite a ban. Rocha wrote around 300 stories and songs for his classes, and the cabinet is dedicated to him. Information about the teacher and author adds a specific person and his work to the exhibition on the village’s history.

The local history museum also has a traditional farm garden and an herb garden. The museum’s farmstead is right beside the cycle path to Großsee, in the direction of Pinnower See and the Schlaubetal. Its location beside the cycle path also helps visitors pinpoint the museum.

Landscapes North and South of Tauer

North of Tauer lie Großsee and the adjoining Pinnower Läuche and Tauersche Eichen nature reserves. Both protected areas are part of the Schlaubetal Nature Park. Großsee is known for its very clear water and sandy beaches. South of Tauer lies the Laßzinswiesen lowland area, which is part of the Vorspreewald. The landscapes are therefore spread across two directions: Großsee and the nature reserves to the north, and the Laßzinswiesen to the south.

Discover more destinations: Welzow, Spremberg, Drebkau, Werben, Guben, Schmogrow-Fehrow, Forst, Heinersbrück

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