the local nobles. New villages were founded according to Magdeburg law: their settlement was organized by a Schulze, usually a rich farmer or burgher, who bought the office from the landlord and worked out the contracts (Privilegien or Lehnsbrieffe [sic!]) with the peasants. Schulzes as well as free peasants and pub owners were required to attend their landlord in arms when it came to the abovementioned border skirmishes with competing nobles. Since a schulze was able to partition and sell his estate, with the heirs or other acquiring party gaining all privileges of a schulze even if owning only part of such an estate, the number of schulzes increased significantly over time. This process was enhanced by the landlords, who needed the schulzes' armed services at the border. In July 1655, during the Second Northern War, Draheim was devastated by a trespassing Swedish army. A Brandenburgian report noted that no more than 150 inhabitants remained, the rest had fled to nearby areas, but hesitated to return as they were deprived of all their means. Poland pawned Draheim to Brandenburg-Prussia in the 1657 Treaty of Bromberg. This arrangement was confirmed in the 1660 Treaty of Oliva, but Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, did not take control of the territory until 1668. Berlin subsequently administered the territory through the office of an Amtmann, who had his seat in Draheim Castle. It was later leased to domain tenants. According to the Treaty of Bromberg, Frederick William promised not to infringe upon the rights of the Roman Catholic Church in Draheim. The number of Protestants in the territory gradually shrank. It was not until the reign of King Frederick William I of Prussia (1713–40) that a Protestant church was built in Tempelburg. Draheim's role as a fief of Poland ended with the First Partition of Poland in 1772. In spite of being included as part of Kreis Neustettin, Regierungsbezirk Köslin within Province of Pomerania in 1817, the territory remained outside of the German Confederation and became part of Germany only upon formation of the North German Confederation in 1866. It also remained a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poznań until becoming part of the newly established Apostolic Administration of Tütz. References Further reading Christoph Motsch: Grenzgesellschaft und frühmoderner Staat. Die Starostei Draheim zwischen Hinterpommern, der Neumark und Großpolen (1575–1805). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001, . Haik Thomas Porada, Michael Lissok: Die frühere