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The German district in Bolnisi: what is it?

The former German village of Katarinenfeld in Kvemo Kartli.

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Short answer

The German district is the oldest part of Bolnisi in Kvemo Kartli, the former German village of Katarinenfeld founded in 1818 around the Evangelical-Lutheran Church at Merab Kostava Street 8. It keeps houses of Swabian settlers who mixed German and Georgian building traditions, and cellars with wine barrels. Georgia Travel calls Katarinenfeld the largest urban-type settlement among Georgia's German villages.

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Why

  1. Swabian Germans from Württemberg settled in Georgia with Russian Empire support: the first village was founded in 1817, and about 500 more families arrived in 1818.
  2. Katarinenfeld was named after Queen Catherine of Württemberg and became Bolnisi in 1943.
  3. Wine production drove the village's economy: the Germans began cultivating wine in 1820.

Details

Per Georgia Travel, the Lutheran church at Merab Kostava 8 was built in 1854; Soviet authorities demolished its tall bell tower, and the building later became a school gym. The former community house at Parnavaz Mepe 41 was restored in 2019 with support from the German Foreign Ministry and the municipality and now holds the Bolnisi Culture Center. The German Mill at Sioni 4 runs as a hotel and restaurant, and the volunteer fire station at Merab Kostava 7 once had 40 members.

For the Georgian way of making wine, see what is a qvevri.

Tip

Walk along Parnavaz Mepe Street, which has many houses combining German half-timbered walls with Georgian wooden balconies.

What may differ

Many houses are private homes, and the condition of buildings and the hotel and restaurant operation can change.

Common misconception

Germans in Georgia made wine in qvevri, like the Georgians.

What actually happens

Georgia Travel says the settlers shared grape varieties and methods with Georgians but did not use qvevri, preferring wooden barrels.

People also ask

  • Where is the German district in Bolnisi?

Sources

This answer is for reference and is based on the georgia.travel page as of the check date. Check opening hours and visiting conditions locally.

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