Behrendt as a geographical place name
Behrendt is a geographical place name. It was a county/district ("kreis" or literally circle) in West Prussia, and also a town located in the district. The town of Behrendt was the administrative head of the district of Behrendt.
I have not yet been able to trace when the district was first created or called Behrendt, but it was certainly in use at the relevant time for this family tree, being 1812.
One of the earliest references I have found is in the book Volständige Topographie des Königreichs Preussen ("Complete topography of the Kingdom of Prussia") published in 1789 -
https://books.google.de/books?id=SQw_AAAAcAAJ&hl
In this book, you can find references to the district of Behrendt.
On April 30, 1815, the district boundaries were changed a bit and the district became part of the Danzig administrative district - see #5 of page 352 of Historisch-comparative Geographie von Preussen at -
https://books.google.de/books?id=x6Fqa3hq6D0C&pg=PA352#v=onepage&q&f=false
The main two towns in the district were Behrendt and Schöneck. Other larger villages include: Alt Kischau, Kalisch, Lippusch, and Wischin.
You can find a map of the area in 1826, which shows the town of Behrendt, in Polish archives at -
https://rcin.org.pl/dlibra/publication/33612/edition/28257/content
I also own an original map of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1860, which is reproduced below, and which shows the town of Behrendt. Wikipedia has the 1856 Colton Map of Prussia and Saxony, which also shows the town of Behrendt, and which is also reproduced below.
The population of the Behrendt district increased over time:
1815 - 19,634 people (of which 420 were Jewish)
1831 - 23,120 people
1852 - 32,808 people (of which 622 were Jewish)
1861 - 38,767 people (of which 639 were Jewish)
1871 - 43,777 people (of which 749 were Jewish)
1890 - 45,947 people (of which 654 were Jewish)
1900 - 49,821 people (of which 469 were Jewish)
1910 - 55,976 people (of which 307 were Jewish)
Of surprise to me is that a large percentage of the population was Polish speaking rather than German speaking, and from at least 1852 onward the Polish-speaking population was larger than the German-speaking population.
The town seems to have been known for manufacturing linens, as well as breweries and distilleries.
The name Behrendt was either changed to Berent or was an alternate spelling for Berent, and Berent eventually won out. By the late 19th century, and into the 20th century, the district seems to be referred to solely as Berent.
The district existed until 1920, and then again briefly from 1939-45
The town is now part of Poland and known as Kościerzyna.
Here is my map of the Kingdom of Prussia:
Here is the Wikipedia 1856 map:
