THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 103

DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by Gberghold@AOL.com)
January 31, 2002
((c) G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved)

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This first section of our 4-section newsletter includes:

* A Very Special Gift
* Burgenland Weekend-Sacred Heart Parish-Allentown, PA
* Burgenland Wine Availability
* Euro Replaces Schilling
* Burgenland Border
* Treaty of Trianon
* Spam Response

A VERY SPECIAL GIFT

Lately we've received more complaints than complements, mostly from Internet newbies who think we're responsible for the SPAM and pornographic ads that flood the Internet. Offsetting that; however, we received the following which makes our voluntary efforts worthwhile. In case you are not aware of it, contributing editor Bob Unger from California read a wonderful privately published and out of print biography by a Burgenland immigrant. He was so impressed that he convinced the author's son in Chicago to have it reprinted and some 300 copies were bought by BB members, after we reviewed the reprint in our newsletter. Bob coordinated the sales to BB members for owner Rudy Unger. I later carried a briefcase of those books to Austria last summer as gifts for our Austrian staff. This tells the story of what happened to three of the purchased copies. (Note: We receive no payment for books or other items mentioned in our newsletter and review them only as items of Burgenland interest. The BB newsletter carries no advertisements.)

To: BB Editor
Subj: A very special gift (From:LKRanieri@home.com (Lynne Ranieri)

Enough months ago to enable me to lose my copy, I bought three copies of the book that the Burgenland Bunch offered...a diary by Mr. Unger, of his time in Austria during the war. ("Twenty Five Years Of My Life In My Homeland by Robert Unger, pub. 1980, reprinted 2001 by Rudolph M. Unger"). My copy promptly got swallowed up in the bowels of the genealogical archeological heap here and I expect to find it -- and finally read it-- one day soon. One copy was for my 78-year-old mother, for Christmas, and one for her younger brother, who usually hosts the annual family holiday reunion/get-together. The book for my mother was just a small stocking-stuffer among all the other things we gave her, but the day after Christmas, I got a call about it early in the morning. Mom sounded *very* sleepy and the first words out of her mouth were "I couldn't put that book down!" She said she stayed up until 2:30 a.m. reading it and got about 2/3 of the way through. She finished it the next night and is *still* talking about it. She can't wait to see her brother to give him his copy.

I would just like to thank you for making that lonely Christmas night much less lonely and flooding it with warm, happy memories of her childhood in Burgenland, as Mom is widowed and we were all back at our houses by then. It obviously meant a great deal to her!

BURGENLAND WEEKEND-ALLENTOWN, PA SACRED HEART PARISH

(ED. Note: The Sacred Heart Parish of Allentown, PA served so many Burgenland immigrants at the turn of the last century that mass was celebrated in German for many years. This parish complex included, in addition to a fine church, a hospital with nursing school, Catholic school through high school, home for elderly, young men's club and other institutions. BB members residing in or near the Lehigh Valley will be interested in the following recently received email.)

Dear Mr. Berghold:

I wish I could say I was a Burgenländer, but I'm not (although there were probably some relations from there). I'm writing on behalf of Sacred Heart Church in Allentown, PA - once, perhaps still, the heart of Burgenland hereabouts.

The new pastor, Rev. John Grabish (Grabas), is planning a Burgenland weekend, June 8/9, 2002, which is also the patron feast day of the Sacred Heart. Although the details are still being worked out there will most likely be a special Mass, a historic display, and perhaps a dinner. Would you or members of your group be interested in this once the plans are finalized? If so, I'd be happy to pass the info to you.

As a small compensation for reading this, I attach here a picture of Sacred Heart Church, Christmas Eve, 1911, with Archbishop Prendergast of Philadelphia coming to dedicate the Church.

Have a good New Year. What a great website and such a nice service you and your "Bunch" provide. Jim Somogyi
jsomogyi@flowserve.com

BURGENLAND WINE AVAILABILITY (from Barb Guttmann)

Happy New Year. I thought I would pass along a real find. There are more than a few wine shops in Chicago. One that opened recently carried a number of Austrian - Burgenland wines, but when I returned, the shelves had been restocked and different wines were being offered. However, one very large wine shop is located near my house and although I had looked briefly, I had never given the store a full search for Burgenland wines.

For Christmas with my family, I decided to make a complete search. I found a wealth of Austrian/Burgenland Wines. You may want to check their web site "samswine.com", click on wine and then region, you'll see Burgenland offered. There are quite a few offered but there are more in stock than are listed on the website. We had a wonderful wine that is not listed. I am sure that they will answer questions and provide a more complete list if they have more inquiries. Finally, on a related note, the Chicago Tribune listed "Austrian wines" as one of the trends to watch for in the New Year. Thanks again for all that you do. I can't begin to tell you how much it means to all of us.

EURO REPLACES SCHILLING

An era passes with the substitution of "euros" for Austrian schillings. As one gets older, change becomes a bummer. As long as things stay the same, it feels like we are still young. In my lifetime I have seen much change, not the least of which is European currency. I remember England as a place where, as a young Air Force sergeant, I paid with "tanners" (six-pence)-"florins" (two-schillings)-"bobs" (schillings) and "quids" (pounds). Then they went metric and England will never be the same again. Somehow a 50-pence piece lacks the romance of a "ten-bob" note. Likewise, I've paid for Austrian purchases with schillings (although my immigrant grandparents would have used kronne). Now most of Europe has replaced all those romantic schillings, marks, lire, drachmas, francs etc. with the "euro" and a trip there will lack something. I have some schillings as well as other European currency among my treasures, which I will not exchange. I asked Inge Schuch, who lives in Vienna: Are you settled with the Euro conversion as yet?

she replied: "Settled is probably saying too much. I did spend my last schilling notes on Monday, and have only a few coins left, some of which I may even keep. But I am still struggling a bit with the new coins, trying to keep them apart or to use the best combination when paying for something. But the major change and challenge is of course getting used to the new dimension, actually thinking in euros instead of schillings."

albert schuch (vienna) tells me he and elizabeth spent all of his old schillings on a new washing machine for their apartment. he doesn't like the euro replacing the schilling and is not happy with the european union.

klaus gerger (vienna) last year gave me a "golden" euro when we met in salzburg. turned out to be foil wrapped chocolate with the new euro coin design. he bought them to show his family what the new coins would look like.

i agree with inge's comments as i've visited austria often enough that i could subconsciously convert schilling values into dollars, now i guess i'll have to first convert "euros" to schillings! as if metric wasn't bad enough.

aol international newsletter (jan. 3, 2001) had the following announcement:

The Year of Euro

New Money, New Era
It's almost beyond belief. Fifty billion coins. Fourteen-and-a-half billion banknotes. On Tuesday (Jan.1, 2001), the euro officially replaced the currencies of 12 European countries.

Handling the Dough
In the brave new Euro world, you don't have to fumble around with mental math to figure out what costs how much. Rely on AOL's currency converter to do the heavy lifting.

as of jan. 2, 2001 the values were:
1 austrian schilling = $0.07267=0.084 euros
1 euro =$0.916

burgenland border (from fritz königshofer)

(ed. note: eighty years have passed and people are still confused and upset about hungary's loss of territory following wwi. fritz answers a recent question from a query board.)

subj: western border and trianon

i saw your question posted on the hungary-l list regarding the background on why trianon (treaty of trianon-june 4, 1920 led to the loss of western hungary.

the simple answer, i believe, is that there had been a strong nationalistic movement among the ethnic germans living in old western hungary to secede and become part of "German" austria ("Deutschösterreich" as the remainder of austria was indeed called at that time). you can read a bit about the history of the foundation of the burgenland at the site of the burgenland bunch at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org , and there were also occasional articles on the subject in the newsletters of the bunch.

From the Austrian point of view, Hungary managed to hang on to some purely German border villages because local Magyar aristocrats actively worked to convince the population there to vote for remaining in Hungary. Sopron was foreseen as the new capital of Burgenland. In the census of 1910, a majority of the population of the town had declared their ethnicity as German, but in the referendum of 1921, a majority voted for the town and its environs to remain in Hungary. (ED.-some people think there was a bit of skullduggery in counting votes.)

My great-grandfather was ethnic German, but his heart beat for Hungary. I believe he was devastated when Western Hungary became part of Austria (which he had left in 1882 to "emigrate" to then Hungary), and died quickly after the secession. However, the vast majority of the population was jubilant about the change. Very few Magyars lived in the area that became Austria. Within the new borders of the seceded area, there was a stronger Croat than Magyar minority. The major Magyar settlement was Felsőőr (Oberwart). In the most recent issue of the BB Newsletter, I started a three-part article on the history of the Magyar settlement and its Calvinist congregation of Oberwart.

I also believe it is a simplification to point only to the loss of Western Hungarian land to Austria. An entire district of old Vas county, i.e., Muraszombat, became part of the new country the later would be named Yugoslavia (meanwhile, it is Slovenia), and the same was true for districts Csaktornya and Perlak of old Zala county (now Croatia). When you take a look at the map of the old kingdom, it is evident that these parts were also in what one would deem Western Hungary.

TREATY OF TRIANON AND AFTERMATH

We tend to think of pre WWI Austria and Hungary as the "Dual Monarchy" or "Austro/Hungarian Empire." The Hungarians viewed their portion as an independent nation inasmuch as they gained much autonomy within the Habsburg monarchy, following the revolution of 1848 and the Ausgleich or compromise. As part of the losing side in WWI; however, they lost almost 75% of their former territory and 66% of their inhabitants, as the victorious allies created new nations formed along what they considered ethnic lines.

On June 4, 1920, after a series of upheavals, including invasion of Hungary by Romania, political stability was enforced by the allies and Hungary signed the Treaty of Trianon. Czechoslovakia was given Slovakia, Austria received Western Hungary (from which Burgenland was created), Yugoslavia took Croatia-Slavonia and parts of the Banat of Temesvar. Romania received the rest of the Banat, Transylvania and part of the Hungarian plain. Hungary also agreed to pay reparations, limit the size of their standing army, assume part of the Austro/Hungarian debt and hand over war criminals. For Hungary, this was a disaster. During WWII, by joining the Axis, Hungary again regained portions of these losses (except for Western Hungary or Burgenland which became part of nearby Austrian provinces) and moved settlers into some of the lost regions, only to lose them again following Axis defeat in WWII. Ethnic cleansing of Hungarians in these regions soon followed. Few Hungarians, except as noted in the previous article, now reside in these former territories.

SPAM RESPONSE (from dkneb@tnics.com (Dale M. Knebel)

(ED. Note: We've had a fair amount of response from members concerning the SPAM problem, which is aggravated by putting one's email address on a website list. Dale, who is a BB contributing editor for the Burgenland Lake Region, perhaps has said it best with the following.) Dale writes:

Spam is a fact of life and it will probably only get worse. Lately I began receiving a number of Spanish e-mails. I assume it was because I posted on a South American site about some Burgenlanders and my e-mail address was lifted from that site.

We are all spammed each day by the US Postal Service, yet we don't seem to take any drastic action regarding the high volume of junk mail we receive. After a cursory glance, it goes to the wastebasket. The same can go for spam; after a cursory glance, it can go to the Deleted Items folder. You can put a spam address on the Blocked Senders List so that it goes to the Deleted Items folder upon arrival. I would like to see Bill Gates and Microsoft go one step further; bounce all the mail from the senders on the blocked senders list. That would get your address removed from the spam list quickly.

The genealogical benefits that one gains from being posted on the Burgenland list, to me, far outweigh the spam that arrives. The decision to remove your address from the list leaves you with no possibility of contacts. The lists put me in touch with live bodies that have firsthand knowledge of people, settlements, etc.

My post on the South American site located my Burgenland immigrants over night. Working the "old way" I would not have accomplished that. I can put up with the spam.

Newsletter Continues As No. 103A

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 103A

DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by Gberghold@AOL.com)
January 31, 2002
(c) G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved

This second section of our 4-section newsletter contains:
* Instant Family History
* Burgenland Books (German)

INSTANT FAMILY HISTORY

Various offers to provide instant family history continue to appear. At ethnic fairs, one often sees a stand offering an expensive book that will provide you with "your" coat of arms and unknown "family" data. Of course you can never see this book before you buy it and the seller is more interested in taking orders for items with "your" coat of arms incorporated. Then there is the outfit that uses surface mail to offer a "family history complete with coat of arms." The Postmaster General has indicted this firm for fraudulent mail offers quite often. The last I saw, their booklet included a listing of family names as they appear in Telephone Number CD's, to which they added some general and innocuous material, all done up in a pretty cover with "your" coat of arms. While I don't want to take the space to explain Heraldry, let me assure you that your family probably does not have a coat of arms and the fact that one exists for someone with your family name does not give you the right to use it. This appeal to false family pride is at the bottom of all false family history offers and scams. People offering such would like you to believe that a history of your family exists and that they have found it and will send you a copy for a price. Others would like you to believe they have gone to a lot of work researching your family and will print your family history for a price. As in everything else, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

I recently received a mail offer from "Contributing Berghold family members---in conjunction with The International Berghold Family News"---for the "Year 2001 Berghold Family Yearbook and Berghold Family CD ROM" for only $39.85 per book and a $5.00 processing fee. Regular price $49.85! This is reputed to be "A yearbook celebrating the last 2000 years of Berghold History and it says, "Your family is in it!"(The fact that the first recorded Berghold family data starts in the 17th century and that written records started in the 16th Century is blissfully ignored.) Likewise I've never heard of the Berghold Family News! This offer; however, appears to be a notch up from the usual family history scam offer.

This Yearbook (which suggests they would like to sell me an annual update at $45 per) reportedly contains "Berghold marriages, like all those Berghold blushing brides and grooms. Berghold births, birth information when and where born, Berghold records-Theresa Berghold set the family longevity record 1886-1982 (I know this is not the oldest), Berghold gathering places-did you know that 17 Berghold households live in Pennsylvania? (There are more than that although this agrees with a 1999 telephone listing))-24 data bases researched in all (see below) plus a Complete Revision of the classic Berghold Family History"- (never published and if I find they've copied my privately printed work they and the relative who gave it to them, are in deep trouble)!

Now what is all this about? Well it's pretty obvious, this firm called "The Family News" located in Denver, Colorado and with an email address of (MPNS@AOL.com), no website, for the price indicated will most likely copy the following to CD Rom and pass it through editing software to produce a booklet like any you can print from family history software using your data files. Where do they get their material? All available from the Internet-and thus available to you for free if you wish to search for it. Some possibilities:

Social Security Death Index
US Telephone Listings
Data From Various Genealogy Sites (most have a copyright caveat)
Ellis Island Files
Newspaper Archives (all have copyright caveat)
Copyright Infringement? Yes, if taken from the BB files or from Roots-L lists.

At best this offer can be nothing more than an abstract of raw data with no attempt at linkage-worth $45? You be the judge, but I'll save my money and do my own work. I know I can believe that. There is no path to "instant family history." Let me know if any of you receive a similar offer. This is a good argument for NOT listing your Gedcom with commercial organizations. When you do, you'll find it becomes their property and they can do with it as they will. One reason why you will not be asked to send Gedcom data to the BB to be harvested by some commercial group.

BURGENLAND BOOKS (from Hannes Graf)

This is a new list of books concerning Burgenland from a Viennese antiquarian bookseller. All books are in German and there is more than one edition available in some instances. The bookseller has a website at:
http://www.zvab.com/SESS111428526812471709321100017/gr2/en/index.html

To use it, go there and:
Then (left) Antiquarian Bookdealers
Then (right) post code area: "A-"
Then "Antiquarische Fundgrube A-1090 Wien"
Then mark "Austriaca/Burgenland" and enter.

Or you go to the homepage of "Antiquarische Fundgrube"

http://sammler.freepage.de/afundgrube/

and download the catalogue.

AUSTRIACA / Burgenland

Barb Alphons A. E.spätrömischer Burgus b.St.Margarethen, Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Ö.Archäolog.Inst., oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 12/3Bld Zustand: mittel - [bestellnr.: 3993] ATS 70,00 / EUR 5,08 Preis: EUR 5,08

Brandstätter Christian: Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Molden,Wien-München,1976 Seiten/Illustr.: 120/F/Il Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 4086] ATS 250,00 / EUR 18,16 Preis: EUR 18,16

div. A. Unser Burgenland v.jungen Menschen gesehen, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Maulwurf, Sieggraben, 1985 Seiten/Illustr.: 132/Bld/F Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3977] ATS 70,00 / EUR 5,08 Preis: EUR 5,08

div.Autoren: Burgenland/Land der Zukunft, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Leigsnering/Wien/1963 Seiten/Illustr.: 60/Bld/Abb Zustand: mittel/Einband bestoß./Bibl.Buch - [bestellnr.: 3974] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72

Döner Ludwig: Sieben Sagen aus dem Burgenlande, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Zora,Wien,1930 Seiten/Illustr.: 72 Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3926] ATS 220,00 / EUR 15,98 Preis: EUR 15,98

Fritsch Gerh., Zachs Joh. Das Buch vom Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Belvedere, Wien, 1969 Seiten/Illustr.: 159/F/Bld Zustand: sehr gut,Schutzumschlag fehlt - [bestellnr.: 3976] ATS 150,00 / EUR 10,90 Preis: EUR 10,90

Golsch M. Rosaria: Des Kneippers Kur, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Abtei Marienkron, 1993 Seiten/Illustr.: 84/F Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3900] ATS 80,00 / EUR 5,81 Preis: EUR 5,81

Hajszan Robert: Zur Geschichte von Neuberg im Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Literas,Wien,1989 Seiten/Illustr.: 61/Abb Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3906] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72

Haromy F.F.Dr. Das Burgenland Buch/40 Kunstdr.Tafeln/8 Farbillustrationen, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: BurgenlandVlg/Wien/1950 Seiten/Illustr.: 160/Bld Zustand: mittel/Wasserflecken/Bibl.Buch - [bestellnr.: 3984] ATS 250,00 / EUR 18,16 Preis: EUR 18,16

Hartlieb, Rudolf: Das Buch vom See. 2. Aufl. Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Stocker. Graz/Stuttgart, 1957 Seiten/Illustr.: 167 S. Ogln. mit Ou. Mit schönen Abb. Zustand: Ou. minimalst berieben, Exemplar sonst in gutem Zustand - [bestellnr.: 13986] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72

Heger Franz: 50 Jahre Burgenland - Werbeschau - mit Sonderstempel, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: 1.ö.Arbeiter-Bmver.,Neufeld,1971 Seiten/Illustr.: 16 Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3990] ATS 70,00 / EUR 5,08 Preis: EUR 5,08

k.A. Die Stadt Oberpullendorf, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Stadtgem.Oberpullendorf,1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 235/Bld/F Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3895] ATS 250,00 / EUR 18,16 Preis: EUR 18,16

k.A. 700 Jahre Neckenmarkt 1279-1979, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Marktgem. Neckenmarkt, 1979 Seiten/Illustr.: 203/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3898] ATS 180,00 / EUR 13,08 Preis: EUR 13,08

k.A. Burg Forchtenstein, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Kolorit,Wien,1968 Seiten/Illustr.: 24/Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3899] ATS 50,00 / EUR 3,63 Preis: EUR 3,63

k.A. Burgenländisches Jahrbuch 1975, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Diözese Eisenstadt,1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 118/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3909] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72 (various editions available)

k.A. Burgenland Ausgabe 1975, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Prugg,Eisenstadt,1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 150/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3913] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72 (various editons available)

k.A. Wanderbuch Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Burgenl.,Eisenstadt, 1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 78/Kart Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3919] ATS 80,00 / EUR 5,81 Preis: EUR 5,81

k.A. Reiseführer durch das Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Kath.Bildungswerk,Eisenstadt,oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 48/Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3921] ATS 50,00 / EUR 3,63 Preis: EUR 3,63

k.A. Burgruine Landsee (2.Aufl.) Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Landsee, 1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 16/11Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3927] ATS 40,00 / EUR 2,90 Preis: EUR 2,90

k.A. Freistadt Rust, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Kolorit, Wien, 1987 Seiten/Illustr.: 32/12F Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3928] ATS 40,00 / EUR 2,90 Preis: EUR 2,90

k.A. Marktgemeinde Mogersdorf - 800 Jahre, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Mogersdorf,oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 371/Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3929] ATS 450,00 / EUR 32,70 Preis: EUR 32,70

k.A. Rust - Weinstadt am Neusiedler See, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Rust,1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 128/Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3930] ATS 180,00 / EUR 13,08 Preis: EUR 13,08

k.A. Burg Gösting, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Stiasny,Graz,oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 12/Abb Zustand: fleckig - [bestellnr.: 3973] ATS 50,00 / EUR 3,63 Preis: EUR 3,63

k.A. Neusiedl am See - 50 Jahre Stadt, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Stadtgem. Neusiedl a. See, oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 194/Bld/F Zustand: sehr gut, Schutzumschlag fehlt - [bestellnr.: 3978] ATS 350,00 / EUR 25,43 Preis: EUR 25,43

k.A. Burgenländische Festspiele - Forchtenstein-Mörbisch, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Rötzer, Eisenstadt, 1975 Seiten/Illustr.: 83/Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3981] ATS 50,00 / EUR 3,63 Preis: EUR 3,63

k.A. Haus Sankt Franziskus, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Güssing,1993 Seiten/Illustr.: 64/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3983] ATS 80,00 / EUR 5,81 Preis: EUR 5,81

k.A. Die Katastralvermessung des Burgenlandes - Neuv. 1928-1968, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Wien,1968 Seiten/Illustr.: 84 Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3987] ATS 150,00 / EUR 10,90 Preis: EUR 10,90

k.A. Burgenland - Frauenkirchen (3.Aufl.) Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: St.Peter, Salzburg, 1965 Seiten/Illustr.: 24/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3988] ATS 30,00 / EUR 2,18 Preis: EUR 2,18

Kirsch Karl: Burg Forchtenstein - Geschichte u. Beschreibung, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Selbstv., Wien, oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 32/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3986] ATS 150,00 / EUR 10,90 Preis: EUR 10,90

Koenig Otto: Das Buch vom Neusiedlersee, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Donauland,Wien,1961 Seiten/Illustr.: 285/Bld Zustand: gut,Schutzumschlag leicht besch. - [bestellnr.: 3982] ATS 150,00 / EUR 10,90 Preis: EUR 10,90 (various editions available)

Kratzer, Hertha (Texte): Land am Neusiedlersee, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Belvedere. Wien. 1971 Seiten/Illustr.: 27 S. Text. 32 S. Bilder v. Zachs, Johannes Zustand: Exemplar in gutem Zustand, Bibliotheksexemplar - [bestellnr.: 13361] ATS 80,00 / EUR 5,81 Preis: EUR 5,81

Kratzer Hertha/Zachs Johan: Burgenland-Motive, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Belvedere/Wien/1971 Seiten/Illustr.: 32/Bro.Abb Zustand: mitttel/Einbd.bestoßen/Bibl.Buch - [bestellnr.: 3904] ATS 80,00 / EUR 5,81 Preis: EUR 5,81

Lininger Peter: Rollumbus - Entdeckungsfahrten im Burgenland - Teil 1, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Burgenland, Wien, 1952 Seiten/Illustr.: 98/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3932] ATS 70,00 / EUR 5,08 Preis: EUR 5,08

Löger Ernst: Heimatkunde Mattersburg Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Jugend u.Volk,Wien,1931 Seiten/Illustr.: 348/Bld Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3924] ATS 550,00 / EUR 39,97 Preis: EUR 39,97

Machura Lothar Dr.Prof. Der Neusiedler See/Ein Kleinod Österreichs, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: TouristikVlg/Wien/o.J. Seiten/Illustr.: 36/Brosc. Zustand: mittel/Einb.abgegr./fleckigBibl.Bu - [bestellnr.: 3901] ATS 50,00 / EUR 3,63 Preis: EUR 3,63

Mayer Eugen: Miteinander aufgewachsen, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Edit.Rötzer,Eisenstadt,1981 Seiten/Illustr.: 272/Bld Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3908] ATS 150,00 / EUR 10,90 Preis: EUR 10,90

Mazek Karl Dr. Fialla: Die österreichische Seesteppe mit 87 Abb.nach Naturaufnah, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Kühne/Wien/1947 Seiten/Illustr.: 63/Abb Zustand: mittel/Fotos.Wasserschad.RÜ/Ri - [bestellnr.: 7986] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72

Paul Hans: Mattersburg - 50 Jahre Stadtgemeinde, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Stadtgem. Mattersburg, oJ Seiten/Illustr.: 407/Bld/F Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3896] ATS 350,00 / EUR 25,43 Preis: EUR 25,43

Pflagner Margit, Marco J. Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Frick,Wien,1970 Seiten/Illustr.: 160/80F Zustand: sehr gut - [bestellnr.: 3907] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72

Ratz / Gossy: Reiseführer Freistadt Rust u. Umgebung, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Kellner, Wien, 1965 Seiten/Illustr.: 56/Bd Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 5239] ATS 70,00 / EUR 5,08 Preis: EUR 5,08

Reichsbund kath.Jugend Österr. Pfingstfeuer, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Wien,1932 Seiten/Illustr.: 134/Bld Zustand: gut, leicht stockfleckig - [bestellnr.: 3918] ATS 350,00 / EUR 25,43 Preis: EUR 25,43

Schmeller Alfred: Das Burgenland/Seine Kunstw.,Hist.Lebens-u.Siedlungsform, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: St.Peter/Salzburg/1965 Seiten/Illustr.: 2444/Bld Zustand: mittel/Seiten fleckig/Bibl.Buch - [bestellnr.: 3903] ATS 220,00 / EUR 15,98 Preis: EUR 15,98

Sebestyen György: Unterwegs im Burgenland, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: Roetzer, Eisenstadt, 1973 Seiten/Illustr.: 112/Abb Zustand: gut - [bestellnr.: 3905] ATS 80,00 / EUR 5,81 Preis: EUR 5,81

Semmelweis Karl: Eisenstadt - Führer, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: M.Rötzer, Eisenstadt, 1950 Seiten/Illustr.: 114/Bld Zustand: mittel - [bestellnr.: 3923] ATS 120,00 / EUR 8,72 Preis: EUR 8,72

Weiss Heinrich: Geschichte der Pfarre und Gemeinde JOIS, Verlag, Ort, Erscheinungsjahr: SVlg/Pfarre/Jois/1970 Seiten/Illustr.: 112/Bros Zustand: gut/Einband leicht gewellt - [bestellnr.: 7987] ATS 220,00 / EUR 15,98 Preis: EUR 15,98

Newsletter continues as BB News No. 103B

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 103B

DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by Gberghold@AOL.com)
January 31, 2002
(c) G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved

This third section of our 4- section newsletter contains:

* The Hungarian Calvinist Congregation of Oberwart-Part 2

The Hungarian Calvinist Congregation of Oberwart (by Fritz Königshofer- December 8, 2001)

(ED. Note: This article is being published in three installments of which this is the second. It concerns part of the small protestant minority of Land Burgenland and an even smaller group of descendants of Magyar border guards. Numbers in brackets [ 1] refer to a bibliography found at the end of Part 3. This is a most worthy edition to our series of Burgenland historical articles in the English language.)

(Continued from BB Newsletter no. 102B)

In any case, ethnic German settlement by what later became to be called the Heanzen (of unknown origin but possibly the region south of Graz) had since about 1150 begun to fill the land between the settlements of the border guards, adding to long-standing Germanic, Slavic and even Roman/Celtic inhabitants surviving from earlier times. This was followed in the 16th and 17th centuries by additional Croat settlement. From a local perspective, the Hungarian families soon found themselves living in ethnic enclaves.

Despite their status as nobles, the land allocations made to the descendents of the border guards had never amounted to much. Most were less than one full farmstead (defined as "nobiles unius sessionis"), so that no-one was able to sub-let land to subsistence farmers or become wealthy. On the other hand, as long as their land did not exceed a sessio (estimated to have comprised about 2 to 2.5 "Joch" or acres of land where the house stood within the inner village, plus about 30 acres of arable and 20 acres of grazing land in the area surrounding the village), the nobles did not have to pay taxes or other tributes. They were obliged to offer one soldier per ten families during times of warfare, and they were allowed (and obliged) to be represented at political gatherings such as the Landtag (the early Hungarian parliament) by one deputy per ten families.

There is a record of simmering disputes about land outside the boundaries of Oberwart with the region's former lords Baumkircher and their ethnic German settlers living in Kemeten, disputes that kept Vas county's courts busy from 1482 till well into the early 1500s. The families of Oberwart and Unterwart were most likely defended in these proceedings by elders of the community. For Oberwart, the names Mihály Gallus, Barna(bas) András, Michael Finta, Adorján (Adrian), Stefan Gedőcs, and Matthias Adorján were mentioned as community representatives in the trials. This list strongly suggests that family names were still being formed, as Adorján shows up as a first name only, while Matthias Adorján suggests the old full name form with the meaning "Matthias, the son of Adrian." It is a question as to what time first names of fathers actually began to become permanent family names for all following generations. As to other kinds of name formation, Dr. Géza Érszegi has suggested, see [3], that the name Finta, mentioned for the first time in 1482, might mean "the shrewd one" (from the Hungarian word csalafinta), an apt name considering the stakes in these suits over land. Translations from two books [7] state that the free men (nobles) of Oberwart lost their privileges in the 2nd half of the 17th century. It is said they were asked to perform bondsman services ("socage") which they refused. However, they could not prevent some of their land being confiscated by the area's lords (the counts Batthyány) as the old documents confirming the privileges could no longer be found. Due to this misfortune, the families fell on hard times. Another story for which I have only [7] as a source states that emperor Josef II (1780-90) decreed that local administrations should determine which inhabitants were Magyars, and in these cases add an "h" at the end of the family names (e.g., making Fajt into Fajth). This extra "h" was supposed to stand for "Hungarian." It is further stated that the parish records adopted the new spellings only in the 20th century. While some of the family names undoubtedly have the "h" at the end, the story does not seem plausible to me, as it does not work for most of the names, including some of the most prominent families such as Bertha, Zámbó and Pongrácz.

The Reformed Congregation

The Batthyány family, aristocratic lords of what is now southern Burgenland, embraced Protestantism as early as the mid 16th century and thus set a signal for the rest of the region. The Magyar congregation of former border guards in Oberwart adopted the Calvinist branch of Protestantism around 1570, the same religion adopted as his own a bit later by Franz Batthyány. This fact indicates that the congregation in Oberwart had independently decided in favor of the Reformed (Calvinist) faith. The royal documents of 1582 and 1611 confirming the privileges of the border guard families (see above) appear to have been issued when the beneficiaries already practiced Protestantism.

As a result of the Counter-reformation, Adam Batthyány in 1629 returned his family to Catholicism (except for his mother, Eva Batthyány nee Poppel von Lobkowitz who held out as a Protestant at her seat, the castle of Neuhaus am Klausenbach, till her death in 1640, and turned her abode into a refuge for persecuted Protestants). According to the terms of the Peace of the Religions of Augsburg (1555), the overlords were allowed to determine the religion of their subjects (principle: "Cuius regio, eius religio"). Accordingly, Adam Batthyány on behalf of the Habsburgs enforced the conversion of his subjects back to Catholicism. In 1634, he decreed that all resident Lutheran or Calvinist priests either had to convert or leave his realm within 15 days. It appears that all Reformed and Lutheran congregations were out of official existence by the mid of the 17th century. The only exception was the Reformed congregation of Oberwart because, due to the nobility privileges of its members, it was out of reach of the Batthyánys. In fact, as late as 1656, the congregation even commissioned an elongation of the church by three meters to the west, the replacement of the flat wooden Romanesque ceiling by a vaulted one, and addition of a tower at the new western end of the church.

However, the congregation was not out of reach of the long arms of the emperor/king and the Catholic Church hierarchy. According to an oft-cited historical account, around All-Saints-Day in year 1663, the archbishop of Kalocsa sent the provost of Vasvár to Oberwart with 500 German horse-mounted soldiers in order to intimidate the population. Church, school, and lands were confiscated, the rectory was razed, the furniture in the houses of the noblemen was destroyed, and the people were beaten. The members of the town council were bound together by their beards and dragged through the streets without clothes until they submitted and professed to change their religion.

From that time, Reformed church services in Oberwart were held (secretly) in barns.

The year of this event, 1663, as traditionally reported, is questionable. As Albert Schuch relayed to me from Gyenge's article in "Die Obere Wart" the assault on Oberwart definitely happened under pastor Martin Fülöp, while his predecessor, pastor Szeremlei, is known to have served at least until 1665. The leader of the punishing raid, Peter Tormási, was not yet provost in Vasvár in 1663. I believe there are other historical reasons that also argue against year 1663. During that year, grand vizier Ahmed Köprülü had entered Hungary with an army rumored to count 200,000 men with the aim of at last taking the coveted "Golden Apple" (Vienna). The imperial troops were in disarray and most of the population of Vienna fled westwards (toward Upper Austria). However, in 1663 the Turks only managed to besiege and take the town and castle of Neuhäusel (today's Nové Zámky in the Slovak Republic), and after September 1663, had to settle into winter quarters in Hungary. The following year, 1664, saw much action, culminating in the battle of Mogersdorf-Szentgotthárd where on August 1, 1664 an imperial army under count Raimund Montecuccoli defeated the much more numerous Turkish army of Köprülü, followed by the so-called "20-years Peace" of Vasvár (ratified in September 1664). It is hard to imagine that during these very difficult times, where the fate of the Holy Roman Empire was at stake, the provost of Vasvár would have had the use of 500 horse-mounted, therefore expensive, soldiers for the purpose of subduing Protestants, and that the archbishop of Kalocsa, a town suffering under Ottoman occupation, could even have issued orders to a provost in Vas county. In addition, soldiers from the Warth, irrespective of religion, were much more likely needed for bolstering the Hungarian contingent in the imperial army. Therefore, pastor Arany's supposition of 1813 that the attack on the Reformed congregation happened in 1677, or Gyenge's speculation of placing the event in year 1673, appear to make much more sense. In the same vein, the conversion of the church into a Roman Catholic one and creation of a Roman Catholic parish, likely also happened later than in the usually reported year of 1663. The first matrikels (baptisms) of the Roman Catholic parish were written only in 1700.

As an aside, the re-catholicized stone church later received further improvements, such as addition of an extra story to the tower and a bulbous tower cap in the early 19th century. After a larger, modern Roman Catholic church was erected in 1967-69, the old church with its checkered history was "retired" and now serves only for funerals. Archeological excavations of 1975 in the old church unearthed four graves which, based on a velvet cap and necktie found in one of the graves, allowed them to be identified as the graves of Calvinist clergymen and family members, thus dating them to the period from mid-17th century to the time of conversion into a Catholic church (i.e., around 1670). Could these be the graves of pastor Szeremlei and his family? (I am indebted to Albert Schuch for relaying to me the story of the excavations that he found in the article about the old church in [3].)

Legitimacy for the Protestant congregation in Oberwart was re-established by the Landtag of Oedenburg (Sopron) of 1681, which allowed each Hungarian county to have two Protestant churches, and each royal free city to have one, though the churches had to be made from wood without the use of metals such as nails (which proved to be extremely difficult to achieve), had to be located outside the town center, were not allowed to have a tower or steeple, and entrances could not face the road. It had been the imminent Turkish danger that made it possible for prince Imre Thököly of Transylvania, himself a Lutheran, to press emperor Leopold I at the Landtag of 1681 to revive article 26 of the so-called Peace of Vienna of 1606 between the emperor and the magnates of Hungary -- suppressed during the Counter-reformation -- enabling the limited practice of the Protestant religion in Hungary as outlined above. In reference to this "article" revived in 1681, the resultant protestant parishes were called Artikular-Kirchen to which the Reformed congregation of Oberwart was immediately assigned. In 1683 the Turks besieged Vienna. They were defeated and then pushed out of Middle Europe in the ensuing Turkish Wars. The screws on non-Catholics were then tightened once again, until the Tolerance Edict of emperor Joseph II in 1781.

Following the devastating event of having its traditional church taken away and converted into a Catholic one, the Protestant congregation for many years attempted to get permission to build a new stone church. A wooden church had quickly been constructed soon after 1681, which served the congregation for about 100 years. Matrikels (vital records) were introduced in 1732, and an administrative record, the "Liber Accepti et Expensi," or Book of Revenues and Expenses including a chronicle of parish life, was started in 1748.

The basis for the building of a new permanent stone church was due to a few donors and their collection efforts. One was Karl Szeremlei and his wife Judith nee Szentpéteri, who also got Karl's two brothers living as far away Debrecen (the Hungarian center of Calvinism) to donate funds. The second donor was László Chernel, a senior curator of the congregation. Chernel not only donated land for the congregation, but also arranged in 1753 the establishment of an endowment of 2,000 Florins provided by Susanna nee Szondi, wife of count Castiglione. Another major donor was Hubert Gesztefeld, a high-level manager ("captain") in the civil administration. The donors approached Empress Maria Theresia in 1764 with their first petition to build a stone church. After a civil commission reviewed the situation and recommended implementation, an intervention by the Roman Catholic bishop of Győr delayed the decision (The diocese of Szombathely came into being only in 1777). The endorsement of the earlier recommendation by a further review commission again ended without action.

The congregation now approached the Empress with a new petition that was submitted in February 1768. This intervention ended with recriminations about the illegality of Lutheran children attending the Reformed school and similar far-fetched accusations. Only the construction of a new and larger wooden church was allowed, leaving the Reformed congregation in utter disappointment. A further petition was presented to the Empress. This time, the Empress's reply of July 1769 explicitly permitted the building of a stone church within certain measurements. Regional authorities once again tried to undercut this decision, but after a further urgent intervention, a formal decree of October 9, 1769 brought final confirmation of this decision. During all this time, the congregation had to finance the services of an agent in Vienna, the attorney Samuel Nagy (could he have been a scion of the Nagy family mentioned in the list of 1582?). The church was built between 1771 and 1772. The builder was Christoph Preising of Pinkafeld. The new church was consecrated on January 10, 1773.

The first petition to Empress Maria Theresia of April 24, 1764 contains the signatures of all presbyters of the congregation. The left column of names contains the following signatures (from the top): János Imre, curator; Mihály Gángol; János Peickér; György Farkas; Benedek Imre; János Osvált; and Mátyás Hegedős. The right column runs as follows: János Szep (the pastor of the congregation who had assumed his job a month earlier); János Betsker; Miklós Zambó; Mihály Pongrátz; Mihály Imre; György Zámbó; Mihály Osvalt; and István Zámbo. [I am transcribing the names precisely as I read them in the facsimile of the petition.] ( To be continued in newsletter no. 104B)

Newsletter continues as no. 103C

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 103C

DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by Gberghold@AOL.com)
January 31, 2002
(c) G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - BURGENLAND LANDESHAUPTMANN NIESSL (GOVERNOR) & PARTY WILL VISIT UNITED STATES IN MID-MAY OF 2002! ITINERARY WILL BE PUBLISHED IN FUTURE ISSUES.

CONCERNED ABOUT VIRUS AND JUNK MAIL? ADD "BB" TO SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL TO MEMBERS, OPEN NO FILES FROM PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW, USE ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE, DELETE TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES (USE DISK CLEANUP).

This fourth section of our 4-section newsletter contains:

* Graz Commerce Expo
* Homepage List Problems
* Güssing-Civic Leaders (1497-1750)
* Burgenländische Gemeinschaft News
* Lehigh Valley, PA Breweries
* New Ambassador To Austria
* Burgenland Bunch Staff

GRAZ (STYRIA COMMERCE EXPO (from Albert Schuch)

Question from a member: will you be including any info on the international commerce expo expected to be held in graz in 2003? i plan to go, and hopefully extend the trip to include some travel to my burgenland places.

Albert writes: I am only aware of a cultural expo in Graz in 2003 - when the city will be the "European Cultural Capital" of that year. See http://www.graz03.at/ for details - said to be available in English "in a few days" (but already was said to be so a few days ago ...)

International commerce expos are held in Graz twice a year (every year) in spring and autumn. See http://www.messe-graz.at/index_e.html (also under construction, but including the schedule for 2002 in English). Regards, Albert Schuch, BB-Burgenland Editor, Vienna/Austria

HOMEPAGE LIST PROBLEMS

From the BB Homepage you can hyperlink (double click) to some 16 BB sites. These lists are maintained at various websites under the control (and expense) of our volunteer editors. They provide the website, format and load data and keep it maintained as members furnish data. This is not always an easy task as volume grows and we get more sophisticated. When problems crop up, you may get a message that the list you want to see is not available. This does not mean that it has been cancelled. It is probably down for maintenance. Try again in a few days. Recently our very popular Village List was down and I received a flurry of notices to that effect. It is now again online. To give you an appreciation of what is involved, read the following from Village List Editor Bill Rudy. We are indebted to our website editors for their ongoing, mostly transparent and often thankless efforts.

Subj: Villages home page
From: ardsleyut@mstar2.net (Bill Rudy)

"Gerry, I have fixed the villages page for now, but it is a little odd. Here was my problem. I use Dreamweaver 2 to create and update my web pages. In making the last update at the end of the year I was not able to transfer my small files for some reason that is still unknown to me. In the process the old files were deleted from my ISP site. This meant that the village home page and the I, J and Z pages were all missing. Obviously the home page was the biggest problem.

After messing with things for a while, and a call to my ISP (which really didn't help much), I tried making the files bigger just by repeating the information. For some reason it worked, so the pages are back up, just a little longer. Go figure why that worked. I'll try to work out a better solution over time, but I doubt few will notice since those pages are still under 10K and will load quickly. Bill"

GÜSSING CIVIC LEADERS (1497-1750)

(check for your family names)

Güssing, one of the seven Burgenland district cities, has been recognized as a "stadt" or 'civtas" or "varos" or "oppidum" since the 14th century (1355). As part of Hungarian Vas Megye-Komitat Eisenburg prior to 1921 , it was a district city (Jaras Nemetjuvar administering 51 villages) of that political division. In 1921 it became one of the district cities of Burgenland with the administration of 59 villages. In 1973 it was granted "official Stadt [city) status" by both the Burgenland Provincial and Austrian National governments. It is the chief city (like our county seats) of Bezirk Güssing. Throughout the periods mentioned, many men have served as civic leaders. Some of their names follow.

Stadtrichter, Ortsrichter und Bürgermeister von Güssing*

1497 Hans Plauenwirth
1544 Urbanus Filcher
1612 Lorenz Sik
1616 Michael Jangor
1618 Michael Nagy
1620 Michael Oswald
1621 Michael Nagy
1627 Gregor Varga
1629 Benedikt Kepffer
1630 Grogor Varga
1631 Franz Chizmasia
1635 Johann Hahoti
1637 Johann Erdeli
1638 Mert Hotz
1639 Franz Chizmasia
1642 Mothez Foyt
1644 Michael Gombkötö
1645 Matthias Cziszar
1646 Mert Hotz
1647 Michael Gombkötö
1649 Mert Hotz
1651 Johann Chizmasia
1652 Michael Farkas
1654 Michael Pomogaics
1654 Joachim Hirsusius
1656 Michael Pomogaics
1657 Matthias Chizmasia
1658 Matthias Cziszar
1658 Nikolaus Gertner
1660 Matthias Chizmasia
1661 Nikolaus Gertner
1662 Matthias Chizmasia
1663 Lukas Musik
1664 Matthias Chizmasia
1665 Joachim Hirsusius
1667 Matthias Pehem
1669 Nikolaus Gertner
1670 Peter Knor
1671 Matthias Pehem
1672 Nikolaus Gertner
1673 Peter Knor
1674 Paul Prunner
1675 Hans Ples
1676 Joachim Hirsusius
1677 Michael Kincsfoter
1680 Joachim Hirsusius
1682 Michael Kincsfoter
1683 Johann Suponits
1685 Michael Asztli
1685 Johann Svainzer
1686 Georg Kupanics
1687 Georg Sermon
1688 Georg Gertner
1689 Nikolaus Borovacz
1690 Johann Svainzer
1691 Peter Pruker
1694 Andreas Smit
1695 Johann Saroslaki
1696 Ladislaus Szilagyi
1699 Ladislaus Szilagyi
1704 Johann Sziller
1705 Hans Rabenwalter
1707 Georg Rössler
1710 Hans Moger
1711 Michael Posch
1713 Matthias Groff
1715 Johann Gerencser
1716 Matthias Groff
1718 Michael Posch
1720 Martin Goger
1722 Michael Maznacky
1724 Johann Haky
1726 Michael Maznacky
1728 Johann Haky
1730 Franz Prieling
1732 Johann Haky
1734 Michael Hofstetter
1736 Johann Dehard
1737 Paul Paner
1739 Georg Jakisch
1740 Michael Pless
1742 Michael Hofstetter
1743 Paul Svonner
1744 Paul Paner
1745 Johann Gabler
1746 Johann Spanring
1748 Paul Sorger
1749 Paul Jakisch
1750 Johann Spanring

(To be continued in Newsletter No. 104C)

*data taken from page 163, Stadterhebung Güssing 1973-Festschrift

BURGENLÄNDISCHE GEMEINSCHAFT (BG) NEWS (taken from the Nov.-Dec. 2001 issue)

* Weltbundes der Österreicher im Ausland
There are three Austrian organizations that retain links with the homeland. You are aware of the BG, but you may not be aware of Rot-Weiss-Rot (Red-White-Red), an organization of Austrians working abroad or the Weltbundes der Österreicher im Ausland (the World Organization of Austrians Abroad). The language of these groups is German. (The Burgenland Bunch is of course a fourth organization and uses English as its language. Both the BB Editor and Mag. Walter Dujmovits, Jr. are now writing a column in English in the BG News. In addition Inge Schuch and Klaus Gerger are providing English translations of some of the German articles for the BG website-hyperlink from the BB Homepage).

The Austrians-Abroad convene every ten years (they met in Güssing in 1975 and 1992), in 2001 they met in Eisenstadt Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. Representatives came from many countries; Germany had the most with 131, Switzerland 71, USA 29, Italy 26, Belgium 22. From Zurich alone came 25, from Münich 23 and from Brussels 22. They enjoyed a number of activities and side trips including a general meeting at Schloss Esterhazy and a Grand Ball. The next meeting will be in 2010 in Burgenland. Officers of the group are President-Gustav Chiestil (Belgium), V/P Dr. Erika Walker (England) and Dr. Jürgen Em (Germany). Dr. Walter Dujmovits represents Austria.

* BG Dues For Members Abroad Due
Annual dues of $16 for members from abroad are now due. Dues include postpaid receipt of their 16-page glossy bi-monthly newsletter. You may send your check to the BG office in Güssing.

* BB Column
The BB writes a column in English for each issue of the BG News. This issue included "How Burgenland Differs From America" by Molly Berghold. This article was also featured in a previous BB Newsletter.

* Auswandererschicksal
The Immigrant Story concerned Willibald Bischof from Stegersbach who emigrated to Philadelphia and Toronto. The BG is always looking for immigrant stories. Do you have one, you'd like to see published? This is a great way to memorialize your ancestor.

* Erstauswanderer (First Emigrant)
This series continues. If you think your immigrant ancestor may have been the first from his village of origin, please contact the BB editor if you haven't already done so. It is most important that we determine whom these people were in order for us to establish and link migration patterns.

* Obituary And Picture Of Dr. Frank I. Tanczos
Dr. Tanczos, son of immigrants from Kroatisch Ehrensdorf, was the brother of BB corresponding editor Anna Kresh. He was a resident of Washington, DC and a retired nuclear physicist from the US Navy Dept. Dr. Tanczoz died Sept. 12. Anna was on her way to Burgenland on Sept. 11 and her trip was cancelled by the WTC disaster.

LEHIGH VALLEY, PA BREWERIES

Not all Burgenland immigrants to the Allentown-Bethlehem area worked in the cement or steel mills, some worked in or for the breweries. Some obtained brewery franchises and operated taverns. Under this plan, the tavern was leased by the operator who could only sell that brewery's beer. At least four of my immigrant families were involved in these enterprises. Some were able to eventually purchase the properties. They were also often run as hotels and boarding houses for newly arrived immigrants. Hotelkeepers and boarders developed life long friendships and family intermarriages were not unknown. There were a number of breweries that operated in the Lehigh Valley, but only one (and that one a new plant) is still in operation. Some of the brew labels are still being used by other breweries. The Lehigh Valley breweries were:

Allentown: Liebermann Eagle-1864-1915, Daeufers-1890 (formerly H. Koenig-1869, later merged into Daeufer-Liebermann, 1915-ceased operation 1948), Neuweilers -1900-1968 (Ortlieb bought label-later Gibbons-Wilkes-Barre) , Horlachers-1873-1978 (various firms bought label)

Bethlehem: Uhl-1870-1941, Widmann-1888-1920, South Bethlehem Brewery-Larkin's ?-1954

Catasauqua: Old Dutch -late 1880's-1964, Viking -before 1919-1935, Eagle (?)

Easton-Kuebler: pre-1919-dates unknown

Fogelsville (west of Allentown): Schaefer 1971-1981, then Stroh's 1981-present (packages 100 different labels

Northampton: Northampton Brewery (Tru-Blu) 1900-1950

As a young man I preferred Old Dutch and Neuweiler's Cream Ale available at local taverns in both draft and bottle. When these firms went out of operation, I drank Horlacher's draft. One of my favorite memories is the frequent gift of a case of local brew brought by visiting friends and relatives when I relocated. Neighborhood taverns were immigrant clubs where normally everyone knew everyone's family, the beer was good, the food tasty and "gemütlichkeit: reigned. Both breweries and taverns were hurt and changed for the worst by Prohibition (1919-1933).

* (sources: Lehigh County Historical Society Proceedings, Vol. 42 My Life In Beer-Charles E. Lieberman, author.
* Allentown 1762-1987, LCHS, M. H. Hellerich, editor.

NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRIA (from Albert Schuch)

Mr. Lyons "Lee" Brown, Jr., former chairman and CEO of Brown-Forman Corporation (Louisville, Kentucky) was sworn in as the new US ambassador to Austria in December 2001. In the 1930's, his grandfather served as a Defense Attaché in Vienna. In an interview with the Austrian daily newspaper "Der Standard" Mr. Brown recalled that his parents (who were married in Vienna) welcomed a lot of Austrian visitors at their home in Kentucky when he was a boy.

Mr. Brown, who was born in 1936, holds a B.A. in History (University of Virginia, 1958) and a B.S. in Foreign Trade (American Graduate School of International Management, 1960). He is married to Alice Cary Farmer. They have two sons, one daughter and eight grandchildren. For a detailed biography of Mr. Brown see: http://www.usembassy-vienna.at/Ambassador/biography.html

P.S. on Austrian whisky:

Since the Brown-Forman Corporation (www.brown-forman.com) is known throughout the world for its "Jack Daniel's" whisky, this article is followed by a short postscript on Austrian whisky:

The first Austrian whisky distillery was established no sooner than 1995 in the tiny village of Roggenroith in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria - the "Roggenhof" (www.roggenhof.at), owned by Johann and Monika Haider. Right now - in February 2002 - one of the best Austrian Schnapps distillers, Kurt Lagler of Kukmirn in southern Burgenland (www.lagler.cc/en/index.htm) is about to start his own whisky distillery.

END OF NEWSLETTER

BURGENLAND BUNCH STAFF (USA unless designated otherwise)
Coordinator & Editor Newsletter:Gberghold@AOL.com (Gerald J. Berghold)
Burgenland Editor: albert.schuch@gmx.at (Albert Schuch; Austria)
Home Page Editor: hapander@spacestar.net (Hap Anderson)
Internet/URL Editor: ARKRESH@AOL.com (Anna Tanczos Kresh)

Contributing Editors:
Austro/Hungarian Research: fritzkoe@mindspring.com (Fritz Königshofer)
Burgenland Co-Editor: klaus.gerger@usa.net (Klaus Gerger, Austria)
Burgenland Lake Corner Research: dkneb@tnics.com (Dale Knebel)
Chicago Burgenland Enclave: tglatz@aol.com (Tom Glatz)
Croatian Burgenland: fteklits@comcast.net, (Frank Teklits)
Home Page village lists: ardsleyut@mstar2.net, (Bill Rudy)
Home Page surname lists: steichen@triad.rr.com (Tom Steichen)
Home Page membership list: lagraf1@chello.at, (Hannes Graf, Austria)
Judaic Burgenland: 71431.1612@compuserve.com (Maureen Tighe-Brown)
Western US BB Members-Research: rfunger@home.com (Bob Unger)
WorldGenWeb-Austria, RootsWeb Liason-Burgenland: cwardell@aon.at (Charles Wardell, Austria)

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