BB News No. 121 dtd 30 Sep 2003

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 121 DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) September 30, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved) RECIPIENTS PLEASE READ: You are receiving this email because you are a BB member or have asked to be added to our distribution list. If you wish to discontinue these newsletters, email with message "remove". ("Cancel" will cancel membership, homepage listings and mail.) Send address and listing changes to the same place. Sign your email with your full name and include BB in the subject line. Send no attachments or graphics unless well known to me. Please keep changes to a minimum. To join the BB, see our homepage. We can't help with non-Burgenland family history. Appropriate comments and articles are appreciated. Our staff and web site addresses are listed at the end of newsletter section "C". Introductions, notes and articles without a by-line are written by the editor and reflect his views. Please exchange data in a courteous and cooperative manner-not to do so defeats the purpose of our organization. HANNES GRAF, MEMBERSHIP EDITOR, WRITES: Please publish the following. I think it is important. Some members think there is something at the Member list that looks like a virus, because there is a "Tarzan call". It was only my mistake. I added it to my homepage and by mistake also to the member list. Not to worry! This first section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Welcome Back 2. Virus Troubles Again & Again - Be Warned 3. Gary Portsche Needs Some Help - Gols Website 4. Al Meixner Notes - Music 5. Huss Family Note - St. Agnes Records - St. Paul, MN 6. Walter Pomper To Discontinue Austrian-American Newsletter - Chicago 7. Die Deutsche Hausfrau - Ethnic Magazine of Long Ago 8. Austrian Newspaper Archives On-line 1. WELCOME BACK Well, vacation time has ended for most of us although, if you are retired like me, you can say you are on a perpetual vacation. Our trip from Amsterdam to Vienna via the Rhine, Main, Rhine Main Canal and Danube was just wonderful. No time to meet with Viennese friends however - we no sooner docked in Vienna than we were rushed to the airport for the flight home. How I would like to see a boatload of BB members on such a trip, interspersed with Burgenland lectures from your dedicated staff. Just a dream which will never materialize given the many lifestyles and dispersed residences of our membership. We now feel we've experienced the rivers, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean via the Black Sea. It has added immensely to our European experience. Just maybe, next year we'll do the Danube from Budapest to the Black Sea once more, on a Grand Circle Travel riverboat, before we call it quits. Lots of mail to catch up in this issue. I found a ton of mail on our return as well as the unpublished material from August. 2. VIRUS TROUBLES AGAIN AND AGAIN - BE WARNED I'm sure you've been alerted to the new virus problems. I was forced to notify the staff of the following. * I have received the following or similar messages from four members to date: "Today, my virus shield detected the so-called Bugbear virus in a message purportedly coming from GBerghold@maqs.net. The subject of the message was "[BURGENLAND-NEWSLETTER-L] BB News No. 112A dtd. Nov. 30, 2002." The infected message could have been created on any BB member's PC, as I am sure the virus just faked your address by combining your name with another's ISP address. It shows that even when seeing BB in the subject line, we need to exercise care. I am glad my shield caught the virus anyway." !!!NOTICE!!! I do not send messages directly to members unless I am replying to a query. In that event the email will be from AOL.com. I do not use any other server. My transmissions are protected by Norton and AOL. Newsletters will never come directly from me unless I am replying to a request for a previous issue. They are forwarded by Rootsweb.com. Do not open any email from GBerghold unless it is from AOL.com. Even then, it will not include an attachment unless we have previously discussed same. !!!NOTICE!!! * Tom Steichen writes: I've not been infected but both my home and work email addresses have been forged and are being used to send infected messages. I've had dozens of auto-replies, both here and at work, from mail systems telling me they rejected "my" infected message. It is a major pain and I'm rapidly becoming a bigger fan of drastic legal penalties for people that perpetrate such nonsense. Spam is bad enough, but this type of thing deserves jail time. * Anna Kresh writes: I recently got a phone call from my nephew who told me his daughter had received a virus attempt from me. The sender was supposedly arkresh@state.pa.us, which of course isn't my correct address. It was a combination of two addresses in emails still stored in my nephew's email inbox. I finally persuaded him to go out and buy some anti-virus s/w because I was fairly certain it was his computer, not mine. It reported that he had not one, but FOUR viruses resident on his system. He is now a happy, updated man. If only we could persuade everyone, at a minimum, to install the software AND keep it current. * Fritz Königshofer writes: Gerry, Today, my virus shield detected the so-called Bugbear virus in a message purportedly coming from GBerghold@maqs.net. The subject of the message was "[BURGENLAND-NEWSLETTER-L] BB News No. 112A dtd. Nov. 30, 2002." The infected message could have been created on any BB member's PC as I am sure the virus just faked your address by combining your name with another's ISP address. It shows that even when seeing BB in the subject line, we need to exercise care. I am glad my shield caught the virus anyway. * Frank Teklits writes: Today I received an email from GBerghold@cox.net purporting to send BB newsletter 119-20. Having just read a warning note from you, concerning BB newsletters, I didn't dare open it. Let me know if something's amiss here, * Reply: Frank - yes, this is another one. Delete it unopened. There are a lot of members out there who have my address on their address list. They also have the bugbear virus. Regards, Gerry 3. GARY PORTSCHE NEEDS SOME HELP (ED. Note: Gary is a long time BB member. Those of you who are researching the Lake Corner know of his great Gols websites. He now finds he is overloaded and could use some help. If so inclined please contact him.) Gary writes: I presently have the web site www.burgenlandfamilies.com. Could you put in your next newsletter that I would like to relinquish this site to someone that might care to keep it going? I'm just running out of time trying to keep this and my other sites going. If no one wants it, it will be taken off the web in the next couple of months. Thanks, Gary L. Portsche 4. AL MEIXNER NOTES - MUSIC (ED. Note: Meixner ethnic music continues a long time tradition. If you like Burgenländische type music, see Meixner's website. Al has been a BB member for some time - a real ethnic music doyen.) Al writes: Dear Friends, This is just a short note to let you know that the 2003 #3 Al Meixner Music Catalog & Newsletter is now online and in effect. The new Mail Order Catalog contains some rather interesting "New Items" and, of course, all of the currently available recordings made by Al Meixner, Alex Meixner and the Al Meixner Trio. (Alex has a brand new Button Box release available.) By the way, I can now officially announce that the Al Meixner Trio will be performing again this year at the Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas, from Friday, October 31st until Wednesday, November 5th - AMERICA'S SALUTE TO SAUSAGE !!! We hope to see as many of you as possible at one of our public appearances. Please see JoAnn at the merchandising area or see me & Alex between sets. We love to see our "mailing list friends" in person. For those of you in the Eastern PA - Greater Philadelphia area, we would love to see you at the Oktoberfest at the Our Lady Help of Christians church hall in Abington, PA on Saturday, September 27th. Give us a call (610-261-3881) or drop us an e-mail if you can make it. See Page 6 of the new catalog for our complete Al Meixner Trio schedule. Until November please enjoy the Labor Day holiday, welcome the Autumn season and listen to music every day...AL MEIXNER Website: www.almeixner.com 5. HUSS FAMILY NOTE - ST. AGNES RECORDS, ST. PAUL, MN Member Howard Heck writes: I joined the BB recently and it is the wisest thing I have done since I started my research. I will write a Huss Family History book if the good Lords allows me to stay on earth long enough. My Huss ancestors came from St. Andrae, Moson County, Hungary. I have read all of the BB newsletters and have highlighted the information in them that will help me in my research. I noted four items in the newsletters about the records of St. Agnes, in St. Paul, Minnesota and those at another parish just north of St. Agnes. There is another wonderful resource. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis archives department has microfilmed the records of each church in the Archdiocese. Included are the baptismal, marriage and death records and the first communion and confirmation rolls in some cases. The films are available for the public to view for $15 a visit. They have two viewing machines and one of them can copy the pages you want for 25 cents per copy. The archives are located at 226 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, across the street from the St. Paul Cathedral. Their phone number is 651-291-4429. A number of Burgenländers settled in southwestern Minnesota. This area is within the New Ulm Diocese. The records of those churches have been microfilmed by the LDS in recent years. Thanks again for the good work of you and your staff. Our reply: Thank you for the tip and kind words Howard - I'll publish your email in the September newsletter. It's always nice to hear we are helping someone. Unfortunately we don't hear from many of our members after the initial exchange of mail. Nonetheless, our websites are there for those who use them and people like you help expand our service. 6. WALTER POMPER TO DISCONTINUE AUSTRIAN-AMERICAN NEWSLETTER - CHICAGO After 27 years of publishing his bi-monthly newsletter, Walter will give it up following the Nov.-Dec. issue. A four-page summary of current ethnic Austrian news and events in the Chicago area, coupled with some facts and humor as well as birthdays and memorable happenings among the ethnic subscribers, Walter's newsletter will be sorely missed. Mailed to subscribers for a small contribution, this newsletter was one source of "heimat" news for non-internet people of Austrian descent. Its demise will diminish our links to the "heimat." We wish Walter health and happiness and our thanks for a job well done over a long period of time. Walter writes (edited): "In the last 3 years, my health has steadily been going downhill. Since 1981 I've had arthritis. I broke my hip and have had other serious health problems. I had to give up playing my accordion, my first love. I've played since 1939. I have to give up writing the newsletter. Thanks for your support, I've enjoyed doing it and I hope I was able to bring you a moment of pleasure and information about the country we all came from one way or another." 7. DIE DEUTSCHE HAUSFRAU - ETHNIC MAGAZINE OF LONG AGO We were wandering around an antique mall in Martinsburg, WV, recently when I spotted a pile of old magazines. Being something of a bibliophile, I had to look them over and was surprised to find copies of the subject magazine from 1909. Martinsburg, for those who may not be aware, had a German speaking enclave years ago as did much of the northern Shenandoah Valley - settled by Germanic migrants from Lancaster and York counties, Pennsylvania. At $5 per copy, I only bought one magazine, the issue of October 1909, Vol. 6, number 1. It had a color picture of two lovely young girls in their Sunday best (clutching rosaries and prayer books) in what may be Franconian costume. The picture was from an original by an artist named Franz Hanfsstaengl. The publication, 11 X 16, printed in Gothic type on newsprint, carried the legend "Monatsschrift Für Die Deutschen Frauen Amerika's, Minneapolis, Preis 1.00 Pro. Jahr, Milwaukee. It was mailed free anywhere! Full of period photogravure pictures, articles and advertising, it was a 36 page bargain at 8 1/2 cents a copy. I enjoyed translating the articles; it took me back many years to my grandmother's kitchen, sitting at the large table eating ethnic pastry while my great uncle Louie drank his schnapps after delivering his wife's copy of Die Hausfrau to my grandmother. He never missed a month as he enjoyed his schnapps. This was a monthly event, good weather or bad, and my grandmother in turn passed on the Hausfrau when she was finished. Many of our relations and friends enjoyed that magazine, before it wore out. More a literary work than a newspaper, it covered fiction, poetry, song, biography (Mendelsohn), clothing patterns (Butterick) as well as newsworthy items from throughout the Germanic world. A turn-of-the-20th-century "Good Housekeeping" or "Cosmopolitan." My wife, who reads no German, enjoyed the pictures and ads. Ads for Fairy Soap, Gold Dust (detergent), Sunny Monday (laundry soap) made by N. K. Firbank Company, Chicago. How about an upholstered rocking chair for $4.75? An Elmira sewing machine for $15.75 ($1.00 per month with a $2.25 down payment.) A diamond ring for $35 - Lincoln Watch & Jewelry Co. - Chicago. A Lynx fur set for $7.50 (worth $20) from the Alaska Fur Co. - Philadelphia. Velvet lined underwear for 50 cents. A young man's suit for $3.65 from Sears Roebuck. Truly the streets of Amerika seemed paved in gold in those days (if we ignore how low wages were). Die Hausfrau continued to be published through the 1950's when I last saw one. I inquired some time ago if they were still in business and was told they had discontinued. One of the many German language publications for the many Germanic immigrants of the period. Prior newsletters have mentioned some of these publications. 8. AUSTRIAN NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES ON-LINE (from Fritz Königshofer) Please see below the copy of a message I just posted at the genforum.com web site for Austria. You might want to include a link to this new web site with the scans of old newspapers on the BB web site of genealogically interesting links. "I picked up a news item today from the web site of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (www.orf.at). Accordingly, there appears to be a worldwide project of major libraries underway to scan, and make available on the web, all old newspaper holdings, in some cases going back to the 18th century. Some old years of a few newspapers have already been scanned by the Austrians. You can find these early holdings at http://anno.onb.ac.at/listztg.htm. The years scanned so far appear to be about 1908 till 1926. You will note that among others, old issues of the Pester Lloyd, a newspaper published in the German language in Budapest (which has been resurrected and is once again being published today) have been scanned. Since the news about this website has just been announced, it appears to be overloaded by requests." Newsletter continues as no. 121A.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 121A DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) September 30, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved) BURGENLAND BUNCH INTERNET LINKS - ADDITIONS, REVISIONS 08/21/2003 HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE HOMEPAGE (from Internet/URL Editor Anna Tanczos Kresh) This second section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Hebraic Burgenland - Mattersburg 2. Canadian Immigration Records From Austrian Wanderungsamt 3. Croatian Language And Life In The Burgenland - A Website 4. Taste Of The Burgenland - Pinched Dumplings (Noodles) For Soup 5. Hungarian Painters Of Peasant Or Rural Scenes & Burgenland Artists 6. Graz Festival 1. HEBRAIC BURGENLAND - MATTERSBURG Hebraic Editor Maureen Tighe-Brown forwards the following (edited): Dear Ms. Tighe-Braun, Quite some time ago you sent me a list of bibliography about the Jewish Burgenland. It was very helpful. Thank you. In the meantime have visited Mattersburg with my son, saw the Judengasse, but unfortunately no sign of the Jewish life that was there. In the cemetery, which was destroyed, some tombstones and part tombstones were plastered to a wall. I did find some of our family (can send it to you if you are interested). From the municipality of Mattersburg I got documents of my parents - Matrikenblatt uber die Gemeindeangehoringen der gemeinde and Heimats-Matrikenumsschlagbogen. They presented me with a book about the history of the city. It contains quite a large part about the Jews there. Amongst the JUDENRICTER = Jewish Judges, found some of our family (I traced the family back to the 18th century). The book mentions a document as follows: "... die Juden von Mattersburg zeichnet ein ungeheurer Lebenswille aus. Diese Angaben mussten ja alle irgendwie verdient werden. Sie lassen daher nichts unversucht, um Betriebkapital zu erhalten, damit sie weitere Gaschafte tatigen konnen., wie wir aus dem Fall des Mandl Deutsch und seine Ehefrau ersehen konnen. Am 19. Mai 1817 borgt sich das Ehepar Deutsch von Albin Pfaller, Ehrenburger der Stadt Wr. Neustadt, ein Kapital von 21.700 fl. Wiener Wahrung zur eine Verzinsung von 5% und einer Kundigungszeit von 6 monaten aus. Um sich genugend abzusichern, liess Pfaller die Schuldverschreibung des Mandel Deutsch, des Simon Deutsch und Lowy Hirschel beim Verwatungsamt in Forchtenstein am 27. Mai 1817 durch den Verwalter Fuchs eintragen." Mandl Deutsch is my father's Great-Great-Grandfather. Simon Deutsch (his full name Simon Hirsch Zvi), was born 27 November 1836 in Mattersdorf. He was the grandson of Mandl and Ginendl Deutsch. In the cemetery in Mattersburg I found only a part of his tombstone. He is named there, in Hebrew, Shimon Zvi son of Gottlieb Deutsch. In Fritz P. Hodik's book "Beitrage zur Geschichte der Mattersdorfer Judengemeinde im 18. und in der erste Halfte des 19. Jahrhunderts", he has got a list (pages 268-9) of the Gemeindevorsteher from 1605 to 1848 from the protocol 7545 of the Esterhazys. The last one in that list is 1846-1848 Ignaz Deutsch - Son of Mandl Deutsch, born in Mattersdorf (1807-1887). Have you got the names of the ROSH HA KOHOL's (= head of the community) after that date. One of the gravestones I found is of Josef Eliezer Deutsch (my father's grandfather from his father's side - my father's parents were both named Deutsch and both were from Mattersdorf. I could not find any connection of the two families). On the gravestone it is written KATZIN=Officer and ROSH HAEDA=head of the community. Am also interested to know who were the Rabbis of Mattersdorf/burg and when. I did find in a preface to one Simha Bunim Gins' books (he himself was the Rabbi of Mattersdorf in the years 5570=1810 to 5589=1829). The following are mentioned there and in Hodik: Mid 17th century Rabbi Moscheh Rabbi El'asar (grandfather of Rabbi El'asar Kallir) Samson Wertheimer (Oberrabiner of the Esterhazy estates) Meir ben Jizchak (Eisenstadt an the other 6 KEHILOT=communities) Bernhard Eskeles (all 7 communities. Seat at Eisenstadt) 5473=1713 Zwi Hirsch Lisker (MORE ZEDEK not AV BETH DIN=head of court) 1714 Jehuda Lew Berliner Mordechaj Gumpel 1730 Arjeh Lew Frankfurter (Shotten) -1768 Natan Nate Frankfurter-Shotten (son of Arjeh Leb). Was controversial. His gravesone had no mention of him as Rabbi of Mattersdorf Hirsch Gershon Hayes Jermiya Rosenbaum Yissachar Ber Bloch Moses Sofer Schreiber (Chatam Sofer) Zvi Zamusht (not mentioned in Hodik) 1810-1829 Simcha Bunam Gins 1829 Meir Popper Almas-Amashder (was forced to resign) 1842-1857 Simon Sofer Schreiber (son of Moses) -1938 Samuel Ehrenfeld (his signature is on my father's birth certificate). As I understand, he was the last Rabbi of Mattersburg. Do you have other names and dates? Any corrections to the above list? Will appreciate any help. Regards, Meir Deutsch 2. CANADIAN IMMIGRATION RECORDS FROM AUSTRIAN WANDERUNGSAMT (From Viktor Hatwagner) I am a quite new BB member and currently researching the Canadian years of my grandfather who died in 1989. Because I am located in Austria I can access various information sources here in Austria quite easily such as the Austrian National Library (= Oesterreichische Nationalbibliothek: www.oenb.at). There I have found an interesting document which might be of interest to other Canadian members of the BB. Following the 1st world war various private emigration offices opened up in Austria. Because the high number of emigrants in this time the Austrian government formed the so-called "Wanderungsamt" (= the emigrants bureau) in order to control and guide all Austrians who wanted to leave their country. For this purpose, the "Wanderungsamt" published some brochures with very useful information about the actual trip to the country. I was very excited when I discovered 2 brochures about emigration to Canada in the archives of the Austrian national library dating back to about 1929. They contain, as well, information how people were moved from their port of landing to the final destination and the tasks of the 2 big Canadian railway companies in this area. Of course these documents are in German and printed in Gothic type letters which will make reading somewhat difficult. Maybe I will try to translate the documents sometimes. Following this email I will mail both documents in PDF-Format to you. Because I have scanned and converted it myself, I can guarantee that it is free of any viruses. If you believe that this is of interest to other BB members as well, you might offer this documents for download on the BB homepage. Because I wanted to preserve the quality of the original documents, both PDFs are quite large (about 7 MB per file). Each of it will be mailed to you via 2 separate emails. Many greetings from Vienna! 3. CROATIAN LANGUAGE AND LIFE IN THE BURGENLAND (from Margaret Kaiser) An article (http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/document/croat/an/i1/i1.html) by the Research Centre of Multilingualism, entitled, "Croat in Austria," primarily discusses linguistic, geographic, economic, historic, educational, media, and other aspects of Croat language and life in the Burgenland. A comparative article, "Hungarian in Austria," is located at http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/homean/index1.html. These articles are part of the Euromosaic report. A description of the Euromasic report is located at http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/homean/index1.html. It may be that the BB is already familiar with these articles, but if they are not already included in the BB Link DB, perhaps they should be. The articles appear well researched. Perhaps Frank, Bob or others, more familiar to the subject, would like to evaluate them. Bob Strauch replies: Good article. Just one little faux pas at the beginning. Südmähren is Southern Moravia and not in Slovakia. There are 2 or 3 "Burgenland Croat" villages in S. Moravia, and more around Bratislava/Slovakia as well. 4. TASTE OF THE BURGENLAND - PINCHED DUMPLINGS (NOODLES) FOR SOUP (from Bob Strauch) Bob writes: Not exactly weather for a hot pot of soup, so save this for autumn and winter. In Burgenland, I've seen these referred to as "Gezupfte Nudln" (zupfen = to pluck). They can be added to many soups, not just goulash soup. Supposedly, experts can tell by the shape of the dumpling whether the cook is right- or left-handed. Another recipe I have, calls for the dough, not to be rolled out, but formed into logs, before you start pinching or plucking. Not to be confused with Gerstln/Tarhonya, which are formed by grating the dough. From: "HAL Culinaria List" Subject: [Culinaria] Recipe (From Newsletter #26, see at: http://magyarmarketing.com/newsletter.php) Earlier this year, the Cleveland Plain Dealer carried a wonderful article by Cynthia Zadesjey Holub who made a trip to Hungary and shared many wonderful cooking ideas with the readers. Cynthia also conducts cooking classes in the Cleveland area as a culinary instructor at the Western Reserve School of Cooking. She lives in Solon. This recipe is adapted by Cynthia, a second generation Hungarian-American. Many of you may already have a recipe for Gulyas Leves (soup). This recipe is for Pinched Pasta (Csipetke), which is the special noodle which goes into the Gulyas Soup. Makes 4 servings 1 large egg, at room temperature 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 T. water This pasta often tastes best when re-heated the second time, after it's had a change to soak up the flavor of the soup. The pasta is very rustic and difficult to mix; for this recipe your hands are probably your best tools. Place flour in mixing bowl, making a well in flour. Add the egg, salt and water, mixing until well combined. Use back of wooden spoon to help distribute the moisture; grab clumps of dough with hand squeezing to bring dough together. Dough will look coarse. turn out onto a floured table; knead until smooth. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Using forefinger and thumb, pinch off small bits of dough. Add directly to a simmering soup to cook. (ED Note: As Bob indicates this is a little like grated dumplings or spaetzle except they'll be larger and more like dumplings or gnochi. I find I can take a lump of this dough and just tear off pieces without forming into logs, but they don't look as nice. These add a wonderful texture and bite to soup. They are far superior to any type of dried boxed noodles.) 5. HUNGARIAN PAINTERS OF PEASANT OR RURAL SCENES & BURGENLAND ARTISTS In order to bring you the homeland of our ancestors, we research many subjects: art is one. The only way we can view the homeland of the past is through pictures. Photos are available from about 1870 on and they are available in many publications, post cards and private collections. Paintings, while portraying earlier periods, are more difficult unless we have access to subject museums and collections. Among published art books, I found one that dealt with two centuries of Hungarian painters. The book title is "Two Centuries Of Hungarian Painters 1820-1970, A Catalogue of the Nicolas M. Salgo Collection." It was published by the American University Press, Washington, DC, 1991. I scanned the paintings, looking for those which dealt with peasant or rural scenes, assuming that these would best portray the Hungary of the times, if not necessarily the counties or area which became Burgenland in 1921. I then developed a list of those painters in order to have a reference for possible purchase of available prints or copies of their work. If you are interested in art, you will realize that Hungarian painters are not often referenced in American collections. My list, categorized by school of painting, follows. I've not used the Hungarian language markings. The Neoclassical Period Andras Marko - lived 1824-1895 - born Vienna Gyorgy Telepy - 1794-1885 - Kisleta Gustav Kelety - 1834-1902 - Pozsony Sandor Brodszky - 1819-1901 - Toalmas Munich & Paris Academies - Realist Movement Mihaly Munkacsy - 1844-1900 - Munkacs Laszlo Paal - 1846-1879 - Zam Laszlo Mednyanszky - 1852-1919 - Becko (I was impressed by his work, which included a number of WW-I scenes.) Academism Aladar Edvi Illes - 1870-1958 - Budapest Gusztav Magyar-Mannheimer - 1859-1937 - Budapest Nandor Katona - 1864-1932 - ZepesóFalu Rezso Burghardt - 1884-1963 - Zsombolya Mark Rubovics - 1867-1947 - Pest Nagybanya & Artists Colony In Kecskemet Jeno Maticska - 1885-1906 - Nagybanya Oszkar Glatz - 1872-1958 - Budapest Sandor Nyilasy - 1873-1934 - Szeged (I was impressed with these last two for their farm scenes.) Art Noveau Jozef Ripelronai - 1861-1927 - Kapsovar Gyula Batthyány - 1887-1959 - Ikervar Hungarian Avant-Garde Karoly Kernstok - 1873-1940 - Budapest Circle Of Der Sturm (Painters of the great plain between the two wars.) Adolf Fenyes - 1867-1945 - Kecskemet Gyula Rudnay - 1878-1957 - Pelsoc (I recommend these as well.) Nagybanya Artist's Colony Istvan Szoni - 1894-1960 - Ujpest Burgenland Artists There are, of course, purely Burgenland artists. I have not been able to compile a list of these, although some of the present generation are mentioned as residents of various villages in those publications which describe the villages. A few, like Eduard (Edi) Sauerzopf - Stegersbach and Jennersdorf, have been mentioned in prior newsletters. I am aware of at least one "artists' movement" or school led by Ferri Zotter. This includes the other arts as well. A book by Gottfried Pröll titled "Auch Kunstler sind Mennschen-von Malern und Anderen Besonderlingen Im Südlichen Burgenland," edition lex liszt 12, Oberwart 1998, mentions many of them. I have yet to translate this book, which may well bring us up to date on the "arts" movement in southern Burgenland. Literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, pottery, music and drama all preserve the heritage of the past and are worth inclusion in our family history research. 6. GRAZ FESTIVAL Fritz Königshofer writes: As it happened, we were in Graz on September 14 and went to see the folk festival downtown. It was very crowded. The many performances (dances, singing, all in local Styrian attire) were somehow squeezed by the masses of spectators. There was a lot of food and wine, including Sturm (the fresh, still opaque, wine of this year). The weather was perfect. Newsletter continues as no. 121B. THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 121B DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) Sept. 30, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved) This third section of our 4-section newsletter includes only one article: TASTE OF THE BURGENLAND - STRUDEL - THE DEFINITIVE ARTICLE! Probably no other ethnic food brings back the food of our forebears like strudel. The word alone is memorable - plates of warm strudel with infinite varieties of filling. Bare-armed mothers and grandmothers, flour on hands, pulling dough on a kitchen table covered with a white cloth. Large black pans of rolled strudel loaves baking in the oven. The fragrance of cabbage and potato, steaming on a large platter, the mouth watering anticipation of sweet cherry and apple dusted with sugar - the variations of topfen (cheese), bean, turnip or meat fillings. First the soup then the strudel - would the soup never be gone, before someone else snitched the crispy end pieces? To be a Burgenländer is to be a lover of traditional strudel in all its variations. Our indefatigable ethnic researcher Bob Strauch forwards an article which moves ethnic strudel to "new cuisine." It started what became one of the larger BB email threads. Bob writes and forwards: It must be National Strudel Week on the TV Food Network. Potato Strudel with Dill Sauce Recipe courtesy The Cookworks Recipe Summary 2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon 1 cup finely diced onion 1 clove garlic, minced 4 cups button mushrooms, diced 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 2 tablespoons white vermouth 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup soft chevre 3 sheets phyllo dough 1/2 cup clarified butter, melted Dill Sauce, recipe follows (omitted) Special equipment: pastry brush (preparation omitted) * My reply: What has happened to good honest potato strudel? -Vermouth-cheese-herbs-mushrooms-dill sauce-yech! Potato strudel (Burgenland style) has always been my favorite. Paired with cabbage on the same day, it has no equal (except maybe apple and cherry). I guess this is what happens when a modern chef prepares a long time peasant favorite. I'll stick to what my grandmother made. My wife has trouble with potato strudel. Sometimes the potatoes just won't co-operate. I know my grandmother always was fussy about the potatoes she used - cabbage as well. Some are much better than others for this purpose. I did have a potato strudel south of Graz that had ham in it and was served with sauerkraut - not bad. I also had a great potato strudel from Albert Schuch's mother in Kleinpetersdorf. (Albert's father turned to me, smiled and said "grumpenstrudel" - grumpen being the dialect name for kartoffel or potato. I can still smell that strudel baking in their oven. A soup and strudel lunch - how delightful - makes you want to live forever.) * Bob replies: Believe it or not, but there's yet another strudel recipe that will be prepared next week on the Food Network: banana-pecan strudel. I guess one could really put almost anything into a strudel. Sweet or savory, it is very versatile. The variety of traditional fillings simply depended on what products were available in a given region (and those that were affordable). * My reply: Yes - just like pizza, chili, spaghetti, goulasch and a lot of other ethnic based recipes. You know, I really like Greek Baklava, which may well be an ancestor of strudel via the Turks. Phyllo baking seems to be an "in" thing among the new cuisine advocates. The GCT river trip Amsterdam to Vienna included an afternoon of cruising while watching an apple strudel demonstration and tasting. They don't pull the dough like we do - they roll it out like pie crust, put the filling on one end and roll it up. Makes a big difference in texture. The "Taste Of The Burgenland" is what we remember from our childhood and, although "it makes the belly feel good," it also brings back memories of loved ones long gone and times and meals which we enjoyed. I often tell my wife, it's tasty but not like my grandmother (mother) made. Our children and grandchildren probably say the same thing. * Bob Strauch then responds with: (How about this one?) Just like Mama used to make - NOT! Cabbage Strudel Recipe courtesy Gale Gand Filling: 1/4 cup butter 1/2 green cabbage, shredded 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted 3 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, kept moist 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped (preparation omitted) * My reply - same as potato strudel, but I'll bet this tastes good - more like a fruit strudel! Cabbage strudel for desert anyone? Never replace apple or cherry. * Tom Glatz writes: I had apple strudel in Austria made by my cousin's wife from Grafenschachen. Potatoes were incorporated into the dough. It was ok, but I like the regular dough or phylo better. * Bob writes: I've known local people to put powdered sugar (Staubzucker) on their Krautstrudl, even when it's been prepared savory with a generous amount of black pepper. Nein, Danke. * Frank Teklits writes: I'm with you on this one. My preferences for cabbage strudel has always been on the spicy side & generously endowed with black pepper. I don't recall getting any potato strudel at home, but my mom's "topfen strudel", just a bit on the warm side, makes my mouth water just thinking of it. My better half will be making cabbage strudel this coming week, but has yet to try making cheese strudel. Thank the Lord for phylo dough, as I don't think anyone still makes the dough as our folks used to - stretched so thin over the table cover one could see the patterns embedded in the cloth. It makes for some very interesting reading to see the various replies to your articles. * Then Bob writes: All that's missing are the sun-dried tomatoes! My great-aunt in the Bronx (originally from Punitz) made "Grumpenstrudl" with mashed potatoes. But my father's cousin's wife in Hartberg in the eastern Steiermark made it with grated raw potatoes, which were topped with chopped garlic and Grammeln (cracklings). She also used packaged strudel dough leaves, which were not the same as the packaged phyllo dough that we get here. Still, we've made her version several times. I could eat it all day long. In talking with other Bglders here in the Lehigh Valley, most know potato strudel made with mashed potatoes - I've only found one family whose mother made the grated raw potato version. * Mary Anne Masiderits writes: I've really enjoyed the exchange on the subject of strudel. I don't know that I've ever had potato strudel (starch overkill?), but I greatly enjoyed the cabbage, cheese, and apple strudels baked by my mother's cousin in Stegersbach when I visited them as an adult, and during my childhood by my Burgenland grandmothers. My mother just once attempted baking a strudel, without having apprenticed with either grandmother, and the pulling of the dough (of which Gerry wrote) was a frustrating and unfruitful experience. (The pun, while not intended, is appropriate, because it was an apple strudel, which my father and I were anticipating.) I've sampled many of the New World approximations, where phyllo dough becomes the answer to the potential frustration of the echt Burgenland method -- not bad, but not echt Burgenland. (That doesn't mean I'd be above trying them some day for guests.) Moreover, you may be aware that something called "Helmut's Strudel" from a bakery supposedly founded by an emigrant Austrian (and located somewhere in the South) is now competing for attention in fast food bailiwicks, such as the Wisconsin State Fair and several of the ethnic festivals that grace our Milwaukee lake front each summer. (Yes, just stalls down from the scones at "Irish Fest" you can find festival-goers munching Helmut's offerings -- all of the dessert variety (apple, almond-cheese, and cherry, I believe). My mother's cousin died several years ago, and there's no one in either hemisphere who bakes the echt strudel for me. (I'm left with memories of almost sitting on a strudel-in-the-making during my first visit to Stegersbach, after said cousin, unbeknownst to me, had temporarily parked some pulled dough on a wax paper decked chair; excitedly entering the house after an afternoon elsewhere, I had not looked where I was sitting. . . . * To which Bob replies: There are many more traditional varieties: pumpkin, bean, farina, cherry, pear, plum, poppy seed, turnip, raisin. I've had almost all of them at some time in my life. A whole other topic are the strudels made with a raised yeast dough. I've had Helmut's Strudel several times. They always set up a stand at the large "Musikfest" every August in our neighboring city of Bethlehem. Topfen is my favorite sweet variety. We still have places to get the homemade stretch strudel here. Certain churches make it for their bazaars and festivals. The Edelweiss Haus Tavern in Northampton (owned by Bglders) has it every weekend. Plus I have friends of various backgrounds - Bglder, Hungarians, Windish (a local term for Slovenians) - who make their own at home at a drop of a hat. Of course, they were all born and raised in the Old Country. Our area is lucky enough to still have quite a few remnants of the Old Country culture, but they are vanishing rapidly. It often seems like few younger people are interested in their roots, at least not enough to motivate them to become actively involved. AND NOW DEAR READER, WE BRING YOU THE EVENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR: A RECIPE FOR GOOD, OLD, HONEST, BURGENLAND IMMIGRANT PEASANT CABBAGE STRUDEL! CABBAGE STRUDEL (suggested by Mary Marek) - Reprinted from BB Newsletter no. 47A, dtd 11/30/98. Continuing the taste of Hungary (and the Burgenland) - see "Paprika", newsletter 46, I'm going to set myself up as a target by providing a recipe for Cabbage Strudel as requested by one of our members. I doubt if there is any dish (other than goulasch) that is as memorable as cabbage strudel among Burgenland descendants. There are many variations and a lot of you strudel bakers will tell me I'm doing something wrong or suggest variations. Mary writes: My name is Mary Marek and I am a member of the BB... I am desperate for a recipe for Cabbage Strudel... My husband's Grandmother used to make it... she was from Eisenzicken... I have searched in vain for a recipe that matches hers... Do you know of anyone who may know how to make this? Answer: Mary, there many variations. Most families try a few and settle on one which is to their taste. If you haven't pulled strudel dough, don't be alarmed if your first attempt ends in a failure. Something you have to do to become an expert. You can patch small holes even though they say you shouldn't. Just makes the strudel a little lumpy. Would get you fired in Vienna. (Note - if your dough flops and ends up in the garbage, you can always boil some noodles and put them in the frying pan with your cabbage filling for that tasty dish "kraut-nockerl"). Strudel Dough -- or Use Store Bought Phyllo Dough (sometimes can be too dry) 4 cups high gluten flour (Ceresota or one of the bread flours available in most stores) 1/2 tsp salt 2 small eggs 1/2 cup melted butter or shortening (not hot) 1 cup warm water (some add a teaspoon of vinegar to help activate dough) Sift flour into large bowl, make a well in center, put in eggs beaten in the water, salt and shortening. "Make a dough" (that great immigrant cooking expression that always drove my mother up a wall), working with the hands until it comes away from sides of bowl. If too wet, add a little flour. Dough should be soft, pliable and silky. Shape into two round loaves, brush with a little extra melted shortening and let rest covered on a floured towel in warm place for 1 hour. While waiting, make filling: Filling 1 head cabbage (abt. 2 lbs. finely chopped, squeezed and drained of liquid) 1/2 cup fat (bacon or ham fat gives a stronger flavor but shortening is ok too) 1 Tblsp. or more sugar 2 Tblsp. black pepper (some don't add this untill filling the dough) - or to taste 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs 2 tsps. salt 1 tsp. crushed caraway seeds 1/3 cup butter beef broth (beef boullion cube dissolved in water ok) Cook sugar in fat until browned; add cabbage, salt, pepper and carraway. Stirring constantly, cook cabbage until lightly browned, adding beef broth in small amounts if necessary to keep cabbage from burning. Let cool. This is most difficult part: Place a loaf of dough on a clean floured cloth=covered surface, (it will eventually cover the work surface - a card table area is about right). Roll dough flat with floured rolling pin as thin as possible, then start from center with hands under dough and gently pull and stretch outwards with a rolling motion circling the table. Don't stretch too far before moving outward a few more inches at a time to avoid holes. When table is covered with dough you can see through, remove lumps of dough from edges by cutting or winding off. (These edge pieces can be reworked if not too dry or twisted into pretzels, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked for the kids in the strudel oven. You can also make sticks, roll in parmesan cheese and make cheese straws.) Sprinkle half melted butter (from 1/3 cup) over stretched dough. Sprinkle half cabbage mixture next making sure coverage is even. Sprinkle with half bread crumbs. Starting at one edge, rollup (use the cloth to do this, picking up one end and letting the dough fall away from the cloth) firmly toward center for two long rolls (easiest) or all the way for one fat one. Cut to fit pan or sheet. Put rolled strudel on greased baking sheet or pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat with second loaf. Bake in medium oven until lightly browned. Cut into four-inch pieces and serve warm. Some more variations. Sprinkle filling with cream (sweet or sour) before rolling strudel. Add more or less caraway seed. Add bacon bits (rendered) or "grammels" (bits left from rendering lard) before rolling. Add onion (to taste - maybe 1 small one chopped fine) to cabbage before cooking. Sprinkle with sweet paprika. Add more sugar, lemon rind and blanched almonds to potato filling (below). Original recipes all called for lard for "fat". Does make a taste difference, but! Potato strudel can be made in the same way (it's drier). Cook 3 or more large baking potatoes with skins on. Remove skins and put through ricer. Sprinkle on dough, add butter and breadcrumbs, maybe more salt and do all the other things. My grandmother served both cabbage and potato on special pre holiday Fridays (meatless days). She doubled and tripled the above recipe. She had a soup and salad first, then the above and apple or cherry strudel for dessert. The strudel was kept warm in big black baking pans in a warming compartment of her immense gas and coal iron stove that filled a whole kitchen alcove. Have fun, I'm going to look for a snack. Newsletter continues as no. 121C.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 121C DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) September 30, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold-all rights reserved) This fourth section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Hungarian Restaurant - Chicago 2. Hoyos Nobility 3. Ollersdorf - Szieser Family 4. St. Andras - Mantlik Family 5. Rax & Rax Bergen 6. Redesigned Burgenland Homepage 1. HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT CHICAGO Diane Emry writes: We would like to share info on what I think is the only Hungarian Restaurant in Chicago. Paprikash Restaurant, at 5210 W. Diversey Ave in Chicago. Their web site is www.PaprikashRestaurant.com. We've been there a couple times and the food is excellent. The menu is written with the Hungarian name and then the English. For example, Csirkeszelet Becsi Modra - Chicken "Schnitzel". We would like to share this restaurant with other BB members and figure the newsletter would be the best way to do it. We're going there Aug 23rd for a Dinner & Concert with the Hungarian Folk Music Ensemble, Duvo to commemorate St. Stephen's Day. 2. HOYOS NOBILITY In a message dated 8/7/03 correspondent writes: I was reading your Burgenland newsletter online and thought you might find this of some interest. My name is Count Aaron Hoyos. My family has relatives in both Austria and Hungary. My father, Count Georg Atilla Arpad Gyözo Maria Alexander Hoyos, was born in Innsbruck in 1945. The Hoyos family has 5 castles in Austria today. They are in Horn, Rosenburg, Drosendorf, Gutenstein, and Raan an der Thaya. The family also owns a Palais located in Vienna. Our reply: Thank you for the contact. I notice your family properties are all located in Nieder Österreich, mainly in the northwest. I believe you meant to write Raab ad Thaya not Raan. As you may have noticed, we are a Burgenland group, mainly interested in the Province of Burgenland, Austria, although we do include nearby border villages. Our interest is mainly concerned with the many families who emigrated from this area, although we have a great interest in history and culture of the Burgenland region. There are/have been numerous aristocratic families concerned with this area, and the main ones which interest us are the Esterhazy (northern Burgenland) and Batthyány-Strattmann-Draskovitch (southern Burgenland) plus a few minor nobility such as the Erdody, Eör and some of the minor Croat nobility. I would be interested if your family has any connections with these. One of our members is a member of the Esterhazy family, who still has ties with Güssing Castle and southern Burgenland. Franz Esterhazy received the Herrschaft of Güssing in 1524 and expanded it to include all of the southern area. You are very fortunate in having been able to retain the family holdings. I hope this includes family archives. We have found such archives to be of immense value in tracing lineage. Many of our immigrant family names are mentioned in early Urbars (land records) of the nobility who were the major landowners prior to 1848. Many of these have been researched and translated from family archives. The Batthyány archives (searched and published by Pater Gratian Leser - Güssing Fransciscan in the 1930's) have been of immense value. Others have been searched and published by various Austrian scholars. We in turn extract pertinent data, translate them into English and place copies in our website archives. If you click on some of the villages in our website village list, you will find some of these. Those who may be interested can thus find mention of family names and trace their family origins to some very early dates in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is unfortunate that so many Austro-Hungarian church records were destroyed during the Turkish wars and the Hungarian rebellions, nonetheless, most from the latter 1700's are still available. The aristocratic urbars often predate them. The Burgenland church and civil records from 1828 (earlier for some Hungarian parishes) to 1921 are available here in the United States as microfilm from the LDS in Salt Lake City - filmed from copies in Budapest. If you have any influence in family matters, I strongly urge you to cooperate fully with any legitimate scholar or group wishing to search your family archives for matters of genealogical importance (if you have not already done so). I only wish that our group had the funds and people capable of doing this. Attached for information, you will find a copy of our Invitation Letter which will explain what our group does. Thank you again for contacting us and I hope to hear from you again. Regards, Gerry Berghold 3. OLLERSDORF - SZEISZER FAMILY Eric Gironda writes: I have some updates to the member list and surname lists: I am researching two main surnames: SZEISZER (SEISER) of Ollersdorf; other Ollersdorf names: STROBL, PEISCHL, JANISCH. And JUSITS (JUSICS) of Stegersbach; other Stegersbach names: KATICS (KATIOS?), WUKOVICS, PIPLICS, HAFFNER, RATANOVITS, REIT (REITH), ZIDERICS. Here's the story: I have been researching my grandparents from the Burgenland. Johann Szeiszer (changed to Seiser in US) was born in Ollersdorf 5/6/1902 of Thomas and Theresia (Strobl), one of 18 children and three wives. Thomas bought a gasthaus from Theresia's brother (Josef? or Franz) Strobl. It's still there in Ollersdorf, and run by a Janisch. Johann came to US on 12/9/23, settled in New Rochelle, NY. (three siblings and many Strobl cousins came before 1/1/1922). He met and married Johanna Jusits of Stegersbach, born 8/21/1905 of Franz and Elisabeth (Katics) She came to US on 11/23/23. They didn't know each other in the Burgenland even though Ollersdorf and Stegersbach are so close! Johanna came to US with her older brother Edward on the Berengaria, a sister ship of the Titanic and settled in PA. John Seiser played the accordion in a polka band with his cousins and brother, the "Eisenburg Trio?", in the 30's and recorded many 78's of which I am trying to track down. I have Johanna's lineage back to the 1700's (thanks to Jurgen), but I cannot find anything as yet about Thomas Szeiszer's family (I do know he fought in WW-I). Thomas died in 1941. Thank you so very much for your efforts on the BB!!!! You folks do an excellent job.... I love the newsletters, the maps, and etc... Because of you, I was able to share a lot of history with my uncle John Seiser (Johann and Johanna's son) who just recently died..... Wish my mom was still here to see what I've learned.... I'm proud to be a Grandson of the Burgenland! 4. ST. ANDRAS - MANTLIK FAMILY Deirdre Montlick Miller writes: I am very excited to find your website. I have just started searching for my (deceased) father's Hungarian roots. His birth certificate lists his father as being from St. Andras, Hungary, and his mother from Kistarkan. I have not found a reference to Kistarkan, but it appears St. Andras is a village in Burgenland. I am going on my first trip to Austria on Sept. 9 and would like to visit the area -- I'm so excited! I would like to join your group, and get your newsletters, please. Here is my info: Burgenland Family name: Josef Mantlik, Village: St. Andras Settled: Darien, Connecticut (c. 1907?) Other family name: Elisabet Kovacs, Village: Kistarkan (?) Settled: Darien, Connecticut Our reply: I believe you will find that the spelling is Sankt (St) Andrä (Hungarian name Mosonszentandras), which is in the district of Neusiedl am See in the north of Burgenland, Austria. Its official name is St. Andrä am Zicksee. This region is also known as the Seewinkel (lake corner) as it encompasses the area around the Neusiedler See (lake) along the Hungarian border. The lake is quite large with parts in both Austria and Hungary. Just a few kilometers to the east of St. Andrä you will find the village of Andau (Hungarian name Tarcsa). I am sure this is your Kistakan, which is probably a mispelling of Kis Tarcsa or "little Tarcsa" in Hungarian. You will find that Kovacs families still reside there. I do not find a Mantlik family in St. Andrä, however. Perhaps they all emigrated. Try the local civil office (Gemeindeamt) to see if they have any record of the name. Also ask if they have a village "chronik" (history). It will be in German. By all means, visit this region during your trip. It is a short distance from Schwechat airport (Vienna), east on Austrian Rt. 10 (the E60) to {Parndorf and then south on Rt 50 to Neusiedl from which Rt 51 will take you the villages mentioned. Be sure to see the Basilica church at Frauenkirchen and drive around the Neusiedler See - many vineyards as well as vacation spots. Also visit Rust and Mörbisch on the western side of the lake. Take a ferryboat ride on the lake. Many fine places to stay a few days. Both of your villages are their own parish with their own church. Enjoy your visit and tell us about it when you return. 5. RAX & RAX BERGEN There are over 400 known villages in Austria's Burgenland. In addition there are many hamlets, which have been absorbed or whose identity is no longer listed. Something like our own suburbs, which lose their postal identity and are incorporated in nearby towns. I frequently get asked if I have any information concerning these and then I begin a search of my library. Often I find very little, since most could have a sign which says: "In the year so & so, absolutely nothing happened here." I was recently asked about Rax, a village in the district of Jennersdorf, now an "Ortsteile" or appendage to Jennersdorf, along with Henndorf and Grieselstein, since 1971. This is what I found and is a model for what you can expect to find for the smaller villages. Prior to 1921, Rax had the same name in Hungarian, but the spelling was Raks. There were two communities with a total of 1024 Roman Catholics in 1878 - Also (lower)-Raks, which belonged to the parish of Rudersdorf (Radafalva), and Felso (upper) Raks, which belonged to the parish of Jennersdorf (Gyanafalva). There were also 2 Lutherans and 19 Jews living in the Raks communities. All of the places mentioned were then in the district of Szt. Gotthard in the Hungarian Megye of Vas. Bergen or Rax Bergen is probably the current name of Felso Raks as Bergen signifies a community in the hills (upper). Rax lays northeast of Jennersdorf, between Jennersdorf and Weichselbaum, along the road connecting Jennersdorf with Mogersdorf, with Bergen slightly to the north west on a minor road from Jennersdorf. I would assume that anything that took place in Jennersdorf or Mogersdorf also affected Rax. This would include dynastic takeovers, the Mongol invasion, the Kuruzen wars. I'm sure Rax played a part in the battle of Szt. Gotthard (Mogersdorf 1664) - it would have been a place occupied by Imperial troops, at least by supply trains. The Turkish retreat following the 2nd siege of Vienna probably passed through here and Rax may have witnessed the Batthyány massacre of Turkish allies during that retreat. There is no mention of Rax in the canonical visitation of 1757. In the general historical bibliography of Burgenland, I find a publication titled "Römerfunde von Rax" - Barb, Manuscript IV which describes Roman grave stones found in the vicinity. I do not have this book, but it points out that there was a community or villa here as early as Roman times. Rudersdorf was probably a minor Roman military guard post. Unlike most other communities, which belonged to a noble family, all indications I have found place the ownership of Rax as a holding of the Church of Szt. Gotthard, probably as late as 1848. The church and civil records for Rax have been copied by the LDS and the microfilm numbers are Jennersdorf 0700669-70 and 0700292-299. Rudersdorf records would be found in the parish of Kaltenbrunn-0700694-5. Rax records for the 1828 Hungarian census would be found at no. 454 in the LDS microfilm no. 0623013. The English language book "Burgenland Panorama" - Gesellmann & Stefanits (see prior newsletters for a description of this book) has this to say: "Rax - City of Jennersdorf - a German speaking village of 700 inhabitants, is a linear village (spreads along the main road with farm plots behind) with balanced agrarian and trade structures. Archaeological finds on the Rax village grounds prove the great age of this settlement. Rax today is a holiday resort with many hiking facilities." The book "Wandern im Südburgenland" Schubert & Franzke, includes two hiking or bicycle tours - one Jennersdorf-Bergen-Jennersdorf and one Rax-toward Krobotek and Rax-Bergen. Mentioned are the old Jugendstil schoolhouse and a war monument with chapel. 6. REDESIGNED BURGENLAND HOMEPAGE Andreas Riedl from Austria writes: We just launched our redesigned homepage "im land" and we started with a story about the Burgenland Bunch. I hope you like the story. (http://magazin.orf.at/bgldmagazin/imland/tipps/stories/338/) I used some material from your homepage (quoting the author.) END OF NEWSLETTER BURGENLAND BUNCH STAFF (USA residents unless designated otherwise) Coordinator & Editor Newsletter (Gerald Berghold) Burgenland Editor (Albert Schuch; Austria) Home Page Editor (Hap Anderson) Internet/URL Editor (Anna Tanczos Kresh) Contributing Editors: Austro/Hungarian Research (Fritz Königshofer) Burgenland Co-Editor (Klaus Gerger, Austria) Burgenland Lake Corner Research (Dale Knebel) Chicago Burgenland Enclave (Tom Glatz) Croatian Burgenland (Frank Teklits) Home Page village lists (Bill Rudy) Home Page surname lists (Tom Steichen) Home Page membership list (Hannes Graf, Austria) Judaic Burgenland (Maureen Tighe-Brown) Lehigh Valley Burgenland Enclave (Robert Strauch) Szt. Gotthard & Jennersdorf Districts (Margaret Kaiser) Western US BB Members-Research (Bob Unger) WorldGenWeb-Austria, RootsWeb Liason-Burgenland (Charles Wardell, Austria) The BB is in contact with the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft, Hauptplatz 7, A-7540 Güssing, Burgenland, Austria. Burgenl.gem@bnet.at Burgenland Bunch Newsletter distributed courtesy of (c) 1999 RootsWeb.com, Inc. P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 Newsletter and List Rights Reserved. Permission to Copy Granted; Provide Credit and Mention Source.