BB News No. 48 dtd 15 Dec 1998

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 48 DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold) December 15, 1998 All Rights Reserved. Permission to Copy Granted, but Give Credit. FRÖHLICHES WEINACHTEN! We hope that by now the Kipfels and Nüssen and Möhn Strudels are beginning to come from the oven, the "springerle" are baked and hidden and that you've put out your family Christmas heirlooms. A bottle or two of Austrian wine and Birnen Schnapps wouldn't be amiss and our members from the Lehigh Valley should have their Christmas "putz" in place. This time of year, I remember my grandmother gilding walnuts and preparing foil wrapped candy for the tree. This first section of the 3 section newsletter features: - "Weihnachten in der Erinnerung" from the Burgenländisches Gemeinschaft News - Christmas in Austria - the Villages of Kukmirn and Eisenhüttl - Step Two-Beginning Your Burgenland Search - a Message From AOL's Austria Board, and - an Emigration Article from the Volksfreund Series. CHRISTMAS REMEMBERED - FROM THE B. GEMEINSCHAFT NEWS Nov./Dec. 1998 The opening article of the Christmas issue of the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft News is called "Weihnachten in der Erinnerung," or "Christmas Remembered." It carries a wonderful picture of a snow covered village in the south of Burgenland. Dr. Walter Dujmovits writes (and I repeat the German because English just doesn't seem to convey the poetry of his words): "Wir erinnern uns an unser kleines Dorf, wo um die Weihnachtszeit meist schon Schnee gelegen ist, der ganz ruhig und in grossen Flocken von Himmel fiel. Oft war es ganz still, bis ein Glcklein das Nahen eines Pferdeschlittens anzeigte. In das Nachbardorf is man kaum gekommen. Das kleine Dorf war die kleine Welt." ("We remember our small village, already covered with snow on Christmas Eve, everything very quiet, as large flakes fell from the heavens. It was all very still until we heard horse sleighbells. Someone coming from the neighboring village. That small village was our small world.") Ed. Note: Hardly seems possible that only half a century has passed since that idyllic scene. Today, in Winchester, the darkness is penetrated by light from homes and street lamps and the silence is broken by the murmur of traffic from the town bypass. Overhead, a helicopter or jet adds to the clamor and from a distance we hear the diesel horn of a locomotive moving sand from the quarry. Now the entire globe is our small world. In our hearts; however, Christmas Eve will always carry the magic of that quiet village or city neighborhood where we were born, an expectant stillness reflecting another night so long ago in Bethlehem. CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRIA (from Albert Schuch) (Ed. Note: Burgenland Editor Albert Schuch has finished his Army basic training and has been assigned to Vienna. While his duties involve a full day's work, he does find time in his busy schedule to contact us. He sent the following): The December issue of "The Atlantic Monthly" features the report "An Old-fashioned Christmas. The holiday brings out the best in Austria--and vice versa" by Corby Kummer on pages 44-49, also available on the Atlantic website: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/current/austria.htm. Interesting links (e.g., to a good English language guide to Viennese restaurants and bars) are included. Some of you may also wish to have a look at the story about translation software in the same issue of The Atlantic Monthly. 46) KUKMIRN (from the Father Leser Extracts & Translations by Albert Schuch) (Ed. Note: Kukmirn is one of the few villages that has both a Lutheran and Catholic Church. If you have any Lutheran ancestors, keep this in mind. I have a special fondness for Kukmirn, having spent a delightful day there at the invitation of Dr. Walter Dujmovits, attending the dedication of the Kukmirn "Auswanderung" memorial.) Old spellings of the village name: Kwgmer, Kwkmer, Kukmer, Kukumirn. Supposed to be derived from the Slavic word "kukma" (hilltop). The village territory consists of the following areas: Dorf (the "core" village), Ungerberg, Pelzmanngraben, Hafnergraben, Schöngrundberg, Jokischberg, Schermanngraben, Watzen, Mausbach, Hofweinriegel, Allersberg, Buchberg, Zelin, Weingartgraben, Anger, Kirchcker and Kirchtannich. (-berg and -riegel meaning hill, -graben meaning valley). In 1930, three houses still have straw roofs: #58 (GAAL), #97 (MUIK), #128 (DULD). The Urbarium of 1693 tells us that the village has been divided into "Deutsch-Kukmer" and "Ungarisch-Kukmer" until 1687. In 1693, ERNST Jerg was Richter; Geschworene (iurati; members of the village council) were ERNST Hans, STEINER Hans and LACKNER Jerg. Farmer families: ERNST (10), TAMEDL (5), BALICS (5; 3 of them free), PUMM, STEINER, HAFFNER, FLAMISCH, REICHL, BAUER (4 each); LAGLER, NEUBAUER, (3 each); LACKNER, HOANZL, URSCHLER, ENTLER (2 each); MUHR, SCHERMANN, LÖFFLER, SCHLEGL, SLOHOVICS, BAUHEL, GRIESL, HESL, SCHMIDT, PECHHEFFER, SPERK, SALBER, DORNER, FREISMUTH, KARNER, ANTONI, PRANTHWEINER, WILFINGER, SPALK. Söllner living in their own houses: TRINKL, TAMEDL, BREITFELLER (2 each); DEUTSCH, FRAUH, SALBER, KOLNBAUER, LÖFFLER, PEISCHL, STEINER, BAUER, TIRK, KARNER, FASCHING, PEIDL; Söllner without houses (no tax and Robot obligation): PUMM, HOMERICS, LACKNER. The miller, Motez BIBER, had to pay 4 florings per year to the Landlord. Most of the farmers owned 1/4 sessiones. In 1630, Count Adam Batthyány confirms that Ambrosius Ludwig von REICHHARTSPERG has paid 700 florins, for which his vineyards in Kukmirn were freed from all tax obligations. In 1779, Matthias RUIS took over parts of this free vineyard area from one Karl HURLAGAIN. Notaries: Eduard RATZKY (1854-61), Michael KAPPEL (1861-72) Lutheran teacher; since 1870 the notary of Kukmirn was also responsible for Limbach, Neusiedl, and Eisenhüttl); Ferdinand GIBISER (1872-1911), Bela GIBISER (1911-13), Anton ÖLLÖS (1913-21), Franz KRAMMER (1922-30). A bicycle club founded in 1928 (16 members in 1930). Number of inhabitants: 1851: 1210; 1870: 1323; 1930: 1186 (257 Catholics, 939 Lutherans). 950 persons live in America in 1930 (this number includes children born in America!). Johann EBENSPANGER, famous poet and teacher, was born in Kukmirn on 3 May 1845. He wrote poems in German and Hungarian, also in the Hianzish dialect. He also wrote the lyrics for a "New Year's Song" to a traditional Kukmirn bagpipe tune. He died on 24 Jan 1903. Josef WILFINGER, born in Kukmirn on 1 Nov 1874 (parents: Catholic teacher Franz WILFINGER and Juliana SIMON; house #37; godparents: Michael KONRAD, baker, and Amalia MESZAROS). He became a priest and went to China as a missionary (1898). Severly injured during a robbery, he died in Ringpo, China, in 1905. Catholic parish: Gerersdorf with Steingraben, Sulz and Rehgraben were parts of the Kukmirn parish until 1789, when the Gerersdorf parish was established. Eisenhüttl, Limbach and Neusiedl remained parts of Kukmirn parish. Catholic church records start in 1777 (baptisms), 1752 (marriages) and 1751 (deaths). Catholic priests: Johann Christophorus GRIM (1698), Franz Xaver HANN (1735), Ferdinand WAGNER (1754), Franz Xaver HANN (1755), Michael VOLINCS (1772), P. Bonaventura O.F.M. (1775), Matthias HUTTER (1776-80), P. Nicephorus TORNER O.F.M. (1787-1802), Josef HOMPASS (HOMFASS, 1802-05), Josef SCHAFFER (1806-08), Georg SPAITS (1809-43), Paul KRISTALOCZI (1843-52), Stefan KRANZ (1855), Josef EBERHARDT (1855-58), Josef HECHINGER (1858-95), Josef GARTNER (1895-1910), Anton KÖNCZÖL (1910-13), Georg ILLES (1913-17), Julius TOMSITS (1917-30), Gregor PALKOVICH (1930-). Catholic teachers: Josef BERZKOVICS (1765), Johann SEIER (1776-80), BÖHM (1806), Johann SCHWARZ (1810-12), Andreas DORN (1827), Frans KORSCHINEK (1832), Matthias PISCHOF (1848), Matthias HONDLER (1850), Franz WILFINGER (1874), Johann STINKO (1880), Johann STIPPICS (1898), GRILL, BOMMER, Alois NIEDERMAYER (1904-05), Josef KELLER, Margaritha KÖNCZÖL, Johann PISCHOF, Karl WEBER, Arpad MUGGENBURG, Emil LAZANYI (1922-28), Franz LOIDL (1928-). Lutheran parish: First known pastors of Kukmirn: Daniel MUMENIUS (1613), Johann KINDL (1618), Johann SZOMMERAOR (SOMMERAUER), Joachim HORNING (1624), Georg SCHILLER (1654), Andreas FLEISCHHACKER (LANIUS, 1666), Christophorus RICHTER (1667). In 1781 Emperor Joseph II allowed Lutheran parishes to be established in communities with at least 100 (Lutheran) families, so the Kukmirn parish was established in 1783, Johann SCHMIDAG became pastor. Zahling, Neusiedl, Limbach, Deutsch Kaltenbrunn, Rohr, Neustift, Tobaj and Deutsch Tschantschendorf belonged to this new parish too. Lutheran pastors: Johann SCHMIDAG (1783-93), Johann Andreas HUTTER (1793-1810), Christian WÜSTINGER (1810-28), Daniel DRUGLANYI (1828-32), Andreas HUBER (1832-66), Johann FÜRST (1866-78), Emanuel LUDWIG (1878-97), Johann RAJTER (1897-). Lutheran teachers: Martin MÜLLER (1786), Johann Jakob SCHWENK, Philipp HELLEPRANDT, Johann KOZMA (1801), Martin MAZARY (1802-05), Johann SCHÖCK (1805-10), Martin MÜLLER (1810-16), Johann BREM (1816-24), Michael KAPPEL (1824-70), Ferdinand KAPPEL (son of Michael, assisting teacher since 1859; 1870-75); two teachers since 1875; first teachers: Ferdinand KAPPEL (1875-1903), Johann HAHN (change name to HANVAI, 1903-12), Josef KARNER (1912-); second teachers: Johann HAHN / HANVAI (1875-1903), Josef KARNER (1903-12), Michael NOTNAGEL (1912-); third teacher since 1930: Eduard KARNER. (source: V+H Nr. 19/1958-1/1959) 47) EISENHUTTL The Urbar of 1693 for "Jezero oder [= or] Eisenhüttl" states that Michael SINKOVITS is Richter; Geschworene are Peter SCHABHÜTTL and Michael BERZKOVICS. Families: SINKOVITS (4), BERZKOVICS (4), CSERCSICS (4), KLANACSKI (4), ROZNAKOVICS (4), JAKSICS (3), MATESITS (3), BLASKOVICS (2), GRABNER, VUKISOVICS, SIMONOVICS, PIPLICS, BOKROVACZ, SUKICS, CSUCSICS, TOMSITS, SIK, FERKOLICS, SCHABHÜTTL, MARINICS, MARUSITS, SZAKOVITS. Number of inhabitants: 1812: 269; 1832: 322; 1850: 375; 1930: 380 (65 houses; all Catholics); ca. 250-300 emigrants. Part of Kukmirn parish. Teachers: Josef KLANACSKI (1848), EISINGERICS, Johann REHLICH (1892-99), Fabian SOSTARICH (1899-1930), Jakob DUJMOVICS (1930-). Information taken from the school chronical written by Jakob DUJMOVICS, added by Josef Karl HOMMA to the LESER-material: According to the Urbar of 1617 Eisenhüttl was Croatian, according to the 1635 Urbar the village was newly founded. The Germans lived on the area called "Fedenberg", the Croats in the village. Richter: JAKSITS Paul (ca. 1850), JAKSITS Josef, SINKOVITS Paul (1895-1905), WUKOVITS (1902-05), KLANATZKY Paul (1905-23; 1923-27), HUSSOVITS Josef (1927-38), FUMITS Michael (1838-40), SEIDL Hermann (1940-41), JAKSITS Paul (1941-45), BERZKOVITS Paul (1945-50), FUMITS Michael (1950-). (source: V+H Nr. 1-2/1959) STEP TWO - STARTING THE SEARCH IN THE "HEIMAT" - by G. Berghold Newsletter No. 47, November 30, 1998, Step One explained the three things one should do before starting a Burgenland search. If you've followed those instructions, you now have: o German & Hungarian (Croatian) names of your villages o German & English (American) spellings of your family names o German & Hungarian names of the parish church (village) your ancestors attended You also have the full name of the immigrant ancestor, birth date or age and religion (Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist-Reformed or Jewish). You have completed some of your American (Canadian, etc.) family search and have at least a direct blood connection to the family you're searching for. You have verified your data by reference to at least two of the following sources -family papers and documents, vital records, US Census, Social Security Death Index, naturalization records, ship's manifests, etc. You are now ready to began a search for your immigrant's parents and ancestors in the most important records available to Burgenland researchers in the United States-the Family History Records of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS), (the Mormons). In the 1960's, the LDS microfilmed copies of Burgenland Church Records stored in the National Archives in Budapest. These are "copies" of the original church registers of birth (baptism), marriage and death. In 1828, a law was passed making parish priests and pastors responsible for collecting vital records and forwarding copies to the civil authorities. As a result, copies of all church records 1828-1896 were centralized. Some parishes went even further and submitted copies of earlier records-some from the 1600's-1700's. Lucky you if your church is in this category! In 1896, the civil authorities assumed vital record responsibility and copies of civil records 1896-1921 are also available from the LDS but only for those villages ceded to Austria in 1921. Remember that these records are copies and as such may contain clerical errors or omissions. The handwriting may be poor depending on the skill and accuracy of the copier. Never the less, these are the most conclusive records of any. If you have a copy of the church baptismal and marriage records for your ancestor which ties into your US findings, you have proof of lineage. Other documentation, while nice to have, is superfluous. Burgenländers were deeply religious and would not even think of forgoing church involvement in family matters. Your first step is to find the Family History Center nearest your home. It can be found by looking in your phone book or calling LDS Family History Support at 800-346-6044. Then call the center to determine their hours. You will find a ready welcome and volunteers will help you use the center's resources, but they may know very little, if anything, about Burgenland research or geography. The centers provide world wide genealogical coverage and it is impossible for volunteers to know it all. If you are using a center in a Burgenland emigrant enclave like Chicago, Cleveland or the Lehigh Valley, you may get lucky and find a Burgenland researcher, but don't count on it. You must be ready to do the work yourself. Volunteers usually cannot translate Latin, German or Hungarian nor will they be familiar with the format of your records. Do your homework and read whatever help the BB has made available. You now have two choices. If the church record microfilm numbers for your village have been supplied by the Burgenland Bunch, ask a volunteer to verify them via the center computer. Nothing is more frustating than waiting weeks for the wrong records. Be sure to write a complete description of the film on the order form, including the item number if used. You can then order and rent the film for a six week period ($3.75). If you order it three times, it will be retained at the center permanently and you can enjoy years of reference without reordering. I would suggest; however, that you first familiarize yourself with the Austrian and Hungarian Geographic Indices. Ask a volunteer to show you these indices (use the microfiche rather than the computer file) and how to use the microfiche readers. Look under Austria-Burgenland -your Church Village name-Church Records - if your village is in Austria today; under Hungary-Vas (Sopron, or Moson) -your Church Village name-Church Records if it is still in Hungary. Both the Austrian and Hungarian indices have duplicate data, in the Austrian one the village names are in German, in the Hungarian one they are in Hungarian. The Hungarian index contains all villages by Megye (county), the Austrian one only those ceded to Austria. You should find an explanation of the available records which match the data you have and the microfilm numbers. COPY THIS DATA AND KEEP IT! Remember to order the records with the proper church affiliation. You won't find RC family in a Lutheran church except for unusual circumstances. Better yet have the fiche page copied. Do the same for civil records and scan for whatever else may be available. Now check your family name(s) in both the Ancestral File (computer) and the IGI (International Genealogical Index). Copy any data you find that may link to yours. If you're new to genealogy ask a volunteer to show you family history sheet blank forms, pedigree charts, etc. They are available at a modest price and are among the best genealogical forms developed. Don't leave without ordering your film. I'd order all film available for your village if you can afford it. You can always extend the rental period if you don't finish in 6 weeks. There is a three to four week wait for the microfilm. The center will notify you when the film arrives if asked. Plan to spend a full day at the center. Prepare for the event by filling a brief case with a detailed Burgenland map, a notebook, writing tools, German and Hungarian pocket dictionaries if you have any (check to see if the center has them-some do), a magnifying glass, a ruler, a sheet of colored paper (blue or green) and your family notes and family history sheets if any. Read and print a copy of BB Newsletter 18A "TRANSLATING BURGENLAND CHURCH RECORDS", put it in your notebook and bring it along on your visit. Likewise a copy of the German script alphabet which can be downloaded from the BB homepage. Look at your map and make a list of ALL villages near (about 10kms in all directions) the one whose records you've ordered, showing both their German and Hungarian names. Try abbreviating them, like "P-dorf" or "P-falva" for Poppendorf to see what they might look like. Copyists often used village abbreviations. If you know all of the villages within your parish so much the better. You'll find these villages mentioned in the records and they will provide clues to extended family, i.e. your grandfather's brother may have moved to the next village to the home of his new wife and is shown as a godparent living there. If you're involved with Croatian villages or families, you may also need Croatian village names and perhaps a Croatian dictionary. I'm not sure if any records are written in Cyrillic. If like me, you use reading glasses for close work, don't forget them. You'll be doing a lot of close reading from a distance of about fifteen inches. If you're advanced enough to have your genealogy loaded on a lap top computer take it along (plan on using battery as most centers frown on plug ins). In lieu of searching LDS records you may be lucky and find that someone else has already paved the way. If they have and have submitted their work to the LDS, your search of the IGI or Ancestral File will tell you. You may also have a relative who has already searched the records. If you're satisfied with their work, ask them for a Gedcom file. Another alternative is to visit Austria or Hungary and try to work with the original records. This is so fraught with problems (read some BB trip reports) that I would never recommend it unless you are an experienced genealogist, proficient in at least one of the languages and are knowledgeable about the region or have close regional contacts (relatives or friends) and have made prior appointments. Armed with the former I was able to contact a most cooperative parish pastor and spend eleven days (a few hours each day) with my ancestor's village records dating from 1770 to 1993. Even with my wife's help, I found the work difficult, time consuming and exhausting, particularly in the early years where script was used. It would have been impossible without my LDS record experience. The parish pastor could not read the early documents (script and Hungarian) and the the prior pastor, who could, was not available. I was able to trace family generations prior to 1828 and after 1921, but even so I did not have time to track all lines. You won't feel much like working after a heavy Austrian "wet" lunch, too good to do without even for genealogy! You'll also want to spend your time "seeing" Austria and Hungary even if you're a dedicated genealogist. The final alternative of course is to hire an accredited genealogist, but I strongly urge you to give the LDS records a try. The next installment will explain what to do when the film arrives. MESSAGE FROM AOL'S AUSTRIA BOARD HOST I am the monitor for the Austria message Board on AOL. I also subscribe to the Burgenland bunch newsletter. I am trying to get a little life into the Austria Message board and I was wondering if you could put a plug in your next newsletter about the board. All topics are covered. This includes Austrian politics if wanted. Thanks, intf, Austria Board Monitor. Austria Board may be reached by going to AOL keyword "Austria". EMIGRATION ARTICLES FROM THE "VOLKSFREUND" - EARLY 1900's (3 of 5) (Ed. Note: this is the final series of Volksfreund articles written at the turn of the century by Adolf Königshofer, school teacher in Poppendorf, and contributing columnist to the newspaper "Volksfreund". Extracted and translated from the original by Adolf's great-grandson, our Austrian Contributing Editor, Fritz Königshofer.) >From Der Volksfreund, 15 February 1908, page 4: "What an emigrant told me." It was last year, he started his story, in the Spring, when I worked with a countryman on the railway in America. This fellow told me that he was married, but that his wife had run off with somebody else during the time he himself had served in the military. He then had met a girl with the name Elisabeth Weissenbach who cared for him and lived with him in common-law marriage, a union from which sprang three children. In order to escape from the eyes of neighbors, the man went to America and, as soon as he had the money together for his loved one and the children, he sent them the tickets. Beaming with happiness, the very much longed for ones arrived in America. She was a young woman, pretty like a picture, and one could glance from her eyes the boundless joy about the reunion; the children were so lovely, their faces like drawn and colored by a painter. But now the sad part of the story began. She candidly told the immigration commission about her relationship with the man, which the man duly confirmed too. This created a moral concern for the Americans, and she was denied landing rights exactly for the reason that she was not legally married. "Mister," he said and tears rolled down over his weather-hardened face, "to watch such a situation one must have a strong heart. Wringing her hands, she begged that she not be separated with her children from their father, the loved man, and that she be given mercy. The poor little ones held on to the skirt of the mother and also wept, so that a stone could have melted; but the American knows no mercy in these respects. The answer was "No" and so it remained. What happened then? The mind of the lovely woman got deranged on the spot; she became demented, and was brought into a sanitarium. The children were put into an orphanage where just at that time an epidemic of measles had broken out. The little 6-year old Pista, a bright fellow with clear and light eyes, contracted the disease and died of it. After quite some time, the poor Elis became capable of traveling again, and was sent back to Europe with the two remaining children. All costs had to be born by the Hamburg shipping line. The man stayed back in America, in utter desperation." What do you say to this story, dear reader? Was it right the way it went? For my part I think that if those who defraud, murderers and diverse similar riffraff manage to get on shore unhinderd, one should have let this poor woman also step on American soil. Or, was this treatment supposed to be the punishment for the sin? "[end of article] (Ed. the world of our ancestors was a different world in many respects) (continued as newsletter 48A)

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 48A DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold) December 15, 1998 (all rights reserved) This second section of the 3 section newsletter features: - an article concerning Hungarian Folklore - a Dialect Question - a Book on Austria, - Croatian Burgenland Origins - Comments on the Wallern History by Father Graisy, and - Border Villages - Ethnic Twins. HUNGARIAN FOLKLORE (suggested by Gloria Martinson) Gloria writes: "Hi and Happy Holidays! I haven't written very often but I saw an interesting documentary the other night on Hungary and vampires. Has anyone ever commented on the vampirism in Hungary from the early1200s until now. Yes as late as 10 years ago in certain villages in Hungary ... they still believed in vampires ... after a person died they would only bury the body a foot deep during the religious ceremony and then late at night ... come to the cemetery and either cut the head off, bind the legs or drive a stake through the heart and sometimes take the heart out and burn it. It never did say what part of Hungary this took place in ... so I was just curious since I know now that my ancestors came from the St. John's area in Hungary. If you have any more info .... I would like to know....I know this is strange but am very curious especially about the Queen of Hungary in the late 1600s who was penned up in a wall for eating some of her ladies in waiting. I don't know her name... but they thought she was a vampire." Editor's response: In this enlightened (?) age, it's hard to imagine that people once believed (still believe?) in such things as vampires, werewolves, spirits and other forms of the undead. Bram Stoker with his Dracula tale, Shelley with Frankenstein and Hollywood script producers have let their imaginations run riot, producing a number of horror stories to titillate and amuse us. Never the less, many of these stories have some basis of fact having been taken from history, folklore and mythology. I am no expert in this area and merely share some things I've found. Most of the vampire tales take place in the Carpathians of Transylvania (Moldavia and Wallachia), that mountainous region in what was the easternmost part of Hungary, now mainly Romania, which includes parts of the Transylvanian and Carpathian Alps. It was settled by German Saxons in the 12th Century. They maintained their culture, language and traditions until present times (some have since been forcibly expatriated by the Romanians). The region is one of deep valleys and towering crags with ruins of mountain fortresses, yet there are fertile farms and ancient medieval cities, now suffering the effects of decades of Romanian communism. Transylvania was never fully conquered by the Turks and some of its leaders had a reputation for unbridled ferocity, substituting visible cruelty for military strength. A favorite ploy was to behead enemies and place their heads on spikes along the road. Impalement on stakes and roasting on spits and in baskets was also practiced. Another was to blind prisoners in groups; link them with ropes and have a half blinded leader take them home to show what would happen to others. There were countless variations. The Turks, the peasants who saw these sights and even the aristocracy soon spread horror stories about the perpetrators of these terrible acts, undoubtedly embellishing them as they were repeated. Among the the worst was Vlad Drac(k)ul, Voivode of Wallachia (15th century) a contemporary of Hungarian hero Janos Hunyadi, hence the Dracula story. Nothing was done to discourage the tales, really a form of early military propaganda and they became part of folk lore and legend, becoming ever grimmer in the telling. Turks (Moslems) were firm believers in immortal "jinns" (devils) and they considered Vlad Dracul a "jinn" of the worst sort. I guess along with coffee, strudle and kipfels, the Turks of the 16th Century also gave us Dracula! But vampire legends can probably be traced to pre Roman times in all lands, as an explanation for any unexplainable occurrence involving loss of blood. Sheep with torn throats pointed to werewolves or vampires when in reality the acts could have been committed by any number of animals (including a neighbor who coveted pasture). People would find old legends the simplest and most entertaining explanation for anything mysterious. I have found no tales of vampirism in the Burgenland, which is clear across the plains of Hungary from Transylvania, but these tales were intoduced by others and added to the stories about evil found in every land. My grandmother believed half-heartedly in the evil eye and the curses of Gypsies. Gypsies were considered sorcerors and at one time were persecuted for canibalism (later refuted). She always said it didn't hurt to take precautions. She spoke of wolves in the village streets in the depths of winter and strange tales told by adults by fire light. Her gamekeeper uncle told stories of wolf shapes and spirits in the woods (perhaps to keep children from straying?). She and her contemporaries were deeply religious and I feel they would have rebelled against despoiling a grave. I doubt if the Burgenland RC clergy (generally of an educated class) would have countenanced such behavior. Along the borders of western Hungary there are tales of spirits in the woods. Probably remnants of early Magyar fears. They were steppe nomads, unaccustomed to the darkness of forest. It probably terrified them. Hungarian fairy tales often take place in forests. During migration of the Avar and Gothic tribes and the Hun, Mongol, Magyar and Turk invasions, many people fled to the mountains and woods to survive. How long before they became half animal, committing deeds we can only imagine. Huns are known to have practiced ritual canabilism. Another fertile field for later tales, surviving in collective memories. Then there are Burgenland tales like the "Wasser Teufel", the water devil of the reeds of the Neusiedler See. Reminds one of our own "Jersey Devil" of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Straw dolls are still made to protect Burgenland houses from evil and it's said a wheel buried in a doorstep will prevent deviltry and don't fall asleep in a road or furrow at noon or midnight or a spirit will get you, but people now smile when they talk of such things. Do you still throw a pich of salt over your shoulder if you spill some? I still do, makes my wife smile. The pagan Germans, Slavs and Hungarians practiced a religion which saw natural spirits everywhere. After accepting Christianity, some of these earlier beliefs and customs were duplicated in the new religion (i.e. Xmas tree and wreaths, Harvest festival, All-Saints and other religious holidays etc.) or were remembered as folk lore and myth. Recently I read that some medieval madness and delusion could have been caused by eating flour milled from rye that had been attacked by specific natural mold spores. Hallucination resulted, repeated endlessly until the store of grain was exhausted. A failed harvest meant hunger so moldy grain would not have been destroyed. The great cat massacre of the middle ages and the burning of witches may be explained in this manner. Some plants and fungi can also cause hallucinations. Many wild green plants and mushrooms were eaten to supplement bland diets. I believe the so-called vampire queen in question was not a queen but the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a most beautiful, educated, powerful and despicable member of the Hungarian aristocracy. She lived from 1560-1613, held court at Sarvar Castle and may have been the most dreadful murderess in recorded history. Her beauty was the subject of poems and paintings but she indulged in all sorts of bizarre pleasures and debauchery involving the blood of innocent victims. Six hundred and fifty young women are said to have died in her castles, many dying from beatings and bites! She was afraid of losing her beauty and believed the blood of the young would preserve it. She was finally walled inside a room in her castle at Cahtice (Slovak Republic) for five years until she died, unrepentant. No vampire, just a mad person with unlimited power. A fictional account of her life has recently been written. "The Blood Countess", by Andrei Codrescu, Simon & Schuster, 1995. Not for the faint hearted. Power can certainly corrupt and the aristocracy enjoyed centuries of power. The Magyar Hungarian more so than others. They were virtually untouchable. They also interbred and madness sometimes resulted. Some from the Habsburg court committed especially memorable crimes, but I find few stories of this sort among the major Burgenland aristocracy, the Esterhazy in the north and the Batthyány-Draskovitch in the south. Whether this results from supressed records, the strength of their peasantry, the influence of religion or superior morality, I don't know. The later Habsburg court was ultra conservative; I've heard of a case of Esterhazy banishment resulting from sexual abuse of children, but on his own estate, in absolute control, an aristocrat could still do almost as he wished. Always fascinated by the goings on of their "betters", the peasantry explained unnatural actions as best they could. None the less, I think we can leave Hungarian vampire tales in Transylvania where they originated unless someone knows of a documented case from the Burgenland or the western Hungarian border. Some sources consulted include Folktales of Hungary, Linda Degh; The Spirit of Hungary, Stephen Sisa; and Southeastern Europe under Ottoman Rule, Peter Sugar. G. Berghold DIALECT QUESTION (from Margaret Kaiser) Margaret writes:... "would you please read the material (below), which I wrote some years ago, and advise if you think any of the dialects mentioned are Hianzisch or maybe another 2 dialects." **** Margit "Gretti" Baumgartner Schreiner reports that prior to World War II, schoolchildren learned the "Schriftsprache," which is the written or literary German language. Regions developed their own "Volkssprache," or peoples' language, which we translate as dialect. Persons speaking a local dialect do not generally understand persons speaking another dialect. Gretti says that in Hungary this is still true. There are Hungarian regional dialects, but not as many Hungarian dialects as there are German dialects in German-speaking lands. The people of Radling (Ronok) spoke a German dialect called, Hintsiesch. Gretti says that near the Spirk-Gyoeri farm was an Austrian region that spoke a dialect called, Hittisch. The Spirks may have spoken both of these dialects as well as the German Shriftsprache, and Hungarian. ***** The above was written based on information contained in a letter from Gretti (Szentgotthard) who is a very distant cousin. Answer: Schriftsprache is "written language" or maybe translates better as "formal literary language". Hintsiesch is probably Hianzisch or the dialect named after the noble called Heinz who led the first Germans into the Burgenland -vis Henz, son of Lord Volvern of Viltonia (Styria). This is the same dialect referred to in previous newsletters (see no. 45). It is found all around the Güssing (southern) area and extends somewhat into Hungary until it reaches the Bakony hills and forests where I understand there is another dialect whose name I don't know. I haven't heard of Hittisch. I'll mention it in the next newsletter and maybe someone else will have the answer. I wouldn't be surprised if your people spoke two languages as well as two dialects. I was told even the animals responded to more than one language! In talking to a German tutor I understand that there are hundreds of German dialects. A BOOK ON AUSTRIA (from Albert Schuch) I am currently reading a book by Richard Berczeller: "A Trip into the Blue & Other Stories from The New Yorker" (A & W Publishers, New York 1980; I found it in an Antiquariat, signed by the author). R.B. was born in 1902, and he was the Jewish doctor of Mattersburg until 1938, when he was driven out by the Nazis. Via Italy and France he arrived in New York in 1941, where he died a few years ago. Dr. Berczeller's other books include "Time Was" and "Displaced Doctor". "A Trip into the Blue ..." contains stories about his life in Austria and Burgenland, especially in Mattersburg in the 1930's, also about his emigration years. Very interesting reading. CROATIAN BURGENLAND ORIGINS (from John Lavendoski) (Ed. Note: John is also putting together a data base of Szt. Peterfa, Hungary family names. If you're researching this area, you may wish to contact him.) I am writing with some information I found today concerning the possible Croatian local origin of our people from Szentpeterfa. As you recall, we had discussed 3 separate possibilities in the past. These are: 1) Moslavina, 2) Lika-Krbva. 3) and "Petrovo Selo". Here is what I found. 1) I have located Moslavina on a map. It is on the border of modern day Hungary and Croatia bout 80 miles East of Zagreb. It is no where even remotely close to Lika. 2) In a Croatian history book, I read about the history of the Lika-Krbva area. The most prominent noble family of this region were the "Subic" family who held power from the 1200s -1400s. As you know, this is a name which later shows up in Szentpeterfa. Also, I clearly determined that Lika and Krbva were 2 areas MOST heavily affected by the Turkish raids in both the late 1400s and immediately after Mohacs in 1526. This all points to the possibility that it was from here where our ancestors first came. 3) I found the "other" 2 Petrovo Selos in Croatia. Both are East of Zagreb, not near Lika at all. Ed. Note: The Batthyány Herrschaft Güssing in 1648 was composed of 71 communities, villages, and castles which included 15 in the Orseg (Wart) of Hungary and three in Yugoslavia (Croatia). Those three were located directly across the boder from Hungary and were Örihodos, Kapornak and Domonkosfa (Bk Alia). I haven't pinpointed these places on a map. They could also have been places of origin. The family Draskovich supplanted the Batthyánys when Graf Karl Draskovich von Trakostyan (1807-1855) married Elisabeth, daughter of Graf Johann Baptist von Batthyány. Draskovich is one of the oldest Croatian families, whose first known ancestor was Andreas Drask who was given the Croat county (Komitat) of Tinin by Hungarian king Andreas III (1290-1301). Their seat was Burg Trakostyan (today Trakoscan just a few kms se of Maribor, north of Zagreb and west of Varazdin) in Croatia. (The following exchange is between Yvonne Lockwood and John Lavendoski) John writes: Dr. Lockwood, I checked on the Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology's website for any research into this area done over the past few years. I was very pleased to discover that at least one book and several papers have been written concerning topics associated with the Burgenland Croats (including your own specialty of oral tradition). One item in particular caught my eye. It is a book by Jelena Radaus-Ribarie concerning Burgenland Croat costumes and what this may tell us about the origins of the Burgenland Croats within Croatia. The ISBN number is listed as 953-167-051-X. The book itself was probably not written entirely by this woman; I believe that she contributed. The editor may have been named Ivan Kampus. I was thinking that you could get a copy of this book and maybe be able to decipher the Croatian enough to see what this authors theory of origin might be...That is if you are still interested in this topic. Also, you might want to check out the four websites where I found the info. They are: http://cres.mzt.hr/mzt/hrv/znanost/svibor/6/02/096/proj_e.htm http://cres.mzt.hr/mzt/hrv/znanost/svibor/6/05/124/rad_e.htm http://cres.mzt.hr/mzt/hrv/znanost/svibor/6/03/056/proj_e.htm http://mahazu.hazu.hr/LingResIn/indexSV.html Do a search on the word "Burgenland" when you are inside these sites, and you will scroll down to the relevant information. Play around a bit and you will find the info to which I am referring. Yvonne writes: John, thanks for cc'ing me on this note. As for Lika as an origin of Burgenland Croats, scholars have been hypothesizing this for sometime. It has been substantiated by language primarily, but also family names. Some of my Croatian friends from Burgenland have traveled extensively through the Lika region looking, for example, for family names just to validate the hypothesis in their own minds. It is my memory that family names and villages were found. All this for whatever it is worth--anecdotal but though I don't have the scholars' names on the tip of my tongue I would swear Lika also to be a scholarly hypothesis for origin. WALLERN HISTORY BY FATHER GRAISY (from Dale M. Knebel) (Ed. note: In newsletter 45, we mentioned subject book. Dale adds a few comments which are shown here in order that any recent members interested in Wallern can contact book holders.) Regarding the book by Father Graisy, I want to add a few comments. Father Graisy's nephew in Vienna presently has a daughter in Chicago. Dean Wagner and Cathy Lauren-Schmidt, cousins in St. Paul, and also cousins of the Graisys, received the book, who in turn passed it on to their Steichen cousin on the east coast. As a result of using the book, the Graisys are now also in my lines. I completed one line, and some of the people are listed 3 times! From a heredity and gene standpoint, I guess I'm lucky I can feed myself! I saw the book when I was in Wallern but not until the night before I was to leave. I was told that the original printing did not meet the demand, so getting an original copy was out of the picture; so my cousins made copies of select pages. Yes, there are two versions, since the pages that I have seem more recent than the copy obtained by Dean and Cathy. The original was a mimeographed copy printed on single sides. Father Graisy was born in 1911, so it is likely that he may not be among us. I not sure that the book was published recently (depending on the interpretation of recently) because the latest marriages are from the 60s. I found a notation on one page where Father Graisy says he quit listing the baptisms (actually listing the children of a couple) in the late 20s. The book documents each house and details the original owner and all the successive owners. It also lists who was born in the house and the marriages of the people. It is cross-referenced in that a spouse is noted with his\her father's name and house where the family can be found. If a family moved, it tells in which house to look. There, you may find more children were born. If a spouse came from another village, the village is listed. It sometimes also tells if the original inhabitant came from another village. From this, I found that my Heil line originated in Lackendorf. It is a genealogical gold mine! It moved the lines of my six great-great-grandparents from 1828 to around 1700. I have enough work for the winter. If we are concerned with making copies of the book (several have already been done), I think the one to contact would be the nephew in Vienna, since he made the first copy we had. He is also going to send a copy of the later version. The German text that accompanies each line is easily translated on the Alta Vista site. BORDER VILLAGES - ETHNIC TWINS One of my pleasures in responding to queries is to try to identify and locate villages for Burgenland Bunch members. I have a number of books and lists which I use for this purpose and have developed a research pattern which usually works. One of the ways my own knowledge of things Burgenländisch develops. On some occasions; however, I get caught up in my own foot work. The following story is a case in point: New member Barrie Geosits tells me that some of his people came from Kroatisch-Schutzen. I couldn't find it (although I suggested it was probably part of Deutsch Schutzen since there are numerous twin Deutsch-Kroatisch villages). He reponds with: << Thanks for all, it is much appreciated. In my research today I have found Kroatisch-Schutzen in Hungary and the name there is Horvatlovo. >> Reply: Help is frequently a two edged sword. I spent some time looking for Kroatisch-Schutzen. I was fairly certain it was allied with Deutsch Schutzen. It was developed as such but I didn't tumble to the fact that they were separated by the 1921 border and that Kroatisch-Schutzen was now in Hungary with the Hungarian name Horvatlovo. Something for me to remember as I try to identify villages. There are a whole series of such villages along the convoluted border as well as combinations like Pornoapatai-Hll, Szentpeterrfa-Eberau and Pinka Mindszent-Moschendorf which, while part of pre 1921 area communities and neighbor villages, were predominantly Hungarian as opposed to German or Croatian and thus stayed in Hungary. (newsletter continued as no. 48B)

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 48B DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold) December 15, 1998 (all rights reserved) This third section of the 3 section newsletter features: - a Latin Word Question - A Round Robin of International Mail--From Australia - A Pending Trip, From Austria - Village of Althodis, - From Hawaii - Austrian Hawaian Association - an Offer from Heritage Quest Magazine - Extracts from the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft Christmas Issue and - some Moson Megye LDS Microfilm Numbers of Interest. "VICRUM" - LATIN WORD? We have a team of Burgenland researchers in members Sherrill and Charles Petti. They're researching the Schachendorf-Durnbach-Rechnitz region. Charles is house-bound and not on the net and Sherrill is doing his leg work and email for him. Charles called the other night to say they've struck a mother lode but have some problems sorting out all of the family records his sister has found for him. One problem involves a death record (entries in Latin) which contains the word "vicrum" following age of the deceased. Anyone have any ideas? There is also a good possibility that the Petti name (which appears to be of Italian origin) may be another of those families (like possible Irish name Gilly) which owe their Burgenland presence to mercenaries who settled in the region following one of the many wars, perhaps the battle of Mogersdorf (Szentgotthard). MAIL FROM AUSTRALIA - TRIP PENDING (from Keiron Rad) With Fritz's (Königshofer) most generous assistance, I've finally managed to start uncovering my paternal grandfather's roots, which so far appear to be firmly planted in Nagykanizsa for at least a further 2 ancestoral generations (traced back so far to the early 1800's). I find the more I uncover, the more questions I have and the more I want to pursue possible new avenues of discovery. It's like a tree of endless branches, and I have become overwhelmingly convinced that genealogy ranks as one of the most enriching personal experiences and spiritually rewarding pursuits one can participate in this life. The Burgenland Bunch really enhances that enjoyment. It's really quite a unique bond, and I haven't yet discovered another gen group quite like it on the Internet. PS: A journey to Austria and Hungary is now planned in the Burgenland spring of '99 to meet up with my cousins and their descendents, and of course with much research in the actual Burgenland, Vas and Zala megye. Wien, Rechnitz, Althodis, Neuhodis, Dürnbach, Steinamanger, Raab, Budapest, Nagykanizsa, Fnfkirchen. Mohcs etc. all feature heavily in this. Fortunately I will be accompanied by my cousin/s and so have both native Hungarian and German speakers on the journey. I should have some interesting video from which I'll edit AVI's in which the BB will be interested as well as lots of photos and a good yarn or two to tell which will be of interest to all. Although there are no actual first cousins in Rechnitz, there will be many second cousins as the names Heissenberger, Pauss etc. all feature heavily in the Rechnitz phone book and are insofar as I can tell from pretty much the same few descendent lines. So the promise of some new friends and discovery through mutual bonds looms invitingly. He also writes:....I'd also been meaning to write to you to advise of a couple of interesting things I've come across about Nagykanizsa and it's possible German name. I suspect it had a couple of German names, but all unofficial and not in particularly common use. There is the Baedekker reference which you advised me of, and which IMO would be accurate of it's contemporary German nomenclature during the era the Baedekker was published. Having said that, unlike most towns of the region even extending as far east as Pécs (Fünfkirchen), it doesn't appear to ever have had an official or widely-used common German name. That much is evident from maps. From my research so far, I believe another option is that it's literal translation as Gross Kanizsa is probably as close as it gets to a perpetual German name. I note that although the maps including the older ones I've inspected (late 19th century) all refer to it as Nagykanizsa (ie: single word) Fritz refers to it in two words ie: Nagy Kanizsa which supports the Large Kanizsa theory. The reason I believe this to be so is from an excerpt discovered in the "Lonely Planet Guide to Hungary", 1997 edition. I've found the author of this particular reference to usually have his facts correct. He refers to the origin of the name thus; "Early in the 14th century, Charles Robert, the first Anjou king of Hungary, ceded the area to the Kaniszay family, who built a castle in the marshes of the canal west of today's town centre." Thus the origin of the city's name, derived from the noble Kanizsa(y) family who later donated a portion of the estate to establish the original town. As such, my hypothesis <smiles> is that being a surname, Kanizsa doesn't really translate into anything except Kanisza. Thus Nagy Kanisza as Fritz writes is more technically correct, but over time has become 'corrupted' in common language usage into Nagykanizsa.Thought you might find this of interest. MAIL FROM AUSTRIA - ALTHODIS (from Michael Hotvagner) I've already contacted one of the Burgenland Bunch members concerning "my village" and have got back some interesting information about the region. As I am living in Vienna, Austria, and visiting Althodis and the surrounding villages from time to time and am in regularly phone contact with Hans Hotvagner, who in fact is my uncle (i.e. the brother of my mother), I have of course accurate and up to date information about the region, especially Althodis. I found your homepage merely by incident (or rather by fortune) and don't have very much experience in genealogy. But due to your homepage and e-mail contact to two of your members, I'm really more and more interested in it. I'll be very glad to answer any questions concerning Althodis and as far as I'm able to, also concerning Markt Neuhodis, Rechnitz, Dürnbach and Schachendorf. The Glockenturm (if it is the old wooden one) you refer to was unforutunately replaced by a modern church - and I must admit, it is not a pretty one - in 1965. Althodis now is in fact very different in the 1990's from the village it has been some decades ago. In fact I would really like to contribute an article on Althodis to your newsletter, but as my schedule is very tight for the next couple of weeks, it might be some time until it becomes reality. As far as I knew, I didn't have anyone in my family emigrated to the U.S. (but I might have been surprised and corrected on this fact today). I know that there are some people living in Canada, but - shame on me - I don't know, who they are, nor do I have any contact with them. That's all for now. If your or anyone else should have any questions please do feel free to e-mail me. MAIL FROM HAWAII - (from Hermann Allerstorfer)- THE BB CIRCLES THE GLOBE! Aloha Ihr Burgenlaender! Ich bin President der AUSTRIAN HAWAIIAN ASSOCIATION in Hawaii und vielleicht der einzige Burgenlaender am Ende der Welt. Geboren in Heiligenkreuz i.L.komme ich einmal im Jahr, meistens im September, ins Burgenland und geniesse das gute Essen bei Gibiser Edith. Ich wuerde mich freuen, Eueren Newsletter zu kriegen und verbleibe mit einem herzlichen " Griass aich Gott from "Kailua, Hawaii Translation: I'm president of the AHA and perhaps the only Burgenlander from the end of the world! Born in Heiligenkreuz I visit once a year in September and enjoy the good food at Edith Gibiser's (Gasthaus). I'd like to receive the newsletter and I send God's Greeting (in Hianzisch). HERITAGE QUEST MAGAZINE (Ed. Note: This is not a paid advertisement. We do not accept such. It is a personal endorsement. I have not only written articles for Heritage Quest but have been a subscriber for many years. In my estimation it is one of the best general genealogical publications available. It provides basic and advanced genealogial help and will also keep you up to date as to what is new and available in the field of genealogy. The Burgenland Bunch Newsletter is a specialized publication and may not provide new searchers with some of the basic help they need. Heritage Quest can fill that gap. Two extracts from the recent Heritage Quest online newsletter follow. If you don't wish to subscribe to their magazine, please do yourself a favor and subscribe to their free internet newsletter. Information from Heritage Quest as well as our newsletter will provide you with guidance you need to advance your family history search.) New Heritage Quest Theme Issues "Theme issues" have successfully been introduced to Heritage Quest Magazine. These themes comprise the first section of the magazine and have included such topics as: Using the Net, Census records, German Research, Technology and the Future of Genealogy. In the Jan/Feb issue, Microfilm Collections will be featured. In addition to having these themes, the magazine still offers favorite columns such as Special Report, Back to Basics, Untangling the Web, Computer Corner, Questions Answered, Records and Resources, World at Large, Research Directory, Librarians Corner, Genealogists Notebook, The United States, Adoption Research, Recently Rescued, Book Reviews, Queries and Calendar of Genealogical Events. Heritage Quest Magazine subscriptions are the perfect gift for your favorite genealogist or family historian. Each issue is packed with 20 articles by seasoned experts. Readers glean expertise from acclaimed genealogists such as Horst Reschke; syndicated columnist, Myra Vanderpool Gormley; and Internet guru Cyndi Howells. Heritage Quest informs genealogists with 144 pages in each issueno other genealogical magazine provides that much content. Special Reduced Price for the Holidays! One Subscription, $24.95* Two Subscriptions, $48.50* Canadian/Foreign (1 Subscription) $40.00 *Give price code "E4QG" when placing your order. TOLL FREE: 1-800-760-2455 SNAIL MAIL: Heritage Quest, PO Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329 A new book by John J. Newman American Naturalization Records, 1790 - 1990: What They Are and How to Use Them, helps you overcome the complexities of the naturalization process. This book is a new and expanded version which supersedes the previous publication. The author provides a thorough understanding of what naturalization records are and moreimportant, how to use them in your research. This publication helps you:* Acquire the knowledge to link events in the lives of your immigrant ancestor with naturalization records.* Reduce uncertainty about where an ancestor was naturalized, and the documentation he left behind. ONLINE: http://www.heritagequest.com/cgi-bin/page.exe?Catalog=Products&File=BOOKS.htm TOLL FREE: 1-800-760-2455; Price: $12.95, Shipping and handling is $4.50, Ask for Item #A0102 Mention price code E4BN BURGENLANDISCHE GEMAINSCHAFT EXTRACTS - NOV/DEC 1998 ISSUE Topics of note: o Member Heinz Koller has an article concerning 25th Anniversary of Güssing as a city. Included is the wonderfull castle picture, a copy of which (courtesy of Heinz) can be found at the WorldGenWeb Burgenland page. Koller writes: "Güssing...is a symbol of culture and civilization, of tradition and progress....the pearl of the southern Burgenland." o The mineral water and spa museum in Sulz. o Emigrant cities mentioned-Northampton and New York o Centennial of the church in Steinfurt o Auswandererschicksal (Emigrant Story) features the Walter Pomper family from Rohrbach a. d. Teich. Walter, now living in Chicago is editor of the "Austrian-American" newsletter mentioned in our previous newsletters. o Edith Gibiser, proprietor of the world class "Gibiser Gasthaus" in Heiligenkreuz will observe her 66th birthday on Christmas day. o Eisenstadt, capitol of the Burgenland has been a free city for 350 years. o Recipes featured-Roast Capon-Styrian style, bread stuffing and potato salad o Pictures - "The Church Council of Stinatz in Mariazell, 1917; Vineyard Labor in Winten, 1938 and "The Young Have Left, the Old Remain, Unterwart, 1975. SOME MOSON MEGYE LDS MICROFILM NUMBERS OF INTEREST (from Giles Gerken) (Ed. Note: It is not our intention to list all LDS microfilm numbers. They are available at History Centers. What is interesting about this list is that it represents a group of film which Giles has put together to aid in his search. It incorporates church records from his village, surrounding parish villages and military and census records. They could also contain civil records where available. In other words don't stop searching after exhausting your village church records.) Giles writes: Following is list of Nos. I have collected to date. Since regaining sight I have been able to look up myself on microfiche those I was searching for. Couldn't read it previously. Church Records Rom Catholic from: Hegyeshalom 0630700-063701 Rajka 0630840-0630841 Mosonszolnok 0630799-0630803 Feltorony (Halbturn) 0700861-0700862 Magyarovar 0630775-0630780 Deaths of Military Personnel Wieselburg (Moson Co) 1454439 For regimental captains & garrison place names 1442862 1442866 1828 Land Census Moson Co. 623058-623060 Hope this will be of help to other members in this area. Always ready to help. END OF NEWSLETTER-EDITED & DISTRIBUTED BY GERALD J. BERGHOLD