THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 58
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold)
May 31, 1999
(all rights reserved)
("In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses row on row" - McCrae)
Memorial Day 1999 - WW-I & WW-II are distant memories, the Korean War forgotten
except by those involved, Vietnam is fading fast, the Gulf War was yesterday,
now the Balkans. We remember those who fell and the memorials both here and
in the Burgenland villages.
This first section of the 3 section newsletter contains data on the village
of Allhau, Continuing Your Burgenland Search-Census Records Primer, More on
Austrian Telephone Directory Searches, Review of a Video of the 30 Years'
War, and contact from a Descendant of the Batthyány Family.
Burgenland Editor Albert Schuch is now a civilian again,
having completed his Austrian Army service a few days ago!
NEW HISTORICAL VILLAGE SERIES - THE UPPER LAFNITZ (from Albert Schuch)
This is the second in the series. From: Josef LOIBERSBECK: Das obere
Lafnitztal. In: Burgenländische Heimatbltter 1963-64, The Upper Lafnitz
Valley; 1) Wolfau, 2) Allhau, 3) Buchschachen, 4) Kitzladen, 5) Loipersdorf.
2) Allhau
First mentioned in 1335 as "Alh", "Alhaw" in 1455. Like Wolfau, it belonged
to the Domain Buchschachen, later to Schlaining. Urbarium 1539: 17 farmers
(16 with a full sessio, one with a half), 17 farms are deserted. Of the
deserted farms, two are listed with the former owner's name - probably these
have been destroyed by the Turks recently. The names are: 3 FINK; 2 FELBER; 1
STELTZ(ER), SCHUSTER, BUTZER, FIEDLER, URL (UIDL), FELSEL, FRAUER, TRESSL,
MUES(SER), BAUNFEL(D), Niklas STAMPF, KREINER, WURZER. The two mills are
owned by Michael KURZ and Michael BINDER. In 1646 Count Adam Batthyány
borrowed 150 florins from Simon and Matthias KERN - making them (tax-) free
men until repayment. In 1663 Count Paul Batthyány did the same with Johann
and Barbara FRANTSCHITSCH (100 florins).
In 1661 the Batthyány family mortgaged several farms to Viktor Reinhold
KAMPER from Schärding (Upper Austria), including those of Gregor PADLER,
Jakob REHBERGER, Georg FINK, Christoph FINK, Martin WEBER, Gregor HAGENAUER
and Gregor JANISCH.
New names in the Urbaria of 1746 and 1750: LUKITSCH, RITTER, GOGER, AUER. The
Urbarium of 1767 reports 114 farmers and 79 Söllner. Farmer names: 15 FINK; 9
MUSSER; 8 GOGER; 7 UIDL; 6 RITTER; 5 GALL, HAGENAUER; 4 HAHOLD, OHR, KURZ,
FRIEDLER, KERN; 3 JANISCH, BINDER; 2 PFEIFFER, HOLL, LOSCHI, LUKITSCH, AUER,
NEUBAUER, WELLISCH, HIRTZER; 1 GRABNER, KINELLI, WIEDNER, VORAUER, WOLFAUER,
ARTWOHL, MUHR, PFEILER, KRUTZLER, WENTLER, URBAUER, HALWACHS, SCHLLER,
TEURER, LEHNER, KOCH and SONNHAND. Söllner names: 2 BOHNSTINGL, RINGBAUER,
BRENNER; 1 FLECK, REHBERGER, PAPST, STUMPF, STIMPFEL, etc. 1782-86 a Lutheran
church was built, first pastor was Samuel TÄPLER from Ödenburg (1783-1828),
first Lutheran teacher was Samuel HEUTSCHY, followed by Michael MUHR
(1790-1804). Lutheran pastors: Josef GDÜR (1829-36), Andreas RENNER
(1836-86), Ferdinand Martin KÜHNE (1888-91), Friedrich Karl WARKOWEIL
(1891-1923). Lutheran teachers: Johann Martin RITTER (1806-23), Michael NIKA
(1823-70), son Alexander NIKA (1872-99). In 1859, 120 farmers and 126 Söllner
were living in Allhau. Farmer names: 12 MUSSER; 11 FINK; 10 HAGENAUER; 8 GALL
(GAL); 7 KERN, RITTER and GOGER; 6 BINDER; 5 LOSCHI (LOZSI) and AUER; 4 UIDL;
3 NEUBAUER and KURZ; 2 SCHILLER, WELLES, HOLL, OHR, LEHNER, URBAUER and
WOLFAUER; 1 PIMPERL, BRENNER, WURZER, ZIERMANN, STUMPF, HAHOLD, FASSL,
REHBERGER, PFEIFFER, KRUTZLER, FIEDLER, JANISCH, SAUHAMMEL, PAPST, BENEDEK,
EILLES and PFEILER. Söllner names not mentioned among the farmers: 4 REISER;
3 LUKITSCH; 2 ZISSER, KINELLI, ARTWOHL, HIRZER, GRASSL, HLTL, etc. Baptism
records mention the following physicians in Allhau: 1849 Franz WATSCHINGER;
1881 Dr. Franz WANSAUER (from Styria) and Dr. Alois Stefan AMERSIN. Priests:
Viktor Robert JAKOBI (1924-38) from Transylvania, Ladislaus BRUNNER (1938-39)
from Eisenstadt, drafted into the German Army in 1939, M.I.A.; Horst PUMMER
(1939-42), also drafted, K.I.A.; Wilhelm WACKER (1942-44); Dr. Walter DEUTSCH
(1944-60) from Vienna, left for Frstenfeld (Styria); Manfred DOPPLINGER
(1960-) from Upper Austria. Teachers: Johann LACKNER (1899-1933) form
Oberschtzen; Franz REISINGER (1948) from Kitzladen; Johann SCHADEN (1949-62)
in Wolfau; Karl HEROLD (1962-). Statistics: 1833: 237 houses, 1430
inhabitants (of these, 166 Catholics, 1264 Lutherans); 1900: 298 houses (of
these, 179 made from stone and bricks, 99 wooden houses, 148 with a straw
roof), 1819 inhabitants (of these 32 Hungarians, 1781 Germans, 1 Slowak, 1
Croat, 4 Gypsies; 275 Catholics, 1534 Lutherans, 7 Reformed, 3 Jews).
CONTINUING YOUR BURGENLAND SEARCH - CENSUS RECORDS PRIMER
Previous issues of the newsletter have dealt with how to get up to speed in
your Burgenland ancestral search. We last stopped by explaining how to use
those marvelous LDS copies of church and civil records. All family records,
however, are grist for the LDS microfilm mill and they've also copied another
voluminous collection, the 1828 Hungarian Census.
As far as I've been able to determine, the National Austrian Census (or
Urbarium) was first promulgated by Count Anton von Kaunitz, a leading adviser
to Empress Maria Theresia. (Geschichte Des Burgenlandes, Floiger, Gruber,
Huber; 1996). It was part of overall reforms of the period, one purpose
being to identify the scope of land holdings for tax and other governmental
purposes. In 1767, Maria Teresia, as Queen of Hungary, issued the
"Urbarialpatent for the Kingdom of Hungary". Those of you who have been
following our village histories know that "urbars" have been taken for
centuries, under the auspices of the crown, local aristocracy or church.
While no complete microfilm of this first "national" census exits, portions
may be found copied with the 1828 Census for certain villages. Since
Burgenland was part of Hungary pre-1921, this Hungarian census supplies data
of interest to us.
The portion dealing with Burgenland carries the title "Ungarische
Staatsarchive, Archivum Palatinale, Landeskonskription 1828, Hungaria,
Comitatus Castriferrei" (vas Megye or county). It's contained in 8 LDS
microfilms, 0623007-0623014. Look in the LDS Locality Catalog under
Hungary-Vas-Census (or Sopron, Moson). The villages are listed in alphabetic
order generally by Hungarian names (but not always - it is best to look under
various spellings). Each village is assigned a number (shown in the film
index) starting with number 1 (Abdalocz - Szent Katalin) and ending with number
615 (Zsido-Flde-Vasvar-Eisenberg).
The 14 census headings (some with sub-sections) are written in Latin, which
was the legal language of the period. Census lists only the heads of
households by name, however it does reflect family size, tenants, servants,
land holdings, livestock, crop yields, etc. The data line for each individual
extends over two or more pages. The first two pages show in columnar order
(Latin headings explained):
1. Names of householders (providers of information)
2. Number of married persons
3. Status (occupation) - 13 categories - Professionals through Farmers,
sub-Tenants, Magistrates, etc. are shown with a check mark
4. Houses in which census was taken
5. Size of Urban Fields and Value
6. Grain Production
7. Meadows and Harvests
8. Vines
9. Orchards
10. Animals - large type
11. Animals - small type
12. Forests
Except for the individual names, the answers to each category are in the form
of a number (i.e. married-2; sons-3, daughters-2, servants-1 etc. or a check
mark). There is a summary at the end of each village. For instance in 1828,
the village of Poppendorf had 169 married people and 91 families, 41 farmers
(coloni), 50 tenant farmers (inquilini), 20 sons (adults?), 9 daughters
(adults?), 1 artisan.
One can also profit from LDS microfilm of the Hungarian tax records which
follow the same format, see catalog for microfilm numbers of villages (in
the LDS microfilm range 1729844-98). I have not seen them all, although they
include periods from 1768-1848. In these, house numbers are often shown.
There are also some Austrian village census records (0720194-212) for 1857,
mostly Sopron County.
What do these records do for us? Having found that your ancestor was born,
married and died in village X from church or civil records, the census will
tell you if he was a householder and how prosperous he was during the period
in question. Other householders with the same family name could be siblings,
parents or cousins - a clue to further searches or proof that individuals with
similar names existed. If you find two Josef ZZ's, you now know why you found
two births or marriages, etc. for someone you thought was your exclusive
ancestor.
I suggest you do not use these records before you scan the church or civil
records. They will not provide as much data and may mislead you. They are,
however, a worthy search area. In previous newsletters I've mentioned Mrs.
Martha Connor 7754 Pacemont Ct., Las Vegas, NV 89117, who has spent years
translating the 1828 Hungarian Census. She can supply translated copies of
many counties (abt $25 plus postage) but has yet to do Vas Megye. She can
also supply (abt $5) a professional translation of the Latin headings and
lists of villages by Megye.
I can't leave this article without mentioning the United States Census.
Everyone should copy family data from this source. Most of the turn-of-the-
century Burgenland emigrants will be found in the 1910 or 1920 census (order
the county and state in which settled). If from a large place like NYC, use
Soundex to locate the page of the census involved. If a place like Allentown,
PA, go to the ethnic neighborhood (census is listed by state, county, ward,
street), you'll find lots of Burgenland family names, relatives, family
friends, etc. I won't explain how to use Soundex or the US census as this is
explained in numerous genealogical references or in material available from
any LDS FHC. One caution, do not always believe "country or place of
origin" - this is often fictitious or a macro designation - like
"Germany" - "Austria" - "Hungary", etc. but I have also seen village names or
large nearby towns. Likewise be careful of census spellings. Non-Burgenland
census takers have done some awesome phonetic things with German / Hungarian
/ Croatian names. Date of entry to the US can help in ship searches and early
occupations are listed as well. Foreign language spoken is also a good clue.
Remember, birth year calculated from age as shown on US census can vary by as
much as 3 years depending on when census was taken or family guesstimates.
You're not a veteran Burgenland genealogist until you've scanned the US and
foreign census material.
USE THE TELEPHONE DIRECTORY IN LOCATING FAMILY SOURCE VILLAGES
Previous newsletters have suggested scanning the foreign telephone directories
(most are on line, see our URL lists) to find concentrations of family names.
Some members have done just that with positive results. Two follow:
Fritz Konigshofer writes to Marilyn Rome: Marilyn, I briefly checked in the
Austrian on-line telephone directory (www.etb.at) and it appears there is a
concentration of the family name Schück around Hannersdorf and
Grosspetersdorf, while the name Zapfel appears very much concentrated in
Riedlingsdorf. The name Schuh or Schuch is more widespread and thus more
difficult to pinpoint geographically. You did not mention whether your
grandparents were Roman Catholics or Lutherans. Let's assume they were
Roman Catholics. You could start with the civil records of Hannersdorf (from
Oct. 1895) and try to locate the birth of your grandfather in 1897. The
village name would be (Pinka)Óvár which was the Hungarian name for Burg.
When you visit the Family History Center of LDS, ask for help in locating the
microfiche index of the Salt Lake City Library, then ask for the fiche of
Austria, Burgenland, then look for Hannersdorf, and specifically the civil
records. Then order the film and wait 2-3 weeks until arrival. You can
always check back with me with any questions, also when you read the film and
might not understand some of the Hungarian entries. At that point you could
scan portions and send them to me, or send me hardcopies, and I'll be happy
to assist you.
If you manage to locate the birth record of Franz (would be Ferencz) Zapfel,
then it would state the father (János) and where he was born, and the same
info for the mother. As for your grandmother, since she was born before the
introduction of civil recording, order the film with the Rom-Cath records of
Hannersdorf (or the Grosspetersdorf Lutheran records, in case the Schücks
were Lutherans). Check the year 1894 and nearby for her birth. As soon as
you have the parents, search for their marriage record, as this would likely
state the parents of groom and bride as well. This way, you would not only
obtain the so-far unknown pair of greatgrandparents Schück, but even two
pairs of great-great-grandparents. Is it possible that John Zapfel and
Theresia Schuh married in Hannersdorf (as the parish for Burg)? Why else
would they have settled in Burg? Therefore, check the Hannersdorf records
also for the marriage of this couple, and perhaps order the civil marriage
records as well, in case they married after September 1895.
At the same time, you might want to do the same checking in the Rom-Cath
(unless your ancestors were Lutherans) and civil records of Pinkafeld, which
include the recordings for Riedlingsdorf. The Hungarian name for
Riedlingsdorf was Rödöny. You find the Pinkafeld film numbers the same way
as Hannersdorf, namely under Austria and Burgenland. Specifically, call the
film with the births of the 1870s and check for the baptismal entries of John
(János) Zapfel and Theresia Schuh.
Bruce Klemens has done much telephone directory work. This moved Bob Unger to
give it a try with the following results:
From Robert F. Unger, Subject: Austrian on-line search.
Dear Bruce: The Burgenland Newsletter 57B told about your success in finding
individuals in Austria with your family surname using the on-line Austrian
telephone book. Thank you for sharing that information. I tried using the
on-line directory but found that one needed to search every town and village.
I could not find a method to search for a specific area, such as the
complete Bezirk of Jennersdorf, or Bezirk Güssing. I have traced my Unger
ancestors back to the mid 17XX, where they lived in Rudersdorf from 17XX to
the present. I have been led to believe that the original Unger family came
to Rudersdorf from the west, through Styria, Austria. What was your
technique? I would greatly appreciate your help.
Klemens to Unger: Bob - You probably figured out from that article in
Newsletter 57B that wherever Klemensi* appeared it was supposed to read
Klemensic with an inflection sign over the "c". For whatever reason, those
special letters don't seem to transmit well over e-mail.
Anyway, I already knew the various Germanized spellings of Klemensic:
KLEMENSICH, KLEMENSCHITZ, KLEMENSITS, KLEMENSITZ, etc. So I had to go
through them in the book one by one. As it turned out, only the first two
spellings exist in Austria. Klemensits is used in Hungary. One thing to be
aware of is that the phonebook only shows about ten entries at a time. You
have to click "Weitere Eintrage" (further entries) in the lower right to get
the next ten.
I'm not sure if you can get entire bezirks. If you click "Erweitere Suche"
(Extended or Advanced search) you can pick just Burgenland from the
Bundesland category, to narrow things down somewhat. Then just keep clicking
Weitere Eintrage and print each page as it comes up. I'm fortunate as there
aren't that many KLEMENSICH /KLEMENSCHITZ names in existence.
The Hungarian on-line book is nice because you don't have to type the exact
name. If I type KLEMEN, I'll get all names that start with those letters.
What I'm trying now is the Croatian on-line book to try to find what villages
the original Klemensic immigrants came from. I can't seem to figure out how
to get all of Croatia in one shot. Apparently you have to pick one province
or area at a time, which is a pain in the neck. It's not working as I hoped.
Both Frank Teklits' translations and my Austrian cousin's info indicate the
family came from the coastal region in or near Dalmatia. But most of the
Klemensic's (or Klemencic's) are elsewhere. Of course, one obvious
explanation is that they either 1) all moved to Burgenland or other areas in
Croatia or 2) were killed by the Turks. I've also tried to find a Slovakia on-
line phonebook and try that as well, but it doesn't seem to exist.
(ED. - Bruce produced a map of his findings and wrote further.) I think that my
cousin's story of the origin of the Klemensic family in Dalmatia is a
question of semantics. Depends what you consider Dalmatia. Two of Frank's
excerpts from different parts of his translation show the original Oslip
Croatians as coming from two areas: 1) Senj, Otocac, Gospic, Obrovac area and
2) Ostrovica, Knin, Skradin area. See attached .bmp, which I hope you can
open. I've circled these areas.
The two original files I sent you of the Klemensich distributions in Austria
and Hungary were Microsoft Word 97 files, with the maps inserted into the
Word documents. I've been trying to convert them to .bmp or .jpg files
but it messes up the locations of the little numbers I put on the map.
Perhaps if I saved the Word files as some other word processing format it
would work. They are only around 350 kilobytes each.
You mentioned not being concerned with the minor spelling differences. Here's
a weird one. Per the original birth records available from LDS, my
grandfather and all his siblings were born as KLEMENSICH. So were all their
ancestors. Yet when grandpa and many of his brothers came to the US before
WW-I, they originally spelled it KLEMENSCHITZ. Back in Burgenland, there is
even KLEMENSCHITZ drawn in the stucco on an addition to grandpa's birthplace,
which was built in 1891. BUT, his brother Karl, (Anna Odorfer's grandfather)
stayed in Burgenland and always spelled it KLEMENSICH as did his Burgenland
descendents. Right now the KLEMENSICH/KLEMENSCHITZ distribution on my map is
about 50/50.
REVIEW - A VIDEO OF THE "30 YEARS WAR" - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED
I recently acquired the movie video "The Last Valley" (Anchor Bay
Entertainment no. SV10651), taken from James Clavell's book of the same name.
The time period is 1641, the 23rd year of the "Thirty Years' War". It stars
Michael Cain as the captain of a mercenary troop and Omar Sharif as a
wandering teacher-beggar who is trying to evade the horrors of the period.
While filmed in a valley of the Austrain province of Tyrol, it could well be
the foothills of the Alps in Burgenland or Styria. Most of the scenes take
place in a Hollywood rendition of a 17th Century rural village, although the
attention to historical detail is extraordinary. Of main interest to our
readers, apart from the Tyrol scenery will be the brutal portrayal of the
death and destruction which depopulated Europe and provided the impetus for
eastern migration to Hungarian and Russian lands and in the next century,
western migration to the Americas. The opening and closing scenes are
particularly gruesome and the interaction of Catholic and Protestant
antagonists brings us a depth of Christian religious animosity hard to fathom
today. While the village layout is not the typical straight line fronting on
strip farms found in the Burgenland migratory period, it appears to be a
pretty good portrayal of a communal village. It provides a feel for the
effect of these religious wars on simple villagers. If you'd like to learn a
little about the 30 Years' War without reading one of the histories, try this
video if you can stomach the brutality.
WE HEAR FROM A DESCENDANT OF THE BATTHYÁNY FAMILY
From: BatthyányL - To: GBerghold. My name: Ladislaus E. Batthyány. Origin
of family: Güssing, of course! Name should not be "a strange one" for the
Burgenland Bunch people. Living in Vienna, Austria, I am specially concerned
about Burg Güssing and its future. Regards, Batthyány, Läszl
My Reply: Hello Herr Batthyány - a name from the past as well as the present!
One cannot read of southern Burgenland or Burg Güssing without encountering
your family. It will soon be 500 years that the Güssing Herrschaft was
granted to Franz Batthyány. Let us hope that the the event will be marked
with an appropriate ceremony! It is with great pleasure that I now hear from
a descendant of this family.
It was in 1974, I believe, when I visited Burg Güssing for the first time, that
I purchased or was given a small booklet printed in German called "History of
Fortress Güssing", written by one Stefan Vasy. Heinz Koller (who keeps us
informed of what is happening in Güssing) now tells me that this may be a
"nom de plume" for Count Sigmund Batthyány. He may have written this "History
of Fortress Güssing" in 1949, when he was about 19 years old.
My German being not as good as your English, I had this book translated and,
from the translation, learned the history of Burg Güssing for the first time.
I have asked Heinz Koller to determine if "Herr Vasy" would object to my
printing portions of this translation of "his" history in our Burgenland
Bunch newsletter, as most of our members have little or no German and the
booklet is no longer available. One of the objectives of the Burgenland Bunch
is to provide our members with English translations of German publications
concerning the Burgenland. At the present time, with the permission of the
publisher, we are providing a translation of "Volk an der Grenze ..." (People
on the Border), the history of the Croatians in Burgenland, written by Johann
Dobrovich. Many of our members are of Croatian descent.
We are also bringing our members translations of Urbars and Canonical
Visitations, since they mention family names in residence in the various
villages and thus indicate the presence of family names of interest to our
members. We have just finished excerpts of the Pater Gratian Leser articles
from the 1930 Güssing Zeitung. While we have access in the US to the fine LDS
(Mormon Church) microfilm of Burgenland church and civil records,
unfortunately, they only date from 1828-1921.
Fortunately, scholars are still translating many other records into German
and we can sometimes secure English translations. While much Burgenland
history has been written (including the fine "Auswanderung" work of Dr.
Walter Dujmovits and the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft), it is rarely
available in the United States nor printed in English. Professor Andrew
Burghardt's book "Borderland" remains the only Burgenland history written in
English and it is no longer in print.
As you may know, the "Burgenland Bunch" was formed by me from a small group
of correspondents in January of 1997 (an outgrowth of my family genealogical
studies, whose Burgenland presence dates from at least the 1600's). The BB now
includes 320 members here and abroad. I issue a 27-page newsletter in 3 part
email every two weeks. The contents involve matters Burgenlandisch from my
studies as well as member contributions. There is no cost involved and all
effort is purely voluntary. We are fortunate in having the tremendous input
of Mag. Albert Schuch (Wien) as our Burgenland editor as well as others
interested in Burgenland research. We hope we bridge the language barrier and
bring knowledge of their Burgenland origins to the descendants of the many
"auswanderers" here in the US. While most of our members are mainly
interested in family genealogy, many are also interested in the historical
details of Burgenland family history. We try to keep a good balance.
One thing that comes to mind is that while there are many pictures of "Burg
Güssing", I have never seen one which depicts the castle with all of its
outer walls and buildings intact. I wonder if such exits? The
"Federzeichnung" von Johann Ledentu, Wien 1639, Ansicht von Norden und Süd,
seem to be the earliest and most comprehensive available (they are shown in
"Stadterhebung Güssing, 1973, Festschrift" along with a few brief plans). I
also understand that there has never been a professional archaeological
"dig" -- I wonder what this would reveal? Of course, since the castle is the
focal point of southern Burgenland and probably one of its greatest
historical treasures, maintenance of the existing structures should take
prime consideration. I was pleased to see what has been done in this regard
when I last visited in 1993 as well as visitor displays and cultural events.
I will be most happy to add your name to our newsletter list as a member
interested in matters pertaining to "Burg Güssing". I would also be happy to
publish anything you may feel is of interest to our group. Mit freundlichen
Grüss - Gerry Berghold.
(Newsletter continued as no. 58A)
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 58A
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold)
May 31, 1999
This second section of the 3-section newsletter is the fourth installment of
The Teklits Translation of "Volk an der Grenze ..." (People on the Border),
the history of the Croatians in Burgenland, written by Johann Dobrovich. We
are bringing you most of this book in serial form. Chapters 14 through 18
are included in this issue. This section which mentions the first
colonization of the Burgenland by Croats also portrays the depopulation and
destruction caused by the black plague, imperial warfare and Turkish
invasion. Highly important from the standpoint of determining Croatian and
other national colonization of the Burgenland beginning with the 1500's. Many
villages are mentioned by name.
PEOPLE ON THE BORDER by Johann Dobrovich
translated by Frank Teklits (with assistance of Albert and Inge Schuch)
printed via email by permission of the publishers
Chapter XIV - The Weakness of the Christian Occident
In order to turn away the ever-approaching Turkish danger, the Croats and
Hungarians sought aid from their western and northern neighbors. After the
death of Matthias Corvin in 1490, the noblemen appointed the good-natured,
but weak Bohemian King Wladislav to the throne, who was a very energetic and
faithful supporter of the farmers and citizens, but was not a friend of the
Domain owners. The most urgent concern of the aristocracy was that the City
of Ofen (Budapest) State Parliament remove all of the regulations of the
former King Matthias Corvin that were concerned with the military and state
tax assessments. In their egoism, the nobility went so far as to subordinate
the public and national interests to their own. The consequence of a weakened
royal power was evidenced shortly however, particularly in the nation's
financial state of distress, which was the primary reason for the later
nationwide decline.
Under pressure from the aristocracy, Wladislav had to disband the "Black
Army", which numbered 150,000 men under Matthias Corvin on land, and 330
warships which were deployed on the Adriatic sea, and the Danube, Drava, and
Sava rivers. Archduke Ferdinand of Austria married Anna, the daughter of
Wladislav in 1521, and one year later Ludwig, the son of Wladislav II,
married Maria of Austria, who was the sister of Ferdinand. By this marriage,
the Roman-German Emperor Carl V became the brother-in-law of the Bohemian-
Hungarian-Croatian King Ludwig II. In view of the imperial sphere of
influence that extended via Spain, the Netherlands, and a part of America,
the Croats and the Hungarians depended upon appropriate external aid against
the attacking Turks. The state of affairs of the State deteriorated even more
upon the death of Wladislav II in 1516, when Ludwig II the only son of
Wladislav succeeded his father onto the throne of Bohemia, Hungary, and
Croatia at the age of ten. The fact that he did not receive the correct
educators and guardians did not improve the already diminished image of the
state. Greedy tycoons siphoned off the greatest part of the revenue for
themselves. The need of the rural population, the middle class, and even of
the royal court was great, but the wantonness of the nobility was even
greater. The necessary money for the army was missing. Not even Ludwig II
himself could remove this evil as he was aged and married to Maria from
Austria.
The weaknesses of the State's political body also became apparent in
other respects at that time. The feudal system enabled the nobility to
encumber the farmers with intolerable burdens. Since the time of Ludwig I
(14th century), the farmer in addition to the Zehent (a one tenth tax on his
crops and bred cattle) was still obliged to deliver one ninth of his profit
to his domain owner. He had to do Robot (an obligation to do certain work
for the domain owner) one day every week, pay a Gold ducat per annum, in
addition to performing many other services. In addition, for a long time he
was not allowed to leave a hard-hearted Lord for a better one. The plight of
the farmer led to subsequent uprisings in Hungary, Croatia, Austria, and
Germany. Perhaps the farmers did not attack the Turks in 1514, but rather
their own rulers. It wasn't only the castles that fell into the hands of the
Turks because of the unfortunate laws of 1514. The conditions were not rosy
in Austria and Germany either. The egotistic and miserly aristocracy did not
want to make the urgent sacrifices here in the best interests of the State.
In addition to this the second schism, the Reformation destroyed the original
unity of the state, and prohibited an attack against the Turks for a long
time. Hantsch aptly describes the powerlessness of the empire when he
says: "One saw Hungarian and Bohemian envoys in the Emperor's court in a
constant and fruitless endeavor to secure extensive assistance against the
attacking enemy from the East. Who could deny King Ludwig the right of aid to
the Kingdom? It was not only in the interest of the Kingdom, but as a holy
obligation to Christianity, in which the Kingdom held the recognized position
of preeminence. The Hungarian King, who could not rely on a cohesive internal
power, relied on the effectiveness of treaties and kindred spirit. In vain!
The Empire missed the important moment to extend its influence to the East.
Because of its own fragmentation, it was no longer capable of grasping a
European function and putting aside the interests of its factions. The damage
inflicted on the Empire by the Reformation had already been too heavy."
Chapter XV - Ban Peter Bereslavic
When the Turks saw the impotence of the Croatians and Hungarians, they
exploited the opportunity and attacked the Una River area, which the Ban
Peter Bereslavic, Bishop of Veszprem, defended heroically. Ban Peter defeated
the Turks several times in the years from 1513 until 1518 and the courageous
Ban turned to all sides for assistance. Ragusa (Republic of Dubrovnik) sent
him minor help, the Pope sent grain, gunpowder, and cannons, but the Croatian
Parliament gave him only money for the Army. In spite of his bravery, the Ban
barely managed to resist the superiority of the Turks. After the Turks had
conquered the entire area up to the river Una, only the strong fortress of
Jayce remained as an island within the Turkish area. Being an island within a
Turkish controlled area, food and weapon supplies for Jajce were heavily
endangered. The Ban succeeded to safeguard them when he defeated the Turks in
the vicinity of Jayce in 1518. The Turks broke through again in 1520 to
Istria. Ban Berislavic moved against the Turks in their retreat and engaged
them in battle. A battle occurred in the month of May in the mountains of
Pljesevica between the cities of Korenica and Bihac, in which the heroic Ban
was killed. He was mourned not only in Croatia, but also in the courts of
Pope Leo X, King Ludwig II, and King Karl V.
Chapter XVI - Soliman II (1520 -1566)
Soliman II became the leading ruler of the Turks in this year, and the
Turkish Empire reached its apex under his administration. He conquered
Belgrade in 1521, which was the golden key to Hungary and Slavonia. An
imminent collision between Hungary and Turkey was anticipated after the fall
of Belgrade. In those times Croatia experienced difficult days, and Ban
Joannes Karlovic (1521-1528) defended the country heroically. The Turks in
the meantime conquered the fortifications of Knin and Skradin in 1522 and in
the next year Ostrovica as well. Because King Ludwig II didn't send a single
soldier or ducat to them during this great plight, the Croats turned to King
Ferdinand of Habsburg who supported them with money and armed forces. Thus
Ferdinand concurrently protected his domains of Krain, Carinthia, and
Styria.We have now come to the period of time during which the first Croats
came as refugees out of the Croatian coastal lands, from the areas
surrounding the towns of Knin, Skradin, and Ostrovica, into today's northern
Burgenland, and into the villages of Drassburg, Baumgarten, Siegendorf,
Oslip, and Trausdorf.
Chapter XVII - The Burgenland Settlements before the Immigration of the Croatians
The Plague that decimated the population of the country raged in the years
1409 and 1410. The second half of the 15th century was witness to a
long-standing war between the Hungarian King Matthias Corvin, and the
Roman-German King Friedrich III. (The castles of Hornstein, Oslip, and
Trausdorf were destroyed in this time period. We can safely assume that the
castle of Wulkaprodersdorf suffered the same fate.) All circumstances suggest
that the villages of the Wulka valley suffered greatly, and in addition,
another long persistent economic crisis arrived. A high percentage of the
sparse settlement of this area can be attributed to these circumstances. The
Turks moved against Wien (Vienna) in 1529 when the country had just barely
recovered. Along the way they ravaged many villages in the current Districts
of Neusiedl and Eisenstadt. Three years later the Turks moved again towards
Vienna, however this time they didn't march north along the River Danube, but
over portions of Burgenland. The courageous Nicholas Jurischitz stopped them
for 25 entire days at Güns (Koszeg). Ferdinand I and Karl V his brother used
this time to assemble the German Army for the protection of the endangered
city of Vienna. Burned villages and people abducted into slavery were the
hallmarks of these Turkish invasions. Among other things, Adalbert E. Winkler
writes in his book "Die Zisterzienser am Neusiedler See" (The Cistercians by
Lake Neusiedl)", "The Turks raided the village of Mönchhof and the adjacent
farms belonging to it for the first time in 1529. The village was burned and
plundered, many of the inhabitants who could not save themselves in time by
fleeing were abducted or killed. The destructive deeds of the advancing Turks
affected the surroundings as well." This fact follows from a letter of the
Abbot Christoph, in which he says: "the Turks have destroyed the village of
Halbturm along with a stud farm located there." In the same year (1529), the
Turks also destroyed all villages in the proximity of Mönchhof that belonged
to religious institutions such as Vogeldorf, Pellendorf, Katzendorf, and
Muhldorf. The subjects in the monastary abandoned these villages as a result
of the devastation, which remained deserted for a long time, and were
subsequently lost to the monastery. Villages that belonged to religious
institutions such as Zechun, Lendorf, and Michldorf to Opfer, also fell in
the Turkish invasion of 1529, only Mönchhof and Podersdorf were gradually
rebuilt again. The other farms and municipalities whose inhabitants did not
return remained abandoned, and soon ruins and rubbish heaps were the only
remaining evidence of their previous existence. The Urbar compiled by Captain
Jacob Stamp for the Ungarisch-Altenburg Domain in 1546 provides even after 17
years of busy rebuilding efforts, a still moving depiction of these times
aptly characterizing the scene of this militant period. The Philologist Moor
placed the responsibility for the depopulation of west Hungary in the 15th
Century on the Plague of 1409 & 1410 and the border wars between Friedrich III
and Matthias Corvin. Adolf Mohl - "History of the County of Oedenburg".
Volume 1 1889. Of the 23 whole or partial settlements belonging to the Domain
of Ungarisch-Altenburg, 9 were totally or partially deserted (Zitzmanndorf,
Halberndorf, St. Andrea, Eggendorf, Parndorf, Neudorf, Radensdorf, Billern,
and Rittern), of which only a few were settled again. We gather from the work
"Der Verwaltungsbezirk Neusiedl am See" (The Administration of the District
Neusiedl by the Lake) that the villages of Kittsee, Pama, Gattendorf,
Potzneusiedl, Parndorf, and Neudorf bei Parndorf were destroyed to a large
extent in 1529. Only after the retreat of the Turks did the Croats newly
resettle them. Since we already found Croatian Franciscans in Pressburg
(Bratislava) in 1520, and the nearby lower Austrian villages of Scharndorf
and Petronell were inhabited by Croats in 1531, it is probable that Croats
were also able to come to some of the above-mentioned villages, as these were
easier to reach than Pressburg, Scharndorf and Petronell. This theory is
supported by the fact that the Croatian inhabitants of the above mentioned
municipalities came from the Croatian coastal areas which its inhabitants
left after repeated attacks of the Turks around 1530. Only Neudorf bei
Parndorf was settled with new Croats later in 1570. Among the villages that
were destroyed by the Turks it is necessary to count three small towns lying
on the right-bank of the Danube River that were given to Czechoslovakia after
the Second World War: Karlburg = Rosvar, now Rusovce Kroatisch,
Jahrndorf = Hrvatski Jandrof, now Jarovce, Sarndorf = Cunovo, now Dunavee.
Municipalities that belonged to the Ungarisch-Altenburg Domain suffered less.
26 years after the retreat by the Turks, 6 of the 35 villages located in the
Domain remained deserted. The devastation reached its climax in these
municipalities in the early 16th century according to the Urbar (Land
Registration records) of the Domain of Eisenstadt of 1515, and the real
estate register of the Earldom of Forchtenstein. In Wulksprodersdorf (in the
Domain of Eisenstadt) 10 out of 19 whole sessiones (a certain fixed portion
of the village land) were desolate. 8 farmers cultivated the land belonging
to 9 farms (Bauernwirtschaft). One farmer even cultivated fields belonging to
a Söllner house (home of an inhabitant owning no land). The fields of 9 farms
and 1 Söllner house were deserted. 6 out of the 21 possessions in Trausdorf
(Domain of Eisenstadt) were deserted. None of the 13 possessions in Trausdorf
(Earldom of Forchtenstein) were deserted. 14 out of the 30 farms in Oslip
(Domain of Eisenstadt) were deserted. 7 out of the 23 farms in Zagersdorf
(Domain of Eisenstadt) were deserted. 14 out of the 19 farms in Antau (Earldom
of Forchtenstein) were deserted. 2 out of the 9 farms in Drassburg (Earldom
of Forchtenstein) were deserted. 12 out of the 28 farms in Sigless (Earldom of
Forchtenstein) were deserted. Zillingtal and Steinbrunn were totally deserted
before the immigration of the Croats. The following remark is assciated with
Zillingtal in the Land Registration Records of the Earldom of Forchtenstein:
"this village has been totally deserted and was re-populated with Croats".
20 out of the 53 pieces of land belonging to houses in St. Margarethen were
deserted. 18 out of about 79 pieces of land belonging to houses in Purbach
were deserted. 28 out of 36 lands belonging to houses were deserted in
Krensdorf, besides a deserted mill. 7 out of 48 pieces of land belonging to
houses in Forchtenau were deserted. 7 out of 44 pieces of land belonging to
houses in Marz were deserted. 5 out of 38 pieces of land belonging to houses
in Pottsching were deserted. 72 out of 156 pieces of land belonging to houses
in Mattersburg were deserted besides two deserted mills. 4 out of 8 pieces of
land belonging to houses in Zemendorf were deserted. None of the 12 pieces of
land belonging to houses in Stöttera were deserted besides a deserted mill.
We read from the last page of the Forchtenstein Urbar (Land Registration Records)
from the early 16th century: "These and many more villages and areas were totally
deserted. Nobody knows exactly where they had been situated and what they
contributed to the domain. Furthermore the names of these villages and
grounds are not known." Klingenbach, which belonged to the Oedenburg City
Domain, had 14 serfs and 10 Kleinhusler 26 years after the withdrawal of the
Turks (Johann Ban in his historical work "Sopron ujkori Tortenete").
J.K. Homma writes as follows in his paper "Zur Geschichte der Herrschaft
Nebersdorf" (The History of the Domain of Nebersdorf): "The series of
settlements around Nebersdorf were significantly thinned out in the 14th and
15th centuries. Partially this is the consequence of the Black Death in
1409-1410, of the border wars in the second half of the 15th century, and of
an economic crisis that resulted from both events. As a minimum, Zaka
(Purtzelsdorf), Minichhof, and Rosgrunt as well as Ambus (Spanfurt) were
already deserted in 1455. In this year the Abbey of Klostermarienberg
complained that although the deserted settlements had belonged to its
property, the inhabitants of Lutzmannsburg had occupied some of the territory
of Zaga, Minihof, Rosgrunt and Ambus. As was already suggested, the number of
Sessiones (a certain fixed portion of the village land) had decreased
by such a large count that some communities were almost deserted. This was
also the case with Nebersdorf, Grosswarasdorf, Grossmutschen, Kleinmutschen,
and Langental (Karako). Thus in the first half of the 16th century, the
aristocrats of the country were forced to repopulate their properties with
new settlers. This was not an easy beginning. The Ambus-Spanfurt settlement
was a deserted village in 1504, because at the end of the 15th century, new
settlers still had not arrived, one had to lease the property to the farmers
of Lutzmannsburg, and later on it had to be incorporated into the
municipality of Lutzmannsburg. The recruitment of German settlers led to
mediocre results, because in our area, the times following the border feuds
and Turkish wars were still much too disorderly and dangerous for the
Germans." So only the Croats were available as settlers for the area, those
who left their homeland because of the attacking Turks, and appeared in the
border area either on the orders of their landlords, who like Nadasdy, had
property in Croatia also. Or they were just in search of a new home on their
own after their houses were destroyed. The small town of Niczkyschen in the
Domain of Nebersdorf was settled with Croats in this way.
The Croatian villages of Kaiserdorf and Weingraben were only settled after
1553. From the Urbar of the Domain of Landsee of 1640 we gather that 33 out
of 85 families in Kaiserdorf were given deserted sessiones (a certain fixed
portion of village land) and 34 out of 66 families in Weingraben were given
the same. The village of Langental was only founded between 1784 and 1845, and
it is situated where the old Slavic villages of Draguta and Karako were
located in 1229 until 1430. In the history of Lockenhaus we read the
often-said sentence: "in 1608 everything was like it was in 1597, but most
mills were burnt to ashes by the Turks." The sad status of the Domains is
further highlighted by a second sentence which says that in 13 communities of
the Domain, fully 1/3rd (31 out of 90) of the quarter (1/4th) sessiones were
abandoned, not being worked, or burned down. Approximately 8 years after the
withdrawal of the Turks, the Land Registration records of the Schlaining and
Rechnitz Domains for the year 1540 show that the villages of southern
Burgenland were still sparsely settled. A large part of the farms were
desolate after the Turkish campaign of 1532.
1. 31 farms out of the 80 in Rechnitz were deserted.
2. 12 farms out of the 21 in Prinzendorf were deserted.
3. 3 farms out of the 6 in Melesdorf were deserted.
There are other totally deserted villages here, and since they were very
overgrown, the number of abandoned farms is not very well known.
4. 3 farms out of the 7 in Zachenbach were deserted.
5. 9 farms out of the 18 in Schachendorf were deserted.
6. 5 farms out of the 10 in Schandorf were deserted.
7. 24 farms out of the 45 in Hodis were deserted.
8. 10 farms out of the 22 in Durnbach were deserted.
9. 13 farms out of the 18 in Grossnahring were deserted.
10. 7 farms out of the 13 in Schilding were deserted.
11. 6 farms out of the 11 in Zuberbach were deserted.
12. 2 farms out of the 3 in Allersdorf were deserted.
13. 5 farms out of the 13 in Neumarkt were deserted.
14. None of the 6 farms in Altschlaining were deserted.
None of the 6 farms in the suburbs were deserted, and 6 of the 19 farms were
deserted in the city.
15. 3 farms out of the 7 in Drumling were deserted.
16. 8 farms out of the 9 in Grafenschachen were deserted.
17. 3 farms out of the 11 in Loipersdorf were deserted.
2 farms has been abandoned there, and no one knows when the last inhabitants
dwelled in them.
18. None of the farms (out of 5) in Kitzladen were deserted.
19. None of the farms (out of 13) in Buchschachen were deserted.
20. 2 farms out of the 17 in Alhau were deserted. Besides these, there were
also 18 deserted farm places, 14 of them that were overgrown with thorns and
flowers. As long as the inhabitants can remember, no one ever lived in these
places.
21. None of the farms (out of 23) in Wolfau were deserted.
22. 4 farms out of the 20 in Kemeten were deserted.
23. There were 23 farms in Grosspetersdorf and 6 places where a house had
been built. There were 12 abandoned and deserted places in a village towards
the West where farmhouses had been built.
24. 4 out of 7 places where farmhouses had been built in Miedlingsdorf were deserted.
25. There were 6 farms and 3 deserted places where farmhouses had been built
in Welgersdorf.
26. There were 4 farms and 3 deserted places where farmhouses had been built
in Hannersdorf. There was also a deserted mill.
27. In Burg an dem Pinka were 8 active farms, and 1 deserted place where a
farmhouse had been built.
28. There were 3 farms and 1 deserted place where a farmhouse had been built
in Eisenberg an dem Pinka.
29. Everything is abandoned in Woppendorf since the Turks had taken away all
of the inhabitants.
30. There were 4 farms and 3 deserted places where farmhouses had been built
in Badersdorf.
31. There were 2 farms and 2 deserted places where farmhouses had been built
in Grossbachselten and Kleinbachselten.
The expanded Domain of Güssing also must have been sparsely settled, because
its owner, Franz Batthyány, obtained an agreement in 1524 from King Ludwig
II, to settle Croats acquired from his Croatian farms on his new
properties. The year 1532 appears to have passed by without incident for the
Domains of Güssing and Eberau, as alleged by Nicholas Jurischitz in his
letter to Ferdinand I from Güns on August 30th, 1532. In this letter we read
among other things, that Vizier Pascha Abraham asked Jurischitz why he did
not surrender to the Turkish Emperor Soliman as Franz Batthyány and Peter
Erdody did, who had given up their fortresses, and remained unharmed. From
this selection of historical data taken from all parts of our country, we can
conclude that our current homeland was very sparsely settled in the 16th
century prior to the immigration of the Croats, and that therefore most of
the soil remained uncultivated.
Chapter XVIII - The Croatians in Battle with the Turks
The fields near Krbava - The Croatian Field of Blackbirds. We have already
mentioned that because of the pressure of the Aristocrats, King Wladislav had
to dismiss the strong "Black Army", even as the Turkish danger approached
ever closer. From Bosnia, the Turks repeatedly attacked Krain, Carinthia, and
Styria in order to plunder these countries. When the belligerent Pascha Jacob
attacked with a strong army from Croatia into Krain and Carinthia, the
Croatian Ban with the Croatian Aristocracy awaited him in the fields of
Krbava. The Croatian army was completely routed here on September 9, 1493,
and the blood of the Croatian Aristocrats remained on the battlefield. The
fields of Krbava became for the Croats what the field of the blackbirds was
for the Serbs. A long period of battles followed after this defeat during
which the Croatian people desperately defended their homeland. After the
battle of Krbava the Turks swarmed into the counties of Lika and Krbava up to
the Adriatic Sea.
The following note, written into his prayer book by a Glagolithic Priest, is
indicative of the terrors that the Croatians endured at that time. "Then the
mothers, widows, and many others began to cry. Over all these areas a great
sorrow spread among all mankind, as could not be remembered to have been the
case since the Tatars, Goths, and the heinous Attila. 10,000 dead or badly
hurt men remained on the fields of Krbava, while the hostile army spread out
into the villages as far as the Una River to kill or take prisoners. When the
last of the Turkish troops had retreated and the remaining inhabitants from
Lika and Krbava returned to their homes, anguish arose that stirred the
hardest of hearts. Divnic, the Bishop of Nin, also depicted the misery of the
Croatians as described above in a letter to Pope Alexander III. He reported
that he was a witness to a bloody slaughter that the Turks carried out among
the Croatians. Among other things he wrote, that the Turks devastated the
fields, felled trees, and destroyed villages and cities. They plundered from
prisoners, kept them under yoke as animals, or crucified them, drove them
barefoot and naked over sharp rocks, led them bound in ropes until half dead,
or tied them to horses tails. With whips and clubs they beat crying,
emaciated women, who were bespattered with the blood of their children. They
abused maidens and persons consecrated to God. Children and young men were
led into slavery bound as animals. They used all kinds of instruments of
torture. Whenever he would recall the horrors, he could hardly keep from
fainting, because his mind went blank. Soldiers that fell on the fields of
Krbava lay unburied and were left to the wild animals and birds of prey.
Countless rigid corpses lay everywhere on the paths, and were torn to pieces
by wolves, bears, and other animals. No one was there capable of burying the
dead."
Similar descriptions depict almost two centuries of the history of Croatia.
The Turks fell back many times with bloodied heads before heroic defenders
who were eventually forced to retreat before the superior strength of the
foe, however the Turks gained ground step by step. Masses of refugees fled
from their dwellings and fields after the lost battle with only their most
essential belongings into safe countries such as Hungary, Styria, Carinthia,
Lower Austria, Slovakia, and Moravia. Since these ruined countries were
sparsely settled and lacked industrious people, the aristocrats required
these unfortunate refugees because they endeavored as it was said, "to adorn
their properties with many people".
(To be continued as newsletter 59A. This newsletter continues as no. 58B)
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 58B
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold)
May 31, 1999
This third section of the 3 section newsletter contains Announcement of a new
Homepage Addition, articles concerning Viennese Orphans Raised in Burgenland,
Burgenland Member Seeks Relatives, Passenger Ship Immigrant Data, Source of
Microfilm, Excerpt Concerning Esterhaza Palace - Eisenstadt, Zahling Emigrants
to Allentown, PA. The LDS is now on-line at www.familysearch.org)
NEW HOMEPAGE FEATURE - VILLAGE SERIES (courtesy Bill Rudy)
During our last member poll, members unanimously mentioned our "village
historical series" as being their favorite newsletter articles. As a result,
they have been our lead articles ever since. Burgenland editor Albert Schuch
has been kept busy finding and translating them for us. We've covered most of
southern Burgenland and we're now working on middle Burgenland. We've also
done a few of the northern villages. Bill Rudy, one of our homepage
volunteers, is now adding them to the "Village" page of the homepage. In this
way, members (both new and old) and casual visitors can find them without
searching the newsletter archives.
If you go to the homepage and click on "Villages", you'll find some of the
village names in blue or bold font - these are hyperlinks. If you click on them
you'll be taken to the village historical writeups. While Bill has just
started adding villages (mostly Father Leser's southern series), it's our
intention to bring you all we have in the near future, time permitting.
Another addition in our continuing efforts to bring you quality data. Our
thanks to Bill for his efforts on our behalf.
You may have noticed that Güssing has been among the missing as far as the
historical village series is concerned. The reason for this is that we have a
lot of material on this village--now a city (Stadt); a few books full. We
will be getting to it, my translation skills permitting, in the future. It
may just be necessary to publish it in parts.
VIENNESE ORPHANS IN BURGENLAND
(taken from correspondence between Margaret Kaiser and Fritz Königshofer)
Ed. In scanning south Burgenland church and civil records one often finds
reference to the death of orphan children who were being raised by Burgenland
families. The records are usually identified with a large city name, like
Wien or Graz and a number. While infant mortality was high during this
period, a number of these orphans survived to adulthood and some obviously
emigrated. One might be among your ancestors. One such case, exemplifying the
value of raising such orphan children follows.
From Margaret: "My family housed one of the children from Vienna. The
circumstances were that the authorities took new born infants away from the
mother when the child was illegitimate. These children became wards of the
state and were farmed out. The families that housed them received a small
stipend in exchange for the children living and helping on the farm. At
about 12(?) years of age or so, the stipend stopped. Then the child was to
return to Vienna, and begin to work I suppose. My great-grandfather and his
foster child from Vienna went together to the train station for the boy's
return trip. My great-grandfather decided at the train station that he
didn't want to return this child, and so he stayed with my family. This boy
knew of his mother (name) and other (younger?) siblings, but I don't believe
he ever met them.
When I searched the film with the matrikels of Felsõ Rönök (Hungary), another
remarkable point were the many children noted as born in other places, but
who died in the village. Often, there are more deaths recorded in the early
1890s of these "imported" children than deaths in the indigenous population.
Meanwhile, I have encountered similar cases in other villages of Southern
Burgenland (and neighboring Vas county), but the numbers for Felsõ Rönök must
be among the highest. Most of these children are listed as born to single
mothers in Vienna or Graz, perhaps orphans and/or children born to unwed
mothers, and many died as babies. I wonder why these orphans were placed in
the care of villages in what is now Burgenland and environs. After all,
these areas were parts of Hungary at the time, whereas the children came from
Austria. I am also curious how many of these children survived and grew into
adulthood. As I recall the Felsõ Rönök records, there either would have had
to be huge numbers of these allocated children, or else many of them did not
survive. I telephoned Fritz and told him of my (foster) greatuncle's
experience as a ward from Vienna. Fritz thought other BB's would benefit
from the sharing of my greatuncle's story. I wrote his daughter who updated
her Dad's family tree biography, and also shared some specific thoughts in
response to Fritz' observations. (The story of Margaret's foster great-uncle
follows as written by one of his daughters):
Leopold (Leo) Barth
Leo was born in Vienna, Austria on November 5, 1900, and his wife,
Hermine Sommer, was born in Coplay, PA, on July 6, 1904. They had five
children (including the author).
At birth, Leo, having been born to a 19-year old unwed mother, was
considered a ward of the City of Vienna, and instead of having
orphanages, there was a program whereby wards were placed in foster homes in
the rural areas of Austria. Johann and Teresia Reissinger Spirk were awarded
custody of Leo, and took him to their home in Felsõ Rönök, Hungary when he
was only 10 days old. These children were subsidized in the foster homes
until they were 10 years old, but when Leo's time came to return to
Vienna, it was decided by mutual agreement with his mother, who by that time
had married, that he was to remain in the Spirk home. However, they received
no further compensation for him, and Leo earned his way by working for
Johann on the farm, because Johann's sons, Frank and Herman, had already
left for America.
Johann Spirk asked his son, Frank, to help Leo get to the United States.
Leo stayed in Felsõ Rönök until May 21, 1922, when he too left for America,
via the Port of Bremen, Germany, on the ship President Fillmore.
Leo became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Frank had
advanced the money to Leo for passage to the States. Upon arrival, Leo went
to work as a carpenter apprentice at the Goldsmith Planing Mill in
Catasauqua, PA, which made it possible for him to repay his foster brother,
Frank, for the costs of the passage in four months time. A record of this
transaction was found while going through his papers after his death.
Notably, Leo worked as a carpenter in the building of the Hill-to-Hill
Bridge and the Globe Theatre in Bethlehem, PA and the Conewingo Dam (over
the Susquehanna River) in Maryland. All his life he was a very honest and
industrious individual. His work ethic was phenomenal. He was always
concerned that he "stole" a day from the Lord when he felt he had not
accomplished something worthwhile. His carpentry skills enabled him to draw
up plans when he built a second floor on their 3-room house on Montclair
Avenue in Bethlehem in the early 40's, and several years later when he built
a summer/hunting cottage in the Pocono Mountains at Peck's Pond, PA. Leo
worked as a carpenter until 1932 when he became Steward/Manager of the
Fountain Hill Beneficial Society at 1529 Broadway, Bethlehem, PA. (He
later served as Chairman of the Building Committee of the Society and
was its President from 1941 to 1945.) In 1937 he went into business for
himself as proprietor of Barth's Grille (bar and restaurant) at 700-704
Broadway in Bethlehem, PA, where he worked for 30 years until his retirement
in 1967.
When he retired, Leo and Hermine, moved to Rockland Street in Bethlehem. Leo
continued to be busy with his carpentry in his retirement. There are many
hand railings still in existence that he built mostly for relatives. It
bothered him when he saw steps without hand railings.
In spite of hunger in his early years and developing allergies from having
to sleep in the barn year around, he always credited Johann Spirk (his
foster father) for saving his life when he was young. Johann would always
make sure Leo drank from the milk pail before it was taken into the main
house. Leo always talked fondly about his "father" (Johann), the only
father he ever had. Since the "state" did not pay for his keep after the age
of 10, not much food was available to him. Times were very difficult, and
this is why Johann asked his son, Frank, to help Leo come to America. Before
Johann died, he wrote and asked Leo to see to it that Johann's grand
daughter, Maria be brought to America. Shortly before the start of World
War II, Leo sponsored Maria, and she came to live with Leo and his family.
Allergies and asthma became more severe in his later years, and eventually
resulted in heart damage which claimed his life at age 81.
(Daughter's notes: It isn't any wonder that these Viennese children died
young. They just didn't have the food. What there was, was probably taken to
market, and there was not much left. From what was said, and left unsaid. I
gather now, that I am thinking about it, perhaps the families had little
enough to eat without having to worry about feeding a foster child,
especially when they no longer received compensation, he was just an extra
mouth to feed. Imagine the cold and hunger he must have endured all of his
early years. As I told you before, Dad was a fanatic about us having enough
food to eat, even during the Depression. He had rather bitter memories of
his childhood, and rightly so. Thank God for Johann Spirk, or we would never
have known our wonderful Dad. In spite of just six years of schooling a more
intelligent or honest man one couldn't find.)
BURGENLAND MEMBER SEEKS US FAMILY
Most of our members are looking for Burgenland descendants of their families.
Not often do we find a Burgenlander looking for American descendants.
Gustav Schermann writes (translated):
Hallo Gerry Berghold, hallo Friends! Many greetings from the Burgenland
My name is Gustav Schermann, I'm 55 years old, born in Zahling number 27
(later number 20) A-7562 Eltendorf, Burgenland. My deceased father had two
brothers who emigrated to Amerika between 1900 und 1920. One brother, my
uncle Rudolf Schermann lived in St. Louis, 8568 Drury Lane, 15 MO. Another
brother's (my uncle Johann Schermann) address is unknown. I only know that
he was a farmer and his wife Stefanie died around 1960. Perhaps he lived in
Milwaukee or also in St. Louis. My great wish is to find something of my
relatives and eventually contact and visit them. If possible, I seek your
help and remain with many greetings, your Gustav Schermann. (Ed. note: Albert
Schuch was able to provide some possibilities from the Soc. Security death
lists).
PASSENGER SHIP IMMIGRANT DATA (from Mike Kostiz)
Almost every genealogist or descendant of immigrants wants to find the
details of how their ancestors came to America. Few realize that with the
advent of the "net" this is becoming easier. The following is a recent story:
Mike writes: Do you have any ideas on how I can find the names of passenger
ships that carried immigrants from Bremen, Germany to New York? The date my
grandfather sailed from that port was December 20, 1911, but I don't have
the name of the ship.
Answer: The LDS has microfilm of ships from Bremen arriving in New York. I
don't have the film numbers. You might also try one of the following (from
Anna Kresh's URL List):
PASSENGER SHIP INTERNET LINKS
o CIMO - Cimorelli Immigration Manifests Online
http://www.cimorelli.com/safe/shipmenu.htm - find a ship by name, date,
port of arrival
o Hamburg Passenger Lists
http://www.genealogy.net/gene/www/emig/ham_pass.html [link defunct] - list of microfilms
of Hamburg passenger lists (1850-1934) available for loan from the LDS-FHC
o Immigrant Ships
http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/amalfi/13/ships.htm; [link defunct] - you may find a
description of your immigrant ancestor's passenger ship here
o ISTG - Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild http://immigrantships.net/
volunteers are transcribing passenger lists; the work is ongoing, with more
ports of arrival being added, and a new Resource Center is planned
o Liners of the Golden Age http://lostliners.com/content/
o Ship Photos http://home.att.net/~paul.petersen/ships.htm; [link defunct] - provides
photos and data on our ancestors' passenger ships; fee: approx. $8.25 U.S.;
site contains approx. 100 print pages of passenger ship listings
o Ships to America http://www.primenet.com/~langford/ships/shiplist.htm [link defunct] -
(in progress) index of Ship Passenger Lists to American plantations and
colonies
o Steamship Historical Society of America
https://www.sshsa.org/ - Langsdale Library, Univ. of Baltimore;
over 200,000 ship photos; brochures, plans, ship books, ship
lookups; you may arrange a personal visit to examine files
o Transatlantic Passenger Ships
http://ping4.ping.be/picavet/Waas_America_Travel01.shtml [link defunct] - information on
ships carrying emigrants via port of Antwerp, Belgium between 1830 and 1950
The following is also of interst: Father Alexander Berghold was a missionary
to Minnesota in the 1880's. He built a number of Catholic parishes and was an
author and poet of some note. He came from Styria in the vicinity of Graz and
returned there when he retired. He wrote "Land & Leute" in 1891. It's a
compilation of his travels in the US, Europe and the Near East. Included with
the book is a table of "Short Travel Routes". It appears to be an
advertisement for the North German Lloyd Steamship Line. It advertises "a
little less than nine (possibly six or seven days) Bremen to New York
leaving every Wednesday and Sunday evening (1890-91). It mentions that
passengers from Austria can travel as quickly from Bremen as they can from
Hamburg (obviously a shot at their competitor HAPAG (Hamburg American Packet
AG). It also lists the travel time from Bremen to Wien as 27 hours, and the
mileage from New York to various American cities.
Mike replies: Thanks for the great info you provided. I have 3 passenger
lists that were obtained from the National Archives and Records
Administration. Using the Cimorelli website I was able to verify where the
ships sailed from. I also used the website to approximate the date my
grandfather entered the U.S. I sent off for a passenger list for a specific
date and ship. I hope to find him on a list this time. Thanks so much for
the very valuable info!!!
SOURCE FOR MICROFILM (Anna Kresh)
In a message dated 99-05-12 08:50:29 EDT, you write: If anyone knows of
another source for Burgenland church record films it would probably be
Gerry, so I am CCing him in on this. Maybe he has a suggestion. Gerry, also
US Census films - best source?
No, Burgenland church record film is not available (for purchase). If it ever
is, I'll buy a reader and order most of southern Burgenland. As it is now, I
have an FHC within a few minutes of my home.
The very best source of available microfilm (census, etc.) is:
o AGLL, Inc. http://www.agll.com - Heritage Quest Magazine publisher; this
site in transition; will merge into Heritage Quest site; products, tools,
resource links, microfilm. They also sell readers. Write: AGLL (American
Genealogical Lending Library), P.O. Box 329, Bountiful UT 84011-0329. Tel.
801-298-5446
DELIGHTFUL LITTLE BURGENLAND TRAVEL BOOK
(continued from previous newsletters and taken from the German-English travel
book "Burgenland", authors Pflagner & Marco, 1970, Frick Verlag, Wien.)
2. Esterhaza Palace in Eisenstadt. Having been built as a medieval castle in
1371, the palace passed into the possession of the Esterhazy family in 1622.
Count Paul Esterhazy made many alterations 1663-1672. He commissioned the
Italian master builders Carlo Martino and Carlo Antonio Carlone to give the
palace its present character. The four corner towers and the facade
decorations date from that time. The Eisenstadt sculptor Hans Mathias Mayr
created the 18 stone busts of Hungarian military leaders. In 1797-1805, the
palace was altered by the French master builder Charles Moreau to a more
classic style. He added the colonnade on the garden front and also the Haydn
Hall, which stretches over two stories.
EARLY ALLENTOWN, PA IMMIGRANTS FROM ZAHLING (from Albert Schuch)
On 6 June 1926 the weekly "Der Freie Burgenländer" quoted from a German
newspaper published in Allentown ("Der Friedensbote"). This paper wrote that
the first Burgenländers came to Allentown in the years 1889-1891. It gives
their names as: Franz DECKER (WOLF), Franz FANDL, Franz BANDL (LEITGEB), John
OBERLOR, John BREIER, John DECKER (PEISCHL), Franz YANGER, Emmerich
KOLOWITSCH and others, all of them coming from Zahling. A bad cucumber
harvest in Zahling was said to have been the reason for emigration. Many of
those first immigrants returned, many died, but some were still alive in
1926, like Joseph TRINKL, Franz UNGER, Joseph LAMM and Emmerich KOLOWITSCH.
(Note: your editor would like to find copies of the "Der Friedensbote" - if any
members from the Lehigh Valley can help, please contact me. As a child in
Allentown, Trinkl and Kolowitsch were names well known - G. Berghold).
END OF NEWSLETTER-EDITED & DISTRIBUTED BY GERALD J. BERGHOLD