THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 59
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold)
June 15, 1999
(all rights reserved)
Share your family history knowledge, it is one way to achieve immortality.
This first section of the 3 section newsletter contains:
- A Burgenland Bunch Change
- Burgenland Gemeinschaft News
- A New Village Description Series
- Batthyány Family and Güssing Castle
- Austrian Geography
- More From the Allentown "Free Burgenlander"
- A New Hungarian Atlas
BURGENLAND BUNCH CHANGE
We are 2 1/2 years old. Like the terrible two of childhood, we are very
active! Membership is over 320 and we now represent most villages in the
Burgenland which sent immigrants to America. Our archives contain over 1200
pages of Burgenland family history. Many members have been able to trace
their Burgenland ancestors for a number of generations and quite a few have
been contacted by current descendants. We are linked to publications,
organizations and websites here and abroad. A dedicated volunteer staff is
active in bringing you new material. We have a splendid homepage (website)
complete with archives and informational lists. Through the courtesy of
WorldGenWeb, we have a homepage gateway and a bulletin board posting
facility. This costs our membership nothing but interest and cooperation.
It is now time for a change. Due to the size of the group, I can no longer
efficiently distribute newsletters via my AOL email facilities. Effective
with newsletter number 60 or 61, newsletters will be distributed via a list
service provided by RootsWeb, the same organization that hosts our WGW
posting board. Only I will have access to the mailing list and changes will
still have to be reported to me via email (as now). It will not be possible
to "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" directly, as is done with some newsletter
lists.
The only differences you will notice will be the omission of those many pages
of "CC" addresses which now show on your email, a change in sender
transmission data (the sender will be BURGENLAND-NEWSLETTER-L; do not try to
send messages to this address) and the lack of color (AOL members now enjoy
color email). YOU NEED DO NOTHING, ALL WILL BE DONE FOR YOU!
Burgenland Bunch member Charles Wardell, who brought us the WGW posting
facility, is instrumental in bringing us this new service and he has our many
thanks. Charles is also host of WGW-Austria, the parent host of WGW-Burgenland.
It is important that you promptly report address changes in order to reduce
the number of undeliverable newsletters. I will not look kindly on those who
continuously have mail returned. LIKEWISE, IF AT ANY TIME YOU NO LONGER READ
THE NEWSLETTERS OR ARE GETTING AN INFORMATION OVERLOAD, PLEASE CONSIDER
DROPPING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION. This will only stop the newsletter, you will still
be listed with us. "Cancel" will cancel the newsletter and your membership
listing. Newsletters may still be read or downloaded from our homepage.
Beginning with RootsWeb distribution, they will also be available for
sophisticated archival searches at another site to be announced later.
Newsletter no. 57 included a plea for "removals" from members no longer
interested. I'm perplexed but happy to report that I received only "four" but
naturally wonder if everyone got the message. I thank those four members for
their honesty and cooperation. Most editors usually make a plea for
increasing not decreasing subscribers. I sincerely hope you are all
benefiting from the newsletters and will continue to read them, but being a
realist, I'm sure some recipients find it easier to delete unwanted mail
rather than make the effort to stop a free subscription. If you find yourself
in this category, please do me a great service by sending a "removal". On the
other hand, if you're really serious about Burgenland family history, stay
with us, we have great things planned. Gerry Berghold
BURGENLANDISCHE GEMEINSCHAFT NEWS
Page four of the Mar/April 1999 issue contains a full column concerning the
BB. This was written by Albert Schuch under the title "Burgenland Bunch - a
Grand Idea" and is a copy of the article that appeared in OZ in February. Hap
Anderson, Albert and I are mentioned, as is our homepage URL. This provides
some more foreign exposure.
BB members who receive the BG news don't want to miss page 12, lower right.
"Mitglieder im Ausland" (foreign members) - annual dues of $15 are due now.
Don't miss it, you won't get a bill.
The annual BG picnic will be held Sunday, July 11, 1999, at the wine museum in
Moschendorf (Rt 56 just east of Güssing and Strem) beginning 1400 hours. If
you're in the Burgenland at that time, why not attend. Introduce yourself to
Dr. Walter Dujmovits and/or Frau Renate Dolmanits as a BB member and join the
BG. You'll be welcome amd maybe meet a cousin or two.
The computer science class of Johann Unger, Hauptschule (high school) Eberau,
has prepared a CD-ROM about the history of Deutsch-Schützen, Sankt Kathrein,
Edlitz, Höll, Eisenberg, Moschendorf, Bildein, Kroatisch-Ehrensdorf, Gaas,
Winten, Kulm and Eberau. Available from the BG for ATS 100 ($10.00-include
$2.00 for overseas postage). Address of the BG is A-7540 Güssing, Hauptplatz
7, Austria.
NEW VILLAGE SERIES - THE UPPER LAFNITZ (from Albert Schuch)
This is the third in the series. From: Josef LOIBERSBECK: Das Obere Lafnitztal
(The Upper Lafnitz Valley). In: Burgenländische Heimatblätter, 1963-64.
3) Buchschachen
North of Allhau. First mentioned in 1263. According to the Urbarium of 1532,
"Puechschachen" was inhabited by 17 farmers: 2 HALWACHS, SCHAFFNER, GRAT; 1
KURZ, GRASSL, SANDTNER, WURZER, GRADWOHL, GRAFL, GANGL, THÜR, KRAUTWALD, REH,
HELBRER. Five tenants are also mentioned: RITTER, ULRICH, MURH, Michael KURZ
and Georg WURZER. In 1652 Lutheran Preacher Daniel MUMENIUS, 70 years of age,
is mentioned in Buchschachen. The Urbarium of 1767 counts 67 farmers and 17
Söllner. Farmer names: 9 RITTER, KOCH; 8 SAUHAMMEL; 6 ARTWOHL, URBAUER; 4
HALWACHS, TUBL, BINDER, KICHER; 3 SANTER, EMMRISS, BÖHM, HAHRER; 2 BENEDEK,
KRAUSS, WOLFGEHER, PILLNHOFER, KURZ, HAGENAUER, POTTENDORFER; 1 TRIBEL,
KOLLER, HÜBNER, SAMERER, BODENHOFER, OBERHOFER, REITNER, VOLKER, JANI, FANDL,
PETINGER, AUER, HERSCH etc.; Söllner names: 1 BRUNNER, SCHRANK, KLENNER,
HONIGSCHNABEL.
In 1781 the Lutherans joined the parish Allhau. Teachers: Matthias BRUNNER
(until ca. 1820), Michael NIKA (1822; from Unterschtzen); Johann Georg
KNÄBEL (from Pinkafeld; 1824-34). 120 pupils were counted in 1830. Matthias
HAMMER (1834-37; from Güns); Samuel ESTL (1834-37); Franz PETER (1844-53;
from Eltendorf); Ludwig HUBER (1853-56, from Tolnau); Michael KNÄBEL
(1857-62; from Pinkafeld). Friedrich BENEDEK (1861-68; from Pinkafeld);
Samuel RITTER (1868-76, a native of Buchschachen); Adolf RÜCK (1877-1890);
Michael ZIMMERMANN (1890-1924, from Rechnitz). Johann SCHRANZ (1924-34, from
Jormannsdorf), Gustav FISCHL (1934-40, from Königsdorf); Adolf KLENNER from
Oberschützen was second teacher from 1913-35. Franz AUMÜLLER (1940-41),
Hermann HAAS (1941-43, from Litzelsdorf), Johann SCHADEN (1943-44, from
Riedlingsdorf), Dorris PAUER (1944-45), Johann BRUCKNER (1945-46, from
Pinkafeld), Maria PFEILER (1946); 1947- Julius GOGER from Oberschützen,
second teacher Otto KURZ (1948), also from Oberschützen.
In 1858 Buchschachen counted 100 farmers and 51 Söllner. Farmer names: 10
SAUHAMMEL; 6 KOCH, KRAUSS, BÖHM; 5 RITTER, TUBEL; 4 URBAUER, KURZ, BENEDEK,
BINDER; 3 HAGENAUER; 2 KUCHER, WELTLER, GANGL, SANDER, HONIGSCHNABEL,
HALWACHS, KOLLER, ARTWOHL, PAPST, AUER, OBERHOFER, POTTENDORFER; 1 MERT,
KRUTZLER, SCHOBER, GAMAUF, FINK, GROSS, WERTNER, VOLKER, TAUSS, ARTNER,
WOLFGEHER, REITNER, BUNDSCHUH, ARTHOFER, FLECK, EMMRESS, HEINRER, ZISSER,
LATTINGER. Söllner names: 1 REINDL, HEROLD, NIKA, PFERSCHY, PESCHL, FASSL,
GRASSL, RINGBAUER, UIDL etc.
1833: 140 houses, 953 inhabitants; 1900: 193 houses (87 of these with straw
roofs), 1041 inh. (224 Catholics, 816 Lutheran, 1 Reformed); 1961: 153
houses, 617 inh. (597 Germans, 20 Gypsies; 85 Catholics, 532 Lutherans; 348
working in agriculture).
SOUTH BURGENLAND HERRSCHAFT - BATTHYÁNY FAMILY & CASTLE
Ed. Note: Having received two Batthyány family contacts back to back (see
newsletter no. 58), I felt it was time to tell our members about this
historically important, aristocratic, southern Burgenland family. The
following was recently received from Robert Bathiany.
<< I just came across the Burgenland Bunch website. I am researching the
Hungarian family BATTYANY which had a castle in Gussing. I would be very
interested in exchanging information with any other Burgenland Bunch members
interested in this family. I have done extensive research in this area, but
have a few missing links which I am trying to close. Robert Bathiany. >>
My reply: While your spelling of the Batthyány name has changed, your
mention of Castle Güssing links you to the southern Burgenland family. I have
no information concerning modern Batthyány family history, but can tell you a
little of their origins, which you may already know. I have also copied
Ladislaus Batthyány (Vienna) if you wish to correspond. Franz Batthyány
(1497-1566; at the time, Ban of Croatia) and his nephew Christoph were given
the Güssing Herrschaft (translates domain or fief) in 1524 (in effect
southern Burgenland below the Pinka river, less a few other minor
Herrschafts) by Hungarian King Lajos (Ludwig) II. The Herrschaft was vacant
at the time, the Ujlaky line, the previous owners, having died out. The gift
was predicated on Batthyány help in resisting the Turkish invasion of
Hungary. King Lajos and most of the Hungarian (Magyar) nobility subsequently
died at the battle of Mohacs (1526). Hungary was then shared between the
Turks and the Habsburgs, gaining partial independence only after the
revolution of 1848, full in 1918. While I have read that Franz Batthyány and
his followers (3000 cavalry and 1000 foot soldiers) were late arriving at the
battle of Mohacs, I'm not sure of the facts. What is certain is that Franz
and his followers survived and Castle Güssing remained a bulwark against
Turkish incursions for almost 200 years. The family consolidated their
holdings over the years and absorbed most of the other south Burgenland
Herrschafts. While many villages were destroyed, I understand the castle was
never taken, even during the Bocskay rebellion when Güssing itself was
burned. It ceased to be of military significance during the reign of Maria
Theresia.
Although the Batthyány are Croatian nobility in origin (I am not sure if they
are of Slav or Magyar descent), they've been considered Hungarian since
arriving in the Burgenland in 1524 and Austrian since 1921. I have little
knowledge of the family prior to or after those dates, except that they had
(data taken from "Stadterhebung Güssing 1973") "a noble holding in Batthyány,
a court in Enying, a castle at Torony, holdings in Ugal, and Szabas (Komitat
Somogy), castle Gereben by Varazdin, castle Kristaloc, Garnica, Mogor and
Ujudvar" plus others. These places are in southern Hungary and northern
Croatia. It's possible they were part of earlier Hungarian (Magyar) holdings
in Croatia. (see Volk an der Grenze ..." People on the Border, Johann
Dobrovich).
They brought many Croatian followers fleeing Turkish invasion, including
minor Croatian nobility, with them both in 1524 and in subsequent years. This
is the reason for the Croatian presence in the Burgenland today (about 12%)
in a region predominantly German (85%). For a brief period the Batthyány were
also Lutheran which encouraged a large movement of German speaking colonists
to migrate into southern Burgenland. The area became a sort of Protestant
refuge during the Counter Reformation. There is still a large group of
Lutherans in the Eltendorf, Kukmirn and Stegersbach areas. I descend from one
such group. Upon reverting to Catholicism, the family (Graf Adam, abt 1638)
built the present Franciscan Cloister and "Maria Heimsuchung" church in
Güssing. There is a family crypt in the church. Later the family married
into the Popel-Lobkowitz, Strattman and Draskovich families and these names
will also be encountered.
I understand there are private family archives in the Batthyány Palace
(Kastely) in Kormend, Hungary, but have no knowledge of what they contain or
whether the Hungarian government has appropriated or returned family property
and historical documents. A book (in German), "Die Kroaten der Herrschaft
Güssing", by Robert Hajszan contains translations of some family papers
(concerning Croatian settlement) from that archive. Perhaps the archive is
available to scholars. From facsimiles of the documents Hajszan translated,
it appears these archives are written in medieval Latin, Serbo-Croatian,
German and Hungarian script. Not something for even the most advanced
genealogist.
Castle Güssing is the focal point of southern Burgenland historical
treasures. It can be seen for miles in every direction. It is among the
oldest in the Burgenland if not in Austria (dating from the 12th Century) and
may even have some Roman antecedents. "Mons Güssing" (mountain) was probably
always used as a watch or signal base. There are better preserved castles,
but none that have more history or significance than Güssing. It is deserving
of special treatment and preservation. It is part of the Batthyány (their
"sitz" for centuries) and Burgenland stories.
While I've dwelt on Franz Batthyány as the first of the line to hold the
Güssing Herrschaft, he is not the only notable. There were many notable
individuals in this family. If I was to pick one it would be Balthasar
(1543-1590), under whose guidance Güssing became a cultural center and a
center of religious tolerance. He was also a scourge of the Turk. I
understand his library is in the Franciscan Cloister and makes up a good
portion of their valuable collection of early books and incunabula. His son
Franz II (1570-1625) who received the Herrschaft of Kormend in 1604 is also
of note as is Adam (1609-1659) for his involvement in religious matters.
I've seen Batthyány genealogical records in the LDS Ancestral File. I don't
know who placed them there. We've had one family contact as stated. I'm not
aware of Batthyány emigration to the US, but you may well be a case in point.
I'd appreciate being brought up to date if you have knowledge of family
emigration and history post WW-I. I'd also like to see an ahnentafel of the
main Batthyány line if such is available.
At the present time our newsletters are running installments of an English
translation by one of our members, of "Volk an der Grenze ..." (People on the
Border), the history of the Croatians in Burgenland, written by Johann
Dobrovich. May be of interest to you. I'm also sending you an invitation to
join the Burgenland Bunch via separate email. G. Berghold, Editor Burgenland
Bunch Newsletter
AUSTRIAN GEOGRAPHY - GEMEINDEN AND BEZIRKS (DISTRICTS)
Geographical accuracy is essential to genealogical research. There are many
cities and villages with the same names. This is doubly true of the Germanic
regions. In the same way that we identify American locales by name, county
and state, so too should we identify Austrian locales by name, bezirk and
province. Some prefer to translate "Bezirk" as county instead of district and
"Province" as state. My personal preference is to use district and province.
There is another term much in use in Austria which really has no American
counterpart - it is the term "Gemeinde" or community. Within the "Gemeinde" we
find many smaller villages which have lost their administrative identity in
the same way that smaller postal "villages" in the US get absorbed by
expanding urban areas, the so-called "suburbs", in German sometimes referred
to as "ausser stadt" (outer city). An example is Güssing which has absorbed
Rosenberg and Langzeil. If you look for those names in a village listing you
won't find them. Yet your immigrant ancestor will say he came from Rosenberg!
His uncle had a vineyard in Langzeil! You know, (ach, now we have it) bei
Güssing in das Süd Burgenland!
There is another term which can cause confusion - this is "Ortsteile" = parts of
the place. Ortsteile include villages which are administered partly or
completely by another such as Neuseidl, Limbach and Eisenhüttl administered
from Kukmirn. Look for them in the Kirsner and Peternell book and you won't
find them in the Gemeinden listing. You will find them as "Ortsteille" in the
listing of "Die Gemeinden und Ihre Ortsteille". To further confuse the issue,
local politics and changing times can often cause a village to become more or
less independent. They may be mentioned in one book or publication as
independent and ignored a few years later. While Bezirk Güssing covers 26
Gemeinden (including Stadt Güssing), the Gemeinden cover another 28
Ortsteile, making 53 villages and one stadt exclusive of the absorbed
villages.
Another Austrian (and German) practice is to define similar villages by the
rivers, river valleys or other unique places in which they are located. Thus
we have Heiligenkreuz im Lafnitztal (Heiligenkreuz in the valley of the
Lafnitz River), Mannersdorf an den Rabnitz (Mannersdorf on the Rabnitz River)
and Podersdorf am See (Podersdorf on the Lake). There are many others.
When speaking of the importance of geography, I like to tell the following
story: Someone once asked me if I knew anything about a village in Austria.
He said it was his immigrant ancestor's village, mentioned in some papers he
had inherited and, while he said he didn't have a good map, he found a place
by that name just outside a major Austrian city. He was pretty sure it was
the correct place because he found people there with his family name (a
common one) and in viewing the church records, while he hadn't found the
correct birth date of his ancestor, he had found one with the same name that
was so close it had to be his. He also found some, but not all, siblings with
the correct names! As a result he spent much time gathering "family" data
from that village and added it to his computer files. It was only when he
found another village of the same name and again a concentration of his
family name that he began to have doubts. When he searched those records, he
found "exact" birth date and sibling matches. Further study proved his
original "find" to be invalid. It can happen, particularly with common names.
Most Americans have little knowledge of foreign geography. Not much American,
much less European geography, is being taught in our schools. You should read
some of the queries I get.
When looking for that village of origin, be sure you are aware of other
places with the same name. Don't confuse the Heiligenkreuz in the Vienna
Woods (bei Baden) with the one along the Hungarian border (im Lafnitztal).
Get yourself a good map (1:200,000 or less) and use it. Also familiarize
yourself with a gazetteer of the place and time period you are researching
(the LDS has them in their location index). At least look at the village
listing in the Austrian phonebook.
Likewise, we should pay attention to Hungarian geography, being aware of
Hungarian names, former Megye (county) and possibly even Komitat (Gemeinde),
particularly if you are working in the pre-1921 period.
In my computer files I show birth place as Heiligenkreuz, Burgenland,
Austria but the notes for the first entry with this village also say, "in the
southern Burgenland, Bezirk of Jennersdorf with the full name of
Heiligenkreuz im Lafnitztal, known as Rabakeresztur, Vas Megye (Komitat
Eisenburg), Hungary pre-1921. Includes Poppendorf. A historical description
(like Leser's) follows that note.
The seven Burgenland "Bezirks", north to south are Neusiedl am See (28
Gemeinden - Andau to Zurndorf), Eisenstadt (24 Gemeinden - Breitenbrunn to
Zillingtal), Mattersburg (19 Gemeinden - Antau to Zemendorf-Stöttera),
Oberpullendorf (28 Gemeinden - Deutschkreutz to Weppersdorf), Oberwart (31
Gemeinden - Bad Tatzmannsdorf to Wolfau), Güssing (26 Gemeinden - Bocksdorf to
Wörtherberg), and Jennersdorf (12 Gemeinden - Deutsch Kaltenbrunn to
Weichselbaum). In addition there are the free cities of Rust and Eisenstadt.
That's a total of 170 villages and cities, although we know there are about
400. The difference are mainly Ortsteile. See what I mean? Do you know the
Bezirks and Gemeinden for your villages?
MORE FROM ALLENTOWN, PA ETHNIC NEWSPAPERS (from Albert Schuch)
(Ed. note: if anyone knows of a source for these newspapers or the location of
their archives, please advise).
On 22 Nov 1931, the Oberwarter Sonntags-Zeitung reported the death of Julius
BODISCH, publisher of the "Allentown Friedensbote". The newspaper was in
existence for about 9 years.
From the weekly "Der Freie Burgenländer":
17 May 1925 - Poppendorf: Donations from America for the Lutheran school;
collectors in New Britain were Franz BERGHOLD and Josef MIRTH (98 Dollars)
15 Jan 1928 - Poppendorf: Für eine evangelische Schule in Poppendorf wurde vom
Landsmann Josef BERGHOLD, der in Allentown lebt, eine Sammlung eingeleitet,
die 32 Dollar ergab, das sind 225 Schilling. [= For a Lutheran school in
Poppendorf our countryman Josef BERGHOLD in Allentown collected 32 Dollars,
that is 225 Schilling.]
15 Jan 1928 - Josef BODER collected 20 Dollars for the Fire Brigade
of Heiligenkreuz, donators were: 2 D(ollars): Frank SCHUSTER; 1 D: Johann
BERGHOLD, Josef BODER, Cilly GAAL, Gisela KROPF, Josef NIKLES, Josef
OBERECKER, Alois PFEIFFER, Franz PFEIFFER, Lina PIEBER, Karl SCHREI, Josef
SCHNIRLEIN, Josef SCHWARTZ, Therese URBAN, Frank WAGNER; 50 C: Therese HEBER,
Eduard RESZLER, Josef RESZLER, Therese SCHREINER, Johann ZEGLOWITSCH, Josef
ZWICKL; 25 C: Anna KLINE, Rudolf KROPF, Eduard RESZLER, Johann SIMITZ, Mary
STRANSEL. Alle from Coplay and Allentown.
NEW HUNGARIAN ATLAS DESCRIBES VILLAGES (from Fritz Königshofer)
Fritz writes: During my recent trip to Budapest, I found some new books on
(present-day) Hungarian counties which I had not seen before. This is a
series titled "[county name] Atlas" and contains maps of all major
settlements in the county as well as brief descriptions of them in three
languages (Hungarian, English and German). I puchased the volumes for Vas,
Moson - Sopron-Györ, and Somogy. The volume for Vas county came out in 1997.
The reason I'm writing this message, besides the information about this new
series, is to convey to you the English text (with my small corrections)
about Szent Péterfa.
Taken from Vas Megye Településeinek Atlasza, Peter Göndöcs, publisher, 1997,
published by HISZI-MAP Kft., 5700 Gyula, Corvin utca 3, Tel/Fax:
+36-66-463610, 463323, Hungary. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
Copies available in Hungary for 2,500 Forints."
SZENT PÉTERFA
"The settlement is situated along the Pinka stream and now inhabited mainly
by Croats. It was first recorded in 1221. The village owes its name to the
titular saint of the parish church. This church preserves the architectural
traits of consecutive periods. The baptismal fountain is Romanesque, while
most of the other architectural features originated in the second half of the
15th century, rendering St. Peter's church one of the most significant relics
of West Transdanubia's "brickwork Gothic" style. The village has a border
station to Austria. In 1923, after the Trianon Peace Treaty, the settlement
was awarded the title of "The Most Loyal Hungarian Village" as the population
had voted to return to Hungary. The current population is 1,066."
(Newsletter continued as No. 59A)
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 59A
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold)
June 15, 1999
This second section of the 3 section newsletter is:
- the fifth 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
19 through 20 are included in this issue. They explain the linguistic differences
of the Croat immigrants and how they may be used as a clue to origin in Croatia.
You may wish to look for your village.
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 XIX - Immigration of Croatians into Today's Burgenland
There always was a connection between the Turkish attacks and the migration
of the fleeing Croats. The main migration into our cramped homeland lasted
from 1515 to 1579, as we know today. Since three Croatian municipalities had
scarce German majorities around 1579, and many new family names emerged as of
this time, we can assume that the migration was not completed in the year
1579. The so-called "Walachs" settled in the areas of Schlaining, Rechnitz,
and Rotenturm in the second half of the 17th century. The Croatian author Mate
Ujevic wrote about the Migration of the Croats in his book "Gradiscanski
Hrvati", "The Croatian farmers left their old homeland in such large
quantities that some Croat areas were void of inhabitants. This fact caused
the Croatian Aristocrats to take a stance against the migration of the
Croatian farmers into Austria and Hungary. In 1532 the Croatian Aristocracy
complained to King Ferdinand about the Hungarian, Styrian, and Austrian
domain owners, that they were enticing Croatian farmers to emigrate, leaving
White Croatia without protection. In 1535, the Croatian Parliament assembled
in Topusko and selected two emissaries from their midst, Johann Tumpic and
Michael Budisic, to present the complaints and demands of the Parliament to
the King. The most serious complaint consisted of the allegation that the
Aristocrats of Krain, Austria and Hungary sent messengers to Croatia,
tempting the Croatian farmers to leave their homeland and to emigrate to the
domains of Krain, Lower Austria or Hungary. The Croatian Parliament requested
the King to prohibit further relocations and arrange for the already
resettled farmers to return to statute labor farming. The protests of the
Croatian Aristocrats and State Parliament were not successful for the time
being. When the emigration did not stop and the Turks oppressed Croatia even
more strongly, the King and the Hungarian Parliament decided in 1550 that the
migration of the Croat serfs would be permitted if they (the subjects)
desired. The Domain owners, under the threat of punishment prescribed by law,
could not detain the emigration of any serfs. Contrary to the continuous
petitions of the Croatian Aristocracy until the end of the 16th Century, the
Croat emigrants did not return to their old homeland." Croat sources testify
that the first inhabitants left the Croatian coastal country of their
homeland, namely from the areas of Senj (Zengg) up to Obrovac, particularly
however from the plains of the rivers Lika, Gacka, and Krbava. The move began
in 1522 and continued until 1527, after which the situation quieted down. The
Turks left these areas in peace for a while because the magnates of the
region, Frangepani and Zrinyi paid them tribute. We find traces of these
emigrants in Trausdorf an der Wulka, Purbach, Schutzen am Gebirge, Oslip,
Apetlon, and Illmitz.
The causes of these first migrations to the north were the repeated attacks
of the Turks on the Croatian coastal country. The painful wounds from the
defeat at Krbava had not yet healed when the Turks began to invade this
region again. They conquered the fortified locales of Knin and Skradin in
1522, and Ostrovica in 1528. Because the Hungarian King Ludwig II could not
send any "soldiers or money (Ducaten)" due to (being in) difficult
circumstances, the inhabitants of the Croatian coastlands were on their own,
and flight was their only way to avoid being killed or taken into slavery by
the Turks. The defeat at Mohacs on August 29, 1526 was momentous not only for
Hungary, but also for Croatia. On hearing the bad news concerning Mohacs, the
inhabitants of Croatia, and particularly those from Slavonia were overcome
with a great anxiety.
Everyone thought of fleeing as they anticipated that the Turkish Emperor
Soliman would destroy everything upon his return. We must understand that
many Croatian refugees arrived in Oedenburg already by the ninth day after
the disaster of Mohacs. It is safe to assume that a part of these Croats
settled in Siegendorf and Baumgarten.
Total confusion reigned in Croatia, when the Croatian magnates selected the
Austrian Archduke Ferdinand to be the King of Croatia on January 1, 1527, but
the Slavonian aristocracy and the Hungarian magnates chose Johann Zapolya to
be King. This duplicate election plunged the country into a three-year civil
war, which the Turks promptly took advantage of and initiated new attacks.
They conquered the fortified cities of Obrovac and Udbina in 1527. The
important fortresses of Jajce and Banja Luka in northwest Bosnia fell into
Turkish hands at the start of 1528. The Turks advanced up to the strongly
reinforced City of Senj (Zengg) after these conquests, and occupied the
entire surroundings of Lika and Krbava in 1529. These events sustained the
torrent of fleeing refugees. When Sultan Soliman stood in front of Wien
(Vienna) in 1529 with a powerful army, and then moved again towards Vienna in
1532, entire areas in West Hungary and Lower Austria were plundered and
devastated. As a result, a massive emigration of Croats began from the
endangered neighborhoods into the regions that were devastated by the Turks
in 1529 and 1532. We find these emigrants in the Lower Austrian villages of
Scharndorf and Petronell in 1531 and in the small towns of Schnau,
Günseldorf, Teesdorf, and Trumau, near Baden in 1533. From a complaint sent by
this municipality to Emperor Karl IV in July 1716, it follows that Croats
also lived in Drassburg at that time (in the part that was under Paul Vardai,
the Archbishop of Gran). The community of Kittsee had a narrative with the
title "Kittsee und Nachbarschaft" (Kittsee and Neighborhood) from an unnamed
University Professor. From there we read: "The Croats came in the first half
of the 16th century, however sometime after 1526. Jacob Von der Duerr, the
Pfandherr (one who loaned money and received a Domain as a mortgage) of the
county of Forchenstein since 1533, settled Croats amicably in the depopulated
localities of this county. Sigless, Drassburg, Stinkenbrunn, Zillingtal etc.
were resettled at that time again. There were already 600 settlers in 1537,
predominantly Croats from southern Bosnia."
Composite: See the Urbaria (Land Registration records) of the Eisenstadt
Domain from the years 1515 and 1527. 12 Croatian families and a Croatian
priest live in Oslip; we find 3 Croatian families in Trausdorf, 1 in Apetlon,
3 in Illmitz, and 2 in Purbach. The Croat, Ivan Post, bought half of the mill
situated in Gschies (now Schutzen am Gebirge), the other half by George
Krabat. Since half of Wulkaprodersdorf, Trausdorf and Antau also belonged to
this Earldom, we can safely assume that Croats also settled in these villages
at the same time.
Unfortunately we only possess the Urbare (Land Registration Records) of the
Hornstein Domain from 1561. We can infer from this that Hornstein and
Stinkenbrunn (Steinbrunn) were already entirely Croatian villages, and
Wulkaprodersdorf was partially Croatian. Rohrbach belonged to the Domain of
Landsee along with Baumgarten and Siegendorf. Since we found Croats in the
last two small towns in 1528, and because Jacob Von der Duerr settled Croats
in several villages of the Earldom of Forchtenstein shortly after 1532, the
first Croats also probably came to Rohrbach at the same time. Oslip,
Trausdorf, Siegendorf, Baumgarten, Zagersdorf, Drassburg, and Zillingtal were
Croatian; Wulkaprodersdorf had a small German majority, while Schutzen am
Gebirge had a substantial Croatian minority. Mullendorf, Grosshflein,
Krensdorf, and Stöttera had small Croatian minorities.
In 1542 a Croatian minister named George Soccovich served in the village of
Klingenbach which belonged to the Oedenburg City Domain. Rohrbach still had
49 Croatian and 46 German families in 1649. It should be noted in this
connection, that Adolf Mohl's contention that Kleinhoflein,
Leithaprodersdorf, and Oggau were former germanized Croatian settlements does
not agree with the facts. Both Kleinhoflein and Oggau were purely German
communities in 1569. Only one Croatian, named Windisch lived in
Leithaprodersdorf among 72 German families in 1561. The same was true for St.
Margarethen and Schattendorf. No Croatian families lived in Schattendorf in
1589; of the 87 families said to be in St. Margarethen in 1569, 85 had German
surnames and only 2 had Croatian names.
We also find early traces of the Croats who immigrated from the south in the
District of Pullendorf. In 1522, a Croatian Franciscan was already busy
copying the so-called Keszthely Codex in Lockenhaus, which was the seat of
the Hungarian magnate Kanizsai's family. This magnate's family settled Croats
into their west Hungarian estates who were from the areas surrounding the
castles of Velika and Stenicnjak in Croatia and Slavonia. The Kanizsai family
owned the Domain of Lockenhaus to which Nikitsch and Unterpullendorf belonged
along with 12 other communities, and this family had still other properties
south of Oedenburg. Since the Kanizsai male lineage had become extinct in
1532, the Croats must have been settled before the second Turkish assault
began. It is not well known today which communities within the Domain of
Lockenhaus were settled by the Croatians. Frau Weisspriach, the Baroness of
Landsee, had a Croatian servant in 1523.
A Christopher Krabat stayed in Oedenburg as an envoy of Ferdinand in 1527,
and in the same year a Croat named Veit, along with many other Croatians were
also lodged in Oedenburg. To better understand the settlement history of the
Croats in the district of Pullendorf, we need to present the reader with two
distinct personalities. The first is Field Captain Nicholas Jurischitz, who
received the Domain of Güns (Koszeg) from Ferdinand I for his bravery during
the siege of Wien (Vienna) in 1529. Three years later he managed to stop the
Turks for 25 days in an attack near Güns with 10 horsemen, 28 Hussars and 700
farmers, and in the process foiled the Turkish advance on Vienna. Jeno Hazi,
historian of the royal free city of Oedenburg, Book I. Volume 7, Page 205.
Queen Marie, the widow of Ludwig II, ordered the citizens of Oedenburg to
stop the Croatian refugees from passing through Oedenburg, and provide them
shelter in the city or suburbs, so that the country might increase its
population and property value. Pressburg (Bratislava) on September 7, 1526.
Page 340. A Christoph from Aspang stole two oxen from a Croat in Baumgarten
and pawned them to another Croat in Siegendorf for around 5 Pounds dinarii.
He received the title of Baron, and the badly battered Domain of the
Klostermarienberg Abbey for this heroic deed. Apart from the fortress, 14
villages belonged to the Domain of Güns, and 10 villages belonged to the
Domain of Klostermarienberg. After Hans Kotzianer was killed near Gorjan in
1537, Nicholas Juraschitz who was the Commander in Chief of the military
boundaries set up against the Turks succeeded him. Thomas Nadasdy (1494 -
1562) was the second, but no lesser important personality of that time.
Nadasdy became the wealthiest of the Hungarian magnates as a result of his
marriage with Ursula Kanizsai in 1532. Most of the municipalities between
Lockenhaus and Oedenburg and south of the Lake of Neusiedl were under his
rule. Beside other high offices, Nadasdy held the second highest position in
Croatia as Ban from 1537 until 1540. He, along his wife Ursula Kanizsai were
the owners of the Castle of Velika that was located in Slovenia, and the
Domain of Stenicnjak, which was in Croatia. Since the available armed forces
were not adequate even with the best of intentions to resist the hostile
superiority of the Turks, the castles of Velika, Dubica, Virovtica, and
Moslavina were conquered in 1537.
The Croats in the vicinity of these castles fled, and eventually settled on
Nadasdy's Estates that were located in West Hungary. Jurischitz did
similarly, because he too required industrious hands in order to safeguard
the proceeds of his property for himself. As the Turks pressed forward
farther westward towards Kostajnica, the castles on the river Una came into
danger, and new refugees streamed into the area between Güns and Oedenburg
(Sopron) and into the surroundings south of Lake Neusiedl.
The Turks conquered Slavonia shortly after engulfing the coastal country of
Croatia. Eastern Slavonia was so badly devastated in 1526, that one hardly
found any indications of the former inhabitants after that campaign. The
Turks, without a great amount of bloodshed soon occupied the central portion
of Slavonia after that. Supporters of the Zapolya Party were in this part of
the country. The population in this area survived virtually intact because
they did not offer serious opposition to the Turks. On the other hand, the
inhabitants in the western sections of the country suffered to such a degree
that the land was populated later largely via the influx of other settlers.
The Turks fought a guerilla war against this part of Slavonia from 1537 until
1543, which to a large extent was carried out by the so-called Martalozen.
Most of the original inhabitants were either killed or abducted into captivity
in these battles. Many migrated to Western Croatia or towards West Hungary.
These emigrants fled onto the properties of those tycoons who had possessions
both in West Slavonia and in West Hungary, as e.g. the Nadasdy, Batthyány,
Erdody families and others. Particularly many settled on the properties of
the Nadasdy Family who had large Estates in the surroundings of Lockenhaus
and Oedenburg. (Klein-Andre, Amhagen, Kohlnhof, Gross-Andre, etc.) Batthyány
led many of his Fronbauern (farmers) from the neighborhoods of Kopreinitz
(Koprivnica) into southern Burgenland and into the vicinity of Rechnitz and
Güssing (e.g. St. Nicholas in Burgenland). Nadasdy settled his serfs around
1537 and 1538, Battyany from 1538 until 1545.
Monk Gregor, from Velika (Kanizsay property in Slavonia, north of Pozega)
copied the so-called Keszthely Codex in Lockenhaus from July 24, until
November 1, 1522. (Magyarorszag varmegyei es varosai Vas varmegye (The
Counties and Municipalities of Hungary), the County of Eisenburg, Page 328.)
Settlers came out of Velika into today's Hungarian village of Endred located
to the south of Lake Neusiedl bringing gold-plated chalices and patens with
them from 1515. The Oedenburg (Sopron) historian, Imre Nagy, writes, that the
magnate family Kanizsay had settled Croats from Bosnia and from the
surroundings of the Croatian castles of Velike and Stenicnjak (today's
Sjenicak) onto their properties in West Hungary. Even the Keglevic Family who
had no properties in western Hungary resettled their Fronbauern (farmers)
from their Domain of Bijela Stijena to western Hungary. The Erdody Family
brought their subjects from the surroundings of Moslavina into the areas of
Rotenturm and the Pinka River, and some years later, settlers from the areas
of Rovisce, Raca, and Kopreinitz. The Croats could not hold the areas around
the Una River for long after the fall of the important Castle of Kostainica.
Nicholas Subic, also called Zrinjski after Castle of Zrin, personally assumed
the responsibility for organizing the settlement, and he obtained "salvum
conductum" (free passage) and good settlements for 10,000 farmers from this
area. The relocation into the safe territories of West Hungary and Slovakia
was executed according to plan, and the farmers were allowed to take all
their movable belongings into their new homeland. Along the way the farmers
of the Zrinji Estates went initially from the regions of Kostajnica to
Hrastovica, which occurred after the fall of Kostajnica from 1556 until 1561.
These farmers eventually settled on the Zrinji Estates on the Pinka River,
and in mid Burgenland. During the second phase of this resettlement, the
Croatian farmers from the locale of Kladus migrated up until the Castle of
Stenicnjak and from the historical place of Slunj as far as Krstinja (near
Karlstadt). These last resettlements continued for 14 years, from 1565 until
1579. These emigrants settled in the present-day District of Pullendorf, into
the adjacent Western Hungary, east of Vienna, in Northern Burgenland, into
southern Moravia, and southern Slovakia.
Chapter XX - The Croatian Dialects in Burgenland
A long cherished desire of the Burgenland Croats was to know the area of
Croatia from which their ancestors came. In what has been said up to now, on
the whole, answers have been provided to the questions asked. It is necessary
to point out the dialects of the Burgenland Croats to the extent this
treatise allows, so that our statements appear clear and positive. As is the
case with all large populations, dialects developed among the Croatians over
the course of time. Our Croats did not speak one and the same dialect, and
two distinct dialect groups, namely the Ca and the Sto dialect, are found in
Burgenland. The questioning pronoun "what" is employed as a characteristic
distinguishing feature. The "Cakavci" in northern and central Burgenland ask a
question with "ca", while the "Stokavci" in Southern Burgenland ask with
"Sto". Obviously there are also other linguistic differences between these
two dialects. A third dialect group, the Kaj dialect, is represented in the
Hungarian villages of Amhagen (Homok) and Klein-Andre (Hidegseg) which are
situated south of Lake Neusiedl. The "Kajkavci" living there employ the
asking pronoun "kaj". The predominant part (80%) the Burgenland Croats speak
the Ca dialect, namely the Croats in the Districts of Neusiedl, Eisenstadt,
Mattersburg and Oberpullendorf. The Ca dialect is also in 7 communities
within the Güssing District: Stinatz, Hackerberg, Stegersbach, Heugraben,
Eisenhüttl, Reinersdorf, and Grossmürbisch. The remaining Croats of the
Oberwart and Güssing Districts are included with those that speak the Sto
dialect. The inhabitants of Weiden bei Rechnitz, Podgoria, Rumpersdorf,
Allersdorf, Mönchmeierhof, Podler, Allersgraben-Rauhriegel, Spitzzichen,
Miedlingsdorf, and Althodis in the Oberwart District are included among the
Croats speaking the Sto dialect. The Croats of these villages were also
called Vlahi (Walachs). These latter Croats accentuate the first vowel in the
noun.
Ca dialect - Sto dialetc
otac - ootac = Vater (father)
voda - vooda = Wasser (water)
koza - kooza = Ziege (goat)
trava - traava = Gras (grass)
dite - diite = Kind (child)
The verb ending in the first person singular, past tense, is read as an "o"
in the northern part of Burgenland. Ca dialect: ja sam bio = ich bin
gewesen (I was) ja sam vidio = ich habe gesehen (I saw) ja sam nosio = ich
habe getragen (I carried)
The Croats in the central part of Burgenland read the above as: ja sam bio or
ja sam bilja sam vidio or ja sam vidilja sam nosio or ja sam nosil
Only the "Vlahi" of the Oberwart District used the "ia" verb ending. ja sam
bia, ja sam vidia, ja sam nosia
The Croats in Northern Burgenland and in most villages in Mid-Burgenland
spoke the old Slavonian sound "e" in nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs as
"ie", while the Croats in the Oberwart and Güssing Districts spoke it as an "i".
Ca dialect - Sto dialect
piasek - pisak = Sand (sand)
tielo - tilo = Korper (body)
lieto - lito = Jahr (year)
obied - obid = Mittagessen (lunch)
vieter - vitar = Wind (wind)
cviet - cvit = Blume (flower)
(other examples have been deleted - see complete translation)
The aforementioned differences in dialects did not originate in Burgenland,
but were brought here from the South. Since the same dialects are still
detected in the native country (Croatia) today, they point us to those areas
from which the ancestors of the Burgenland Croats emigrated. If we compare
the above-mentioned dialects with those of the 16th century, we can
determine: Croats, speaking the Kaj dialect, lived, and still live today
between the Kulpa and Mur rivers in Zagreb (Agram). Therefore, the ancestors
of the above mentioned inhabitants of Klein-Andre and Amhagen must have
descended from this area. History of the 16th century provides us an answer
to the question why the inhabitants of only these two municipalities fled:
The Turks were only able to conquer the eastern strip of land of the so-
called Kajkavstina. Since the Turkish advance was halted here, the
inhabitants of this section of Croatia did not have a compelling reason to
leave their homeland. Slavonia is situated east of these areas where the Kaj
dialect is spoken, and lies between the Drava, Sava, and Danube rivers.
Croats speaking the Sto dialect lived, and still live here even today. The
Turks devastated the eastern part of this countryside, when they moved
against Mohacs in 1526. The central portion of Slavonia was easily occupied
soon thereafter, and its inhabitants remained and did not flee. The western
part of the country was bitterly contested however, and the Turks conquered
this part of the land only after a long struggle. The inhabitants of these
areas fled partly to west Croatia, and partly to west Hungary. Hungarian
magnats also had properties here that they occupied with Hungarian Fronbauern
(farmers). If we find Croatian settlers with Hungarian surnames e.g. in St.
Nicholas or in Sulz, both of which are in Burgenland, it is an indication
that we have found refugees from West Slavonia here. The Caj dialect was
spoken from the Kulpa south until the small river of Zrmanja between the Mur
River and the Adriatic Sea, and in all of Dalmatia. The northern part of this
area was initially restless, and suffered most of all of the regions in
Croatia under the Turks. The Turks devastated this countryside eight times
from 1469 until 1528, and led their prisoners into bondage. Inhabitants of
whole regions left their homes because insufficient help came to their aid.
The fear of the Turks was so great that these refugees settled first in the
today's northern Burgenland, and in the eastern part of Lower
Austria. Settlers also came here out of the northwestern areas of Bosnia,
after the powerful Castle of Jajce and the important town of Banja Luka had
fallen into Turkish hands. Those Croats who came from the coastal lands in the
first half of the past century were called the Water Croats, those from
Bosnia however were known as the Bosnian-Croats. Since the Croats coming from
the coastal regions had lived together with the Italians, they brought
several Italian expressions that the Croats of northern Burgenland still use
today, e.g. ostarija (Inn), facol (kerchief), eimitor (grave yard), placa
(alleyway), skuro (dark), baril (kegs). Other expressions also support the
above-mentioned statement. The Croats of the Parndorf Heide (heathland) say
to persons who cannot be trusted: "Ti stari Venecijan" (you old Venetian).
The Croats of Gattendorf still use expressions that are associated with
fishing or the sea, while in other communities within the same
language-island groups also originating from the coastal areas such
expressions are no longer used. According to Minister M. Fertsak, the reason
for this may be that in Gattendorf the Croats continued to fish in the river
Leitha. The Croats in Northern Burgenland called the cold and bitter North
wind "bura" just as the inhabitants of the coastal regions did. The Castle of
Gusic being situated in the proximity of Senj (Zengg) suggests where the
ancestors of the Trausdorf families named Gusic may have lived. The surname
Dobrovich appeared already around the year 1100 on a stone blackboard in the
monastery of St. Lucia on the island of Krk-Veglia. Adolph Mohl associated
the mountain name of Kutrova, which is situated near Otoca, with the surname
Kutrovac in Sigless. Folk songs and traditions of the North Burgenland Croats
speak of galleys and mermaids. The Croats in the Oberpullendorf District form
a second group speaking the Ca dialect, however they knew no Italian words.
The North Burgenland Croats place the "j" in front of the noun or numeral
that begins with an "i" or an "e.
North Burgenland - Oberpullendorf District
jigla - igla = Nadel (needle)
jime - ime = Name (name)
Jivan - Ivan = Johann (John)
jedan - edan = ein (one)
jednosto - ednosto = einhundert (one hundred)
The prefix "j" is also placed before a few verbs beginning with an "i".
(Other examples may be found in complete translation)
The aforementioned linguistic deviations and some differences in accentuation
point to the fact that these Croats did not come from the coastal country,
but rather from areas located to the East. Some names provide references to
where the former homes of these Croats were located. Thus a house is still
called "Zrinskova Haus" (Zrinyi's House) today in Frankenau. The Zrinska Gora
Mountains rise between the Kulpa and Una Rivers. The Castle of Zrin, from
which the Croatian magnate family Subic received the surnames of Zrinski or
Zrinji, was there. The Kanizsai-Nadasdy family brought many Fronbauern
(farmers) into central Burgenland from the surroundings of their Castle
Stenicnjak that was located south of the river Kulpa. The Castle of Kirin is
located east of the castle of Stenicnjak, where the village of Kirin is
located today. Several families live in Kroatisch Geresdorf and Kroatisch
Minihof with the surname Kirin.
Branimir Tukavac said in his article "Iz nase stare domovine" (From our old
Homeland), that the inhabitants of the Warasdorf region came from this
vicinity, and replenished settlements possibly already existing between 1565
and 1579. The previously mentioned third group of the Ca dialect speaking
Croats lived in the western part of the Güssing District. A special
linguistic feature of theirs is it that they speak the unit digit before the
tens digit while counting. (25 is spoken as five and twenty - fünfzwanzig.)
The Croats of the Parndorf language island group count similarly. All the
remaining Croats however put the unit digit after the tens digit. (25 is
spoken as a twenty five - zwanzigfünf.) The Sto and Caj dialects have few
differences relatively speaking except for the linguistic variances mentioned
in this chapter.
(To be continued in newsletter no. 60, this newsletter continues as no. 59B)
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 59B
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(issued biweekly by Gerald Berghold)
June 15, 1999
This third section of the 3 section newsletter contains:
- Contacts With Others
- "Puzsta" Villages
- an Old Letter from OZ
- Haydn as "Kapell Meister" in the Esterhazy Palace
- House Names
- The Pannonian Yearbook
CONTACT OTHER MEMBERS TO SHARE INFORMATION
The main purpose of the Burgenland Bunch (BB) is to help descendants of
Burgenland emigrants find family history data. When you first join the BB, I
try to put you in touch with members researching similar villages or family
names. I also supply some village data. While I'm always available for
questions, from that point on, you're more or less on your own. It's hoped
that you and other members will correspond and help each other where
possible. I also like to be copied when there is something of interest to be
included in the newsletters. One of your first actions should be to scan the
homepage lists and contact likely correspondents. Some of our members
specialize, are founts of knowledge and greet new members of similar
interests. A few follow:
Bob Unger has been helping Gustav Schermann find relatives here in the US;
he writes, "Gustav: In my last email from you, you said that you would like me
to send my message in English and then translate into German using my
computer. Thus I am doing the same for this message.
I have found your relatives here in the USA - Debbie's name is now Debbie
Collins and she lives in Blue Hill, Maine. Her telephone number is:
(removed) Her email address (removed). I received the last link of
information in a surface mail letter I received today. I wrote to the
address that you sent me. The current resident of that address wrote the
following:
Dear Mr. Unger, I have the name of her brother, Michael (removed). They were
both the trustees of this estate when we bought it. Debra's name is now
Debra Collins. Michael's telephone number is (removed). Sincerely, The
current resident is (removed).
I immediately called Michael and talked with his wife... I next looked up
Debra Collins on the online telephone directory and found two persons by
that name. I called the Debra in the state of Maine and confirmed that she is
your relative. She remembers writing to your daughter Trudy. Debra told me
that she does not speak German, but could find someone near where she lives
to translate. Gustav, you can use the online translator - see the
Burgenland Bunch home page for the address. I am sending an email copy of
this letter to Debra, so she will know what I am telling you. I am also
sending a copy to the editor of the Burgenland Bunch, Gerry Berghold. He
will be most happy to hear that you relatives have been found. I am excited
and happy that the search was successful. Gustav and Debbie, I hope that your
families will also find new joy in this electronic age of family reunion.
Debbie: Gustav just recently joined the Burgenland Bunch. The home page of
the Burgenland bunch is http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org. I will send you a
separate email with more information about the Burgenland Bunch. Perhaps you
will want to join. It's a great bunch and you learn much about Burgenand,
Austria, from its editor, Gerry Berghold and all the contributors. If I can be
of further help, please email me. Bob Unger.
(a translation in German then follows)
ED. Note: A great piece of sleuthing and help beyond what anyone could
reasonably hope for.
New member Bill Stubits recently contacted Harmisch specialist John D.
Lavendoski.
Bill writes: John, I noticed your name with the Burgenland Bunch, and I
also noticed that you are looking into Harmisch. That's the village that
my dad was from. I've been there a couple of times. I think it is also
mentioned that you've been to Harmisch. Who do you visit? I know a
couple of people there. I have three cousins living in Harmisch. My cousin
Louis who is married to Hanni, and I have a cousin Anna Bugnits, as well as
Fanni. I also met a Johann Stubits, whose father used to cut my hair when I
was a kid. His father was living in Northampton (PA) at the time. He went
back to be with his wife and family in Harmisch, and in 1974 he passed away
over there. I was fortunate to be in Burgenland at the time, and I spent
some time visiting with him, while he was in the Spital in Oberwart. When I
got home, I heard he died a couple days after I saw him. I really enjoy
visiting over there.
John replies: Hello, Yes, I am the one who has (also) been over there and I
have done a LOT of research on various Harmisch families. If you can give me
an exact birth or marriage date for any of your ancestors from 1895 or
before, I can pretty much tell you all about their family tree. Even if you
can only give me a couple's names who would have been married before 1895, I
might be able to give you their tree. Let me know what you can do and I will
be happy to help !! We are probably some sort of distant cousin anyway... John L.
Internet editor Anna Kresh contacts all new members in order to send them a
copy of our URL list. On occasion she finds a likely candidate for
correspondence.
Anna writes to Frieda Eberhardt: Dear Frieda, As you are probably aware,
Gerry Berghold sent me your membership listing so that I could send you a
Burgenland Bunch Internet Links list. You should have received it by now.
Your PREISLER surname has been of interest to me ever since I found my
mothers passenger list record. My parents were Ignatz and Maria (Schuch)
TANCZOS, who emigrated to Northampton (PA) -- my father in 1906
from Kroatisch Tschantschendorf, and my mother in 1910 from Horvathasos
(Kroatisch Ehrensdorf). They lived on Newport Ave. until they bought a farm
in Danielsville in 1921. As a child I remember many family visits to/from the
Eberhardts on Newport Ave. and our farm. I don't remember any visits to/from
Preislers. However, from the information on my mother's passenger ship
manifest it appears she may have been traveling with a relative of yours.
This is the info from the ship's list (my mother's name is on the line
immediately following that of Valerie Preiszler):
SS Zeeland sailing from Antwerp March 5, 1910, arriving NY March 15, 1910.
Preiszler, Valerie, age 43, married, housewife, Citizen of: Hungary, Race:
German, Last permanent residence: Hungary, Nemethasos (Deutsch
Ehrensdorf), Nearest Relative: Mother Anna Marks (??), Nemethasos,
Destination: Northampton, PA Passage paid by: Husband, Ever before in US?
1908, Northampton, PA, Joining whom in US? Husband Pal Preiszler
The writing on this manifest is very difficult to read so I am hoping the
above is correct. It also states my mother, age 17, was joining her uncle
with a ditto mark under Pal Preiszler's name, but I think she was really
joining her uncle John Weber with whom she actually boarded until she married
my father in 1912 at Our Lady of Hungary Church. Was it just a coincidence
that they were on the same ship or were they really traveling together? Is
there a connection between the Schuch and Preiszler families? I believe my
mother emigrated to work "in dienst", quite possibly with the Eberhardts
since they operated a hotel. And the Preiszler village of Deutsch Ehrensdorf
is right next to my mother's village of Kroatisch Ehrensdorf. I am curious to
hear your comments. Anna Tanczos Kresh, BB Internet Editor
Croatian Editor Frank Teklits has been greeting all new members with a
Croatian name.
He recently writes Lou Yurasits, "I'm delighted at your joining the BB & hope
that you'll receive many benefits from becoming a member & that perhaps you'll
enhance the Group by sharing some of your genealogical efforts & experiences.
My apologies for not getting this note out sooner, as I automatically added an
"S" to your address which Gerry was kind enough to spot. I literally jumped with
joy seeing your surname, as I think that you've hit the jackpot since one of the
BB members probably has the worlds' finest collection of Yurasits/Jurasits surnames
anywhere in his existing data base. I've copied him (John Lavendoski) on this note,
& hope that the both of you will benefit from your joining the group. I'll vouch
for John's tenacity & data collection as we've discussed Szentpéterfa genealogy
often over the past few years. John was born in Northampton, as I was, and
along with Gerry and myself, is a graduate of Lehigh Univ. If I can be of any
benefit, please don't hesitate to contact me, & good luck with your
genealogical search.
Fritz Königshofer is another very active correspondent. I could fill a
newsletter section with his correspondence alone. He recently responded to a
Burgenland Province Austria Query.
It is a response to "Althodis (Hodis of Markt Hodis)" posted by Patricia
Schmitt on 10 May 1999. The message reads as follows: One good source about
the history of the two Hodisses are the articles and books by the late Karl
Klein, teacher in Rechnitz. Apparently, Hodis was founded around 1200 if not
a bit earlier. The Mitterdorfer Urbar of 1451 (a tax roll, now in the county
archives of Tyrol in Innsbruck) lists the farms in the "Dorf Hodis" (village
Hodis). The attribute "Dorf" is being interpreted to convey the sense that at
that time knowledge also existed of the hamlet of Alt-Hodis in the mountains.
Therefore, you could rightfully assume that the history of the two Hodisses
spans much more time than 300 years.
Ed. Note: Have You Contacted Anyone Recently?
PUZSTA VILLAGE QUESTION (from Liz Cole)
<< Really enjoy your newsletters and the Austrian village information that
has been researched. However, I have never seen any reference to one that
keeps showing up in my research, i.e. Albert Casimir, also seen as A.
Casimir and Albert Kasmer. Please enlighten me as to where this village is.
In the records where I have found most of the relatives it is intermingled
with Féltorony. However, I can't seem to find any further record after the
one that lists Albert Casimir as the residence location. >>
Answer: Hello Liz, Féltorony (Hungarian name) as you probably know, is now
Halbturn and it's in the Burgenland right next to the Hungarian border to the
east of the Neusiedler See. Just to the east of Halbturn, (about 3 kms) the
first village in Hungary is Albertkazmerpuszta. A "puszta" originally was a
work camp and there were "puszta majors and puszta minors". The aristocratic
estate holdings were so vast that it could take hours (even days) to travel
from a village like Halbturn to work the outer reaches. This meant the loss
of much work time, so the landowner would in effect create a camp with wells
and huts and the workers would live there during the week or growing season
and return to their homes only every so often. Many of these work camps were
eventually deserted (the word "puszta" means deserted, or farmstead or ranch
or lowland plain) but others turned into villages after the estates were
broken up. Albertkazmerpuszta was one such. I have no idea who Albert Kazmer
(Kasimir) was, maybe the original landowner. The inhabitants would have used
the church in Halbturn, which is why your records come up with the village
name. You might also find the villages of Wittmannshof, Edmundshof, Kleylehof
("hof" is the German equivalent of puszta) which are near Halbturn, as well
as Irénmajor and Ujszajdamajor in Hungary. These were all work camps
originally, now small villages.
An 1873 Gazeteer shows that Albertkazmerpuszta (also shown as Kazimir) was in
the Jaras (Bezirk / district) of Nezsider (Neusiedl) in the Megye
(Comitat / county) of Moson. It, along with Wittmannsdorf, Farkaskut, Jessehof
and Szolnokiúti, were part of the parish of Féltorony. Total population in 1873
was 2473. Gerry Berghold
We then asked Albert Schuch what he could add. << Any idea who Albert Kasimir
was? Landowner? I don't find the name in my Hungarian histories. >>
Albert replies: Quite a landowner! I am sure you have heard of him, but his
second name Kasimir is rarely mentioned. This was Duke Albert Casimir von
Sachsen-Teschen, born 1738 in Dresden, who in 1766 married Archduchess Maria
Christina (+1798), favorite daughter of Maria Theresia. M.T. gave the huge
Ungarisch-Altenburg (Magyar-Ovar) estate to the couple. Maria Christina died
in 1798, Albert Casimir in 1822. His art collection, the "Albertina", is well
known.
AN OLD LETTER FROM OZ TO AN EARLY IMMIGRANT (from Albert Schuch)
Ed. Note: I recently subscribed to OZ so I could keep track of BB member
postings as well as supplement my German reading. I began receiving two
copies of each issue and asked Albert to contact OZ (heaven knows what would
have happened if I tried to correct the situation with my faulty German).
Albert took care of it and also found the following:
Albert writes: I recently found the following in the OZ of 2nd September 1883
(116 years ago!):
" Korrespondenz der Redaktion. Herrn A. RITTER, Kansas, Amerika. Wir bedauern
sehr, da die Zustellung so unregelmig geschieht und haben hinsichtlich der
Verpackung sofort Ihrem Wunsche entsprochen; ebenso die fehlenden Blätter
nachgesandt. Nehmen Sie die besten Grüße aus der fernen Heimath!
Times aren't really changing... Translation: Editor's correspondence. Mr. A.
RITTER, Kansas, America. We deeply regret that the delivery is being carried
out at irregular intervals and we have modified the packaging according to
your request; also re-mailed the missing issues. Take our best greetings from
the far-away home country!
DELIGHTFUL LITTLE BURGENLAND TRAVEL BOOK
(continued from previous newsletters and taken in part from the German-English
travel book "Burgenland", authors Pflagner & Marco, 1970, Frick Verlag, Wien.)
3. Composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was appointed in 1761 by Count Paul
Anton Esterhazy to the residential Palace in Eisenstadt as second conductor
of the orchestra. He eventually became the leader of the orchestra and of the
opera in the Esterhaza Palace. (The summer palace Esterhaza was built in 1766
by Count Nikolaus Esterhazy. Today it is situated on the Hungarian side of
the Neusiedler See, now Fertod, just west of Kapuvar.) Haydn lived from 1766
to 1778 in Nr. 21 Haydngasse, now a museum, in Eisenstadt. An excellent book
which describes both Haydn's music and his times is "Haydn-His Life and
Music", Landon & Jones, 1988, Indiana Univ. Press. Since thousands of workers
were employed on the Esterhazy estates, your ancestors may have been among
them, particularly if they were from the northern Burgenland.
HOUSE NAMES
"House names" pops up now and again. Question from Bilovits to Anderson to
Schuch:
>> the house name of my grandfather's family in Steingraben was "Vari", and
I wonder how it ties in with my Billovits family. (My grandfather was
"Vari Adam" and his brother was "Vari Schuster" - shoemaker, etc.) Do you
know if it had something to do with people not being allowed to own their
homes in the past, and the houses were property of the Lord of the area? <<
Nothing to do with that. A house name in most cases originates from a former
inhabitant of the house in question. Usually it is derived from his first
name, from his profession or from his nickname etc. "Vari" sounds like a
Croatian word. I don't have a good Croatian dictionary, so I can only guess.
"Varos" means town/city in Croatian (like in Hungarian), so this
"name-giving" ancestor might have been someone who came from a town, or
lived/worked in a town for a long time. But this is just a guess.
> Does anyone know where this custom started and why? <
The reason for this custom seems to be that it is a convenient way to
distinguish between people with the same surname. (Also see newsletter no.
35).
PANNONIAN YEARBOOK (from Albert Schuch)
The article I wrote about the BB last year (published in Pannonisches
Jahrbuch) was now (!) printed by the quarterly "Pannonia" (published by
Rötzer Verlag, Eisenstadt), I will send you a copy. I sent them another letter
long ago, informing them that parts of the article are no longer valid, and
that I would gladly supply an updated article if they were interested. Looks
like this letter was lost, or ignored.
END OF NEWSLETTER - EDITED & DISTRIBUTED BY GERALD J. BERGHOLD