THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 118
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold)
May 31, 2003
(c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved)
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This first section of our 4-section newsletter includes the following:
1. Burgenland Family History Help For Latest Generation - (Zwetolitz - Rabafuzes)
2. Glatz Name From Bavaria? (Glatz)
3. Oratorio Honoring St. Ladislaus To Be Held In Horitschon, Burgenland (Heinz Koller)
1.BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY HELP FOR LATEST GENERATION - ZWETOLITZ
(ED. Note: As I get older, I sometimes become very afraid that the younger
generations have little or no interest in their family history. It is with great
interest therefore that I replied to the following query. I wish to thank
those I copied for their prompt and informative replies. If Frank's daughter isn't
given an "A" for this project, I'll be very surprised. It is most gratifying
to me that a simple query concerning Burgenland family history can receive
such an overwhelming and informative response from our members.)
In a message dated 5/6/03 Frank Zwetolitz writes:
"Gerry, my daughter, who is in 7th grade, has been given a social studies
class assignment to design a family crest. She has for the past three years taken
an active interest in our heritage (she sings in the Coplay Sägerbund Choir
and desperately wants to learn German)... she sang with the group this past
Saturday for the Maypole dance. She would like to know what our last name
could possibly translate to or mean in German, Croatian or Hungarian. Do you
have any guesses or possibly recommend some sources, such as books, or other
points of contact? I have no idea and realize that the name, as spelt, may have
changed over the millennia. However, my daughter does say if it means
something like 'shovels horse manure' she will make up a lie."
* Reply: Frank, the fact that your name has a Croatian origin (Slavic), as
opposed to German, makes this difficult for me. Most of my material relative to
name derivation has either an English or German basis as opposed to Slavic.
Your name is Croatian and has no German translation. This leads me to believe you
may find an answer on one of the Slavic or Croatian boards. There are also
two of our staff who may be of help -- our Croatian editor is Frank Teklits
(Northampton born and raised, now living near Philadelphia) and our Lehigh Valley
editor is Bob Strauch (Allentown), who has much experience concerning ethnic Burgenland
matters. I am copying them on this email and perhaps they can help. I am
also copying Fritz Königshofer, our Austrian editor; he once did some work for
Frank Teklits concerning Croatian noble families and may have something to add.
To design a family crest, I don't think you could do much better than incorporate
parts of the Burgenland crest: a single-headed eagle, whose wing tips hold
two crosses, perched on a mountain and has a crown on his head; you can see it
by going to the Burgenlandische Gemeinschaft website available from our
website. On his chest is a shield with red-white-red-white horizontal lines. After
all, your Burgenland family heritage extends to at least 1524.
In addition, your daughter may wish to add portions of your immigrant
ancestor's village crest. Raabfidisch (Rabafuzes, Hungary) is now incorporated with
Szentgotthard and comes under their crest, which includes a gold eagle on a red
shield embossed on a blue and gold escutcheon with a five pointed crown as a
crest.
Some other suggestions would be to include something that connects to
Croatian heritage, like the Batthyány crest, which includes a white swan and a lion
holding a sword. (Franz Batthyány, ban of Croatia, brought Croatian refugees from
Croatia to his Güssing Herrschaft beginning 1524). Another aristocratic
Burgenland family with Croatian origins was Draskovich. Their crest includes nine
others. Items are red lion rampant on a crown, black Burgenland eagle, arm
holding a scimiter (white), white griffin holding an orb, and gold griffin with
crown. I'm not suggesting that these be copied as is, but you can certainly borrow
some of the appointments if you wish.
From my books, I can't find any Croatian family crests but it appears that
your name, Zwetolitz, may stem from the Croatian Czwitkowych (Stegersbach 1576),
which in 1519 was C(H)wethkowych from the Croatian village of Sthynychnyak (south
of today's Zagreb). In 1576, in Grossmürbisch, I also find a Zwetkowicz
family (source is "Die Kroaten der Herrschaft Güssing" - Robert Hajszan,
Literas-Wien, 1991).
Gross- and Klein-mürbisch have no crest -- they use a village seal -- a round
circle with words Gemeinde Grossmürbisch (Kleinmürbish) in Gothic letters top
and bottom, then an inner circle with a bar through the center with the words
Polit. Bezirk Güssing. Five squares form a cross, four on top of the
bar, one below the bar, under the word Burgenland.
I also find that the mostly Croatian Burgenland village of Stinatz (district
of Güssing) has a crest that includes three crowns and crossed keys, silver on
blue shield. The book showing this has an article in Croatian (which I can't
read) by one Prof. Mag. Martin Zsivkovits! (book is "Güssing im Wandel der
Zeit," Kirsner and Peternell, 1995).
Nobility invariably sported a crest. Since pre-1848 (in Hungary and elsewhere),
only nobility could own land - many families were granted patents of nobility
for all sorts of reasons. Nobility in this area was not as exclusive as that
in England, for instance. It is not impossible that your name may be included in
patents of nobility. Many Croatian families received such a patent for help
in guarding the border. There are records of such patents but they are not easy
to come by and probably beyond your daughter's ability. I mention this in the
eventuality that your daughter will also be asked to write something.
Please tell your daughter that I'm very interested in her project and I'd
like to know and perhaps publish what she finally puts together. I think it
speaks well for your daughter's school that they have initiated such a project.
What better way to keep our ethnic background alive. If I can be of any further
assistance don't hesitate to contact me.
* Bob Strauch, Lehigh Valley Editor writes:
The name could also be Slovenian, given the proximity of the Slovenian-speaking
villages south of Szentgotthard. The "Zw" cound in German would be "Cv" in
both Croatian and Slovenian. Or it might really be "Zv" or even "Sv". I can
tell you that "svet" means "world" in Croatian and Slovenian and "cvet" can mean
flower, blossom, bloom.
I did a search using every conceivable spelling of the name. Here are some
results:
1. Zvetelec: found several in the Austrian phone book, all living in the
Steiermark province. I believe this name to be of Slovenian origin.
2. Zwetelitsch: Mrs. Theresia Jost, née Schmidt from Raabfidisch, died in New
Tripoli/PA in 1999. Her grandmother was a Zwetelitsch. I know the Jost
family.
3. Svetolic: found on several websites, but seems to be used as a
Croatian-Bosnian male first name.
4. Cvetolics: found a Johann Cvetolics in the Ellis Island manifests coming
to Allentown from Raabfidisch in 1900.
5. Svetelics: (misspelled Svetolico in the database) Maria Svetelics coming
to Pittsburgh in 1909 from Alsowöndök, Hungary. There are 3 other entries on
the same page for young women from the same village (2 entries use the spelling
Alsowöndök, the others use Alsoröndök), going to either Pittsburgh or McKees
Rocks. I suspect the village may really be Alsorönök (Unterradling). I also
know the name Zwetolits from Nemesmedves (Ginisdorf), just north of Alsorönök.
The names of the other 3 girls are Heigl, Ehrenhöfer, and Nekitsa (sort of a
Hungarian spelling of Nikitscher, which I know to be a name from Alsorönök). Many
people from Alsorönök settled in Pittsburgh and McKees Rock. I believe that
Margaret Kaiser will be able to shed some light on this, since she has done
much research on the border villages. I'm not sure whether this helps or adds to
the confusion.
P.S.: My grandmother, Marie Stettler, née Schrammel, who passed away in 2000,
had a friend named Marie Zwetolitz, née Schrantz, who was married to John
Zwetolitz. Any relation?
* Fritz Königshofer, Austrian Editor writes:
The last name sounds and looks Slavic. I agree that an interpretation would best
be sought on boards for Croatia and Slovenia. Croat last names typically end with
-ics (phonetically equivalent to the English spelling -ich). Therefore, there may
be significance in the fact that the name was rather spelled with -itz (such as
Simitz). However, the significance may not be more than the fact that the family
had settled into a mostly ethnic German environment. The Slavic word "svet" seems
to mean "saintly" or "holy."
* Frank Teklits, Croatian Editor writes:
I agree with all that's been said but there is little of any substance that I can add.
* Margaret Kaiser, our Rabafuzes expert, writes:
I looked at the microfilmed parish records and found the following surnames of
possible interest:
Birth Records:
January 13, 1894, baptized January 14; Karolina Paulina, d/o Janos (John)
CZEWETELICS (Rabafuzes) and Terez Heber (Rabafuzes) (Rabafuzes 107). (There is a
note that Karolina Paulina married Janos Ronel from Rabakerestur in the USA on
Sept 30 1913.) (My note: the given name order could be Paulina Karolina.)
February 23, 1888, baptized February 23; Agnes, d/o Janos CSWETELICS, Roman
Catholic & Terez Heber, Roman Catholic, Rabafuzes (Rabafuzes 127)
November 3, 1892, baptized November 4, 1892; Karolina to Janos ZWETELITSCH,
Roman Catholic, Rabafuzes & Julianna Werkovits, Roman Catholic, Rabakerestur
(Rabafuzes 129)
September 7, 1887, Maria, d/o Janos CZWETELICS, Roman Catholic and Julianna
Berkovics, Roman Catholic, Rabakerestur (Rabafuzes 129)
November 3, 1892, baptized November 4; Karolina to Janos ZWETELITSCH, Roman
Catholic, Rabafuzes & Julianna Werkovits, RomanCatholic, Rabakerestur
(Rabafuzes 129)
The above 3 children had the same parents, despite the spelling variations on
their surnames.
February 9, 1892, baptized February 9; Rudolf to Istvan (Stephen) CZWETELICS,
Roman Catholic, Rabafuzes & Maria Kaintz, Evangelical, Rabafuzes (Rabafuzes
126).
Perhaps these are some of your (Frank and daughter) ancestors. If you would
like to send me an ancestral name or two (with estimated dates if possible), I
will look for them in the microfilmed records. I have access presently to
most births records prior to 1909, marriages prior to 1902, and deaths prior to
mid 1895. If I can locate an ancestor on the microfilm, I could snail mail you
a copy. Your daughter can opt to include it with her report if she chooses.
There is a Croatian and a Slovenian email list at Rootsweb. You might
consider joining to inquire if anyone can translate the meaning your surname.
See:
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/HRV/CROATIA.html
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/SVN/SLOVENIA.html
Here are a few names from the Ellis Island site. I did not look at the
individual manifests for these names (just the index).
Karoline Zwetolics, 1913, age 19, from Rabfidis, Hungary to Coplay
Julianna Zwetosich, 1905, age 29 from Rabakerestur to Pittsburgh
Johann Zwetolitisch, 1896, age 5
Julianna Zwetolitisch, 1896, age 34
Rabfidis is Raabfidisch which is Rabafuzes.
Frank responds: Thank you for your effort! I plan to share this information
with the family this weekend for Mother's day. To all... your time and effort
was greatly appreciated... I will keep you informed our my daughter's
project. Thanks!
2. GLATZ NAME FROM BAVARIA? (from Tom Glatz)
A few years ago I noticed that there was an organization devoted to my last
name of GLATZ on the Internet. It seemed at the time to mostly deal with the
name from Switzerland, Alsace-Lorraine area of France, and the Black Forest
region of Germany. It is a very old organization. One of the members found me on
the BB and asked me if I was interested. I recently decided to join because it
is now a clearing house for the GLATZ name. It is unfortunate that I am the
only BB member researching the name GLATZ. I don't know if it would ever be
appropriate to mention this in the BB.
This is a great organization. They have meetings in Germany every year. They
do tours of the different areas I mentioned. Who knows what I may eventually
find out about my name by being a member of the organization? I know that my
Glatz line was always Lutheran and German speakers. I keep thinking about
Professor Burghardt's book mentioning that there was some migration into the
Burgenland from the Black Forest region. It is probably an unlikely link because I
know across the border in Steiermark my name is very common in the Hartberg
area.
3. ORATORIO HONORING ST. LADISLAUS TO BE HELD IN HORITSCHON (from Markus Prenner)
Member Heinz Koller from Güssing forwards a message from Markus Prenner,
which invites all to an oratorio honoring St. Ladislaus (Batthyány). The oratorio
"Pelikan" features words by Heinz Koller and music by Franz Stangl.
The oratorio is sponsored by The Burgenländische Familienbund, the Club
Burgenland, the Altherrenlandesbund of the ÖCV und the Burgenländische
Landesverband of the MKV and will feature the vocal ensemble "CANTUS FELIX" (Güssing)
- under the direction of Franz Stangl. Soprano: Barbara Graf, Violin:
Katharina Decker, piano: Andreas Deutsch and organ: Heiko Reitner
Time: Pfingstmontag, 9. Juni 2003 - 18:00h - Place: Parish Church Horitschon
Honored guests will be Diözesanbischof Dr. Paul IBY and LHStv. Mag. Franz STEINDL
Information: contact: MMag. Markus K. Prenner, Raiffeisengasse 7A - 7312 Horitschon
phone: ++43-(0)676/73 60 345 email: prenner@club-burgenland.at visit: www.club-burgenland.at
Newsletter continues as no. 118A.
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 118A DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) May 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) SEE BURGENLAND BAND CONCERT - CHICAGO JULY 20! This second section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Canadian Archives - Huber (Ilmitz - Unterschützen) 2. News From Königsdorf 3. Viennese Pastry Shop In Chicago 4. Burgenland Band Concert - Chicago July 20 5. Allentown & Bethlehem, PA, History Book Reviews 6. Lehigh County, PA, Historical Society Proceedings 2002 7. More On "Ban" Definition 1. CANADIAN ARCHIVES (from Mike Huber) Viele Grüße aus New York sendet Ihnen Mike Huber. I enjoy your monthly newsletter. Recently, I have enjoyed some success in researching my family history in Canada and I thought I would share it with you. You can determine if you want to pass it on to the Bunch. Like many of the Burgenländers in the 1920s, my grandfather and his brothers emigrated from Austria (Unterschützen) to North America. Some of his brothers came directly to the United States, but others went to Canada to work in logging companies. Supposedly, the logging companies would pay the fare from Europe to Canada in exchange for one year's labor with the company. After that year, men were free to either stay in Canada or emigrate to the U.S. (I'm still researching this fact.) My grandfather and a few of his other brothers took advantage of this opportunity in the mid- to late-1920s, to escape the depression in Austria. Anyway, the National Archives of Canada has a GREAT website, http://www.archives.ca, that allows one to search passenger lists from 1865-1935. There is no charge to search, and the charge for copies of lists is minimal. According to their web page, "The National Archives of Canada holds microfilm copies of the passenger manifests of ships arriving at the following ports of entry: - City and Québec Montréal, Quebec: 1865-1935 (closed during the winter months). (Arrivals at Montréal between 1865 and 1924 are included in the Quebec lists.) - Halifax (Nova-Scotia): 1881-1935 - Saint-John (New-Brunswick): 1900-1935 - North Sydney (Nova-Scotia): 1906-1935 (These lists include mostly ferry arrivals from Newfoundland and St-Pierre et Miquelon, with a few passengers in transit from other countries_ - Vancouver (British Columbia): 1905-1935 - Victoria, British Columbia: 1905-1935 (includes some small Pacific ports) - via New York: 1906-1931 - via eastern United States ports: 1905-1928 (These US lists include only the names of passengers who stated that they intended to proceed directly to Canada) I would encourage anyone interested to check it out. My grandmother left Illmitz in 1929, to visit her brother in Manitoba, Canada (he had left Illmitz in 1924). She met my grandfather on the ship and the rest is history. After one year in Canada, they met in Toronto and were married, later returning to Austria and then to the U.S. in the mid 1950s. The Canadian records give the name of the passenger, age, ship name, and port of entry (Quebec, Halifax, etc.), as well as all of the microfilm documentation needed to order copies. The search engine on the webpage has five fields (surname, given name, year of arrival, port of arrival, and ship). One or two fields is usually enough information to find a match. I had always thought grandparents entered Canada through Halifax, but I discovered they came to Quebec instead. Bottom line: the search engine is very user-friendly and FREE. 2. NEWS ABOUT KÖNIGSDORF (From Bob Goll) Just returned from 2 weeks spent mainly in the Königsdorf Berg region. (3 day side trip to Budapest) Think I visited with one your relatives, Wilma Gibiser in Eltendorf. She had visited my parents in Kitchener when she lived in Canada. Of interest: Museum in Güssing for emigrants. Guide was particularly impressive. Burgenland Bunch list (is prominently displayed). Offices of the Burgenland Gemeinschaft in Güssing. St Emerich Church (Rabafuzes) My cousins, with whom we stayed, spoke only German so our brains were taxed. My aunt speaks Burgenland dialect, so this was extremely interesting this time since my cousin could help me with the German. When we visited my aunt previously, we were left with only blank stares when no one was able to translate. Lots of different Easter customs including the basket of food for Easter breakfast taken to Church the night before for blessing. Some further items from our trip. 1. A young lady we hosted for 3 weeks a few years ago was part of the choir that attended and sang at the beatification of Prince Batthyány-Strattmann in Rome. (I notice the family member refers to him as prince whereas the material we saw used Dr.; he was both so I guess it's take your pick!) She was also part of the choir and played the violin at the premier of the Oratorium in Gussing. We were able to attend the concert in the Franciscan Cloister Church on our trip. 2. While in Burgenland I picked up a book of the history of the homes since 1700's in Königsdorf. It also has a section of marriages in this first part of the 20th Century. The name of the book is "Unsere Wurzeln. Stammbäume, Häuser, Heiraten der Königsdorfer." The house records are from 1720 to 1900. The weddings from 1900 to 1960. It was a gift; I think 11 Euros is the price. The Church (renovation) is quite finished and being there at Easter meant we attended lots of services with different customs. Religion is quite different in the area - very strong but very respectful of the Lutherans and Catholics. In the public school I visited, there was a crucifix, not just a cross, hanging on the wall. Can you imagine same in the US? My grandparents are buried in one of the (two) cemeteries and one of my father's sisters in the other. 3. VIENNESE PASTRY SHOP (from Tom Glatz) This year at the American Friends of Austria annual membership brunch and meeting, I wanted to make a point of speaking with fellow member Gerhard Kaes. Gerhard is the owner of Vienna Pastry Shop in Chicago, the only genuine Austrian bakery in Chicago. Gerhard was born in Vienna and descended from a long line of bakers. His education was very extensive in baking and he is a member of the elite Vienna Pastry Guild. The family bakery in Vienna was unfortunately destroyed by bombing during World War II. He came to America in the 1960's and opened his bakery. I asked him about the types of Austrian pastry that he carried. I have tried many of the wonderful things from the bakery. He told me that he makes Fasching Krapfen, apple and cherry strudel and Wiener Windbäckerei. He also makes Linzer, Sacher, and Dobosh Torte. His strudel is called Preßburger Strudel, which is a poppy seed & walnut strudel. I notice it is made with some white raisins and he says it has an egg yolk glaze. It is some of the best I have ever had. It tastes similar to the kind my grandfather's second wife made. She was from Oberpullendorf. It is flat and not made in a pan like that which the famous Urbauer Bakery in Chicago made (also excellent). Theirs looked like bread. I am sure I am leaving out many other delicious items from Gerhard's bakery. I might add that Gerhard has often told me that he would be interested in finding out the reason why his father received a medal of honor from the province of Burgenland. Gerhard is also a member of the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft. His address is 5411 W. Addison St., Chicago, IL. The phone number is 773-685-4166. (ED Note: Tom sent me a brochure, which makes me sorry I don't live in Chicago near this bakery. The pictures are mouth-watering. Brochure states that the Vienna Pastry Shop has been serving Chicago for 30 years with 120 years of tradition in baking. Twenty-five different cakes are listed along with breads, pastries and wedding cakes.) 4. BURGENLAND BAND CONCERT - CHICAGO, JULY 20 The Chicago Burgenland Gemeinschaft will present a 32 piece band from Burgenland under the direction of Michael Wild. The concert will take place July 20, 2003 at Gaelic Park, Chicago, starting at 8:00 PM and continuing to midnight. Admission is $15.00, advance tickets only. For reservations please contact Tom Glatz, Burgenland Bunch Chicago editor and Chicago BG Membership Chairman at 773-239-6523. If there is enough interest, Tom will arrange for BB members to sit together. 5. ALLENTOWN & BETHLEHEM, PA, HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS - G. Berghold The Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, which includes much of Lehigh and Northampton counties, was and still is a major Burgenland ethnic enclave. The cities of Allentown (county seat of Lehigh County) and Bethlehem (home of the now defunct Bethlehem Steel Mills) were major points of Burgenland immigrant settlement and entry to this region in the period 1890-1923 and again in the 1950's. The immigrants spread out into the outlying townships and villages like Northampton, Catasauqua, Coplay, Bath, Cementon, Whitehall, Hockendauqua and as far north as Slatington and west to Easton (seat of Northampton county). Burgenland immigrant family names can even be found south of this region around Limeport, Coopersburg and Quakertown in Bucks County. While one source (Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups) estimates 40,000 Burgenland immigrants arrived in the US between 1880-1924 (with perhaps 25% return), it would not be unreasonable to estimate that over 5,000 settled in the Lehigh Valley, given the number of today's ethnic descendants. Burgenland ethnic history in this region; however, has not received much published attention, except for local newspaper articles. This continues to be the case in two recent softcover publications by Arcadia Publishing of Dover, NH. The books are, "Images Of America - Allentown," Anna Bartholomew and Carol M. Front, 2003, @19.99, ISBN 0-7385-0996-5; and Images of America - Bethlehem," Bethlehem Area Public Library, edited by Kathleen Stewart, 1997, @ $16.99, ISBN 0-7524-0805-4. Allentown and Bethlehem were founded by early colonial settlers (specifically the Moravians in Bethlehem) and later received a large influx of Palatinate (so-called Pennsylvania Dutch) immigrants from what is now Rhine-Hesse, Germany, beginning in the mid-1700's. It is these immigrants and their descendants which receive emphasis in these books, although neither book claims to be an ethnic history. Burgenland (Austro-Hungarian) immigration, barely mentioned, is included in minor references to later central European immigration. Of the two, the Bethlehem book has more mention of central European immigrants, probably because of their residence on the south side of Bethlehem near their employment in the steel mills. Nonetheless, the books present an excellent glimpse of the cities over the years and incorporate many early photos and maps, including photos of family groups. The Allentown book, as an example, has a "bird's eye view" of the city in 1873, before the north end and east side were filled with ethnic row houses. Early photos of industrial sites (which attracted our immigrants) are especially good. While neither book can be recommended as ethnic source material, the historical photographic coverage will be of interest and value to anyone with roots in this area. 6. LEHIGH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS - 2002 One of the benefits of membership in the above society is a copy of their annual proceedings (this volume no. 43 was edited by Richard W. Cowen). I've mentioned this society in previous articles, in that their library has typed copies of local church records, some of which provide villages of origin of Burgenland immigrants who settled in Allentown, PA. The current proceedings again lack any ethnic Burgenland material (I guess I'll have to write something) although there is an excellent article concerning Syrian immigration (Arab Americans In The Lehigh Valley) covering the Syrian enclave was just east of my grandmother's home on north Jordan Street, across the Tilghman Street bridge. We often went there to buy produce and baked goods at the local Syrian markets and bakeries mentioned in the article. I enjoyed Syrian flat bread and also went to school with a number of Syrian immigrant descendants. I was always impressed with the pretty Syrian girls who had surnames like Hanna and Atiyeh. My mother, sensing a possible infatuation, was quick to point out that they were not Burgenländers - I'm sure their mothers likewise told them to avoid those Austro-Hungarian boys and stick to their own kind! Another interesting article deals with Hess Brothers (The Wonderful World of Hess's), which was Allentown's premier department store, located at 9th & Hamilton Streets, alas no more and lately a hole in the ground and soon to be replaced by another building, if not a parking lot. I met my wife there while working part-time at Hess Brothers, where she was a buyer in infant's wear. Turn back, turn back o' time in thy flight! Hess Brothers was something special, as the article points out, and still remains so in our memories. We had a nostalgic time reliving our time there. Other articles (14 in all) concern, among other subjects, Lehigh County Farms, The Peter Grim Homestead, and former mayor John T. (Jack) Gross. Copies of the proceedings may be purchased for $15.00 at their office in the Old Courthouse (5th & Hamilton Streets, Allentown) or by the LCHS office 610-435-1074. 7. MORE ON "BAN" DEFINITION (From Fritz Königshofer) This is the little I can add to the discussion about the meaning of the terms Ban and Banat as discussed in the new issue (117C) of the BB Newsletter. My Brockhaus encyclopedia says that Ban originally is a Slavic term describing the highest rank after the Slavic prince (principes, Fürsten in German). It later became a term for the rulers of the southeastern Hungarian marches (border counties), which looks to me like the equivalent of Markgraf (in German) or marquis in French. Perhaps it meant more as it may have described the ruler over several marches. Yet later, Ban became the title of the rulers or governors of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Since Croatia had a royal crown (though for many centuries united with or under the Hungarian crown), the term Ban in Croatia in later times resembled the rank just a step under a king, possibly well translated as viceroy. The term Banat (which looks to me like a German form meaning "ban-ate," i.e., the "realm of the Ban") apparently collectively referred to the southern marches of old Hungary. However, after the liberation of this land from the Turks in 1718, the name Banat became limited to the banate of Temesvár. In other words, Banat really got its name from the term Ban. The area remained under Austrian military administration till 1751, and became part of Hungary (and its county-structure) only in 1779, after it had been resettled by mostly ethnic Germans. Under the Turks, the land had become largely depopulated. Newsletter continues as no. 118B.
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 118B DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) May 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) ANNA KRESH HAS RECENTLY UPDATED OUR BB INTERNET LINKS AVAILABLE FROM THE BB HOMEPAGE. THIS IS A TIME CONSUMING BUT IMPORTANT BB FEATURE - BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT OFTEN! This third section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Splitter (Fragments) From The Burgenländische Gemeinschaft News No 382 2. 1000th Member Congratulatory Note From Burgenland Lt. Gov. Steindl 3. More On Vasvár (Vas Megye) 4. Weinzirl Surname In South Dakota (from H R Thullner) 5. Comments & Forwarded Material From Our Staff & Readers 6. New Edition Of The Rudersdorf Bankerlsitzer Website - Peter Sattler 7. Lehigh Valley, PA Events - Bob Strauch 1. SPLITTER FROM THE BURGENLÄNDISCHE GEMEINSCHAFT NEWS NO. 382 * Güssing (district city in southern Burgenland which has the title "Auswanderer Stadt" (City of the Emigrants) is celebrating its thirtieth year as a chartered city (stadt). Peter Vadasz, mayor of Güssing, invites all friends of the city to a celebration on June 14th & 15th. He writes: "meet old friends or relatives and enjoy a couple of wonderful and memorable days in our town." * The Burgenland Bunch column (in English) written by your editor features part 3 of Burgenland Immigrant itineraries (previously published in the BB Newsletter). * Picture and note from Burgenland Lt. Governor Franz Steindl concerning the 25th Flag Raising ceremony at the Austrian-Hungarian Veteran's Society in Allentown. *Immigrant deaths: in Geroldswill, Margarete Wukovits Theiler, age 72 emigrated from Stegersbach 45 years ago. In Allentown, Margarete E. Keppel Smith, age 63, from Tschanigraben. In Chicago, Frances Radostits, sister-in-law of John Radostits, BG club leader. In Clifton, NJ, Rosa Jelensits, age 78 from Punitz. In Catasauqua, PA, Helen Konrath, age 95, from Rotenturm. *Pictures of Memory features two elderly farmer ladies from Sulz 1930, the Hamburg-Amerika Line ticket office in Güssing in 1931, and a picture of the Family Nardai from Moschendorf in 1938, in their Sunday best. *BG dues of US $15 are due and may be sent to the BG office in Güssing or mailed to any of the BG representatives in the US. 2. CONGRATULATORY NOTE FROM BURGENLAND LT. GOV. FRANZ STEINDL Sehr geehrter Herr Berghold! Bei meiner Amerikareise im letzten Jahr haben wir einander kennengelernt. Dabei haben wir auch über ihr Projekt "Burgenland Bunch" gesprochen. Wie ich jetzt erfahren habe, konnte Sie vor kurzem bereits das 1000. Mitglied in Ihre Organisation aufnehmen. Ich möchte Ihnen zu diesem Erfolg herzlich gratulieren. Seit vielen Jahrzehnten leistet die Burgenländische Gemeinschaft großartige Arbeit und Dank dieser Arbeit konnten viele intensive Kontakte zwischen dem Burgenland und seinen Auswanderern geknüpft und vertieft werden. Burgenland Bunch ist eine wichtige Ergänzung dieser Bemühungen, weil es durch die Nutzung des Internets gelingt, auch die Kinder und Enkelkinder von Auswanderern mit der Heimat ihrer Vorfahren vertraut zu machen und die Verbindung mit dem Burgenland zu erhalten und zu festigen. Die hohe Zahl der Mitglieder zeigt schon jetzt, dass Ihre Initiative auf fruchtbaren Boden fällt. Ich danke hnen für diese Initiative und wünsche Ihnen weiterhin viel Erfolg. Mit herzlichen Grüßen aus dem Burgenland, Ihr Franz Steindl Mag. Franz Steindl Landeshauptmann-Stv. Europaplatz 1 7000 Eisenstadt English Translation Dear Mr. Berghold: I had the pleasure of meeting you last year during my trip to the United States. On this occasion we also talked about your "Burgenland Bunch" project. As I have just learned, the Burgenland Bunch has recently welcomed its 1000th member. This is a success on which I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations. Thanks to the excellent job the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft has been doing for decades, many strong ties have been built and intensified between Burgenland and its emigrants. The Burgenland Bunch is a valuable addition to these efforts because, by using the Internet, it has been reaching out to the emigrants' children and grandchildren, familiarizing them with the homeland of their forefathers and thus prolonging and strengthening their ties with Burgenland. The high membership at this stage attests to the success of your initiative. I would like to thank you for having launched this initiative and wish you all the very best for the future. Kind regards and best wishes from Burgenland Franz Steindl, Deputy Governor of Burgenland Our reply Auf Deutsch: Sehr geehrter Herr Landeshauptmann-Stellvertreter! Ich möchte Ihnen namens der Mitglieder des Burgenland Bunch sehr herzlich für die Glückwünsche danken, die Sie uns aus Anlass des Beitritts unseres 1000. Mitglieds übermittelt haben. Wir hoffen, dass die Zahl unserer Mitglieder weiter wächst und dass dadurch die Verbindungen zur Heimat unserer Vorfahren weiter gestärkt werden können. Ich werde mir erlauben, Ihr Email samt einer englischen Übersetzung in der nächsten Ausgabe des Burgenland Bunch Newsletter (31. Mai) zu veröffentlichen, um es auf diese Weise allen unseren gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Mitgliedern zugänglich zu machen. Mit herzlichen Grüßen Gerry Berghold Burgenland Bunch, Gründer & Koordinator Herausgeber des Burgenland Bunch Newsletter English: The members of the Burgenland Bunch and I would like to thank you for your most welcome congratulatory note on the occasion of our acquiring our 1000th member. We hope that this growth in our membership will continue and further increase the ties that bind us to our ancestors' homeland. I am taking the liberty of publishing your email and an English translation in the next issue (May 31) of the Burgenland Bunch newsletter in the hope that it will reach all of our present and future members. With heartfelt greetings. 3. MORE ON VASVÁR (VAS MEGYE) (from Fritz Königshofer) Fritz writes: Thanks for another fine set of BB newsletters (series no. 117). With special interest, I noted your discussion with Joe Jarfas on the names of county Vas in different languages. I cherish Joe as a selfless helper on several list servers and correspondent of mine. Let me try a small contribution to the debate, though I realize it would be much better to have a real historian comment on the subject. Much if not all of Vasvár megye (Komitat Eisenburg, comitatus Castriferri) originally belonged to the diocese of Gyõr (Jaurinum). However, the town of Vasvár appears to have been the seat of the county castle and also the seat of a chapter of the diocese (an archdiaconate) and a "Domkirche" (cathedral, or bishop's church). After the battle of Szentgotthárd (Mogersdorf in Austrian terminology) in 1664, the so-called 20-years peace between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires was signed in Vasvár, which was at the time probably still the seat of the capital for the county of the same name. However, within the 15 years after 1664, the Roman Catholic "chapter" relocated from Vasvár to Szombathely, which eventually, in 1777, became the seat of its own diocese. I don't know whether the civil administration followed the changes in church administration, or (as rather may be the case) the process occurred vice versa. 4. WEINZIRL SURNAME IN SOUTH DAKOTA (from HR Thullner) Please forward to any interested families that in Herreid, SD, is the surname of Weinzirl. I don't know if this is of interest to the family with the similar spelling. My father came from Monchhof in 1923. I am a farmer and live on the farm that my dad, Johann Thullner, started. 5. COMMENTS & FORWARDED MATERIAL FROM OUR STAFF & READERS *Surname Fangl (from Bob Strauch) In Southern Burgenland dialect, a "Fangl" (or "Fangerl") means "a little bit" (similiar to "a bisserl"). I assume it comes from the word "fangen", or "to catch". Whether the word exists in the Northern Burgenland dialects, I can't say for sure. * Jennersdorf Film (reply from the editor) In a message dated 4/29/03, a correspondent writes: I just read your article on the Burgenland Home Page. I am curious about your statement re: 130 fiche and films on Burgenland. I've used the FHLC and haven't found that many resources. I am doing research in Jennersdorf, Burgenland, Austria. Can you give me any assistance? Reply: Oh my, you are missing a treasure trove of Burgenland microfiche and microfilm material available from the LDS through their family history centers. Using their microfiche or computer Locality File, search under Austria - Burgenland - village name - church records or civil registration. In your case, searching on Austria - Burgenland - Jennersdorf - Church Records will provide these microfilm nos. 0700669 baptism, marriage, death records 1828-1860 0700670 " " " " 1860-1895 Civil are: 07002944-0700299 (same for 1895-1920) The records can also be reached by searching on Hungary - Vas - village name in Hungarian - Church Records. Hungarian name for Jennersdorf was Gyanafalva. It is worthwhile checking both since the Hungarian file includes villages which were not transferred to Austria in 1921. Jennersdorf is its own RC parish. Lutherans would belong to the Lutheran parish of Eltendorf, a few kms to the north. These Lutheran records are also available. I've used them all. Jennersdorf is now the district town for the villages in the southernmost part of Burgenland. Before 1921, the district town was Szt. Gotthard, still in Hungary. You can find all of the villages under its jurisdiction by clicking on our map website available from our homepage. *Hungarian Postal Service (from Margaret Kaiser) According to this article, the Hungarian Postal system provides services that we here in the states do not expect from a postal service. Villagers can wait for postal bus for transportation. About half a million citizens may be affected by the measure of the Hungarian Post Company that it will close down its post offices in villages with less than six hundred people and they want to operate a so-called mobile post, Magyar Nemzet has been informed. (also from Margaret Kaiser) * Hungarian Church in Passaic, New Jersey celebrates its 100th anniversary (Monday, April 28, 2003, by WHITNEY KVASAGER, HERALD NEWS: PASSAIC, NJ - St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Magyar Church was so packed with people celebrating the church's 100th anniversary Sunday that parishioners sat in the aisles, leaned against the wall, and spilled into the street. More people showed up for the centennial than for Easter a week ago. "One of the characteristics of St. Stephen's has been to retain the good things about the old country," Bishop Frank Rodimer said from the pulpit. "Your ancestors - our ancestors - who came over from the old country, had very little. Some of them had nothing at all. But what they possessed was the most precious of all: the gift of faith." * Upcoming Events (Margaret Kaiser) May 30 through June 1, First North American Hungarian Folk Music Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Information: bokreta@hotmail.com or www.tanchaz.com/festivals.html June 7, Saturday Hungarian Festival in New Brunswick, NJ. Information: magyar@magyar.org or (201) 836-4869 6. NEW EDITION OF RUDERSDORF BANKERLSITZER WEBSITE (Peter Sattler) Peter writes: Go to http://members.aon.at/bankerlsitzer for the new issue of my Rudersdorf page. Es hat diesmal länger gedauert, bis ich eine neue ausgabe zustandebrachte, aber es ist halt nicht soviel los inunserem dorf...viele grüße, peter sattler. Wenn du im sommer kommst, besuche mich bitte. (Took longer than usual but not much new in our village. Many greetings - Look me up if you come this summer.) (ED. Rudersdorf is in the southern district of Jennersdorf and is the first village just east of the Styrian border. Peter has been maintaining his great website for many years. In German but the pictures are great. We visited Peter and has lovely wife the last time we were in Burgenland. He lives just across the street from the Schabhüttl gasthaus, which was a Batthyány coach stop (schloss) in the 1800's.) 7. LEHIGH VALLEY EVENTS (from Bob Strauch) 1."Burgenland Weekend" at Sacred Heart/Allentown Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church on N. Fourth St. in Allentown will hold its 2nd "Burgenland Weekend" and Homecoming on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 - 8, 2003. Hours are Saturday from 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM (Mass at 4:00 PM) and Sunday from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM (Mass at 9:00 AM). The event will feature displays about the history of the parish and Burgenland culture and geography. Pork & Sauerkraut platters and other refreshments will be available. Admission is free. 2. 86th "Stiftungsfest" in Coplay The Coplay Sängerbund, Fifth St. and Schreiber Ave. in Coplay, will hold its 86th "Stiftungsfest" (Anniversary Celebration) on Sunday, June 22, 2003. A choral concert will start at 3:00 PM in the upstairs hall, featuring the Coplay Sängerbund Mixed Chorus, the Hianznchor, as well as other German-language singing groups (the concert might actually start at 2:00 or 2:30, depending on the number of groups that will be participating). Following the concert, the Joe Weber Orchestra will play for dancing in the newly expanded pavilion in the adjacent grove. Admission is $1.00. 3. Picnic at St. Joseph's in Limeport St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church (originally a Burgenländer parish) on Limeport Pike in Limeport will hold the first of its two annual summer picnics on Sunday, June 22, 2003. Music will be provided by the Johnny Dee (Domitrovits) Orchestra. Admission is free. 4. Catasauqua German Brass Band Concerts - Summer 2003 Saturday, July 5 - Catasauqua Borough Pool and Playground, 2:00 PM (rain date Sunday, July 6) Thursday, July 17 - Catasauqua High-Rise, Third and Pine Sts., 7:15 PM (rain or shine) Wednesday, August 6 - North Catasauqua Playground, 7:15 PM (rain date Wednesday, August 13) Concerts are free and open to the public. 5. Maibaumtänze in Coplay and Allentown The Coplay Sängerbund and the Austrian-Hungarian Veterans Society (Allentown) each recently held their annual "Maibaumtanz" (May Pole Dance), with both crowning a "Maikönigin" (May Queen). The reigning queens are Helga Dirnbeck, née Deutsch of Whitehall and Dolores Spisszak, née Huber of Allentown, respectively. Helga is a native of Reinersdorf (husband Edi hails from Harmisch) and Dolores' grandparents (Mattes and Fischl) came from Königsdorf. Their photos will appear in an upcoming issue of the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft newspaper. Newsletter continues as no. 118C
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 118C DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold) May 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) This fourth section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Burgenland In Former Days (Part 9, continued from 111) - Gerhard Lang 2. DNA & Genealogical Links - The Seven Daughters Of Eve 3. Hungarian Village - Rábahídvég 4. How To Determine Nationality? 1. BURGENLAND IN FORMER DAYS (From: Gerhard Lang - Part 9, Continued From Newsletter 111) Father Leopold Pritzelitz - Childhood Großhöflein In autumn before the vintage, the wooden containers (Holzbottich" and "Holzputten" - bottich" is a larger jar, which was put onto a wagon to transport the grapes home from the vineyard and "putten" was a smaller jar, carried on the back and was used for transporting the grapes through the vineyard to the wagon with one or more "bottichs") were "eindechtigt" (sealed) at the wells. That means that "bottiche" and "putten" were filled with water, so that the wood swelled and the places between the planks closed, so that the must (grape juice) cannot run out during vintage. During vintage, the grapes were stamped into the "bottich" with a "Mostel" (pestle) to get more grapes into the vat. Filling vats with water was a good chance for us to splash and play. As my parents had no vineyard, I went to the vintage with "Paul-Onkel" (uncle Paul), my father's brother. We children stood near the vats on the ox-wagons, which swayed back and forth on the bumpy dirt roads. Today all the field paths are asphalted. My uncle drove the oxen, which had been put into the "Kummerth" (yoke), with the words "Tscho hik" for "right" and "Heiß eina" for "left". We children helped at vintage and cut the grapes with a "Taschenfeitl" (pocket-knife) into "Holzpitteln" (smaller wooden-vats). We had to pick up any grapes on the ground, because uncle used to say that the "must" is in there too. He also said that one had to sing or to whistle during vintage, so that one could not nibble too many grapes. Wine was a precious thing for the farmers. We had bread and grapes for a snack and for lunch, we had bacon, smoked meat or sausage with bread. Today's "Leser" (harvest-workers) get their lunch delivered by VW (Volkswagen)-Bus, with soup, schnitzel and salad. For drinking we had the so-called "Haustrunk". After pressing the grapes, the grape marc (the refuse from pressed grapes / "Trebern") was doused with water and pressed a second time. That brought the so-called "Haustrunk", "Schnitter (Mower)-Wein" or "Wasserler". For today's harvesters, of course, a good wine has to be offered. When a "Pittel" or bucket was full of grapes, the grapes were dumped into a "Butte" (vat) and carried along the "Fuhri" (Furche - "furrow") to the wagon. A small ladder was put to the wagon, from which the "Buttenträger" (vat-carrier) ascended the wagon, poured the grapes into the "Bottich" and stamped them with the "Mostel" (pestle). When all the vats were full, the grapes were brought home. (to be continued) Matthias Artner - part IX After years of prosperity and social welfare, we became a "throw-away-society". There were many changes in the economy and society, and also in agriculture. Astonishingly, environmental awareness became accepted. In 1973, we had the so-called "Öl-Schock" (oil-shock), the so-called "autofreien Tag" (every car-owner had to leave his car at home for one day a week) and one week of holidays in February, which rested as "Energieferien" (energy-holidays) up to date. Land use planning and land use regulation were regulated by law and, after long negotiations, natural parks like the national park "Neusiedler See - Seewinkel" were established. New neighborhoods of row houses and other new forms of housing came into existence. Strangers bought the old neighborhood houses in the village-center and tried to integrate with the local villagers. Across the frontiers and international boundaries, our neighbors are no longer Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia, there are new neighbors, the "Iron Curtain" went down and in 1995, we got new neighbors when we joined the European Union. The new millennium will bring new challenges. Let us appreciate the past as a groundwork and say yes to the new: TV, computers and Internet with all the advantages. However, let us not disregard the disadvantages, because that "New" insulates and fragments the families. "That time" was the village, the house with a thatched roof, the extended family, the parlor with a burning oil lamp or the ox-wagon, plodding slowly along the dusty village road. The attributes of that time were scythe and hayfork, the "Plutzer" (clay-mug), bacon and home-made brown bread. "Today" a car can be seen in front of every house and the reapers do the entire harvest at the push of a button. A computer is a necessity and is even used in elementary school, where in former times black board and stylus were the main tools. In former days people traveled with the ox-wagon, today the jet plane brings us into the big, wide world. (To be continued) 2. DNA & GENEALOGICAL LINKS - THE SEVEN DAUGHTERS OF EVE I am reminded of an old cartoon in which two genealogists are standing in front of the graves of Adam and Eve and one says to the other, "Well, genealogically speaking, I guess this is it!" We would all like to carry our family history links to such an ultimate conclusion, even though we know that, lacking written records, it is impossible for most of us to go much beyond the 16th century, other than through oral tradition. In addition, we all realize that the generational dilution of family ties becomes so great that a link beyond ten generations is virtually meaningless (in ten generations we have 1024 ancestors) and can even exceed our capacity to develop a pedigree chart that can be easily viewed. Now along comes a breakthrough in DNA identification, which, while it won't link us to Adam & Eve, may link us to one of seven clan mothers who lived in either Europe or Africa (or even elsewhere) many millenniums ago, or even provide paternal links. I just finished reading "The Seven Daughters Of Eve - The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry," by Bryan Sykes, W. W. Norton & Co. 2001. As stated by a Wall Street Journal critic, it is "A fascinating glimpse into anthropology in the era of the genome." Nature magazine says "an important work, bringing molecular anthropology to a mass audience." Bryan Sykes is professor of genetics at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University and editor of The Human Inheritance, Genes, Language, and Evolution. Publishers' Weekly states "he has solved some of the hottest debates about human origins." I'll admit I found the scientific data difficult but understandable. Put simply (perhaps I'm putting too simply) it appears that we can now link to various family clans and their probable clan mother over a span of 10 thousand to 45 thousand years. This is possible by identifying our individual DNA structure and comparing it to others and one of the seven common structures, evolved over countless millenniums, which Sykes' work has established. Professor Sykes and his staff, for instance, extracted DNA from the remains of the "Ice Man" recently discovered in the Alps and linked his DNA structure to individuals now living in England and elsewhere. The book explains how DNA structure is passed on through the generations through the maternal line, which is why it references the "seven daughters of Eve." Using the Y-chromosome, paternal lines can also be linked. If interested in these astounding discoveries, I recommend reading this book. Among other things it will explain how DNA can prove the eastward Pacific migrations, the migrations of Asian peoples to the Americas, and the links of Europeans to Cro-magnon man and the northward movement of agriculturalists, who suoperceded them, as well as explaining the "out of Africa" migrations of homo-sapiens. Using DNA samples, it is now possible to determine the clan to which you belong. Oxford Ancestors (see www.oxfordancestors.com) is offering a sample DNA kit (free). If interested a DNA analysis can then be furnished for $220 (analysis requires very expensive equipment and expertise). It is possible to then compare the resulting analysis with others to determine linkage. Of course, lacking a DNA sample, you can't link your DNA analysis to say a specific person like a g-g-g grandmother, but you can assume she belongs to the same maternal clan given her place of birth and/or residence or genealogical linkage to someone else who has your particular DNA sequence. The Oxford Ancestors brochure states: "Trace your own ancestral mother and find your place in the world's largest known family tree." "Unravel family histories by analyzing the Y-chromosome which has been passed uninterrupted from father to son for hundreds of years." "Plot the geographic distribution of any surname." We know that the Burgenland area was frequently populated by various racial groups - do they have common ancestors - how do they link to one another? Do Germanic families in the Burgenland have a different clan mother than the Magyars, Croatians or Slovenians? Can we link to specific Burgenland, Slavic or Magyar family groups over a multi-generational period? It would be fascinating to find out. I intend to submit a DNA sample to Oxford Ancestors and see what develops. You may wish to do likewise. When I advised our BB staff of this subject, Charles Wardell, our WGW editor submitted the following for additional information: "If you are interested in this area, consider subscribing to the GENEALOGY-DNA-L Mailing List: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Miscellaneous/GENEALOGY-DNA.html See also these important links: http://www.smgf.org http://www.familytreedna.com/ http://www.jewishgen.org/dna/" I am convinced, after reading "The Seven Daughters Of Eve" that a DNA analysis will be an important addition to my own family history and I hope it will furnish some clues to the racial relationships in the Burgenland. At the present time I can not guarantee that you will be satisfied doing likewise and I only offer what I have found to-date. I suggest you read the book, send for a free DNA sample kit and decide for yourself. The BB endorses no commercial product, but will bring you occasional offerings of items relating to family history, which we consider to be of merit. We accept no responsibility for actions arising from these articles. 3. HUNGARIAN VILLAGE - RÁBAHÍDVÉG In a message dated 5/16/03, Helmut Somogyi writes: "I would like to be added to the Burgenland Bunch data base. My name is Helmut Somogyi, Lake Country, B.C., Canada. (I am researching) JOANNES SOMOGYI residing in RÁBA-HÍDVÉG in 1798. Sincerely, Helmut Somogyi" Reply: Rábahídvég is about 5 kms east of Vasvár and slightly west of Körmend in Vas Megye. A little far for Burgenland but close enough to be listed with us. It lies along the Rába river and was first mentioned in records in 1265. The parish church is named the "Holy Trinity." A bridge carried much traffic from Vasvár to Germany and earliest settlers were bridge guards who were granted patents of minor nobility. First castle (destroyed) and replaced was owned by the Polonyi family, then late in the 19th century by the Barons of Seebach. Population is now 1119, slightly less than in in 1878 when it had 1151 Catholics, 13 Lutherans (church at Nemes-Kolta), 3 Reformed and 180 Jews (synagogue at Vasvár). It is still in the Járas (District or Bezirk) of Vasvár. You are in luck as the church records 1715-1895 have been microfilmed by the LDS (Mormon Church) and are available from any of their family history centers as microfilm numbers 0601483 and 484 as well as (1856-1895 marriages) no. 1529716 Item 4. See our archives re how to do this. The LDS has a website; see our internet URL list available from our homepage. I am copying our editors and other interested parties. 4. HOW TO DETERMINE NATIONALITY? In a message dated 5/3/03, a correspondent writes: I have a question to ask but didn't know where to post it. My grandmother was born in 1890 in Rechnitz or Zuberbach, Austria. My grandfather was born in 1889 in NagyNarda, Hungary. As a child I remember them speaking Croatian and joining a Croatian Church and buying life insurance from a Croatian union. Would my roots be Austrian, Hungarian, Croatian? Reply: Your roots are Croatian before 1524; Hungarian from 1524 to 1683; Austrian from 1683 to 1868; Hungarian again from 1868 to 1921; then finally Austrian from 1921 to the present. These are political roots. From an ethnic standpoint, if your grandparents spoke Croatian, you can call yourself Croatian. Burgenland consists of 83% German roots, 14% Croatian, balance Magyar (Hungarian) and others. The Croatians came from Croatia in 1524, fleeing the Turkish invasion of the Balkans. See our translation of this in our newsletter series starting with number 55A. From a practical standpoint, some people use the nationality of the present political structure which would be Austrian (with Croatian roots). END OF NEWSLETTER BURGENLAND BUNCH STAFF (USA unless designated otherwise) Coordinator & Editor Newsletter: Gerald J. Berghold Burgenland Editor: Albert Schuch; Austria Home Page Editor: Hap Anderson Internet/URL Editor: Anna Tanczos Kresh Contributing Editors: Austro/Hungarian Research: Fritz Königshofer Burgenland Co-Editor & BG liaison: Klaus Gerger, Austria Burgenland Lake Corner Research: Dale Knebel Chicago Burgenland Enclave: Tom Glatz Croatian Burgenland: Frank Teklits Home Page village lists: Bill Rudy Home Page surname lists: Tom Steichen Home Page membership list: (Hannes Graf, Austria Judaic Burgenland: Maureen Tighe-Brown Lehigh Valley Burgenland Enclave: Robert Strauch Western US BB Members-Research: Bob Unger WorldGenWeb-Austria, RootsWeb Liason-Burgenland: Charles Wardell, Austria BB ARCHIVES can be reached via Home Page hyperlinks The BB is in contact with the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft, Hauptplatz 7, A-7540 Güssing, Burgenland, Austria. Burgenland Bunch Newsletter distributed courtesy of (c) 1999 RootsWeb.com, Inc. P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 Newsletter and List Rights Reserved. Permission to Copy Granted; Provide Credit and Mention Source.