BB News No. 124 dtd 31 Dec 2003

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 124 DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Our 8th Year-20 Pages/4 Email Sections Issued monthly by G Berghold) December 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) RECIPIENTS PLEASE READ: You are receiving this email because you are a BB member or have asked to be added to our distribution list. To discontinue these newsletters, email with message "remove". ("Cancel" will cancel membership, website listings and mail.) Send address and listing changes to the same place. Sign email with your full name and include BB in the subject line. Send no attachments or graphics unless well known to me. Please keep changes to a minimum. To join the BB, see our homepage. If you join, your email address will be available from our websites. We can't help with non-Burgenland family history. Appropriate comments and articles are appreciated. Staff and web site addresses are listed at the end of newsletter section "C". Notes and articles without a by-line are written by the editor and reflect his views. Members please exchange data in a courteous and cooperative manner-not to do so defeats the purpose of our organization. This first section of our 4-section newsletter includes: * Tonk Research Pays Off - Kroatisch Minihof *TONK RESEARCH PAYS OFF - KROATISCH MINIHOF (ED. Note: In newsletter number 106B, Article 5 dated April 30, 2002, I reported correspondence with member Jack Tonk. I supplied what help I could and he took it from there. He visited Burgenland to try to uncover more of his family history and the following describes his success. I have received many such stories since forming the Burgenland Bunch but few as interesting as this. It makes our efforts worthwhile. It also proves that with our help you can trace your family history in the Burgenland.) Jack writes: "I made a visit to Minihof in June of 2002 and need to let you know what I found. I prepared a report of the findings for my family. I am sending a separate email to you and attaching that report. What happened in Minihof that week was truly amazing." I want to say that I could not have done this without your most kind assistance. Your responses to my inquiries were invaluable. I am so appreciative of your help. Let me also say that I did a little research in Salt Lake at the LDS Family History Center, but did not come up with much. I thought I was onto something when I found a record of orphans born in Vienna in 1879, the year my grandfather was born. As I was working my way through the fiche for Feb-April, 1879, I came to the end of the roll just five (5) days from his birth, and the next roll picked up a month or two later. The staff could offer no help or suggestions on finding the missing time period. I am sure the records are in Vienna so I plan another trip to research that - anything to get back to Vienna. The attachment follows: TONK FAMILY HISTORY (by Jack & Judy Tonk) The descendents of Franz (Francis, Frerencz) and Francriska (Frances) Tonk Nemeth have never been certain of how Franz Tonk got his surname. Family oral history consistently said Franz Tonk was the son of a Roman Catholic priest and his housekeeper; that he was born in Minihof, Austria, in 1879. (At that time Minihof was part of Hungary, though the people in the village of Minihof spoke Croatian.) Some said that the surname "Tonk" came from the priest. Others said that it was the name of the housekeeper. Still others said it came from an orphanage or foster family with whom Franz was placed. In an effort to clarify all this, Jack Tonk (with his wife Judy), grandson of Franz and Francziska Tonk, and son of Anton (Donatus) Tonk, fifth child of Franz and Francziska, visited Austria in June of 2002 and reviewed civil and church records. This is an account of what was discovered. It was prepared by Jack and Judy Tonk in the summer of 2002 for the members of our extended family. On June 13, 2002, after driving from Vienna, Austria to Oberpullendorf, and securing a room for the evening, we drove to Minihof. This was not as easy as it might seem because we were not familiar with the road signs in Austria. Eventually we found a small country road that we thought would take us to Minihof, and we were right. As we approached the village, I did experience feelings of "Oh my God, what am I doing?" I can't quite explain it, but I felt small, and humble, and somewhat fearful. As though something was about to happen. This was the land of my father and grandfather, and finally, after nearly 90 years, a descendant was returning. We drove into the village, saw the church, parked the car, and got out old postcards featuring pictures of Minihof. These were cards sent to Frances Tonk Nemeth by relatives and/or friends in Minihof. As we were comparing the old with the current, some municipal workers stopped by and we showed them the postcards. They were amazed. We had a definite language barrier until the town administrator drove by and the workers flagged him down. His name was Rudy Satovich. He spoke English and was delighted to see the postcards. Some of them he had in the town records but some were new to him. We informed him of why we were visiting Kroatisch Minihof and he said we could come to the municipal offices in Nikitsch and he would help us go through the town records, though the name of "Tonk" was not familiar. Nikitsch has been responsible for keeping the records for Kroatisch Minihof and Kroatisch Geresdorf. It is about 1 mile from Minihof. On June 14, 2002, we met with Rudy in the municipal offices and began to search the records. We also met Rudy's aunt, Marica Paladin. She is a retired English teacher and proved to be a great help. We found the birth record of my father Donatus (Anton, Tony) Tonk. (Copy attached. The fifth child of Franz & Francziska Tonk.) Birth records of other children are recorded but we only made a copy of the one for Donatus. We could find no birth record for Franz Tonk, nor for Francziska. We could find no record of any property being sold in 1912 or 1913 by anyone named "Tonk", though family oral history said that Franz Tonk immigrated to America first and Francziska followed "after selling all of the property." Thus, the Tonks must have been renting or living in someone else's house in exchange for work or something. We decided to look at the church records. We went across the street to look at the church record books. No information about anyone with the name of "Tonk" was in the church records. For the years 1878 through 1880, there was no one with the surname "Tonk" born in Kroatisch Minihof. This is important to know because, at this time, the churches kept all of the records about the residents of Austria. The churches, under the order of Empress Maria Theresa, had to keep birth, death, marriage, etc. records. I was very disappointed. Rudy assured me that Franz Tonk was NOT born in Kroatisch Minihof because the churches were very good about keeping the records. Also, there was no record of the marriage of Franz Tonk and Frances Nemeth. This could be because the records kept in the church office in Nikitsch were only for the churches in Minihof and Nikitsch. They may have been married in Geresdorf, the town of Frances. Church records indicate that the priest in the parish in Minihof from 1870 until 1907 was one Isadore Blazovich. He was born in Hungary and retired there. We went back to the municipal offices to look for marriage records. Here we found the civil record of the marriage of Franz Tonk and Frances Nemeth. The marriage record is written in Croatian, I believe. It may be Hungarian (ED Note - probably Hungarian). The record gives the date of marriage, the name of the bride and groom, the date of their birth and the place of their birth, and the names of the parents. Other information is given, though it needs to be translated. From this record (copy attached) we learn that Franz Tonk was born on April 20, 1879, in Vienna, not Minihof. Frances Tonk was born on March 9, 1880 in Peresznye, Hungary (ED-just south of K. Minihof). The names of her parents were Matyas Nemeth and Veronika Unger Nemeth. For the groom, only the name of the mother is given, Gertruda TONK. No married name is written. No name is written for the father. This means that at the time of the marriage, February 9, 1903, the mother of Franz Tonk was not married. Franz got his surname from his mother. Our long mystery had been solved. I nearly fainted. I sat down and tears came to my eyes. I found the source of our surname. On June 15, we visited the church and took some pictures. We spoke a little with the cleaning people who mentioned that there was a lady who would be in church on Sunday, June 16, who knew a lot about the history and people of Minihof. The cleaning lady was named Ingrid. She was most helpful. The gentleman helping her spoke no English but went across the street to get a lady he thought might know something. It turned out she did not. We agreed to meet them in church on Sunday. We walked through the church cemetery. We could find no graves with the name Tonk or Blazovich. We did find tombs with the names Hafner, Puecker, and Domanovich the names of our cousins in South Bend, Indiana. We visited with a lady we met the previous evening, Christina. She called a lady in the neighboring village of Nebersdorf whose maiden name was Tonk. Her father's name was Johann and her mother was Agnes Kalais. Her name now is Marietz Czigler. She knew nothing of the legend of "The son of the priest". On Sunday, June 16, we went to Mass in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Minihof. Quite an experience. The people could really sing. We met Rudy and his aunt, Marica, and Ingrid, the lady who helped clean the church. They introduced us to Gertruda Zvonarich, the lady who knows so much of Minihof. Through the translation of Marica, we learned that Gertruda was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1915, and returned to Austria with her family in 1921. Then she dropped a bombshell. She told us she knew the Tonk family, in fact, played with the children, Katherin, Frances, Robert, Donatus. She said of course Franz Tonk was the "son of the priest", everyone knew that, and that the housekeeper was the mother. She said "It was the first and last time there were ever nipples in the rectory." Then another bombshell. Franz and Frances Tonk were her godparents. Further, she said she had a picture of the Tonk family. We agreed to meet at the bed and breakfast where we were staying to view the picture and talk some more. Gertruda came, along with Marica, and we looked at the picture she brought. I have to say no one looked familiar, except the older lady in the picture who some what resembles Frances Tonk. We continued to discuss her family and ours. Through Marica translating, she said that her father and our grandfather, Franz Tonk, were best of friends, as were her mother and our grandmother, Frances Tonk. She thought that her father and Franz Tonk came to America together. Her father's name was Bardol Bucolich. Her mother was named Julianna. She was baptized in Our Lady of Hungary in South Bend. I had taken along some letters and cards that my grandma (Frances Tonk) received from relatives and/or friends in Austria. Many of the envelopes had the post mark of Geresdorf or Minihof. One of them Gertruda said was written by her mother to Frances Tonk congratulating her on her 50th wedding anniversary. I showed her another note written to Frances Tonk and asked her if she could read and translate it. She said, "Of course I can read it, I wrote it." She wrote a note to grandma Frances Tonk in 1963, congratulating her on her 50th wedding anniversary. We of course were flabbergasted. We were just stunned and totally speechless, as were Marica and our house hosts. I had in my possession a note to grandmother Frances Tonk, written by this lady with whom I am now talking and just happened to pull it out of my folder. And she said, she wrote it. If you didn't believe in fate before, you must now. Someone was watching over us on this trip. Further discussion brought out that her mother came to Minihof in 1895, and the rectory for the church was built at that time. Also, grandfather, Franz Tonk, probably worked for the priest because the priests owned farm land. Gertruda said that the mother of Franz Tonk came back from Vienna with the baby. After talking with her at our bed & breakfast, we went with her and Marica to Gast Haus Deutsch for lunch. We had a a great meal of typical Austrian/Croatian/Hungarian food and beer. We met another lady who was also born in South Bend and still has cousins there. She remembers how Franz Tonk could really put away the beer at St. Anthony's club in South Bend. Another gentleman, who Rudy knew, says that there was a story or talk of a priest who came from Hungary with a housekeeper. Some of the people we met said that grandfather's mother was born in the same village in Hungary as Frances Nemeth. Others told us that in 1911 or 1912, 50 people left Minihof and 40 some left the year before. Many of those that left went to South Bend, Indiana. So many left, that Rudy, after a visit to South Bend, Indiana, as a youth and meeting the Minihof people, had a street in Minihof renamed Softbend. This street was so-named because of all the people who left Minihof to settle in South Bend, Indiana. Before leaving, we drove through the town one more time. This time with Marica and Gertruda. They showed us the old rectory, which is now abandoned. No one lives in it. We also went by the former location of #27 in Minihof. The baptismal record of Donatus Tonk said the Tonk family lived at #27. The house currently located there is not the one that was there in 1910, but Gertruda assured us that was the location. There have been several changes in the addressing system since 1910 so the number on the house is different now. So there you have it. Our name of Tonk comes from the mother of Franz Tonk. Now finding her ancestors is the next step. There is a link of the name Tonk to medieval Croatia in a German-language book, "Die Kroaten der Herrschaft Güssing" by Dr. Robert Hajszan, 1991 Literas-Vienna, on page 25, that a Urbar (inventory of possessions, tenants, serfs) of the Batthyány family lists one Tonkowyth as a tenant or serf. The Batthyány family were governors of Croatia at this time. The spelling Tonkowyth is Croatian and corresponds to the German and English Tonkowits. Also, a 1486 urbar for the village of Plaski in the Modrus district of present day Croatia lists the name of Tomkovic. The name also appears in a history of the Croatians in Burgenland. The name of Phillip Tonkovic (Thonkoyth) appears as one of several Croatians living in Grossmutschen in 1558, which is in the district of Oberpullendorf. Grossmutschen is just south of Minihof, though we did not find it on this trip. Next time. Newsletter continues as no. 124A.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 124A DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G Berghold) December 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) This second section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Request For Recent Burgenland Immigrant Contacts 2. Wallendorf Connections - Strodl Family - Charles Wardell 3. Note From Susan Peters Re: BB Picnic 4. Pennsylvania Dutch (Palatinate) Xmas - Anna Kresh 5. Recipe From Burgenland - Tom Webb 6. Are You A Burgenland Mouse In The Corner? 7. An Old Fashioned Xmas In Allentown - Bob Strauch 8. Post Xmas Concert - Bob Strauch 9. Greetings From Charter Member Firmus Opitz 1. REQUEST FOR RECENT BURGENLAND IMMIGRANT CONTACTS In a message dated 12/16/03, Marion Steinwandtner writes: I'm writing you again concerning my history degree dissertation, which is about Burgenland immigrants. I would like to interview some who returned from the states and now live in Burgenland. The problem is that only a few came back and they are no longer alive. Therefore I would like to interview at least five people who emigrated to the USA and still live there. I'm very interested in the aspect of homeland (Heimat). I would like to know how they now feel about their home country and their adopted country?. Is their home (Heimat) still Burgenland or the USA. What do they associate with home? Other topics would be language, work and social life. I would like to send these people questionnaires regarding these aspects. Could you send me the email addresses of people who would be willing to participate in my project. If not, could you send me the address of someone in the states who could possibly help me. Thanks in advance, Yours, Marion Steinwandtner Our reply: I will publish your request in the Dec. 31 addition of the BB newsletter. It reaches 1000 readers who are descendants of immigrants. A few are still immigrants. Perhaps they will contact you. I've also copied three of our editors. 2. WALLENDORF CONNECTIONS - STRODL FAMILY (from Charles Wardell) Pete Rogers asks: I don't know if you can help but I'm trying to find the whereabouts of the Strodl family who lived in Wallendorf during the 1950's. My mum sponsored Angela Strodl through the Save The Children fund from the age of 8 to 18, when she lost touch. She would love to contact her to see how Angela has got on. Angela would now be in her 50's and probably married but she did have an older brother called Franz so it would be easiest to find him first. Do you know if there is a local newspaper, telephone directory or visitor center for Wallendorf? Reply: From: C Wardell To: Peter Rogers This is, strictly speaking, not a genealogical query .... but anyway: 1) There is a Wallendorf in the province of Burgenland. Re Burgenland research please see: http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org I suggest you do some searches and check the Newsletter Archives too. 2) The Austrian phone directory http://www.etb.at lists several Strodls in Burgenland but none in Wallendorf. See the enclosed listing for Franz Strodl 3) Re Wallendorf: The town hall in Mogersdorf: Gemeindeamt Mogersdorf A-8382 Mogersdorf Nr. 2 Phone: +43 - 3325 8200 E-mail: post@mogersdorf.bgld.gv.at http://www.burgenland.at/LinkServlet?name=mogersdorf The town hall in Jennersdorf (the regional/district center): Stadtgemeinde Jennersdorf Hauptpl. 5a A-8380 Jennersdorf Phone +43 -3329 45200-0 The Roman Catholic parish in Modersdorf: Pfarramt Mogersdorf A-8382 Mogersdorf Nr 1 Phone +43 - 3325 8201 A local paper: http://www.bildpost.at A useful Burgenland portal site resource: http://www.burgenland.at The ZIP codes 7xxx are in Burgenland Wien = Vienna Strodl Franz, Bergstr. 1 7210 Mattersburg 02626 66272 Strodl Franz, Bundesstr. 7 7210 Mattersburg 02626 67680 Strodl Franz, Hauptstr. 126 7212 Forchtenstein 02626 66871 Strodl Franz, Hauptstr. 44 7343 Neutal 02618 21091 Strodl Franz, Hinterg 69 7210 Mattersburg 02626 62690 0650 2543355 0650 2543369 Strodl Franz, Ang, Forchtenauer Str. 14 7210 Mattersburg 02626 63802 0699 10926937 (and others) Also see: Esterhazy Forstverwaltung, Revierltg, Rfö Strodl Franz, Sauerbrunner Str. 3 7203 Wiesen 02626 81661 3. NOTE FROM SUSAN PETERS RE: BB PICNIC Best wishes to you and your family. I hope you are feeling fine and have many more travels and experiences in the year to come. On a side note, if you haven't already heard, last year, the sixth, was my last at organizing the BB picnic. Amazing how those years flew by. It seems like such a short time ago that Hap and I hatched the idea of trying to meet other people from our homeland. As soon as I told Hap, he immediately recruited some new volunteers so the picnic will continue. My mother and father who have always helped me set things up and greet people will no longer be traveling to Minnesota in the summertime, so I thought it might be an opportune time for me to give someone else the opportunity to do those things. However, I do look forward to attending next year and joining in on all the fun as usual. My very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Susan Peters (ED. Note: Our thanks to both Susan and Hap for all the work they have done in organizing the Mid-West picnic. We are glad to hear that it will continue.) 4. PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH (PALATINATE) XMAS (from Anna Kresh) Anna writes: I grew up on a farm in Danielsville in the Lehigh Valley. We were the only family in the area of Moore Township who were not Pennsylvania Dutch (we stemmed from southern Burgenland), so we were exposed to a lot of their customs. As a matter of fact, we could all speak Penna. Dutch (German dialect). I remember that we were always scared to death of the Belsnickel, who came through the neighborhood "checking up" on all the kids. I was always a very good girl. In a message dated 12/5/2003, Bob Strauch had written: Children who have "been good" will receive candy and nuts from the traditional Pennsylvania German Belsnickel -- that's St. Nicholas. 5. RECIPE FROM BURGENLAND - AUSGEZOGENEKNÖDEL (from Tom Webb) (ED. Note: Also see Taste of the Burgenland - Strudel Dough, in previous issues.) Tom writes: I've been researching my wife's family recipes, to save them for my kids, and I found the attached in my old notes. It's both fascinating and amusing, and I thought I'd send it on to you. Ausgezogeneknödel (Pulled-out dumplings) When we lived in Pittsburgh in the 1970's, we heard about a dumpling recipe made by Mom's (née Grace Malits) great aunt, Albina (Mausser) Hebenstreit. Aunt Albina was a sister of Mom's maternal grandmother, Anna (Mausser) Kobca. These folks had migrated from the Burgenland in Austria around the time of World War I, as had Mom's father, Frank Malits. So we invited Aunt Albina over one night to demonstrate her masterpiece, and I took careful notes of everything. She said she uses the dough in several ways: Filled with krümels (Grammels-bits from rendering) and boiled in broth, cut into dumplings and boiled, made into apple strudel, and to fry small pieces left over as a snack. What you need: She wanted a big bowl and a big wooden spoon, and a large clean working surface, so we cleared the dining table for her. She also wanted another pair of hands to hold the dough while she pulled it, a practiced art, no doubt. Ingredients: 3 cups flour 1 or 2 tsp salt 3 eggs 3 Tbsp melted butter or margarine, plus some for basting the finished dough. 1 glass of tepid water (size?) add a little at a time - (ED. Make a dough! It should be firm but elastic. Not too sticky.) Procedure: Close the window, she says! (You need a warm room for this.) Put the flour in the bowl and make a well in the center. Mix the eggs and butter into the well, and then water, and mix with the flour. Beat until the dough doesn't stick to the spoon. Knead on a floured board or table top until it doesn't stick to the hands. Cover with a cloth and let rest for half an hour. Use a rolling pin to roll out flat, then work the dough thin over the fist (sort of like they do at pizza parlors, but you don't have to toss it in the air!). Then with somebody holding the dough on the other side, pull out the edges all the way around until it is very thin. Brush ("paint", she says) melted butter or margarine over the pulled-out dough (you could probably skip this extra fat). (ED. No - No - don't ignore this - might dry out or cook too dry!) 1. Krümel roll: Krümels (Grammels) are the browned solids left after rendering cubed pork fat in a skillet. Drain well on brown paper. Lay Krümels on the thin dough and roll up, sealing the ends of the roll. Boil in a big pot of broth for half an hour. Serve with sour meat or roast beef or pork. 2. Dumplings: Cut into short strips and drop into boiling broth or salted water. They are done when they rise to the surface. Serve in the soup or as a side dish. 3. Apple strudel: Use as the dough in apple strudel. Quantities unknown - use your favorite strudel recipe. 4. Leftovers as snacks: Cut into small pieces and sauté until browned. 6. ARE YOU A BURGENLAND MOUSE IN THE CORNER? I often receive mail which includes kind words as well as the seed of an article. One of our members sent me the following: "I feel like a mouse in the corner--observing but not letting anyone see me. I read your newsletters each month and enjoy them so much. (My grandfather, his parents and four sisters immigrated from Steinbach to Watkins, MN, in 1904.) Each month I wonder when I am going to "get into" genealogy and start doing real work. Right now other matters keep me busy but your newsletter always reminds me that I will get to this. I hope it will be sooner rather than later or even never. At this time of thanksgiving and celebration, I want to THANK YOU and the BB staff for ALL your incredible work! I do appreciate all you do. May you and your families be blessed now and ever!" A very nice greeting but it infers more. We have over 1000 members and I wonder how many are really "getting into" family history as stated above? Are you also waiting for some time in the future? Perhaps planning to do serious work when you retire? Or are you just observing and hoping that someone else or one of our newsletters will advance your family history? I waited many years to start my search, but that was over 20 years ago and I'm still searching. Helping others has also helped me. Think about it - there's no time like the present. If you do nothing else, download, print and file data while it's available - who knows whether our archives will be available later and I can assure you, such data exists nowhere else. 7. AN OLD FASHIONED XMAS IN ALLENTOWN (from Bob Strauch) On December 4, 2003, the Lehigh County Historical Society presented "Ein Alte Christdag: A Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas" at the Troxell-Steckel farmhouse, 4229 Reliance St, Egypt. (Not that much different from a Burgenland St. Nikolaus Day.) It's 1842, and the Steckel family, who lived in the Pennsylvania German farmhouse for more than 100 years, prepared for Christmas. The home, built in 1756, is preserved with historically accurate furnishings and was lantern-lit and decorated with traditional decor. Costumed actors portrayed family members getting ready for the holiday: Mother Catherine prepared the Christmas feast and cut cookies, 18-year-old Joseph decorated the tree, grandmother Maria made handmade gifts for the nine children and 16-year-old Clarissa cleaned the house. Children who were "good" received candy and nuts from the traditional Pennsylvania German Belsnickel -- that's St. Nicholas -- and everyone participated in an old-fashioned taffy pull, holiday games and caroling around the fire. Cookies, hot beverages and holiday music completed the celebration. (Note for Lehigh Valley BB members - this may become an annual event. Check with the Historical Society. A small fee is charged.) 8. POST XMAS CONCERT (from Bob Strauch) (ED. Note: Bob frequently copies his Lehigh Valley members and contacts with news concerning local events and ethnic happenings at large. Unfortunately the timing of our newsletters often precludes timely sharing of this data via the newsletter. Here is one that you shouldn't miss (and don't forget the annual New Year's Day concert from Vienna, shown on most public television stations or heard on national public radio Jan. 1 - see section "C".) IN CONCERT - BAROQUE CHRISTMAS CONCERT (60:00)- NORTH AMERICAN TELEVISION EWTN From upcoming holiday programming on EWTN / Eternal Word Television Network (times EST): In this special holiday presentation of "In Concert," we will hear works by the great Baroque composers Bach and Handel, along with music of the classical master Mozart, performed by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, the German Brass, and the Freiburg Cathedral Boys Choir. Traditional carols and exquisite classical pieces including excerpts from Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Handel's Messiah will be performed. The beauty of winter and Christmas scenes from the city of Freiburg add to the essence of this musical offering. Christmas is a festive and joyful time of the year in the charming city of Freiburg, Germany. Founded in 1120, the city brims with tradition. The concert performance we are about to see was filmed at the magnificent Freiburg Cathedral. Citizens of the area call its lofty spire "the finest steeple in Christendom," from which visitors can see Switzerland, Germany, and France converge with the Black Forest, stretching along both sides of the Rhine to the horizon and the Alps. Experience the wonder of the great European tradition of Christmas with A Baroque Christmas Concert.Sunday December 28, 2003 1:30 PM, Saturday January 3, 2004 3:00 AM 9. GREETINGS FROM CHARTER MEMBER FIRMUS OPITZ Firmus writes: Mein Lieber Landsmann Herr Berghold: I just have to answer a point you made about members not keeping their address current. I find it hard to believe that someone would let these things (the newsletter) lapse. I cannot wait until it arrives and the printer kicks out all the pages. Each of these allows me to dream about those little Dorf's and unter Dorf's, which I may or may not have been through one time or another. Burgenland is so very unique and is brought into focus by you Herr Berghold and your contributing Editors. Vielen Dank Another subject over which I drool is when the talk is about kuchen, Appel Strudel, Kraut Strudel and the tons of other goodies. The reason I bring this up is my mother, Anna Gangl (Opa Gangl was from Apetlon) baked all of these goodies. The reason I drool is because I am diabetic and can't eat any of these things, although I think my blood sugar jumps sky high just thinking about them. Ein Gutes Weihnachten Zu Alles Newsletter continues as no. 124B.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 124B DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G Berghold) December 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) This third section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Deutsch/Englisch Sprache - The Language Of The Germanic Immigrant 2. New Jersey Ethnic Holiday Event - Margaret Kaiser 3. Kudos From Member 4. Village Of Csanak, Hungary 5. German Speaking Communities In Chicago - Spurensuche 6. Village Called "Wolffs" 7. Book "People On The Border" - Croatian History In The Burgenland 8. Chicago Jolly Burgenländer Faschingfest - Tom Glatz 1. DEUTSCH/ENGLISCH SPRACHE - THE LANGUAGE OF THE GERMANIC IMMIGRANT It is a well known fact that children and the unthinking enjoy poking fun at anyone who, or anything which, differs from what they are used to. As a result, it was (and still is) the practice to treat immigrants and travelers who are not skilled in their adopted language as objects of scorn or mirth. Having attempted Latin, German, UK English, Serbo-Croatian and Hungarian myself (with limited success and no head for languages) as well as journeys into Spanish, Turkish, French, Greek and Italian, I can well identify with the immigrants' plight. I've come to the conclusion that, rather than poke fun at those who attempt another language, we should compliment them for their effort. If you don't believe me, try learning another language or, better yet, travel to some place where English is rarely used and try to get along - you'll soon be speaking Foreign/English Sprache. Germanic immigration is now probably at an all time low and Hispanic immigration at an all time high. We see that some now feel that we should have Spanish as well as English as our "official" languages. Not to worry, one generation from now will see our present immigrants speaking good English and maybe the next call will be for Chinese! Our Burgenland immigrants did their best to learn English (and some did an excellent job of it after the usual false starts) while also teaching their children a little German. I, for one, admire their efforts. We have hundreds of German dialects - I now bring you one more, which I have called Deutsch/Englisch Sprache (with apologies to those who have mastered both languages.) In the last newsletter I published a Xmas poem written in Deutsch/Englisch Sprache. I received a fair amount of comment from people who enjoyed it and who could well understand the fractured German as well as the fractured English. Here are two others, read them, if nothing else, they well serve as a language lesson. * Hannes Graf writes: Dear Gerry Another, a little different from last year's poem, enjoy it und liebe Grüße. When the snow falls wunderbar And the children happy are, When the Glatteis on the street, And we all a Glühwein need, Then you know, es ist soweit: She is here, the Weihnachtszeit Every Parkhaus ist besetzt, Weil die people fahren jetzt All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt, Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt. Shopping hirnverbrannte things And the Christmasglocke rings. Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Hear the music, see the lights, Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht, Merry Christmas allerseits... Mother in the kitchen bakes Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks Daddy in the Nebenraum Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum He is hanging auf the balls, Then he from the Leiter falls... Finally the Kinderlein To the Zimmer kommen rein And es sings the family Schauerlich: "Oh, Christmastree!" And the jeder in the house Is packing die Geschenke aus. Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Hear the music, see the lights, Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht, Merry Christmas allerseits... Mama finds unter the Tanne Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne, Papa gets a Schlips and Socken, Everybody does frohlocken. President speaks in TV, All around is Harmonie, Bis mother in the kitchen runs: Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans. And so comes die Feuerwehr With Tatü, tata daher, And they bring a long, long Schlauch An a long, long Leiter auch. And they schrei - "Wasser marsch!", Christmas is - now im - Eimer... Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Hear the music, see the lights, Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht, Merry Christmas allerseits... * DER CHARLIE Den andre abend ging mei frau und ich ein 'walk' zu nehmen. Uf course, wir koente a maschin erforder, bot ich klaim, Wer a fortie waist hat wie mei frau. Soll exerceise Aenyhau. Und wie mir so gemuetlich gehen aelong die awenues, Da bleibt a koppel vor mich stehen. Ich notiz gleich die schuhs.. A Greenhorn kennt ma bei sei schuh, das mus ich auch erklaere. Ich wunder wie sie's stehnde tun so teite schuhs zu waere. Der mann guckt mich a weil lang an, als wolt er fuer was frage, Dann bloscht er wie a kidt bis an sei hardtgeboilte krage, Und mach ein bow, und sagt, "pardonne soer, holds sie tramway hier?" "Ach, wo die streetcar stoppe tut, das willst du wisse? Well der weg is hart zu misse." Du schneidts hier cross die empty lot, Und dort wo du das brikhaus siest, da toernst du und Walkst zwei block east. "Ich fuerchte Ich belastige sie mit meine frage, aber werden sie so freundlich sein mir das auf deutschzu sagen?" "In deutsch!!" schrei ich, "ja denkst du mensch ich talk in tscheinese oder frensch?" Bei gosch es is zum lache, in vierzehn tag vergist der kerl Sei eigene Muttersprache! Wenns net fuer uns old settlers Waere, gibts bald kein Tscherman lengwitsch mer!!! 2. NEW JERSEY ETHNIC HOLIDAY EVENT (from Margaret Kaiser) 15th Annual Festival of Trees including the Menorah and the Traditions of Belarus, Denmark, Greece, Hispanic-Latino People, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Scotland, Ukraine, Victorian England and Early 20th Century America. Museum of the American Hungarian Foundation www.ahfoundation.org 300 Somerset Street (PO Box 1084) New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Phone: 732 846-5777 December 7, 2003 - February 1, 2004 Museum Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11-4, Sunday 1-4 3. KUDOS FROM MEMBER (from Mary Kamper Sheridan) Gerry and Albert, I just have to send a quick note telling you how much I thoroughly enjoy each BB Newsletter. I pour over each one. I must congratulate all the editors on a wonderful newsletter that stands out for its scholarship, informative information, discipline of focus, and general readability. And Albert, it seems to me (and perhaps I am prejudiced here as he is related to me through our great-grandmothers), always has an outstanding contribution to make. (Other editors, please do not take this as a denigration of your own very commendable efforts.) This time his research on the Vienna orphans caught my eye as it gave me a clue that perhaps my mother's side of the family might have some connection to the much earlier A-H immigration--a very new speculation for me. Also most interesting is the mDNA study that is being done by Steve Geosits. Fascinating. Dan Kamper and I (whom I found only through the BB and who then opened a whole new world of extended family to me) almost always comment with each other on each newsletter. Thus, kudos all around. I think your work would justify an honorary doctorate from some university; it is of that type of quality in my opinion. Thank you for your wonderful work/scholarship and unselfish sharing of your work. (ED. Note: Many of our editors have advanced degrees, but none would turn down an honorary doctorate!) 4. VILLAGE OF CSANAK, HUNGARY Member writes: I have just started working on my Wolkensdorfer side of the family. My GGGrandfather, Martin Wolkensdorfer and his wife Theresa Klaus were reported to have been from the village of Csanak. I have just ordered the LDS films from the Catholic Church in Csanak and several smaller surrounding villages. I am wondering if you have any suggestions for my search for Martin and Theresa? All of their children born in Hungary are reported to have been born in Csanak except one and she was reported to have been born in Chaunack. I can find no information on such a village. Have you ever heard of this village? I would appreciate any help that you can provide. Reply: Csanak or now Rabacsanak is still in today's Hungary, Gyor-Moson-Sopron Megye, south of Csorna. Not a Burgenland village. Pre-1921 it was in Sopron Megye, district (Bezirk) of Csorna. Had a population of about 1000, today 639. Was its own parish. First mentioned in 1351. I find no reference to Chaunack but I would guess it is a phonetic spelling of Csanak. When you scan the church records, look for the birth of the person supposedly born there. 5. GERMAN SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN CHICAGO - SPURENSUCHE (suggested by Tom Glatz) (ED. Note: Tom recently sent me a package of ethnic material relating to the Chicago Burgenland enclave. There are many other Germanic ethnic groups in the region. This article addresses them.) Included in the material recently received from Tom Glatz, our BB Chicago editor, was a booklet called "Spurensuche" (the discovery of something found in a particular place - Germanic in this case) - German Speaking Communities in Chicago and in the Midwest. It was published by a consortium of German-American organizations, with help from the Consulates General of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It was published in Chicago in the Fall of 2003 and contains articles describing the organizations. Various waves of immigration from German speaking lands came to Chicago and those from Burgenland were well-represented, as has been covered in previous newsletters. The consortium has already raised $10K towards expanding into a website. When they do, Tom tells us there will be a link to us as well as other organizations. Burgenländers are unique compared to other Germanic groups, since their many years as part of Hungary as well as their Croatian minority identify them as eastern Europeans as opposed to central Europeans. This fact is mentioned in the booklet, which covers only one Burgenland group, the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft/BG (there are other groups not described, possibly because they provided no response, but some are listed in the index.) Tom Glatz wrote an article concerning the BG and, in the same article, mentioned the BB. Editing for limited space did not allow full coverage of our group. I was a little disappointed, as was Tom. It has been my experience that whenever Germanic emigration is addressed in publications, you will find little concerning the Burgenland. This is exactly why the BB was formed. Germanic researchers tend to view us as Hungarian and Hungarian researchers tend to view us as Germans. As a result we generally fall through the crack and are ignored by both. Our Germanic heritage requires us to be cognizant of other Germanic groups. Some are listed below. Articles in Spurensuche are printed in both German and English. After a forward and a preface, the booklet includes: Migration and Settlement, German as a Foreign Language in Chicago, Mapping German Immigration In The Midwest, The Danube Swabians, The Burgenländer, Dialogues of Eminent Immigrants, The Chicago Symphony, German-Jewish Dialogue, Portrait of an American-Swiss Community, Sister Cities and Student Exchanges, Personalities, German Neighborhoods and Street Names, Architecture and Art, Bauhaus Influence on Chicago Architecture, German and Austrian Stained Glass Windows In Chicago, Culinary Delights, Traditions and Lippizan Stud Farm, Mari Sandoz (author of Swiss immigrant stories), Social Movements, and List of German Speaking Clubs and Organizations. Burgenland clubs listed are the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft and the Jolly Burgenländer Social Club. There are other Austrian Clubs shown - most with provincial interest such as Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol, etc. Also shown are the Austrian American Councils throughout the Midwest. The websites of the three consulates are: Austrian - www.Austria.org; German - www.germany-info.org/Chicago; Switzerland - www.swissemb.org/Chicago. Ethnic clubs are generally formed primarily to provide a forum where immigrants can meet in a social context and converse in their birth language. Later, they often expand to include cultural events, dinners of ethnic food, dances, holidays and beneficial opportunities. Sometime they promote trips to the homeland or senior club activities - rarely do they address family history or homeland history and geography. As the newer generations become adults and the immigrant generation dies out, these last two become more important, but unfortunately, few clubs address these issues and club membership declines or dies out. It is up to us, the descendants of immigrants to support these organizations and change the impetus of their reasons for existence. I would hate to see the Germanic ethnic clubs die out for want of participation. You may wish to contact Tom Glatz to determine if the booklet is still available or to get the address of one of the clubs or organizations. Tom also sent me a copy of the German weekly newspaper "Eintracht," which lists ethnic events in the Chicago/midwest area. It is available by calling 1-847-677-9456 at $40/yr. Published by Eintract, Inc., 9456 N. Lawler Ave., Skokie IL 60077-1271. 6. VILLAGE CALLED "WOLFFS" In a message dated 12/17/03, A. Jaeger writes: "I am pretty new to the wonderful hobby of genealogy, I found your site through a few searches. My great-grandfather supposedly came here from Hungary, the town I was told that he came from is "Wolffs", I cannot find this town, do you know if it ever existed in Hungary? I look forward to your reply, thank you." Reply: There is a Wolfau in the district of Oberwart in southern Burgenland. Hungarian name (before 1921) was Vasfarkasfalva. Farkas is Hungarian for wolf. Vas was the county. Parish of Markt Allhau - civil office in Kemeten. Near the border with Styria (western Burgenland border). You'll need a 1:200, 000 scale map to find it - see our map section available from our website. 1335 inhabitants-first mentioned in 1257. See our website for more. 7. BOOK "PEOPLE ON THE BORDER" - CROATIAN HISTORY IN THE BURGENLAND In a message dated 12/17/03, Harald Lutzmann writes: "Having traced my family history back to Lutzmannsburg, I am vitally interested in the book by Johann Dobrovitch. Can you help me in this regard or if possible e-mail the installments?" Reply: You can find the English translation (by Frank Teklits) serialized in our Newsletter archives, from which you can download them. They are in BB Newsletters Nos. 55A through 65A. See below for address of our website archives (attached). 8. CHICAGO JOLLY BURGENLÄNDER FASCHINGFEST Tom Glatz reports that the Jolly Burgenländer Faschingfest or pre-Lenten dance will take place on Friday, February 13, 2004, at the Chicago Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St., Oak Forest, Illinois. If we can get enough of the Chicago Burgenland Bunch members to attend, as we did for the Lackenbach Music Group event, we can have our own table. Please let me know if you wish to attend. My phone number is 773-239-6523. Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $9.00 at the door. Newsletter continues as no. 124C.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 124C DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY (Issued monthly by G Berghold) December 31, 2003 (c) 2003 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved) *** TOM GLATZ REMINDS US THAT BURGENLÄNDISCHE GEMEINSCHAFT (BG) MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME IS ALMOST UPON US. SEE YOUR ISSUE OF THE BG NEWS. MEMBERS IN THE CHICAGO AREA MAY SEND THEIR DUES TO TOM WHO IS THEIR LOCAL BG CONTACT OR SEND CHECKS DIRECTLY TO THE BG IN GÜSSING. *** This fourth section of our 4-section newsletter includes: 1. Early Baptism & Infant Mortality 2. Horvath And Paar Families From Kondorfa, Hungary 3. Chicago Zither Club - Tom Glatz 4. Austrian American Society Of Milwaukee - Tom Glatz 5. Fr. Berghold Memorial Approved 6. New Year Comes To Old Vienna - Albert Schuch, Bob Strauch, Margaret Kaiser) 7. GLÜCKLICHES NEW JAHR! 1. EARLY BAPTISM & INFANT MORTALITY In a message dated 12/5/03, RA Bjorkman writes: "Since Neustift (Ujtelep) had no church and records were kept in Kukmirn some 20 +/- miles away, did families usually take their infants to the church the day after birth to be christened? Christenings typically are shown to occur the very next day. A 40-mile round-trip by horse and wagon seems a long haul, especially in winter. Any history on this?" Reply: The death rate among births was so high (close to 25%) that most children were baptized the same day they were born. Some records show both dates which supports what I've said. Puerperal fever among pregnant women was almost epidemic (given the poor delivery hygiene). It was only after WW-I that rural hospitals and clinics reversed the trend. A Viennese doctor, by the way, I.P. Semmelweis, solved the puerperal fever problem. My g-grandfather Sorger had three wives, first two died giving birth after many children. My grandfather's mother (Ilona Tarafas from Pinkamindszent) was the second wife who died after having four children. Her fifth baby died also after baptism - name "anonymous". Midwives were used, but relatives often attended. Some were good and some were not so good. Most villages are too small even today to have a resident doctor (Arzt) - they receive visits from traveling doctors on a scheduled basis - dentists as well. I first encountered south Burgenland hospital births in the 1920's (Güssing hospital was founded about that time). Prior to that, the hospital in Graz was used by those who could afford it. When you say Kukmirn was 20+ miles, it's more like 8-10 kms (as the crow flies) - using farm lanes, if you know where they are. Now part of the "radfahren" or bicycle routes. Kukmirn had (has) both a RC and Lutheran church. Neustift has a cemetery on a hill outside the village with a chapel "Der Alte Glockenturm-Kirche zum Heilige Antonius" - also a Lutheran Bethaus - prayer house. I visited one afternoon checking on family names. My cousin Klaus Gerger (one of our BB Burgenland editors) has a mother-in-law who lives outside Neustift. 2. HORVATH & PAAR FAMILIES FROM KONDORFA, HUNGARY In a message dated 12/9/03, Joe Horvath writes: "I saw your information on the Burgenland Bunch web site. Among the surnames you listed were Horvath and Paar. My grandparents were Horvath and Paar from Kondorfa, Hungary. They settled in Northampton County, PA. Do you have any information that could help me identify or otherwise learn about the earlier generations?" Reply: Both of your names are fairly common in the Burgenland region and you will find them in various villages. I have both in my family history - the Horvaths (my grandfather Sorger's family) were from Rosenberg (Güssing) and Pinkamindszent, Hungary. The Paars from Krottendorf. Kondorfa is still in Hungary and is a few kms south of Szt. Gotthard, just a few miles from the Austrian border. It is in Vas Megye (county) with a population today of about 720. It lies in the valley created by the Lugos Brook and was first mentioned in 1350. It belonged to the Cistercian monastery in Szt. Gotthard. The church, St. Lucas, was built in 1850. Records are available by microfilm from the LDS. This region sent many immigrants to the Lehigh Valley. Mine settled in Allentown, although my grandmother's twin sister, Fannie Mühl Wallitisch Holzer, had the tavern at Ruch & Oak Sts in Stiles (West Coplay). Tracing your family requires a search of the church records. Our website can tell you how to do that. You might also find some of our 1100 members who our searching these names or your village area. By copy of this email, I'm asking Margaret Kaiser, our editor for this area of the Burgenland, whether she has any additional information concerning Kondorfa. 3. CHICAGO ZITHER CLUB (from Tom Glatz) The Chicago Zither Club held their Gala 90th Anniversary Fall Concert on November 23 at the St. Patrick's Performing Arts Center in Chicago. John Olivo conducted an ensemble of 15 zithers, 2 guitars, 2 mandolins, 2 autoharps, a mandola, recorder, cello and bass. Program included music by Johann Strauss, Jr. as well as other selections including a 'Sound of Music' Medley. Remember Anton Karas and his haunting zither music from the movie "The Third Man"? The zither is one of those instruments that bring Austria to mind. Chicago-area BB members may wish to determine when the next concert will be held and mark their calendars. Austrian culture is still very much alive in Chicago. BB members who live in the area might take advantage of this. The Zither Club has been around since 1913. It was founded by German and Austrian immigrants. After a nice meal at the Hungarian Paprikash Restaurant, I attended the above concert. These concerts are always wonderful. The group is very diverse in its repertoire playing German and Austrian folk as well as some classical and popular music. This time, they were accompanied by a guest zither player from Germany and a classically trained singer. The head of the group, Janet Stessel, gave a brief summary of the group's history and dedicated the concert to the memory of those long gone who helped make the club a success. 4. AUSTRIAN AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MILWAUKEE (from Tom Glatz) Inclosed is a copy of the brochure for this organization. Frank Schmitz is president, I know him well. Every year they have an exhibit at "Germanfest" in Milwaukee. They serve food such as Gulasch and roast pork with Knödel, etc. Last Thursday I attended the Xmas party of the Austrian American Council Of The Midwest. I had the pleasure of sitting with the honorary Austrian consul of Milwaukee, Robert Kalupa and wife Eileen. They are very active members of this club. We spoke about the different clubs in the area. The consul was very interested in the BB. He welcomes and encourages our Milwaukee area BB members to also consider joining this club or attending their events. I sent him a link to our website. The club does not have a website. Meetings are held on the second Friday of the month (Jan, June, July excluded) at the German Fest Office, 8229W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee. There is a monthly newsletter. Special events which they sponsor are Zum Heurigen (Winefest), Austrian-American Day, German Fest and Holiday Folk Fair. New members are always welcome. Annual dues are $15.00 per person. Contact Betty Klitzke, 4411 N. 100th St., #4, Milwaukee, WI 53025. 5. FR BERGHOLD MEMORIAL APPROVED (from Jim Seifert) (ED. Note: Previous newsletters have mentioned Father Alexander Berghold, Catholic priest and missionary to the mid-west in the late 1800's, author and poet. Born in Styria, Austria, just a few kms from the Burgenland border, he spent many years in the New Ulm area of Minnesota. He was responsible for establishing the parish of New Ulm as well as others and founding schools and a hospital. He was an advocate of the German language being studied in immigrant schools and used for mass. He returned to Austria and died a pauper at the end of World War I. His parishioners will honor him by erecting a memorial, as mentioned by member Jim Seifert who serves on the FR Berghold Memorial Committee. Father Berghold was a notable immigrant to the US and should be remembered in both America and Austria. Our editors Albert Schuch and Fritz Königshofer have uncovered much data concerning this individual. While we have the same surname, I cannot link to his branch of the Berghold clan. Dr. LaVern Rippley (author/editor/translator and professor at St. Olaf College) wrote the following (edited) as a conclusion to an article on Fr. Berghold. He is the historian of the memorial committee. "Truly Father Alexander Berghold crossed boundaries--a theme which thrusts across the frontiers of time from the instant of his death to the moment of ours. Momentous in scope, the "Boundary Crossings" which Berghold enacted by his life hold multitudinous challenges for us today: With him and his legacy, we must leap across parish lines, ethnic frontiers, language barriers, political divides .....and across the expanse of continents." (ED. Note: It comes to mind that the same can be said for our search for family history.) Jim writes: I have good news about the Fr. Berghold Memorial. Last week the committee authorized the construction of the Fr. Berghold statue. It will be seven feet tall. As required by our Bishop, we now have sufficient funds on hand and pledged to pay for the entire statue. Construction takes about 18 months, so we have time to collect the money for the base. It was our hope to have the statue completed in time for the 150th anniversary of the founding of New Ulm next year. However the 100th anniversary of the outdoor Way of the Cross, which was the inspiration of Fr. Berghold, will still be celebrated. There is going to be a parade from Holy Trinity Cathedral church, which Fr. Berghold designed, to the Way of the Cross. Following this, there is going to be a benediction ceremony at Loretto Park, which is adjacent to the entrance to the Way of the Cross. The dedication of the memorial site will probably take place at this time. We started this project back in 1996. It is a very slow process. A few obstacles had to be overcome. Do you have any thoughts on why it is important to remember people from the past to whom we owe so much? We are going to send out another letter of solicitation soon. I am grateful for your moral support and the research you and your colleagues have done. 6. NEW YEAR COMES TO OLD VIENNA (suggested by Albert Schuch, Bob Strauch & Margaret Kaiser) Last year Albert copied me on an article from the New York Times concerning subject matter. I've enjoyed this concert for many years. In my mind, nothing takes one to the "gemütlichkeit" of old Vienna like the New Year's Concert. Check your public television schedule for the time of this year's transmission. Margaret Kaiser suggests you read a similar article from www.myway.com) Bob Strauch submits the following Lehigh Valley schedule: NEW YEAR'S CONCERT FROM VIENNA 2004: On TV: WLVT-Lehigh Valley PBS (www.wlvt.org) Thursday, January 1, 2004 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM 1:00 AM - 2:30 AM 4:30 AM - 6:00 AM On radio: (complete concert) WRTI-Philadelphia (www.wrti.org) (97.1 FM in the Lehigh Valley/ 90.1 FM in the Philadelphia area; also live broadcast over Internet) Thursday, January 1, 2004 11:00 AM - approx. 1:00 PM Followed by 1990 broadcast of Strauss' operetta "Die Fledermaus". Fragments of the article describing last year's concert follow: A New Year Comes to Old Vienna By JAMES R. OESTREICH (excerpted from the New York Times) VIENNA, Jan. 1 (2003)- It is a remarkable display of civility that this city offers with the famous Johann Strauss concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic on New Year's Eve and New Year's morning. All the more remarkable given what comes between. To a midnight mob scene outside St. Stephen's Cathedral worthy of Times Square, add the firepower of Chinatown at its new year.... the big bell that rings in the cathedral tower to greet the new year could simply not be heard. Well, solace came quickly, with the concert New Year's morning at the Musikverein, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and telecast live throughout much of the world, later in the day in the United States.... The orchestra played superbly in a way that only it can in this repertory, with polish, spirit, humor and the inimitable lilt that comes from rushing the second beat in a waltz.... In addition to the television broadcasts, expected to reach some 50 million viewers, the recordings are perennial best sellers..... This year, Deutsche Grammophon promises to have finished CD's in European stores by Jan. 7; American release is scheduled for Jan. 28....there was also the expected. Invariably, the first strains of the second encore, "The Blue Danube," are interrupted by applause -And invariably the conductor turns around to wish everyone a happy new year on behalf of the orchestra....Equally predictably, the third and final encore was Johann Strauss I's "Radetzky March," with everyone clapping along heartily. 7. A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AS WE START OUR 9TH YEAR! GLÜCKLICHES NEW JAHR FROM THE STAFF OF THE BB! END OF NEWSLETTER BURGENLAND BUNCH STAFF (USA residents unless designated otherwise) Coordinator & Editor Newsletter (Gerald Berghold) Burgenland Editor (Albert Schuch; Austria) Home Page Editor (Hap Anderson) Internet/URL Editor (Anna Tanczos Kresh) Contributing Editors: Austro/Hungarian Research (Fritz Königshofer) Burgenland Co-Editor (Klaus Gerger, Austria) Burgenland Lake Corner Research (Dale Knebel) Chicago Burgenland Enclave (Tom Glatz) Croatian Burgenland (Frank Teklits) Home Page village lists (Bill Rudy) Home Page surname lists (Tom Steichen) Home Page membership list (Hannes Graf, Austria) Judaic Burgenland (Maureen Tighe-Brown) Lehigh Valley Burgenland Enclave (Robert Strauch) Szt. Gotthard & Jennersdorf Districts (Margaret Kaiser) Western US BB Members-Research (Bob Unger) WorldGenWeb-Austria, RootsWeb Liason-Burgenland (Charles Wardell, Austria) BB ARCHIVES (can be reached via Home Page hyperlinks) BURGENLAND HOME PAGE (WEB SITE) http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org http://go.to/burgenland-bunch (also provides access to Burgenländische Gemeinschaft web site.) The BB is in contact with the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft, Hauptplatz 7, A-7540 Güssing, Burgenland, Austria. Burgenl.gem@bnet.at Burgenland Bunch Newsletter distributed courtesy of (c) 1999 RootsWeb.com, Inc. P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 Newsletter and List Rights Reserved. Permission to Copy Granted; Provide Credit and Mention Source.