Newsletter
     Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 149
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Our 11th Year - Issued monthly as email by G. J. Berghold
March 31, 2006
(c) 2006 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved

~VISIT THE NEW REVISED & RESTRUCTURED BB HOMEPAGE - ALL 545 PAGES!~

                      GO TO: http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/

My thanks to the many members who sent me their best wishes and notes of concern
and support. Your comments are deeply appreciated. Gerry

Current Status Of The BB:
*Members - 1278 *Surname Entries - 4422 *Query Board Entries - 3462
*Newsletter Subscribers 1025, Newsletters Archived - 149 *Number of Staff Members - 16

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This first section of our 2-section newsletter concerns:
1. BB Charter Members
2. Hungarian Fank, Krapfen, Fastnachts & American Doughnuts
3. Burgenland Cemetery Visits Here & Abroad
4. Lunch/Dinner In Ethnic Northampton, PA - 1935
5. Austrian Guide Available


1. BB CHARTER MEMBERS

Purging some files the other day, I found a list dated August 18, 1997.  The title
was "The Burgenland Bunch Member List Update."  This must be one of the earliest
member lists we produced since the first BB newsletter was distributed in
January of that year.  The list contained the following names in alphabetic order:
Hap Anderson, Gerry Berghold, Mary Lou Brubaker, Ernest Chrisbacher, John R.
Cox, Joe Gilly (deceased), Thomas Grennes, Geri Hartmann, Helen ?, Patti Horwath
(missing), Barry Keippel, Lee Keippel (missing), Dale Knebel, Anna Kresh, Eric
Kumbusch, John Lavendoski, Fritz and Kay Meidlinger, Mary Montoya, Glenda Moser,
Kenneth L. Neal, Bobbi Newlander, John Norton (bad address), Norm Pihale
(missing), Gary Portsche, Barbara Raabe, Albert Schuch, Mike Spahitz, Lee Spanitz,
Joan Straub (missing), Sue Straw, Joseph Tanzos (bad address), Frank Teklits,
Bob Unger, John J. Unger, James Weinzatl, Lynette Wolf, Larry Zierhut.  A total
of 38 members; all but five are still with us (haven't been removed from the
membership list), two have bad email addresses and 6 have served as staff
members.  I wish to thank those who stuck with us or served in a staff capacity
or the last ten years.


2. HUNGARIAN FANK, KRAPFEN, FASTNACHTS AND AMERICAN DOUGHNUTS

I hadn't planned to do a subject article this year as I thought I had exhausted
the subject in previous issues.  Then I received a message that queried the
origin of Hungarian "Fank."

A correspondent writes:
"I have tried to find for my grandchild the origin of "FANK" a Hungarian dessert.
As far as I could discover on the internet from Montreal, the name is German,
the dessert (doughnut in America) is Hungarian.  Am I right?"

Reply: As near as I can determine, the origin of "Fank" (Hungarian for the
English-language doughnut) is not Hungarian but Germanic or Viennese, as it
doesn't appear in the two leading English-language Hungarian cookbooks.  It is
not found in either the "Paprikas Weiss Hungarian Cookbook" or George Lang's
"The Cuisine of Hungary."  It is found in Marina Polvay's book "All Along the
Danube" in the chapter dealing with the Black Forrest region of Germany.  Here
it is called "Krapfen" (raised doughnuts).  Fank also appears in the Gourmet "Old
Vienna Cookbook" as Krapfen, including a variation called Wiener Faschingkrapfen
(apricot jam filled) with rum added to the recipe.  (Note: Ernst Marboe's book,
"The Book of Austria," claims that Faschingkrapfen were invented in 1615 by a
Viennese baker named Cacilie.  Her shop was near the Pieler Gate [Naglergasse]
and this pastry was later named "Cilli-balls."  Thirty years later, it was
improved by adding a jam filling.  During the carnival of 1815, 8 to 10 million
of these doughnuts were eaten.  A doughnut broken in half and given to a
sweetheart was also considered a token of engagement.)

Another reason to believe Germanic or Viennese origin is that Krapfen are well
known under that name throughout Europe... I've ordered and eaten them in Austria,
Croatia, Germany, Italy, Romania and elsewhere.  There is even a variation in
northern Germany called "Berliner" although these generally are filled with jam,
chocolate or creme.  (When US President Kennedy announced on a visit to Berlin,
"Ich bin ein Berliner," many German speakers grinned in amusement.)  A true "Fank"
or Krapfen does not have a filling, although they are eaten with jam.  They are also
dusted with powdered sugar or vanilla sugar and sometimes eaten plain.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Germans from the Palatinate (today's
Rhine-Hesse) came to the United States and settled in eastern Pennsylvania.
Today they are erroneously called Pennsylvania Dutch (from Deutsch) and they
have a traditional fried raised doughnut called "Fastnacht."  It is eaten right
before Lent and is still very popular.  The recipe was brought with them from
Europe.  It is, to all intents and purposes, "Fank" or Krapfen, has no center hole
and is complete with the yellow ring which occurs when the Krapfen is turned
(only once) while being fried in the hot fat.  This yellow ring is found on most
variations and is the pride of Hungarian and Austrian cooks; they try to keep it
perfect.  The "Fastnacht" is sometimes made with the later addition of potatoes
to the dough, all other ingredients being about the same as Krapfen.  There is
also something similar in French cookery called Beignet (Beignets d' Orleans),
often filled with jam.

When the Krapfen or doughnut came to America, it originally came in the old
pattern.  It retained its plain, fried, sweet-bread aspect for many years, even
traveling west with the wagon trains as a frying pan bread, sweetened or
unsweetened, as sugar, honey or molasses was available.  In the early West, Louis
L'Amour would have us believe it acquired the new name of "Bear Sign."  Cowboys
would supposedly ride miles to eat them.  I doubt if these were a raised variety;
in the absence of yeast, perhaps a sour-dough variant.

Doughnuts became a very popular restaurant breakfast commodity but were made
with a hole in the center (probably to make it easier to fry or dunk in coffee)
and, after WWII, many doughnut franchises (like Dunkin-Donuts) went into operation.
Their products, while retaining a raised, Krapfen dough, changed considerably
in shape, filling and the additions of various outer coatings.  A cake doughnut
was also produced and a twisted "cruller" shape was also made.  Today a true
Krapfen doughnut is very hard to find in the US except in limited ethnic
neighborhood bakeries right before Lent.  The closest is the Pennsylvania
Fastnacht.  The donut with the hole predominates elsewhere.

Not too long ago, my wife and I made a batch of Krapfen (unfilled in the old
style) dusted only with powdered sugar for a church supper.  They were perfect,
according to the old recipe, but they were not popular.  Those eating them
expected the heavy sweetness of commercial doughnuts with their various fillings
and outer coverings (nuts, chocolate, coconut, sugar glaze, colored sugar
sprinkles, cinnamon sugar etc.)  Sadly the doughnut is in decline in the US as
not healthy, given its sugar and fat content.  Krispy-Kreme, a large commercial
national producer, recently filed for bankruptcy.  The doughnut franchises have
retrenched and many now carry additional baked goods like bagels, cinnamon buns,
ice cream etc.  We now find them in convenience stores also selling gasoline.

So, we are long way from traditional Fank or Krapfen, still a delight to eat
with a cup of coffee and easy to make at home.  I have even used a bread machine
to make the dough.  Throughout Europe, recipes have been exchanged for centuries
among the various ethnic groups, each borrowing (and sometimes adapting) whatever
appealed to them.  Fank-Krapfen, like Strudel (from Turkish to Hungarian to
Austrian to German), is a case in point.  I believe Krapfen may have traveled the
reverse route.  They can be found in Turkey and Greece as well.  I like to believe
they are all a variant of the 1615 Viennese discovery by Cacilie.  Nothing beats
a sack of fresh Krapfen from an Austrian bakery: in their coffee houses it's
always a hard choice between Krapfen and other delicious pastry.

A more traditional deep-fried Hungarian dessert are Bowknots (Forgacsfank or
Csoroge).  I hope this is not what you had in mind.  They are also called fried
twists, sprinkled with sugar and eaten with jam.

A traditional recipe for Fank (Krapfen) follows:

Krapfen (raised doughnuts)

2 packages yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 tblsp sugar

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
6 tblsp butter
3 eggs or 2 eggs plus 2 yolks
oil for frying

Combine yeast, water and 2 tblsp sugar.  Set aside to work.  In a larger bowl, put 2
cups flour.  Add milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and butter (room temperature), mix till
butter is combined and add yeast mixture.  Add beaten eggs.  Add remaining flour
using enough to make a smooth elastic dough.  More water or flour may be needed to
make a pliable dough.  Knead well, then place in greased bowl, covered to rise
until doubled.

(Note: up to this point, a bread machine can also be used, placing the ingredients
in the machine in accordance with machine procedure - wet items first - yeast in last
in a depression in the flour.  Use dough cycle until finished.  Remove at the finish
beep and proceed as below.)

Put dough on floured surface, roll 1 inch thick and cut with doughnut cutter or
cut into 2 to 3 inch squares.  Cover and let rise again - about 1/2 hour.  Fry in
hot (drop of water should sizzle), deep oil or fat (Hungarians used lard) about 1
minute per side - golden with a yellow stripe.  Drain on paper towels and dust with
confectioners sugar or a combination of granulated and cinnamon to taste.  Sooner
eaten the better; they will begin to go stale in 24 hours, but can still be eaten
and enjoyed.  As a youngster, I bought yesterday's Krapfen from a local bakery for
a penny and enjoyed every bite - I still do when I want a treat.


3. BURGENLAND CEMETERY VISITS HERE & ABROAD

When Frank Paukovits initiated his website "Burgenland Immigrants Honored &
Remembered" (BH&R, see newsletter 148A and previous newsletters), it made me
think of the many cemetery visits we made while putting our own family histories
together.  As a youngster, I would accompany my grandmother to the Sacred Heart
cemetery on Fullerton Avenue in Allentown, PA.  Here were the graves of many
deceased Burgenland immigrants.  My great-grandmother's grave was there, as well
as other family members.  I also accompanied my mother to other cemeteries in the
Allentown area where I also noticed Burgenland immigrant graves.  Many years later,
as I was completing our family genealogies, I noticed we were missing many later
generation death dates.  These can be found in newspaper obituaries and such but
it's never that easy even though many in the US are now on-line. Trips to
cemeteries, a short trip away, were for us a better approach, particularly since
we knew where most deceased family were buried.  Upon retirement, my wife and I
made a few trips to these family cemeteries, took pictures of grave markers and
filled a notebook with names and dates.  Visits to relatives resulted in the
names of other cemeteries where family names could be found.  It wasn't long
before we had found most missing dates of those who died in the Lehigh Valley.

The next obvious move was to consider family who hadn't emigrated.  While the LDS
1828-1921 church death-record microfilm furnished most of the older generation
death dates, few were available for later generations, given the LDS records
ended at 1921.  A few letters to Austria brought a trickle of such death dates
but it was obvious that a trip overseas was necessary.  The most rewarding one
was in 1993 when, in a period of 11 days, we visited almost two dozen village
cemeteries gathering death dates of family members.  I came across our notes for
these visits the other day and reviewed our photos and I'm amazed at how
voluminous they are.  I must consider publishing them.  It is rarely possible to
find graves of the earlier generations, as the graves in Europe are recycled, but
many of the post-1921 family graves are still extant.  Our family histories are
now missing very few death dates.

With the establishment of the BH&R website, it may no longer be necessary to
plan cemetery trips to ethnic enclave cemeteries in the US.  Frank Paukovits and
his crew are expanding their geographic areas almost monthly as Burgenland
descendants supply cemetery data as well as family photos.  I recently submitted
my family cemetery notes and photos for the Lehigh Valley area and I'm most
happy with the results.  If you are missing death dates of immigrants who settled
in areas covered, visit the site frequently; you may get lucky.  Now all we need
is someone in the Burgenland to follow Frank's lead.


4. LUNCH/DINNER IN ETHNIC NORTHAMPTON, PA - 1935
    (from Bob Strauch)

Bob writes: While perusing the Morning Call microfilm today, I came across these
advertisements in the Feb. 2, 1935 issue:

Newport Hungarian Restaurant
1332 Newport Ave., Northampton

Crab Patty, Fr. Fries, Pickled Cabbage, Saltines........10c
Home Made Sausage Platter...............................20c
Sauer Kraut with Pork...................................20c
Hungarian Goulash.......................................20c
Music by Sharkazy Quartette


POLZER'S BEER GARDEN
1069 Main St., Northampton

Beer 5c ----- 6 Glasses 25c
Sauer Kraut with Pork...................................20c
Hungarian Goulash.......................................15c
Crab Patty, Pickled Cabbage, Saltines...................10c
MUSIC


5. AUSTRIAN GUIDE AVAILABLE
    (from Austrian Trade & Consulting Group)

After great efforts and thanks to the help and support of all those involved,
the first edition of the "Austrian Guide," a directory of Austrian Business,
Culture and Politics in the United States, was recently published.  The Austrian
Guide is the perfect handbook for anybody willing to set up or deepen business
relations with other Austrian companies, organizations and individuals.  It
contains almost one thousand Austrian organizations and corporations within the
United States.

The Austrian Guide is categorized into different sections, touching all aspects
of Austrian life in the United States: Politics, Culture and Entertainment,
Media, Science and Education, Restaurants and Hospitality as well as Enterprises,
again categorized into Consumer Goods, Industrial Goods and Services. It also
includes an alphabetical index and an organization-by-state listing.  For
further information and for a copy of the Austrian Guide at a price of $29,
please go to www.austrian.us.

Newsletter continues as number 149A.

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