Newsletter
Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 176
July 31, 2008, (c) 2008 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved

Our 13th Year - Issued monthly as email by G. J. Berghold, BB Editor
and also available from: http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org

~CHECK THE NEW THUMBNAIL HISTORY ENTRIES TO THE VILLAGE LISTS!~

Current Status Of The BB: Members: 1640; Surname Entries: 5378; Query Board Entries: 3934; Newsletters Archived: 176; Staff Members: 15


This section of our 1-section newsletter concerns:

1. BB VP & BG Liaison Klaus Gerger To Visit
2. Correspondent Writes About Immigrant Father
3. History Of Urbersdorf
4. Leuchs Directory (1899-1904)


1. BB VP & BG LIAISON KLAUS GERGER TO VISIT

Klaus Gerger will again visit the United States. This time he says he wants to show his teen-aged daughters Viki and Eva the "America" of their family immigrants and allow them to meet their distant cousins. They have a full schedule beginning August 5 which includes Washington, Northern Virginia (Winchester August 7), Allentown (August 8-11), New York-Flushing, Albany-East Greenbush (August 12-16), Niagara (August 17-19), Detroit and Chicago (August 20-26).

They have arranged to meet relatives and some of the BB staff, but if any BB members wish to see them, they will attend two public events in the Lehigh Valley at the Edelweisshaus (Northampton, PA) on Friday August 8th and at the Coplay, PA Sängerbund on Sunday 11th. For the daughters, this will be the trip of a lifetime.

This reminds me of my visits to the Burgenland where we did just the opposite-seeing Burgenland and visiting distant relatives. I can assure you, there is nothing like it.


2. CORRESPONDENT WRITES ABOUT IMMIGRANT FATHER

I want to thank you for the many interesting items in this month's Burgenland Bunch Newsletter No. 175. There were two instances that were of personal interest to me.

Section 1, Number 3 of the last newsletter spoke of the displacement of the German people from that section of Poland which was formerly Silesia (Schlesien). This is the land from which my mother immigrated in 1924, but left behind many relatives. These relatives had to leave their homeland with just the clothes on their backs and trek westward across Germany to where they finally settled in West Germany. They lost everything and all they owned was confiscated.

Section 2, Number 7, spoke of military service during the reign of Emperor Franz Josef. My father, Anton Hirschbeck from Burgauberg was conscripted at the age of 21 in 1909 and served three years during peacetime. During that time, he served in several places: Sopron, Szombathely and Vienna. When World War I was declared, he was among the first to be called back. He served on the Eastern Front, mainly in Poland. He was captured by the Russians and sent to Minsk and from there was transported via the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Chita and the Baikal Sea in Siberia. From there he was sent back to the Ural Mountains where he was assigned to a lumber camp near Ekaterinenburg. This was around the time that the Czar and his family were murdered there. My father, with a few others, escaped the camp with the help of the revolutionaries and made their way back to Austrian lines, traveling only at night so as not to be detected. When he reported what had happened, they told him there were no other survivors from his unit. He was sent home on a month's leave (urlaub) but in the meantime, the war ended with just a couple of days left before he was scheduled to return to service. In 1922, he emigrated to the U.S. and settled in the Bronx where his sister lived.

These are memories that I have of my father as we sat after supper and he told of his life in Austria. These memories give me a very close bond with Burgenland. I don't know if any of this would be of interest to put into a newsletter, but I felt the need to write to you with this account of part of his life. I was and am proud to be his daughter. Each month I look forward to receiving the Burgenland Bunch Newsletters and I thank you so much for making this possible.

Helen Boss, boss1056(a)earthlink.net


3. HISTORY OF URBERSDORF
    - from Klaus Gerger

A few weeks ago, this book was published. The book tells the history of this small village from its beginnings to the present. The text is all German. There are 235 pages and many photos and reproductions. Within a short time this book was sold out. It is now necessary to print a 2nd edition. If you are interested in a copy, please contact the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft (bg(a)burgenlaender.com) before end of September. The book costs Euro 15, - plus shipping.

This is the table of contents:

INHAlTSVERZEICHNIS
Geleitworte
Historische Entwicklung von Urbersdorf
Die Anfänge von Urbersdorf
Herrschaften im Grenzraum
Die grundherrschaftliche Ordnung
Urbare und Konskriptionen (Steuerverzeichnisse)
Die Entwicklung des Grundbesitzes bis 1848
Maria Theresianische Reformen
Bauernbefreiung
Urbarialgemeinde
Das Werden des Burgenlandes
1938 - 1945
Russische Besatzung
Die Gemeindeverwaltung von 1945 - 1971
Urbersdorf - Ortsteil der Großgemeinde Güssing
Bahnlinie
Sanköhaz und Limbachhof
Ortsbeschreibungen
Ortsansichten früher und heute
Ortsnamenformen
Bevölkerungsentwicklung
Bauweise der Häuser früher und heute
Gewerbe ab 1922
Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft
Kulturflächen in der Katastralgemeinde Urbersdorf
Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft im 20. Jahrhundert
Betriebsstruktur
Nutztierhaltung
Arbeiten in der Landwirtschaft
Amerikawanderung
Brauchtum
Hochzeiten früher und heute
Geschichte der Kirche
Tod und Begräbnis
Volksschule
Solar und Biomasseanlage der Fernwärme
Freiwillige Feuerwehr
Ortsweinbauverein
Verschönerungsverein
"Die Jugend"
Jagd, Jagdausschuss, Jagdgesellschaft
Hobbysportverein
Der Stausee
Anhang: Urbersdorfer Mundart
Quellenverzeichnis


4. LEUCHS DIRECTORY (1899-1904)
    - courtesy of BB staff

Contributing Editor Margaret Kaiser writes: I found something of interest. Ancestry has the following address book on-line:

Leuchs Adressbuch, Band 18: Ungarn, Kroatien und Slavonien, 1899-1904, 9.Ausgabe

Comitat Vas begins on page 1060a and runs to page 1092a. There are many Burgenland towns listed, for example, Jennersdorf, Eltendorf, Kukmirn, Lockenhaus, Pinkafeld, Heiligenkreuz, Rabafüzes, Rechnitz, Stegersbach, Tatzmannsdorf (includes an article about Heilquellen fuer Trinkkur, etc.), Stadt Schlaining, Eisenburg and many more places. There is also a section for Moson Comitat.

The Jennersdorf listing gives:

1. Hungarian/German place name

2. Basic information such as: Kleingemeinde mit 2054 Einw. Stuhlbez. Szentgotthard, Gerichtshof Szombathely, Bezirksger. Szent-Gotthard

3. Then follows information on the following listing categories, followed by names of business proprietors.

Bank- u. Creditinstitut, Cementwarenfabr., Lebzelter, Spezerei-, Eisen- u. Gemischtwarenhdl., & Weinhdl.

As one would expect, larger locations, such as Körmend and Güssing have a great many more listings (a page or more).

Now here is the question: How can we best use this information relative to BB? Does Tom want to use this information in the town lists. Some other way? Shall I write an article on how to access this information for the newsletter?

I am copying Maureen as I see many Jewish surnames listed which may be of interest to her with her project.

Please consider and advise. I can probably send you a sample page (just indicate a town you would be interested in seeing). Some of these Comitats are likely Croat; so you can ask for one of these if you can tell me the Comitat you are interested in.

So put your thinking caps on and let me know your advice. Whatever we do with it, could amount to a great deal of labor, but fun and hopefully informative research-wise.

Contributing Editor Fritz Königshofer replies: This looks like a "Yellow Pages," but actually with more info than a normal Yellow Pages.

Villages Editor Tom Steichen replies: Village "description" information, quite similar to what is here, can be found elsewhere online and/or is already incorporated into the Village pages or the village descriptions. What is unique is the connection of family names to particular businesses or types of business. Such "turn-of-the century" information could be interesting to many Burgenland family researchers. We already list some family names associated with particular villages in particular time periods but all precede this period by one or more generations.

I do not have an Ancestry account, so do not have access and thus will not be transcribing such info. However, if anyone wants to take on such a project, I would be pleased to add an appropriate list of names with occupation/business in ~1900 to existing village histories (should someone create such lists).

P.S. I very recently learned that a widowed great-aunt in North Dakota supported her family of 4 young children by running a grocery store after her farmer husband was accidentally shot to death at a wedding celebration. That bit of knowledge provided closure on a question that had bugged me for a number of years. So, yes, I personally know the value of such info!

Margaret writes again: OK - Here is a sample of a complete town entry:

Rechnitz: Grossgemeine mit 4000 Einw. Stuhlbez. Köszeg, Gerichtshof Szombathely, Bezirksger. Köszeg. Notariat, Feuerwehr u. gewerbeverein, Sparcassa

Cafes: Wieselmann Jakab; Wieselmann Ignácz
Apotheker: Simon Géza
Bäcker: Hefler János; Schmal G.; Stracka Ferencz; Szamalowitsch Fr.; Winkler, J.
Bank- u. Creditinstitute: Aushilfs-Verein. Rechnitzer Sparkassa-Aktien-Ges.
Binder: Fehér Isván; Tonner S.
Branntweinhdl.: Rechnitz Brüder
Conservenfabr.: Erste österr.-ung. Einbrennsuppenmassafabrik von Bogdány. Besonders geeignet sin diese Suppen-Conserven für Suppen-Anstalten u. Ausspeisungsvereine für Schulkinder; die Kinder erhalten durch selbe eine gute, kräftige Suppe zum billigsten Preis.
Drechsler: Stracka Jos.; Stracka P.
Eisenhd.: Arnstein; Fleck Károly; Pfeifer Samuel
Färber: Spitzer M.
Fleischer: Bächer J.; Eberhard G.; Holzer J.
Friseur: Petrowitsch Fr.
Gerber: Hackl A.; Weisz S.
Glaser: Eberhardt J.; Wolf
Gusbes: von Szajbely Julius
Hutmacher: Krepfel J; Strini Jos.
Kalkbrennereien: Klener M.; Ungár Gebr.
Lebkückner u. Wachszieher: Huszár Ed., Stelzer A.
Lederhdl.: Grauer Ede, Würczburger Samuel
Manufaktur- u. Schnittwarenhdl.: Goldenberger Ignatz, Goldberger Rosa, Reinfeld Alex, Schönwald Mór
Mehlhdl.: Unger Ant.; Unger K; Unger L.; Winkler J
Mineralwasserfabr: Holzer A
Mühlen: Ausbacher Paul; Kernbauer Mathias, Prager Antal; Reicher Antal; Stelzer A.; Simon Teréz; Winkler Karl
Photograph: Stern Ios.
Produktenhdl.: Schabsel Leopold (Mehl); Ungár Gebr.
Sattler: Ebenspanger Johann; Weber Josef
Schlosser: Beiernsteiner Antal
Schmiede: Brádl Josef; List Ferenc; Németh István; Ringhofer Karl
Schneider: Liszt Jos.; Peterka Karl; Taschek
Schuhmacher: Adler K.; Hatwagner Jos.; Höfler Josef
Seiler: Benedek Frigyes; Pranger J.
Spengler: Arnstein Heinr.
Spezerei- u. Gemischtwarenhdl.: Engel Mór; Fraukl H.; Guttmann D.; Pollak, Wwe; Reinfeld Alex; Schabsel Leopold; Schmal gustav; Spiegler A.: Spiegel Gottlieb, Spielman Ignatz, Takács Mihály, Wber J.; Weis Lipót; Wirth J
Suppenmassafabr.: Erste öst.-ung. Einbrennsuppenmassa-Fabr. b. Bogdány
Tischler: Hodics Ferd. (Kunst-); Klaus Fr. (Kunst-); List J.; Weber Joh.
Woll- u. Baumwollabfälle: Spiegel

Editor replies: These are just great. A thumbnail of the village at a point of time. I'd sure like to see Eltendorf, Poppendorf (I know it's not among the group) Güssing and Heiligenkreuz.

Villages Editor Tom Steichen replies: I've formatted up the Rechnitz entry in the manner that I think I would use as a village "history". See http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Villages/Histories/Rechnitz.htm. Like Gerry, I think these would make very nice village history thumbnail entries. Great idea Margaret!

Editorial note: Since this exchange in early July, Margaret has transcribed and Tom has added the “Leuchs Adressbuch” data to the online Village Histories of 37 villages. An additional 30 entries have been transcribed and are being formatted currently. Additional entries will be transcribed and formatted as time permits.


END OF NEWSLETTER

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