Newsletter
Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History

This newsletter concerns:

1) THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER: TWO-THOUSAND NINE IN REVIEW (by Tom Steichen)
2) Connecticut Module Goes Live (by Frank Paukowits)
3) Homepage statistics 2009
4) Burgenland Bunch of Missouri (by Linda Pehr)
5) Lackenbach News (by Yohanan Loeffler)
6) BURGENLAND BUNCH MEMBER - DECEASED (by Frank Sinkovits)
7) Margaret Bubich, 100, passed away (by Gary Gabrich)
8) I Remember.... Erinnerung an John Wenzel (by Emma Wenzel)
9) The formation of FrOWOS

1) THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER: TWO-THOUSAND NINE IN REVIEW (by Tom Steichen)

Two-thousand nine was a quiet but effective year for the Burgenland Bunch. Sixteen months have passed since the death of our founder, Gerry Berghold, yet this organization remains strong, useful and growing. The reasons for that strength are twofold: the dedication of the BB team of staff members and editors; and the interest of Burgenland descendants in learning about their ancestors and their homeland. I send my personal thanks to the BB staff; your voluntary efforts remain essential to the continuing development of the BB and its knowledge base.

Over the year, we added 88 new members, 193 entries to our Surname lists and 265 Query Board entries. In August 2009, we started a Facebook group called, not surprisingly,"The Burgenland Bunch Genealogy Group" and administered by staff member Steve Geosits; it already has 195 members, 56 pictures and frequent online discussions. Two Burgenland Bunch affiliates also started up in 2009: The Burgenland Bunch of Missouri, led by Ron Markland; and  The Burgenland Bunch Midwest, based in St. Paul, MN, and led by Charlie Deutsch.

In addition, we added two staff members to the BB team: Ron Markland joined as a Contributing Editor and the St. Louis, Missouri Regional Coordinator; and Emmerich Koller joined as the Hungarian Contributing Editor. Emmerich contributed greatly to the BB Newsletters during the year.

Speaking of the Newsletter, Editor Hannes Graf had a great year, producing interesting "themed" newsletters in his very own style while maintaining many of the traditions established by Gerry Berghold. Hannes produced both email-based and HTML-based newsletters in 2009. If you looked at one of the online HTML web-based newsletters, you know that pictures are included and formatting of text is much better. In 2010, we will depart from the tradition of email-based Newsletters. Starting with this Newsletter, only an online, HTML-based newsletter will be produced. The email mailing list will be used only to remind you that the current Newsletter is available online at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Newsletter/Newsletter.htm and that past newsletters can be found at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Newsletter/NewsletterIndex.htm.

We added a number of new features to the BB website in 2009. Ed and Frank Tantsits kindly compiled a complete listing of LDS microfilms for the Burgenland; you can find the listing at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/LDS/LDS.htm. Wilhelm Schmidt compiled a list of deportees from Pernau (Pornoapati) and Dr. Ferdinand Muehlgaszner compiled a list of emigrants from Schandorf (Cemba) for the new Emigration and Deportation section at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Emigration/ED.htm . Editor Hannes Graf formatted all of these listings for the website and added some examples of German script handwriting http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Help/BB-german-letters.htm. I offer my thanks to each of these contributors for making their work available to you through the BB.
We also completed the process of adding additional village histories. Staff member Margaret Kaiser spearheaded the effort of obtaining the information and I formatted it for the website. These histories impart the "flavor" of the place and time when most of our emigrant ancestors lived there; we hope you find them interesting. You can access individual histories from the BB Villages Pages entries or all 265 from an index page at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/V_Histories/VH_Frame.htm.

Two-thousand nine was also a good year for Burgenländers Honored and Remembered http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/BH&R/home.htm. Staff Member Frank Paukowits and his group of contributors continued adding to the new Upper Midwest (Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa and Wisconsin) section, with listings of honorees expanding from around 100 to nearly 250 during the year. A Connecticut section was initiated and went online in 2009; its honoree listing exceeds 75 at this time. Likewise, Illinois (currently 80 honorees), Missouri (175 honorees) and Western PA (85 honorees) are making their way onto the web. All of this while was done while also adding to the longstanding sections for New York, New Jersey, Eastern PA (Lehigh Valley), Indiana (South Bend), and Kansas/Nebraska.

The BB Staff held its second-ever staff meeting in June 2009. Nine of the then thirteen staff members and three BB members met in the Lehigh Valley to discuss issues of importance and to enjoy Stiftungsfest at the Coplay Sängerbund. A special treat for the US-based staff was the presence of our Vienna-based Newsletter Editor and VP, Hannes Graf.

Thus was our 2009: continued expansion of the largest English-based repository of information about Burgenland and Burgenland emigrants. May future years be as effective!

Looking at 2010, a current project is to fix the broken links, errors and inefficiencies that have crept in over the years. Like any big website (our site includes over 1,400 HTML pages and 1,700 pictures), we have errors, unlinked files, bad links and oversized pictures! We have started an effort to review the complete site and to make fixes and improvements. While we do not intend this to be a complete website redesign, I am sure there will be many little, largely invisible, changes.

Wishing you all a great 2010!
Tom Steichen, BB President

2) Connecticut Module Goes Live (by Frank Paukowits)

The Connecticut module on the BH&R site was launched the end of December http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/BH&R/home.htm. It is the seventh separate module on the site that is dedicated to deceased Burgenländers from specific states/regions around the country.

The Connecticut Burgenland enclave consists mainly of people who emigrated from the Jennersdorf Bezirk and border areas of Steiermark, Hungary and Slovenia. Most came to the U.S.A. and settled in the New Britain area in the late 1890s and the early part of the 20th century. As a result, many of the descendents now are second-generation Americans.

However, the traditions of the Burgenland are thriving, mainly through the efforts and work of members of the Austrian Donau Club. The Club, which maintains a website, serves as the focal point of the Austrian community in the area: http://www.austriandonauclub.com/. It has been in existence since the 1920s. Social functions are regularly held, and the membership is committed to keeping the culture of the Burgenland alive and well preserved.

The Connecticut module is a work in progress. Efforts are underway to get access to church records, which would help identify additional Burgenländers whose names could be added to the Remembrance List. Also, it would be nice to add photos of deceased immigrants to the photo gallery of the site. Currently, there are no such photos on the site.

3) Homepage Statistics 2009
 

4) Burgenland Bunch of Missouri (by Linda Pehr)

The third meeting of the Burgenland Bunch of Missouri was held at the home of Jack and Mary Ann Fritz on January 14. 2010. We thank them for the delicious “wine cake,” as well as their warm hospitality.

Dennis Northcott, archivist from the Missouri History Museum gave an exceptional presentation concerning the genealogical materials available at their Library and Research Center, located at 225 S. Skinker Blvd. Dennis discussed the fact that many family researchers tend to overlook information that does not appear on the internet.

He explained how the various collections of historical documents available at his institution could provide a great deal of data to researchers. He gave concrete examples of how to use death certificates and obituaries as clues to other sources of information such as corporate magazines and newsletters, church publications, trade magazines, and special collections at his facility. This can be especially useful if the place or type of employment of an immigrant ancestor is known.

Dennis demonstrated how to use the facility’s website to search the database of documents that the museum has indexed. He also provided a handout explaining other resources, lectures. and workshops that are available. Many of the members present indicated that it was entirely possible that they would be able to gather additional information about their ancestors by making use of the facility.

Member John Eberhardt shared information regarding a website illustrating surname distribution in Germany. These maps can be a clue to possible migration patterns in the Central European region. The Burgenland Honored and Remembered website was discussed and we had a general agreement that at this time we would start collecting family photos for use on the home page of our site.. Members are asked to check for photos that could used. Many names are currently a part of the BH&R site, courtesy of records to which the Burgenland Bunch has access. We will be reviewing the current list to see what names are missing and will provide our updates to the list. Members are encouraged to check out the site in order to possibly identify relatives who were formerly unknown.

We discussed the possibility of having an Austrian picnic, probably the second weekend in July, as a means to allow Burgenland Bunch of Missouri members who have weeknight conflicts to attend our functions. Anyone wishing to participate in the picnic planning or having an idea as to possible locations for the gathering, please contact Ron Markland or Linda Pehr. Details will be developed and passed along as soon as possible.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday March 11 in St. Charles. Specific directions will accompany the next meeting reminder.

5) Lackenbach News (by Yohanan Loeffler)

Dear Hannes

Exactly a year ago you were very kind in helping me trying to identify school photos from Lackenbach.

I am writing to you to let you know that I have just completed creating a website about Jewish Lackenbach, which is called a ShtetLink of Lackenbach, for the JewishGen organization. You may view it in this link:                               http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Lackenbach/

I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, corrections, or any additions from you or from any other Burgenland-Bunch researcher.

Yohanan Loeffler
Melbourne Australia
(loeflery@netspace.net.au)

6) BURGENLAND BUNCH MEMBER - DECEASED (by Frank Sinkovits)

Please make note that my cousin, Jerry Molchany, a member of the Burgenland Bunch, is deceased.

Jerome W. Jerry Molchany, 51, formerly of Coplay, passed away Thursday, August 21, 2008, surrounded by his family...

Published in Morning Call on August 23, 2008

7) Margaret Bubich, 100, passed away (by Gary Gabrich)

The following information was reported in the South Bend Tribune, Dec. 24, 2009.

Margaret Bubich, 100, passed away on Dec. 20, 2009 in Healthwin Specialized Care Facility. Survivors include sons Raymond (Christine) Bubich of Denver, CO and Richard (Sylvia) Bubich of Mishawaka, IN. 16 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren.

A featured article in the South Bend Tribune in June talked about her life. Specifically she was born in Nikitsch, a village in Burgenland Austria on June 7, 1909 to parents John Fleischaker and Rose Busolich. At age 21. she and her younger brother Josef immigrated to South Bend around 1930. In February 1932, she married 28-year-old Joseph Bubich, a widower and had sons Raymond and Richard, along with Joe's daughter from his previous marriage. She became a beautician and worked at this profession until the age of 85. Her husband died in 1955 of cancer.

Some thoughts of Margaret Bubich:

"I always wanted to come to America, It took five days to cross the sea."

"German I've forgotten the most, Hungarian I speak pretty well and Croatian is my mother's language."

"I'm the longest living in my family, and I worked hard. I've worked hard all my life."

8) I Remember.... Erinnerung an John Wenzel (by Emma Wenzel)

In connection with the 100th Anniversary of the initial immigration of Burgenländers to Chicago, I was requested to write an article relating to "Wenzel Family" memories. As a child of Burgenländer immigrants, hopefully, my series of reflections and impressions will somewhat profile "a history" of other Burgenland immigrants and their families.

To begin, my parents were born in Burgenland (at that time, part of the Austro-Hungarian-Empire). Ida, nee Jahrmann (1894-1982) was born in Pinkafeld; John (1888-1981) was born in Grodnau. They were married in Pinkafeld, 1926, and shortly thereafter immigrated to the USA and settled on the South Side of Chicago. They had three children: Barbara, Emma, and John. There was another Wenzel baby, unfortunately, he died at 1-1/2 years. Our family lived in a neighborhood called "Fuller Park" which had a large concentration of Burgenländer immigrant residents. Many of the fathers worked in a labor capacity at local railroad companies, including my father who was employed at the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Co. There were other Burgenländers, however, who were very enterprising and established their own business; namely, taverns, restaurants, bakeries, meat markets, grocery stores, and barber shops. Social life consisted of attending concerts, dances, and other festivities at local Halls. As music has always been inherent in the Austrian culture, the Burgenländer Männerchor provided and presented the much appreciated musical respite for the hard-working Burgenländers. On a religious note, located in this area was a Catholic Church, St Martin of Tours, Patron Saint of Burgenland, where many Burgenland babies were christened, including myself.

These early years coincided with hard economic times historically referred to as "The Depression". Fortunately, Burgenländers survived this financial crises with prudent spending and saving. In retrospect, although Burgenländer immigrants were not financially able to pursue academic achievements and not wealthy in monetary terms, they were richly endowed with values of hard work, honesty, fortitude and persistence sprinkled with an abundant sense of "Gemütlichkeit" More importantly, these traits were coupled with love of family and a strong faith in God. Some personal notes about the Wenzel family during the above time frame: My parents, like many others, concentrated on learning the English language - reading newspapers, listening to the radio and attending some classes. They spoke the Burgenland dialect with their children, and we responded in English. Then, too, they spent hours studying lesson books to obtain their citizenship papers. Time was spent looking at photographs from Europe, both Wenzel and Jahrmann, so the children could in some way know their relatives. However, like many other children could of American-born Burgenländers, we never had the blessing of personally knowing our Grandparents. Mother loved music and was a member of several choral Vereins. She would sit her children around the kitchen table and teach them many German-Austrian lieders. Christmas time was a memorable for the Wenzel children. We knelt in prayer and sang, "Stille Nacht“ before any presents could be opened! Father would speak with loving emotion about his father, John Wenzel (1859-1917) who organized and led the first group of 45 Burgenländer immigrants to Chicago.

The years of World War II were fraught with much anxiety, fear, and concern for all Americans, but it was extremely compounded for Burgenländers who had their relatives and friends in Austria. Many letters were posted to Europe and there was anxious waiting for responses as to the status of their lives and conditions in war-torn Europe. Many "CARE” packages were sent as well as home-prepared bundles of clothing and food. The American Relief Fund to Austria, Inc.-Chicago Chapter was also formed and many Austrians, including my parents, worked diligently to help provide relief aid to Austria. The foregoing narration is a compilation of my early and teen-year experiences reflecting my Burgenland ancestry. Becoming an adult, I am more cognizant of my Austrian "Roots", and am very "stolz" to be a member of the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft and The American Friends of Austria. In line with more present times, especially memorable for me was "The 1980 Chicago Woche“ celebrated in Grodnau. It was my privilege to unveil a "Gedenktafel“ affixed to the birth-house of my Familie Wenzel im Jahre 1960, sitzend John Wenzel-Sohn (1883-1981) und die Gattin Ida, geborene Jahrmann (1894-1982), dahinter stehend die Kinder Emma, John und Ida Barbara Grandfather, John Wenzel, which commemorates the initial immigration of Burgenländers to Chicago. Then, ten years later, 1990, "The Chicago Woche" was held in Pinkafeld, again commemorating the Burgenländer immigration to Chicago. It was at this event that I returned and presented the historic St. Stephan Hungarian flag to the Pinkafeld Stadtmuseum. During the official ceremonies at the Pinkafeld Rathaus, I was overwhelmed to merit the presentation of "The Verdienstkreuz“ from the Burgenländische Landesregierung.

Recently, in order to increase our understanding and knowledge of "The Immigrant Experience“, my brother John and Emma Wenzel, Enkeltochter, I visited the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Museum in New York. After our parents passed away, their "Certificate of Citizenship“ documents and the study booklet entitled "Lessons in Citizenship" were donated to the Ellis Island Museum for immigration research and historical purposes. These documents are presently displayed in one of the Exhibit Rooms at the Ellis Island Museum. Also their names are etched on "The American Immigrant Wall of Honor“. We both remembered with tears in our eyes, how proud they were to be Americans, but they never forgot their "Heimatland“.

Looking back and remembering my heritage and traditions, there are so many persons and organizations of Burgenland and Austrian connection too numerous to mention who have enriched and heightened my appreciation of my Burgenland- Austrian Roots, and I thank them all. Also many thanks to my dear Cousin, Lehrer Arpad Jahrmann and his wife Rosa, residing in Pinkafeld, for always sheltering and taking good care of me whenever I visit Burgenland. In closing, I remember my father quoting his father’s words before he left Burgenland for Chicago: "Wie Gott mich führt, so will ich gehen, er wird Gutes wählen." I humbly submit that my Grandfather’s mission and prophecy has been fulfilled by Chicago Burgenländers.

9) The formation of FrOWOS
(Friends of the railway between Oberwart and Oberschützen) www.frowos.com

On August 5th, 2003 Georg Lind had the idea of walking the railway section from Oberwart to Oberschützen. The following pictures show what he found.



This did not deter him from the idea of reopening this route for tourists. The same day the FrOWOS were founded, however not as an association. The first tools were obtained, which still remain the most important ones today: chain saw, brush cutter, hoe, and shovel.

Between fields, some parts of the track were covered by soil up to one meter, which had led to increased plant growth.

That this is in fact a rail track, can only be seen AFTER the digging work and cutting of the jungle-like plant cover.



Vehicles

Soon after the first “cuttings,” the first vehicles were purchased and partially restored. By now the rolling stock includes the following vehicles.



Most vehicles were bought by the FrOWOS and made available to the local railway of Oberwart - Bad Tatzmannsdorf - Oberschützen.

The first season

Already in 2006, they made plans and preparations for a first season of traffic between Oberschützen and Bad Tatzmannsdorf for 2007. But then came a big setback when a truck drove into the bridge over the B50 street and stopped use of the bridge. After an approximately one-month state of shock, however, the decision was made to instigate traffic as far as the bridge.



The first season was a good experience and a success. In the middle of the year. they began to prepare and perform the repair of the bridge themselves and so the track could be extended to the station of Bad Tatzmannsdorf.

The repair of the bridge



.. was the first test run for a overall restoration of the track for 2008!

2008 FrOWOS go to Oberwart

After the repair of the bridge and the very successful Advent tours, it became clear that the route should be extended. The considerations were based on whether the tour should go to Unterschützen or even to Oberwart. A station master made an action plan, which seemed to be unrealizable in the short time given until the station festivity.

On 25.2.2008 Georg Lind and I decided, independently of the railway’s insecure future, to reach the goal of Oberwart. It would be paradoxical to put thousands of hours of voluntary and unpaid work in such a project for years without having used the entire route for a single season.

This is an overview of the work done:

(Links go to pictures of all works in a new window)

25/2/2008: Installation of a new excavator shovel, first attempts.
26/2/2008: Exchange of the first cross-ties at Sonnseite (Oberschützen).
05/3/2008: 25% of the cross-ties replaced.
08/3/2008: The section between Oberschützen and Bad Tatzmannsdorf has been completely finished!
12/3/2008: Start of the reparation of the section St. Martin - Oberwart.
17/3/2008: 50% of the cross-ties exchanged, section St. Martin and EK (railway crossing) Zickenbach finished.
19/3/2008: Section until EK Feldweg completed..
21/3/2008 Erection of the first signal posts.
25. - 28.3.2008: Preparations for the track construction week.
30/3/2008: New track record: 11 cross-ties have been exchanged!
31.3. - 1.4.2008: The largest single construction section will be provided with concrete cross-ties.
2/4/2008: The "new" method has been brought to perfection, 85% of the cross-ties have been replaced.
3/4/2008: Renewal of the railway crossing Unterschützen Waldweg.
4/4/2008: Renewal of the railway crossing Oberwart Schönberggasse.
5/4/2008: Renewal of the railway crossing Station Unterschützen.
9/4/2008: The penultimate 7 cross-ties have been exchanged, 93% finished.
12/4/2008: Renewal of the railway crossing St. Martin.
12/4/2008: Due to the massive interest a second work group is being formed.
13/4/2008: Fixing the culvert Oberwart Moor.
14/4/2008: Renewal of the railway crossing Oberwart Feldweg.
14.4.2008: The last cross-ties had to be exchanged by hand, but under lively media interest.
16/4/2008: Filling of the culvert Oberwart Moor.

We've finished! (or not yet)

Additional work
19.4., 21.4. and 22.4.2008: Erection of the railroad crossing signs (St.. Andrew's crosses) alongside the whole track.
28/4/2008: The final completion of St. Andrew's crosses at the "special" EK's (= railway crossings).
1.5. until 4.5.2008: Construction of the stations of Oberwart Localbahn and Im Moor.

Nevertheless, it was not easy for us, because 13 weeks passed from to day of completion until the grant of the permit. So we could not use the whole track for the start of the season, but only from Oberschützen to Tatzmannsdorf.

Still, it was in June that the entire route could be traveled. At the same time began the so called “Moorfahrten” from Bad Tatzmannsdorf to the bog and back, after a guided tour and refreshment. These trips were fully booked from the first day.

Also the special trips started for almost all schools and kindergartens in the southern Burgenland, usually with a picnic in Oberschützen. Also, birthday trips and company outings were organized, so we were traveling almost every day.

Then, in 2009, the Moorfahrten had been offered several times a week and also had been well accepted. There were in this past year more than 4,000 passengers, including more than 2,000 in the Moorfahrten. These are more passengers than other heritage railways have had, although they have been established for 20 years.

Both 2008 and 2009, we have invested all revenues exclusively in the track. In 2009, some of the works were completed by companies, such as the railway crossing of St. Martin and the track renewal at the Zickenbach (Zicken creek).

Overall, we have exchanged about 1,000 cross-ties and bought for the further expansion a few hundred meters of rails and 300 cross-ties which now lie in Oberschützen.

It was (is) actually planned to start the preparation of the track for real nostalgia tours of locomotives and passenger cars in 2010 or 2011 at the latest. Even a regular traffic for the market days in Oberwart is possible, but this depends on the permit of entering the railway station of Oberwart. Also, the transport of spa guests from Oberwart to Bad Tatzmannsdorf could be arranged.

The next stage after completion of the track work would be the rebuilding of railway buildings to their original form as well as new constructions, such as the signalman’s hut in Unterschützen, to restore the nostalgic character of the trail.
Also, the expansion of the museum with a greater regard to the history of the area as a mining area shall be done. This could lead to a synergy with the remnants of the mining of Mariasdorf and Tauchen, as well as the mining museum in Goberling.

Quo Vadis, FrOWOS?

We will see.

NOTICE (Terms and Conditions): The Burgenland Bunch (BB) was formed and exists to assist Burgenland descendants in their research into their heritage and, toward that end, reserves the right to use any communication you have with us (email, letter, phone conversation, etc.) as part of our information exchange and educational research efforts.
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