^{The News}
Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History

This newsletter concerns:

1) THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

2) KÖSZEG (GÜNS), HUNGARY

3) BG NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

4) FACELIFT TO URL / LINKS PAGE (by Alan Varga)

5) JEWISH HISTORY OF GRADIŠĆE: KÖSZEG (by Hannes Graf)

6) THE TREK TO BURGENLAND (by Frank Paukowits and Bob Schatz)

7) MILITARY SERVICE IN BURGENLAND

8) HISTORICAL BB NEWSLETTER ARTICLES:
    - ELLIS ISLAND IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS
    - CUCKOO BIRD - GERMAN KUCKKUCK

9) ETHNIC EVENTS (courtesy of Bob Strauch, Kay Weber & Margaret Kaiser)

10) BURGENLAND EMIGRANT OBITUARIES (courtesy of Bob Strauch)

Article 4 is by staff member Alan Varga, telling us about Updates to the URL / Links Page. These changes should make it more easier to use. Thanks Alan!

We then present an example article from an ongoing project by Hannes Graf and Alexandra Vogt. Hannes and Alexandra are working on a suite of articles about Jewish Communities in Historical West Hungary (Gradišće). The example article I chose is on the Köszeg Jewish community, since our lead article is also about Köszeg.

Next, Frank Paukowits and Bob Schatz speculate on Emigration Routes from Tyrol to Burgenland, a discussion arising out of Bob's participation in Frank's Burgenland DNA project.

Article 7, about Military Service In Burgenland, is mostly an answer to an email question from Arlene Huss. I thought the information was worth sharing wider, so here it is.

Finally, we provide our standard sections, Historical Newsletter Articles, and the Ethnic Events and Emigrant Obituaries sections.



Robert Judd writes: My name is Robert Judd, my grandparents were Joseph Judt and Cilli Kroboth. I am writing to let you know how grateful I am for all the great help one of your staff, Margaret Kaiser, has been for helping me find the history of my grandparents. She has spent many hours doing research on my family. With her help, my son and daughter and their children now will be able to have their family history and know where their ancestors come from, a gift they will never forget and can pass on to more generations. Again thanks. I am grateful to be a member of the Burgenland Bunch!

I responded: Thanks, Robert, for the feedback. As you know, we are a group of volunteers who do this for the challenge of the research and to honor our roots in Burgenland. Margaret shares your area of Burgenland (more accurately, the area bordering current-day Burgenland) so is very knowledgeable about the records of that area. I’m pleased (but not surprised) that she was able to assist you. Yours, Tom Steichen



Comment: The BB staff always appreciates a note of thanks (and we usually get such from those we help). The above is an example of the kind of reward we receive for our efforts, specifically, knowing we have made someone's day and have provided a gift to be passed on. It is sweet satisfaction!



The third edition of Walter Dujmovits' book, Die Amerikawanderung der Burgenländer, was given a formal presentation and award ceremony by the Burgenland government in the assembly hall of the Burgenland parliament in Eisenstadt on June 21st. Members of the government and 75+ guests honored both Walter and Klaus Gerger for their activities in promoting Burgenland; Walter for his book and lifetime of work; Klaus for both his assistance with the book and his activities with the BG and BB. Since Walter has already received Burgenland's highest award, the Komturkreuz mit dem Stern des Landes Burgenland (Commander's Cross with the Star of Burgenland), this time he was awarded a special Dank und Anerkennung (Gratitude and Recognition) from the government. Klaus was honored with the Verdienstkreuz des Landes Burgenland (Distinguished Service Cross of Burgenland). We are pleased to welcome Klaus to the list of BB staff members honored by the Burgenland government! Presenting the awards were Governor Hans Niessl, Vice Governor Franz Steindl and Landesratin Verena Dunst.


Left to right: Verena Dunst, Walter Dujmovits, Hans Niessl, Klaus Gerger and Franz Steindl

While the English translation is still underway, the German edition is now available for ordering. The price for the German edition is € 22 and is available from www.amazon.de and www.epubli.de. For details see www.amerikawanderung.com.

Congratulations to Walter & Klaus!



Margaret Kaiser had shared a link to a Hungarian Wines Portal (http://www.bor.hu/index.php) with a number of us that she found on the Hungarian Girl website (http://thehungariangirl.com/). She noted that we might want to "view the mostly Hungarian (very little English language) films on the various wine producing regions of Hungary," commenting that the "photography is magnificent." I'll let you explore that on your own if it interests you.

Instead, I'll comment on a different article on the Hungarian Girl site, one about a traditional Easter Monday morning custom in the Czech Republic and Slovakia of the use of the “pomlázka” (in Czech) or "korbac" (in Slovak), which is a braided or loosely woven whip of willow rods topped with colorful ribbons and is gently applied to the women in your life. Apparently it is considered good luck for the men and imparts year-long youth, well-being, and fertility to the women. The men earn a hand-painted Easter egg, a shot of plum brandy, or even money in thanks. More humorously (and I don't know if I should take this literally or figuratively), in certain regions, women can take "revenge in the afternoon by pouring a bucket of cold water on the men."

Of course, I must temper my mirth, knowing that I'm married to a Finlander and have more than once shared a traditional sauna with her, where gently whipping yourself or your partner with a bundle of reeds (to draw the blood to the surface) and later dousing him/her or oneself with a bucket of cold water (to quickly close the pores) is considered a healthy thing to do! Ohhh, what we do for love!



Burgenland Rock: We were asked to share a message about a fashion competition in Burgenland called “Burgenland Rock,” which we are happy to do. As you may know, "rock" is the German word for skirt, jacket, dress, robe, kilt, etc., so the competition's title makes sense... however I suspect it is also a play on the English word "rock," as in "you really rock!" or "to rock the world." The organizers invite you and the young people among your family and friends to join in the voting for the best outfit. Below is their message, including all the details on how to vote. So, please let them know how the world views the fashion choices!



Contemporary Design for Burgenland Folklore Clothing

Verena Dunst, who is a member of the Burgenland provincial government, presented the new project, “Burgenland Rock,” which is a modern clothing line for young people from Burgenland. The clothes for the “’Burgenland-Rock” line—one for girls, one for boys—are chosen through the course of an online-voting with Facebook.

“Burgenland-Rock,” a new and unconventional project, which is realized in context of the “Local Agenda 21 Burgenland,” was presented by Verena Dunst on June 20th in the High School for Fashion in Oberwart. The young graduates of this school designed the line. The objective of this initiative is to create contemporary Burgenland-typical festive attire.



“Our aim is that the young people in Burgenland will really wear the clothes. Looking back, it is important to recognize what we have already achieved and to draw from it for the future, because the past is always an important reference point in order to achieve the essential for the present and the future. The interweaving of tradition and modernity of this project is very exciting. ‘Burgenland-Rock’, a project for rural renewal, has the goal of developing a modern Burgenland-typical apparel that is based on the history of the clothing of today's Burgenland," explains member of the provincial government of Burgenland, Verena Dunst, in Oberwart.

The Fashion School students worked with traditional fabrics, patterns and craft techniques, such as the “Blaudruck.” The clothes were produced in cooperation with the "Koryphäen," a social-economic organization for women in Neusiedl am See. The 33 different designs can be combined together in a modular system.

Under → www.burgenland-rock.at, everyone can vote online (one time per day) until September 2012 for which women's or men's design is her or his favorite. The winning outfit will then be presented in the fall to the general public and receive the title “Burgenland-Rock.” Please vote also in the United States and forward the link to young people among your family and friends.

The project is organized by the “Verein Unser Dorf.” For further Information visit www.burgenland-rock.at/information and for the free online-voting please visit → www.burgenland-rock.at.

Hannes Klein, Regionalmanagement Burgenland



Cartoon of the month: Last month, I posted a Dennis the Menace cartoon and asked a series of questions. I'll insert answers and commentary below in brown:

So, do you recall Dennis' family tree? There is his dad, Henry Mitchell, ex-Navy man and active aerospace engineer, his mother, Alice Mitchell, née Johnson, stay-at-home mother (probably by necessity as no baby sitter will keep Dennis more than once!), his dog, Ruff, and his cat, Hot Dog, and finally his Grandpa, Swede Johnson. Now here is the question: What was Swede's proper given name? (Oliver)

By the way, Henry, Alice and Dennis were all named after family members of creator Hank Ketcham: Henry, after himself, Alice after his first wife, and Dennis after his and Alice's son. Real wife Alice actually called Dennis a "menace" when he was four. The strip was set in Wichita, KS, though Ketcham was born in Seattle and lived in California and Switzerland during his life.

For an even tougher question, the Wilsons (Martha & George, a retired Postman), next door, had two sons (Earl & George Jr.), one daughter (Tammy), one daughter-in-law (Edna), and three grandchildren (George III, Will, Helga); how many can you name?

Or, if you prefer an easier question, name as many of Dennis' childhood friends as you can. (Tommy Anderson, Joey McDonald, Margaret Wade, Gina Gillotti, Jackson, and maybe Cowboy Bob)

Unfortunately, the Ketcham family, Hank, Alice and Dennis, was not a happy family. Wife Alice Louise Mahar died in 1959 of a drug overdose; Hank and Alice were already separated at that time. Hank's second marriage ended in divorce (however, his third marriage seemed successful). Dennis Ketcham had difficulty with schooling and was sent to boarding school; he later served in Vietnam, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, and was estranged from his father for much of his adult life. Hank was quoted concerning Dennis: "That's just a chapter that was a short one that closed." Hank Ketcham died of prostate cancer in 2001.

Lest I forget... we did have one brave soul take a shot at answering these questions... Frank Nikischer Sr. provided all the right answers, though he did add in some characters that I believe were only in the TV versions of the story... and, as I replied to Frank, "Your great sin, though, was changing the gender of the sweet little tomboy, Gina Gillotti… don’t know if I can forgive you for that one, Frank! LOL." Frank had typed "Gino Gillotti!"

Frank also had written with his answers, "Being a senior in the age group quite familiar with Dennis, I believe I can provide some of the answers ...  But just don't ask me my wife's birthdate!!!!!"

First, Köszeg is known as Hungary's "Jewel Box" because of its picturesque city center. The Rough Guide to Hungary says it has "...a town centre which can justifiably claim to be of the prettiest in Hungary." Lonely Planet Hungary says: "...before you is a treasure-trove of colourful Gothic, Renaissance and baroque buildings that together make up one of the most delightful squares in Hungary." And Eyewitness Travel Hungary says: "Spared during World War II, Köszeg is the most attractive town in the region."

Editorial Note: When this article was published in 2012, it included a Flash Player interactive image of the Köszeg city center. Flash Player became unsupported by most browsers a number of years ago and was removed, as it had many security flaws. As a result, I removed the code for the interactive image and inserted a still image of the city center, as below:



Sights of special interest (beside the town centre with its medieval nature) are Sacred Heart Church (the large white church), Jurisics Castle and Castle Museum (above the church), the Lower Gate / Heroes’ Tower (center above), the Pharmacy Museum (in the square beyond the gate), and the abandoned Jewish synagogue (to right of tower in the upper right). Outside of the town, other points of interest are in the Köszegi mountains: its highest point, the Írott-kő (literally written stone), the seven fountains (Hétforrás / seven sources), and the Watchtower (on Ó-ház / old house).

Of importance to the BB, Köszeg is listed by six members as a place of family ancestry, plus it is the repository for the Lutheran records of Lockenhaus and Unter- and Oberloisdorf and for Jewish records of the surrounding areas.

History: The territory around Köszeg was donated by King Géza II of the Árpád Dynasty to the Wolfer and Hendrik (Heinrich) brothers of the German Héder clan, who came in 1157 with their armed escort and established a settlement on the bank of the Gyöngyös creek. The first castle, "Old castle" ("Old house") of Köszeg was built up in the hills, possibly before the Mongol invasion as, according to a document dated April 1241, the castle was captured by the army of the Austrian Prince, Frigyes II. Its ruins can be still seen today on hill Ó-ház and its tower was rebuilt in 1996 as a watchtower. Sometime before 1274, Heinrich II and his son Ivan moved the court of the Köszegi, a breakaway branch of the family, from Güssing to Köszeg, becoming the seat of the dukes of Köszeg.

The construction of the (current) Lower Castle, next to the settlement in the valley, started after the Mongols had left. A special feature is its two parts; the outer fortress and the trapezium-shaped inner fortress, which adjoin like islands. In the Middle Ages, this castle became the domain's center instead of the upper Old Castle, which was too difficult to reach. At the beginning of the 14th century, Ivan, now "the Terrible," ruled his lands from here. As a prevention against Austrian attacks (in response to Ivan's frequent raids), walls were gradually built around the town, which were protected further by strong towers. In addition, the waters of the nearby Gyöngyös creek was directed into a moat around these walls. The baileys, with towers and arrow slits, and the entrenchment surrounding the castle were erected in the late 15th century. It is these parts, the castle, bastions, walls and gates, that make the atmosphere of Köszeg attractive to visitors.

Charles Robert of Anjou, the Italian claimant to the Hungarian throne, broke the rule of the Köszegi clan in Western Transdanubia in 1327 and, a year later, elevated the town to Royal status, granting important privileges to the town's citizens in order to help their development. The town boundaries were fixed during the Anjou dynasty (1347–1381).

In 1392, the king’s town became a manorial town. It was redeemed by palatine Miklós Garai from the Ellerbach family of Monyorókerék (now Eberau), who had taken it as a pledge 5 years earlier from Sigismund of Luxemburg. The Garai family built the Hall of Knights on the top floor of the western wing of the inner fortress and the cellar on the ground floor. A chapel was built in the northern building and residential rooms in the eastern and southern wings in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Garai era came to an end in 1441.

As noted above, Köszeg held a critical role in 1532 in stopping an Ottoman army numbering some 120,000 troops, which was intent on again laying siege to Vienna as they had done in 1529. Instead, the Siege of Köszeg became the major flashpoint of the campaign. Between August 5 and 30, Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, who did not realize how poorly defended the town was, led 19 major assaults of Sultan Suleiman's troops against the town and carried out an incessant bombardment over 25 days. Captain Nikola Jurišic and his garrison of 800 Croats, with no cannons and few guns, continually repelled the Ottoman force, greatly assisted by muddy and flooded ground caused by heavy rains that thwarted infantry attacks, tunneling and undermining of the walls, or attacks by siege towers.

After the final unsuccessful attack, the Ottomans were forced to decamp due to an uprising by their disgruntled Janissaries. According to tradition, The last contingent of the disengaging Turkish troops left the outskirts—as tradition has it—at 11 am on August 30, 1532. In memory of this event, the church bells have been tolled at 11 each morning since 1777.

The termination of the siege has two reported versions: In the first version, Nikola Jurišic rejected an offer to surrender on favorable terms and the Ottomans simply retreated; In the second version, the city was offered terms for a nominal surrender wherein the only Ottomans who would be allowed to enter the castle would be a token force who would raise the Turkish flag so Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha could report the apparent victory to Sultan Suleiman.

Regardless, their army withdrew after the arrival of the August rains and did not continue towards Vienna as previously planned. They had been delayed nearly four weeks and, during this time, a powerful army had gathered at Vienna, which Sultan Suleiman chose not to face. However, had the Ottomans known how small the Köszeg garrison was, they could have safely ignored it in their rear and immediately advanced toward Vienna. By their heroism, luck and a little deception, Nikola Jurišic and his men had saved Vienna from a siege.

In 1695, the garrison and surrounding areas of Köszeg fell into the hands of the Esterházy dukes, where it remained until 1931. Along with Szombathely, Köszeg was an important fortress for the kuruc (rebels/partisans) military leadership from 1705–1708 in their efforts to liberate the areas west of the Rába from the Habsburgs.

The town enjoyed its longest period of peace during the 18th century. By mid-century, the town had lost its military importance and much of its gates, bastions and fortification system was destroyed, though the remaining part has been restored and still can be seen in the inner yards between the houses. In 1712, there was an attempt to replace lost population by trying to attract colonists and by founding Koszegfalva (Schwabendorf).

The guild system production crisis during the Hungarian reformation of the early 19th century destroyed a part of the local economy, with few craft workshops surviving. Köszeg's early economy was also based heavily on the wine trade, but that wine-based economy was ruined by the epidemic of phylloxera. Now, only one-tenth of the acreage of the medieval-era vineyards is used for wine production. Further, as a result of the Peace Treaty of Trianon (1920) and the Peace Treaty of Paris (1946), Köszeg lost its markets in 68 neighboring settlements now located in Burgenland. The founding of public companies, societies and financial institutions were the first signs of the developing new civil order and Köszeg evolved into a town of schools, sanatoria and garrisons and a business makeup of small-scale industry and retail trade owners. The town has operated under a local government and market setting since 1990, but struggles to find capital for renewal and growth.

Fortunately, the development course did not affect Köszeg’s rich architectural heritage and natural environment and its town structure remained intact. That structure consists of the German suburb in the north, the Hungarian suburb in the south, and the medieval inner town in the middle. Koszegfalva, administratively a part of Köszeg, was built in 1713, south-east of the town. In the German suburb, where there are some wine cellars still in existence, there lived mainly German-speaking citizens and it included the Lutheran church, erected in 1783, and the Jewish synagogue, built in 1859.

The historical downtown is also divided into two parts: the civic town and the Jurisics / Esterházy castle. In the 18th century, nobility settled mainly in the western part of the civic quarter in Chernel Street (then called Úri útca: street of the gentlemen). In the inner town, with the exception of the Convent of the Benedictine Order, there are no three-story or taller houses, and the number of buildings is about the same as it was in the 16th century. Gothic and Renaissance architecture can be seen, mostly of the baroque style. The inner town and some of the German suburb have been part of the Hungarian National Heritage since 1990.

When the control of the frontier became looser in the 1960s, a multi-decade program was started to reconstruct the town’s unique older buildings and to modernize. In the 1990s, a county court and attorney’s offices were relocated to Köszeg and new cultural, historic and tourism campaigns were undertaken. Since Köszeg’s industrial and commercial situation has remained unchanged over the past decades, it is tourism, based on culture and history, that has become key to its further development.

While Köszeg was physically unscathed by WW-I and -II, that cannot be said of its peoples. Back in 1880, Köszeg had 7,300 residents and a German-speaking majority, most of whom were Lutheran (a majority of Germans also existed in 1495, 1715 and 1784). However, after 1921, the city was Magyarized, as were many border villages. During World War II, the Jews of Köszeg were deported to Auschwitz. After WW-II, Germans were again expelled. The official count was only 117 expelled, but the town's population declined by over 1500 from 1941 to 1949, suggesting many more were expelled or left on their own. During the communist era, Germans were again forcibly Magyarized.

Per the 2001 census, Köszeg had 11,844 residents with 95.4% Magyar, 3.2% German, and 1.6% Croatian. Religion splits were 72.2% Catholic, 8.6% Lutheran, and 19.2% other. The 2011 population estimate was 12,077.

Among annual events in Köszeg are the following:

• In February, during the Carnival & Concordia Ball, the inhabitants of Köszeg say goodbye to winter by procession and wine-tastings. The Concordia Ball, on the last Saturday of Carnival time, is the most important social event of the year. Its traditional scene is the whole medieval castle, where bands entertain guests, guards with torches look after security, and folk and traditional dancing and music dominate.

• In late April, the St. George’s Day – “Book of Vine Branches" Festival celebrates the viniculture of the region, where the newest vines are registered into the 1740 "Book of Vine Branches" by beautiful pencil, pen, and watercolor drawings. The viniculture festival include formal ceremonies, speeches, and professional lectures, a wine competition, wine cellars tours, plus classical and wind-band concerts, with folk dance programs and parades.
 
• In June, the Ost-West Folk Festival, an international folk music festival featuring music of different nations and styles, including Hungarian folk music, Roma folk music, funk, and world music.

• Throughout the Summer, the Köszeg Castle Theatre presents Hungarian playwrights and historical plays and classic comedies in an open air theatre. Opera, operetta, classical concerts, street theatre productions, dance performances and folklore shows complement the theatre’s repertoire. In addition, mediaeval tournaments take place between June and September and Renaissance festivities are held on the first weekend of August.

• In early September, the História Running Race, to commemorate the heroes of 1532. Includes a 1.5K mass race for all ages, age-based competitions for the younger generation, and a 10K race for professional and strong amateur runners.

• In late September, the 3-day Köszeg Harvest Carnival and International Wind-band Festival, with parades & processions, kings and queens, wind-band street serenades, folk and modern dancing, formal concerts and a light-music show finale.

• In late October, the Tastes of Naturpark, Ursula-day Fair, an autumn fair featuring local wines, honey and "chimney cake", with a cake-baking competition and candle and pottery displays.

As Köszeg Mayor, László Huber, says on the English-language version of the town website: "I wish you to get to know our town and its hospitable people personally."

With all Köszeg has to offer, I wouldn't mind satisfying his wish... and perhaps you feel the same.

English Text (column 1): It has been until a few years ago that air mail letters symbolized the good connections of the emigrated Burgenländers with their home country. Today, the white-blue-red margins on ceremonial cards and posters edited by the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft still remind us of these kinds of letters, which have gradually been displaced by oversea telephone calls, telefax, e-mail and finally communication by internet.

Last February the so-called "Burgenland Bunch" was founded in the USA for the purpose of joining Burgenländers and their descendants all over America and of exchanging information about their home country The man who set up this program was Gerald Berghold. When Richard Unger from California asked the parson of Eltendorf in Burgenland about his grandfather who had emigrated from there, he got Berghold's address; the latter had also been in Eltendorf before to inquire after his family roots. Berghold already had email contact with 7 Burgenländers and invited Unger to join. Today 30 Burgenländers are in touch by internet.

Gerald Berghold writes one article each week on a web page about Burgenland and the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft. On the other hand he recommends some places in Burgenland to visit (e.g. Güssing and the museum) and gives a helping hand if somebody wants to elaborate his genealogy. He also writes about meetings of the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft and translates excerpts of some books like "Die Amerikawanderung der Burgenländer". The "Burgenland-Bunch" is joining people who emigrated from Burgenland to those whose parents or grandparents came from there. Is this a new kind of a "Smaller Burgenländische Gemeinschaft"? Thus, the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft also got an e-mail address: burgenl.gem@bnet.co.at.  --- Walter Dujmovits jr.

Translation of German Text (Column 2): In February of this year in the U.S., the so-called "Burgenland Bunch" was formed with the aim of the Burgenländers and their descendants in America to connect via the Internet and exchange information about their old home. If development continues successfully, it will result in the most modern means of communication being used to help create a new little "Burgenland Community"! Inspired by this, the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft has sought also to obtain an e-mail address.

We salute the Burgenländers around the world! Recently we received a message from America, which fits well with this item. Literally it says: We are children and grandchildren of Burgenland immigrants. We are looking for living relatives and information about our ancestors. We would like to carry out an exchange of letters via e-mail on genealogical data. Surnames, villages, and email addresses follow. If you do not have access to the Internet, write to Gerald J. Berghold, 327 Walker Street, Winchester / VA 22601. Mr. Berghold will forward your e-mail address, thank you very much for your help.

Information then followed on the surnames, villages and email addresses of some of the earliest BB'ers.

So, that was our first mention in the BG Newsletter... and it was a surprisingly substantial recognition of the Bunch given its small size and young age at that time. Thank you Walter! 

"If the Tirolean origin is correct, and knowing that migrations tend to follow geography, it may be possible that my late-17th- / early-18th-century Schatz ancestors came from today's South or East Tirol, perhaps the Pustertal. The valley of the Drau River leads from south Tirol to Klagenfurt, Carinthia. From there, there is the road to Graz, then to Fürstenfeld and then to the Güssing area. (Ed: see blue route below. The pink area on the left is Tyrol, with the south and east sections marked with flags S and E, respectively. Burgenland is the pink area on the right, with Güssing marked with a red symbol.)



"This possible route and origin seems more likely to me than an origin in North Tirol and route along the Inn River and the Danube. (Ed: see gold route above.) I am thinking practically and geographically. First of all, the Inn route would have taken someone ultimately into northern Burgenland—practically it would have been easier to stay in northern Burgenland rather than to continue moving further south. Secondly, if my ancestor took the route along the Drau, he would never have left Habsburg territory, and consequently would never have had to pay crossing fees at a border. The Inn route would have eventually led through Salzburg (an independent Bishopric in the late-17th / early-18th century) and then into Bavaria, before crossing again into Habsburg territory, thus incurring heavy fees at every border crossing. A poor farmer or landless younger son might not have been able to afford the expense of such a journey. The route along the Drau River would have been affordable because it never left the borders of Habsburg territory. (I know about these fees because of the study of my 18th-century maternal ancestors from the Rheinland—in order to migrate to colonial Pennsylvania they were required to pay heavy exit fees to their sovereign, and then fees all along the Rhine River as they passed through various independent princely territories until reaching the port of Rotterdam).

"It occurs to me that, in some cases, the genetic survey of Burgenländer families might also be complemented with an understanding of geography to help pinpoint their possible origins. And it does seem likely to me that any family moving to "Burgenland" during the government-sponsored migrations of the early-18th century would have in fact originated from other Habsburg territories. Otherwise, expensive exit fees would have been payable to one's landlord and sovereign, rendering the trip very costly for a poor or landless family.

"As I said, this analysis might not be within the purview of the Burgenland Project, but I thought to share it in case it might be of some use in determining how various haplogroups migrated to Burgenland."

Bob’s analysis provides an interesting twist on what you can do with DNA information. Not only can the focus of inquiry be on determining where people originally came from, but also ascertaining the journey they took to reach their new homeland once a point of origin has been established. As a result, we are now seriously entertaining Bob’s perspective as an avenue to pursue within the framework of our Project activities.

In the item relating to reasons Burgenlanders emigrated one referred to a 12-year military commitment. Do you know who mandated that and to whom it applied? Family tradition says my grandfather left Jánossomorja because he didn't want to serve in the military but he was married and had children at that point, which may or may not have made any difference.



Both comments above were in reply to the last newsletter. While I can heartily suggest all of you consider visiting the Nationality Rooms at Pitt if you get the opportunity, I chose to publish Arlene's note and my reply (below) because I think an understanding of the military service issues and its possible impact on encouraging emigration is worth having. So...



I replied: Hi Arlene, The Nationality Rooms were a treat… but as you suggested, I was one of the many who knew nothing about them before Anna proposed going there.

On the conscription question, the quote in the newsletter was dated 1882, which was during the era of the Dual Monarchy (1867-1918) under the Habsburg’s monarch Franz Josef. During that time, Franz Josef ruled as Emperor of Austria over the western and northern half of the country that was known as the Austrian Empire (Cisleithania, or Lands represented in the Imperial Council) and as King of Hungary over the Kingdom of Hungary (Transleithania, or Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen) in the eastern and southern half. Both halves enjoyed a great deal of sovereignty with only a few joint affairs (principally foreign relations, finance and defense).

To explain the complexities of military service during that era, I’ll quote from “The Whirlpool of Europe: Austria-Hungary and the Habsburgs” [Archibald R and Ethel M Colquhoun. Dodd Mead & Company, New York, 1914].

In the quote, the authors refer to “special armies” …think of these as the national militia or home guards (one for Austria and one for Hungary). There is also mention of “colours” …think of this as active service in a home guard. The “common army” is yet another army (and navy) under the full Dual Monarchy (i.e., under Franz Josef’s direct control).
 

“The third department of State which Austria and Hungary share in common is that of Defence. The geographical position of the two countries gives them an immense stretch of frontier to defend, they have three powerful States as neighbours, and it is not surprising to find that the military spirit is highly developed and that the whole social organisation is built up round the army. As in Germany and France, the system of defence rests on universal conscription. Practically from the age of nineteen to that of forty-two, all able males are liable to military service in one form or another, and even those exempt in time of peace are liable to be called out in wartime.

"There are three classes of service: the common army of the Dual Monarchy, the special armies (Honvéd of Hungary and Landwehr of Austria) and the levy-in-mass. The term of service is twelve years, of which three years are passed with the colours, seven in the reserve (common army) and two with the Honvéd or Landwehr. Conscription for the common army begins at twenty-one years of age. In addition to the men recruited under this regulation, the Honvéd and Landwehr have the right to recruit independently a yearly contingent which serves two years with the colours and ten with the reserves. The peculiar significance of this regulation is that it establishes the principle that the two national armies are entirely separate from the common army though they are linked up for the purposes of defence.

"Besides the ordinary service of twelve years, all males between the ages of nineteen and forty-two, whether belonging to the exempt classes or not, are liable to be called out by the levy-in-mass, unless (of course) they already belong to the common army or navy, reserve, or special armies. This levy-in-mass cannot, however, be sent beyond the country except by statute, and it forms in reality a reserve which would only be indented upon at a national crisis. It must be noted that the “exempt” classes (elementary school teachers, single men supporting mothers, and others) are not released from all military obligation. They are formed into a supplementary reserve called the Ersatz, and are liable to eight weeks training and four weeks’ manoeuvres in the year. Moreover, those who have adopted the military profession are not exempt from service after the age of forty-two, and both they and civil officials in retirement may be called on to serve in the levy-in-mass until the age of sixty.”

Despite the statement above of “universal conscription,” only about 1 in 5 eligible males were eventually conscripted into active service. However, there was nothing to say you had to be conscripted at 19… so the unconscripted never knew when they might get called into active service. Thus it was hard to start a life with that uncertainty hanging over you. Worse yet, if you were not eventually conscripted into active service, you were given 4 weeks training and placed directly in the reserves, which turned out to be a disaster for these undertrained men when they were sucked into an active war.

Thanks for the kind words on the newsletter! Tom



The book I quoted from, The Whirlpool of Europe: Austria-Hungary and the Habsburgs, is available for free as an ebook on Google and was published in 1914. The authors were British and the text was clearly intended for British readers.

Some 460+ pages long, it nevertheless reads quite quickly. However, it is sometimes almost hilarious (and even disgusting) given the degree of British "superiority" lurking in the text and the amount of social and class bias evidenced in its "evaluations" of peoples and countries. Regardless, it still manages to present the flavor of the era, being both prescient in regard to what was coming concerning national independence movements and woefully blind to the looming WW-I. It also presents a coherent rationalization of why the European peasantry became increasingly anti-Jewish.

Over a couple of days, I read the complete book; perhaps you too might find it worth your time, despite its many flaws.