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

A few rumors are about, however: first, apparently Doskozil's aim in a visit is to lure our younger generations to come visit Burgenland; and second, they may choose at least one new destination in the US, so perhaps some new people have an easier way to be involved. So, all you younger people (I'll let you define what age-range that is!), please know that you would be most welcome to attend events (wherever they may be) and that, should a new destination be chosen, we should do our best to support that destination choice (wherever it may be) by our attendance there!



1950 Census Now Available: The images for the 1950 US Census have been posted at 1950census.archives.gov. The site also has a rudimentary AI-generated index, but that index is rather inaccurate; still, I was able to find my family (I would join it within the year) by using my mother's somewhat rare first name, Clara, and the state and county where they lived... though I did have to "interpret" the adjoining transcribed names to recognize my father's given name and surname (both were transcribed significantly incorrect!). You also have the opportunity to correct the AI-generated names. To do so, you must submit your email address and then submit a verification code that will be sent to your email address. Thereafter, you are authorized to make any number of corrections.

My take is that the current site is rather awkward; you can only use about a third of your screen to show the images and, if you choose to provide a correction, the pop-up for that both partially blocks the image and takes control of the page, so you cannot scroll or resize the underlying image to make the names visible. Be sure to have the area of the image holding the names visible before starting the transcription-correction process. The actual process, however, is quite easy and quick, as it is only the names that you can edit.



Hungarian Election: Last month, I wrote this about the Hungarian election: "In just a few days, we will see what the Hungarian public feels about this choice," a choice that Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán said was between a leftist opposition that would drag Hungary into the Ukraine war, and the peace and stability only his conservative Fidesz can offer.

Late on the day of the election, April 3rd, the results seemed clear. Orbán is now the four-time prime minister, with his Fidesz party having earned ~53% of the votes compared to ~34% for his coalition opposition "United for Hungary", with smaller parties earning the rest. This will lead to a fourth super-majority in Parliament, meaning Fidesz can continue to control everything, even changing the constitution.

Péter Márki-Zay, the coalition candidate for prime minister, acknowledged his defeat, saying, "I don't want to hide my disappointment and sadness, we never thought that this would be the result." While Márki-Zay described the election as extremely unequal, he did not dispute the result.

Conversely, Orbán claimed, "We have won a huge victory, so great that it can be seen from the moon, but certainly from Brussels." Orbán has had many disagreements with the European Union leadership in Brussels, so his comment seems to indicate he wants them to know he has the continuing backing of a majority of Hungarians.

It seems clear that the war in Ukraine helped Orbán, as his control of the media helped him drive that storyline. In addition, the anti-vaccine movement (Our Homeland / MiHazánk) exceeded 5% of the vote, claiming seats in Parliament and pulling support away from the coalition. Orbán did well in rural areas whereas the coalition was dominant only in Budapest and in two areas in southern Hungary that the coalition leadership hails from.

From a Burgenland perspective, the two Hungarian counties bordering Burgenland, Gyor-Moson-Sopron and Vas, supported Orbán, giving him ~58 and ~61% of their vote overall and ~58 and 51% within the county seats of Sopron and Szombathely.

In response, Burgenland governor, Hans Peter Doskozil, described Orbán as a "reliable partner for Burgenland" when it comes to initiating cross-border projects. About the election result, he said, "The voter decides and the voter is always right. That's the way it is in politics."

However, the Burgenland Green party said the election was "neither fair nor clean from the beginning," mostly in reference to the majority-promoting electoral system in Hungary and to Orbán's control of the media: "This election should be a warning to us that one must defend oneself against authoritarian and anti-democratic rule from the outset before it abuses the media and the judiciary for its own party-political purposes."



Memorial In Kemeten: This past month, a memorial was dedicated in the cemetery in Kemeten to commemorate all its victims of the Nazi regime, but especially the Kemeten Roma. Along with the Jews, they were the ethnic group of Burgenland most persecuted by the Nazis, and of the Roma of Kemeten, where there once was a Roma settlement with around 200 inhabitants, only a few survived the Nazis.

Although an effort had been underway since the early 2000s to erect a Roma memorial in Kemeten, it was only last fall that the decision was made. At the dedication, Kemeten Mayor, Wolfgang Koller, said: "In times of socio-political change and a war in Europe, it is important to remember the past and to draw attention to mistakes made."

The memorial was initiated by the Roma Adult Education Centre Burgenland in cooperation with the Roma associations. Andreas Lehner, chairman of the Centre explained: "After about a fifth of the population [of Roma in Burgenland] was murdered during the Second World War, one has to assume that something has become unbalanced in the community. That is why this stone is not set up straight, but is oblique, as if it were falling. And it also has a second element that indicates that something is missing in the community; that these people are missing. These are the approximately 200 holes that were drilled through the stone."

In memory of the women, men and children from Kemeten who became victims of National Socialism between 1938 and 1945. These were Roma women and men and Jewish women and men, people who offered political resistance and people whose right to live was denied due to illnesses and disabilities and who fell victim to Nazi medicine.
- Text Translation and Image of the Memorial

Verena Dunst, President of the Burgenland Landtag, was also present at the dedication and said: "In many communities there has been resistance to remember and come to terms with this. There were many, it wasn't just Kemeten. But there has now been a jolt: we have to stand by it. Burgenland's history is a success story, but also one with dark chapters. They need to be worked through, and in every municipality."



Corona Virus in Burgenland: I've decided this will be my last report on the virus in Burgenland... unless, of course, there is a dramatic change that I think you should be aware of.

The reason for this, is that infections in Burgenland continue to decline slowly, with the virus transitioning to what appears to be a controlled endemic state similar to regular flu. Infections still occur and the occasional person still dies of it, but the overall severity and concern level is now closer to that of a seasonal flu, given that effective vaccines are available.

This slow decline can be seen in the chart, of the number of intensive care beds in Burgenland occupied by Covid patients, below:



As you can see, this graph covers the first quarter of 2022, and the number of intensive care Covid patients has stayed in the "yellow" or "green" severity ranges. It is only when the numbers approach the red range that Burgenland imposes restrictions.

I'm sure they will continue to encourage individuals to get Covid shots and/or boosters (in fact, a new campaign is in the planning stages, but their society remains unrestricted at this time.

As an aside, I received my second booster the day prior to writing this text. Surprisingly, that booster has affected me more than any prior Covid shot... chills, aches and pains, and a sore shoulder for me! But I'd rather put up with a day of that than end up in an intensive care bed. What is harder to live with is that my wife hasn't had even a sore shoulder from any of the shots... and she loves to lord that over me!



Water Level In Lake Neusiedl: A new recreational and environmental crisis is currently unfolding in Burgenland. Specifically, since 1965, there has never been less water in Lake Neusiedl at the end of April than at present. On average, the lake is no more than 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) deep. Currently, relative to that long-term average, the lake is missing 36 centimeters (14 inches). Relative to the last great drought in 1991, the lake is already at least ten centimeters (4 inches) lower.



Karl Maracek, head of the Hydrography Department in the Province of Burgenland, stated that it is obvious that "normal operation" in the summer cannot be assumed. The water level relative to last year is "extremely low," already 24 centimeters (9.5 inches) lower.

Comparatively, the modern highest water level at the end of April was in 1996, when it was 70 centimeters (27.5 inches) higher than today.

Maracek noted that long-term forecasts "don't look very favorable," but he indicated that the water level was able to recover to some extent last year due to a rainy May.



The Facebook Bunch (from Vanessa Sandhu):

Greetings, Burgenland Bunch!

I hope that everyone is doing well! Spring has finally sprung. This month, we welcomed 14 new members, bringing our total membership count up to 1846. If we are still missing you, please come join us! facebook.com/groups/TheBurgenlandBunchOFFICIAL/

Lisa Frazee Clark posed an interesting question regarding the treatment of our families who remained in Burgenland after World War II. Some heartbreaking stories were shared by our members, further proving the resilience of our brave families.

Admin Rachael Dobšovicová shared some advice regarding the newly released 1950 US Census: She writes “The 1950 US Federal Census was released today after 72 years. It is free to search at the website below. The best way to search, if you know where you or your ancestors lived, is to select the state and county and look at the enumeration district maps to find which district they were in, then click through the sheets. The name “indexing” so far was done through artificial intelligence and is fairly inaccurate, but may be helpful if you don’t know an address.” 1950census.archives.gov/search/?fbclid=IE

Member Martin Wolf shared some information regarding the Emigrant’s Picnic at Moschendorf! It will return this year after a two year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The picnic will be held on Sunday, July 3, 2022 at the Weinmuseum.

Member Franz Stangl shared lots of excellent photos and videos featuring the Palm
Sunday and Easter festivities in Güssing.

Member Donna Kipila shared fantastic photos of her trip to Zahling, her ancestral hometown. She also shared many helpful photos from St. Laurence RC Church and its cemetery.

In this video shared by Member Irm Gard, hop a ride on this Ducati Scrambler and tour the gorgeous countryside surrounding Eisenberg an der Pinka, Höll, and Güssing. youtu.be/tNbPm7DaR04

Member Janet Kroboth-Weber shared some lovely music from Die Burgenländer entitled Blasmusik und Wein: m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww

CONNECTIONS:

Member Judi Balogh Berggren writes: “Looking for relatives of Maria Hodits, b August 15, 1852, d June 12, 1941, parents Stefan Hodits and Maria Ringlebauer of Schachendorf. I will be visiting 11-19 July 2022. Also will be in Vienna.”

Member Barbara Christian writes: “You have all helped in the past, I'm hoping you can help again. Looking for my g-grandma Theresia Konig, who came over I believe 10-11-1904 on SS Kronprinz Wilhelm from Liva??, Hungary. She went to live with an acquaintance Franz Wolf (I think he took in boarders) in New Britain, CT. Married my g-gfather Anton Hirezy (Hirczy) on 4-28-1906 in New Britain (on marriage records she spelled her name Theresa Kocjnk). Then, they came to Milwaukee, WI. (Story goes she came over with or to nanny for a rich couple - also her mother was killed by a train in the old country while picking up coal that fell off of trains.) I’m not sure about siblings - supposedly none in America. I have been at a stand still for quite a while. Thank you friends for any help.”

Member Jan Harrison is looking for information about her great grandmother who passed away in Güssing. She writes “Hi, I am stuck with trying to find my great grandmother's death and perhaps grave location. This is what I have:

Rosalia-Rosa Kurtz-Kurz-Mayer
Mother: Teréz Rielich
Father: Franciscus Ferencz "Franz" Kurtz-Kurz
Birth: 06 Jul 1882 in Tobaj
Baptism: 06 Jul 1882 in Németujvár, Vas, Hungary

Addresses: 05 Sep 1917 in Németújvar at birth of her third son, János. At this time her husband was in Detroit, MI, and I don't believe he ever came back.
Bet. 1924–1927 in Judengebäude 150; P.Gratian Leser-Straße 15, Güssing (She was wiring money to my grandpa from this address)
Death: Bet. 28 Jun 1927–1928 in Güssing, (A son from her husband’s second marriage said she died. My grandpa got no more wires after 28 June 1927.)
Spouse: Richard Mayer, m 06 Jun 1904 in Güssing
Children: Richard Mayer, Emil Mayer, Gisella Mayer, János Mayer, all born in Németújvar, Vas, Hungary

I have written the Catholic Church and gotten no reply, so I am stuck. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you.”

If anyone has any information for Judi, Barbara, or Jan, please email me at HooftyRN@msn.com and I will be happy to pass along the information!
Until next month, Be well and stay safe!

Vanessa



Update for book "The Burgenländer Emigration to America": Here is this month's update on purchases of the English issue of the 3rd edition of Dr. Walter Dujmovits' book "Die Amerika-Wanderung Der Burgenländer."

Current total sales are 1649 copies, as interested people purchased 3 more books during this past month.

As always, the book is available for online purchase at a list price of $8.12 (which is the production charge for the book, as we purposely choose not to make a profit so we can avoid dealing with the income tax consequences and so you can obtain the book at as low a cost as possible!), plus tax & shipping. See the BB homepage for a link to the information / ordering page and for information about current discounts (there is at least one discount on price or shipping available most of the time... if not, wait a few days and there will be one!).

The book is an excellent read for the Burgenländers in your family.



Burgenland Recipes: From Heidi Frank: Though there are no fewer than seven recipes for a hand-pulled strudel already on the BB recipes page, I had requests from Facebook to provide a recipe with more detailed instructions. I also included video links to some good videos that show how to pull the dough. It's something best learned in person, but hopefully this recipe will add something new to the discussion and the recipe page.

Both my Burgenland Oma, Johanna, and my Viennese Oma, Maria (originally from Kärnten), were excellent cooks and bakers. They could each produce a strudel seemingly without any effort. As kids, this was our favorite dessert, but we only got to eat it when we visited Austria or one of them came to visit us every few years. My mom never mastered strudel-making despite being able to make excellent Schnitzel, Rindsrouladen, and Gugelhupf.

My grandmothers liked one another a lot and Maria visited Burgenland regularly, especially to help with the grape harvest. Johanna was a bit competitive and once said to me as she was rolling a strudel, “I’ll bet they can’t do this in Vienna!" She cut the dough across the middle, pinched the tablecloth in the middle with both hands, and promptly rolled up two strudels at once - one towards her and one away from her. It WAS impressive!

Oma’s Apfel Strudel
(from Heidi Frank)

Ingredients for the dough:
•2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur works well)
•1/4 tsp salt
•1/4 cup neutral oil (sunflower, corn, canola, or grapeseed work well)
•1 tsp neutral vinegar (apple, rice, or white work well)
•1 egg
•1 cup (more or less) warm water

Ingredients for the filling:
•1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter
•4 cups thinly sliced apples (Macintosh, Granny Smith, or Stayman are my favorite)
•1 lemon - washed and rind finely grated, lemon juiced
•1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 to 1 cup sugar
•1/4 to 1/3 cup raisins (Optional depending on your preference. Can also be macerated in 1 tablespoon rum.)
•Additional flour for dusting
•Additional 2-3 Tbsp plain oil and/or melted unsalted butter

Preparation-dough:
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add oil, vinegar, lightly beaten egg, and 1/2 the warm water. Stir the mixture until it begins to combine. Add the remaining water and stir until combined.

Dust flour onto one hand and on the dough. Pull the dough together until a ball is formed. Knead in the bowl until all the dough is in a ball. Add more flour if the dough is not coming together or more warm water if it is crumbly.

Dust a surface with some flour and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be somewhat stiff, but still pliable. Lightly coat your hands with oil and rub the oil on all sides of the dough.

Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a tight lid. Alternatively, the dough can be placed in a plastic bag or covered with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm spot (at least 75° F) to rest for 1-1/2 hours.

Preparation-filling:
Over medium heat, melt butter and lightly brown breadcrumbs. Be sure not to over-brown. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool.

To the thinly sliced apples (I use a mandoline to slice after peeling the apples), add lemon rind, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar to taste. If using, mix in raisins. The amount of sugar is dependent on the tartness of the apples and your family’s taste for sweetness.

Pulling, Rolling, and Baking Strudel:
Heat oven to 350° F. Clear a table and cover with a clean tablecloth or sheet. The table covering will get spotted so use something old.

Lightly dust the table with flour. Remove the dough from its bowl or wrapper. It should be very silky. Place the dough in the center of the table. Use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch into a rectangle.

Dust your hands with flour. Placing your hands under the dough, gently stretch the dough from the center to the edges of the table while moving around the table. Repeat until the dough is thin enough to see printed materials through it. If small holes appear or some areas stick together and won’t become super-thin, keep working on stretching the rest of the dough. These imperfections will not be visible at the end. Try to complete this within 10-15 minutes as the dough will begin to dry. The goal is to stretch the dough to about 2.5 x 4 ft. If your dough won’t reach this size, go with what you have even if it is not a rectangle, it is filled with holes, or it is too thick.

When the dough is stretched as far as it will go, trim off the thick edges with a sharp knife. These scraps can be formed into a ball and used to make another strudel after the dough has rested. Or, they can be pulled off the ball in dime-sized pieces and tossed into broth to make small dumplings.

Based on your table size, the size of your sheet pan, and how your dough turned out, determine which direction to roll your strudel. The strudel length does not need to fit on your sheet pan exactly. It can easily be curved into a "U" if it is longer than your sheet pan. Using a pastry brush, sprinkle the dough lightly with oil or melted butter. Avoid brushing the dough as it will easily tear. Leaving about a 6" strip at one end of the dough, sprinkle the bread crumbs over 2/3 of the remaining dough. Sprinkle the apple mixture over the breadcrumbs. The apple mixture will not cover every bit of dough. Starting at the 6" end, lift the cloth and flip the 6" dough section over the apples. By lifting the cloth further, carefully roll the strudel into a tight log. Pinch the ends together and tuck under the strudel. Alternately, cut some of the dough ends away, pinch, and tuck under the strudel. My uncle loves the end pieces so we always leave it thick.

Place the log onto parchment paper or a Silpat on the sheet pan with the seam side down. Brush lightly with melted butter or oil. Depending on the thickness of the strudel, bake for 30-45 minutes until lightly browned and aromatic.

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Slice into portions and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Or, eat straight from the pan using your hands.

Bonus:
Here are several videos that will show the stretching and rolling technique: This video talks about the dough recipe and demonstrates how to stretch the dough. This explanation for how to stretch the dough is excellent. While he is able to lift the dough a lot, I’d advise keeping the dough close to the table so it doesn’t fold onto itself. Homemade Strudel Dough Stretch: Food Variety

This video shows how to make dough with a food processor. My aunt always makes her strudel dough this way and her strudels are excellent. His technique for stretching the dough is also excellent. A Baker's Odyssey: Apple Strudel Recipe

This video is a throwback to former times. These Hungarian sisters are strudel experts and you can get a good idea of how Burgenland homes looked in the old days. Notice that their strudels are not picture perfect and actually pretty flat.
These Adorable Hungarian Sisters Are Master Chefs of Strudel

This video is from the head baker at Demel (one of the best coffee houses in Vienna). While he is absolutely an expert and has been making strudel since he was six, he tosses his dough. I would not advise tossing the dough unless you’ve had a lot of practice. He also mounds the apples instead of spreading them over the dough. This gives a very nice, uniform slice when the strudel is finished and is something I have seen only in restaurants and coffee houses. All the home cooks I know spread the filling and roll the filling and dough to create layers.
The Secret Behind How Original Viennese Apple Strudel Is Made | Food Secrets Ep. 10



Note: Our recipes sortable list has links directly to the recipes or food-related articles published in our past newsletters. You can access the list by clicking our recipe box (to the right). Thanks to the contributions of our members over the years, we have quite a collection of Burgenland recipes, some with several variations.

However, we have now used up our unpublished recipes... thus this recipe section will be dormant whenever we have no recipe to publish. So, if you have a favorite family recipe, please consider sharing it with us. We will be happy to publish it. Our older relatives, sadly, aren't with us forever, so don't allow your favorite ethnic dish to be lost to future generations.

You can send your recipe to BB Recipes Editor, Alan Varga. Thanks!



Cartoon of the Month:

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