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Kitzladen
Village of 300 residents in the Oberwart district.

First mentioned in 1337 as "Kecel".

The Urbarium of 1532 (Domain Schlaining) counts 5 farms in "Khytzlärnn", surnames are SIMON, NADLER, BEHAIM, BROTHROSCH and PENNO. Also a miller named KOCH and two dwellers named KOCH and MAGEL.

In 1580 Count Balthasar Batthyany appointed Thomas BRAUNEISEN as Lutheran preacher in Kitzladen. Other known Lutheran preachers: Andreas CRUSIUS (latinized from KRAUSE; 1618-24); Paul KÜHNEL (1647-52; from Silesia; in 1652 he was 66 y); Melchior GÄRTNER (1657-60; from Schemnitz; later appointed to Loipersdorf, Harkau and Güns).

In 1652, Count Adam Batthyany mortgaged Kitzladen and Loipersdorf to the Styrian nobleman Georg Albrecht Rindsmaul, a Lutheran who had fled from Styria; Rindsmaul had the say in these villages until 1729, which is way Lutheran preachers could remain until ca. 1670.

In 1652 the village consisted of 21 farms, of which 2 were ¾-farms (with land amounting to a ¾ sessio), 14 ½ farms and 5 ¼ farms. 4 ½-farms and 3 ¼-farms were deserted. Farmer surnames: 5 RUIDER; 2 GRIESSER, KRAUSS, BINDER, SAILER, BÖHM, KOLLMANN; 1 SAUHAMMEL, TAUSS, JANOSCH, HEINRER (HÄHNRER), KOCH, LEHNER, KNEBEL, HAUSDORFER. Also some dwellers named SCHUSTER, HABERSACK, MÜLLNER and HÄBERLER.

Archdean Peter Tormásy's ecclesiastical inspection of 1674 finds Kitzladen at least formally catholic, priest is Kuno VOGT, 40 y, from Trier (Germany). There is also a teacher, but his name is not mentioned.

In 1697 Johann SALMHOFER, a Styrian, is (catholic) priest, 40 y, he came to Kitzladen ca. 1689. Teacher is Johann KECK. The parish consists of 90 Lutheran and 37 Catholic families.

In 1713 Franz Xaver LEBEL is priest (born in Lockenhaus, in Kitzladen since ca. 1708). Still only a third of the parish population is Catholic.

In 1729 Kitzladen and Loipersdorf returned under Batthyany rule. Church records start in 1750, when Josef KÖNIG was priest. Other known 18th century priests: Matthias MINZKER (1777-95; from Rechnitz), Franz SCHRATZENTHALER (1795-98; teacher's son from Purbach), Johann STIRLING (1798-1803, from Pinkafeld). Church records mention teacher Matthias UNGER in 1792 and 1798. 19th century priests: Martin (or Michael) RAUHOFER (1804-14; from Sopron), Alois HOLZHEU (1814-30; teacher's son from Marz), Josef EBERHARD (1840-46; from Pernau), Matthias SCHLEGEL (1846-50; from Neusiedl bei Güssing), Franz SZALAY (1850-51; from Steinamanger), Franz GRILLER (1851-77), Josef JESTL (1877-1921, from Lockenhaus), Ladislaus ESSÖ (1921-?; from Ács, Hungary).

Known (Catholic) teachers: Paul KIERMANN (1809-16), Ambros JESTL (1829), Johann SCHERMANN (1860-80), Franz HUTTER (1880-1908).

Lutheran children went to school in Buchschachen. Lutheran missionary Samuel BÖHM, a native of Kitzladen, died in service for the "Norddeutsche Mission Bremen" in Africa in 1859.

The Urbarium of 1827 lists 27 farmers (21 with a half sessio and 6 with a quarter sessio) and 15 "behauste Söllner" (dwellers living in their own house). Farmer names: 3 HEINRER, WELTLER, BÖHM; 2 WEBER, TAUSS; 1 DANIEL, SAILER, HOPPEL, LIPP, MITTERMÜLLER, GRAF, ERDKÖNIG, LEHNER, PÖLL, KOCH, SANDNER, RUITTER, FASSL, BINDER. Additional Söllner-names: 2 RINGBAUER; 1 HARTENSTEINER, RIEMER, EDENHOFER, KRUTZLER, POTTENDORFER, PFERSCHY.

20th-century teachers: Franz ZALKA (1908-21; married the daughter of teacher Franz HUTTER), Josef RUISS (1921-27), Johann ARTNER (1927-28), Josef HOTWAGNER (1928-38), Koloman GRAF (1938-39), Ferdinand POSCH (1939-40), Franz REISINGER (1940-42); 1942-45 school in Loipersdorf; Emmerich HÖLTL (1945-46), Karl RINGBAUER (1946-47), Hermann JAHRMANN (1947-48), Franz REISINER (1948-54), Franz MÜLLER (1954-?). The school is a public school since 1938.

In April 1945 seven houses destroyed or damaged during German-Russian battles.

Statistical data: 1842/43: 196 Catholics, 128 Lutherans, 7 Jews; 1890: 62 houses, 395 inhabitants; 1934: 74 houses, 375 inh.; 1961: 64 houses, 275 inh. (146 cath., 129 luth.). Decrease from 74 to 64 houses probably due to loss of Gypsy population during Nazi regime.

Family History Library microfilms:
Catholic: Római Katólikus Egyház, Kicléd [FHL INTL Film 700674]

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