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Riedlingsdorf (Hungarian: Rödöny, Romanes: Redema)
Village in the Oberwart district.

Riedlingsdorf lies just northwest of Oberwart and is at the northern limits of what is considered southern Burgenland. It is a Katastral (land office) Gemeinde (locality) in the Bezirk (district) of Oberwart, has 1551 inhabitants and 597 houses.

Burgermeister (Richter) names since 1919 are ZAPFEL, BRUCKNER, SCHUH, ARTHOFER, WOHLMUTH, BINDER, SCHADEN, BUNDSCHUH, SCHRANZ, and KAIPEL.

It was part of the Herrschaft (domain) of the Batthyánys. Both RC's and Lutherans attended church in Pinkafeld.

FamilySearch film nos. are 0700710-11; Lutheran; 0700707-9; Catholic and Civil Records 0700455-461.

The following history, written to commemorate the 660th year of this Burgenland village, was provided by Burgenland Bunch member Lee Keippel, to whom we owe our thanks. It is a document which is important to the study of Burgenland genealogy in that much of the history applies to other Burgenland villages, particularly those in the south.

HISTORY OF RIEDLINGSDORF

Title: 660 Jahre Riedlingsdorf

The inside title page reads:
Riedlingsdorf 1331-1991
FESTSCHRIFT zum 660-Jahr-Jubiläum der ersten urkundlichen Erwähnung der Gemeinde.
Herausgegeben von der Gemeinde Riedlingsdorf 1991"
(FESTIVAL PUBLICATION on the 660-year anniversary of the first written mention of the church.
Published by the community Riedlingsdorf, 1991).

Translation was by David Pendlebury (edited by G. J. Berghold)

Traces from Pre-history and Antiquity

The fact that the region of the Pinka valley round about Riedlingsdorf was already frequented during the Neolithic period (c.8000 until 1700 BC) has been established by finds that have been made in the area. Of special interest among these are indications of activity in a courtyard (Hof) in the Lampelfeld area of Pinkafeld, which borders directly on Riedlingsdorf.

There, too, remains can be found of iron-smelting activity dating from the late La Tene period (i.e. the final two centuries BC). This is already a clear indication of permanent settlement in our area. The representatives of this civilization were Celts.

Already at the start of this present century Johan Posch investigated some of the burial mounds on the town borders of Riedlingsdorf which should be considered in conjunction with those that are to be found in large quantities in the upper Pinka valley, particularly in Pinkafeld. These burial mounds have a diameter of up to 7 meters (approximately 23 feet) and are occasionally more than one meter (approximately 39 inches) high. From pieces of metal, pottery and coins we may conclude that these graves were established in the period when present-day Burgenland was part of the Roman province of Pannonia, that is to say about the first four centuries AD.

The large number of burial mounds from the Roman period leads one to the conclusion that a road passed through the district of present-day Riedlingsdorf. Paths were generally built along ridges in order to avoid the danger of flooding and getting bogged down. The Romans liked to place their graves alongside such roads. From this one can deduce that there was a road link running between Steinamanger, Rechnitz, Rotenturm, Pinkafeld, Friedberg Mönichkirchen and Anspang. It is conceivable that the Romans developed an already existing road dating from the Celtic period. There was very probably still a road link between Steinamanger and Pinkafeld in the early middle ages, since both settlements were in the possession of the bishopric of Salzburg.

First Documentation of a Settlement at Riedlingsdorf

Very seldom is it possible to determine the exact year that a village was founded. When the name of a settlement appears in a document, that merely means that the village has been in existence for some time: it could be years, decades or even centuries. This is also true of our own community, which in view of this did not celebrate 660 years of existence on September 1st 1991, but simply commemorated the first documentary reference to it.Here, too, the greatest care is required, for it is entirely possible that a document will be found at some time in the future which mentions Riedlingsdorf in a year prior to 1331. Indeed until a few years ago a list dating from the year 1388 contained the first known reference to our locality.

A highly placed Hungarian administrative official, Gespan (title-like a county sherrif) Stephan von Eisenburg (Vasvar in present-day Hungary), commissioned his notary Paul and the Supreme Judge [Adelsrichter] of the Eisenburg Komitat (county), (a man) called Lukas to inspect the boundaries of the estates of Buchschachen and Allhau, together with neighbouring settlements.

The two men carried out their task on August 21st; and the chapter of the Church of St Michael in Eisenburg drew up a document concerning this on September 1,1331. The original has not survived. A copy made in the 17th century was found in the family archives of Count Batthyány. This is now in the Hungarian state archives, where it was discovered a few years ago and published in Austria in a work by I. Lindeck-Pozza, "Urkundenbuch des Burgenlandes" (Burgenland Documents), vol. 4, Vienna 1985, No. 171, p.95ff.

Let us now examine the place in the text where our locality is indicated for the first time in closer detail. The two gentlemen start with their tour of inspection along the boundary between Loipersdorf and Grafenschachen, until they reach the border of Pinkafeld. At which point the document states: [see Latin text in original not included in this copy] In the translation, for which we are indebted to Heinz Hafner, from Oberschutzen, we read:

"From this boundary marker, indicated by a cherry tree it (i.e. the boundary) leads, after climbing a hill, back to a district lying to the south, then descends to a large ancient road and forms on the eastern side the boundary with RIEDLINGSDORF. If one continues along the same long road one reaches the valley of Kvessf (Weisfleck?), and two border markers of earth with two oak trees growing on them, where Oberwart to the east adjoins Buchschachen to the west."

Concerning our community this document does not say much more, other than that it was already in existence at that time. To those familiar with the district, however, it will be apparent that the border line of the village can hardly have changed during these 660 years, since the description matches excellently with the way the modern boundary runs between Riedlingsdorf and Loipersdorf, starting out from the point south of Niklashof, where the borders of Pinkafeld, Loipersdorf and Riedlingsdorf meet. It then runs on in a fairly straight line through the district of Laimbach, until one reaches the Buchschachen border line in the Tellwald district, and then comes to Roan. To this day one still travels along the borderline of the village at this point, until eventually one arrives at the border line conjunction, where Oberwart to the east adjoins Buchschachen to the West.

There have been and continue to be many speculations concerning the origin and meaning of the place-name "Riedlingsdorf". The recent appearance of the hitherto unknown form "Radomfalva" in the 1331 document has thrown into question all the attempts that have been made until now to interpret it. Thus further reflection is going to be needed before anything valid can be said on the subject. One problem lies certainly in the variety of forms that have developed in the course of time:

1331: Radomfalva (early Hungarian); 1388: Rodinstorff; 1392: Reudenstorff; 1435: Rudingstorff; 1569: Riegerstorff; 1648: Riedlingstorf. Since then there have been several other ways of spelling it; however, this was the first time it was named in the manner that ultimately won through. In Hungarian the forms Rödöny or Rödön evolved.

Admittedly the origin of the settlement Riedlingsdorf is obscure; and yet there are possible explanations. Pinkafeld, which was already mentioned for the first time in 860, was a fortified town in the 13th century, and probably held sway over a domain of its own. The owners were the Counts of Güssing, who at that time were the most powerful nobles in what is now southern Burgenland and western Hungary. At the time of the colonization (12th & 13th Century) carried out by them in this area, sparsely populated by border-guards, our own village could have come into being. The Güssingers recruited settlers in Lower Austria and Styria.

Developments and Setbacks in the Middle Ages

In the course of the Güssing quarrel (with the crown), the defenses at Pinkafeld were destroyed, when the Hapsburg King Albrecht I led his army against the Güssing contingent and their allies. However, the west Hungarian nobles were able to hold on to the stronghold of Bernstein; and the now defenseless Pinkafeld was annexed to the power prevailing in the region. This state of affairs persisted into the 17th century. The Güssingers remained in possession until about 1339, after which they were succeeded by the Hungarian kings, who in 1389 initially pledged (mortgaged?) the castle and dominion of Bernstein to the Kanizsy family, but three years later transferred ownership to them.

A document dating from 1388 names the localities that belonged to Bernstein at that time: Rettenbach, Stuben, Redischlag, Grodnau, Goberling, Jormannsdorf, Mariasdorf, Tauchen, Aschau, Schmiedrait, Willersdorf, Riedlingsdorf, Pinkafeld, Sinnersdorf, Wiesfleck, Schreibersdorf and Hof, which stood in the place of present day Neustift near Schlaining. In 1392 Oberschutzen and Unterschutzen were added to the list.

When trustees were appointed to administrate the possessions of the as yet under-age Kanizsai sons, these attempted to enrich themselves, thereby disregarding the rights of citizens, peasants and subjects. Consequently three men from Pinkafeld and a certain Thomas of Rundingstorff lodged a complaint with King Sigismund, who called the accused (trustees) to order. With this Thomas we encounter an individual person from Riedlingsdorf for the very first time.

In the 15th century a significant change took place when the German King Friedrich III gained control of the area and had it administered by Austrian nobles, even though it was actually in Hungary. Before it came to this, however, there was a murderous battle between Hapsburg troops and a rival army fighting for Matthias Corvinus (Matyas Hunyadi, King of Hungary,1458-1490). This confrontation took place at Lampelfeld before sunrise on April 14th 1459. Through the mediation of the Pope a treaty was settled; however, this did not bring an end to the vicissitudes in the history of control in Bernstein. It was only after 1517 that continuous development returned, when the Königsbergers moved into the castle, which they were to retain for more than a hundred years.

This period was marked by the attempts of the Turks to bring the whole of Hungary under their control, and if possible also parts of Austria, particularly its most important towns. In 1529 Ottoman hordes on the retreat from Vienna ravaged many settlements in eastern Styria and the adjoining Hungarian territories. In 1532 the Turks attempted a renewed attack, which also entailed besieging Güns (Köszeg, Hungary); this certainly lasted a long time, but in the end it came to nothing and had to be called off.

During this operation on August 20th 1532 about 3000 men under the command of Ibrahim Pasha undertook a campaign in eastern Styria, as a result of which many villages from St Lorenz to Stegersbach were destroyed. Given that Pinkafeld and Buchschachen now lay in rubble and ashes, it may be assumed that Riedlingsdorf, too, felt the terrible effects of this war. Just how high the number of casualties was in these various attacks is hard to estimate. However, since the approach of a fairly large military unit cannot take place unnoticed, most of the people managed to hide in the surrounding woods; some hid in the granaries of their farms, and yet others sought refuge in nearby castles or more distant locations in Lower Austria or Styria.

The oldest document that has come down to us concerning the domain of Bernstein dates back to the year 1569. In this are listed all the villages and houses belonging to it, together with their inhabitants and their tax liabilities. At that time there were 90 inhabited buildings in Riedlingsdorf, including two complete farms, 74 "half-farms" and three "quarter-farms". In addition there were another 11 farm dwellings, which had no land attached to them, but whose tenants could obtain such by clearing areas of the forest for cultivation.

One of the two major farmers was called Zenz Neidt (Neid). He worked about 2.5 hectares of arable land, 1.5 hectares of pasture and a kitchen garden.

That he both cultivated the land and bred cattle may be deduced from the taxes he paid to the landlord. On both St George's day (April 23rd) and St Michael's day (September 29th) he paid a considerable sum of money. At Carnival time he had to deliver two hens, at Easter a dozen eggs and a cheese. At Christmas he delivered 90 litres of grain and 90 litres of oats, plus two cart-loads of wood and some money for wheat seed. In addition of course he had to perform other tasks (robot), using his own hands or his cart, as and when these were required by his landlord.

In the region [Rieden p 15?] of +denberg (Odenberg?), Lalmbach and Fu_berg there were vineyards which in part belonged to Riedlingsdorf farmers; but the Church and in particular the citizens of Pinkafeld also numbered among the owners. From the taxes prescribed it is possible to make a tentative estimate of the average harvest yields. These amount to approximately 25,000 litres of wheat, 28,00 litres of corn, 37,00 litres of oats and 5,000 litres of wine.

Of the names mentioned in this document there are eight that are still found in Riedlingsdorf: Neid, Piff, Schaden, Lang, Kirnbauer, Schuh/Schuch, Steger and Posch. There a few others that are retained in house names, such as Wurzer, Prodl and Jocl.

"Priested to Pinkafeld" [nach Pinkafeld gepfarrt]

These words from the 1569 document characterize the ecclesiastical situation in Riedlingsdorf up to the present day. Since the middle ages Pinkafeld was a patronage parish; that is to say the landlord decided who was to be the parish priest. The congregation had hardly any say in the matter. On the other hand the patron was liable for the support of the priest and the expense of maintaining the building. The members of the community paid the fees for official duties. A further source of income for the church was the yield from fields, meadows and vineyards.

During the period of the Reformation this situation hardly changed at all. Already in 1541 Ehrenreich von Königsberg appears on the scene as an adherent of the Lutheran doctrine. Exactly when he appointed the first Protestant priest to Pinkafeld cannot be determined. At all events in 1576 Jeremias Dissinger was installed in office (as pastor), a man who had listened to Luther and Melanchthon during his theological studies in Wittenburg. Up until 1632 there are still records of evangelical preachers; and in fact it was only after the rule of Bernstein passed into the hands of the now Roman Catholic Batthany family that a Catholic priest could once again be installed. Evangelical worship continued in the form of household prayers.

Even in Riedlingsdorf copies of the Bible, books of sermons and uplifting texts dating from the 17th and 18th centuries are still to be found in many houses. The Batthany family proved to be tolerant towards the Protestants; so that the measures taken by the Hungarian King from 1671 onwards to reinstate Catholicism among the nobility hardly produced any results. This is also one of the most important reasons why the proportion of Protestants in the Riedlingsdorf population is still so high even today. After 1681 the situation in Hungary relaxed as a result of a decision taken by the parliament in Ödenburg (Sopron, Hungary), according to which Protestants were permitted to retain their faith, and they were able to a small degree to build up an ecclesiastical organization. However, the nearest Lutheran church was situated in Nemescso (Hungary), in the neighbourhood of Güns (Köszeg, Hungary). And so the Catholics were also once more able to attend church services in Pinkafeld. Florentius de Trudis was installed as priest by the Landlord and was active for about thirty years. In 1674 the congregation was inspected by an Archdeacon from Eisenburg . In his inspection report there is no mention of Riedlingsdorf, presumably because as yet there was no church there. But already in 1698 there is talk of a house of worship with a wooden steeple and a bell, dedicated to St Urban and situated within an enclosed churchyard in the south of the village. Until 1816 mass was celebrated there.

The relative numbers of members of the Protestant and Catholic congregations varied in the 18th century, as can be seen from three esquires (vistations or Urbars?) during this period:

Year       Catholics     Protestants  Total
1697      130 18.57% 570 81.43%  700
1713-14 233 33.3%   467 66.7%    700
1772      182 21%      680 79%       862

As a result of the 1781 Charter of Toleration of Kaiser Josef II, new perspectives were to arise in church life.

From Königsberg to Batthyány

In the 17th century the dividing line between the Turkish and the Hapsburg sphere of influence ran through the middle of what is now Hungary. On top of that there were three confessional (religious) groups in the country: Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists. Thus the relatively powerful barons stood in the force-field between politics and religion, economic and national interests. It is no wonder that this should prove to be a suitable breeding ground for numerous disputes, in the course of which allies often became enemies and vice versa.

The same could be said of the Königsbergers and the Batthyány family, with their rich possessions in the region of Schlaining. (Stadt and castle). During the rebellion (against the Hapsburgs) instigated by Boccskay Istvan (Stephen Bocsky, Prince of Transsylvania) and supported by the Turks, both groups initially took the side of the Kaiser. When the opportunity presented itself Batthyány aided the insurgents to destroy the villages of the Königsbergs who became his antagonists from that moment onwards. Acting on instructions from the highest quarters (perhaps the crown or the Pope); however, they both became reconciled once more. In the process countless families were left behind, their houses burned down and their fields trampled. For many communities, this year, 1605, brought more distress than the Turkish years of the previous century. Riedlingsdorf, too, was severely affected, and only recovered very slowly.

In 1644 Ehrenreich Christoph von Königsberg sold his domain of Bernstein to Adam von Batthyány, who immediately set about transferring it out of Austrian and into Hungarian jurisdiction. When this was accomplished in 1644, he had a document drawn up; and we shall now look in greater detail at those parts of it concerning Riedlingsdorf.

In the village, which had now grown to 104 houses, fourteen families were now living, including those already mentioned in 1569. Among the new names the following were added which are still encountered in these parts to this day: Bruckner, Fleck, Zapfel, Keippel, Arthofer, Ziermann, Rehberger, Hofer, Brunner. These changes are attributable to the heathen invasion (Turkish and Hungarian revolts) [Heiduckensturm] , the consequences of which were to be overcome by the settlement of new inhabitants. (ed. note; in other words, these Germanic names are attributable to settlers arriving from elsewhere after the period of trouble, probably the time 1690-1800). The nobility were now demanding considerably higher taxes than they had done eighty years before, although there had been hardly any change in the economic capacity of the farmers.

In 1659 and then again ten years later the administration of Bernstein was divided in such a way that Pinkafeld became an administrative center in its own right. Riedlingsdorf was thus ceded to Pinkafeld. During the war against the Turks, 1663-4, which ended in the victory of the Kaiser's forces at Mogersdorf, there was also an engagement at Pinkafeld, in the course of which a number of Turkish raiding parties were successfully repelled.

When the city of Vienna was besieged for a second time in 1683, Count Batthyány was compelled to pay homage to the Turks in order to avoid the devastation of his possessions.

As a result the attacking troops were able to advance unhindered into the province of Steiermark (Styria, Austria) in order to obtain provisions, which was in accordance with the currently prevailing customs of war (living off the land). Following which, in revenge, the people of East Styria promptly invaded in order to plunder Pinkafeld and the villages nearby. There were similar events during the Kuruzzen (Hungarian revolutionary) battles between 1704 and 1709. This time however it was principally Hungarian rebels, under the leadership of Karoly (Sandor Kaarolyi, who became a leader of kuruc forces when he joined the Hungarian revolutionary movement started by Ferenc Rakoczi)) who several times invaded the area around Pinkafeld.

The 18th Century; however, actually did bring a period of economic recovery, which was also reflected in the growth of the population. The basis for this was the reduction in the requirement for compulsory service, as well as an extension of rights to the use of timber (although the landowners kept one wood out of bounds in the district of Dick). There were 34 Joch [land measure] of spruce firs and 68 Joch of pine. Likewise between Michelmas and Christmas the farmers were allowed to sell wine, a privilege which was otherwise reserved for the landed gentry. A sawmill, a forge, four flour-mills, a smithy and a butcher shop complete the picture of the rustic settlement of Riedlingsdorf.

The development of a road (trade route) running from Steinamanger (Szombathely, Hungary) via Pinkafeld to Friedburg (Styria) had a very favorable effect. Tolls were raised in Riedlingsdorf. Wine, cattle and cereals were imported from Hungary into Austria. Textiles from Lower Austria and herrings from the North Sea went in the opposite direction. Styrian salt and iron were also transported across the border.

Churches and Religious Schools

In the 17th and 18th centuries there was an attempt in most European countries to establish a well-ordered education system. In Hungary the main driving force of this development came from the church communities. In 1759 Riedlingsdorf appointed its first Catholic teacher. Leopold Fleck taught in house no. 84, which served as a school until the beginning of the 19th century. It seems that a new school building was also erected at approximately the same time as the new church; , and this was designated house no. 154. The teachers were often not very well educated: they had given up their trade in order to be able to turn their hand to teaching. In 1859, for example, the blacksmith Hamon was replaced by the clothmaker Gachowitz.

Although the old Catholic church was repeatedly renewed and improved in the course of time, the need still arose to replace it with a new place of worship in the center of the village. The foundation stone was laid in 1811, and five years later the Bishop of Steinamanger performed the consecration ceremony. In the years that followed the interior was designed anew by the Italian painter Antonio Riva. Two bells, a glass chandelier and an organ were also acquired. Initially mass was only supposed to be celebrated here twice a year, but this figure soon increased. The Charter of Toleration of 1781 brought the Protestant inhabitants of Riedlingsdorf the opportunity to form their own congregation with the necessary institutions. A prerequisite of this, however, was that 100 families should declare themselves to be Protestant. Since this was extremely difficult in the tiny villages of the period, the Lutherans of Pinkafeld, Riedlingsdorf, Wiesfleck, Weinberg, Aschau, Schöherrn and Schreibersdorf formed a union. Riedlingsdorf with 112 families provided the largest share; but the church was erected nonetheless in the political and economic center, Pinkafeld.

In 1795 the daughter community of Riedlingsdorf was able for the first time to set up a school if one leaves aside previous attempts not covered by the law. Andreas Portschy from Unterschntzen was appointed teacher, and was active there for almost half a century. His compensation consisted of living quarters, money which came partly from the pupils and partly from the congregation, as well as firewood, wheat, corn and flax.

The new school house, built in 1849 had a tower added three years later. Religious services were held twice a year. Since the teacher was expected to instruct up to 150 pupils a second teaching post was created; and after another school house was built a third teacher was appointed.

Among the teachers active here, one or two deserve special mention: Samuel Bruckner was a man of many interests; only he had precious little taste for instruction. His report from 1865 is interesting, in which he writes, among other things:

"In general the fertility here is middling. The produce consists of wheat, corn, barley, oats, [Haiden, buckwheat?], vetch, beans, potatoes, turnips, carrots, onions, garlic, flax, horses, cattle, some of which are excellent. The inhabitants are physically healthy, strong, persevering and hard-working. No major crimes occur."

It is noticeable that even at that time onions are mentioned among all the vegetables. The designations of Riedlingsdorf as the "garden of South Burgenland" and of its inhabitants as Zwiebler ("onioners") have their origins at least as far back as the 19th century. The products that predominate in the fields today, maize and rape, were of no importance a hundred years ago.

The oldest Protestant inhabitants of the village still remember their teachers Johann Posch, Adolf Unger and Gustav Bayer. Tobias Bruckner is a name that means something even to younger people. On the Catholic side, some still remember Karl Hazivar. The year 1938 brought the annexation of Austria by Germany and ended church-based education, since any kind of church service was forbidden to the youth. The school buildings remained in use until such time as a new school building could be erected after the war.

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