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Sankt Michael( Hungarian: Szent Mihály)
Village of 820 residents in the Güssing district.
Called "Pusztaszentmihály" in Hungarian since 1544, to distinguish from Großpetersdorf ("Nagyszentmihály"). Was
predominantly Croatian from ca. 1600 till at least 1812. Market place, belonging to the Counts Batthyány since 1524.
Surnames as mentioned in the baptism records 1712-23: SAILER, HANZL, RADAKOVITS, MAROSITS, BOISSITS, GARTLER, PAUER,
JANDRISEVITS, KAVLERITS, NOVOSZEL, FRÜHMANN, KOPITAR, EBERHARD, RUESZ, ZWITKOVITS, SCHAAR, SCHNEDL, SALLER, MATHEI,
STIPSITCS, KOVÁCS, KREUTZER, FABSICS, GERGISCH, SCHRANZ, GRIESZL, HATZL, PRUNNER, DAMASCHITSCH, TOBISCH, WAGNER,
MATISCHOVICH, TROBITSCH, MALITS, FRANCZICZ, JOSICH, EBERL, MARX, LORENZ, KRAMMER, HOPITZA, SAUERZOPF, PÁNY, BERKOVITS,
STEINER, KRANZ, MAREKOVICH, VIRÁK, SIEDERICH, PETKOVICH, MURLASICH.
The fragmentary Urbarium of 1768 shows as noble land owners apart from the Batthyány: LIPICS, SZILÁGYI, Adam and Franz
FRANCZICZ, Franz BARDISCHI and Sigmund JOBBÁGYI. The FRANCZICZ family (Peter F. ennobled in 1573, his sons were Franz,
Stefan, Johann and Kaspar) also had possessions in Tatzmannsdorf (Franz F., 1604), Tobaj (Franz and Sigmund F., 1693,
mill owners) an Onód (Stefan F., 1646). The baptism records of 1716 state that a Peter F. was a General, the same
surname also mentioned in the years 1721 (Stefan F.), 1749 (Martin and Franz), 1750 (Sigmund and Adam), 1762 (Franz),
1780 (Anton), 1790 (Theofil), 1799-1803 (Josef).
Tax liability of the community: In 1776 St. Michael was assessed 56 6/8 Dica (1 Dica ŕ 1 fl 48 Den.) amounting to 356 fl
86 ˝ Den. tax. In 1796: 257 5/8 Dica (ŕ 1 fl 40 kr) amounting to 429 fl 22 ˝ kr. In 1800: 259 Dica (ŕ 1 fl 36 kr)
amounting to 414 fl 36 kr. "Dica", in Hungarian "rovás", in our area called "Robisch" was the unit of taxation; the
amount of the Dica was decided by the Hungarian (noble) parliament; the word Dica also means tax, hence the verb
"dicare" = to pay tax(es).
In 1811 French soldiers confiscated the horse of Josef SZIDERICS.
In 1848 Johann FIGERL, Ludwig EIXNER and Adam EBERHARD served in the National Guard. Stefan and Josef SAILLER, Johann
WOLF, Andreas JANDRISCHICH, Stefan SIDERITS, Georg HANZEL and Franz KLEMENT were recruited for the army, each of them
receiving 50 fl plus some money for traveling expenses from the community. Apart from that, one Johann SCHUCH gave "his"
recruit 63 fl. [translator's note: meaning that originally J.S. had been drafted, but had been wealthy enough to pay
this person to serve instead of himself. This system was still practiced during World War I.] The "Freiwillige
Feuerwehr" (Voluntary Fire Brigade) was founded in 1903.
In 1853 letters were still mailed in Großpetersdorf, in the 1860ies Sankt Michael already had its own postmaster, Rudolf
GRABNER, who was succeeded by Franz NEMETH (ca. 1879-1910).
First "Kreisarzt" (physician) was Thomas BALLUF (ca. 1858-84), followed by Emmerich RETTEGI and Dr. Rudolf GRABNER
(since 1921).
Until 1860 the teachers acted as notaries, from then on notaries were: 1860-81 Johann KONRATH, 1881-95 Hugo GRUBER,
1896-1921 Josef ILLÉS (shot by Hungarian guerillas).
Number of inhabitants: 1812 - 461; 1832 - 1179; 1929 - 928 (156 houses).
In 1698 the parish included villages Gamischdorf, Schallendorf, Rauchwart, Neuberg and Güttenbach, the predominant
language was Croatian. Lutheran pastors: Matthias VISNYÁK (1618-19), Johann VUNICZA (1624), Johann STORK (1669). The
churches had been reclaimed for the Catholics by Count Adam Batthyány in 1634, so the Lutheran service was held in a
private house. Number of Lutherans in 1698: 107 in St. Michael itself, 382 in the whole parish. In 1757 the church was
still surrounded by the cemetery, only two Lutherans in the whole parish (1711 Catholics). Church records starting with
1712 (baptisms), 1713 (deaths) and 1714 (marriages). Today's church built in 1778. New cemetery outside the village
since 1841. Oral tradition knows of two other former cemeteries. In 1847 Neuberg and Güttenbach became independent
parishes.
On 4 June 1773, while the teacher, his 8 year old son and two villagers, Nikolaus MURLASICS and Matthias BOISITS (both
ca. 24 y) were ringing the church bells during a thunderstorm, a lightning stroke, leaving the teacher and his son
unharmed but killing the two others.
During the Canonical Visitation of 1827 the village council states that the cross (with a wooden statue of the Virgin
Mary) located in the center of the village has already been erected "by our forefathers in times unkown", and that they
promise to keep it in good shape. This document (19 June 1827) is signed by the council members Georg SAILER (Richter),
Josef DERGOSITS, Matthias BOISITS, Johann SCHUCH and Johann SVETITS. In 1853 the community erected a chapel at this
place. Iron parts were bought from Bernharth STERN [translator's note: probably a Jewish merchant], 5000 bricks and some
wooden parts from Philipp HANZL; also engaged in this effort were the carpenter Matthias SIMON and the blacksmith Josef
SCHUCH.
The "Ortskinder in Amerika" (children of the village living in America, ca. 350 persons [in 1929]) were always
benefactors of the community, the donated the money for statue of the Virgin Mary, a second church bell and the War
Memorial (consecrated 28 May 1922; casualties in WW I: St. Michael 29, Rauchwart 29, Schallendorf 8, Gamischdorf 9).
Priests: Georg HERWOWICZ (1698), Franz Xaver HIRSCH (1712-17), Benedikt METELL an Georg WEINLINGER (1717-19), Johann
GRUDER (1719-26), Peter Johann VONDERSICH (1726-49), Matthias VUKOVITS (1749-68), Franz PERKONIK (1768-73), Johann
MAGDITSCH (1773-87), Paul MICHTICS (1788-1820), Franz BARDOSSY (1820-56), Franz AUSZERNEK (1860-88), Josef SZILÁGYI
(1888-96), Franz THOMA (1896-1923, was also "Landtagsabgeordneter" (member of the provincial parliament) for some time),
Georg HAUSCHKA (1923-25), Leopold Klement HOLZHEU (1925-). In addition to these from 1808-1856 a total of 26 chaplains.
Teachers: Andreas GRIMMWALDT (1757), Franz RAFFEL (died 23 Dec 1800), Georg RAFFEL (born in St. Michael, 34 y in 1812,
succeeded his father Franz in 1800), Johann SVETITS (ca. 1817-1859; 44 y in 1832, has served in Stegersbach before
coming here), Franz SCHMAL (-1869), Franz WUKISEWITS (1868-83). New school house built in 1864 at # 13. Further
teachers: Josef SCHMAL (1883-1909), Elemér KOLOSZÁR (1909-11), Julius SZENTGYÖRGYI (1911-23), Ludwig BEIDL (1923-25),
Josef HÖRCSÖKI (1925-), in 1929 Franziska TUNKL as second teacher.
Apart from this Catholic school a "Staatsschule" (run by the government) was in existence from 1897. Teachers: Alexander
SELESTEI (1897-1921), Franz HANEL (1921-25), Josef TUNKL and Richard WIESINGER (1925-).
Source: Dr. Josef Loibersbeck's series "Um den Eisenberg", published in "Volk und Heimat" 14-16/1957; summarized
and translated by Albert Schuch 10 Nov 1999
Family History Library microfilms:
Catholic: Római Katólikus Egyház, Pusztaszentmihály [FHL INTL Films 700716 - 17]
Civil: Pusztaszentmihály (Vas). Anyakönyvi Hivatal [VAULT INTL Film 700476 - 88]
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