THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 129 
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Our 9th Year-20 Pages/4 Email Sections Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold)
May 31, 2004
(c) 2004 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved)

*** THERE WILL BE NO JUNE NEWSLETTER, NEXT NEWSLETTER JULY 31. ***

* ARE YOU USING THE BB HOMEPAGE URL LINK? MANY NEW MEMBERS ASK ME HOW TO 
ACCESS RELATED WEB SITES WHEN A DIRECT LINK CLICK WILL DO IT, READ ITEM 3 BELOW. 
INTERNET EDITOR ANNA KRESH MAINTAINS A LARGE LIST OF WEBSITES OF INTEREST TO BB 
MEMBERS INCLUDING THE LDS, AUSTRIAN PHONE AND EMAIL DIRECTORIES, 
DICTIONARIES, ETC. SCAN THIS LIST WITH SOME FREQUENCY. *

** BB ANNUAL MIDWEST PICNIC AUGUST 8! Chicago Editor Tom Glatz plans to drive 
to this year's BB Picnic in Eagen, Minnesota. If anyone in the Chicago area 
would like to accompany him and share travel expenses, please contsct him. 
SEE BB HOMEPAGE FOR PICNIC PARTICULARS. **

RECIPIENTS PLEASE READ: You are receiving this email because you are a BB 
member or have asked to be added to our distribution list. To discontinue these 
newsletters, email with message "remove". ("Cancel" will 
cancel membership, website listings and mail.) Send address and listing changes 
to the same place. Sign email with your full name and include BB in the subject 
line. Send no attachments or graphics unless well known to me. Please keep 
changes to a minimum. To join the BB, see our homepage. If you join, your email 
address will be available from our websites. We can't help with non-Burgenland 
family history. Appropriate comments and articles are appreciated. Staff and 
web site addresses are listed at the end of newsletter section "C". Notes and 
articles without a by-line are written by the editor and reflect his views. 
Members please exchange data in a courteous and cooperative manner-not to do so 
defeats the purpose of our organization. 

This first section of our 4-section newsletter concerns:

1. Update To Previous Articles: Grophas - Celestial Harmonies - Chicago Spurensuche 
   - Klaus Gerger Visit - Ethnic Music - Schmarrm
2. New Jersey Ethnic Events In June
3. Change In BB Homepage URL Link
4. Report Spam To These Sites
5. Szeideman Family Data Update
6. What Is The Burgenland Bunch?
7. Dream In English - Dream In German


1. UPDATES TO PREVIOUS ARTICLES

* Definition Of "Grophas" - an article about doughnuts or Krapfen mentioned 
that, in the midwest, they may be called "Grophas" and we wondered where that term 
came from. We were told that the dialect for Krapfen is "Gropfn" - spelled 
Gropfan phonetically, this changes to Grophas when we add the English "s" for the 
German plural "n", another case of old dialect giving way to new dialect. If 
your family name has changed as a result of immigration you might apply this 
reasoning. Either way, don't be misled by spelling changes that take place as we 
move from one language to another.

* "Celestial Harmonies" - Newsletter 128 mentioned a new book about the 
Esterhazy Family called "Celestial Harmonies" written by a scion of the family. 
Member John Rajkovacz and I have both acquired copies and are sorry to report
that the book is not a history but a fictionalized rendering of family memories and 
historical events. While much is based on fact, the events are clouded by the 
author's interpretations. John writes: I have obtained a copy of the book and 
I'm at page 100. Thus far I am disappointed with the contents and advise you 
to postpone buying a copy. I was anticipating more historical material in the 
narrative but it dwells too much on the tasteless behavior of the author's 
ancestors. 

Your editor replies: I agree with you. Very disappointed, but it gives one a 
certain feel for the times and the family. I won't review it in the newsletter. 

* "Chicago Spurensuche" - Newsletter 128C mentions the unveiling of a new 
Chicago Spurensuche website. Tom Glatz writes: The unveiling of this website was 
last Saturday. The building where the national headquarters of the DANK (Deutsch 
American National Kongress) is located will be turned into a cultural and heritage 
center shared by Germans, Austrians, and Swiss. It is a beautiful building with 
a lot of detailed moldings and paneling, built in the early 1930's. It has a lot 
of meeting space, classrooms, and a beautiful ballroom with a large kitchen. The 
city of Chicago wants to keep the Germanic flavor in the neighborhood and will add 
a lot of money for restoration. It should be interesting to see what the future 
brings. The website has Germanic clubs listed in two places. When the clubs and 
organizations button is pressed you will see the listing for the BB under 
Website für Nachfahren von Burgenländern with a direct link. I hope you all like 
the website at http://www.spurensuchemidwest.org/ There are English and German 
language versions.
 
"Klaus Gerger Visit" - Klaus again visited me in Winchester where we were able 
to show him much of local historical significance. He later visited the Lehigh 
Valley for the second time where he met some more BB members. Member Ed 
Tantsits writes: As you know Klaus visited with me (again) before he went back to 
Vienna. My brother and I took him to visit Ellis Island. We took the audio 
tour. I had told Klaus that he must make the report of the tour. I feel that it 
would be much better having Klaus give his thoughts about this visit. In the 
evening we were at the 'Edelweiss' tavern in Northampton. Klaus had asked me to 
contact Bob Strauch and meet with us there. We spent a pleasurable evening 
talking and enjoying the music.

Klaus writes - I am back again in Austria but I had to fight jet lag all week. 
But now, with a weekend of sleep I'm fine again. I'd like to thank you again 
for your hospitality. On Monday and Tuesday I had lunch with Fritz Königshofer 
at the World Bank. I finished my work on Wednesday and drove to Allentown on 
Thursday. Friday the Tantsits family took me on an excursion to Ellis Island 
(and the Statue of Liberty). Friday evening we met Bobby Strauch, his parents 
and the Eberhardt family at the weekly buttonbox meeting in the "Edelweiss" 
gasthaus. Saturday I left for New York where I departed from JFK in the afternoon. 
So this was another enjoyable trip to the States. Best regards from Vienna 
(next weekend we will be in Güssing) PS: family gave me a hearty welcome.

Late News Flash! Klaus just notified me he will be in Detroit on business 
starting June 1!

* " Ethnic Music" - Al Meixner Music Catalog" - The 2004 #2 Al Meixner Music 
catalog / newsletter is now in effect and online at www.almeixner.com. If you 
have any questions about any of the products please call 610-261-3881 Monday 
through Friday 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. ( Eastern USA Time)

* "Schmarrm" - Kurt F. J. Heinrich writes: I have recently seen several 
questions and comments about a word written "Schmorn" or "Schmarn". According
to my Brockhaus encyclopedia, this Bavarian-Austrian word for a type of omelet is 
"Schmarrn" or "Schmarren". The most popular version in Austria is the 
"Kaiserschmarrn", presumably a favorite of emperor Franz Joseph. But the word also 
means, something worthless, kitsch. A popular saying in Austria is: "Das geht 
Dich einen Schmarrn an", meaning: "This does not concern you a (damn) bit," slightly
aggressive, but very expressive. In the Burgenlaendish dialect, this word may 
be pronounced "shmorn", as mentioned in one of the references in your newsletter.


2. NEW JERSEY ETHNIC EVENTS IN JUNE (from Margaret Kaiser)

June 5, Saturday: Hungarian Day in New Brunswick - many performances, food and 
exhibits with big Tanchaz/Party with Eletfa. Information: (202) 836-4869

June 6, Sunday: a one-day travel exhibit entitled "Archeological Excavations 
in Hungary", made available from the holdings of the Hungarian Cultural Center, 
NY, at the American Hungarian Citizen's League (21 New Schley Street, 
Garfield, New Jersey 07026). Information: (973) 473-0013 or (201) 836-4869


3. CHANGE IN BB HOMEPAGE URL LINK

URL Editor Anna Kresh writes: Hap Anderson and I have agreed to move the BB 
URLs web page to the following site (you may wish to change your bookmark):
http://users.zoominternet.net/~kresh/bb_urls.html
 
Anna writes: The file now resides on both the new kresh site as well as Hap's 
host site. In the future I will maintain only the new site. Both will be 
accessible until Hap removes the original from the spacestar.com server. This 
should lighten the work load a little -- and perhaps prod me to update the site 
more frequently. I appreciate all Hap has done to handle the URL page link. When 
I look at our site, I am still amazed at how much the BB has accomplished.
 

4. REPORT SPAM TO THESE SITES (from Margaret Kaiser)

Many Internet users are troubled with spam email. This url is for a lengthy, 
but very informative, article on this subject. http://tinyurl.com/338hm 

The article recommends spam receivers should:

Forward obvious fraud (pyramid) emails to uce@ftc.gov and for severe contacts 
refer to www.ifccfbi.gov

Forward stock fraud emails to: enforcement@sec.gov

Forward Nigeria-type scam emails (with a subject line of "NO LOSS") to 
419.fcd@usss.treas.gov. 

(ED. Note: If you report the BB News as SPAM, your Burgenland ancestors will 
haunt you!)


5. SZEIDEMAN FAMILY DATA UPDATE (from Ernest Szeideman)

(ED. Note: We don't have space to report family updates in the newsletter and 
they can be found at our BB membership site as maintained by Hannes Graf. 
Every so often I get one that really shows a lot of work and I can't resist 
sharing it with you.) 

Ernest writes: I am already a member of the Burgenland bunch and really enjoy 
it. However, I have spent a considerable amount of time researching my family 
tree and wanted to "update" my membership information. Hope that is ok. Here it is:

Ernest Szeideman; Ottawa, Ontario.

SZEIDEMAN(N)/SZEIMAN(N), Olaszfalu, Hungary, Settled in Canada in the 1950s 
(NB, NOT "Glaszfalu" as I originally sent you!)

RASZLOVETZKY/RAZOVETZKY/RADOWIECKI, Mosonszentpeter Hungary (now Janossomorja, 
Hungary), Settled in Neidenstein Germany 1946, Kitchener & St. Catharines 
Canada 1950's

KERESZTES, Tenyo Hungary, Settled in Nagydem Hungary

JANIKOVICS, Beke Hungary (now Mierovo Hungary), Settled in Pozsony Hungary 
(now Bratislava Slovakia) then Mosonszentpeter Hungary (now Janossomorja, 
Hungary)

IHASZ, Bakonyszentlaszlo Hungary, Settled in Veszprem-varsany Hungary

KISS, Nagydem Hungary

SCHEDECZKA, Magyarkimle Hungary, Settled in Mosonszentpeter Hungary (now 
Janossomorja, Hungary)

KURCZ, Also Szollos Czechoslovakia (now Vinodol Slovakia), Settled in 
Mosonszentpeter Hungary (now Janossomorja, Hungary)

MOOR, Olaszfalu Hungary

RABEL, ?, Settled in Bakonyszentlaszlo Hungary

SZUP, ?, Settled in Nagydem Hungary

MAURER, ?, Settled in Olaszfalu, Hungary

PLASSELLER, Mosonszentjanos Hungary (now Janossomorja,Hungary)

WEINBERGERIN, ?, Settled in Mosonszentjanos Hungary (now Janossomorja, Hungary)


6. WHAT IS THE BURGENLAND BUNCH? (suggested by Hannes Graf)

ED. Note: When I founded the BB, I decided to restrict membership and data 
to descendants of immigrants from within today's borders. I soon found that 
this was not possible. Most of our immigrants came from the Burgenland area 
before that name was even coined and many of their family came from villages over 
today's borders. They all came from Transdanubia however, but Transdanubia is 
much larger than the Burgenland of today so what to do? I finally limited the 
group to the Burgenland of today plus immediate border villages. I no sooner 
did that than I received requests for villages just a few kms from those border 
villages - so it went - like ripples in a pond getting ever larger. I finally 
tried to restrict it to family names that are found in today's Burgenland, but 
even that has had some exceptions. In general I advise people from without our 
area that they would do better to join an Hungarian or Slovakian, Slovenian, 
etc. group. To that extent I continue to limit membership. My philosophy is 
based on Micro-genealogy not Macro-genealogy. If you haven't already done so, 
please read my magazine article on this subject - we can't be everything to 
everybody and still do a good job. You rarely receive any meaningful family data from 
those large macro-genealogy organizations. My approach has created some 
problems for our long suffering website editors - people have contacted them and 
asked "why can't I join?" In addition our editors have problems fitting some of 
these non-Burgenland places within their geographic formats. 

Hannes Graf, our membership editor recently wrote:

I have updated the member list again and want to share some thoughts about 
it. This is not the first time I have this problem. It is no big problem, but 
sometimes I do get a little upset about it. What is the Burgenland Bunch really?

A Bunch of people with roots inside what is NOW called Burgenland, a province 
of Austria. When I make the changes for Ernest Szeideman with his many 
surnames, I look for the villages, but there is not one inside the Burgenland.
Also the new member Wallace D. Salisbury has ancestors POGLITSCH in Graz, Styria, 
Austria, some others in Vienna, and so on.

In my mind, if we take everybody from near the border of Burgenland, as an 
example, from OBERPULLENDORF, to the northeast and the southeast point it is ca. 
82 km (50 miles), if we go west and east, we are in VIENNA, GRAZ, St. Pölten, 
Wiener Neustadt, Sopron, Szombathly, Györ, and so on.

So we could call ourselves: "The Former Austrian Hungarian Empire - So Called 
Eastern Hungary and Neighborhood Bunch". (:-)))) But I think it is really not 
a problem, because there are not many members researching places so far 
away. liebe Grüße, hannes

To which I reply: Hannes - Who are we? - not only descendants of immigrants of 
today's Burgenland but descendants of Transdanubia (Dunatul) compressed to 
within a few kms (don't ask me to define how few!) of today's borders. I know it 
is difficult to give an exact area but I try to do it based on what people tell 
me -- to some I say yes; to others no -- (so it goes). I do not want the BB to be 
just another Hungarian site or German site or Croatian site. I want us to be a 
Burgenland site and that includes those places which probably should be in today's 
Burgenland (like Sopron, Köszeg, St. Gotthard, etc.) 


7. DREAM IN ENGLISH - DREAM IN GERMAN (from Hannes Graf)

Hannes writes: The last 10 days were very interesting for me, because Elfie 
and I spoke and heard only English and, at last, we dreamed in it. I had a cousin 
(SCHREYER) and siblings) with their two nephews in Vienna for sightseeing, 
meetings with relatives and so on. So I was very busy and I soon realized how 
small are our language skills. Sometimes I could not go out of the door to smoke 
a cigarette, because somebody calls me: please translate!!!! But it became 
easier every day and at last we joked together in a foreign language.

To which I reply: It is good that you are dreaming in English! When I come to 
Austria I dream in German - when I wake up I wonder how did I know that word? 
When we have visitors we can see local places through new eyes - we have just 
done that with Klaus Gerger - it was fun like you had.

Newsletter continues as no. 129A.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 129A 
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold)
May 31, 2004
(c) 2004 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved)

******THERE WILL BE NO JUNE NEWSLETTER, NEWSLETTER JULY 31. ******

This second section of our 4-section newsletter includes:

1. Two Days To Visit Güssing - What To See?
2. City Directories - Data Sources
3. Finding Accommodations For Burgenland Visits
4. Family Links To Königsdorf & Eltendorf-Karner, Flasch & Hacker Families
5. Ethnic Appellations


1. TWO DAYS TO VISIT GÜSSING - WHAT TO SEE?

Mary Anne Siderits writes: You have been so helpful in the past that I 
probably should not bother you again, but it is precisely because you have
been so helpful that I am presuming to ask you for the following assistance: My 
husband and I are leaving for Europe on Saturday, and I have just learned that it 
will be possible for me to include a short stay in Stegersbach. Because of the 
proximity to Güssing, I'd like to take a day or two to investigate whatever 
resources might be available there. My interests are a bit different from 
those of many BB members; while I am interested in family history, I am perhaps 
even more interested in what I, for want of a better term, call environmental 
history. In other words, I am interested in learning what life might have been 
like for my ancestors (many of whom were serfs of Croatian extraction). I 
was, therefore, delighted with the Teklits material in the BB archives. But 
there are other things I'd like to discover, e.g., whether there is any history of 
the Batthyány estate. Could you suggest, given the brief time I'll have in 
Güssing, what would be the best places to hit for historical material? I know 
you must be very busy, so I'd just be grateful for any thoughts that might 
immediately occur. 

Reply: By all means you must visit the Güssing Castle and Museum (open 10 to 
5; admission 5.5 Euro). This was the home of the Batthyány family for centuries 
(from 1524). It contains portraits of them as well as much in the way of 
historical implements, art etc. Don't miss the 12th century St. Jakob's church and 
cemetery on the way. Visit the Burgenlandische Gemeinschaft Office at Hauptplatz 7, 
Güssing and ask for brochures and other guides. Buy a copy of two books, if they 
still have them, Dujmovits' "Der Amerika Wanderung" and "Nach Amerika"; in 
German but you'll be glad you bought them. Also see if the English edition of 
Burgenland Panorama is still available; excellent photos and descriptions in 
English.

Be sure to visit the Güssing Immigrants' Museum - inquire at the BG office. 
Tell them you are a member of the BB and that I sent you. Find your name in the 
immigrant book of descendants. Also see if the Batthyány crypt in the church is 
open; visit the church/cloister. To see Burgenland as it was, you must go to 
the outdoor museum in Gerersdorf (9-5, admission 3 Euro) just a few kms west of 
Güssing; a magnificent display of old Burgenland furnished cottages and other 
buildings. Take lots of film or digital memory!

Another most worthwhile museum is the mine museum in Bernstein; buy yourself a 
piece of Bernstein jade; also see Bernstein castle. 

The finest Burgenland indoor museum of all is the Burgenland Provincial Museum 
in Eisenstadt, but that may be too far north for you. Of course, if you go there, 
you can also see the Esterhazy Palace (and it is a palace) as well as the 
"Mountain" Church (not on a mountain; it has progressive layers of stations of the 
cross in tableaus a "calvary mount" as it were; also Haydn's tomb and organ. It is
gorgeous and you will shed a tear.

There is a regional museum in Stegersbach, which I haven't seen. It's on the 
Sparkassenplatz; Tues-Sunday, 9-12 & 2-5, admin 2 Euro. Have a good trip and 
write us a trip report.

Wish I could see some of these places again with "new eyes!" Except for maybe 
Eisenstadt, you should be able to do this in 2 days from Stegersbach. Have 
lunch, if possible, at Hotel/Pension Krutzler at Heiligenbrunn near Güssing
and see the wine cellars nearby as well as the wine museum at Moschendorf. 


2. CITY DIRECTORIES - DATA SOURCES

An often overlooked source of immigrant data are the many city directories 
available in public libraries or in the holdings of historical societies. Some 
are now being put on line. I used the holdings of the Lehigh County (PA) 
Historical Society some years ago to pinpoint residences and vocations of many 
Allentown relatives during their early immigration period. Now Margaret Kaiser 
tells us that the 1929-1930 Allentown, PA, directory is online as well as some 
others. Margaret writes to URL editor Anna Kresh:

Allentown City Directory, 1929-1930. There are a few city directories on this 
site, but this is probably one of the few interesting ones. 
http://distantcousin.com/Directories/PA/


3. FINDING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BURGENLAND VISITS

In a message dated 5/11/04, a correspondent writes:

I am contacting you because my husband and I are planning a visit to Alt Schlaining 
and Stadt Schlaining, where my parents were born and married. We thought we would 
make the trip two years ago but we had to cancel our plans. At that time I was 
in touch with someone there regarding hotel or pension accommodations. 
Unfortunately, I misplaced that information and I was wondering if you 
knew of a travel agent there I could contact. I would sincerely appreciate 
your help. If you know of no one, I appreciate your taking the time to read 
this message.

Reply: There are Gasthauses in the area you mention, but really you will 
require no reservations as these places are quite small and usually have vacancies. 
Whether they speak English or not is anyone's guess. I assume you plan to 
drive from Vienna (I would make reservations there), about 1 1/2 hours, but for 
Schlaining I'd stay at one of the Gasthauses or in one of the larger nearby 
villages like Oberwart or Bad Tatzmannsdorf. Bad Tatzmannsdorf (a Spa community) 
is only a few kms north west from Stadtschlaining and has many modern hotels 
and pensions. You might try the internet to find what is available. Bad Tatz is 
big enough to provide email reservations as July and August can be pretty 
crowded. My favorite is the Hotel Krutzler in Heiligenbrunn (east of Güssing) but 
that is a little too far south for Stadtschlaining. Search our archives for 
trip hints and places to see. By all means visit Burg Schlaining (now a 
conference center - they may even provide accommodations.) The hotel situation changes 
rapidly and I hesitate to give suggestions as it has been almost three years 
since I was there last. Nonetheless I never stayed at a bad Gasthaus - just 
don't expect USA accommodations except in the larger places. 

Use the net to contact: www.TIScover.at?burgenland or 
www.burgenland.at/tourisimus for current suggestions.

Be sure to reserve your car at Schwechat Airport (Vienna) if you will be 
renting one. Austrian Airlines has a flight directly from Washington (Dulles) 
to Vienna daily. Let me know how you make out. Perhaps you'll give us a trip 
report for the newsletter. Have a good trip - you'll need at least three days 
to see southern Burgenland but a week would be better. Be sure to visit the 
Burgenlandische Gemeinschaft office in Güssing; they can provide tourist 
help and you can visit the immigrant museum and the castle and cloister.


4. FAMILY LINKS TO KÖNIGSDORF & ELTENDORF - KARNER, FLASCH & HACKER FAMILIES

In a message dated 5/3/04, a correspondent writes:

This is in response to your kind offer for assistance listed in the April 30, 
2004 newsletter. You indicated you would be willing to provide available 
information re immigrants from Königsdorf and we should send names, birth dates 
etc. This contains that information below as section 1 and also some other 
information re immigrants from the area in section 2. It would be appreciated 
if you could provide suggestions or comments regarding what other research could be 
done to further identify the Karner / Flasch / Hacker lines.

Reply: I may not have made myself clear in my offer for help. I have a book 
that lists the inhabitants of K-dorf over a period of many years. The data is 
arranged in such a way that marriages and parents are easily discernable. In 
effect, it is a summary of what appears in the K-dorf (and Eltendorf for K-dorf 
inhabitants) church records and local "Grundbuch." For someone whose family 
inhabited K-dorf for a long period of time, it would be relatively easy to search 
for ancestors by family name. In your case; however, your people rented a 
house for a very brief period after having migrated, probably from Wolfau as you 
state. As such you already have the available data since you have a copy of 
the book. In case you don't, below is the only entry for Karner:

House nr. 68 (56): Karner Mathias, Sö (Sollner - did not own land) - married 1889 
(est.) to Theresia Flasch, both Lutheran. 

Mathias is German for Mathew and the Hungarian for Michael is Mihaly, so perhaps a 
clerical error was made given the correct bride's name. There may also have been 
another Mihaly (father?) and the son may have used the name Mathias; I have 
experienced similar situations. Also it is not surprising that some pastors got confused.

The previous householders of no. 68 were named Bauer and the author states it 
is not known what happened to this family after occupying the house for 
almost 100 years. It was rented to Karner about 1888, who then lived there until
about 1890, when it was sold to Hettlinger. You state that Karner then migrated 
to the US.

This is about the extent of your family involvement with K-dorf. Before we 
leave the area, I might mention your connection to Eltendorf (Hacker family). 
Eltendorf is the main Lutheran village of southern Burgenland having the Martin 
Luther Kirche, a Lutheran church for over 200 years, which in turn replaced an 
even older one. This new church was built following the Edict Of Toleration. 
Most of the inhabitants today are still Lutheran. I spent 11 days in 1993 copying 
my own Poppendorf family records from this church. Doing this requires
much experience. I found even the pastor at that time was not capable of reading 
the older records. You should be able to do this by using the LDS 1828-1896 
Eltendorf records, which are microfilm nos. 0700737-739; Civil from 1896-1920 are 
0700435-439. So much for Hacker. Still two families by that name in E-dorf.

The other data, which you are fortunate to have, places the Flasch & Karner 
families in Wolfau (Hungarian Farkasfalva), another semi-Lutheran village not too 
far distant in the district of Oberwart. Inhabitants of Wolfau went to church 
(both RC & Lutheran) in Markt Allhau (Hungarian Alho), which has both an RC 
and a Lutheran church. In 1878, Wolfau had 651 Lutherans; Markt Allhau 1522. The 
LDS has 1828-1896 microfilm of the church records, no. 0700644; Civil as well 
1896-1920, nos. 0665220-223. If you don't already know, see our archives on how 
to use these records. I would also look at the 1825 Hungarian census to 
determine if family resided in Wolfau at that time and who the prime family 
householders were as well as their holdings in livestock, crop yields, etc. 
The LDS number for this census is 0623008.

Do not discount the importance of religion in this search. Lutheran ties were 
(still are) strong in what was a predominantly Catholic Empire. Almost all of 
the Empire became Lutheran or Calvinist during the Reformation, reverting to 
RC during the Counter Reformation. Your Lutheran families would have always 
opted to move to a Lutheran community, hence Wolfau to K-dorf (Eltendorf.) Given 
the large number of Flasch & Karner families still resident in Wolfau, I wonder 
why you haven't tried contacting them, given family visits to Burgenland?

Another bit of information: I have a copy of the Canonical Visitation of South 
Burgenland for the year 1757, written in Latin. In the portion dealing with 
Wolfau inhabitants, I find that, in 1751, Hanss (sic) Flasch von einer Hauss Statt 
paid 3 denarios rent to the church. He also contributed another 3 denarios to 
the church annually. This tells us that Flasch families inhabited Wolfau as 
early as 1751. Where they came from is unknown; I would guess Styria, Upper 
Austria, Bavaria or Swabia sometime about 1690-1700. No Karners were listed but 
they may have rented from the local aristocracy, as opposed to the church, or even 
owned their homes (only aristocracy could own land at that time). 

In my history of the church in Eltendorf, I find that in 1873, one William 
Karner was the teacher at the Lutheran school in Zahling (now an appendage of 
Eltendorf) - coincidence? Again, the religious factor appears.

Also: Johann Karner (1881-1973) was Bürgermeister of Wolfau from 1933-37.
Josef Karner (landwirt-farmer) (1899-1972) from 1950-54. Again in 1955-58.

That just about exhausts my data re your families. I'll probably use our 
correspondence (edited) in our next newsletter with the hope that it may give some 
other members some clues.


5. ETHNIC APPELLATIONS

Correspondent writes: My father used to tell us that our ancestors were 
"Bohunks." I always assumed that meant Hungarian, but I have yet to find someone 
who recognizes the term (it always sounded fondly derogative). 

Reply: As near as I can tell the term is considered derogatory, but is nothing 
more than a contraction of Bohemia-Hungary, causing me to believe that the 
native born Americans of the southeastern European immigration period (1880-1924) 
had as poor an understanding of European geography and history as they do 
today! Of course, in the area where your immigrants settled, there may well have 
been mostly Czechs and Hungarians, which would give rise to Bohunks as a label 
for people from the two places mentioned. Not much different from other 
immigrant appellations like Chinks, Micks, Kikes, Spics etc. Many of my own first
generation relatives, who had parents from villages in what was then Hungary 
(now in Burgenland, Austria), would often refer to newly arrived Burgenland 
immigrants as Hunkies - a case of a dime looking down on two nickels! People
who use these terms display an abysmal knowledge and ignorance of the world in 
general. In today's politically correct environment, many ethnic groups now use such 
appellations as badges of honor! As they say here in Virginia - "there's them 
that's born here and then there's them that comes here!" Been going on in the US 
for the last 300 years.

It bothers me somewhat that your father used the term, as he must have 
known that your people came from Austria (Styria has always been Austrian), as 
opposed to Hungary, and Austrians were always very prompt to declare their origin, 
as opposed to being Hungarian or some other Austrian Empire racial group. Even 
today, there are Austrians (in the original 8 provinces) who consider 
Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Croatians, Bohemians, Burgenlanders, etc. as 
inferior. Racial enmity is far from being dead! 

Perhaps your father considered this a term for immigrants in general. It's 
important only in considering your origin in Styria as opposed to elsewhere 
further east. If he thought you were Hungarians, I'd look again at your Styrian 
data! I'd nail this down, although it looks like you have already done a great job 
in tracing your origin. 

Newsletter continues as no. 129B.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 129B 
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold)
May 31, 2004
(c) 2004 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved)

*THERE WILL BE NO JUNE NEWSLETTER, NEXT NEWSLETTER JULY 31.*

This third section of our 4-section newsletter includes:

1. Family Links To Königsdorf - Leitgeb Family
2. Family Links To Königsdorf - Perl, Fuchs Families
3. Airline Flights To Burgenland
4. Village Of Bergwerk
5. Taste Of The Burgenland - Meatless Bean Soup - Bob Strauch


1. FAMILY LINKS TO KÖNIGSDORF - LEITGEB FAMILY

Correspondent writes:
"Anton (my grandfather, b. 1879, d. 1918 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) married 
Maria Grosschedl (b. 1885, d. 1928 in Milwaukee), Johann Leitgeb (b. 1875, d. 
1961 in Milwaukee), Josefa nee Leitgeb Koldorfer (b. 1877, d. ? in Gutendorf) 
and Anna nee Leitgeb Leitgeb (she married another Anton Leitgeb b. 1885, d. 
1922 in Gutendorf). Any connections you may find with the Koenigsdorf 
Leitgebs would be greatly appreciated."

Reply: You are correct when you say Leitgeb is not an uncommon Germanic name, 
and all of your names are Germanic so we can probably ignore any Hungarian 
possibilities. I believe the name derives from someone who lives on the slope of 
a hill or mountain (which would apply to the region around Gutendorf - I've been 
there - spent time in Graz, Fehring and Bad Gleichenberg), but don't hold me to 
that. What I do know is that it is fairly common in the area east of Graz and 
in southern Burgenland both. Unfortunately, Germanic migration to the 
Burgenland is poorly documented, as explained in my K-dorf newsletter article. 
Gutendorf is a small Styrian village just a few kms from the Burgenland border, next 
to Mühlgraben - one of the smallest Lutheran villages in southern Burgenland. I 
know that Lutheran Bergholds moved there from Styria some time before the 
1800's. That there was migration from Styria to what was then Hungary is well 
established. However, it occurred so often, and mostly in an individual manner (as 
opposed to group movement), that the period of the movement is cloudy. I have 
found it helps to look at it in two ways:

1. was the movement caused by economic factors (free land and other benefits) or
2. by religious factors (Styria went Catholic during the Counter Reformation) or
3. by aristocratic recruitment (area being depopulated by war and plague) or
4. a combination of two or more of the above?

Answering this can provide a window of migration, although the window can be 
quite large, a few hundred years or more; nonetheless, I am led to believe that, 
for today's Burgenland inhabitants, most migration of their ancestors to 
southern Burgenland took place in the period 1650-1750. It would be too lengthy 
for me to elaborate here. Let's just take it as a given and look at K-dorf 
Leitgebs. Whether we can link any to yours is doubtful - in three hundred years we 
have at least 12 generations - given exponential growth we are looking at a 
possibility (from a possible 1650 migration) of 4112 people! From Sepp Kametler's 
work, we know that Leitgebs were present in 1635-1641. Of course, we don't know if 
they came from the origin (Styria) of your Leitgebs, but it's very probable. 
Looking at the earliest Leitgeb householders we have:

House number 6 (5)
Leutgeb (spelling) Michael, b 1732 - married 1760 - father Georg and mother 
   Barbara Lenz - spouse Eva Kohl
Leutgeb Mathias, b 1766 - m 1789 - parents above - spouse Katharina Kurz
Leitgeb Stephan, b 1792 - m 1812 - parents above - spouse Regina Schreiner
Leitgeb Franz, b 1814 - m1838 - parents above - spouse Maria Kamedler
Leitgeb Franz, b 1841 - m1864 - parents above - spouse Theresia Holler

A gap occurred in 1864, when a Michael Weber was householder, then in 1894 
again appears:

Leitgeb Jossef, b1868 - m1894 - parents above (Franz and Theresia) - spouse Theresia 
    Deutsch. A soldier in the 26th K. Regt.

The housename (Vulgo) of this house was Juden-Leitgeb, since a Jewish business 
was located next door. Interesting - a good note, otherwise you might think 
some of your people were Hebrew - another branch to research and a most difficult 
one!

There are still a number of Leitgebs in K-dorf but not at this house number. 

House number 11 (10)

Leitgeb Franz, b 1844 - m 1866 - parents Mathias L & R Holler-see previous - spouse 
    Cacillia Duld
Leitgeb Franz, b 1868 - m 1892 - parents above - spouse Juliana Lang
    (Erna Leitgeb lives here today)

House nr. 78 (74)
Leutgeb George, m Barbara Lentz 1722 - no further data but Lentz's appear in 
    Mühlgraben (previously mentioned) - a possible link to Guttendorf. George died 
    (when?) and his widow married Martin Fandl from Limbach.

House nr. 90 (71)
Leitgeb Michael, m1719 - spouse Maria? descendants thru 1827.

There are many others but they are descendants of the first family mentioned, 
Given what you know, I see only the one possible link (house no. 78). I have 
not listed the others and might add that we find the name in other villages
- even in Güssing - a very prolific family group! I find four in nearby Eltendorf
- a Lutheran village - are your Leitgebs Lutheran? If so their appearance in 
Burgenland stems from migration reason 2 and is a clue for further research.

Another point to obviate a direct link is the absence of the name Anton - often 
used in your branch but not here. Male children were often given the names of 
their fathers and /or uncles. I find no Antons in K-dorf. 

I doubt if I've helped much but you now have knowledge of another branch, 
which obviously stemmed from the Styrian trunk. I'll be using our correspondence
in the next newsletter.


2. FAMILY LINKS TO KÖNIGSDORFm - PERL & FUCHS FAMILIES

In a message dated 5/15/04, correspondent writes:
My grandmother was Cacillia Perl born 27/4/1887 K-dorf died 7/9/1942 in Graz. 
Her parents were Andreas & Terese (Fuchs) Perl all born in K-dorf. Andreas 
10/9/1855 d. 2/3/1932 possibly in Gratkorn. Terese b. 6/1/1867 K-dorf. Andreas 
Perl's parents all from K-dorf were Andreas Joseph Perl b. 17/6/1820 d. ?? 
and Terezia (Kurz) no info on b. or d. The furtherest back I found were
Andreas Perl and Elizibeth ?? no b. or d. records.
 
The only other info I have is my great grandmother Terese Fuchs Perl's 
parents also from K-dorf were Joseph Fuchs and Trezia Wagner no b. d. Where they 
lived in K-dorf, I have no idea or whether the homes still exist. As I remember 
there didn't seem to be too many houses in K-dorf. One thing I have never 
understood is, when the payments end for the graves, what happened to the 
coffins/gravestones/records etc.
 
I am hoping to have time later in June to visit the area again. 

If you do have any information on this family I would greatly appreciate 
anything you can provide. I understand that the name Perl is quite common 
in the area, but I don't know if they are all related.

Reply: Your query provided me with a lot of interest. There are a lot of Perls 
and a lot of Cacilia Perls - I even have one in my line. Before I list what I 
have found, let me correct what may be an error on your part as to the place 
of origin of your family. K-dorf has about 250 houses, a church, two 
cemeteries, a post office, at least one Gasthaus, bank branch, A&O store, Lutheran 
school, Volksschule, etc., with many Perls still in residence. K-dorf proper is 
south of the E66, the road connecting Rudersdorf with Heiligenkreuz via 
Dobersdorf, Eltendorf and Poppendorf. About 4 kms north of the E66 is K-dorf-bergen, 
a small appendage of K-dorf where your family had a home for about 100 years. 
There are not many houses in this area. In other words your immediate family did
not come from K-dorf proper but from K-dorf-bergen. Many villages have these 
"bergen" appendages - small crossroad hamlets in the hills mostly involved with 
forest cutting or vineyards. Too small to administer themselves, they look to 
nearby villages for their admin needs.

Perls (original spelling was Perdl - it changed to Perl about 1720 - can be 
found in K-dorf as early as 1635 (Canonical Visitation); in K-dorf-bergen from 
about 1780. They may have moved there from K-dorf proper, house no. 89 (built 
about 1720, one of the earliest pre-1740 K-dorf farmer dwellings). Other Perl 
houses in K-dorf proper were nos. 7, 71, 108, 101, 129, 138 157 and 173 - again, 
many Cacilias. Another house, no. 179 Vulgo Perl-Schuster, is also found in 
K-dorf-bergen, along with no. 160, which is the main home of your family
called in the Vulgo: Waldhütter-Perl.

Most, if not all of your family were Lutherans attending the Martin Luther 
Kirche in Eltendorf (after 1740); before that they attended the RC church in 
K-dorf or perhaps even in Kukmirn. I find your people were mostly Söllner (had 
house, no land) working as artisans or day laborers. As Lutherans, they were 
probably refugees from Styria during the religious troubles of the Counter 
Reformation when Styria reverted to Catholicism. The Batthyány who had the Herrschaft 
of Southern Burgenland were very tolerant and accepted Protestant refugees. 
With the Act of Toleration of 1720, Lutheran Churches could again be built and 
the Martin Luther Kirche in Eltendorf was the result. During the interim, the 
Lutherans used prayer houses (Bethaus) and looked to the RC church for the 
sacraments - hence the RC records of Lutheran families.

You furnished the parents of your grandmother as:

Andreas Perl b1855 & Terese Fuchs b1867 (I found the date as 1864)
(they were married 1885 and had house number 179.)

PERLS
Parents of Andreas 1855 were Andreas 1820 & Regina Kurz 1820 (you have 
Tereszia Kurz-another marriage?). They were married in 1839 house number 179.

Parents of Andreas 1820 were Andreas 1796 & Elizabeth Fischl 1789, house 
number 160-married 1814.

Parents of Andreas 1796 were Mathias 1771 & Katharina Doppler 1763. Married 
1795 house number 160.

Parents of Mathias were Michael Perl and Regina? married 1768, house no. 160.

Parents of Michael may have been Andreas Perdl ? & Veronica Kaindl ? married 
1720 house no. 89 or Georg Perdl ? & Regina Monschain ? married 1739. A better 
choice would be Michael Perdl and Katharina Waldecker, married 1729, house 
number 67.

FUCHS (this name was spelled Fux - changed about 1770.)

Parents of Terese Fuchs 1867 (date prob. correct based on parents marriage 
date) were Joseph Fuchs 1835 & Trezia Wagner 1841, married 1866, house no. 154

Parents of Joseph were Andreas 1796 & Barbara Trinkl 1806, married 1831

Parents of Andreas 1796 were Peter Fux 1771 & Regina Frenz 1746 married 1793

Parents of Peter 1771 were Mathias Fux 1741 & Maria Frenz 1746, married 1768

Parents of Mathias 1741 were Andreas Fux and Veronica Springer, married 1739 
house no. in K-bergen.

KURZ

Parents of Regina Kurz were Michel Kurz and Barbara Decker.

FISCHL

Parents of Elizabeth Fischl were George Fischl & Maria Damhesl

DOPPLER

Parents of Katharina Doppler were Georg Doppler & Anna Perl
(many Dopplers were from Poppendorf-I have one in my tree)

That's about it, I could have gone on to try and find more on the distaff 
side, but if you are like me, one generation of the distaff is all I use except 
for direct blood lines. This data comes from Sepp Kametler's book which is a 
synopsis of the K-dorf and Eltendorf church records as well as civil records 
from 1896. I spent 11 days with the E-dorf records in 1993 and I can assure you 
Kametler did an excellent job of correlating what could be correlated. I hope 
you are pleased with the result. Try another trip and go digging around K-dorf 
bergen; you should find relatives. I'll probably use this correspondence 
(edited) in my newsletter. 


3. FLIGHTS TO BURGENLAND

Correspondent writes: I am considering a trip to Austria for about a month 
this year; leaving sometime early August. Do you have any info on airlines or 
where to look for good fares, etc., please?
 
Reply: I assume you are flying into Vienna. If so try Austrian Airlines, who 
operate a direct flight from Dulles (Washington, DC) and I believe also 
Kennedy. Try them on the internet. They often offer special rates. I have found good 
fares and most reliable service by using the AOL travel service as well as AAA 
and AARP. I'm leery of using some of these discount services - very iffy and 
I've heard some bad tales. If you are planning to visit southern Burgenland you 
might look for a flight to Graz, which is now an international airport. Be 
sure to check our archives for trip suggestions. Let me know how you make out.


4. VILLAGE OF BERGWERK

Correspondent writes: I am trying to locate Bergwerk, Austria, where my 
Grandmother came from. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Reply: Bergwerk was a small village in the district of Oberwart in the south 
of Burgenland. Its Hungarian name was Öribanya, when it was in the district of 
Eisenburg in the Hungarian County (Megye) of Vas (before 1921). Inhabitants 
use the RC church in Mariasdorf and the Lutherans use the Lutheran church in 
Stadtschlaining, where the civil records are also located. Today it is part of the 
market community of Mariasdorf (in the district of Oberwart) along with the 
villages of Grodnau, Neustift bei Schlaining and Tauchen. Total population of 
all is about 1300. First mentioned in the 14th century, Bergwerk belonged to 
the Counts of Güssing. In 1645, its name was Perckwerck, with 40 houses. There was 
some iron and copper mining nearby hence the name. About 50 families are 
listed in the Burgenland phone directory. It is about 10 kms northeast of 
Oberwart - use a map with a scale of 1:200,000 or less to find it.


5. TASTE OF THE BURGENLAND - MEATLESS BEAN SOUP (from Bob Strauch)

Bob writes: BB member Ed Tantsits recently mentioned that he's been searching 
for a recipe for a meatless bean soup with sour cream that was made by his 
mother and grandmother. I've only ever had bean soups that were made with smoked 
meat. So, I searched through my copy of "Vom Essen auf dem Lande" by Franz 
Maier-Bruck, the bible of Austrian regional home cooking. In the chapter on 
Burgenland, I found a meatless potato soup to which beans can also be added. In 
the chapter on Lower Austria, I found a recipe for a meatless sour cream soup, 
which also can be enhanced by the addition of potatoes or beans. 
 
Grumbiansupp'm (Potato Soup)
300-400 grams potatoes, peeled and diced
water (no amount given)
salt
pepper
caraway
1 garlic clove, crushed
a few celery leaves, chopped
thyme
1/2 Bay leaf
1/8 liter sour cream
1 Tbsp. flour
vinegar
 
Cook potatoes until done in lightly salted water with pepper, caraway, garlic, 
celery leaves, thyme, and Bay leaf. Whisk together sour cream and flour and 
stir into the soup. Add vinegar to taste, if desired. Bring back to a simmer 
briefly before serving.
 
For "Boundlsupp'm" (bean soup), add cooked beans (150 grams dried beans, 
soaked overnight and cooked until soft) to the above recipe.

Rahmsupp'm (Sour Cream Soup)
1 liter water
caraway
salt
3/10 liter sour milk
1 heaping Tbsp. flour
1/4 liter cream
vinegar, to taste (optional)
 
Add caraway and salt to and bring to a boil. Whisk together sour milk and 
flour and stir into the boiling water. Return to boil and remove from heat. Add 
cream and vinegar, to taste. Serve with rye bread. Cooked and diced potatoes or 
cooked (or canned) beans may also be added.

Newsletter continues as no. 129C.

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 129C 
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
(Issued monthly by G. J. Berghold)
May 31, 2004
(c) 2004 G. J. Berghold - all rights reserved)


This fourth section of our 4-section newsletter includes:

1. Auto Rental In Austria - Tips
2. Taste Of The Burgenland - Zwetschk'nknödln - Plum Dumplings
3. Lehigh Valley, PA Ethnic News - Bob Strauch

AUTO RENTAL IN AUSTRIA - TIPS (from Anna Kresh, Fritz Königshofer et al)

Anna Kesh writes: I wonder if you can give me some tips on car rental in 
Austria. Josef Pandl, one of the Board of Directors (and one of the founders) of 
the Austrian American Cultural Society in Pittsburgh, PA, is accompanying the 
AACS on their trip to Austria at the end of July. The tour is through Blaguss 
Travel in Eisenstadt. Mr. Pandl would like to spend 4 additional days in 
Burgenland at the end of the tour and would like to get some info on the rental of a 
mid-size car with automatic transmission, picking it up at the Graz airport 
and possibly dropping it off in downtown Vienna. Can you suggest the best way 
for him to proceed? Is there an agency you could recommend, possibly Blaguss 
itself? Are there any cautions?
 
Editor's Reply: I have found it was always best to reserve a car before 
leaving. I've used many of the better known agencies, Avis, Hertz, etc. and found 
them to be very good. One can reserve via phone or internet or even through AAA 
or AARP. Reserve directly with them - not through some other agency - I've heard 
horror stories from people who reserved through lesser known agencies (they 
provide a low rate - don't meet all of the renter's requirements and you get stuck 
with a big bill when you get home.) 

I have always flown to Vienna, but since Graz is an international airport and 
the 2nd largest city, I'm sure auto rental is the same as Vienna. Use a 
credit card or you'll be stuck with a hefty insurance bill. Do not plan to use the 
car in Hungary (because of auto theft, a heavy insurance fee will be charged), 
however, a few day trips across the border are always possible - just don't tell 
anyone and be very, very careful. The drive from Graz to southern Burgenland 
is a pleasant one. The Hungarian crossing at Heiligenkreuz can get grid-locked 
on weekends.

No special driving requirements; although some guide books tell you to get an 
international drivers license, I have never used one. I found my Virginia 
license (with picture) was always accepted. Be sure all auto papers are in the car 
at all times. Be familiar with international road signs and German words for 
Enter, Exit, No Parking, One Way, etc. Some parking lots are automatic, inquire 
how they work. When parking in some places, a clock card is necessary. One can 
get them at nearby banks or stores or a permanent one at the auto agencies; not a 
bad idea as they can give you a national card (USA) as well.

I have found Austrian drivers to be a little aggressive. They like to drive 
fast and will get excited if you drive slow in order to look at scenery. Parking 
in the center of even small villages can be a problem. Take the first 
available space and do not violate any traffic laws or parking restrictions; it can
be expensive. I paid 50 Euro for going the wrong way on a one-way street in 
Schwechat.

Gas is expensive -the word for "fill it up please" is "Tanken bitte"- best to let 
them serve you although they have self-serve in some places. Lock your car 
when leaving, of course, and leave no valuables in sight. I enjoy driving in 
Austria; much to see and the easiest way to get around. Avoid rush hours just like 
here - every Austrian has a car these days and loves to go out on weekends. I had 
a diesel car last time and loved it (after I learned how to put it in 
reverse - one pushes down on the gear shift lever before slotting in R).

If you drive through any mountain passes, be careful. Those switchbacks and 
steep downhill grades can be difficult and Austrian drivers who use them go 
fast. I found I had to use 2nd or even low gear to reduce braking. Brakes will heat  
up on the steep grades. Give postal buses a wide clearance; they will pass at 
scary points. Do not drink and drive. Austrian DWI penalties are very 
harsh; even a few glasses of wine can get you in trouble. 

Fritz writes: When I visit Austria for several weeks (which happens about 
once per year), I usually rent my car via EuropebyCar, see their website at 
http://www.europebycar.com.

They seem to have the best prices. However, their minimum renting is one 
week. It may well be that their one-week rental is less expensive than renting 
for four days directly from a rent-a-car firm.

In the past years, EuropebyCar has cooperated with Europcar. The latter's 
web page is at www.europcar.at. My experience has been that renting only up to 
three days is less expensive if directly renting from Europcar.

Europcar (and by implication EuropebyCar) have city and airport locations. 
However, pickup or drop at the airport of Graz involves an extra charge as the 
firm has to send a person to the airport. It's likely cheaper to take a cab 
at Graz Airport (Thalerhof) to the city location of Europcar, about a $25 ride. 
They easily allow to drop the car in Vienna, though I don't know whether 
there is an extra charge for dropping the car at the airport there.

When I checked last year, I vaguely remember that only Avis seemed to have an 
office staffed at the airport of Graz for almost all week long. I would 
suggest that it requires visiting the web sites of the major car rental companies 
to find the best deal. By default, I still think that the offers by 
EuropebyCar are the best. They are definitely my first choice.

Member Bob Eder writes: I traveled to Austria on 9/11/02 on a 10 day 
excursion. My arrangements were made by AAA. My British Airways flight was routed 
from Miami to London. Then to Frankfurt and Graz via Lufthansa.

Upon arrival in Graz, I picked up my Avis rental car (mid-size diesel, 
automatic transmission) without incident. BUT, IT WAS EXPENSIVE! I had paid 
$621.00 up-front here in Florida. Then, upon arrival, I was charged an additional 
$157.97. I thought that that was expensive - a total of $778.97 + fuel used. 
I did request to take the car into Hungary and that might have impacted the 
rental charge. My father was born in Pornoapati (Pernau), Hungary, which is just 
across the border from Gussing.


2. TASTE OF THE BURGENLAND - ZWETSCHK'NKNÖDLN - PLUM DUMPLINGS

In a message dated 4/30/04, a corrspondent writes:

I'm sure you don't want to turn the newsletters into a "recipe club" but 
mention was made in newsletter 128B of plum dumplings made with a potato dough 
and bread crumbs. 

Reply: I thought it was time to feature these in the newsletter. You get a 
preview for suggesting same.

You will find many Burgenland recipes in our newsletter archives under the 
title "Taste Of The Burgenland." Our ethnic heritage lives on in the memory of 
our tastebuds and stomachs!

Zwetschk'nknödln (plum dumplings) are my all time favorite. I believe we 
touched on this delicacy a number of times but haven't published a recipe, as you 
state. It is one of those "kitchen food" recipes, often served as a dessert or 
for a snack called Mehlspeisen. It utilizes a potato dough dumpling filled 
with sugared fruit (plums are most often used, although I had a strawberry 
dumpling at the Hotel Burgenland in Eisenstadt). The dumplings are boiled and put
in a large frying pan with buttered breadcrumbs and often served with a sauce 
made of the same fruit as the filling, but the dumplings really make their own 
sauce when you open them. If you are lucky you will also get some rolled 
noodles ("wutszels") made of the same dough and also covered with buttered 
breadcrumbs as an accompaniment. 

Potato Dough ("Erdäpfelteig)

2 2/3 lb. potatoes
3 tbsp. butter
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
5 tbsp. farina (use "cream of wheat")
1 tsp salt

Cook potatoes in salted water, peel and mash while hot. Add remaining 
ingredients and knead quickly. On floured board, form into a roll and cut pieces 
according to recipe being used. Makes enough dumplings for 4 to 6 people. 

Plum Dumplings ("Zwetschk'nknödln")

1 recipe potato dough (as above)
1 1/2 doz. Italian plums (the little purple ones which come in the Fall are 
best-you want a very sweet plum)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup breadcrumbs
4 tbsp powdered sugar
granulated sugar or sugar cubes

Prepare dough. While potatoes are cooking, prepare plums by washing, removing 
pits and replacing with a sugar cube or about 1/2 - 1 tsp granulated sugar, 
set aside. With well floured hands, work dough into a 3 inch diameter roll. Cut 
1/2 inch slices. Quickly roll out each slice thin and wrap a prepared plum in 
it, pinching all edges closed (if they leak your dumplings are ruined.) Roll 
dumplings between floured hands until a smooth ball is formed. Cook in 
simmering salted water for 10-15 minutes, (when dumplings rise to the surface of the 
water they are done) drain and roll in slightly browned buttered breadcrumbs 
in a large pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately while still 
warm. 

Variations: 
Serve with a sauce made by boiling sugar and peeled and pitted mashed fruit 
with a little water-for a real adult Hungarian flair-add a few teaspoons of 
plum brandy (Slivovitz). I wonder if I could invent a "flaming Zwetschk'nknödln?"

Serve with "Wutszels" made of leftover dough, tear off marble sized pieces 
and roll into oblong shapes about 1/2 inch in diameter. Boil these along with 
the dumplings, scooping them out when they rise to the surface. Set aside and 
add to pan of breadcrumbs when dumplings are added. These were utilized to use 
up left over dough but grandparents often made just these (sans fruit) as a 
treat for youngsters.

Use apricots, prunes (pitted and slightly cooked) or even large strawberries 
in place of plums.

When you cut into these with a fork, a sauce of plum juice and sugar will run 
out flavoring the dumpling. The amount of sugar used can be adjusted to 
taste. You can also try vanilla sugar or even a sugar substitute like "Splenda." If 
any dumplings are left over (ha-ha) they can be reheated in a microwave but 
don't let them dry out.

Crumbs made from Vienna bead or Italian bread seem to taste best although 
that may be a purists choice. Do not burn the butter or crumbs. Mealy potatoes 
seem to work best. These dumplings are labor intensive but well worth the 
effort-I bribed a waiter to get me a serving of those being served to full pension 
guests in a Baden hotel-we hadn't taken full pension. Zwetschk'nknödln and 
Palatschinken (filled pancakes) are a permanent menu feature of the Hotel/Pension 
Krutzler in Heiligenbrunn, southern Burgenland. Zwetschk'nknödln must have 
been frozen or prepared for quick service in some manner because we didn't have 
to wait long to get them. I must look into this. Perhaps they can be frozen 
and reheated and still taste freshly made-does anyone know?

Basic recipes taken from "The Cooking Of Burgenland by Alois Schmidl as 
translated by Robert Strauch. Published by Edition Roetzer, Wien-Eisenstadt.


3. LEHIGH VALLEY, PA ETHNIC NEWS (from Bob Strauch)
 
1. At the annual Maypole Dance held on May 1, 2004 at the COPLAY SÄNGERBUND, 
Mrs. Theresa Perl, née Jost of Stiles was crowned May Queen 2004. Mrs. Perl's 
parents, Johann and Bertha, née Marx, were natives of Inzenhof and 
Raabfidisch and immigrated to the US in 1922, settling in Coplay.
 
2. The COPLAY SÄNGERBUND at 5th St. & Schreiber Ave. in Coplay will celebrate 
its 87th Anniversary at the annual Stiftungsfest on Sunday, June 27, 2004. A 
choral concert at 2:00 PM given by the Coplay Sängerbund Mixed Chorus, the 
Hianznchor, and other guest choruses will be followed by dancing in the grove to 
the Johnny Dee Orchestra from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM.
 
3. SACRED HEART OF JESUS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH on N. 4th St. in Allentown 
will hold a Founders Weekend and Homecoming on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 - 6, 
2004. The event will feature special masses, food, and an exhibit of displays 
dealing with parish history, Burgenland, and related institutions such as the 
St. Aloysius Young Men's Society and the St. Francis Beneficial Society. Sacred 
Heart is celebrating it's 135th Anniversary this year.
 
4. OUR LADY OF HUNGARY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH on Newport Ave. in Northampton 
will hold its annual Summer Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 - 6, 2004. 
(I'm told they serve "lángos", the flat Hungarian fried potato bread that is 
schmiered with garlic)
 
5. ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH in Limeport will hold the first of its 
summer church picnics on Sunday, June 13, 2004. Music will be provided by the 
Walt Groller Orchestra.
 
6. The 2nd RAAB VALLEY REUNION will take place on Saturday, September 25, 
2004 at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Limeport. The event is open to 
everyone, not just to natives of the Raab Valley villages or their descendants. 
The deadline for reservations is August 15, 2004. Send checks to Terry Deutsch, 
205 Virginia Ave., Whitehall/PA 18052. 
 

END OF NEWSLETTER

BURGENLAND BUNCH STAFF (USA residents unless designated otherwise)
Coordinator & Editor Newsletter (Gerald Berghold)
Burgenland Editor (Albert Schuch; Austria)
Home Page Editor (Hap Anderson)
Internet/URL Editor (Anna Tanczos Kresh)

Contributing Editors:
Austro/Hungarian Research (Fritz Königshofer)
Burgenland Co-Editor (Klaus Gerger, Austria)
Burgenland Lake Corner Research (Dale Knebel)
Chicago Burgenland Enclave (Tom Glatz)
Croatian Burgenland (Frank Teklits)
Home Page village lists (Bill Rudy) 
Home Page surname lists (Tom Steichen)
Home Page membership list (Hannes Graf, Austria)
Judaic Burgenland (Maureen Tighe-Brown)
Lehigh Valley Burgenland Enclave (Robert Strauch)
Szt. Gotthard & Jennersdorf Districts (Margaret Kaiser)
Western US BB Members-Research (Bob Unger)
WorldGenWeb-Austria, RootsWeb Liason-Burgenland (Charles Wardell, Austria)

BB ARCHIVES (can be reached via Home Page hyperlinks) 

BURGENLAND HOME PAGE (WEB SITE)
http://the-burgenland-bunch.org
http://go.to/burgenland-bunch (also provides access to Burgenländische 
Gemeinschaft web site.)

The BB is in contact with the Burgenländische Gemeinschaft, Hauptplatz 7, 
A-7540 Güssing, Burgenland, Austria. Burgenl.gem@bnet.at

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