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Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History
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THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 187
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
May 31, 2009
(c) 2009 - The Burgenland Bunch - all rights reserved
Our 13th Year, Editor: Johannes Graf and Copy Editor Maureen Tighe-Brown
The Burgenland Bunch Newsletter, founded by Gerry Berghold, (who retired in Summer, 2008, and died in August,
2008), is issued monthly as email and is available online at
http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org
Current Status Of The BB:
* Members: 1719 * Surname Entries: 5535 * Query Board Entries: 4116
* Newsletters Archived: 186 * Number of Staff Members: 14
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from the BB Home page. There is also an archive of previous newsletters.
This first section of our 2-section newsletter concerns:
1) GOOD DOGS DO STRAY: MEMOIR OF AN IMIGRANT FROM HUNGARY (by Emmerich Koller)
2) A HAPPY REUNION AFTER 52 YEARS (Submitted by Emmerich Koller)
3) PORNŇAPŔTI & RÖNÖK (translated by Emmerich Koller)
4) HIANZNMUSEUM IN RAABFIDISCH / RÁBAFÜZES
5) KÖRMEND CASTLE
Main theme: Borderland
1) GOOD DOGS DO STRAY: MEMOIR OF AN IMIGRANT FROM HUNGARY (by Emmerich Koller)
A summary by the author Emmerich Koller
On November 4, 1956, just as the church bell of Pernau, a.k.a. Pornóapáti, announced the noon hour, I stepped
across the border into Austria, thereby making the first step in difficult journey that would eventually take my
family and me to America. In my memoir, Good Dogs Do Stray, I describe the intolerable conditions that forced my
family to leave communist Hungary and what happened to us from that day forward. Before coming to that
life-altering event, however, I dedicate more than half of my book to exploring the history of my native
German-Hungarian village of Pernau, the surrounding region and the village life itself that shaped and formed my
siblings and me.
 During
that first cold winter of 1956-57, our new life as refugees was marked by homesickness, uncertainty, and general
misery. The Bürgermeister of Oberbildein took pity on my struggling family by giving my father odd jobs. One day
as he was cutting down bushes along the Pinka between Ober- and Unterbildein, a woman who walked past him said,
“Ein guter Hund bleibt zu Haus.” – “A good dog stays at home.” In my book, I show that her advice was more
malicious than accurate and I validate all who ever strayed from their homeland and found a new home in a foreign
land. Aside from delivering a simple message, my most fervent hope is to delight my readers with stories that I
experienced myself or are part of the Koller family lore.
My narration begins with Easter Sunday 1945. The Russians are coming! At about ten in the morning, people flee to
their cellars and bunkers as fierce explosions rock the village; houses collapse, people die. The retreating
Germans care little about the loss of innocent life or village property if their shells from nearby Austria can
slow down the pursuing Red Army. A horrific explosion in our yard awakens me, little Emmerich, to the world around
me. Smoke and dust have barely settled when an officer knocks on the door and asks for needle and thread. Like a
proper gentleman, he returns everything a short time later. Relief sweeps over the entire family. Not for long.
The dreaded horde follows.
After the war, life in the village returns to a semblance of normalcy for a few years before the communist plague
destroys the traditions and way of life established by good, hard working people over the course of centuries. My
siblings and I belong to the last generation that experienced the old village life before it disappeared forever.
With my descriptions, I hope to conjure up a vanished past and pass it on to future generations.
To get a flavor of what village life was like, we accompany the Kleinrichter or kisbiró with his drum on his
appointed round, and take an intimate tour of the old village. We hear the sound of the trumpet that summons the
pigs for their daily dig and wallow in the woods. We watch with delight as our seasonal friends, the storks, feed
their hungry chicks in their nest on top of the rectory’s chimney. As we work in the fields, we are entertained by
the call of the cuckoo bird and the golden oriole. On our way home at dusk, we are rendered speechless by the
beauty of a nightingale’s serenade. We can’t get enough of the sweet smell of hay, of our own wine grown in our
own vineyard, the Krapfen mom made on Fat Tuesday, or the irresistible smell of fresh bread that grandma just
pulled out of the bread-baking oven. We meet Seppl the “village idiot” as he digs out stumps in the forest and we
feel sorry for him when he is duped into carrying the red flag at the head of the May Day parade. We walk into the
one-room schoolhouse where a little boy forms his first letters on a slate board and are shocked when he gets a
serious beating from his teacher for forging his father’s signature in block letters. We attend Mass in the
village church where a serious ambition in a child’s mind is formed. We discover Shaekl, the family cow, who has
an endearing personality and a mind of her own. We walk into the dark forest near the Koller house and sense that
the forest isn’t just a collection of trees but a treasured friend with a generous soul. We meet the roving
gypsies who are feared but also pitied for their poverty and sad condition. We are concerned as cast-offs of the
war become dangerous toys for children, and we hold our breath as we watch a lad walk into the minefield by the
border.
This is just the beginning. The story goes on with many poignant and humorous tales from a deprived childhood, an
old-fashioned upbringing, and a long and improbable journey from a simple village in the Pinka river valley to the
sophisticated metropolis of Chicago. Good Dogs Do Stray is a narrative blend of a young person’s wonderment
and the seasoned reflection of an older man. I tell the true story of my family, but woven into the family’s
history is my own metamorphosis from poor country boy to seminarian, to college graduate, to member of a religious
order, to teacher. Setbacks were always followed by progress because we dared to transcend conventional norms and
boundaries. Still, it took a long time to embrace the concept that it is acceptable for good dogs to stray.
For any questions about the book or to order a copy, contact the author Emmerich Koller through his webpage:
www.emmerichkoller.com or simply e-mail him at:
emmerich3(a)comcast.net.
About the author
Emmerich, a.k.a. Imre Koller, was born in 1942 in Pernau/Pornóapáti, Hungary. Two years after his family’s escape
to Austria in 1956, Emmerich entered the seminary at Sankt Rupert, Bischofshofen, to study for the priesthood. In
1960, the Kollers immigrated to America and settled in Chicago. Emmerich left the seminary in 1966 and became a
German teacher. Today he lives in Winnetka with wife Ann and youngest son Andrew. He holds a BA in Philosophy, an
MA in German and an MA in Education. During his teaching career of 36 years, he received several awards: The
Distinguished Teacher Award at President Clinton’s White House (1993), The Certificate of Merit from the Goethe
Institute in New York (1989), two Outstanding Teacher Awards from the University of Chicago (1985, 2001).
2) A HAPPY REUNION AFTER 52 YEARS (Submitted by Emmerich Koller)
Back in the first half of the 1950’s, Bán Korsos Sándor, the director of the village school of Pernau, a.k.a.
Pornóapáti, started a music band, thus giving the more musically talented of his pupils an opportunity to show off
and expand their musical skills. In no time, the little group of nine pupils made such fine music that its
reputation traveled beyond Pernau and performed in neighboring villages and even Szombathely, a.k.a. Steinamanger,
where it won first prize in a young musicians’ competition. The band's repertoire consisted of local, mostly
German, folksongs and some fancier tunes from operettas. By the spring of 1956, arrangements were being made for a
brief tour to Austria, an exceptionally generous concession on the part of communist Hungary of that time. The
pictures for the passports and promotion were ready, visas were being processed, Die blaue Donau by Johann Strauß
Jr. was being practiced weekly. Then suddenly it all came to naught. The revolution broke out in October of that
year and by November 4 half of the band members, including Bán Korsos, were gone. They and their families fled
across the Iron Curtain. The band ceased to exist.
Fifty-two years went by before the band members saw each other again. It happened last summer, on July 12, at the
exquisitely appointed Alpesi Fogadó és Borház located in the Pinka Valley between Vaskeresztes/Großdorf and
Csatár/Schilding. After an unforgettable reunion and a delicious dinner such as we couldn’t even have dreamed of
52 years ago in communist Hungary, the owners Erzsi and Zoltán Heinisch invited us all to continue our celebration
with music and singing at their beautiful villa in the vineyards of Csatár. It was a perfect reunion on a
beautiful summer day that will never be forgotten.
The reunion was attended by all the former band members except Pfliegler Gusti, who is no longer with us, and
Schmied/Hanzel Zsuzsi who couldn’t make it. A good number of guests and family members participated in the
celebration, most importantly, the organizers Franz Schmalzl of Viehhofen, Salzburg, and Mitzi Perlaki of Pernau.
1956 picture from left to right: (sitting) Pfliegler Gusti, Molnár Erzsi, Schmalzl Laci,
Schmied Zsuzsi, Gober Jancsi; (standing) Koller Imre, a.k.a. Emmerich, Sásdi Pista, Teacher Bán Korsos Sándor,
Mátyás Erzsi, Bruckner Georg
2008 reunion picture: (sitting) Molnár Erzsi – now Mrs. Zoltán Heinisch, Schmalzl Laci, Gober
Jancsi; (standing) Koller Imre/ Emmerich, Sásdi Pista, Teacher Bán Korsos Sándor, Mátyás Erzsi – now Mrs. Emil
Horváth, Bruckner Georg
3) PORNŇAPŔTI & RÖNÖK (translated by Emmerich Koller)
"Village" informations from Hungarian Catholic Encyclopaedia
RADLING / RÖNÖK
Rönök, until 1950 Alsó- and Felsörönök (Lower and Upper Rönök), located in the County of Vas,
in the diocese of Szombathely, vicariate Körmend-Szentgotthard. - - The parish existed already in 1332. The church
was dedicated to Saint Imre (Emmerich). The church of today church was built in 1907. The Turks occupied it in
1526. In 1618 the inhabitants first became Reformed then Lutheran. In 1789 the church was rededicated. Since 1951
the church is not usable. The official language in 1880 was Hungarian, in 1910 German, in 1940 German and
Hungarian. The pastors were: 1452 Kelemen, 1789 Stibler János - administrator, 1793 Hubertus OFM - administrator,
1794 Eisner István - admin., 1799 Schrammel János, 1807 Mittl István - admin., 1809 Schmitzl Mihály, 1831 Griller
Antal, 1835 Spreiczenbart Lipót, 1864 Czigler József, 1879 Reichl Ferenc, 1886 Eberhard József - admin., 1887
Herczeg Miklos - admin., 1895 Bartl József - admin., 1941 Zadravec Mátyás - admin., 1945 Németh István - admin.,
1948 Lautz Alfred - admin., 1949 Kömives János - admin., 1951 Weber Antal - admin., 1980 Farkas Antal - admin.,
Since 2000 the parish is administered from Szentgotthard. - Inhabitants in 1840: 556 Rom. Cath., 30 Lutheran,
total 586; in 1910 there were 802 Rom. Cath., 43 Lutheran, 6 Jewish, total 851; in 1940 787 Rom. Cath., 32
Lutheran, total 819; in 1983 209 Rom. Cath., total inhabitants 636. - In 1948 4 teachers teach 120 students in its
elementary school. Schem. Sab. 1914:65. - Schem. Sab. 1977:42. - MKA 2000:536
PERNAU / PORNÓAPŔTI
 Parish of
Pornóapáti, located in Vas County, diocese of Szombathely. - The parish existed already in 1332. The church
was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Margaret of Antioch. The existing church today, dedicated to St.
Margaret, was finished in 1795. The Turks destroyed the original church in 1530. In 1780 a new church was founded.
The organ was built in 1832 by an unknown master. Around 1870, it was reconstructed by Peppert Nándor. The large
bell, 82 cm in diameter, was poured in 1492 by an unknown master. It is Hungary's oldest active bell. The newer
bell, 57 cm in diameter, was made by the sons of Seltenhofer Frigyes (i.e., Friedrich Seltenhofer). The church
records go back to 1790. The patroness in 1880 was the grand duchess Therese. The official languages in 1880 were
German and Hungarian; in 1910 German and Hungarian; in 1940 German and Hungarian. The pastors of the parish were:
Glaser György until 1788, Hegyi János 1807, Schenk Vince 1820, Schmidt György 1828, Köberl Antal 1836,
Schamadinger András 1841, Káncz György Ferenc 1846, Vindisch Antal 1847, Menyhárt Ferenc 1860, Fülöp István 1885,
Höbe Károly 1887-88, Cziczer Ferenc 1892, Számálovits Ferenc 1893, Iritzer (Traugott) Imre 1910, Gartner Jozsef
1917, Pataki Ferenc 1921, Keleti Kálmán 1922, Illés György 1951, Lautz Alfred Pál. The parish was cared for by
Vaskeresztes/Großdorf till 1982, by Nárai till 1984, by Vaskeresztes till 1993, again by Nárai till 2000.
Inhabitants in 1840 - 508 Roman Catholic, 4 Lutheran, total 512; in 1910 - 683 Rom. Cath, 5 Lutheran, 1 Reformed,
7 Jewish, total 696; in 1940 - 621 Rom.Cath, 2 Lutheran, 9 Reformed, total 632; in 1983 - 465 Rom. Cath. In 1948
the village school had two teachers and 78 pupils. Szántó János Patay 1980. - MKA 2000:524.
4) HIANZNMUSEUM IN RAABFIDISCH / RÁBAFÜZES
“Do not forget that tomorrow, today’s tool is already history” /Franz Dankovics
In Burgenland today there are several ethnic groups, among them Croatian and Hungarian. But German-speaking
Hianzen still live behind the Hungarian border. A museum in Rábafüzes tells their story. The first Hianzenmuseum
in Raabfidisch/Rábafüzes was opened in Hungary.
The village (of approximately 400 inhabitants) is today a part of the town Szentgotthárd. There are still about 50
people who speak "Hianzisch". A museum was devoted to them and their forefathers in what was formerly the village
school.
Memorial to the farmer culture and the Hianzen
 The
ethnological collection's foundation stone was laid by the former principal Ferenc Dankovics and his wife in the
sixties. On 26th May 1986 the collection was opened to the public in the school building. After Ferenc Dankovics'
death, the collection was also extended and, after years of hardship, it came under the maintenance of the Local
Government of the German Minority and the Branch Library in Rábafüzes. The present exhibition room was provided by
the local government as a final place, and after being redesigned opened its gates to the public.
In the meantime, 500 exhibits have been assembled with years of hard work. The whole inventory is labeled in
Hungarian, German, and Hianzisch.
Contacts in Burgenland
 Until World
War II, the population of Rábafüzes had close contact with their neighbours in Burgenland. The place was pulsing,
says the village eldest, 86 year old Paula Nagy Vincené. "There were 5 guesthouses in our village, 3 were outside
in Bergen. Then there was another guest house next to the border that already belonged to Burgenland - we also
went there to dance", says the 86 year old.
Female Choir of Rábafüzes
In 1976 the Female Choir in Rábafüzes was formed, which has faithfully maintained the song lore of the village and
the surrounding areas ever since then. The songs are also presented in vernacular "Hianzisch". The founder and
leader of the choir is Magdolna Unger, and its harmonica accompanist is her sister, Edit Unger. The choir has 2
albums so far.
 Hianzenmuseum
Rábafüzes/Raabfidisch
Kodály Zoltán út 2
Opening hours:
Wednesday: 11 am - 4 pm
Friday: 12 noon - 6 pm
By previous agreement, another appointment is also possible.
Phone: +36-30-5686861
5) KÖRMEND CASTLE
Körmend was first documented in 1238 as "Curmend", seat of kings. King Béla IV. granted Körmend town privileges
with the right to hold markets in 1244
After Körmend was in royal possession, it became the property of various lords.Since 1604, it
has been the central estate of the Batthyány family. The king gave the castle and the estate of Körmend to Franz
II Batthyány in recognition of his service.
From 1716 until 1945, when the family was dispossessed of the castle and the estate by the communists, Körmend had
been the centre of their seigniory.
After the struggle for freedom under the leadership of Prince Rákóczi the Batthyánys moved the management of their
estates to Körmend. Thenceforward it became a prospering small town. The castle changed to a beautiful baroque
palace.
After 1769, the Batthánys over several centuries collected documents and the majority of their art treasures were
brought here.
The castle originally rose on a hill with a broad moat. The road from the town to the castle led through a double
moat and over timber bridges. In the castle's bailey was a one-storied residential building. Then there was an
outer staircase which led to the timber gallery facing the bailey. The gallery encircled the whole bailey and led
to the loop-holes integrated into the walls. The ground floor included a grain stock, a dry mill, and a common
bakery.
After 1600 and the fall of Kanizsas, a new time began: Körmend became a border town of military importance. The
town's development reached its climax in the mid-17th century. In 1625, Ferenc Batthyány's son Ádám inherited the
town. He was a well educated land owner, and not only a great manager of his properties but also a leading
military figure of the country. He assigned the excellent Italian war engineer, and later imperial main architect,
Filiberto Lucchese to the alteration of the castle.
 Significant
changes came along with the four years of construction work going on. The main structure of the castle remained,
but its look had been changed. Now there were multi-storied residential buildings on all four sides, the towers
were higher and arcades had been built in place of the timber gallery. The windows were opened to the courtyard.
The massive and medieval character of the castle remained but the interior was made more comfortable. After the
Turkish had been driven out of the country successfully, the castle of Körmend became one of the "dispensable
castles" and the war council of Vienna ordered its demolition on the 26.01.1702, but the Batthyánys were able to
prevent that.
The town and castle of Körmend suffered during the struggle for freedom under the leadership of Rákóczi. The army
of Antal Eszterházy destroyed the town and the castle. Therefore, at the beginning of the 18th century the castle
actually did not exist and the town was utterly destroyed.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the coordination of the Batthyány estates was shifted to Körmend. Lajos
Batthyany took over the properties from his father in 1720. He served variously as imperial and royal chamberlain,
privy councillor, chancellor and the last Hungarian palatine from 1751 to 1765. His societal importance was
revealed even in his constructions. Following his instructions began the generous conversion works of Körmend
castle. Thenceforward the castle stood in an open park, which, with its dynamic layout and arrangement, strove for
pomp and the castle was meant to imitate baroque splendor. The designer of the newly arranged building was the
Italian Felice de Allio, who had already been an important representative of Austrian baroque in the first half of
the 18th century. The construction works began with the dismantling of the gate tower and the filling up of the
moat. Then there was built a new floor on top of the whole building. The arcades in the inner courtyard were
dismantled and replaced by huge corridors with windows. In the second floor they installed parlours and living
rooms. A mansard roof was added and the façade got blue-white-yellow stripes. Among the adjoining buildings in
front of the main building was the depot where the carriages were stored standing west and the horse stable with
the red marmoreal feeding troughs standing east. On the first floor of the building which also had a basement was
the Sala Terrena. On the one-room second floor you could find the archive and the library. The ensemble of
buildings built 1730-1745 shows a typical Hungarian style including, of
course, elements of the Austrian Baroque.
 About
1800, a six-column balcony and a gable were added to the facade of the castle. The gable was adorned with the
Batthyány family's coat of arms.
In 1945, in the course of the invasion of the Russian army, the outstanding picture gallery, the library, the
collection of weapons and a lot of art treasures were destroyed, pillaged and stolen. Even the huge archive wasn't
spared. The remaining documents and art treasures had then been expropriated by the Communists and have so far not
been returned to the family. Nowadays they can be seen, among other places, in the Hungarian National Museum and
the Public Records Office.
Opening times of the museum:
From April 1 to October 31: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (every day except Monday)
From November 1 to March 31: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. (every
day except Sunday and Monday)
The museum shows periodic exhibitions in the castle chapel.
In 2009:
March 28 - May 10: Factory Faulty coins and banknotes
May 18 - August 8: Men patronage, patrons, prelates - Batthyány family and
the church
August 19 - October 31: Carolus Clusius and Balthazar Batthyány
October 3 - November 4: Herend in the castle - Porcelain Exhibition
Newsletter continues as number 187A.
THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 187A
DEDICATED TO AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN BURGENLAND FAMILY HISTORY
May 31, 2009
(c) 2009 - The Burgenland Bunch - all rights reserved
The second section of this 2-section newsletter includes:
1) WHAT'S NEW IN THE SZENTPETERFA GENEALOGY WEBSITE? (by Steve Geosits and John Lavendoski)
2) RECORDINGS ON THE SZENTPÉTERFA GENEALOGY PAGES (by Steve Geosits)
3) 1946 DEPORTEES FROM PERNAU (Submitted by Emmerich Koller)
4) WOLFS / BALF DEPORTATION LIST (by Marsha Jenakovich)
5) LDS FILMS BORDERLAND
6) BURGENLAND EMIGRANT OBITUARIES (courtesy of Bob Strauch)
1) WHAT'S NEW IN THE SZENTPETERFA
GENEALOGY WEBSITE? (by Steve Geosits and John Lavendoski)
In the BB News No. 156A issue (dated Oct. 31, 2006), BB members Steve Geosits and John Lavendoski announced the
launch of a new genealogical website for those individuals and families who have ancestors from the village of
Szentpéterfa, Vas, Hungary (Petrovo Selo), or from any of the nearby Austrian villages that were once a part of
Western Hungary, including Eberau, Gaas, Kulm, Winten, Kroatisch Ehrensdorf, Edlitz, St. Kathrein, and Harmisch.
From those modest beginnings over two and a half years ago, we are happy to report that the website has grown
considerably in both subscribership and content. We now have over 167 registered users with the largest percent of
registrations coming from the USA (68%), Hungary (23%) and Canada (4%).
When it was launched, the Szentpéterfa website contained data from John’s offline database, and consisted of about
3000 individual entries, 250 photographs and 70 source entries. Since that time, Steve has been continually adding
more content, and has been busy managing registrations, interviews, software upgrades and other design
improvements. As a result, the website has almost tripled in size. Here are some recent statistics, and a summary
of new features that have been added.
Profiles – We now have a total of 8290 individual and 2810 family profiles, 650 photographs and 281 source entries
defined to the site. Where known, census and immigration data, as well as Steve’s “house name” data and
descriptions have been added for many individual and family profiles.
Albums – This section was expanded and now includes 30 family photo albums. Other albums have been created for
villagers who served or became priests, sisters and teachers; as well as memorial albums to honor those who died
in World War I and World War II, and to those who were exiled to Hortobágy during the communist years.
Recordings - About 70 Croatian and Hungarian traditional songs have been added to the website. These include
recent contributions from musicians and singers in Szentpéterfa, as well as older songs that were played and first
recorded by Steve and his family in the 1970s.
Most Wanted – This new feature was added so that we can reach out to others in our community for help in the
identification of unknown people in “mystery photographs”.
Maps - A Google Maps interface has been incorporated into the website, making it possible to see map locations of
birth, marriage and death when looking at an individual’s profile. Currently over 500 different locations have
been defined with this new mapping feature.
Languages – Croatian and German translation scripts have been added to the site. Steve is currently coordinating
an effort with volunteers in the United States and in Hungary to create a much needed Hungarian translation
script, and to provide Croatian and Hungarian text to all descriptions on the site.
In closing, we wish to thank all of our subscribers who have contributed content to the site and who have given us
positive feedback and encouraging support for our efforts. You have helped make the Szentpéterfa Genealogy website
a success.
If any of our Burgenland Bunch members have ancestors who are either from Szentpéterfa or from one of the
surrounding villages mentioned above, we encourage you to register on our site at www.szentpeterfa.com. If you do
register, please let us know the names of your ancestors and your relationship to them, so that we can properly
set up your access and to better assist you.
2) RECORDINGS ON THE SZENTPÉTERFA GENEALOGY PAGES (by Steve Geosits)
Editor: The following message was sent to registered members of the Szentpéterfa Genealogy Pages at
www.szentpeterfa.com. If you have an interest in Szentpéterfa or traditional music, you should consider
registering. We thank BB Staff member Steve Geosits and his team for all their hard efforts on this complementary
site.
Greetings! This is Steve Geosits, the webmaster and one of the keepers of the
www.szentpeterfa.com genealogy site. I recently added 56 recordings of
traditional Croatian and Hungarian songs to the website that I hope all of our Petroviscani will enjoy. To see the
recordings, go to the Recordings tab from the home page.
1. The first set of songs feature Janos Geosits (my father) playing the organ and Stephan Skrapits (my uncle)
playing the violin, with family and friends singing in New York City. The collections are called: Hrvatske Jacke
and Vugarske Jacke.
2. The second set of traditional Péterfai songs, "Accordion Solos" feature János Geosits. Both of these
collections were recorded on cassette tape by me and others in the 1970s on various gatherings in New York. I then
transferred them to digital format in 2008. Janos Geosits learned to play the accordion at an early age and
performed at many weddings and dances in Szentpéterfa, and later at many local gatherings in New York City.
Stephen Skrapits was a carpenter, and even made his first violin in Szentpeterfa when he a young lad. He played
with my father at many dance events and gatherings in New York City.
3. The next set of traditional Péterfai songs, "Accordion Solos" feature Antal Merotei. These recordings were
recently made specifically for our website. Antal Merotei has played accordion in the village for over 20 years.
He was the member of the Pinka Band, he played in dance groups, in the Ljubicica choir and in some of the local
plays that were performed in Petrovo Selo.
4. Finally, two songs feature the Ljubicica zenski choir and have been generously contributed to our website by
members of the group. These were taken from the CD recording called "U Pincenoj Dragi." We hope we can share more
of their beautiful vocals to our website soon.
Steve Geosits, Szentpéterfa Genealogy Pages, www.szentpeterfa.com
3) 1946 DEPORTEES FROM PERNAU (Submitted by Emmerich Koller)
A former Pernau resident graciously compiled and forwarded this list of all persons deported from Pernau in 1946.
The list format is as follows: Name of Head of Family (Listed in Hungarian), Number of total Family Members
Deported, Name of Head of Family (Same Person Listed in German).
Schmidt Terézia 1 family member Theresia Schmidt
Taschler János 2 family members Johann Taschler
Szeidl István 7 f. m. Stefan Szeidl
Enger Ferenc 2 f. m. Franz Enger
Mrs. Mittl József 1 f. m. Frau Joseph Mittl
Mrs. Eberhardt Ferenc 4 f. m. Frau Franz Eberhardt
Stéger János 5 f. m. Johann Steger
Schlaffer István 5 f. m. Stefan Schlaffer
Wölfinger Ede 5 f. m. Ede Wölfinger
Windisch Ferenc 5 f. m. Franz Windisch
Rosner István 5 f. m. Stefan Rosner
Vizler György 5 f. m. Georg Wiesler
Purker I stván 5 f. m. Stefan Purker
Gratzl János 4 f. m. Johann Gratzl
Einfaldt Ferenc 3 f. m. Franz Einfaldt
Schmidt György 2 f. m. Georg Schmidt
Mölcs József 2 f. m. Joseph Meltsch
Schmidt János 4 f. m. Johann Schmidt
Schwáb Ede 4 f. m. Ede Schwab
Mrs. Szakál János 1 f. m. Frau Johann Szakál
Schwarcz János 5 f. m. Johann Schwarz
Pfliegler István 2 f. m. Stefan Pfliegler
Schnalzer Ignác 3 f. m. Ignatz Schnalzer
Reinhardt Ferenc 5 f. m. Franz Reinhardt
Schrammel János 3 f. m. Johann Schrammel
Krammer Ferenc 5 f. m. Franz Krammer
Krammer István 4 f. m. Stefan Krammer
Pehr Károly 6 f. m. Karl Pehr
Schrammel Margit 6 f. m. Margarete Schrammel
4) WOLFS / BALF DEPORTATION LIST (by Marsha Jenakovich)
I was online Googling a few days ago and was lucky enough to stumble upon a deportation list (Vertreibung) for the
village of Wolfs (now Balf), Hungary. The list is posted at:
http://www.steinerlh.de/nachHausnummer.pdf
It seems to originate from someone's personal website, so I'm not sure if there are similar
lists available for other villages from another more official source. I know the Burgenland Bunch has members
whose ancestors, like mine, fell somewhat arbitrarily on one side or the other of modern borders, which in some
cases determined their destiny after the war. If any BB members know of the source of this information, perhaps
they can share it with the Bunch. The internet is an amazing, evolving resource, but sometimes it's hard to keep
up.
5) LDS FILMS BORDERLAND
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