The News
Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History


THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS - No. 205

November 30, 2010, © 2010 by The Burgenland Bunch
All rights reserved. Permission to copy excerpts granted if credit is provided.

Our 14th Year, Interim Editor: Thomas Steichen, Copy Editor: Maureen Tighe-Brown

The Burgenland Bunch Newsletter is issued monthly online.
It was founded by Gerald Berghold (who retired in Summer 2008 and died in August 2008).


Current Status Of The BB:
* Members: 1863 * Surname Entries: 6499 * Query Board Entries: 4511 * Number of Staff Members: 16
 

This newsletter concerns:

1) THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

2) NEW BB STAFF MEMBER, MATT BOISEN

3) HUNGARIAN CENSUS RECORDS

4) COUSIN BUD FINDS OUR BURGENLAND FAMILY
(by Matt Boisen)

5) DOES GREAT-GRANDFATHER JOSEF POTETZ HAVE A FRENCH "LOOK"?
(by Richard Potetz)

6) END OF AN ERA
(by Frank Paukowits)

7) THE (E)MAIL BAG

8) HISTORICAL BB NEWSLETTER ARTICLES: AMERICA'S IMMIGRATION CRISIS

9) ETHNIC EVENTS
(courtesy of Bob Strauch, Hannes Graf & Margaret Kaiser)

10) BURGENLAND EMIGRANT OBITUARIES
(courtesy of Bob Strauch)


1) THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER (by Tom Steichen)

This month we are blessed (but especially blessed is your overworked Editor!) with two interesting articles contributed by BB members.

Richard Potetz provides a slightly tongue-in-cheek follow-up article exploring another aspect of the French Soldier story from him that we ran last month. I think you will enjoy it!

And Matt Boisen contributes a two-in-one "visit to the Burgenland" story: he followed in the 50-year-old footsteps of a cousin! Even more than that, Matt has volunteered to be a new BB Staff member as a ongoing Contributing Writer for the Newsletter. As you'll see from his first Newsletter contribution, Matt is researching Boehm from Redlschlag and Weber from Lebenbrunn. I'll let him introduce himself below (see article 2). So, please welcome Matt to the BB staff.

Please let all of us know if you enjoy their efforts.

             

Please note: There will not be a December newsletter.

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and are looking forward fondly to the Holiday season ahead. I'll be in New York City over Christmas (my wife says we must see New York at Christmas at least once in our lives, so this is the year!). We'll be visiting our son there and taking in everything that the "city" offers.

We spent Thanksgiving in Washington, DC, where our other son and wife live and where my youngest sister and family have been for many years (her husband is a within-the-belt-line native!). I'm actually writing this note before we leave on that trip (so I meet the publication schedule) but I expect I'll have a really nice time!
 
             

Finally, much as I often do, I'll share a bit of correspondence. Back at the end of March and into April, I participated in an e-mail exchange with Florida-based member Betty DeShazo, which I'll share now because it presents research techniques that should be of interest to many members.

However, I lost track of her final question concerning the Hungarian census. I will present an answer for that question as a separate article below. But first to the email exchange...

Betty wrote: Hi Tom; I am contacting you to see if you can give me some direction. My name is Betty and I have been doing genealogy for about 5 years. My grandmother came from Rohr, Hungary, but I did not know that until recently. She said she was from Austria. Her name was Therz Knor, born October 1880. Her parents were Frentz Knor and Anna Schabhütl and they lived in house 77. Anna died July 1904. That is all I know about them. Can you assist me in locating any ancestors living in the area? What Catholic church would have records? Any cemeteries? When Frentz died? ANY information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Betty DeShazo

My initial reply was quite extensive, as Betty provided plenty of "bones" to chew on (I'll insert some [editorial comments] in square-bracketed italics):

Rohr is currently in Austria but was known as Nád, Hungary, prior to 1921, when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. [Ed. Knowing the village name in Hungarian, German and Croatian (if it has a Croatian name) is essential because references to the village by the family or in records could be in any of these languages.]

Being a small village (~400 residents), it did not have a parish of its own. Catholic records were kept in the church in nearby Bocksdorf (Backsafalva, Hungary) and those for 1828-1895 can be found on LDS film 700651. The relevant films for 1895-1920 would be the civil records of Stegersbach (Szentelek, Hungary, 12 films: #'s 700584-700595). Should you need to know, Lutheran records were in Kukmirn (Kukmér, Hungary, 4 films: #'s 700678-700681). [Ed. For most of us, a key tool for Burgenland research is the LDS microfilm project. Thus, knowing the LDS film numbers is also essential.]

I pulled most of the above from the BB website... Hungarian (and/or Croatian) names for Burgenland villages, as well as where records were kept, can be found on the Villages pages (http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Villages/Villages.htm). [Ed. See second and fifth columns of example below. An alternative source for this information is Albert's Village Data found at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Help/BB_Albert.htm.]



Whether LDS films exist can be found on the LDS pages (http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/LDS/LDS.htm). To get the film numbers, I jumped to the LDS library catalog (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp) and chose option "Place Search". [Ed. See example below. Again, an alternative source for the film numbers is the lower section of the BB LDS pages mentioned immediately above.]



The House lists of the BB Maps section also provides some information: House #3 in Rohr was inhabited by a Knor family in 1750 and #4 in 1857, so the name has a long history there (it also appears in nearby villages). The Schabhüttl name also appears there in both 1750 and 1857. [Ed. From page http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/HouseList/SurnamesList.htm.]

If what you say in your membership information is correct (that Therese came over in 1905), it appears she lists nearby Kaltenbrunn -- more formally, Deutsch-Kaltenbrunn (Némethidegkut, Hungary) -- as where she lived prior to emigrating. She likely traveled with Marrianne Messner to NYC, with friend Julius Goldschmeid listed as who they were going to join, arriving April 12. Interestingly, she states that she had previously been to the US. [Ed. This information comes from the Ellis Island site, http://www.ellisisland.org/.] (This suggests you might wish to explore Deutsch-Kaltenbrunn records also; Catholic records for 1828-1895 on films 700694 and 700695; civil records for 1895-1920 on films 700489-700498.)

You asked about cemeteries... unlike here, cemetery plots are rented in Austria and are reused when the rent is no longer paid. So, it is hard to say whether you would find a Knor stone in any of these villages... it would require that descendants has chosen to keep the plot paid up. (Because of this, the BB does not track cemetery records.)

Lastly, you asked about ancestors "living" in the area... I had a small chuckle about the impossibility of finding living ancestors for people born in the 1800's (thank you, Betty!) before re-interpreted it to mean ancestors "who had lived" in the area. The obvious first choice to discover these people is to take advantage of the microfilmed church records mentioned above. I suspect you will be quite successful!

Betty replied (and I responded with comments inserted in blue): I did know that the village was Nad before 1921 and I do not know which name to use. You use the village name (or names) active at the time based on whose records you are dealing with... I know that is not a very helpful reply, but it is accurate. If you are using German records, it would be Rohr; Hungarian records, Nad. And church records... well it often would depend on the nativity of the priest!

I also have my grandmother's (Terez) baptismal record, which I got off the film # 700651, but I do not know the name of the parish. The top of the print out says "Matricula Baptisatorum" which I think means Roman Catholic. Not quite... that's Latin for "Baptism Records" ...which, by implication, tells you that they are, indeed, Catholic records! The parish for film 700651 is Backsafalva, Hungary (current day, Bocksdorf). Latin for marriage records would be "Matricula Copulatorum."

I will search BBwebsite to see what I can find. Will it list nearby villages? I am looking for the marriage of Knor & Schabhütl but have not been able to find any records. I am thinking maybe they married in a nearby village. It may well be that the marriage records were never filmed. The best way to find nearby villages is to use the Maps section of our website (http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Map/VillageMaps.htm). Rohr is in district Güssing, but is quite near Jennersdorf. Probably the best map for you is http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/Map/GS/midi/GS-AT.htm. You'll find Rohr as Rohr i.Bgld. (which stands for Rohr im Burgenland, as there are other Rohr's in Austria), near the left side, about half way down. [Ed. A clip from that map is shown below, with the mentioned places circled.]
 



Also I think I found the birth records of Theresa's parents, again the top of the print out says "Keresztelttek Jegyzö Könyve". What is that? They were both born in 1841 on the same film # 700651. That would be Hungarian for the "Baptism Register Book."

[Ed. Note: One of the advantages of an online newsletter is the ability to edit it post-publication... in this case, Anna Kresh, having read this article, reminded me that there is a link on the BB URL/Links page that provides English translations (from Latin, Hungarian and Slovak) of most of the church-based birth, death and marriage record headers and terms: http://homepages.bmi.net/jjaso/. So, if you need to know more, check it out. Thanks Anna!]

Theresa came to the US, sailing from Bremen on the ship Dresden, Feb. 1902, went back to Hungary when her mother died and returned in 1905. Again thank you and I do appreciate what you have done for me. If I owe you and money please let me know and I will send it to you. No money, we do this because we enjoy the research effort (in small doses) and have a Burgenland tie.

Betty replied one more time (but I failed to follow up on her final question... well, until now... see article #3 below): You have been a wonderful help to me. I did not know how to use the BB website very well. I am learning. Can you tell me anything about the Hungarian census? When did it start and how can I find it? I do find several Knor's and Schabhütl's going way back. Just have to figure out which are mine!
 
2) NEW BB STAFF MEMBER, MATT BOISEN

The BB is pleased to welcome new BB Staff member, Matthew Boisen, of Owatonna, MN to the team! As noted in my "President's Corner" section above, Matt will take on the role of Contributing Writer for the BB Newsletter, writing on topics of general interest but also with special "portfolio" to explore and expound on the experiences of Midwestern Burgenlanders (a topic of personal interest to me, as that is where my Burgenlanders landed!). So, if you have stories or ideas about the Midwestern experience, please contact Matt at docmattb(at)hotmail.com. Here's what Matt has to say about himself.

             

MATT BOISEN: BB NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Alright, well, I was born and raised in Le Sueur, Minnesota, just up [the Minnesota] River from Henderson, where "our" Burgenlanders "landed," went to SCSU [Saint Cloud State University] and U of MN [the University of Minnesota], currently living in Owatonna, MN, married, two kids, 13 and 12, hobbies include (duh) family history, biking, travel, cooking, gardening, and collecting clocks.

Is that OK?

 [Editorial note: I had to ask Matt twice for a bio... thus the trailing question above. One would think a "Contributing Writer" might be willing to write freely about himself, wouldn't you? Obviously, Matt is not that way! However, Matt and I exchanged a number of quite verbose messages when he first mentioned his interest in writting for the BB Newsletter... it turns out he and I share many central Minnesota experiences... and, in private, he is very willing to expound on those experiences. For that reason, I know that his "mom and her people (her mother's side goes back to Territorial days, German immigrants from New Ulm)" were also from Le Sueur and that, at age 14, he "moved to Iowa for a couple of years and then to Albany, MN, smack dab in the middle of Stearns County ...where I graduated from high school and met my wife."

I also went to SCSU and my people "landed" in Stearns County, and this past summer both Matt and I traveled through each other's home areas of Minnesota, so we had a lot of common experiences to talk about. Hopefully, we can get Matt to write a little about the ethnic stew that is Minnesota... if you are from there, you will know only too well how much "German immigrant" and "New Ulm" go together and how much some of the immigrant experience still lingers in Stearns County.]



3) HUNGARIAN CENSUS RECORDS

As reported above, Betty DeShazo asked what I can tell her about the Hungarian census, wanting specifically to know when it started and how she can find it. This was not a topic I know much about, so I queried the BB staff.

Emeritus staff member, Anna Kresh replied: "There is an article in the online BB newsletter No. 60 - June 30, 1999 on the 1839 Hungarian Tax Records (by Bob Unger and Joe Jarfas) and a discussion of Hungarian Tax Records in BB newsletter No. 63 - August 31, 1999. [Ed. In addition, Newsletters 2, 54, 58 and 62B have articles discussing aspects of the Hungarian censuses.]

Also, some years ago, a kind lady named Martha M. Conner translated the column headings of the 1828 Hungarian Land Census. I can no longer find the web page where the info is listed, but I saved the outline." [Ed. Ms. Connor's translated column headings are presented in the article in Newsletter 62B. Below is a clip from a sample page of the 1828 Land Census showing the first 3 columns of data.]



Member Research Editor, Barbara Raabe, replied: "I have two of Martha Conner's books on the 1828 Hungarian Census: "Germans and Hungarians, 1828 Land Census, Moson County, Hungary" [and] "Germans and Hungarians, 1828 Land Census, City Index of 24 Counties." Let me know if I can do any look-ups." [Ed. You can contact Barbara about a look-up by clicking here.]

Croatian Burgenland Editor, John Lavendoski, replied: "I have used both the 1828 census (which is on microfilm and available from the LDS here in the USA), and numerous subsequent smaller tax surveys to very good effect in genealogical research. I was fortunate to be able to get copies of many later tax / valuation surveys (1835, 1841, 1846, 1857, 1860, etc) for the village in which I am most interested during my last trip to Hungary, and they proved to be invaluable. I found these smaller tax surveys in the county archives for VAS county, which is in the Hungarian city of Szombathely."

             

Given what the staff reports above and the fact that these Hungarian censuses have been discussed extensively in six prior BB newsletter articles, I debated what (if anything) I should say on the topic. I considered (but quickly discarded) the idea of reproducing those six articles in this newsletter, as they constitute over 8,000 words combined and take about nineteen 8.5´11 pages to print with a 12 pt font. Instead, I will provide links to each of these newsletters and you can link to and read the six articles from their current locations if you so desire:

BB News No. 02: Burgenland Census Records
BB News No. 54: Hungarian Latin & 1828 Census
BB News No. 58: Continuing your Burgenland search - Census Records Primer
BB News No. 60: 1839 Hungarian Tax Records
BB News No. 62: Hungarian Census of 1828
BB News No. 63: Hungarian Tax Records

I will also point out three webpages about the Hungarian Census records that I find particularly informative, summarizing their key points.

The first webpage is at http://www.progenealogists.com/hungary/census-fhl.htm and is titled "Hungarian Census Returns." This one gives a nice narrative about the when and why of Hungarian censuses.

It notes that the first "population enumeration" by the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in 1696, to count how many Hungarian families in the city of Buda had survived the 150 year Turkish occupation. The first country-wide tally was done in 1715, followed by another in 1720 and one in 1728, but this last one is only partially preserved. An ecclesiastical count taken in 1747 is almost complete, especially for the western counties of Hungary, but all these early efforts were simple headcounts so are not very useful for family genealogical work.

The first census-like records are the Urbaria, kept as early as 1750. The Urbaria, created by the nobility, contain lists of peasants, by name, with their land rights, occasionally including names of family members, with amount of obligations of the peasant toward the estate owner, the conditions of payment, services owed to their lord by the peasants, and the size of the estate. The first general Urbarium was made in 1770, with other Urbaria in the 1780s and 1790s.

The first official true census [Népszamlalas] of Hungary was taken in 1785-1786, per a decree from Emperor Joseph II for conscription purposes. This census included names and ages of the male population. Much of this census was destroyed and the remaining records are of poor quality. Beginning in 1805 and extending through 1880, censuses were taken at irregular intervals in both Austria and Hungary. Some of these counts were general censuses of property owners; others were for specific purposes such as the 1848 Hungarian census of the Jews. Beginning in 1880 a census was taken every ten years. The last census of Austria-Hungary was in 1910.

The webpage also notes that the information provided varied according to census. Some list only head of household, conscription number of house, and taxable property. Many of the censuses of the 1800s give house number, head of household, names of members of the household (including servants), ages, occupations, religions, and relationships to head of household; some also give date and place of birth.

Four of the census returns are available on microfilm at the Family History Library. These include the land and property census of 1828, parts of the 1848 census of the Jews and parts of the 1857 and 1869 enumerations. Many of the other census returns are preserved in Hungarian county and city archives. (The website then gives details on the four microfilmed censuses.)

The second webpage is at https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Hungary_Census and is titled "Hungary Census." It repeats much of the key information covered above then gives specific information about the "1725-1775 Censuses of the Jews" and about the four censuses noted in the previous paragraph. Some of the details on this page complement those on the first page I mentioned.

The third webpage is at http://www.dvhh.org/research/1828_census_connor.htm and is titled "The Hungarian Property Tax 1828 Land Census, Germans & Hungarians Extractions, by Martha Remer Connor." This page describes the books that Martha Connor created about the 1828 land and property census and offers them for sale. It also describes the headings of the 14 columns of data. If you are interested in one of these books, this site is an excellent place to start.

             

Knowing that Member Research Editor, Barbara Raabe, had two of the books (Moson & the City Index), I asked her for more detail about two Moson County villages, Halbturn and Wallern (which coincidentally happen to be my ancestral villages [wink, wink]). She reports that "Halbturn has 2 pages with 221 names listed. Wallern has 1 page with 152 names listed. Note it only lists the first and last names for those listed in the 1828 census, not all the information that is in the actual census."

I then asked her about the City Index book, inquiring specifically about four Counties, Vas, Moson, Györ and Sopron. She reports, "The second book (Index) lists at the beginning, 'City Lists of 15 Counties'. This includes Gyor, Moson and Vas but I don't see any for Sopron. It lists the cities in alphabetical order [with] its county next to it. This takes several pages. Then starts a list of cities for each county, but Gyor and Moson are not counties in this section. Sopron has 3 pages spelled Sophron, I assume that's the same. Vas is also listed as Castriferrei."

Barbara notes further that it "would be helpful if you wanted to know what county a particular town was in and the first book has a lot of information about the 1828 census and what the various columns mean. Other than that, they are strictly indexes listing the names of persons living in that town in 1828 and are no substitute for the actual census on microfilm through the LDS library."

             

There is much more, quite detailed, information about specific censuses in the six BB Newsletter articles I mentioned above. If you decide to try researching your family through the Hungarians censuses, I suggest that the time taken to read these articles will be returned six times over as you avoid struggles with their language and other idiosyncrasies. And if you do decide to tackle them, please share your experiences by dropping me a note for the Newsletter!
 


4) COUSIN BUD FINDS OUR BURGENLAND FAMILY (by Matt Boisen)

My first cousin once removed, Charles "Bud" Boehm, worked for the Under Secretary of Commerce for many years during the Cold War and was able to see, first hand, the conditions that existed in the Burgenland after the Russian occupation ended in 1955. His father, also named Charles (born Karl Böhm on a Batthyány estate in Vas Megye in 1876) came to the US at the age of 12 and settled with his family in Henderson, Minnesota, where many immigrants from western Vas Megye had already settled.

I would like to shed some light on a little-mentioned area of what is now Mittel-Burgenland, i.e., the western edge of the former Vas Megye along the border of what is now Lower Austria. My family hails from two villages: Lebenbrunn (Bezirk Oberpullendorf) and Redlschlag (Bezirk Oberwart).

My great-grandfather, Franz Böhm, was 41 years old when economic conditions in West Hungary and rapturous praise from relatives in Minnesota convinced him to move his family to the US. He received a "municipal letter of recommendation" from authorities in Lebenbrunn, where his family was living with his wife's parents. He and his wife, Teresia, packed up their four children and meager belongings, including feather beds and grape and peony plants, and booked passage on the steamer Fulda out of Bremerhaven in April of 1888. There was a substantial population of immigrants from Vas in rural Minnesota, particularly in Sibley County, many coming from the villages mentioned above. In addition to the Böhms, there were the Webers, Grossingers, Schloegels and Bergers, all of whom still have descendants in the Henderson area today. These people emigrated in the 1880s and remained farmers and villagers. Of course, they can't be called Burgenlanders, but they were the same sturdy devout folk who set the stage for the later wave of immigrants who tended to settle out East and/or in large cities.

Cousin Bud had first-hand knowledge of life in West Hungary from his father's memories of growing up in the former Dual Monarchy. Fifty years ago this year, Bud was working at the American Embassy in Vienna and decided to see for himself the homeland of his father's stories. He hired an embassy car and driver, and supplied with addresses from the Schloegels in Henderson, traveled to Burgenland, looking for the villages mentioned in the family stories and, hopefully, to find some family as well.

The Russian occupation had not been a kind one, and Burgenland in 1960 "was the most impoverished part of Austria" and was still "very poor, and living conditions still very hard" even five years later. Roads were unimproved, often dirt, and farmers were still working with draft animals. Bud was looking for the village "which the Boehms and Schloegels always pronounced 'Raelischlow,' and which I couldn't locate on any map."

The following is an excerpt from the letter he sent to my grandparents following the adventure, dated August 31, 1960:

We found a road sign pointing to Redlschlag, (2 miles away) and I thought it probably was the "Raelischlow" the folks talked about. I saw a load of hay coming down the narrow mud road we were on, just wide enough for one car, and hailed the driver. My German was good enough to be understood, and I asked if he knew whether the village of Lebenbrunn was nearby. He replied that it was less than 5 miles away "just beyond Raelischlow." That pronunciation did it and my next question was, "Is there a family by the name of Boehm in 'Raelischlow'?" He said yes, indeed, and he was a Boehm.

He took me to his home, where his father, Joseph Boehm, recalled that his uncle, Franz Boehm, had gone to Henderson, Minnesota, many years ago. His wife, whose maiden name was Boehm also, though they were not relatives, went into the house and brought out some old notes, and among them was a slip with the words 'Henderson, Minn.' on it. There were no other Boehms in Redlschlag, but they urged me to see their daughter, a Mrs. Johann Schloegel in Lebenbrunn, who would refer me to the Webers.

I got there [Lebenbrunn] just at noon, and the Schloegels in Lebenbrunn sent their little boy up the road about two blocks and, within 5 minutes, there were ten people there running into the house, all relatives. Still living in Lebenbrunn are a 66-year-old sister and a 72-year-old brother, who are children of Grandma Boehm's sister Anna. The brother took me up to his house to meet his wife and he told me that the family record showed that all of the children of Hieronymus Weber were born in this building, making it the birthplace of Grandma Boehm [nee Teresia Weber]. The house was at least 300 years old. Grandma Boehm's niece, the 66-year-old lady referred to above, has a son about 30 years old, who is a Burgenland area traffic policeman, and he directed me to many interesting sites, including the old schoolhouse which Louis and Charles Boehm (and probably Mary and Frank, if they were old enough at the time) attended.

But the most interesting thing was still to come. I was asked if I knew that Grandpa Boehm had contributed a church bell to the village church to replace the one taken during World War I. I had heard something about it years ago, but had forgotten. The young policeman took me to the old church where Grandpa and Grandma Boehm were married and where the children made their First Communion [St. Ulrich in Lebenbrunn]. The inside was just as it was 200 years ago. I crawled up three ladders into the belfry, chased the pigeons out, dusted off a bell and there, inscribed on it, was the wording that in English would read, "Donated by Franz Boehm from America." It really was an emotional occasion for all of us in Lebenbrunn that day.

The area, which includes Redlschlag, Lebenbrunn and Salmannsdorf (the "Sormischdorf" of Henderson pronunciation), is about 90 miles due south of Vienna, just five miles inside the western boundary at that point. I got many interesting stories of their problems in the war years and, when I see all of you, I will have much to tell you.

If I can get back there before I finish my work in Vienna, I will learn much more. I did not get to Salmannsdorf because everyone of our known kin had already come to Lebenbrunn when the word got around and, by five o'clock in the afternoon when I had to start back to Vienna, I had met at least 40 relatives, only four of whom were on the Boehm side, the rest all being Webers.

Well, all in all, it was quite an experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We were throwing questions back and forth all day and it gave me quite a workout in my poor German speaking capacity.

Incidentally, I arranged a Requiem High Mass in Lebenbrunn for all the Boehms and Webers, dead and living, for one day next week and another one on my father's next birthday.

Regards to all of you from
"Bud"

Bud never made it back to the Burgenland, but encouraged other family members to visit, and several did just that in the late '60s and into the '70s. Conditions improved markedly over the years and Burgenland became as prosperous as any state in Europe.

The bell became a legend in our family, and my aunt Bev Boehm and I decided to go look for it again. So, in 2002, with nothing but Bud's letter to go on, we flew to Vienna and drove ourselves to the Burgenland for a little exploration of family history. The next entry is from a family circular I wrote at the time:

October 9, 2002: Burgenland, Austria

Oberloisdorf became the base for our adventure in Burgenland. We were the only lodgers at the little "privatzimmer" in the range of hills in which nestle the villages of Lebenbrunn and Redlschlag. The tang of wood smoke filled the air in the mornings. The harvest was underway, and many roadside stands boasted large pile of "Kurbis" (pumpkins and squash) for sale as well as signs for "Most" and "Stürm" (the first fermented grape juice of the season). Small trucks loaded with grapes from area vineyards were found on all the country roads and, if you were lucky, there was fresh-pressed apple juice for breakfast. The weather had turned rainy and cloudy, but the intrepid adventurers set out to find that bell.

The villages of Lebenbrunn and Redlschlag sit at a higher elevation than the rest of the area, so the views were impressive. Lebenbrunn was quiet that day as we drove over the hill and spotted the steeple of St. Ulrich's in the valley below.

The church was fronted by a goose pond (the pond where a young Charlie Boehm was disciplined for splashing his siblings after church) with a newly remodeled bridge and several monuments to those of the village lost in war or plague. A venerable horse chestnut shaded the front of the church.

St. Ulrich's is a modest, stucco-clad church with a short steeple. The doors were locked and no one was around. As we were walking around the village, a truck drove by and stopped at a house across from the church. Two men got out and started unloading glazed blocks, which are common house construction materials in Austria. I went over to ask them in my halting German if they knew who might open the church for us and that we wanted to look at the bell. The younger man nodded and went inside the house and came out shortly with a set of keys. Could it be we found the sexton by chance? He unlocked the front doors and we went in.

The church interior is much like the country Catholic churches in Minnesota, plain painted walls, a modest tabernacle and altar and a simple choir loft. No fancy stained glass in the windows or baroque madness on the ceiling. We climbed to the choir loft, where a rough wooden door with stout hinges appeared to be the only access to the belfry. That door, too, was locked. The man could not open it with the keys he had and briefly looked as dejected as we did. He ran his hand over the lintel and suddenly brightened. In his hand, no kidding, was a large old skeleton key! He quickly inserted it into the lock and the door swung inward.

Old faded paintings of saints and Stations of the Cross were stacked haphazardly in the space beyond, lit by a grimy colored glass window. A wooden ladder rose out of the pile and continued into the ceiling. A glance upward revealed a landing and then another, even older looking, ladder that rose into the belfry itself. Dust covered everything.

I turned on my cameras and made ready to climb. The man shook his head and said, "Gefaehrlich," which meant it was dangerous, and that I should be careful. I nodded and climbed the first ladder, which was solid, but the second one was not. Bev wanted to climb up, too, but visions of broken limbs made me worried enough to advise, to the man's relief, that she should wait below. She agreed and watched as I climbed the second ladder, which wobbled quite a bit, up under the bells hanging above.

Upon gaining access to the belfry, I saw three bells, one large and two smaller ones, suspended from a large beam. The light slanted in through louvered windows, keeping out pigeons. I could hear roosters crowing in the village below. The large bell had some decoration, but no inscription. The smaller bells were harder to see without climbing up on the sill of the louvered openings. One bell had a date of 1947 on it, so that wasn't the one. I walked around to see the other bell and it was then I saw the inscription.

Under an embossed figure of the risen Christ, were the words, "Gespendet von Franz Böhm in Amerika." I caught my breath and then yelled down to Bev that it was here, the story was true, old Franz really did get his name on a bell. I took many pictures and tried to get it to ring, but it was hooked up to a mechanical device that struck it rather than letting it swing. We were all flustered and excited, and even our helpful man with the keys was smiling at these goofy Americans.

Our visit to Redlschlag included a visit with an outgoing man at house no. 27 (next door to the former Boehm home) who didn't speak a word of English and a retired 90-year-old English teacher who tried to help find relatives but was ultimately unsuccessful at finding anyone at home who might know something about the Boehm family. Nonetheless, it was a great day.

I am fortunate to have had Bud's letters and information to build upon when I took up the family history. Even though the Boehms were early immigrants from what would become Burgenland, I am separated from West Hungary by just two generations, as my grandfather, Ed Boehm, was born when his father, Franz, was 54 years old, and "Papa Ed" was 42 when my mother was born. I still have the original "letter of recommendation" from the village clerk in Lebenbrunn (another Weber relative), written in German but stamped with official seals in Hungarian. The peony plants they carried across the ocean took root near the well house on their Henderson farm. The pride of my great grandmother Teresia's garden, they continued to bloom for years even after the property became part of an adjacent cemetery. The grapes didn't fare as well, dying during the first winter. But the family spirit and memories live on.
 


5) DOES GREAT-GRANDFATHER JOSEF POTETZ HAVE A FRENCH "LOOK"? (by Richard Potetz)

Last month's BB newsletter included my family story claiming the POTETZ surname came to Burgenland by way of a French soldier with the POTEZ surname. Tom Steichen, our BB President and newsletter editor, asked for a photo so readers could see if my Potetz ancestors had a French "look". So I submit for your inspection my great-grandfather, blacksmith and farmer, Josef Potetz, a link in a chain I believe goes back to France.

This view is cropped from a group picture, the only image I have of my great-grandparents, Josef and Maria (Forian) Potetz, taken when Josef was 71 and Maria was 72. Forty-six years before the picture was taken, Josef and Maria were married in a double wedding at the church in Jennersdorf. The other half of the double wedding was Josef's sister Susanna marrying Maria's brother Franz. The brides swapped houses while the grooms stayed put. Maria (Forian) Potetz moved from Jennersdorf house 99 to Neumarkt house 83, while Susanna (Potetz) Forian moved from Neumarkt house 83 to Jennersdorf house 99.

It's hard to tell from the photo if Josef had a French ancestor (probably made more difficult because Josef had many Austrian ancestors). So we must take the next step, compare Great-Grandfather Potetz to photos of Frenchmen named Potez. The only French Potez photo I can find on the internet is that of Henri Potez, shown below, a famous airplane designer.

Alas, a picture is not always worth a thousand words. I don't see a family resemblance. But then again, if they had a common ancestor he would have lived prior to 1650, about 11 generations back. A common ancestor that far back would be just one of 2048 contributors to Josef and Henri's DNA – not likely to lead to a family resemblance.

Worse yet, my French friends tell me Potez is not a French name, even though Henri Potez was French and famous. Henri was born in northern France, the only place that the Potez name seems to be before 1650.

How could the Potez name originate in France but not be a French name? Well, the Potez name seems to originate in an area that was just as turbulent as Burgenland: the part of France opposite the Strait of Dover. Many armies passed through that area going to and from England. The Romans conquered the Celts there about 100 BC. Franks conquered the area about 300 AD. Vikings conquered the area about 700 AD. In 891 AD, Arnulf of Carinthia, who already ruled southern Burgenland, defeated the Vikings there. Maybe my Potez soldier ancestor descended from a soldier from Burgenland who came to France in Arnulf's army. The area itself became powerful when the Normans conquered England in 1066. Next, England conquered the area in 1356. Etc. The point is that northern France was a historically unstable place, with people and names coming there from many places. Those of us who research Burgenland ancestry are familiar with that kind of situation.

Another way of guessing the origin of our ancestors is to look at where people with our ancestors' surnames live today. The website http://christoph.stoepel.net/geogen/en/Default.aspx overlays surname distribution onto maps of Austria or Germany that may give clues about origin. For example, the mother of my great-grandfather, Josef Potetz, was Christina (Halb) Potetz, born about 1822 in nearby Gritsch. The Halb surname is rare except in Austria, where there are 59 phone book listings, 30 of which are in southern Burgenland. The distribution map for the "Halb" surname from that website appears below.
 
The Burgenland Bunch "Combined Surname List" shows eight Halb heads-of-household in Burgenland in 1858, all near Jennersdorf. My Halb ancestors may have lived in that area for centuries – or not. The only thing we can say for certain is that our ancestors go all the way back.
 
So here's to you, Great-Grandfather, and here's to all of our ancestors, because without them where would we be?


6) END OF AN ERA (by Frank Paukowits)

Frank Paukowits, BB staff member and leader of the BH&R effort, wrote to say: Hi Tom, The Burgenland Society in New Jersey is disbanding after being in existence for nearly 90 years. I have prepared a little blurb on this, along with some history of the Club. As members of these societies age, it makes the efforts of the BB all that more important as the means to preserve the culture and traditions of the Old Country. I will also attach a picture of the Officers of the Society, which was taken at their farewell dinner. Be well. Frank

Editor: It is sad to see organizations like this fall by the wayside. However, I suspect that the members worked hard to turn their children into true Americans. Thus, we should not be surprised that they no longer having a need for ethnic support structures. Sad, yes; unsurprising, no.

Frank's "blurb" follows:

            


After 88 years, the American-Burgenland Sick and Death Benefit Society in Passaic, New Jersey, is disbanding at the end of 2010. The Society has only 37 members now from a high of over 300 during its heyday in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The consensus of the members, many of whom are now in their 80’s, was that it was no longer feasible to host Society functions given the ages of its members and the dwindling membership trend.

The Passaic-Clifton community was an area with a substantial influx of Burgenländers in the early 1900’s. Mostly, the immigrants came from the Güssing Berzirk, with especially large numbers coming from the towns of St. Michael, Punitz and Moschendorf. Like in many other immigrant areas, the Society was formed as a social organization and to provide monetary help in the event of sickness or death of its members when people were confronted with unexpected adversities.

The first president of the Society was Anton Vas from Eberau. Edmund Traupman, from Glasing, has been the president for the last 25 years. The oldest living member is Gisella Sauerzopf, who will be turning 98 in December and has been a member since 1930. The oldest male member is Rudy Sokasits, who is 91 years old. A photo showing the Society’s members at their tenth anniversary celebration can be found on the BH&R website module at http://www.the-burgenland-bunch.org/BH&R/homelinks/nj_burgenlaender_society-1932.htm.

Over the years, the Society hosted numerous social events. Annually, they would have a Picnic in the Summer, a Weinläsefest in the Fall and a Faschingfest in the Winter. President’s Palace was the dance hall which served as the hub of the Society’s functions and Galamb’s Tavern was the Society’s headquarters. The Society would also sponsor trips to dances run by the equivalent Sick and Death Benefit Society in New York. This would provide New Jersey and New York immigrants with the opportunity to maintain and foster continuing contacts with friends and family from the Old Country who lived in different locations.

A farewell dinner for the Society’s members was held on September 19, 2010. This provided members with the chance to get together and share memories and stories of past times. It was a day that was nostalgic for many of the attendees. Paul Lebitsch, Vice President and Secretary of the Club, said he hopes to have a reunion dinner each year to keep the remaining members together. He’s already decided on September 18, 2011 as the date of the first reunion. As the date approaches, anyone interested in going should let Paul know. His telephone number is (973) 773-3130.

Anyone looking at the history and longevity of the Society would say that it had a nice run. It provided Burgenländers with an avenue for maintaining their customs and traditions and served to keep together friends and family through the social events that the group sponsored. Special kudos to all members both living and deceased.

As Bob Hope would say at the end of all his performances, “Thanks for the memories.”


7) THE (E)MAIL BAG

Last month, I told you about some of the "good" e-mail spam I receive because of my involvement with the BB. This month, I'll tell you about some of the weird e-mail spam mailings that have found me, again I assume, because of my involvement with the BB.

As I mentioned last month, spam is not always junk mail. By definition, "spam" is simply unsolicited bulk e-mail... a definition that provides no delineation between good and bad unsolicited e-mail. The ones I'll talk about in this article are not evil in any sense... but why they are sent to me is quite curious... I hope you find them as odd as I do!

             

I must start by reminding you of my "emigrant status" -- I was born and raised in central Minnesota, as was my mother Clara and her mother Barbara; it is not until Barbara's parents that I have ancestors born in the old country. Yes, some of her siblings were born in the Halbturn area (Féltorony, Wittmannshof and Albértkázmérpuszta are listed in the birth records of her four older siblings) but Barbara was born in rural Stearns County, MN, in May of 1891, a respectable time after her mother joined her father there in 1889. So, if I am an Austrian emigrant, I left some 121 years ago! Nonetheless, I routinely receive emails (and mailings) from Austria as if I were an expatriate!

            

One organization I regularly hear from has e-mail of the form name@bmeia.gv.at and letterhead titled:
"Aussendung der AuslandsösterreicherInnen -Abteilung, des Bundesministeriums für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten."


My crude translation of this letterhead is:
"Transmissions of the Austrians Living Abroad Department, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs."

So, even with my questionable translation skills, you should see that this is an email intended for Austrian expatriates. 

I recently learned from them about two topics:
Novelle des Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetzes (Amendment to the Citizenship Law)
Relevante Neuerungen für AuslandsösterreicherInnen (Relevant innovations for Austrians living abroad)

The first of these topics let me know about the January changes to the 1985 Citizenship Act 1985 that affect the citizenship of non-Austrian-born adopted children and illegitimate children. In case you need to know... yes, they can become citizens but you must be able to establish paternity of illegitimate children and both types must be entitled to care and upbringing by you. However, you can no longer apply for their citizenship by mail; you must, instead, do it personally through a competent Austrian diplomatic authority.

The second of these topics let me know that the "proof of citizenship" has a new look. The new one is yellow-orange in color, meets the latest safety requirements, and was placed in use by Austrian diplomatic authorities in April. Again, in case you need to know... existing citizenship certificates remain valid. There is no need to apply for a new citizenship certificate.

            

Another organization I hear from a couple times a year is Auslandsösterreicher-Weltbund Generalsekretariat (the Austrian Expatriates - World Federation General Secretary).

One message from them this year concerned the "Alliance Conference, Expatriates Meeting" held in Eisenstadt in September. Looking back at the program (the message came complete with attachments for meeting and hotel reservations, the program and an instruction sheet on how best to fill everything out), I see I missed a lot!

The meeting began at 2 pm on the first day with an hour-long tour of Eisenstadt city sites relevant to Haydn and ended with an evening cruise on Lake Neusiedl (with barbecue, free wine and mineral water). The second day featured a two and a half hour tour concerning other musicians who made the city home and a "Burgenland evening in the Orangerie of Schloss Esterházy," wrapped around a four-hour General Assembly meeting. The third day had a two-hour morning award ceremony for the "International Austrian of the Year 2010" in the Haydn Hall at Esterházy Palace, lunch with the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs at the Hotel Burgenland, a three hour General Assembly meeting and concluded with the "final ball" that evening. The meeting wrapping up on Sunday with a choice of an Evangelical (Lutheran) or Catholic church service followed by the "final lunch" at the Hotel Burgenland.

This is my kind of meeting! Three days of playing wrapped around seven hours of actual meeting! If I could get someone to pay my way, I'd certainly figure out some logic as to why I was invited! But then, as much as I hate meetings, I likely would have used those seven "odd" hours to go exploring in Wallern and Halbturn... seems like a much better use of time!

            

I won't bore you with details on more of these type of things but I will note that I receive regular e-mails from the Salzburger Saitenklang Newsletter (the Salzburger String Music Newsletter), the German World Club, Austrian Green Technology (a US-based organization that promotes green technology made in Austria), and US-Austrians News (another US-based organization that promotes Austrian Companies in the USA). But why I receive these messages and how I got on their lists, I leave for you to ponder.
 

8) HISTORICAL BB NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Editor: This is part of our occasional series designed to recycle interesting articles from the BB Newsletters of 10 years ago.

Interestingly, the November 2000 BB Newsletter had an opinion article by Gerry Berghold that, had I not informed you otherwise, you likely would think it could have been written this very month. I'm recycling it because I think it is spot-on for 2010, even though it was written in 2000!

THE BURGENLAND BUNCH NEWS No. 90
November 30, 2000


AMERICA'S IMMIGRATION CRISIS (a personal view from G. J. Berghold)

One of my perquisites as an editor is the opportunity to express my views. I try not to abuse the privilege but there are times when events stir me. In this instance I feel that some of our current pundits may not have learned much history.

By recent mail, I received a newspaper called Middle American News (M. A. News, Raleigh, NC, J. Woodruff, Editor), which asked for my support and subscription. It purports to be "a visible platform for middle Americans" (defined as "average citizens like you and me" - but, those of you who pay attention to numbers, know that averages can put you at either end of the scale.) Well written and featuring a number of syndicated columnists, the paper contained a "Special Report: America's Immigration Crisis." Without going into all the pros and cons of immigration, the report advocates that immigration is not good for America and should be severely curtailed if not eliminated. It also suggests that Americans of European extraction are being threatened by the large numbers of non-European races who are entering the US.

Shades of Henny Penny: "the sky is falling down, the sky is falling down!" This same view has been expounded every time a successive wave of immigrants reached our shores. It's the philosophy of "I've now got mine, raise the draw bridge!" The English were fearful of the Germans, the Germans were fearful of the Irish, the Irish were fearful of the Italians and eastern Europeans and so on. Three generations ago, our own eastern European ancestors were under attack and the 1924 Alien Immigration Acts were passed as a result.

Our ancestors were also seen as a bad lot... they looked different, they had a different culture, they couldn't speak English, they weren't educated, they ate strange food, they conducted religious services in foreign languages... they were poor undesirables. Yet these were the same "undesirables" who joined mainstream America and made the cement for the Panama Canal, made US steel products the envy of the world, helped build the automobile industry, out produced the axis in a war of material, fought their cousins in two world wars, helped rebuild a devastated world, and raised and educated their descendants to be Americans. Today, their descendants (you and me) have been absorbed into mainstream American life and the only remains of "difference" are names, an interest in our "roots", and perhaps a desire to visit and establish ties with the "Heimat." So it will be with the new immigrants, provided we don't allow ourselves and our government to do something stupid like either denying immigration outright or unduly encouraging it with massive, government-sponsored give away programs. We must also be absolutely certain that programs will not exacerbate racial or ethnic differences. Likewise, we can't allow immigrants to pursue ancient enmities in the new world. What is done is done; apologies or redress for the actions of generations long dead is ridiculous in the extreme. We must always work toward "Americanization," not "Balkanization." Immigrants must be made to realize that to share in what America offers, first and foremost, they must become Americans. Given these caveats, let the immigrants come.

Immigration is a resource to be managed like any other. Whenever cultures collide, strange customs and language differences will generate problems. We can solve those problems at the local level and we'll all be the better for it. We must continue to tell the world at large that we'll always accept those seeking what America has to offer.

No, I won't buy the Middle American News, much less support it, because I believe it is our divergent backgrounds, fostered and nourished by immigration, which have made us the wonder of the world. I'm first and foremost an American but I also feel that I am a Burgenlander. You'll notice I put "American" first. So should we all, even though we pay homage to our respective roots, roots that supply the metal for the great American mix.
 

9) ETHNIC EVENTS

LEHIGH VALLEY, PA
(courtesy of Bob Strauch)

Friday, November 26 – Sunday, December 19: Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem. Info: http://www.artsquest.org/christkindlmarkt/

Saturday, December 4, 2010: Lehigh Sängerbund Christmas Concert & Dinner/Dance at Muhlenberg College and the Knights of Columbus in Allentown. Entertainment by the Lehigh Sängerbund Chorus and the Emil Schanta Band. Info: http://www.lehighsaengerbund.org/

Sunday, December 5, 2010: Christkindlmarkt at the Reading Liederkranz. Info: http://www.readingliederkranz.com/

Saturday, December 18, 2010: Christmas Concert & Dinner/Dance at the Coplay Sängerbund. Entertainment by the Coplay Sängerbund Chorus and the Joseph Weber Orchestra.

Friday, December 24, 2010: German Christmas Eve Mass at Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church in Bethlehem. Info: http://holyghostbethlehem.parishesonline.com/


LANCASTER, PA (courtesy of Hannes Graf)

Saturday, December 4, 7:30 - 11:30 pm: Christmas Concert & Dance. Lancaster Liederkranz, 722 S. Chiques Rd, Manheim, PA. $8 ($10 guest) at door or in advance at the bar. Music by Hank Haller. Dinner Service: 5:30-8pm. It is not necessary to attend the dance to enjoy Dietrich's Dance Night Menu. Seating is available in the Barroom for those not attending the dance. lancasterliederkranz@verizon.net, 717-898-8451 (after 4pm M-F)
 
Friday, December 31, 7:30 pm: New Year's Dinner Dance. Music by Joe Weber (reservations required)

2011 Lancaster Liederkranz Dance Schedule (details similar to above):
January 15: Jaeger Abend.
Music by Heidi und the Heimat Echo
January 30: Schneeball/Kaffeeklatsch. Music by Emil Santa (Sunday afternoon event)
February 12: Fasching. Music by The Continentals
February 26: Lumpen Ball. Music by the J. T. Orchestra
March 19: Bockbier Fest. Music by Heidi und the Heimat Echo
April 16: Ein Abend in Wien. Music by the Walt Groller Orchestra
April 30: Spring Concert & Dance. Music TBD
May 14: Maitanz. Music by Joe Kroboth


NEW BRITAIN, CT
(courtesy of Margaret Kaiser)

Friday, December 3, 7 pm: Heimat Abend (Home Evening) with guitarist Peter Frey. Austrian Donau Club (http://austriandonauclub.com/, 545 Arch Street). $3. (Kitchen special: Wursts)

Sunday, December 12, 8 am - 12 noon: Sonntag Frühstuck (Sunday Breakfast). Austrian Donau Club.

Friday, December 17: Heurigan Abend ("A meeting where wine of the latest vintage is drunk") with Schachtelgebirger Musikanten (Box Mountain Musicians). Austrian Donau Club. $3. (Kitchen special: Sauerbraten).

Tuesdays at 7 pm: Men's and Women's Singing Societies meet. Austrian Donau Club.
 
Thursdays at 7 pm: Alpenland Tänzer (Alpine Country Dancers) meet. Austrian Donau Club.


10) BURGENLAND EMIGRANT OBITUARIES (courtesy of Bob Strauch)

Hilda Gratzer, 1931-2010

Hilda Gratzer, 79, of Woodside, Queens, NY, passed away on September 1, 2010.

She was the widow of Joseph Gratzer, who died in 2007.

Born in Moschendorf, Burgenland, Austria, she was a daughter of the late Ferdinand and Maria (Feibel) Behm.

Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, NY.
 

END OF NEWSLETTER
 

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