^{The News}
Dedicated to Austrian-Hungarian Burgenland Family History

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

This month's random bits and pieces (Article 1) begins with repeats of requests for assistance, that being from the historian commissioned to create the 750th anniversary volume for the municipality of Großpetersdorf and the 4 villages that are part of it, Welgersdorf, Kleinpetersdorf, Kleinzicken and Miedlingsdorf, and from a Master's student at Vienna University, who is doing a research survey. I believe these are worthy projects that need your support. We follow with the continuing saga of Austrian SPÖ politics... things are happening! Then we provide an update on the Neusiedlersee water crisis in northern Burgenland. In the fourth bit, we talk about an update to our recipes page. The last bit recounts some history, but with a document to make it real.

Because National Haiku Poetry Day is observed annually on April 17, I also present this month's topics in Haiku format, a form of Japanese poetry that can be non-rhyming and usually consists of 3 lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. Please forgive my feeble efforts:

Our regular tidbits include the monthly BB Facebook report, book sales, a recipe (you should consider providing one too!) and some words for thought.

The remaining articles are our standard sections: A Historical BB Newsletter article, Ethnic Events and Emigrant Obituaries.



Großpetersdorf 750th Anniversary Book: I recently received a request from Dr. Gerhard Baumgartner, a historian from Vienna. He said that the municipality of Großpetersdorf will soon be celebrating the 750th anniversary of its first documented existence, so wants to publish a history of Großpetersdorf and the four villages belonging to it: Welgersdorf, Kleinpetersdorf, Kleinzicken and Miedlingsdorf. He has been commissioned to put together this volume (I have confirmed this) and is looking for documents and photographs of all kinds of things relating to either the history of the villages or the families that left for the USA, Canada, and South America.

He tells me that he has, so far, concentrated on finding relevant material in the Hungarian archives, but he soon realized that the material about emigration is especially weak. He went on to note that this especially true for Welgersdorf, a place where he has been led to believe had many migrants to the US—apparently about 400—but he says it is a lot of rumors with very few hard facts and very few photographs.

Therefore, he is requesting its emigrants and the descendants of its emigrants to provide documentary materials, both for Welgersdorf and the other villages in the municipality. If you have ancestral items related to the municipality... village and/or emigrant photos, passports, travel documents, heirlooms, diaries, emigrant/emigration stories, etc., please consider sharing these. Dr Baumgartner states that, "All materials will be archived digitally at the city hall. If the owner agrees, some will be published on the city homepage and in the printed volume in September. Owners of published materials will get a free copy of this book."

From this, it is evident that you will retain your original items and copyrights, as only digital copies will be used in this project. And given that digital is how this will be done, it is extremely important that the scans and photos be of as high quality as possible.

Dr. Baumgartner's email address is gerhard.baumgartner57@gmx.at. Please reach out to him for more details if you believe you have materials of interest for this project.

This is a project for which I strongly encourage you to respond if you have appropriate materials!



Vienna University Student Needs Interview Subjects: Nikola Blagojevic, a Master's candidate at Vienna University in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, needs digital interview subjects for a class project regarding Burgenland's natural environment. I have confirmed that he is, in fact, a student there and that this is a legitimate request. Therefore, I am asking you to assist him by participating. I will present his request then add a few additional comments.



Nikola writes:

Dear BB members! I am a student at the University of Vienna conducting research on the Perception of the Environment at the National Park Neusiedlersee-Seewinkel for my ethnographic course. The research also encompasses the perception of the general environment of Burgenland. Due to the intended digital methodology of this project, I wish to talk via email with people from the United States who are affiliated with the Burgenland ecosystem in some way.

As we know, nature is almost always intertwined with our lives, so I would like to hear about your personal experiences or family stories related to Burgenland. In order to achieve this, I have prepared a number of questions that can be answered by email. Of course, if there are other things you would like to add or talk about in relation to Burgenland's environment, please do so. My email address is niko.bvic@gmail.com.



Editor: Nikola's project centers on the Neusiedlersee and the Seewinkel (but also includes the whole of Burgenland). Still, he has special interest in those of you who are familiar with this part of Burgenland. He also has special interest in BB members who live in Burgenland or frequently visit it. If you fit these categories, please strongly consider responding. Nonetheless, participation by people interested in other parts of Burgenland are needed.

Nikola has prepared nine questions, shown below, that he asks you to respond to. Please copy these questions, paste them into an email, then provide written responses. Nikola provides some guidance on the level of detail desired but you may respond as you see fit. Your responses should be sent to: niko.bvic@gmail.com. Nikola may have follow-up questions to clarify or expand answers.

(If you are unable to move the questions to an email, just write to Nikola and ask him to provide them directly in an email.)

Also, according to data privacy laws and school policy, Nikola is required to obtain written consent from each interviewee to be able to use your data, thus you will need to give your consent. The University of Vienna provides a standard consent page and corresponding privacy notice for this purpose, which I have translated to English. You can read them here: Consent/Privacy. However, it is sufficient merely to acknowledge that you have read and agree to these documents, so a one-sentence "consent to use data" has been added to the bottom of the questions. Please fill in your name in the space provided and send it with your answers when done.

Again, I strongly encourage you to respond.



Questions:

Part A: Please provide brief answers to these questions:

1. What is your relationship to Burgenland? That is, are you an emigrant or a descendant of an emigrant, and, if so, when did the emigrant emigrate and from which village?

2. Why did you or your ancestors migrate to the US?

3. Have you ever visited Burgenland? If so, which parts and when?

4. What do you like the most about Burgenland?

Part B: Please provide moderate answers to these questions:

5. Please share any stories about Burgenland regarding its lifestyle and, if possible, about the environment, either in the past prior to migration or in the present. For example, your family stories and experiences.

6. Do you have any contact with any of the Burgenland residents today? If so, do you talk about life and the environment in Burgenland? If so, please describe.

Part C: Please provide extended answers to these questions:

7. Taking into account the aforementioned questions about family history and life in Burgenland, would you say that you feel connected to nature in Burgenland - in the sense that you are familiar with how people perceived the environment and the role it played in their lives, both past and present?

8. Do you know how people in Burgenland take care of their natural habitats? If so, please describe.

9. Are you aware of how nature affects people, and do you know how they perceive the environment in Burgenland today and in the past? For example, agriculture, economy, climate, wildlife, tourism, water, and biodiversity. Please describe.

Consent to use data:

I (place your name here) have read the consent form and privacy notice provided by the University of Vienna and hereby give my consent to use this interview data under the conditions described.



Austrian SPÖ Politics: A decision has been made that the members of the Austrian SPÖ party were to be surveyed over the period April 24 to May 10 (so no results are yet available). The survey asks who should head the federal SPÖ party in the future, with current party leader, Pamela Rendi-Wagner, and Burgenland Governor, Hans Peter Doskozil, being the headline candidates. While there were 73 total applicants, only Andreas Babler, the Mayor of Traiskirchen, Lower Austria, proved viable (and he is likely only trying to earn name recognition on the national stage this time around). The other candidates could not get the required 30 declarations of support, were not party members, or failed to follow-up with the election committee.

Nonetheless, a third candidate adds confusion as to what will constitute a "win" in the survey. When it looked as if only Rendi-Wagner and Doskozil would enter the race, there would almost certainly have been an absolute majority for one of the candidates, Now, with three choices, it could well be that no candidate gets an absolute majority. Will a plurality be enough for a candidate, or even the party as a whole, to consider it a win? Doskozil's declared goal is to reach first place in the survey and has said his candidacy rides on a survey win. Rendi-Wagner has said she wants to leave politics if not confirmed by the party membership. How the candidates eventually define win or confirmed will be interesting.

Austrians had until Friday, March 24, to becomes a full member of the SPÖ, which was the prerequisite to vote. For this, you had to be at least 16 years old, not belong to any other political party, commit to the principles of the party, and pay the monthly membership fee of 6.50 euros.

As for the survey, party members are able to vote either by letter or electronically on who should lead the party in the future, with the first question being whether Pamela Rendi-Wagner should remain party leader and top candidate. Only then will additional questions address Hans Peter Doskozil and Andreas Babler as to their party function.

Despite the comments of the leading candidates that they will honor the results of the survey, the statutes of the SPÖ party do not allow the party executive committee to be determined by member survey. Therefore, the party delegates are to confirm the result at a special party congress on June 3. And, because anyone who wants to compete at the party congress can do so regardless of the result of the member survey, an uneventful party congress cannot be assumed.

What is known about the SPÖ members and their desires? Most recently, there were around 140,000 members (down from nearly 160,000), but that number rose to nearly 148,000 given the interest generated by the survey. It is known that eastern Austria was much more represented than western Austria in the SPÖ, with an average member age about 63. In the last survey (in 2020), it became clear that health care, wealth taxes and secure pensions were particularly important to SPÖ members. However, Traiskirchen Mayor Babler is the one and who is attracting new, younger members to the party, with people saying they are joining the party specifically for him. He is particularly popular with the left-wing of the party. Rendi-Wagner remains popular with the Viennese party and women's organizations. Doskozil draws supporters from Burgenland, Styria and parts of Lower Austria.

As for the chances that Rendi-Wagner, Doskozil and Babler would have in a National Council election, the pundits say it is likely that Rendi-Wagner could keep more people who cross-voted for the SPÖ in 2019 and attract more new votes from the leftist Neos and Greens than Doskozil could. But they also say that Austria is a structurally conservative country, so a center-left candidate also has to attract center-right votes, which is where Doskozil would excel. Babler is on the far left end of the SPÖ so less likely to attract center-right votes... but, being left of Rendi-Wagner, he could attract even more Neos and Greens for the SPÖ. Both Doskozil and Babler had campaign tours around Austria touting their platforms; Rendi-Walker did not.

There was one small surprise when the survey was published: A fourth option was added to the ballot, that being "None of the candidates mentioned." The explanation given for this was that the survey can be done via digital or mail-in paper ballot. Paper ballots could be returned with no candidate selected but the digital ballot required a selection... this removes that difference.



New Neusiedlersee Water Commission: A Water Level Commission for Lake Neusiedl has been founded by the Burgenland state government. It is to meet weekly to discuss possible problems due to the low water level and to establish and run an "early warning system" to monitor water level and quality and impose restrictions, if necessary, on the use of the lake. The commission consists of representatives of the state administration, the district administrations of Eisenstadt and Neusiedl am See, the national park, the state security centre and tourism. The aim is to preserve the lake as a habitat and water surface.


Neusiedlersee Water Level for Early April: Water level was 0.59 meter (23+ inches) below average for that time of year and 9 inches below the level of one year ago. The normal trend suggests the level will fall another 8 inches toward a typical low in September or October.

It is clear to the Commission and others that more water is needed for the lake, for the groundwater in the Seewinkel, and for the paints. An initial solution via the Hungarian Moson Danube is still being examined but has stalled somewhat in Hungary. No EU funds have been awarded and national funding is not currently available in either country. However, talks are ongoing. At least one solution through Lower Austria is already off the table due to its route through the national park area and concerns of the province of Lower Austria about its drinking water supply. A supply line via the Einser canal is also being considered where water from the rivers Ikva and Raab would be dammed and pumped into the lake via the canal but this would involve the Hungarians too.



Recipe Page Update: The BB managing staff, over the last few years, has been making small changes to web pages to make them display better on mobile devices, especially on phone screens (while also maintaining most of their usual appearance on lap- and desk-top computers). The reality is that many of our pages are data-intense and, therefore, difficult to display usefully in small formats. Still, there are some pages that are effective on small-screen displays, especially if you view our pages in landscape mode (landscape is the default for the “regular” computers we designed our pages for, so it also proves to be better on phones).

The Recipes page is one that has received recent attention, both for mobile-friendliness and to give it a facelift with a more modern font and some new features. It now displays well on tablets and mobile phones, where the menu has been condensed into the hamburger icon seen on many other websites (click the hamburger and the menu bar will display).

There is also a new menu link called Recent Recipes that will take you to the bottom of the page, where the latest newsletters are found. A related addition is a Back to Top button in the lower right of the page. As you scroll down, or if you use the Recent Recipes link, this button will appear and allow you to get back to the top of the page without having to manually scroll all the way back up.

As before, the columns can be sorted, but they have been updated. While NL# (newsletter number) remains the default sort column, Food Categories has been reworked into Keywords so that similar recipes are more easily grouped together. Just click that column heading.

The final change is the addition of a printer icon next to some of the newsletter numbers. If you see a printer icon by a newsletter number, clicking on the newsletter number will cause the recipe to display as a stand-alone page that you can print or save to a PDF file, so you won't have to cut-and-paste to format a recipe for your collection! Eventually, all recipes will have stand-alone pages but, until then, newsletter numbers without a printer icon will take you directly to the recipe section of that newsletter and you'll have to figure out how to print the recipe yourself.

We welcome any feedback on these changes. Please send any comments to BB Recipes Editor, Alan Varga, who is credited with this update. Thanks Alan!



Interesting Bit Of History: Richard Potetz shared with me a document that had been sent to him by Ferenc Zotter. Ferenc told Richard that the National Archive of Hungary had published materials about persons registered by the National Police for so-called anti-state activities after the First World War, and he had found a person named József Potetz among them.

Richard, of course, wondered if that person was his same-named grandfather, Josef Potetz (1877-1964). He was pleased to learn that the details of the record exonerated his grandfather, as grandfather was still a prisoner of war in Siberia when this József was sent to prison. Richard also went on to explore the ancestry of the convict and found no tie to his own line, at least as far back as 1789. Thus, he claims, "So far, my ancestry finds no convicted felons."

While the above is interesting in its own right, the document allows me to include some substance in a short discussion of what happened in Hungary between the end of WW-I and the transfer of Burgenland to Austria in 1921... and, since Richard gave me permission to use the document, I'm pleased to do that!

So, I've included here a thumbnail of the document that, if you click it, will give you access to a higher resolution image. But I've also included a translation of the document below, roughly laid out how the original appears. While I have more to say, I'll let you read the document first then give the relevant, contemporaneous background.

But I also must give credit where due: Ferenc Zotter provided Richard with the document and a partial translation. But, knowing I intended to use it here, I wanted a complete transcription and translation. While I did one of my own, I also asked Julia Szent-Gyorgyi to translate it for me so I didn't miss any details. Thus most of the credit for the document must go to Ferenc and Julia! Thanks, you two!

So what was happening in Hungary after WW-I? As you know, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was on the losing side of the war and the victorious Entente powers took steps to carve out Hungary's ethnically mixed border regions and grant them to newly-created states based on their ethnicity (usually defined by language), even to the extent of transferring hunks of historical Hungary to these new countries because of the majority language spoken there. Hungary lost two thirds of its land area and one third of its Hungarian-speaking nationals in this process.

Hungary, itself, was in disarray after the war and on October 31, 1918, the Hungarian Democratic Republic, with Mihály Károlyi as the republic's Prime Minister was created by revolution to declare the independence of Hungary from Habsburg monarchy rule. But it did not last long.

Another revolution in early 1919 marked the end of this state and the creation on March 21, 1919, of a new communist state known as Hungarian Soviet Republic, led by Béla Kun. This government had garnered support, not because of its revolutionary agenda but because it declared it would restore Hungary's borders. Nonetheless, it proclaimed a dictatorship of the proletariat, nationalized industrial and commercial enterprises, and socialized housing, transport, banking, medicine, cultural institutions and all landholdings of more than 100 acres.

While Kun hoped that the Russian government would quickly prop up his government, in the interim he resorted to arbitrary violence to secure its rule. Paramilitary Red Guard groups were established and tribunals, as part of the Red Terror, ordered about 590 executions of anti-communist forces and others deemed to be enemies of the state, including clergy.

In late May, Kun attempted to fulfill his promise to restore Hungary's borders and the Hungarian Red Army occupied part of Slovakia. Kun was quickly forced to withdraw when the French threatened to intervene, so he turned his army on the Romanians. The Romanians broke through the Hungarian lines on July 30, occupied Budapest, and ousted Kun's Soviet Republic on August 1, 1919. It had lasted just over four months, a few days less than the government it had replaced.

A new government, formed by Social Democrats and controlled by union leaders, replaced it but lasted only a few days. It was followed by a right-wing, counter-revolutionary group backed by the Royal Romanian Army. With the King of Romania's approval, Prince Joseph August (of Hungary and Bohemia and Archduke of Austria) declared himself regent of Hungary and appointed István Friedrich as Prime Minister. However, the Allies refused to recognize the new government and the Romanian army decided that it was not willing to protect it.

Meanwhile, military leaders in the south of Hungary formed an alternative government. Its armed wing, called the National Army, was led by Miklós Horthy, a former Admiral of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Among his officers were ultra-nationalists who mounted a campaign of atrocities in retaliation for the Red Terror, and to eliminate communist supporters and frighten the population into obedience. Paramilitary organizations were also formed during this nationalist Hungarian Awakening and became known as the White Guards. Both the National Army and the White Guards carried out a campaign of murder, torture, or humiliation in the south and east against anyone who was considered an enemy of the state, including communist supporters, peasants, the politically liberal, and the Jews, who were blamed for the previous communist repression. This quickly was dubbed the White Terror.

The National Army invaded Budapest in November 1919, driving out the Prince Joseph August government, and Horthy became regent of the newly established Kingdom of Hungary. Rather than discontinuing their campaigns, the White Guard units expanded and continued terrorizing their targets for almost two more years.



Now it is time to return to József Potetz and his problems. While we have to guess at the exact timing of things, we know from the report that he was sentenced and sent to prison in 1920. Further, since the report declares he was a Red Guard under the Communist government, he must have been terrorizing Gyanafalva (Jennersdorf) in the March to July 1919 period. Sometime thereafter—and long-enough thereafter that he could be accused of having "an anti-state attitude" (against the then-current government), to "constantly ridicule" the Hungarians and be "in constant contact with individuals agitating for the secession of western Hungary"—he was arrested and presumably jailed awaiting his court appearance.

In many respects, he was lucky that he was on the western edge of Western Hungary, where he was only arrested. Given his Red Guard status and his ridicule of nationalist Hungarians, he likely would have been murdered or tortured had he carried out his activities elsewhere in Hungary. And really, 12 days in an actual prison was just a slap on the wrist.

Given the police report notes that "Farkasdifalva has been attached to Austria under the name of Neumarkt," the date of the last entries in this file clearly were after August 28, 1921, the date of Burgenland's official transfer to Austria. Whether the file was ever shared with Austria is unknown and I could find nothing further about József.



The Facebook Bunch (from Vanessa Sandhu):

Greetings, Burgenland Bunch!

I hope that this message finds you well! We had a great time in our Facebook group this month. Our membership count stands at 2020. We had lots of new content shared, so stop on by and check it out! facebook.com/TheBurgenlandBunchOFFICIAL

Member Martha Orlovits shared an album containing almost 130 photos of the memorials at Cemetery Glashütten bei Langeck, located in Lockenhaus, Oberpullendorf.

Member Sandra Simon Perkin shared a fun link regarding the Burgenländisch dialect: youtube.com/watch

Member Janet Kroboth Weber shared a link featuring lots of traditional folk songs for you to enjoy! youtube.com/watch?Z. Janet also shared a great link about Burgenland’s Blaudruck printing technique. bbc.com/travel/article/blaudruck

Member Franz Stangl shared many photos and videos showcasing the Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter celebrations in Güssing.

BB Staff member Bob Strauch shared a link to a story about the beautiful Easter eggs crafters in Stinatz. burgenland.orf.at/3201275

Member Johann Hammer shared an interesting resource called Topothek. He writes “I would like to draw your attention to an interesting source of historical photos from private sources: topothek.at. The Topotheque is a platform which makes local, historical relevant material and knowledge, that is kept in private hands, accessible online, in cooperation with the local population. Unfortunately, there are only a few Topotheques from Burgenland: Bad Sauerbrunn, Bocksdorf, Gattendorf, Neudorf bei Parndorf, Neusiedl am See, Parndorf, and Sieggraben (menu item "Our Topotheques"); but maybe more places will be added in the future.” Hopefully this site will be of use to some members! topothek.at/en/

Member Christine Rubba shared some beautiful photos of the spring flowers blooming now in Burgenland.

Member Martin Wolf shared a great clip of nostalgia from Castle Tabor in Neuhaus am Klausenbach back in 1956. youtu.be/Cx

Some exciting events are coming up in May in the Lehigh Valley! The Coplay Sängerbund’s Heritage Committee is pleased to announce their yearly Maifest! The Maifest will be held on Sunday, May 7th, 2023 from 3:00-6:00 pm. Music will be provided by Dave Betz. Join the party and dance around the Maibaum! A May Queen will be crowned - don’t forget to wear your trachten! Admission is $5 for members and $7 for non-members.

In addition to the Coplay Sängerbund’s upcoming Maifest, the venue will also be hosting another awesome event! To celebrate their 75th anniversary, WMUH, Allentown 97.1 FM, will be presenting the Alex Meixner Band! On May 4th, 2023, Alex and his band will make a homecoming. This is a very special stop for Alex, as he grew up in the Lehigh Valley! His great grandfather, Leopold Meixner, was one of the founding members of the Sängerbund. Alex’s musical family hails from Eisenberg an der Pinka. Alex has continued the family tradition of making music and has been extremely successful. Alex has been Grammy-nominated, and has also starred as the One Man Band in the Hormel Pepperoni commercial. He also contributed to the soundtrack of the Jack Black movie “The Polka King.” Alex and his band perform over 180 times a year across the United States, but this is a rare opportunity to see him in Coplay, PA. Additional details: Cost of Admission: $20. Doors open at 5:30 pm, music begins at 7:00 pm. The kitchen will be open and there is a cash bar for those 21 years of age and older. Older traditional songs will be performed, and Alex will be taking requests! Tickets can be purchased online at: whennow.com/alex-meixner-band

CONNECTIONS:

Member Ron Schutzenhofer is looking for someone to take photos of grave markers in Grafenschachen. If anyone is traveling to Grafenschachen or lives nearby and is willing to assist Ron, please contact me at HooftyRN@msn.com and I will be happy to connect you!

That’s all for now! Stay safe and healthy!

Vanessa



Update for book "The Burgenländer Emigration to America": Here is this month's update on purchases of the English issue of the 3rd edition of Dr. Walter Dujmovits' book "Die Amerika-Wanderung Der Burgenländer."

Current total sales are 1719 copies, as interested people purchased 2 more books during this past month.

As always, the book is available for online purchase at a list price of $8.89 (which is the current production charge for the book, as we purposely choose not to make a profit so we can avoid dealing with the income tax consequences and so you can obtain the book at as low a cost as possible!), plus tax & shipping. Unfortunately, the price above is somewhat higher than in previous months, as our on-demand publisher, Lulu, recently raised is printing prices by 9.5%, meaning we must charge more. See the BB homepage for a link to the information / ordering page and for information about current discounts (there is at least one discount on price or shipping available most of the time... if not, wait a few days and there will be one!).

The book is an excellent read for the Burgenländers in your family.



Burgenland Recipes: This recipe comes to us from Kathy Shearrer. Her great-grandmother, Amelia Unger Mulitsch, was born in Strem, Austria (then Hungary) in 1884. She came to the US in 1903 and married Ignatz Mulits from Sumetendorf (Szombatfa), then settled in St. Louis, Missouri and had seven children, the oldest of which, John Mulitsch, was Kathy's grandfather.

Kathy's sister, Jane Kolar, made this cake for her sisters a while back and Kathy assures us that it is delicious; it is a dense cake with a thick caramel frosting.

Nine Eggs Cake
(from Kathy Shearrer)

Ingredients-cake batter:

The castle proper was completely destroyed when the Red Army overran the town and the surrounding area during the night of 29 March 1945. Although the Russians were blamed for setting the castle ablaze, many townspeople believe it was the German forces who torched it in compliance with Hitler's scorched earth policy. The surviving private chapel suffered the ignominy of being converted into a bar and other buildings into apartments.

In its last days, the castle also was the site of an atrocity. Margit Thyssen Batthyány-Strattmann de Németújvár, daughter of self-styled "Baron" Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kaszon, a German entrepreneur and art collector, [and wife of Count Ivan Batthyány, a member of the aristocratic family that once owned Rechnitz and the castle] received ownership of the castle from her father in 1938. On 24 March 1945, with the Reds closing in, she hosted a party for SS officers, Gestapo leaders, Nazi Youth and local collaborators at her castle, during which nearly 200 Jews were shot by the attendees, apparently as after-dinner "entertainment."

What I did not know when I wrote that text, is that much of the atrocity story is known due to the research of Maria's grandson, Josef Hotwagner, who was 8 at the time. As you might expect, the participants in the atrocity did their best to cover it up. To this day, the site of the final resting place of the bodies is unknown, though the shootings took place at the Kreuzstadel (cross barn) on the edge of town, where a small group of Jewish prisoners were forced to dig a large pit. Truckloads of additional prisoners were brought there, forced to strip and kneel on the edge of the pit, then were shot in the neck by party guests. The Kreuzstadel is now a monument to commemorate the massacre. However, no mass grave has ever been found there, despite repeated research efforts.

As for the participants, only a few minor figures were ever convicted, in part because witnesses were either killed or threatened. Margit Thyssen, who died in 1989, skipped off to Switzerland immediately after, and insufficient evidence has been produced to prove that she participated. However, her nephew, Sacha Batthyány, who knew her well, titles her a "monster" and says she loved shooting and horses over everything else, even her own children. Sacha also wrote that, although the massacre was known of within the family, it was not a subject that could ever be discussed, especially since Margit controlled the family fortune.

[A side note: Ivan Batthyány, husband of Margit, was the son of Ladislaus Batthyány, eye surgeon and benefactor. In last month's BB Newsletter, we noted that Ladislaus was beatified by the Catholic Church in 2003 for his good works. In contrast, neither Ivan nor Margit were allowed to be buried in the Batthyány family crypt at the Franciscan chapel in Castle Güssing, which may also speak to what the family believed about them.]

Among those charged with organizing the massacre were SS-Hauptscharführer Franz Podezin, who was the Gestapo administrator and leader of the Rechnitz Nazi Party, and Hans-Joachim Oldenburg, a Thyssengas employee and Nazi Party member, who was assigned to manage the Rechnitz estates but soon became Margit's lover, though that did not stop her from occasionally bedding Podezin too. [Ivan Batthyány, her estranged husband, continued to enjoy his wife's money and breed horses on another of the Batthyánys' Hungarian estates. However, there have been claims that he was present at the party on the night of the massacre. He is known to have joined his wife in Switzerland after the massacre, as they both fled the arrival of the Russian Army.] Podezin is believed to have directed events on the evening of the killings; Oldenburg, along with Podezin, is believed to have personally directed disposal of the 18 prisoners who filled in the mass grave and were then confined in the local abattoir (a fancy word for slaughterhouse); they were shot and buried the next evening. Those bodies were found in 1966 in a field near the abattoir.

Because the main grave has never been found, activists have accused the citizens of Rechnitz of a cover-up. However, it was by the efforts of Josef Hotwagner, as town historian, that most of the facts were uncovered. But, one may ask why Josef Hotwagner (a schoolteacher like his father), became interested in researching these events and exposing what occurred. The answer lies in what was not said in the partial answer given by Beebe above, when she stated, "Son Josef Hotwagner was a teacher in Kitzladen, Austria, 1928-1938. He died in a prison hospital, July 3, 1945, in Straübing, Germany."



The historian Josef Hotwagner, son of the Josef above, and Wilhelm Gregorich (see below) report the story more fully... Josef's father was the head of the primary school in Kitzladen until 1938, but was demoted several times thereafter by the Nazi regime, largely because he could speak Hungarian, first to St. Martin and then to Schachendorf as a simple teacher.

Meanwhile, Wilhelm Gregorich, a teacher in Oberwart, spoke a few kind words at a funeral in memory of the village priest, who had died shortly after the Anschluß. Wilhelm was reported as a "friend of the church"—therefore as a Nazi opponent—and sent to a disciplinary unit in the summer of 1938. By 1940, he was allowed to return as a teacher in Schandorf, but the teacher's apartment was occupied so he moved to Rechnitz, where he got to know fellow teacher Josef Hotwagner. One summer day in 1940, they were together and returning home from church when they met Imre Kiss, a Nazi opponent. Imre was collecting money for the families of 30 men incarcerated in Pinkafeld, saying that their wives and children have nothing. Gregorich and Hotwagner each gave five marks. However, the transaction was observed and they were eventually betrayed by another teacher.

It would not be until August 1941 that these three were finally arrested and charged with high treason, along with three others, for supporting the families of persons executed by the Nazis. Such executed persons were considered enemies of the people and their families were to remain destitute. The People's Court sentenced to death Johann Untenecker, Johann Balaskovics, Michael Balogh and Imre Kiss for conspiracy to commit high treason; they were executed 18 Dec 1942.

Gregorich and Hotwagner were turned over to the Criminal Court in Graz and received the option of serving in a disciplinary unit on the front (an almost sure death sentence) or 10 years in prison, the punishment to be served in Straübing (Bavaria), a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp. Gregorich and Hotwagner chose prison, where Hotwagner eventually contracted tuberculosis. They were liberated by the Americans in May 1945 and Hotwagner was taken to the hospital; but he died there in July. Gregorich survived and returned home.

Josef's younger brother, Ferdinand Hotwagner, a postman in Pinkafeld, was also arrested because he donated money for the persecuted in Oberwart and Pinkafeld. Since he was previously a musician in the Austrian Army, he was given a choice: either face trial or go into the Army again. He opted for the Army and was assigned to a disciplinary unit; he was soon in Sarajevo, where he died.

Our historian, Josef, did not speak of the youngest brother, Adolph, but he was first reported as missing in 1944 in Nikopol, Ukraine, where he served as part of the 3rd Gebirgejäger (Mountain Fighters). It was later determined that he died there.

The above is why historian Josef became interested in exploring the Nazi crimes in Rechnitz during WW-II. Not only did many Jewish prisoners die and his town was inexorably damaged by the atrocity, but the people responsible also caused the deaths of his father and uncle... it became personal, quite personal.



So, that is the rest of the story, a story left hidden by Beebe's minimal notes.

As for Maria's grandson, Josef Hotwagner, David Litchfield, author of an expose on Margit Thyssen-Batthyány and her family's activities during and after WW-II, and who used Josef as a source on the massacre, perhaps said it best in a commentary on his website:

We mourn the sad loss of Dr Josef Hotwagner of Rechnitz, who died yesterday [23 Sep 2010] surrounded by his family. We were extremely privileged to be able to call Josef our friend since meeting him seven years ago and will always honour his memory. Our sympathies go to his wife, Marie-Luise and his children, Eva and Eugen. The community of Rechnitz, the county of Burgenland and the country of Austria have lost one of their very best. We mourn their sad loss also.

And for Maria's sons Josef and Ferdinand, they paid the ultimate price for kindness to the persecuted. To make matters worse—if such is possible—Maria also lost her last and youngest child to the Nazi war. Sad, sad indeed.

4) BURGENLAND EMIGRANT OBITUARIES

Josef Weber

Josef Weber, age 86, of North Haledon, New Jersey, passed away on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

Josef was the beloved husband of Johanna (née Kedl) Weber.

Born and raised in Hagensdorf, Austria, Josef settled in North Haledon in 1963. He worked as a butcher for the Grand Union and was a faithful parishioner of St. Paul's R.C. Church in Prospect Park.

He is survived by several loving nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral will depart at 9:00 am on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 from the Browning-Forshay Funeral Home, 557 Lafayette Ave., Hawthorne, for a 9:30 am funeral mass at St. Paul's R.C. Church in Prospect Park. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Published by Browning-Forshay Funeral Home - Hawthorne on Apr. 8, 2023



Erika Kurtz (née Kern)

Erika Kurtz, 84, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, was risen with our lord Jesus Christ on Holy Saturday, April 8th, 2023.

She was born in Strem, Austria to Stefan and Maria (Fuchs) Kern.

Wife of 59 yrs. to the late John Kurtz, Sr. and member of Queenship of Mary Catholic Church, Northampton.

Strong and brave, she left her homeland alone at the age of 17 on the Queen Elizabeth liner and started a new life working as a hand sewer at the former Cross Country Clothes, Northampton. She was a master in making longosh pastries, baking delicate kiffles and cookies, homemade noodles, polka dancing and taking care of her family.

Survivors: daughters, Erika Figura (Gregory), Anita Iasiello (Thomas), Linda Schlofer (Michael); son, John Kurtz, Jr. (Sherry Richardson); grandchildren, Andrea, Alyssa, Kyle, Jared, Olivia, Mason; great-grandchildren, Hayley and Ethan; sister, Maria Schadl of Austria; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by twin brothers, Eric and Alfred.

Services: A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 15th at 10:00 am in the church, 1324 Newport Ave., Northampton. Family and friends may call Saturday from 8:45 to 9:45 am in the church. Burial will follow in Our Lady of Hungary Cemetery, Northampton. Arrangements are under the direction of Reichel Funeral Home, Northampton. Online condolences may be offered at www.reichelfuneralhome.com. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the church for the Erika Kurtz Memorial Fund to benefit the Queenship of Mary parish festival.

Published by Morning Call on Apr. 11, 2023

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