German-Bohemian

Heritage Society

Newsletter

the

Heimatbrief

P.O. Box 822
New Ulm, Minnesota, 56073-0822

Email: Society & Newsletter: lalgbhs@newulmtel.net
Research Info: rpaulgb@pioneerplanet.infi.net


Vol. VIII No. 2 June 1997 Louis Lindmeyer, Editor

Our Readers Write

I just read through the latest GBHS newsletter and as usual found it very interesting. I especially was interested in the story "The Life of a Master Glassblower". My great-grandfather Georg Herdegen was also a master glassblower at the Friedrichshutten Glassworks. I think he was there after the person in the story. Probably around 1875-80.

I would also like to know where I can get more info about the 35th Inf. Regiment. My great-grandfather Johann Nep. Liebl was in that around 1860. What ever info you have on that I would greatly appreciate.
Bob Liebl
Greenfield, WI

I am writing in hope someone can give me this recipe. It is a dumpling which is in a tomato sauce, maybe tomato soup w/basil? We enjoy the newsletter and appreciate everyone who works so hard to keep this all going. Thanks.
Mary Ann (Tietel) Kaczmarek
7190 Rt. 183
Bethel, PA 19507-9608

Queries

From the Internet

We found you on the Internet while visiting some friends and discovered we may be doing research on some of the same family names. We have some information on the names listed below that we received from the Czech Gov. and from the Catholic Parishes. We would be glad to share any information we have.

Family names; Chmelik, Puskas or Puskass, Horvat or Horvath, Maxian, Kozanek, Polak, Sebesta, Szakala, Tutter, Angyel, Sramek or Szamek, Simonovics, Karmarnik, Sajdik, Benek, Czerny or Czerni.
Albin Veselka
2381 So. Grays
Indian Valley, ID 83632

I found your info on the Internet. I am searching for family history on Karel Svara for Domalzice (Muttersdorf), Bohemia. Perhaps information from you newsletter could provide assistance.
Joan Molesky
5440 Mineral Ave.
Mt. Iron, MN 55768
joanm@the_bridge.net

I am researching several family names from the Bohemian region. All of these families are from the western villages near the Bavarian boarder. The family names are: Liebl, Urban, Zupfer, Steinsdorfer, Vogl, Titz, Hanakam. There are all from the Heiligen Kruetz, Schmolau, Hammerschleif, Weissensulz, Eisendorf, Neubäu areas. These families were in the stone, farming, and blacksmith trades.

I am also researching these families from the region just to the south of the Heiligen Kreutz, near Wassersuppen (Nieminice). Herdegen, Kastl, Kamm. These families worked in the glass trade.

I have both the direct Liebl and Herdegen families back to the 1700's with siblings and would like to make connections to other families through the siblings.
Bob Liebl
8033 West Bottsford Ave.
Greenfield, WI 53220
liebl@execpc.com

Seek to connect with others researching the John and Maggie (Hoffle) Schweinfurter family of the Jungrindl, Bohemia area. Three of their children are known, all who settled in Beaver Falls Township, Renville County, MN in the 1860's - 1870's: Margaret (who married Jasper Fischer), my great-grandfather Joseph (who married Margaret Helget), and Mary Barbara (who married Joseph John Zeis).
Molly Schweinfurter
RR2 Box 288
Redwood Falls, MN 56283

Seek to connect with others researching the Joseph Helget family believed to be from the Jungrindl and Rindl area of Bohemia. Three children are known to Joseph: my great-grandmother Margaret (who married Joseph Schnobrich), and Andreas. Margaret and family settled in Beaver Falls Township, Renville County, MN in the 1870's, while Mary Ann and Andreas stayed in the Old Country.
Molly Schweinfurter
RR 2 Box 288
Redwood Falls, MN 56283

I have joined the GBHS, after seeing it on the Internet. I was very excited to know that there was such an organization. I am looking for information on some people who resided in New Ulm: George Bartl was a native of Vollmau, Bohemia. He came to the U.S. in the 1880's with his second wife and resided on a farm near New Ulm, MN. His children with his first wife were Franz, Anton, Joseph, Christian, Carl, and Theresa (Dietz). His children with his second wife were Michael, Francis (Preisinger) and Clara (Mack). I do not know if George and his second wife (Francis?) died in New Ulm, or where they were buried. His son Christian was also known to have lived in New Ulm, and to have had a daughter named Ida (Maidl), but I know nothing else of him.

Franz Bartl, my gr. gr. grandfather, lived in LaCrosse, WI, and was married to Maria Rank from Nevern, Austria. I know no information on her family. Franz came to the U.S. in 1868-1875. Michael and Anton were known to live in Stillwater, MN.

I don't know if you can help me in any way, but I would like to contact with anyone who has information on this family. I would also be interested in any books that might contain information on them. I am looking forward to belonging to your organization and to receiving your newsletter.
Beth Smiley
7446 W. 100 S.
Greensburg, IN 47420
sbros00@mail.gpbx.net

Finding My Roots

by Jack B. Schaffer
In August 1996 the only information I had about my family history was the names of my great-great grandparents, who had immigrated from German speaking Europe, and the name of the town in Wisconsin they had settled in near Manitowoc. A trip to Manitowoc to pick up my son at the Lake Michigan ferry began a tour that has been much more like a whirlwind than a gentle ride.

That first trip led to a second to Wisconsin, where I met distant relatives I had never even heard of before. Among other discoveries, as well as the development of wonderful family relationships, one of those relatives possesses a baptismal certificate of her grandmother, who was born in Europe. The certificate is written in German, of course, but also in German script, not at all easy to decipher. Only after hours of study was I able to understand the more important elements (the rest came later with help from friends in Germany). However, I was able to figure out that my great-great grandparents left a village named Kosolup in 1868. (Initially I had no idea where that was. It is about 10 km west of Pilsen in the Czech Republic.) I also knew from the baptismal certificate that my ancestors had come from another village, but what that was and where it was, I could not decipher (it turns out that what looked exactly like an "E" elsewhere in the document, was in fact an "A".)

As fortune would have it, we had already planned a trip to Hungary in October to work on a relationship with the Reformed Church of Hungary. I used that opportunity to visit Pilsen. With the information we (my wife and 1) had, our first goal, then, was to visit the regional state archive in Pilsen, where pre-1900 church records are stored. The state archive itself is a small portion of the third floor of a large building on the edge of the center of the city. We found no one who spoke English, so my German was fortunate. The people working there were very friendly and helpful, not typical bureaucrats in the least. The procedure is to determine which village one is looking for, specify which type of records one wants (birth, marriage, or death), determine which years one wants, and order the books. The books are then brought to a small room where we free to look through them as one wishes (only photographic reproduction is not allowed however, for a small fee one can order copies (photographs) of specific entries, which take up to six months to arrive). I knew we wanted to look in the records from Kosolup, but not the name of the other village. When I showed the woman my photographic copy of the baptismal certificate, she immediately replied, "Oh, that must be Auherzen, which today is called Uherce" (perhaps 15 km south of Kosolup).

Our problems were not yet entirely solved, because these records are also written in German script, some much less neat than the baptismal certificate I had spent so many hours studying. However, in each case, not only are names
provided, but also house numbers, parents' names, occupations, etc., so they are extremely rich with information. Because both Kosolup and Auherzen were small villages (both under 300), it was easy to go through all entries just by looking for house numbers, which made it much easier just to find the correct entries. There have been a number of times in this family research process when I have felt deeply moved and a strong connection with my past. The first such time was standing at the grave of my great-great grandparents in Wisconsin. Finding entries in the church records from Auherzen with my last name was another. For the first time, in almost 130 years, as far as I know, one of us had reached back into our family past and found from whence we came.

Finding that information only whet my appetite to visit these two villages, both within 15 kilometers of where we were then standing. Bus service did not work, for although it would get us to Uherce, it would leave us there overnight, not an attractive option, it seemed to us. We next tried renting a car, but not being able to read Czech for "car rental" was our undoing. I commiserated with a wonderful meal at the Continental Hotel in Pilsen, (now owned by a Czech-American whose parents left before WWII and whose family just got the hotel back from the post-Communist government) complete with the original Pilsner Urquell beer (an excellent beer, even for a non-beer drinker), total cost about $6.00.

A friend we visited in Germany eventually offered to drive us back into the Czech Republic (Hertz did not allow us to use our rental car in former Eastern block countries). We were an international delegation. One Bohemian-American a German-Dutch American (my wife),a German, and a student from England. The drive was wonderful. First, we drove through the Erzgebirge, the mountain range on the northern boundary of the Czech Republic, a region that reminded me very much of West Virginia. We drove through the edge of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), one of the more famous hot springs resort areas in all of Europe, a beautiful region. The land flattens out some, but remains hilly and partially wooded all the way to Uherce. One would not leave that region for lack of beauty, especially in exchange for the flat prairie of Wisconsin, but for space and rich soil, perhaps.

Uherce was a depressing place. While Prague is a wonderfully beautiful city and Plzen (Pilsen) is also very attractive, with considerable renovation going on, Uherce is obviously an extremely poor and dilapidated village. It is dominated by a very large church, abandoned and falling apart. There were very few people around. Those we saw seemed to be eying us curiously. I am sure that we were the source of gossip there for days, what with our foreign languages, cameras, and snooping around.

Village of Auherzen (Uherce)

After some searching and struggling to make ourselves understood, we found the house my family lived in. This was another deeply moving experience, standing by the house in which my family lived, back into the 1700's. The house is abandoned and in very bad condition. For a brief moment, the thought of obtaining ownership and renovating it occurred to me, until sanity mercifully returned. When I found a hole in the wall and an open door behind the buildings, I could not resist the temptation to trespass and visit my ancestral home.

As a psychologist I am trained to think about what people's experiences are like. I spent considerable time, poking through the yard and the barns, trying to imagine what the life of my family was like living in that place more than 100 years ago. It is perhaps that question more than any which drives this newfound quest (some might say obsession) of mine.

Our discovery was not yet done. Much to my surprise, we found in the cemetery, four graves with my family name on them. On one of the gravestones were fresh flowers! There is still family around someplace. I left a note on the gravestone, hoping that someone would find it. Someone did, wrote me, and we are now in the midst of discovering each other and how we are related.

Even that is not yet the end of the story. From Bob Paulson I obtained the names of the "Ortsbetreuer" for the county of Mies and the village of Auherzen, the people responsible for keeping track of inhabitants after the forced expulsion in 1945. The man from Auherzen not only has kept track of people, but has written a wonderful book, with complete history of the village, pictures, and Ahnentafel going back to the 1600's for all of the families in the village, including mine. Thus, I now have more complete information on my family, going back to 1654, than I had ever thought possible. In addition, I have not only developed contact with the woman whose parents are buried in Auherzen (she still lives in the Czech Republic), but with two other relatives who live in Germany.

Not bad for starting with so little information but four months ago. With considerable luck and good fortune, as well as a bit of work, it has, indeed, been a whirlwind tour. And worth every second of time I have put into it. I wish all of you equally good fortune.

Jack B. Schaffer, Ph.D.
1790 Goodrich Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
jbschaff@piper. hamline.edu

German-Bohemian Lace-Making

How Bobbin-Lace Is Made

Translation by Cristel Converse and Karen Hobbs

Written by Emil Merker

From: Kleine Bettlekture Fur Heimatverbundene Sudetendeutsche.

The blue blossoms of the soft-stemmed flax wave over the poor, sandy soil. It is pulled and dried in the morning and at night it is crushed and combed, wound and spun into shiny yarn.

In other regions, they use it to make practical linens, in the Erzgebirge, they make lace from it. For that purpose it must be wound on to the "Dutteln" which are barely finger-length cone-shaped bobbins. This is done by rolling the bobbin with the flat palm of the hand against one's right thigh while the left hand guides the thread. (This is the process of winding the just spun yarn onto the "Dutteln"). Then it is covered with the "Tütl" -- (Tueti in high German) [like a little hat], the beginning end of the thread is tied to the pattern (Klöeppelbrief), and the project can begin.

The lace-making cushion (Klöppelsack) is a cylindrical pillow which has been stuffed with hay, dry sand, peat, oakum or bran and which is weighted down with a stone on the inside [weight needed so it will not move around]. This rests in the Klöppelbett [lace-making cushion cradle or container] which is often artistically carved or delicately painted or inlaid.

The sweetheart builds [makes] it for his girl. [Evidently a Klöppel-cushion cradle was a popular present to give to one's girlfriend.] It is highly valued by the girl who owns it. The cushion turns [rolls] in this cradle as the work progresses around it.

The pillow is covered with clean linen and is sometimes finished with a round pane of glass at each end under which are pressed photos, or little pictures of saints, souvenirs or small blessed items -- written prayers or invocations.

The cradle (Klöppelbett) and its cushion are placed on the edge of a table or set on a stand made especially for them. The "Klöppelbock" or "Klöeppelreitl", [the work in progress] is laid out so that that the good shines on it.

The "Köppelbrief" -- also called the "Aufwinde" -- made of colorful light cardboard [Karton-papier] is fastened around the pillow. A pattern-engraver has drawn the design pattern on this colorful light cardboard in fine hairlines.

The needles [Bambelnodln] are stuck into the marked crossing points of these lines [through the pattern and into the cushion]. Their colored glass tips make the design setup look quite attractive. The needles are stuck in place, the threads are wound around them as prescribed, then the needles are pulled out and stuck into the pattern further down. And the bobbins rattle as busy fingers are engaged in a quick game of following the pattern. Although the work seems to be done carelessly it is actually done quite attentively to avoid mistakes.

Depending on the width of the lace and its complexity, more or less pairs of bobbins are utilized, sometimes far more than one hundred.

My Vogl Family

by

Ginger Vogl Simek

It all started with a typewritten copy of the entry of my great great grandfather's will, Adalbert Vogl. He had passed away shortly after coming to the US in June of 1868 with his wife, Theresia, and their seven children. Little did I realize it would lead to a meeting with a distant cousin in Munich, Germany several years later. The entry stated besides leaving his wife all of his worldly possessions, he was also leaving her "any property or proceeds of any sale of hops that I am entitled to receive from John Schuh in Germeinde Weissen Pizisk Bodersam Kriez Laaz Bohemia". This had to be the location they came from! There was little success in finding this location until I went to Manitowoc County Court House in Wisconsin and made a copy of the original handwritten record. The location actually was "Germeinde Weissen Bezirk Podersam Kriez Saaz Bohemia" which allowing for spelling errors was the town of Wiessen (Besno in Czech), district of Podersam (PodboZany in Czech), county of Saaz (Zatec in Czech). Saaz was quite a center for the growing and marketing of hops so this did fit.

Now that I knew the correct location I contracted to have family research done in the Czech Republic on my Vogl family. The research was successful in tracing the family back to the early 1600s. It provided many details, including house numbers, godparents and witnesses. Adalbert was married in Wiessen to Theresia Hartmann in 1852 but had been born in Grosslippen (Lipno in Czech) as had his five brothers and four sisters. Prior to that the family had lived in Tauchowitz (Touchovice in Czech). Theresia Hartmann was his second wife; his first wife, Franziska Papsch, died in May 1848.

Would there possibly be any Vogl family still living in that area? I did also have a picture given to me by one of Adalbert's great grandsons which said on the reverse side it was the family home in "Austria". Of course this area of Bohemia had been under the rule of the Austria until the formation of the new state of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The picture was not dated. From the family research that had been done, it should be house number 13 in Wiessen. Vogl names were looked for the the Czech phone books for that area without result. The majority of the German speaking population had been expelled from Czechoslovakia after WW Il; very possibly my Vogl family was among them. I sent a letter requesting information in Dec. 1995 directed to the town mayor of Wiessen/Besno along with a picture of the family home. Many months passed without a response. Finally a response came from the village office in Kryry in July 1996. The letter indicated that the history of Besno was not preserved; some residents felt the photo was from the village of Besno but they had no records concerning the expelled Germans.

I had also sent a letter to the Sudetendeutsches Genealogisches Archiv in Regensburg, Germany to see if they had information on the Germans who had been forced to leave Czechoslovakia in 1945/46. The term "Sudeten-Germans" as I understand it, refers to the German speaking minority who lived in the crown territories of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia belonging to the Habsburg Monarchy. These Germans had settled basically along the outer rim area of these crown territories. Even a follow-up letter to the Archiv and a donation brought no reply. Bravely exploring the Internet one day, I found a US address and contact person for the genealogical archive in Regensburg. His response to my letter was very exciting. Each former Sudeten county has a research group headed by an individual. He sent me the name and address of two gentlemen; one who headed the research group for Saaz County and the other for Podersam County. I wrote to both and received helpful and encouraging replies. Each wanted more information as to birth dates, parents names for Adalbert and his wife, and birth dates for their children as well as any other facts. I received the name of Anton Vogl from Wiessen and whose father was from Grosslippen. His grandfather's name was Josef. Adalbert's oldest brother was named Josef! Anton Vogl now lived in Munich, Germany.

Upon occasion, everything falls into place. In the spring my husband and I had signed up for an eight day September tour to Austria. I wrote to Anton Vogl in August and sent along a picture of the family home in "Austria". His quick reply included a picture of his birth-house in Wiessen-which was right next to Adalbert's house #13!!! Thanks to a good friend who speaks German and a translation service found on the Internet, letters were exchanged and we were invited to come to Munich if ever we were in the area. Thus one day of our eight day tour involved a train ride from Kitzbuhel, Austria up to Munich. We spent a wonderful day being treated to wurst, beer, cakes, coffee, and wine not to mention the real find of discovering living family members. Anton and a friend had written and compiled a book on Wiessen complete with pictures given to them by those who had lived there. A town plan was also included. Anton was very interested in keeping family records and showed us what he had faithfully kept on his family. The overwhelming majority of the population of Wiessen had been German. After WW II most of the townspeople of Wiessen were rounded up and forced to leave with basically nothing. They were sent to the Saxony area of Germany which was under Russian control. Anton and his family (parents and siblings) spent some time in different camps. Eventually, with the help of the Red Cross, they all met up again in Bavaria.

Anton had been 22 years old when they were expelled. He was married in Munich to Henriette Bamberger in 1951 and they had one son, Harald. He also married and had one son. Continuing with "everything falling into place", Harald and family had made a trip to Wiessen approximately four years ago. His son very much enjoys photography as a hobby and so of course took many pictures. Among them was a picture of house #13! The town is mostly deserted with only migrant workers living there when needed. The buildings are owned by the government and generally not in a good state of repair. One or two rooms may be fixed up and rented out, but it would take a good deal of money to make an entire house or building habitable.

The day ended all too soon. More had been added to my family history in those few hours than had been accomplished in several years worth of searching. Some notes follow on translation available via the Internet and a listing of current research group heads for the former Sudeten German counties.

Internet Translation Service-found by going to the German Genealogy Page at http:

www.genealogy.com/gene/index.html

then clicking on What is behind this service and from there TRANSserve-translation service. This service is for genealogical purposes and the guidelines and directions are given. It can be used for translation of English into German and vice-versa. I usually received a response within four days or less. There is also a listing for other languages which are supported by this service.

A listing of the research group heads for the former Sudeten Germans follows. It was kindly sent to me by Herr Alfred Sykora. When requesting information it is a good idea to include two or three International Reply Coupons and offer to cover any expenses for copying, etc.



FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH LEADERS

Betreuer für Nordböhmen

[North Bohemia]

(ehemaliger Regierungsbezirk Aussig)

Leiter:

Klaus Ahne, Nicolaus-Scheller-Str. 11, 91438 Bad Windsheim, Tel. 09841/1218
Friedrich Kriemer, Gustav-Mahler-Str. 36, 40724 Hilden, Tel. 02103/42289

Aussig

Frau Lore Schretzenmayr, Erikaweg 58, 93053 Regensburg, Tel. 0941/709102

Bilin/Dux/Teplitz-Schönau

Herr Friedrich Kriemer, Gustav-Mahler-Str. 36, 40724 Hilden, Tel. 02103/42289

Böhmisch Leipa

Frau Hilde Marianne Lerche, Dunantstr. 1, 92224 Amberg, Tel. 09621/83102

Braunauer Ahnenforschung (BAF)

Frau Roswitha Dietze, Finkenweg 15, 90562 Heroldsweg, Tel. 0911/5188553

(Braunauer Ahnentafelarchiv)

Frau Ruth Schimann, Frenkenstr. 13, 97222 Rimpar, Tel. 09365/3956

Brüx

Gustav Erlbeck, Fabrikweg 12, 88486 Kirchberg, Tel. 07354/7383

Dauba

Klaus Ahne, Nicolaus-Schller-Str. 11, 91438 Bad Windsheim, Tel. 09841/1218

Deutsch Gabel

Hans Brabetz, Hornstr. 13/VII, 80797 München, Tel. 089/3081308

Friedland/Isergebirge

NN

Gablonz

Bruno Reckziegel, Klopfinger Str. 5, 94474 Vilshoven, Tel. 08541/6641

Hohenelbe

Heinrich Tham, Lassallerstr. 85, 80995 München, Tel. 089/1506389

Komotau

Frau Helga Leikam, Paul-Keller-Str. 4, 90768 Fürth, Tel. 0911/729353
Herr Steffen Höbelt, Dr.-Hufeland-Str. 7, 07646 Stadtroda

Leitmeritz

Frau Charlotte Beer, Ahornstr. 45, 90451 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/632595

Niemes

Karlheinz Schicketanz, Kirchlinden 28a, 22111 Hamburg, Tel. 040/7314060

Nordböhmisches Niederland

Frau Edeltraud Günther, Am Wendelsberg 15, 97289 Thüngen, Tel. 09360/1788

Reichenberg

Herr Prof. Richard Eichler, Steinkirchner Str. 16, 81475 München, Tel. 089/754261

Riesengebirge Süd/Böhmischer Teil

Heinrich Tham, Lassallerstr. 85, 80995 München, Tel. 089/1506389

Rumburg

Frau Edeltraud Günther, Am Wendelsberg 15, 97289 Thüngen, Tel. 09360/1788

Schluckenau

Frau Edeltraud Günther, Am Wendelsberg 15, 97289 Thüngen, Tel. 09360/1788

Tetschen-Bodenbach

Oliver Dix, Myrtenweg 1, 38108 Braunschweig, Tel. 0531/352325

Trautenau

Heinrich Tham, Lassallerstr. 85, 80995 München, Tel. 089/1506389

Warnsdorf

Frau Edeltraud Günther, Am Wendelsberg 15, 97289 Thüngen, Tel. 09360/1788

Betreuer für Nordmähren, Schlesien, Nordostböhmen

[North Moravia, Silesia, Norteast Bohemia]

(ehemaliger Regierungsbezirk Troppau)

L

eiter:

Hans Hugo Weber, Leipziger platz 5, 90491 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/564989

Bärn

Karl Lintner, Am Rotgraben 5, 96052 Bamberg, Tel. 0951/45350

Freiwaldau

Wilfried Gesierich, Altvaterstr. 6, 93197 Zeitlarn, Tel. 0941/65978

Freudenthal

Helmut Rössler, Ziegeleistr. 5, 71384 Weinstadt, Tel. 07151/68271

Grulich

Peter Faltus, Am Kamp 22, 30880 Laatzen, Tel. 0511/827815

Hohenstadt

Franz Gauglitz, Fritz-Schofer-Str. 21, 74321 Bietigheim

Jägerndorf

Wilfried Gesierich, Altvaterstr. 6, 93197 Zeitlarn, Tel. 0941/65978

Landskron

Franz Gauglitz, Fritz-Schofer-Str. 21, 74321 Bietigheim

Mähr. Schönberg

Kurt Dolleschel, Bahnhofstr. 4, 34508 Willingen, Tel. 05632/305

Mähr. Trübau

Franz Gauglitz, Fritz-Schofer-Str. 21, 74321 Bietigheim

Neutitschein

Hans Hugo Weber, Leipziger platz 5, 90491 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/564989

Römerstadt

Helmut Rössler, Ziegeleistr. 5, 71384 Weinstadt, Tel. 07151/68271

Schönhengstau

Franz Gauglitz, Fritz-Schofer-Str. 21, 74321 Bietigheim

Sternberg

Günter Karger, Wörthstr. 4a, 89321 Günzburg, Tel. 08221/3305

Troppau/Wegstadt

Hans Hugo Weber, Leipziger platz 5, 90491 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/564989

Zwittau

Franz Gauglitz, Fritz-Schofer-Str. 21, 74321 Bietigheim

AEFF-Forschungsgruppen für Westböhmen

[West Bohemia]

(ehemaliger Regierungsbezirk Eger)

Leiter der Forschungsgruppen:

Asch

Archiv des Kreises Asch e.V.
Helmut Klaubert, Wichernstr. 10, 95100 Selb, Tel. 09287/2031

Bischofteinitz

Alfred Piwonka, Heidestr. 47, 70469 Stuttgart, Tel. 0711/8567027

Eger

Fritz Stöcker, Friedberger Str. 3, 90453 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/882319

Elbogen

Gerhard Stanek, Jochensteinstr. 13, 90480 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/403371

Falkenau

Karl-Heinz Kriegelstein, Pustetstr. 13, 93155 Hemau, Tel. 09491/1845

Graslitz

Joachim Kohlert, Dresdner Str. 8b, 91058 Erlangen, Tel. 09131/15282

Kaaden

Richart Hellmessen, Ingelheimer Str. 16, 60529 Frankfurt, Tel. 0611/356520

Karlsbad

Gerhard Stanek, Jochensteinstr. 13, 90480 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/403371

Luditz

Josef Pressner, Stephanstr. 33, 65232 Taunusstein, Tel. 06128/41581

Marienbad

Franz Hüttl, Im Bahnhof, 71576 Burgstetten, Tel. 07191/68158

Mies

Robert Frötschl, Eberhardstr. 36, 71088 Holzgerlingen, Tel. 07031/601950

Neudek

Franz Xaver Fladerer, Reginastr. 15a, 81827 München, Tel. 089/4301435

Pilsen

Friedebert Volk, Joh.-Seb.-Bach-Str.51, 61250 Usingen, Tel. 06081/2611

Podersam

Alfred Sykora, Gotenstr. 10, 76307 Karlsbad, Tel. 07202/8295

Preßnitz

Reinhard Peinelt, Rudolfstr. 1/IV, 82152 Planegg, Tel.089/8598266

Saaz

Sigwald Kaiser, Mespelbrunner Str. 13, 90427 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/302330

St. Joachimsthal

Reinhard Peinelt, Rudolfstr. 1/IV, 82152 Planegg, Tel.089/8598266

Tachau

Oswald Frötschl, Meraner Str. 5, 86316 Friedberg, Tel. 0821/603633

Tepl

Josef Pressner, Stephanstr. 33, 65232 Taunusstein, Tel. 06128/41581

Betreuer für Böhmerwald, Südböhmen

[Bohemian Forest, South Bohemia]

Günther Burkon, Eichendorfstr. 1, 82140 Olching, Tel. 08142/12116

Klattau

Karl Pankraz, Glarnstr. 7, 81475 München

Betreuer für Innerböhmen mit Prag

[Interior Bohemia with Prague]

Erhard Petrzilka, Waldparkdamm 8, 68163 Mannheim, Tel. 0621/821289

Betreuer für Südmähren

[South Moravia]

Arbeitskreis Südmährer Familienforscher

Karl-Heinz Kriegelstein, Pustetstr. 13, 93155 Hemau, Tel. 09491/1845

Betreuer für Innermähren

[Interior Moravia]

Brünn, Iglau, Kremsier, Mährisch-Ostrau, Mährisch-Weißkirchen,

Olmütz, Wischau

Hans Hugo Weber, Leipziger platz 5, 90491 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/564989

Betreuer für Beskidenland

[Lower Silesia]

(ehemaliger Regierungsbezirk Kattowitz)

Bielitz-Biala, Teschen

Hans Hugo Weber, Leipziger platz 5, 90491 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/564989

Betreuer für Huldschiner Ländchen

[Upper Silesia]

(ehemaliger Regierungsbezirk Oppeln)

Hans Hugo Weber, Leipziger platz 5, 90491 Nürnberg, Tel. 0911/564989

Priska - A Little Girls Story

Written by Otto Werner, Germany

The Legend of the origins of the church of St. Jakobus in Schonau

There is no exact accounting for the history of St. Jakob's Church in Schonau. In the Apostolic Pilgrimage of P. Stefan Freisleben - which appeared about 1690 - is noted that the little church had already stood well over 300 years and it was then repeated that it was probably actually built already at the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century. The legend is a long, sad but beautiful tale.

Already in the middle of the eleventh century a chapel stood on Kulmer Mountain which was constructed of raw logs and which held and preserved the venerable picture of the blessed virgin Mary named "Maria Kulm." By then many pilgrims came to the holy place to pray for help and comfort in their suffering. Those seeking miraculous healing came as far as Tschernoschin by Mies to the castle at Triebl which was inhabited by a knightly [noble] couple. Their only child, named Priska, was blind. The child's pious mother made the decision to make her way to Kulm on foot like a simple woman. After several days they arrived at Kulm Mountain where the local highwaymen menaced travelers. They robbed the woman and without a qualm they drove a dagger into her heart. The girl was also supposed to die but one of the highwaymen decided to take her as a part of the booty.

There was a forest tavern not far from Littengren that the highwaymen frequented. The proprietress, a childless widow, took the child. The daughter of the mighty knight, Hugo, now had to live in this awful place with nothing but a little cross that she had managed to hide from the robbers. But through a miracle she was also given her vision.

She tended to her daily chores cheerfully and also went often to Katzengran to leave there the empty liquor bottles for refilling. The local castle chaplain there assumed to instruct her in the catechism of the Christian religion. She grew to a young virgin who had often to put the robbers in their place and to endure many offenses. So one stormy night she decided, while the robbers were in their "Schlopfwinkel," to run away and to find another place to stay. So she trudged through the forest for several days, finding fruit to eat, until she spied the walls of a castle - it was Hartenberg. The strong and strictly upright Knight, Otto, lived here with his mother. After being admitted to the castle, Priska was led to the master and he questioned her about her situation. She told him only that she was a poor orphan who had lived on the good will of others and that she was now looking for a position in service. She wisely concealed her recent whereabouts since she feared they would not otherwise accommodate her.

Priska now had a new way of life. There was strict order in Hartenberg Castle. Otto's mother soon took the obedient maiden into her heart and wished only that a future Daughter-in-law would be so attentive and loving. The feared knight Otto also found her admirable, but she was, unfortunately, far below his station.

One day while Priska was contemplating her little cross, Otto surprise her and she was forced to confess her prior life. At first he did not believe the sad story and became very angry. But when he saw on the back of the cross the coat of arms of the Knights of Triebl he cried out, "Could this be the daughter of my friend Hugo who has been mourned these 16 years?"

Quickly a miner was sent to Hugo who hastened at once to Hartenberg and recognized in the young maiden the likeness of her mother. Then the knight of Hartenberg confessed his long-fostered lover for her. Soon the wedding took place and they lived a whole year in happiness and delight.

Emperor Heinrich IV had at that particular time in history a stormy fight with Pope Gregory VII. So the Knight Otto had to leave Hartenberg and take part in the storming of Rome in the year 1084. Upon his departure he gave his mother instructions that after an appropriate time she should send him a messenger with news. She did so but the messenger got lost in the thick forests on the very first day and found himself in the "Waldschenke" [forest tavern] where the robbers were carousing. While he was asleep they took the letter from mother Anna away and substituted a forgery in which they accused Priska of forbidden relations with the castle gardener. They also hinted that the first born would be fruit of forbidden love. They did this from fear that the new mistress of Hartenberg would betray them and they wanted to dispose of this now highly-placed lady. Otto fell for the forgery and in his unbridled anger wrote back that spouse and child both should be burned on a pyre.

Mother Anna, who simply could not believe this harsh judgment, advised Priska to leave the castle and to go to Erlbach to relatives. Even though the harsh order could only be a misunderstanding it remained so for nine years until the master of Hartenberg returned. There was no joy when he returned because ever since the beloved young mistress and child had disappeared there had been nothing but mourning. His now-aged mother received him with great sadness and told him that inquiries at Erlbach indicated that the poor refugees had never reached there.
As the returned-home Otto realized that he had been taken in by a forgery, he left at once with one of the miners in order to look for his vanished wife and son. After several days of fruitless searching they happened upon the cottage of a charcoal-maker. They went inside and found the elderly "Kohler" home alone. Priska and her son were in the forest gathering wood. As they returned and saw the horses they did not dare go in the house. They hid nearby where they could hear every word spoken and they recognized that is was the father who had been gone so many years and who now was looking for the innocently condemned victims. So, for the second time the strict knight of Hartenberg had found his Priska and with her this time, his grown up son.

There in the Charcoal-maker's cottage he knelt in front of a picture of Christ and thanked God for the reunification of his family and promised to build a house in His honor and dedicated to St. Jakob. With his wife, his son, Rudolf, the old charcoal-maker and the miner, he arrived triumphantly at Hartenberg.

The highwaymen were arrested by Sir Heinrich von Katzengren and taken to Eger where they were condemned. The "Waldschenke"[forest tavern] burned down and an eternal monument, a painting of the crucified Christ, was set up between Littengrün and Unter-Schossenreuth which, although restored many times, stood until modern times.

The Knight of Hartenberg fulfilled his vow. In Schönau by Graslitz - beide Orte gab es damals noch nicht - a church was constructed on the site of the charcoal-maker's cottage.

Mies 35th Regiment

Our Ancestors Go To War
by

Karen Hobbs

Although there is another regiment, the 73rd, which was recruited in the Bishofsteinetz and Taus area, that regiment was not formed until after 1860. (There highest number given a regiment in the organization chart of the Austrian Army for 1854 is Regiment number 60.) Before that time men who were footsoldiers from Bishofsteinetz served in the 35th which was also called the Mies Regiment meaning that it was recruited from a general district of which Mies was the center. Thus the Mies Regiment included recruits from the greater part of southern Egerland for more one-half of the nineteenth century.

Men who served in the specialty battalions like the Jaeger (sharpshooters), Pioneers (engineers) and artillery as well as those who were in the cavalry were recruited from a wider area. Those units may also have had a larger number of volunteers than the infantry. The Jaeger were often made up of men who had already had a lot of experience with firearms -- games keepers and hunters -- and there would be at least one battalion of these "elite" footsoldiers assigned to every regiment. The Jaeger were entitled to wear green and had a "shako" helmet that was adorned with feathers.

The k.k. (kaiserlich und küniglich) 35th Infantry Regiment was first formed in 1683. During this early period the Holy Roman Empire had no standing army and every nobleman was responsible to maintain his own forces. In 1683 the regiment was made up of 2000 men led by the Duke of Württemberg-Stuttgart, some men from Stadl and Pfalz-Neuberg, and a good number of recruits from Bohemia. In 1697, nine hundred men in the service of Salzburg were added to its ranks. From time to time new companies or battalions would be added as a result of alliances between certain noblemen or companies and battalions would be transferred to the service of other noblemen. In theory, these regiments were in the service of the Holy Roman Emperor -- the Habsburg Kaiser -- who was also King of Bohemia and King of Hungary, but they were often more loyal to the local noble lord who provided for their needs than to the Kaiser. By the early eighteenth century the regiment was made up of men from Schwabia, Franconia and Bohemia.

Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa finally established a standing army for the Austrian - Holy Roman Empire in the mid-eighteenth century. In 1766 the regiment became a part of the imperial army and it was given its numerical designation as the 35th Line Infantry Regimen in 1769. In 1771, in order to make the regiment more homogeneous, it was assigned to a permanent recruiting district that was roughly the same as the administrative district of Pilsen in Bohemia. The population in the district was predominantly German but men were recruited from among the Czech population as well as among the Germans.

The city of Pilsen became the command and staff-station for the 35th. With the exception of towns and villages along the western frontier of Egerland which were later assigned to the Klattau district (Regiment number 73), the Pilsen recruiting district has remained essentially unchanged since 1766. Eventually the city of Pilsen, which was already the seat of the district commander, also became the administrative
center for the recruiting district.

Between 1775 and 1807 the Regiment had an auxiliary (supplemental) recruiting district in Galicia that was located first in Tarnopoler and later in Tarnower (Pilzno).

One or two battalions of the 35th were assigned to serve in the Grenadiers -- a special infantry unit that carried explosive devices in addition to their muskets -- in 1769. The Grenadiers were dissolved in 1852.

During peacetime the 35th was assigned as garrison troops to fortresses or fortified towns and cities around the empire. For many of the young peasants who made up the ranks this would be their first experience with being farther than 25 miles from their homes and for many of them it was very difficult adjustment. The places in which the 35th Mies Regiment were stationed included many garrisons where the Austrian troops were not always welcomed and where no one but the soldiers themselves spoke German. In the case of garrisons in Hungary or Serbia, the new recruits would be outfitted in Pilsen and they then had to march all the way to Hungary. Depending on weather and other conditions the trip could take several months.

During the eighteenth century the uniforms of soldiers reflected the fashion of the day in terms of the style of the coat, shirt, breeches and hats that were worn. Until smokeless powder was invented uniforms were always of bright colors combined with white which was much easier to see and identify on a battlefield heavy with smoke from cannon and muskets.

(Inset: Infantrymen from a Jäeger battalion 1864.)

In 1860 the 35th Infantry Regiment wore a new uniform which was considered "modern" with its relaxed tunic and trousers rather than the tight waistcoats and breeches of earlier times. The trousers were red with a yellow stripe, the white tunic had gold buttons and yellow collar and cuffs. The yellow trim was a regimental color that identified members of the 35th.

These elegant uniforms were worn in the field as well as on parade. In the winter an overcoat was worn over it. The high hard-leather helmet was called a Schako and was always worn on the march, in parade or when on garrison duty. There was also a soft cap of wool worn for exercise and casual duty and sometimes in the field. In 1864, when the Austrians fought with the Prussians in a short war against the Danes in Schleswig-Holstein, the allies both wore a white band on their arms to identify them as allies in the field. The same device had been used in the Napoleonic wars early in the century.

In 1868 the uniform was "modernized" once again to a dark blue jacket with red lapels and yellow braid. The average soldier of the 35th was 5' 2" tall and in the field he had to carry a musket and a pack that could weigh as much as 70 pounds. During a campaign there might be marches with full packs that could last 12 hours or more -- with some portions of the march being "at the double" (fast trot). However, when they had to "storm" an enemy position knapsacks were dropped and all ammunition was carried in a small pouch.

Individual knapsacks held all of the soldiers' rations, changes of clothing, blankets, cooking pots and silverware, writing supplies and other items necessary for comfort and well-being as well as tools to care for his weapon, and his stock of 60 paper cartridges (containing gunpowder and a minie-ball).

The standard weapon of the Austrian soldier in 1860 was the Lorenze rifled musket -- a single-shot muzzle loader that could be fired about three times in a minute if the soldier were well-trained. It was difficult to load unless the soldier were standing up. It was a heavy weapon, weighing around 12 pounds, and that made it difficult to aim. When stood on end with its bayonet fixed it might be taller than a lot of the soldiers.

The Austrian army was organized with regiments belonging to an "Inhaber" who can be best described as the owner or proprietor of the regiment. He was often a nobleman who was perhaps a younger son of a noble family and who had no prospects for a social "position." The position was simply purchased for him and did not require him to have any military experience. Some of the men who became Inhabers had military careers behind them, but many of them did not. The regimental budget provided these men with the money they needed to support their personal lifestyle and their position entitled them to wear an officer's uniform -- a real plus in "uniform-mad" Austrian social circles. The best Inhabers would have a rank that reflected the amount he spent to purchase the regiment when he first took it over. The best men whose regiments achieved a high reputation would eventually be promoted until reaching the top rank given an Inhaber who is not also a field commander. Most Inhabers never rose above Colonel and many of them remained in control of the regimental purse-strings for twenty years of more. If there were no buyer for the position when he gave up the position it would remain "unbesetzt" (unoccupied).

The Inhaber did not generally participate in decisions that had to do with tactics or training of his regiment except, perhaps, when these decisions impacted the regimental budget. Leadership and command of troops was handled by the Oberstlieutenant (Lieutenant Colonel) who was the top ranking officer in the regiment and his staff. Traditionally these officers were also noblemen, but that began to change after the wars of 1859 and 1866 made noble families think twice about placing their sons' lives in so much danger. Commoners among officers ranks began to be more common by the 1880s.

The Troop Commander of the 35th Regiment in 1859 was Oberst Karl Furst Windisch-Graetz -- Colonel Karl Prince Windishgraetz. He was mortally wounded that summer in a battle against the rebellious King of Piedmont (Habsburg Italian province) and his French allies. That battle, referred to as the Battle of Solferino, was so bloody that even the French were shaken by the Austrian casualties. The 35th was decimated.

Another member of the noble Windisgraetz family, General Alfred Prince Windischgraetz, was the top commander of the army units stationed at Prague. He was much despised because he had fired cannons into the city and let his troops fire on civilians during the rebellion of 1848. His wife was killed by a stray bullet through a window (some say a sniper's bullet). The Prince owned the former Benedictine monastery at Kladrau just south of Mies and when his wife's body was taken there for burial the Jaegers of the city of Mies were the funeral honor guard -- a cause of much civic pride for a long time thereafter.

After the rebellion was put down in Prague, Prince Windischgraetz took his troops to Vienna to put down a more serious rebellion there. The 35th regiment participated in storming the walls of the city and then joined the other Austrian forces who marched into Hungary to do battle with Hungarians fighting for independence from the Habsburg Empire. After the Hungarians were defeated the 35th served in Vienna as garrison troops whose duty was to march about in battle formation to let the city-dwellers know that there was a powerful army on hand to protect the Kaiser's interest. The Kaiser's fear of the urban proletariat made him decide to tear down the walls of Vienna so that rebels could never again occupy them and use them to control the city. Where the walls once were the Ringstrasse and its palatial noble residences now circle the city. The "Ring" was a favorite route of marching soldiers and military security police on white horses.

The ranks of the military security police were filled by the tallest, strongest-looking soldiers who could also speak German and read and write. Their height was exaggerated when they mounted their white horses and they could be quite intimidating as they rode about the city in groups of six or more. George Grosam, a member of the 35th between 1860 and 1867, served in the Vienna military security police 1862-1863.

Feldzüge (Campaigns)

[Author's note: Most of the campaigns and battles referred to below can be found described in detail in military history books or books about the Empress Maria Theresa, Frederick the Great or Napoleon.)

Between 1683 and 1734 the 35th was involved in 16 different campaigns at such places as Württemberg, on the Phein, in Hungary and Slavonia, Italy and Bavaria -- averaging a fight every three years and long, tedious marches that could take several weeks or even several months from hot-spot to hot-spot in the empire.

After Frederick the Great became Prussian king in 1740 he began at once to make war to enlarge his lands at the expense of the Habsburgs. The 35th received a new Inhaber (Carl August Prince Waldeck) and was now known as the Waldeck Regiment. They fought the Prussian forces in 1741 as a part of the Army group led by General Khevenhüller. In 1742 they fought in Upper Austria and Bavaria and later that same year in Bohemia at Caslau after which they took part in the siege of Prague.

In 1743 the 35th returned to Bavaria and took part in a surprise attack at Wischelburg after which they marched to the Rhein. By 1744 they were back in Bohemia. In 1745 one battalion of the 35th was involved in an encounter with the Prussians at Habelschwerdt and a battle at Trautenau and the entire regiment was present at the Battle of Kesselsdorf -- but that battle was fought almost entirely by cavalry and very few of the infantry regiments actually came under fire. In 1746 they marched to the Netherlands and fought near Roncour, in 1747 they were at Lawfeld but did not fight. In 1748 a detachment of the 35th was involved in an encounter near Rosendael.

The war with the Prussians continued and in 1756 the theater of war was again in Bohemia. There were battles at Lobozitz, Prague, Moys-Berge, Breslau, and Leuthen during the next two years. In 1758 the 35th was with the garrison troops at Vienna and fought at Hochkirch, in 1759 at Kunersdorf (as part of Corps Loudon), in 1760 at Landschut and Liegnitz, in 1761 at Schweidnitz and in 1762 at Leuthmannsdorf and Schweidnitz.

The regimental Inhaber changed again in 1778 -- his name was Count Olivier Patrick Wallis -- and that year they occupied the Netherlands for a short time and then marched back to Bohemia where they remained with the main army all through 1779 without having to fight.

In 1788 and 1789 they were in Banat during battles at Armenis, and the siege of Belgrad. Their Inhaber at the time was Anton Freiherr (Baron) von Brentano-Cimaroli.

War with Prussia and in the southern Habsburg lands was barely over when Napoleon came on the European scene. Between 1793-1797 there was a constant state of war with the French in various locations and the 35th came under fire several times every year. In 1799 the entire regiment was decorated for extraordinary action in battles at Ostrach, Stockach, Andelfingen, and Pfungen and their commander, Colonel Baron Ulm received special recognition. Their Inhaber after 1793 was named Wenckheim.

The 35th faced Napoleon's army again in Bavaria during 1800 and during the Austrian retreat at Salzburg and Frankenmarkt.

In 1805 the Archduke Maximilian became the Inhaber of the 35th Regiment. The regiment fought that year in Germany at Riedheim and during the retreat at Jungingen where they were surrounded by enemy cavalry and suffered high casualties and had many men taken prisoner. Those who survived joined up with another Austrian army group and they were subsequently taken prisoner on October 18 near Trochtelfingen.

In 1809 the 35th became known as the Argenteau Regiment (Inhaber -- Count Eugen Argenteau). That year they fought in the great battles at Aspern, Wagram and Znaym during Napoleon's campaign to capture Vienna. The Austrians were victorious at Aspern but lost at Wagram and had to sign a humiliating peace treaty.

In 1813 as the survivors of Napoleon's Grand Armee that had gone to Moscow straggled out of Russia, they were met by fresh French troops in Germany where war broke out anew. The 35th participated in battles against the French at Dresden, Kulm and Leipzig. In 1814 they marched into France and participated in the siege of Besancon and battles at St. Georges and Voreppe. In 1815 the regiment served to blockade Huningen and laid siege to Schlettstadt before Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo.

The years following Waterloo were generally peaceful -- at least there were no major wars between any of the larger European powers. But the German lands that had been occupied by the French had experienced French democracy and liberal political ideas and these ideas spread rapidly to the east. They ultimately led to the rebellion of 1848.

In 1848 the 35th Regiment became the property of Feldzeugmarshall Graf (Count) Khevenhuller. (He came from a family with a long tradition of military service and was himself a professional soldier.) In 1848 they fought in the siege of Vienna and then, in 1849, two battalions marched against the rebellious Hungarian army while the third battalion joined the garrison in Vienna. Battles in Hungary at Komorn, O-Besenyo, Albrechtsflur, Csatad, Temesvar, Kapolna, Pered and Puszta-Herkaly earned honors for the 35th.

In 1859 when the Piedmontese rebelled against Austrian rule the 35th was sent to Italy to join other Austrian forces and put down the rebellion. The French joined the Italians and after a series of smaller fights the Austrians were defeated at Solferino. The battle was extremely bloody and the 35th lost their commander, Prince Karl Windischgraetz. They also lost almost 50% of their ranks -- killed or wounded. All the common footsoldiers who died were buried in the field where they fell. Many wounded died before they were found because the Austrian army was not prepared to take care of so many casualties and the civilian aid organizations were overwhelmed. The carnage was so bad that the nations of Europe joined to sign the Geneva Convention giving medical assistance soldiers the status of noncombatants in the future -- but Austria did not sign the agreement. The Red Cross was also founded as a result.

In 1864 Regiment number 35 advanced into Schleswig-Holstein with Austrian forces and their Prussian allies to battle the Danes over who should rule in Schleswig-Holstein. The Prussian and Austrian allies were victorious but then they squabbled over how power should be shared in Schleswig-Holstein. By 1866 Austria and Prussia were at war.

The 35th was stationed in Altona after the Danish war but only for a short time. They were at Prague when the Prussians began their invasion of Bohemia. They fought in three of the bloodiest engagements of the war -- at Munchengrätz, Gitschin (Jicin) and at Königgrätz (koniggratz). At Königgrätz they faced an enemy armed with a breech-loaded rifle that could be loaded without standing up and which could be fire must faster than the muzzle-loaded Lorenz rifle the Austrians carried. The 35th was held in reserve until late in the afternoon when the battle was already lost. When the Prussians broke through the Austrian lines the 35th was thrown into the fray to hold them off so a general retreat could proceed. As they advanced against the rapid fire of the Prussians, row after row of their closed formation fell. Finally those who were still unhurt either fell to the ground or ran away. Those who were on the ground then found their position overrun by their own Austrian cavalry -- fleeing in panic from a Prussian barrage of artillery and infantry fire. The cavalry slashed with their sabers at anyone who moved. When the survivors were able to flee to the rear and join the retreat many were forced to swim a river to get to safety because pontoon bridges had been dismantled too early. After the survivors of the Austrian army were able to reorganize they marched to Olmutz and then through Hungary to Pressburg on the Danube by Vienna where they halted to face the advancing Prussians. The 35th was with them all the way. But the Prussians were suffering from Cholera and wanted peace -- a treaty was signed and the fighting stopped before the two armies met.

Austria was forced out of the affairs of greater Germany by the terms of the peace and that led to a period of relative peace to the west. But in 1881 and 1882 the 35th was again called to fight for Franz Josef. This time in South Dalmatia (Hercegovina) where the Austrian victory planted the seeds of the First World War.

Much of the information given here is found in: "Geschichte K. und K. Wehrmacht" Die Regimenter, Corps, Branchen und Anstalten von 1618 bis Ende des XIX. Jahrhunderts. Bearbeitet von Major Alphons Freiherrn von Wrede, 1 Band. Vienna, 1898.

Information not included is a listing of the names of all the Regimental Commanders 1683-1897, and a list of all the higher- ranking officers who fell in battle.

The Curious Punishment

by Edwin Graf, Germany

Die "Hanelruse'' (Rosa Hanel) lived in an old wooden cottage with little windows in the room on the side that faced the street. She was very curious, knew all the news in the village, was known as the gossip monger and had especially good information about almost all incidents in which village youth were involved. From the time anything happened she enlivened the description to such an extent that after a time the conclusion became grossly exaggerated and "Die Hanelruse" had yet again "made a mosquito into a horse." Some things were hardly worth speaking about but these exaggerations almost always made them general news. With the smallest stirring on the street she threw up the sash of her window (Guckfenster - lookout window) and stuck her head out, turning it back and forth so that nothing that happened outside escaped her attention. In particular during the evening and night she was constantly standing by, ready for action. She lived right inside the end of the village so that there was often opportunity to satisfy her curiosity. Once after she had yammered about their meeting very unpleasantly a young couple swore revenge! They hoped for once to give her a lesson so that the yammering would stop. Various plans were considered. One was "Russ ins Neugierde! Rub in the curiosity! Smear her face with soot, cut her hair, throw water in her face, etc." One of the young people had an idea that seemed the most effective and the most harmless. Certain there can be many folk in the area who still remember how to bake bread that is the woven "Strohschüsseln?". Such bowl-shaped bread is very handy and very firm and some of them could weigh 8 to 10 pounds due to the method of inserting the leaven in the "Strohschüsseln" before it was shoved into the bake oven.

So a "Brotschüssel" with a diameter of about 40 centimeters was baked and from the bottom a hole was cut away that resembled the size of Hanelruse's head. A small group then gathered on the village street one evening in order to awaken her curiosity. One fellow in the foregarden ducked under the window with the punched-out bowl in both hands and waited for her head to stick out. The little meeting had scarcely begun when the head of "Hanelruse" popped out of the window to see what was going on. The fellow underneath the window quickly lifted his arms high and with a fast shove put the bottomless "Strohschüssel" over the head of poor "Hanelruse." With a loud shriek she tried to pull her head back inside with a strong jerk. The hole in the "Strohschüssel" proved small enough that when she did this it made the entire old window frame break away. At that point "Hanelruse," still shrieking loudly, stood in the middle of her outer room with the window frame over her head.

All the partners in the deed kept quiet and would not tell who the malefactors were. The window frame was installed again but "Hanelruse" was not cured. She only became more cautious.

History of the Georg Goblirsch Family

by

Kurt Eisen

( In the December 1996 issue of the GBHS Newsletter appeared an article titled "Agriculture in the Homeland". Accompanying that article was a photo of the Johann Goblirsch family from Zemschen. Mr. Eisen had recently completed the following research on the Goblirsch family and thought our readers might enjoy learning more about the Goblirsch family. I would like to thank Mr. Eisen for sending us this information. The * signifies born, and + died. Ed.)

Georg Goblirsch The I

* 1820 + No. 24. 1908 at Morgan, MN., he was married to Magdalena Binder from Zemschen # 21, Bohemia. They had 5 children, 4 of them immigrated to the USA. The youngest child stayed with his mother in Zemschen. Since 4 of his children lived in the US, old Georg always wished he to could go there. His wife encouraged him to go, but she decided to stay home with the youngest son Johann.

Georg Goblirsch The II

* May 5. 1862 + August 16, 1954 in New Ulm. He was married to Anna Hoffmann in Sleepy Eye 1890. Anna Hoffman was * March 12. 1872 + July 26, 1938

Adam Goblirsch

* Nov. 6. 1868 + August 1952 at Morgan MN.

Maria Goblirsch

* not known so far, she + in Hinkley, MN.

Katharina Goblirsch

* August 6, 1864 + Dec. 3, 1956 in New Ulm (married Fleissner)

Johnann Goblirsch

*July 1856 Zemschen + Sept. 13, 1937 he was married to Margaete Schottenbauer in 1880. Margarete was * Aug. 6, 1861 + March 18, 1917.

Georg Goblirsch II had 6 chirldren

Lilian Goblirsch

* 1890 at Morgan + 1924 in St. Paul Age 34

Catharina Goblirsch

* 1892 at Morgan + 1985 in Florida Age 93

Viola Goblirsch

*May 29, 1895 Morgan (marr. Juberigan) +Oct. 11, 1967 at Forest Lake, MN

Clara Goblirsch

* Sept. 23, 1899 at Morgan ( marr. Courtney ) + Oct. 26, 1972 at St. Paul MN.

Marion Goblirsch

* Nov. 27, 1905 at Morgan ( marr. Baler) + Sept. 15, 1991 at Mankato, MN

Roman Goblirsch

* Nov. 4, 1914 ( marr. to Victoria Spaeth at Sleepy Eye ) + Jan. 3, 1994 New Ulm

From The Roman - Victoria Family Are

:

Thomas Goblirsch

* Oct. 16, 1938 married to Lois Olson they have 4 Children, Brenda, Christian, Jerry and James

Dennis Goblirsch

* July 28, 1943 - have one child Molly

Michael Goblirsch

* Jan. 20, 1955 - he is mar. to Carol Frenchet, they have 3 children, Alena, Derick & David (Twins)

Johann Goblirsch Youngest Son Of Georg The I

Johann

had 9 Children, 2 of them also went to America. Wenzel & Katharina.

Anna Goblirsch

*July 7, 1822 + March 10, 1964 at Vohringen near Neu Ulm, Germany

Maria Goblirsch

married A. Brosch - she + at Morgan, MN

Margarete Goblirsch

married a Vesely Nov. 12, 1901
+ July 28. 1974 Oschersleben, Germany

Anton Goblirsch

no dates so far aval. + in Zemschen before 1945.

Johann Goblirsch

a railway man died by accident in 1948 near Lauda Wurtenberg, Germany

Wenzel Goblirsch

*July 21, 1890, Zemschen + July 20 1977 at Redwood Falls - farmer at Redwood Falls,MN

Katharina Goblirsch

no dates - married Dole

Franz Goblirsch

* Nov. 7, 1899 - machinist + March 17. 1953, he is buried near Darmstadt

Joseph Goblirsch

* Sept. 29, 1904 + Aug. 4, 1974 at Mengen Allgau, Germany

Tutz ( Dubec ) Tschech, was the mother church for Pepeldorf, Zemschen, Posikau. They are all incorporated and belong to the county of Bischofteinitz (Horsovsky Tyn) Chech Republic.

Here is additional information of the Goblirsch family:

Georgia Goblirsch

* Apr. 16, 1894 bapt. May 5. 1894 Daughter of Georg & Maria Goblirsch. Sponsors were Michael & Barbara Goblirsch

Mathias Goblirsch

*May 27, 1894 - bapt. May 29, 1894 son of Michael & Barbara born Seifert. Spons. Mathias & Anna Seifert

Katharina Goblirsch

* May 14, 1899 bapt. May 21 1899 Parents are Adam & Anna born Petzinger. Spons. Georgia Goblirsch & Katharina Reding

Georg Goblirsch

*1833 + Nov. 21, 1908 at Morgan age 75, buried Nov. 24. 1908

Barbara Petzinger

* 1840 + March 31, 1910 Morgan buried Apr. 2, 1910

Clara Anna Goblirsch

* Sept. 23, 1899 + Oct. 26, 1972 at St. Paul - Parents Adam & Anna Goblirsch Hoffmann

Benjamin Georg Petzinger

* Oct 3, 1899 bapt. Oct. 8, 1899 son of Carl & Joanis Petzinger and Clara Giles.

Hericum Goblirsch

* March 16. 1893 bapt. May 21, 1893 son of Joanis and Anna Muelbauer. Spons. Georgia & Marie Goblirsch

Mariann Anna Goblirsch

* March 27, 1898 bapt. May 8, 1898 daugther of Joanis & Anna Goblirsch - Muelbauer. Spons. Georgius & Maria Goblirsch. Mar. at St. Anna Wabeso to Wm. Andrew Bayer June 6, 1953.

Andreas Goblirsch

* Feb. 5, 1899 bapt. Apr. 9, 1899 son of Georg & Maria Goblirsch. Spons. John & Anna Goblirsch

Mariann Anna Goblirsch

* Nov. 27. 1905 bapt. Dec. 7, 1905. Parents Georg & Anna born Hoffmann married at Holy Trinity Church to Andreas Bayer May 20, 1925

Marian Loisana Goblirsch

* June30, 1905 bapt. July 9, 1905 Daughter of Adam & Anna Petzinger Spons. Maria & Conrad Brosch.

Johann Goblirsch

* Feb. 28, 1896 bapt. Apr. 5, 1896 son of Johann & Anne Muelbauer Spons. Michael & Barbara Goblirsch

Michael Goblirsch

* Sept. 19, 1896 bapt. Oct. 10, 1896 Parents Georgia & Maria Goblirsch. Spons. Michael & Barbara Goblirsch

Katharina Goblirsch

* Nov. 8, 1894 bapt. Dec. 25, 1894 Parents are Johann & Anna Goblirsch (Muelbauer) Spons. Michael & Barbara Goblirsch

Carolin Georgia Goblirsch

* Oct. 2. 1900 bapt. Apr. 22, 1900. Parents Johann & Anna born Muelbauer Spons. Georg Julius & Maria Goblirsch

Stadtherr Families from the Honositz Area of Bohemia

by

Leon G. Stadtherr

Those of you who have read the book "German Bohemians The Quiet Immigrants" will be familiar with the term chain migration. This term is used to explain the movement of people from one village or county in the old country' to a town, township, or county in a new country. In "The Quiet Immigrants" the interest, of course, is the movement of German speaking people from western Bohemia to the New Ulm, MN area from roughly 1860 to 1910

In the Stadtherr family we have a chain migration of our own. This mini-migration began when George Stadtherr left Honositz, Bohemia and in 1867 settled in section 14 in West Newton Township, western Nicollet County, Minnesota (across the Minnesota River from New Ulm. George (1846-1932) married Elizabeth Marschalek (1847-1917) on 25 April 1870 in the St. George Catholic church. They had 12 children; Maria (1870-1937), married Anton Schreiner in 1889; they had one son Anton, Jr. (1891-1917),
Catherine (1872-1908), married August Wager in 1893 had at least 4 daughters. Anna (1873-1878, died of diphtheria.

John (1875-1939), married Genevieve Bushard in 1901; they lived in Gibbon, raised 3 sons and 4 daughters. Elizabeth (1877-1878), died of diphtheria. George A (1878-1956), married Rosa Brown in 1906; they had two sons, no grandchildren; farmed in West Newton. Joseph George (1879-1883 ?). Wenzel (1881-1920), did not marry; farmed in West Newton. Elizabeth (1882-1955), married Fred Schweiss in 1901; they had 14 children. Joseph L. (1885-1973), never married; farmed the home place. Edward (1888- ?), All American football player at St. Louis University, M.D., surgeon in San Francisco, CA; married Vivian Hupp, heiress of the inventor of the Huppmobile; no children. Anthony (Tony) (1891- ?), All American football player at St. Louis Unlv., M.D., surgeon in Reno, NV; married Sherry Lewis; no children.

In 1881 George's half-brother, Wenzel left Honositz and joined him in West Newton. Wenzel later had a farm of his own a mile NW of Gibbon in Moltke Township, Sibley County, a location 8 or 9 miles directly north of St. George. Wenzel's son Joseph joined him in 1892. On 17 October 1899 Joseph married Margaretha Stadick at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Fairfax. He lived on the farm NW of Gibbon until his death in 1959. For much of his life he was a trustee of St. Willibrord's Catholic Church in Gibbon.

Joe and Margaretha had 7 children. Joseph A. (1900-1964), married Charlotte Flory (1903- ) in 1930, they had two daughters; Buick car mechanic in St. Paul. Frank A. (1902-1977), never married. Theresa A. (1904-1992), married George J. Brunner (1900-1981) in 1924; one daughters lived in Gibbon. Mary M. (1906- ), married Fred Gleisner (1902-1988) in 1927; six children; farmed near the Harkin Store, West Newton Township. Henry A. (Hank) (1908-1995), married Valeria Benolken (1910-1982) in 1939; four children; electrical engineer, helped install the original REA lines in Brown County. Edward W. (1909-1975), married Agnes Goblirsch in 1941; eleven children; farmed NW of Gibbon. John T. (1911-1989), never married; farmed the home place NW of Gibbon.

In 1884 Wenzel's brother Johann (John) left Honositz and joined his brothers in the West Newton area. A year later their sister Barbara and her husband George Lippert and their small son Joseph came to this same area. In 1891 Johann Stadtherr and George Lippert bought land in Roseland Township, Kandlyohi County near the Renville County line north of Olivia.

Johann Stadtherr married Margaret Neubauer in 1887 at Holy Trinity Church in New Ulm. After his marriage he used John rather than Johann as his first name. John aM Margaret lived on his brother Wenzel's farm near Gibbon for three or four years During World War I and the anti-German sentiment well known to New Ulm history students, on the advice of his parish priest in Olivia, John dropped the last 'r' in his surname to make it 'less German.' All his descendants have continued to use only the one r. John (1857-1950) and Margaret (1864-1953) had 8 children; Anna (1888- ? ), married Henry Benesh (1891-1975) in 1916, they had 3 children. George A. (1889-1944), married Rose Skarolid in 1914, they had 4 children in 1932 George married Loretta Fahey. Wenzel (James L.) (1891-1959), married Mayme Cuta in 1920, they had 6 children. John P. (1893-1971), married Lydia Helmer in 1918, they had 14 children. Sophie (1898- ? ), married Thomas Svobodny in 1916, they had 4 children. Hedwig (Hattie) (1901- ), married Ralph Molitor in 1932, they had 3 children. Edward L. (1903-1970), never married. Henry Patrick (1906-1992), married Evelyn Hirman in 1936, they had 4 children.

George (1858-1935) and Barbara (1860-1946) Lippert had seven children; Joseph F. (1884-1963), married Anna Minkel in 1908, they had 9 children. George H., Jr. (1886-1948), married Genneva Shaw in 1919, they had four children. John P. (1888- ? ), married Bertha Moffet, they had 3 children. Edward P (1891-1974), married Rosalie Kral in 1918, they had 9 children. Louis L. (1895-1979), married Lillian Tatting in 1919, they had 8 children. Mary L. (1897- ? ), married Emil Olson in 1921, they had 5 children. Anna V. (1900- ? ), married William Pyke in 1922, they had two children. Descendants of these two families, John Stadther and George Lippert, still live in the area between Olivia and Willmar as well as in Olivia and in Willmar.

Two other girls from this Stadtherr family also left Honositz and came to Minnesota; Maria Trucke and Anna Keller. They came in the 1880's. At this time we do not know the exact time either of them came though. From the 1895 Minnesota State Census we know Maria Stadtherr Trucke (Truka) was living with Wenzel and Joseph on their Gibbon farm. She is listed as being four years older than Wensel, so she may be a full sister to George and a half-sister to Wenzel. We know Maria had at least one son, Wenzel Trucke. Wenzel married Anna Stadick on 29 August 1900 at St. Andrew's, Fairfax. After her son married, Maria moved with them to southern North Dakota (Verona area). Wenzel and Anna Trucke had ten children; Edwin (1901-1946) married to ? , they had three sons. John (1902-1957)s married Velma Lyman, they had four children. Mayme (1904-1976) married John Kopp, they had three children. Sophie (1906-1976) married Ole Haarsager, they had three children Joseph (1910-1988): married Fable Sermons, they had ten children. Benjamin (1912- ? ) married Vee Schielke, no children. William (Willie) (1914- ) married Eleanore Brovold, they had two sons. George (1918-1991) married Arla Aune in 1940, they had two children. Helen (1922- ) married Donald Supler, they had three children. Harvey (1924-1971) married Lillian Jacobson, they had one son.

According to the late Richard Stadtherr, another sister to George and Wenzel, Anna (?), was married to a Keller (Edward probably) and they lived in south Minneapolis on Minnehaha Parkway. The Kellers had three children Edward, Jr. (?), John (?), and Josephine, called Phiny. Phiny married a Frank Kuehl. Kuehl started out as a candy maker in Mapleton, MN and ended up as an executive of M & M Mars Candy Co. in Chicago. The Kuehls did not have any children.

As was common with many of the German-Bohemian families who came to southern Minnesota, the Stadtherr family members who came here after the first family member lived for awhile (months to several years) with family members or friends who were already here. As most of the German-Bohemian immigrants were farmers, these 'late-comers' often moved some distance away from the original settlers as good farm land nearby became hard to find and/or too expensive. Most of the original German-Bohemian settlers settled in Cottonwood, Sigel, and Stark Townships in Brown County (south of New Ulm) or in West Newton and Lafayette Townships in Nicollet County (north of New Ulm). In the case of the Stadtherr family we see that indeed the first family member to immigrate, George, settled in West Newton Township. As other family members arrived they settled further and further away from the New Ulm area.

Those who have read "Border Peoples The Böhmisch in America" know that a large number of German-Bohemians settled in the northeastern Wisconsin-Upper Michigan area. There is a Stadtherr family with a Wisconsin connection although not to the area discussed in the "Border People" book.

In 1856 Wenzel and Ursula Stadtherr settled in the St. Kilian, WI area (Fond du Lac County). Wenzel was born 31 October 1832 in Nemlowitz, Bohemia. Ursula (Fuerfall) was born 14 December 1833 in Zetschowitz, Bohemia. They had 12 children. The oldest son, Peter, was born in Nemlowitz on 3 August 1854. Their oldest daughter, Otilia, was born on the ship while they were coming to America on 27 August 1856. Their next five children were born in St. Kilian and the last five were born on their farm near Meire's Grove, MN (Stearns County). Based on the years of birth of their children, Wensel and Ursula spent 10 to 12 years in Wisconsin (1856 or 7 to 1867 or 8) before moving to Stearns County. Wensel and Ursula are buried in St. Boniface Cemetery in Melrose, MN.

Peter, the old-est son of Wensel and Ursula, also had 12 children. Figure 2
The first eight of them were born in Minnesota four in Stearns County and four in Long Prairie. About 1903 the family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where the four youngest children were born. Later they moved to Mobile,

Alabama where Peter and his wife Anna died and were buried. Many descendants of Peter and Anna reside today in Canada and also in the Mobile, AL area. We are awaiting further information on the other eleven children of Wenzel and Ursula. At least a few of their descendants remain in the Stearns County area. Some members of this Stadtherr family have also dropped the last 'r' from their name.

We also know of a Stadtherr family 'isolated' from other German Bohemian families. I say 'isolated' because I do not know if any other German Bohemians lived in their area, which was Cole Camp, Missouri.

The John Stadtherr (Sr.) of Cole Camp was born in Schekarzen (Vsekary), Bohemia on 6 December 1859, the only child of Nicholas Stadtherr anal Susanna Valenta. Nicholas, who was born in Honosltz, died before the baby was born. Susanna was born in Schekarzen. She and her son came to the United States in 1871, arriving in New York on 15 May. They traveled by train to Springfield, IL, and then to Lincoln, IL by wagon. Until he reached the age of sixteen, John was farmed out to families living near Lincoln. John became a blacksmith and practiced his craft in communities in Missouri, Kansas Wisconsin, and Indiana from 1878 until about 1888 or 1890 when he settled in Cole Camp. Could it be that he chose Cole Camp because there were German-Bohemians in that community?
On 31 January 1894 John married Margaret Wagner at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Cole Camp. Margaret was born in Kwit-schowits, Bohemia in 1868 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1888. They had eight children. All of the children with the exception of Theresa, who died at about age three, achieved a college education or higher. Their other children were; Leo (1896-1950), Texas State Superintendent of Census of Schools - unmarried. Isidore John (1898- ? ), Ordained into priesthood in the Precious Blood Order on 27 May 1927. Sister Regina (1900-1971), Mother Aquinas, Mother General of the Precious Blood at Dayton, Ohio. Bernard (1902-1942), Doctor of Medicine - no children. Mary Susanna (1905-1973), Registered Nurse; married twice, no children. John II (1907-1968), M.S. degree in chemistry; three children John III, Sylvia DeChant, and Paul. Nicholas (1910-1971), M.S. in engineering; two children David and Ann.

The Figure 2 map shows the Honositz area of Bohemia. Note the nearness of the other villages mentioned in this article to Honositz. The accompanying table lists the Bohemian villages of origin of the Stadtherr families mentioned in this article.

A theory I have is that the ancestral home of the Stadtherrs was at Honositz. Those who were along on the August 1991 GBHS trip to Bohemia will remember seeing the impressive large structure (house number 10) in Honositz that was home to the Stadtherr family in the l8OO's. We have not finished research yet to determine how long the Stadtherr family lived in Honositz. We do know they lived at the number 10 address from before 1794 to at least the middle 1880's. Further research is needed to prove/disprove this theory.

This article summarizes what we (myself and my first cousins) currently know about various Stadtherr families who t left the Honositz area to come to the United States between 1856 and about 1890. I would like anyone who has further information on any Stadtherr family to contact me. I also would like to know of any other families that left any of the villages mentioned in this article. Was there any contact between them and the Stadtherrs after they arrived in this country?

Within the past two years my cousin Bill Stadtherr of Apple Valley, MN has made computer contact with a Dirk Stadtherr in Germany (Bad Urach). Dirk's father, Horst, was born in Honositz in 1945 -- just before the German-Bohemians were ousted from their homeland. Horst's father still is living, so we are hopeful that more can be learned in the near future about Stadtherrs from the Honositz area.

I would like to thank all who have helped me gather the information presented in this article. A special thanks to Bob Paulson for his help. Among the sources used in preparing this articles "German-Bohemians The Quiet Immigrants", by LaVern J. Rippley & Robert J. Paulson, 1995. "Border People The Böhmisch in America", by Ken Meter & Robert J. Paulson, 1993. "The Stadtherr Family", by Pam Stadther & Jan Stadther Anderson, 1978. "Stadtherr Genealogy; The Stadtherr's from the Honositz, Bohemia Area", by Leon G. Stadtherr & Sandy Stadtherr, 1996. A history of Cole Camp, MO. Exact title and date unknown; the section on John Stadtherr, Sr., was written by his granddaughter, Sylvia DeChant.



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Addresses

German-Bohemian Heritage Society
P.O. Box 822, New Ulm, MN 56073-0822

E-Mail

Society & Newsletter:

lalgbhs@newulmtel.net

Research Information:

rpaulgb@pioneerplanet.infi.net

GBHS Home Page On The World Wide Web:

http: //www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/

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Coming Events

August 2, 1997
GBHS Annual Picnic
German Park
New Ulm, MN

September 20, 1997
Board of Directors Meeting

October 18, 1997
Fall General Meeting

November 8, 1997
Board of Directors Meeting

History For Sale

German-Bohemians - The Quiet Immigrants

by La Vern Rippley & Robert Paulson
A "must have" book for researchers. Over ten years in the making. Fully researched. Nine chapters describing our German-Bohemian ancestors life in the homeland, the journey to America and life in their new-found homes. Customs, traditions, music, heritage and more. Over 150 photographs.
Hard cover, 279 pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25.90

Border People: The Böhmische (German-Bohemians) in America
by Ken Meter and Robert Paulson
Highly recommended, fully researched. Includes many counties in Wisconsin. Soft cover, 32 pages, many photographs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.50

Duetsch-Böhmische Küche

A German-Bohemian Cookbook

. Dozens of authentic German and German-Bohemian recipes.
Ring bound, soft cover, 88 pages of recipes. . . .$9.00

The Whoopee John Wilfahrt Dance Band, His Bohemian-German Roots
by LaVern J. Rippley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.00

German-Bohemian Immigrant Monument Book - A souvenir booklet of the monument dedication by the GBHS. . . . . . . . . $5.00

Music

"German-Bohemian Heritage Singers, Preserving the Heritage" cassette tape. A wonderful array of German and German-Bohemian dialect songs . . . . . $9.00

"Preserving the Heritage II" cassette tape. An encore performance features even more toe tapping and heart warming songs in the German and German-Bohemian flavor. Add it to your collection today. . $10.00

All prices (U.S. Funds Only Please) include sales tax and postage . If you wish to order any of these items, send a check payable to GBHS and mail it with your request to: GBHS, P.O. Box 822, New Ulm, MN, 56073-0822

Correction

In the March issue of this newsletter appeared an article listing our board of directors. I neglected to include LaVern Rippley , board member emeritus. Vern has been a very active member in our society co-authoring with Robert Paulson the book "German-Bohemians, The Quiet Immigrants ". Vern was also very instrumental with the German-Bohemian Immigrant Monument project.

Village Spotlight

The Villages of Ostrowitz, Schonthal, Wickau

Kries Mies

Ostrowitz

The community Ostrowitz was formerly one of the 31 localities belonging to the estate Trpist-Triebl, and was one of the 20 villages of the "Over-dominion" of Triebl. In the year 1558 it was held as property of Adam von Schwamberg who simultaneously also owned dominion over Weseritz. Both dominions along with Weseritz later became the property of the imperial Count Lowenstein-Wertheim, who sold Trpist and Triebl in the year 1711 to the imperial Counts von Sinzendorf and Thanhausen who joined the two into one estate. In subsequent period the owners changed more often.

Agriculture was the main occupation of the inhabitants. In 1921 the village installed a modern water system [plumbing] and in 1929 it was connected to an electric power source. The newly restored chapel originates from the year 1925.

Schonthal

The community of Schonthal originated with the ancient castle of the same name. The lords of the castle were member of the powerful Schweissinger family -- proof of which is found in the coats of arms of both [Wolfstein and Schweissing] families. Three red stripes on a silver ground, a breastplate with princely crown and plume. Among the inhabitants two very well-know names for the castle hill and the "Tanzboden" evoke the former power and lively society of the countryside beneath the splendid panorama of the Wolfsberg mountain. Here on the "Tanzboden" in Schonthal the very numerous members of the Noble family von Schweissing joined in hours of revelry with related families in Schonthal and Wolfberg/Triebl -- which the Wolfsteins consider to be the most sociable center.

After the Hussite wars, during which not only the Wolfstein castle, but also the castle Schonthal was destroyed, the community was one of the 31 localities belonging to the Herrschaft [estate; dominion] of Trpist-Triebl and was one of the 20 villages specifically absorbed by the "Oberen Herrschaft" of Triebl. The Schonthalbach, whose source is a small stream flowing on the right out of Wolfersdorf flows here through Tschernoschin to the Schontal mill, and when it reaches the Schontal pond it joins with a second small stream that has its source in a spring at Elhotten. At this junction a valley enclosed by soft hills, forested slopes and adorned with small, steep rock walls, begins on both sides of the brook -- the "beautiful valley" [Schone Tal]. About half and most likely even more of the farmers with small holdings practice a craft. They are masons, cabinetmakers and carpenters. The residential and outbuildings were built with thick walls of brick over cellars of natural stone, usually clay slates from the nearby quarries.

The individual rural properties located on both sides of the village plaza are almost always large courtyard-type properties with residential and outbuildings and a garden surrounded by wooden fence. After 1940 there were no longer a commercial enterprises represented in the village. After the miller had been drafted [into the army] the mill was still there. The Schonthal miller also had formerly operated a brickyard next to the mill.

Until 1934 the community owned an old wooden tower with a bell hanging in it at the edge of the village pond. Then Schonthal built a new chapel in the center of the village plaza. Each year since then on the Sunday after the name-day of St. Anthony of Padua (13 June), a Holy Mass is read in the chapel by the pastor of Tschernoschin . The altar was a gift from Joseph Rühling; inside, on the right, the memorial tablet listing those who fell in war is posted.

The children of the village went to school in Tschernoschin. High schools were located in Miese (the Burgerschule, the Gymnasium and the teacher training institute). The kindergarten, the library, the doctor and the pharmacy were all located in Tschernoschin.

Wickau

The community of Wickau was formerly one of the 52 localities included in the rich real estate holdings of the Herrschaft [dominion, estate] of Weseritz. Before 1500 the proprietors of the estate was the noble Kollowrat family. The last owner before WW I was Prince Lowenstein.

The village is located on the old imperial highway Pilsen -- Eger half way between Mies and Tschernoschin.
The inhabitants make their living from various kinds of agriculture and the related trades. The children go to school in Eisenhüttl (1 km away). The residence belonged to the independent parish church in Obergosolup and the cemetery used in common with Eisenhüttle is located between the two villages. There was only a chapel which was located beside the pond.

For civic societies the community had the Union of the volunteer fire fighters founded in 1892 and a local chapter of the Association of German culture.

Coming Next Issue

More on the Mies 35th Regiment
Granite
Search for the Origins of Jacob Harrand
and Mary Sonnleitner
The Reiniger Family

Newsletter Deadline

The next issue of this newsletter is scheduled for publication in September. Deadline for receiving material for the newsletter is August 1, 1997. Thank you.

My Apologies

Please accept my apologies for this newsletter being tardy. The GBHS computer's hard drive failed and it took several frustrating weeks to have it repaired satisfactorily. We are now back on track and anxious to bring you more informative newsletters. Ed.

GBHS Donates To Flood Relief

You have undoubtedly heard of the flooding problems in Minnesota and North Dakota among other places. The GBHS has donated $100.00 to the American Red Cross to help in the flood relief. Although small in the scope of things our donation was warmly accepted and immediately put to use.

GBHS Singers Find A New Home

A practice facility has been found in New Ulm at 1322 So. Minnesota St. The possibility also exists in the rented facility for a office, library, and archive storage area. The board of directors are working on the idea and should reach a decision soon.

German-Bohemian Heritage

Singers Dates of Performances

June 28
Bayrischer Hof Restaurant
Sommerfest
Montrose, MN

July 4
Turner Halle
New Ulm, MN

July 11, 19
Heritagefest
New Ulm, MN

August 2
GBHS Picnic
German Park
New Ulm, MN

August 10
Herman Monument Celebration
Herman Park
New Ulm, MN

August 16
Arlington Days
Arlington, MN

October 3, 5, 10, 12
Oktoberfest
New Ulm, MN

Spring General Meeting Big Success

The GBHS spring general meeting held on May 17 proved to be as advertised. Mr. Ed Langer, our guest speaker from Hales Corners WI., gave an unforgettable talk about emigration from north-eastern Bohemia to the American middle west. He captivated his audience with a flowing delivery and interesting subject matter. Those in attendance were indeed fortunate. We would like to thank our fellow GBHS member, Mr. Langer, for accepting our invitation to speak at our meeting. We sincerely hope we will be able to have him back sometime in the future.

Cookbook Recipes Needed

The GBHS vice-president, Gerald Gulden, is spear-heading a quest for a second GBHS cookbook. Plea's published in previous newsletters for recipes have met with only limited success. We are again asking for your help in getting this second cookbook off the ground. You can send your recipes to the GBHS, P.O. Box 822, New Ulm, MN, 56073. If you only have a vague memory of something you remember eating as a child or something your mother or father talked about, or you are not sure how to write down the recipe call Jerry at 1-800-699-2023. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Many G-B Villages Gone

The Sudeten regions, particularly the districts situated in the vicinity of the German border, are partly deserted because most of the people who went there after 1945 have since drifted back to the more lucrative jobs in the inner parts of the country. According to the Czechoslovak official statistics more than 1400 villages and localities which had formerly been inhabited by Germans were deleted from the register of local authorities by 1974 or consist merely of a few ruins. Even resorts such as Carlsbad, Marienbad and Franzensbad - as important for the balance of payments of the Czech Republic now as in the past - have been neglected and have not kept up with developments in comparable resorts elsewhere.