(Prof. Andrew Burghardt and Gerry Berghold)
As we view the Burgenland through available records I’m afraid we often lose sight of how it must have looked to our ancestors. We probably either fantasize, romanticize or imagine it has always looked as it does at present, qith out concrete, asphalt, autos, electric wires and modern construction. A package brought me a gift from member Prof. Andrew Burghardt, author of (among other works) „Borderland, A Historical and Geographical Study of Burgenland“ , Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1962, which suggested this article.

The gift was a series of 17 enlarged photos, produced by the Wisconsin Press from color slides taken by Prof. Burghardt and used to illustrate his book, now out of print. Fifteen of the photos were taken in 1957, two in 1969.

I have many books, publications and photos which supply glimpses of the Burgenland both pre camera (drawings, paintings and word descriptions) and post camera such as late 1800 studio photos of my ancestors, the 1890-1910 Auswanderung years, WWI to WWII photos and post cards and my own 1970, 1980 and 1990 visits. Missing were the 1950’s, the important period of reconstruction following WWII. Prof. Burghardt’s photos capture this period and I’d like to describe them for you. The last decade has seen major changes in the Burgenland, it is no longer old Europe, scenes of which are difficult to find. Burgenland, while still rural in aspect, is now a part of our First World, modern in every concept. These pictures depict it as it was just a few years ago. Most of the descriptions are in Prof. Burghardt’s own words. My comments are at the end of the descriptions.

Plate I - The Hainburg or Carnuntum gap of the Danube (Porta Hungaria). In the middle of the picture is the Braunsberg, site of the first Celtic Carnuntum (a typical Celtic hill fort). The Danube flows to the left (north) of this hill. The uplands at the left are the southern most extent of the Little Carpathians and are in Slovakia. The upland at the right is the northernmost edge of the Hainburg Hills and bears the historic Hainburg fortress. The city of Hainburg lies in the gap between the fortress and the Braunsburg. The road in the foreground appears to be  gravel road lined with wooden guard posts. The only modern objects are telephone (power) poles and lines.

Plate II - The Heidentor, a Roman arch which may have marked one of the principal entrances into Roman Carnuntum (now a site of ruins). It stands in the fields southwest of Petronell.
to be continued

 

G. Berghold <GBerghold@aol.com>, Editor BB News