The Burgenland Bunch gets a lot of questions concerning how immigrants came to the new world. Most of the stories have been lost and we can only guess at some of the possibilities.
Dr. Dujmovits has also outlined some in his book “Die Amerika-Wanderung der Burgenländer.“ He has also provided travel statistics.

I asked my grandmother Hedwig (Hattie) Mühl Sorger about her trip to Allentown, PA.
She left Güssing in 1905 with her mother Joanna Pöltl Mühl.
Her older brother Joseph had emigrated to Allentown in 1903 and sent them passage money.
She told me her uncle used his wagon to take them to the Güssing train station. They had 3 large suitcases and 2 steamer runks, plus food packages. They went to Kormend, Hungary and then to Budapest and Vienna where they transferred for Antwerp and the SS Kroonland (Red Star Line.) In New York they were met by Joseph, took the ferry to Newark, New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley RR to Allentown.

My grandfather Alois (Louis) Sorger came from Güssing (hamlet of Rosenberg) in 1901. He and a friend (Steve Mankos) took a construction wagon to Szt. Gotthard, and then a train to Kormend, Budapest and Hamburg. Their ship was the SS Phoenicia, Hamburg-America Line. Arrived NY, Aug. 17, 1901. Went through Ellis Island and took a train to Bethlehem, PA.
My grandfather John (Johann) Berghold, (also made one trip back and return) left from Poppendorf (Patafalva) to Bremen, Germany (SS Karlsruhe, North German LLoyd Line) in 1901, steerage, Ellis Island, New Jersey ferry and Lehigh Valley RR to Bethlehem. He used his father’s wagon to go to Jennersdorf, then train to Kormend, Budapest, Vienna and Bremen. His wife Franciska Langasch (born Inzenhof 1871 and married in Allentown 21 Nov. 1903) left Poppendorf for Antwerp arriving on the ship Vaderland 21 July 1903.

In none of these cases do I have all the details. Today a trip to or from the Burgenland can easily be made in one day. In the early 1900’s, there were at least two difficult borders to cross, Austrian-Hungarian and Austrian-German, later the borders with France, Holland or Belgium, with much concern about travel papers, health status, money carried and exchanged and custom requirements. In late 1892-93 for instance, the German border was closed due to a severe cholera epidemic in Hamburg. A traveler could be stuck. There were also train transfers and there could be a long wait to board ship at the immigration hostels at Hamburg or Bremen. Steerage immigrants also had Ellis Island (Castle Gardens pre 1892) processing to delay them.

(to be continued)

by G. Berghold <GBerghold@aol.com>