One of my pleasures in responding to queries is to try to identify and locate villages for Burgenland Bunch members. I have a number of books and lists that I use for this purpose and have developed a research pattern which usually works. One list was furnished some years ago by BB Burgenland Editor Dr. Albert Schuch and lists all of the villages by their German-Hungarian names and the districts to which they belong. It also tells their parish and where civil records can be found. We made this part of our BB website nine years ago and it has been most helpful. Recently Klaus Gerger supplied a list of villages by their Hungarian names in alphabetic order showing their German names. Klaus also prepared maps which show either German or Hungarian names of Burgenland villages as well as nearby Hungarian and/or Slovenian villages. This is also available from the BB website. In addition, Dr. Dujmovits-BG president- recently sent me a book „Verzeichnis der burgenländische Ortsnamen“ -in deutscher, ungarischer, kroatischer und Roman-Sprache-by Johann Seedoch. A most helpful book.

These village names have been a problem for some time as I have a list that was developed for the Hungarian Crown as early as 1773. It is called „Topographical Lexicon of the Communities of Hungary Compiled Officially In 1773 (Re-published by the Delegation of the Peace of Hungary 1920.“ This Lexicon was prepared for each county (Megye) and I have the one for Vas (Castriferrei). It is available as LDS microfilm 60001476.

In this way, my own knowledge of things Burgenländisch develops. On some occasions; however, I get caught up in my own foot work. The following story is a case in point: New member (1999) Barrie Geosits told me that some of his people came from Kroatisch-Schutzen. I couldn’t find it (although I suggested it was probably part of Deutsch Schutzen since there are numerous twin Deutsch-Kroatisch villages).

He replied: „Thanks for all, it is much appreciated. In my research today I have found Kroatisch-Schutzen in Hungary and the name there is Horvatlovo.“
My reply: Help is frequently a two edged sword. I spent some time looking for Kroatisch-Schutzen. I was fairly certain it was allied with Deutsch Schutzen. It was developed as such but I didn’t tumble to the fact that they were separated by the 1921 border and that Kroatisch-Schutzen was now in Hungary with the Hungarian name Horvatlovo. Something for me to remember as I try to identify villages. There are a whole series of such villages along the convoluted border as well as combinations like Pornoapatai-Höll, Szentpeterfa-Eberau and Pinka Mindszent-Moschendorf which, while part of pre 1921 area communities or neighbor villages, were predominantly Hungarian as opposed to German or Croatian and thus stayed in Hungary.

It is interesting to see how these border „twins“ are once again coming together now that it is easy to cross the border. The recent attendance at the BG picnic is a case in point.


by G. Berghold <GBerghold@aol.com>