The Bukovina Society

of the Americas
NEWSLETTER
P.O. Box 81, Ellis, KS 67637 USA Vol. 23, No. 3 September 2013
Publisher: O.M. Windholz Editorial Committee:
Board of Directors Arthur Honas International Board Paul Massier pat6363@yahoo.com Irmgard Ellingson
Martha McClelland, President Ellis, Kansas Michael Augustin Las Vegas, Nevada Irmgardellingson@yahoo.com
Hays, Kansas Darrell Seibel Leonberg, Germany Van Massirer Rebecca Hageman
O.M. Windholz, Vice President Hays, Kansas Joe Erbert Crawford, Texas rhageman@bukovinasociety.org
Hays, Kansas Guy Windholz Secretary Emeritus, Steve Parke Steve Parke
Shirley Kuppetz, Secretary Hays, Kansas Ellis, KS Pueblo West, Colorado sparke@bukovinasociety.org
Ellis, Kansas Ayrton Gonçalves Celestino, Ph. D. Douglas Reckmann
Norma Lang, Treasurer Curitiba, Brazil Portland, Oregon Web Site: www.bukovinasociety.org
Ellis, Kansas Laura Hanowski Kurt Rein, Ph. D.
Irmgard Hein Ellingson Regina, SK,Canada Baldham, Germany
Decorah, Iowa Ortfried Kotzian, Ph. D. Membership Dues:
Eileen Goetz Augsburg, Germany Lifetime $150.00
Hays, Kansas Edward Al Lang Annual $15.00
Rebecca Hageman Sycamore, Illinois
Wichita, Kansas

SOCIETY NEWS at a location to be announced at the meetings. On

Sunday morning October 6, ecumenical services will be
• This issue of the Newsletter is being sent to former conducted.
members of the Society whose memberships may have
expired because our credit card payment system was Special guests participating in the program are: Anni
not operating properly. Hence, we may have missed and Klaus Hausler, Munich, Germany, Michael
sending you a notice of renewal. We now have a PayPal Augustin, Leonberg , Germany, Zita Watzlawik, Los
account that can process credit card payments. It works Angeles, California, Steve Parke, Pueblo, Colorado, and
the same as the old system, and the new email address to Herman Ottschofski, Woodland Park, Colorado.
use is: pat6363@yahoo.com. Please use this to renew, or
you may send funds to the Society at: P O Box 81, Ellis, • The Days Inn in Ellis is a new motel located just
KS 67637. off Interstate 70 and north of Bukovina Society
headquarters. Arrangements have been made for a
• In the June 2013 issue of the Newsletter, we announced special rate of $65.00. Mention the Bukovina Society
that the annual membership meeting will be Saturday, to get the special rate at (785) 726-2511. At the same
October 5, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at the Society time, please also send an email or notice to the Society
headquarters in Ellis. This will be within the planned so we can plan for the group activities. There are no
activities on the day following the Oktoberfest in Hays, registration fees.
KS.

• We will begin with a social and dinner on Thursday Vistors will be greeted on
evening, October 3 at a location to be posted at the Interstate 70 before the exit to
motel and society headquarters. On Friday, October 4, Ellis on both the east and west
the Oktoberfest will be held in Frontier Park in Hays side by this sign. Thanks to
all day. The Society will have a tent with displays of board member Guy Windholz
our heritage as will many other ethnic and community and Ron Adams for their
groups. Food, beverages, and entertainment will be work on the structure. Also a
available all day. On Saturday October 5 at 9:30 a.m., special thanks to landowners
registration will begin with coffee and doughnuts at Henry and Michelle Wiesner
Society headquarters. There will be speakers and Power and the Ernie Pfeifer family
Point presentations throughout the day. A complete for the generous use of their
time schedule will be handed out at registration. property for the signs.
Saturday evening will feature another social and dinner

1
 the Easter festival were either booked solid or unreasonably
expensive. Only after we decided to accept accommodations
MY THIRD JOURNEY TO BUKOVINA at a somewhat greater distance in Suczawa did our plans
begin to crystallize.
By: Michael Augustin
At this point I will continue by presenting several especially
interesting experiences. These individual accounts do not
make a cohesive whole and therefore can be read in random
order.

CHURCH RECORDS IN THE EPISCOPAL

ARCHIVES IN IAŞI
Editor’s note: in this context, the word “Episcopal” alludes
to the authority of the office and authority of a Roman
Catholic bishop.

For our third journey to Bukovina we learned that the best

connections with travel time totaling only four hours were
from Stuttgart via Vienna to Iaşi. The old university city
of Iaşi lies in northeastern Romania only 20 kilometers
from the border of the republic of Moldavia and is the
capital of a district with the same name. This was the most
important city of the historic duchy of Moldavia and with
Michael working with an archivist its approximately 280,000 inhabitants, serves as cultural
capital of Romania. From the genealogist Traudl Siewi we
My first visit to Bukovina took place in 2008 with my friend additionally learned that the Episcopal archives of Iaşi
Peter Grunikiewicz on the occasion of the sexcentenary, or has church records relating to the German communities
600th birthday celebration, of the city of Czernowitz; the in Bukovina from the time before the resettlement, which
second was in the year 2009 together with my uncle Franz we wished to examine and copy, if possible. Reminder:
Augustin and my wife Bärbel. On both trips we explored the the original church records of the German communities
homeland of our forebears with Gurahumora as our home accompanied the 1940 resettlement of Bukovina’s ethic
base and Roland Loy from Suczawa, now a resident of Ulm, Germans to Germany and, to the extent to which they
as our translator, chauffeur and tour guide. On the third trip have been maintained, they are today preserved in the
Roland, Peter and I wanted to visit several places, which ‘Zentralstelle für Genealogie’ (Central Office for Genealogy)
we had not previously seen (e.g., Karlsberg and Buchenhain in Leipzig.
[Poiana Micului]). Another objective was to attend the
Orthodox Easter festival, which is often cited as especially It was in the Hotel Trajan, lying at the end of the Bulevardul
ceremonial and magnificent. In addition we also wished to Štefan cel Mare Ši Sfânt, that we found accommodations.
photograph documents in the National Archives in Suczawa It is noteworthy that Gustave Eiffel, the famed builder of
and the tombstones in the cemeteries, and also visit some of the tower in Paris, which still bears his name, designed this
the Moldavian monasteries, none of which we had yet seen. hotel. Immediately after our arrival we wandered over this
magnificent boulevard with its four churches and historic
Determined respectively by the Gregorian or the Julian buildings and came almost inevitably to the Catholic
calendars, the dates of the Orthodox and Christian Easter Church and the nearby Episcopal archives. Finding a priest
celebrations can differ by as many as four weeks. This year who spoke a little German, we were also able to explain our
the Orthodox holiday fell on May 5, and that was the purpose and were told that we could see the church records
major factor on which we based our trip, feeling reasonably the next morning without a problem. He was there as per
certain we would avoid cold and nasty weather, which in our agreement when we arrived with our camera equipment
fact proved to be the case. In any event accommodations full of high expectations. We explained our objectives anew
in the vicinity of the Moldavian monasteries at the time of and were advised to direct a written request to the Bishop.

2
This we did and in about one-half hour the priest, whom halfway between Radautz and Suczawa on the right side
we had met the previous evening, conducted us to a large somewhere across the E85. Even our friend and tour guide
sitting room where the archivist received us. The archivist Roland Loy was unfamiliar with this neighborhood although
had several of the Fürstenthal and Radautz church books he owns a house in Suczawa and knows the area very well.
with him. These proved to be copies, which had already We found the remains of the estate without any difficulty.
been prepared at the time of the early settlement and The main house is still standing but has succumbed to ruins.
then sent to the Episcopal archives in Lemberg. After the The nearby house is occupied by a Romanian family and is
annexation of north Bukovina by the Soviet Union, the well maintained. We forged a conversation with the owners
communities, and with them also the relevant records, came of the neighboring properties, who told us that the cemetery,
under the jurisdiction of the Bishropic of Iaşi (1940). These which one can see on the left side of the main street in the
copies were either filed under the words copia or extract and direction of Radautz, is the former private cemetery of the
are distinguished by their excellent state of preservation and Kapri family, and that it is currently used by the general
their neat and clearly legible writing. This is attributable to public. From Google maps on the Internet one can well
the fact that the documents were little used and specially discern the layout.
prepared for the Episcopal archives. The collection involves
individual booklets, some of which have a slightly different We entered this cemetery, although it had rained the night
format, which were sewn together and then bound into the before and the grass was still wet. I immediately proceeded
registries. to the foremost left section, where I, as the people in the
estate house had said, also found among the wild lilacs and
We did not see a catalog or gain a general overview, nor other bushes the remains of old graves whose inscriptions
were we allowed to take pictures of the books. Consequently had been totally obliterated. In the meantime Roland and
we could only photograph some selected pages. Since there Peter found a man in the rear left area of the cemetery to
was a personal computer in the room with a connection whom they expressed the purpose of our visit. He led us
to the Internet, we showed the archivist the digitalized straightaway to the back left section of the cemetery where,
church records of the Czech archives, which are accessible entirely hidden and in a place which we ourselves could
for everybody under www.actapublica.eu as an example, and never have found, we came upon two well-maintained grave
which concerns itself with funds and means of procuring monuments. One artifact—a heavy and well-preserved
them from the European Union. This latter point seemed to plaque in the ground—was on the grave of a religious sister
evoke the archivist’s special interest. Even if in Iaşi perhaps from Bavaria, who over a century ago found her eternal
“only” incomplete transcripts and copies are stored, there peace with the community’s prayers. The other, an almost
is undoubtedly a valuable source of genealogical research man-sized sturdy crucifix with a still legible inscription, was
material here, which has yet to be tapped. on the grave of Peter’s grandfather, Alois Straub. Needless to
say, Peter was beside himself with joy since this represented
for him the apex of our entire trip. And of course, Roland
THE LOST GRAVE OF ALOIS STRAUB and I rejoiced with him.

Our project was set in motion by an article in Der

Südostdeutsche. In the last issue before our trip (April 20, CEMETERIES IN SOUTH BUKOVINA
2013) a descendant of Baron von Kapri noted that he had
visited the former estate of his forebears in Iacobesti, a On this trip ample time was also devoted to visiting former
village in Bukovina, and how he then tried to maintain it. German cemeteries. In total we went to a dozen cemeteries,
This awakened in the memory of my friend and traveling specifically those in Arbora, Fürstenthal, Iacobesti,
companion, Peter Grunikiewicz from Stuttgart-Büsnau, the Illischestie, Marginea, Poiana Micului (Buchenhain), Putna,
recollection that his maternal grandfather (Alois Straub, Radautz, Solka and Satulmare.
1861-1925) had been a friend and neighbor of the Kapri
family and had thus been granted the privilege of burial in Arbora
their private cemetery. Several of Peter’s family friends had The cemetery in Arbora seemed relatively the same as it
supposedly visited this cemetery years ago but no signs of the was on our last visit four years ago. The nearby monastery,
graves could be found. however, is not well maintained yet from the outside is
nonetheless still attractive and worth a visit. Here there was
Our first investigative journey to Bukovina led us nothing new for us to discover. The few preserved graves
immediately to the small village of Iacobesti, which lies with German names (Gebert, Kuffner, Prosser, Reitmeier,

3
Hanus) can be found on the eastern side of the cemetery, cemetery lies north of the community as one approaches
which leads out of town. from the direction of Suczawa from the main street and
turns right at the heights of the former Protestant and the
Fürstenthal now Orthodox church easily following the street upward
The most activity since our last visit has taken place in for about one kilometer. Here lies the “new” Orthodox
the cemetery of the Fürstenthal community, so to say the cemetery, which a little further down the street leads
ancestral settlement of the Augustin family in Bukovina. directly to the old cemetery.
The owner of the sawmill, Vasile Zaremba, who also
maintained the old Catholic church, has in the meantime As does the cemetery in Karlsberg, the one in Illischestie
and at considerable expense restored the seldom used has a very unique character but is nonetheless very different.
Catholic cemetery at the periphery of the Orthodox It lies on a gentle crest with an expansive overview of the
cemetery. The originally unsecured entrance road is now valley below. Notable is the vast stretch and the feeling of
neatly paved, there is an attractive entrance gate, the freedom and spaciousness which this place emanates. Here
cemetery is completely fenced in, and a nicely paved path one also finds many relics of tomb artifacts in various states
leads from front to back. The showpiece, however, is a of preservation and strewn wildly over the entire area. In
stately chapel for the deceased, so that the cemetery can some places they lie closely together, in others one finds
and also will again be utilized. In addition all the graves absolutely nothing. As is true of the other cemeteries, the
were clean and well maintained and at the side opposite the engraved tablets with the names and dates of those buried
entrance all the old tombstone fragments that could still here have simply disappeared, or the tombstone has toppled
be found are carefully piled up. In any event only two such and already sunken into the ground.
stones still bore inscriptions.
Marginea
Gurahumora As on our last visit, that time in pouring rain, we again tried
At Gurahumora, some of the old graves have disappeared to locate old graves in the cemetery of Marginea dating
since our last visit. Viewed from left of the hill, these had from the period before the 1940 resettlement. This again
been located at the upper entrance. Now one finds here remained unfulfilled. As to the question as to whether a
some conspicuous, available, but thus far unused space. separate German cemetery ever existed in Marginea, we
received contradictory replies. Perhaps there will be a
Gura Putnei (Karlsberg) response one way or another from among the readers of this
This was our first visit to the Karlsberg cemetery, which article.
lies to the right of the village entrance. The view is
dominated by the new, somewhat higher lying area with Poiana Micului (Buchenhain)
the older section ending at the bottom in a type of basin. The cemetery in Poiana Micului lies directly next to the
This is rather extensive, and there are still relatively many church. It is very spacious and divided into sections with old
old tombstones of various types and in diverse states of and new graves apparently lying arbitrarily spread out over
preservation. Some of them are very stylistically structured. the area and the new graves tending to be placed nearer to
In general the place is difficult to describe, very unique, but the church.
despite the ruins and the general disorder, has left us with a
worthy and lasting impression. Putna
The cemetery in Putna is only listed here for the sake of
Iacobesti completion. Here we did not search for the remains of
The former private cemetery of the Kapri family is discussed graves from the time before the resettlement. Noteworthy
earlier. was the magnificent grave of the Romankiewicz family.

Illischestie Radautz
In my last report on the cemeteries in Bukovina I had still At the cemetery in Radautz nothing significant had
maintained that there were no relics from German gravesites developed since our last visit other than perhaps that it
in Illischestie. Irmgard Ellingson from Iowa corrected me on is expanding further toward the city. Here, among other
this point, and so this time we were determined to pursue things, we visited the grave of Peter’s grandmother, Julia
our search for the German cemetery. Many people interested Grunikiewicz née Sporniak (1878-1925).
in helping us showed us the way, but nonetheless what we
came upon was a Soviet military graveyard. The old German

4
Solka EASTER TRADITIONS
During my last visit to Solka I came upon the grave of
Mihail Branza, the brother of my grandmother. Peter, on Our first awareness of the prospective Easter festival
the other hand, who was visiting the cemetery for the first had been in Iasi. Here man-sized Easter rabbits adorned
time, found there a large number of his close relatives. As several places in the inner city. In fact they were no doubt
in Gurahumora, there is no sharp distinction between the Christmas manikins in Easter rabbit forms, comical figures in
old and new sections. Where there are older graves, they lie dazzling colors, draped with tinsel and illuminated at night.
distributed amidst the new and are well maintained. We even found the Easter market in Suczawa somewhat
disappointing. It consisted of about a dozen wooden booths
Satulmare of which only half were open. Here foods and craft items
The above is not the capital of the district in northwestern were for sale, but not many people were interested in them.
Romania of the same name (German: Sathmar), rather it is As a result the market, which should have been open
a suburb of Radautz. Here we quickly found the cemetery. It from Thursday through Sunday, was closed on Saturday
is quite spread out but only the grave monument of Friedrich afternoon.
Manz is well maintained. Glancing across the property one
can still find the remains of many other tombstones which, The prospective Easter festival at the monasteries and
however, have fallen into ruin or in some cases have sunken churches, which we visited, evoked our most intense
into the ground. Here we found no more new graves. feelings. Here we saw not only monks and nuns but also
secular helpers engaged in the Easter preparations, which
included mowing the lawn, vacuuming the tapestries,
SUCCESS IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES cleaning the windows, etc. As opposed to the otherwise
OF SUCZAWA always festive atmosphere in a monastery or a church, this
presented a considerable contrast. Not even the private
In the national archives of Suczawa, little has changed households, at least in the villages, could do as well. On
since our last visit. “What should change in an archive?” Good Friday as we strolled from one end of Fürstenthal to
asked the archival assistant, whom we had met on our two another (a long-cherished desire, which I fulfilled on this
earlier visits. After we finished copying data from the church trip) we were struck by the cleanliness and order in the
books, which we had projected as our task for this visit, I village. The streets were swept, the courtyards were clean,
asked the librarian, who had been helping us, if working and most of the houses looked as though they had been
with Orthodox Church records is intrinsically difficult. freshly painted. Everywhere one could see people decorating
She felt that this should not present a further problem the churches and the cemeteries for the approaching feast
and asked what I was researching. I showed her a copy of the Resurrection. The verdancy of awakening nature and
of the birth certificate of my grandmother Victoria, born picture perfect weather conditions also served to reinforce
in Gurahumora on January 23, 1905, the first legitimate this impression.
child of Theodor Branza and Rachila Scurtu. The lady
requested the Orthodox church book with the wedding On Easter Monday we went to Solka, where we visited
entries and together we paged backward from 1905. It Constantin (Costica) Branza, my father’s cousin, and his
proved helpful that the volume was in good condition and wife, Veronica. Both were beside themselves with joy to see
that the markers on the pages were first in German using us again. We had not told them we were coming in order to
the Latin alphabet followed below in Romanian using the spare them any preparations; nonetheless, the table was soon
Cyrillic alphabet. To my great delight I then found the date filled with cold roasts, stuffed cabbage, Easter pastries, bread,
of January 19, 1903 entered for the marriage of the parents bacon, ham, and of course also colored Easter eggs and
of my grandmother. Moreover, I could also discover that the obligatory horseradish with red beets. Traditional “egg
my great grandfather, Toader Branza, was born on January tapping” (Eiertätschen) was also performed here.
17, 1876 in Uidesti (somewhat south of Fâlticeni in the
principality of Moldavia) as the illegitimate son of Caterina On the afternoon of same day and in a broader context
Branza. Further records are not available in Suczawa but can we were able to experience at first hand the practice of
presumably be found in Iaşi. My great grandmother, Rachila these Easter traditions in the community hall of the village
Scurtu, was born in Gurahumora on February 7, 1868, the of Mănăstirea Humorului (Kloster Humor). That which
daughter of Vasile Scurtu and Ioanna Mintar. She was in Bukovinians worldwide often carry out only within their
fact nine years older than my great grandfather. family circle at Easter breakfast is celebrated in Humor as
a community festivity. During the afternoon young and
old meet for the “egg tapping” dressed in festive attire,
5
for the most part usually in national costume. First a day’s theme, “70 Years after the Resettlement in Poland.”
commission tests the authenticity of the eggs, then couples Irmtraud and Adolf Schaper, who are well known as the
are set up. The individual in each group, whose egg breaks Buchenhain and Dumbrava family researchers, were present
upon impact, withdraws. The top winner receives a lamb, to answer questions and provide information.
the second a rabbit, and the third a chicken. Not to be
overlooked is how seriously the events were intensified by Adolf Schaper had prepared a comprehensive exhibit with
the presence of a television camera. With the performances the theme “70 Years after the Resettlement in Poland in
of various folk dance groups the festivities drew to a close. the Spring of 1942.” Descendants could search for their
relatives by looking at posted tables of names and with the
In order to experience the actual high point of the Easter help of available passport photos which were arranged by
celebration we would have had to spend the night from the places of resettlement in Poland. The presentation
Saturday to Sunday in one of the numerous churches, and was only possible with the information that the Schapers
for this we were too exhausted from our numerous activities had gathered in interviews with contemporary witnesses.
and undertakings during the day or – to state it frankly – The families from Dumbrava were forcibly settled on
simply too comfortable elsewhere. Polish farmsteads in Warthegau [territory in central Poland
annexed by Germany in 1939], while the families from
FINAL THOUGHTS Buchenhain (Pojana Mikuli) lived on Polish farms in the
Auschwitz area in eastern Upper Silesia, a Polish area.
Although the Orthodox Easter celebration fell a bit short of
our expectations, this trip, our third to Bukovina, was again Also posted were a number of large-scale aerial photos that
a complete success. As with our earlier visits, we owe its showed the present form of Pojana Mikuli and the rich
success to Roland Loy, our interpreter and tour guide. Peter forests of the surrounding area. The pictures had been taken
and I agree that this was not our last trip to the homeland of by Klaus Hausler who made a flight over Pojana Mikuli
our forebears. while on a trip to the old homeland of his wife Anni in the
last year.

BUCHENHAIN AND DUMBRAVA PEOPLE

MEET IN KIRCHDORF AM INN: THE WORK COLONY OF EISENAU:
EXHIBIT ABOUT THE RESETTLEMENT THE FOUNDING OF THE SETTLEMENT
OF THE BUCHENHAIN AND DUMBRAVA OFPRISACA DORNEI IN BUKOVINA
PEOPLE IN POLAND 70 YEARS AGO
By: Claus Stephani (Baldham/Munich, Germany)
Excerpted and translated by Irmgard Hein Ellingson from
The original article “Werk-Colonie Eisenau: Zur Entstehung
der Siedlung Prisaca Dornei im Buchenland” was published in
Buchenhainer und Dumbraver trafen sich in Kirchdorf am Inn
Neuer Weg (Bucharest), Vol. 30, No. 9163, November 2,
Ausstellung zur Ansiedlung der Buchenhaineir und Dumbraver
1978, p. 6. It has been translated into English by Sophie A.
vor 70 Jahren in Polen
Welisch.
By: Irmtraud Schaper
In 1783, after masons and carpenters from the Transylvanian
regiments had constructed a blast furnace in Jacobeni
Munich: Der Südostdeutsche, June 2013, page 3
(Jakobeny) and therewith the “Manz Ironworks,“ the first
undertaking of this kind in southern Bukovina, German
The traditional annual family reunion of the Buchenhain
miners and specialists, mainly Zipser Germans, were called
and Dumbrava people was hosted by Irene Schreiner in
to the land. By the turn of the century a number of other
Kirchdorf am Inn on May 4, 2013. About 150 attended
industrial sites, in Solca (Solka), Gura Putnei (Karlsberg),
the event. A number of younger descendants attended the
Voivodeasa (Fürstenthal), Fundo Moldovei (Luisenthal),
reunion for the first time and showed lively interest in their
etc, had been established, which employed mainly German
forebears.
workers.
After some short greetings, information was shared about
Karl Manz, Knight of Mariensee, also built a foundry on the
the new construction of a church in Pojana Mikuli and the
Moldava River near Vama (Wama), which in 1807 attracted

66
specialists from the lower Zips, the so-called Gründler Land Other settlers came from northern Bukovina (Dutschak,
(Slovakia), who settled on the wooded meadow of Hurgisch Lukeniuk, Neumohr, Ruschak, Ruszcinjak, Skrikuljak);
and founded the “colony on the Hurgisch-Meadow.” from Galicia (Frambach, Hochhauser, Ripsky); from
One year later, in 1808, one kilometer to the east “on our Swabia (Oberländer); from Bohemia (Hawelka, Materna,
little white Moldava River, there arose the “Work Colony of Zehatschek, Bartsch); from South Tyrol (Samowilla, Depine,
Eisenau,” which later developed into the large community of et al.); and finally also from the Zips (Brandauer, Hennel,
Prisaca Dornei (Eisenau); in about 1810 thirty-eight Zipser Müller, Wagner, etc.).
inhabitants (men, women and children) were “officially
registered” in Eisenau. The origin of some families cannot be determined such as
Lasarowitsch, Laufensweiler, Mitsch, Mitschka and others,
When in 1880 the railroad line through the lower Moldava who presumably came from the region of Suceava.
Valley between Jakobeny and Wama-Kimpolung was About fifty years ago Prisaca Dornei, in the 1930s a beloved
constructed, Italian workers, primarily from South Tyrol, spa with over two thousand inhabitants, got the nickname
came to Bukovina; they were the forebears of the German- ‘Rose Village‘ (Rosendorf) because of the many roses
speaking families of Battista, Borduzzo, Giacomelli, which bloom each spring not only along the “Reichstrasse”
Stefanelli and others, who, after completion of that stretch (Imperial Street) but also in front of the Zipser homes.
of railroad, settled in Prisaca Dornei (Eisenau). Among When the Manz foundry ceased operations, the Zipser men
the Eisenau Zipsers there were apparently talented stone found employment in the sawmills or worked as lumbermen
masons, since most of the stone works (monuments, and artisans.
gateways, grave stones, etc.) in Rădăuţi (Radautz), Suceava
(Sutschawa), Iaşi (Jassy), Botoşani, Seret (Sereth) etc., were
executed by Zipser master craftsmen until about thirty to BUKOVINA ARTICLE IN
forty years ago. The most famous of these included Battista, EAST EUROPEANM GENEALOGIST
Dürner, Gärtner, Händl, Oberländer, Petri, Schmegner in
addition to Adolf Nowak, Ambrosius Katani, Adolf Gotsch, “The Spread of Protestantism in Bukovina” by Dr.
Albin Borduzzo, Ferdinand Awram, and Johann Spiske; Johann Polek, translated and edited by Irmgard Ellingson,
Nowak, Katani and Spiske executed the equestrian statue of appeared in the East European Genealogist Vol. 21, #1
Stefan cel Mare in Suceava. (Winnipeg: East European Genealogical Society, Fall 2012).
The original article, titled Die Ausbreitung des Protestantismus
SGS Bulletin Vol 44 No 1 April 2013 Page 44Although in der Bukowina, was a chapter in Jahrbuch, Volume 25,
school instruction in German took place shortly after the Jubiläumsband, 1904 (Wien und Leipzig: Deutsche Akademie
establishment of the “Work Colony of Eisenau” at the für Sprache und Dichtung, Gesellschaft für die Geschichte des
beginning of the nineteenth century, it was not until 1902 Protestantismus, pp. 364-374.
at the instigation of Franz Neuhauser, that a “modern school Appendix A in the translated work lists pre-World War
system“ began to take shape. In addition, the teachers I place names in Bukovina with present place names in the
Heinrich Frambach, Johann Hawelka, Wilhelm Hehn, Josef Suceava judeţul in Romania and the Chernivtsi oblast in
Sachelan, and Robert Ziehaus deserve considerable credit Ukraine. Four demographic charts from the original article
for carrying out instruction in the German language in this were reproduced in the translation.
century. To obtain a copy of the journal and this article, visit
the website of our sister organization, the East European
Significantly, in the course of time the “Eisenau Zipsers” Genealogical Society, at http://www.eegsociety.org.
assimilated numerous newly arrived people, a characteristic
trait of the German-speaking population groups of
Bukovina. The old established families included Adam,
Awram, Brandauer, Christofori, Dürner, Gärtner, Geitz,
Göllner (also Gelner), Götsch, Gundl (also Gundel),
Hönig, Jung, Keil, Knoblauch, Kripinsky, Köhler, Koller,
Kretschmader, Kuchar, Lerch, Loy, Luka, Müller, Nowak,
Petri, Sawetzky, Schmegner, Schneider, Selitzky, Spitzschuh,
Steinbach, Theiss, Tomaschek, Wagner, and Wojkowsky.
In the second half of the nineteenth century. German
specialists migrated to Eisenau from numerous Bukovinian
villages and other areas of the Austrian Monarchy.
7
 Mihuceni, Opriseni,Petriceni,Privorachi, Slobozia-
Barlintilor, Stanesti de Jos pe Siret, Stantesti de Sus
p.S., Taraseni, Trestiana
Boyan (Boian), including Goglina, Lehacenii -
Tautului, Rarancea, Selistea, Solobizia – Rarancei,
Toporauti
Czernowitz (Cernauti), included the city of Czernowitz
with the suburbs Kaliceanca, Klocucica, Horecea
Urbana, Manasteriste, and Rosch as well as the
communities of Bila, Bordei, Camena, Cuciurul-Mare,
Cutul-Vanatori, Horecea-Manastirei, Milhalcea, Ostrita,
Revna pe Pruth, andVoloca p.D.
Molodia (Cosmin), including Ceahor, Codrul
Cosminului, Corovia, Cotul Bainischi, Lucavita,
Mamornita, Plaiul Cosminului (parish seat), Valea-
Cosminului, and Tureni
Kotzman (Cozmeni), including Berhomet pe Siret,
Divided Bukovina after World War II Clivesti, Clivodin, Cotmani (parish seat), Davidesti,
Dubauti, Gavrilesti, Jujinet, Ivancauti, Laschiuca,
Lujeni, Malatinet, Mamaesti, Nepolocauti, Orenseni,
The Roman Catholic Church Osehlib, Piedecauti, Revacauti, Stauceni, Suhoverca,
in the Bukovina Homeland Sipenit, Siscauti, Valeva, and Viteliuca
vital for organizing and conducting family research! Sadagura, including Buda, Cernauca, Jucica Noua,
Jucica Veche, Lentesti de Jos, Lentesti de Sus, Mahala,
translated by Irmgard Hein Ellingson Ostrita, Rohozna, Serauti de Jos, Serauti de Sus,
from “Die Kirche der Heimat” – Eine Dokumentation Subraneti, Zadobriuca
by Luzian Geier Sereth (Siret), including Bahrinesti, Bainetz,
in Der Südostdeutsche Nr. 3, 20 March 2013), 4 Balcauti, Botusanita, Cerepcauti, Garbauti, Gropana,
Calasindesti, Candesti, Climauti, Manastiorara,
In searching for ancestors in Bukovina, it is very Musenita, Negostina and Odaiec, Rogojesti, Sinauti de
important to know what religious affiliation was held by Jos, Sinauti de Sus, Starcea, Serbauti, Tereblecea (Noua
an individual. This is helpful in determining the parish in (Deutsch- or German Tereblestie), Tereblecea Veche,
which the church registers were prepared and maintained. Vascauti pe Siret, Vicsani (formerly Ruda), Volcinet
It was rare that a Roman Catholic congregation had its Nou, Vocinet Veche
own record books and if and when it did, the entries were Storozynetz (Storojinet), including Broscauti Nou,
very sketchy. Furthermore, villages with small Catholic Broscauti Bechi, Budenit, Carpciu pe Siret, Cires,
membership were transferred to other parishes and deaneries Comanesti, Iordanesti, Jadova, Panca, Priscareni,
at various times. Ropcea, Slobozia Comarestilor, Suceveni
Waschkoutz (Vascauti pe Ceremus), including Banila
The following is an edited, summarized listing of the P.C., Bobesti, Cabesti, Calinesti, Dacinet, Hlinita,
Roman Catholic communities in Bukovina by deanery, Molinesti, Solozia Benilai, Stanesti d.Sus, Vilaucea,
parish, and affiliated congregations from the 1930s. Voloca am Czeremosch, Zamostea, and Zelenau
Bukovina was under Romanian administration at the time, Wischnitz (Vijnitz), including Bahna, Berhotmet p.S.,
and that is reflected in the spelling of the village and town Chiseliteni, Ciornohuzii, Coniatin, Campulungul-
names (Czernowitz = Cernauti, Radautz = Radauti, Sereth = Rusesc, Dihtinet, Guta-Putilei, Iablonita, Ispas,
Siret, etc.) Lucavatul pe Siret, Mihova, Milie, Patraseni, Plosca,
Putila, Rastoace, Sarghieni, Sipotelepe Siret, Toraceni,
The Pfarrkirche, or the Roman Catholic Parish Church and Vijnicioara
located on the Haupstrasse in Czernowitz Zastawna, including Babin, Boianceni, Borauti,
Czernowitz [Cernauti] Deanery (1930s) Cadobesti, Chialau, Cincau, Costrijeni, Crisceatec,
Cuciurul Mic, Culeuti, Dobronauti, Dorosauti,
Adancata (Hliboka), including Dumbrava Rosie, Horosauti, Jurcauti, Luca, Mitcau, Mosoreni, Ocna,
Onut, Paraul-Negru, Pohorlauti, Prelicea, Repujinet,
8
 Samuseni, Tauteni, Vadul-Nistrului, Casileu, Vasleuti, Iacobesti, Milisauti de Jos, Romanesti, Solobozia-
Verbauti, Breincei, Zvineaca Pruncului, Vasilachi
Fürstenthal (Voidodeasa), including Horodnicul de Jos,
Horodnicul de Sus, Marginea, and Sucevita
Radautz Deanery (1930s)
The Suceava Deanery
Cacica (Kaczyka), including Balaceana, Botusana,
Comanesti, Ilisesti, Partesti de Jos, Partesti de Sus, Kampolung (Campulung Moldovenesc), including
Teodoresti Argel, Freudenthal, Frumosul, Molid, Moldivita, Prisaca-
Alt Hütte (Crasnisoara-Veche), including Crasna Eisenau, Sadova, VarnaVatra-Moldovitei
lui Ilschi, Crasnisoara-Noua (Neu Hütte), Ciudeiu Louisenthal (Fundul-Moldovei), including Breaza,
(Czudin), Patrauti de Jos, Patrauti de Sus Pokorata, Valea-Putnei
Dornesti (Hadikfalva), including Satulmare-Noua Gurahumorului, including Bucsoaia, Capu-Codrului,
Karlsburg (Gura Putnei), including Vilca, Brodina, Capu-Campului, Frassin, Manastirea-Humorului,
Falcau, Putna, Seletin, Sipetele, Suceavei, Straja, Paltinoasa, and Voronet
Vicovul de Jos, Vicovul de Sus Jakobeny (Iacobeni), including Carlibaba Veche,
Maneuti (Andrasfalva), including Costisa, Fratautii Noi Ciocanesti, Valea Putnei
(Neu-Fratautz), Fratautii Vechi (Alt-Fratautz), Mitoca Buchenhain (Poiana Miculi)
Augustendorf (Mesteceni), including Banila pe Siret, Stulpikany (Stulpicani), including Floceni, Gemeni,
Cosciuia, Davideni Zrub, Dunavat, Lurenca, Mega Schwarzthal (Negrileasa), Plotonita, Slatiora, Troci,
Radautz (Radauti), including Badeuti, Burla, Galanesti, Vadul-Negrilesei
Milisautii de Sus, Satul Mare, Voitenel, Volovat Suczawa (Suceava), including Bosance, Bulaia, Bunesti,
Buinti, Costana, Darmesti, Optesti, Itcani Gara, Itcani
Some Examples of the Changes in Filialen Noi, Lisaura, Maratei, Mihoveni, Mitocul-Dragomirnei,
and Establishment of New Parishes in the Radautz Parish Parhauti, Patrauti pe Suceava, Plavalar, Rauseni, Rusii-
Manastioarei, Scheie, Securiceni, St. Ilie, Tisauti,
After Bukovina was annexed by Austria, Radautz was Uidesti
served by military chaplains. Following reorganization, Dorna Watra (Vatra-Dornei), including Dorna-
Radautz became a Filiale, or associated congregation, in the Candrenilor, Poiana-Stampii
Istensegits parish (note: Istensegits is now Tibeni), which Jozseffalva (Vorniceni), including Berchisesti, Corlata,
is where the earliest Roman Catholic entries were made up Cornulunci, Dumbrava, Dragoesti, Liteni, Mazanaesti,
until 1802. Stupca, Valea-Seaca, Zaharesti.

From 1802 until 1811, the Catholics in Radautz

belonged to the Andrasfalva parish (later called Maneutz). THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN
It was only in the autumn of 1811 that Radautz was elevated PARISHES IN BUKOVINA
to the status of a Roman Catholic parish. There was no
priest, however, so that the congregation was served by the By: Irmgard Hein Ellingson
Sereth cleric until 1818.
Roman Catholicism was the state religion of the
Filialen of the Radautz parish until 1843 included the Habsburg Empire but under the terms of the 1791 Patent of
Roman Catholics in Marginea, Ober- and Unter-Horodnik, Toleration, Protestants were granted the “private practice”
as well as Sucevitza and Wolowatz. Thereafter constant of their religion. This meant that “… groups of 100 families
changes occurred with the establishment of additional of 500 persons were permitted to erect churches without
parishes in Fürstenthal and Karlsberg. spires and school houses at their expense and could call their
own pastors and teachers,” but “the government stipulated
The Solca parish including Arbore, Cajvana, Clilt that all official acts of such groups had to be reported, and
(Glitt), Dealui-Ederii (Lichtenberg), Iaslovat, Poieni, payment made, to the Catholic priest of the parish …” (see
Racova. Ellingson, page 10).
Solonetul Nou (Polish), including Solonetul Nou and
Plesa In 1861, religious freedom of confession and public
Tibeni (Istensegits), including Calinesti-Cuparencu, practice was granted by Emperor Franz Joseph. The
Calinesti-Ienachi, Danila, Gaureni, Granicesti, Hreatca,
9
Evangelical (Lutheran) Church of Austria, located in THE ZIPSER IN ROMANIA:
Vienna, was appointed by the emperor and administered A DISSERTATION
by the Imperial-Royal Church Government. This
body organized the Lutheran parishes into conferences By: Irmgard Hein Ellingson
and districts under the supervision of seniors and based upon Dissertation über Zipser
superintendents. Der Südostdeutsche
(Augsburg: Bukowina-Institut, 20 April 2013), 3
Bukovina’s eleven parishes, twenty-six affiliated
community and missionary stations, sixteen schools, and A dissertation about the Zipser people in Romania
21,395 parishioners were under the jurisdiction of the was completed by Ioana Scridon at the Department of
regional superintendent for Bukovina and Galicia, stationed Geography in the Cluj (formerly Klausenburg) University
in Biala, Galicia (see Ellingson, pages 10-11, and Petersen in Romania in 2012. Ms. Scridon was born 1985 in
et.al., 634-635). Nösnerland located in the northeastern Transylvania in
Romania.
The following information was translated by me and
published as Appendix B in my book The Bukovina Germans Ms. Scridon’s work focused upon the Zipser settlements
in Kansas: A 200 Year of the Lutheran Swabians. in Wassertal (Maramureş) as well as in Bukovina, including
daughter settlements in die Bistritz area, and in the
Parish and Year Established, Affiliated Communities Banater Bergland, specifically Dognatschka with Anina and
Radautz (1791), including Satulmare, Badeutz, Franzdorf. Her research was conducted on location in Zipser
Milleschoutz, and Arbora villages, the Romanian archives, and in Vienna, Augsburg,
Czernowitz (1791), including Unter-Stanestie and Tubingen. She also collected oral histories with Zipsern
Jakobeni (1852), including Dorna Watra and Kirlibaba in Germany and interviewed their contemporaries at the
Illischestie (1858), including Gurahumora, Korlata, Bundestreffen der Buchenlanddeutschen in Sindelfingen,
Mazanaesti, Stupca, Dragoesti, Lucacesti, Balaceana, Germany.
Brasca
Neu-Itzkany (1902), including Mitoka-Dragomirna Between 1784 and 1809, Germans moved from Käsmark
and Suczawa and Leutschau in the Spiš district in Upper Hungary (now
Adancata (1902), including Taraseni (note: Adancata northeastern Slovakia) to Bukovina. There they worked as
was also called Hliboka) miners in Jakobeni, Pozoritta, and Kirlibaba, and established
Tereblestie (1905), including Sereth the communities of Luisenthal (1805), Eisenau (1807) and
Alt-Fratautz (1908), including Neu-Fratautz Freudental (1807) around the mines. They also moved into
Storozynetz (1923), including Jadova, Nikolausdorf, the already existing communities of Stulpikany, Frassin
Katharinendorf, Alexanderdorf and Paltinossa to work as miners. A historical overview
Eisenau (1925), including Frasin and Freudenthal is presented in “The Bukovina Germans in the Habsburg
Pojoritta (1925), including Luisenthal and Kimpolung Period: Settlement, Interaction, Contributions” in the
Journal of the Federation of East European Family History
Works Cited Societies by Dr. Sophie A. Welisch ( http://feefhs.org/
journal/10/bukovina.pdf). A more focused survey of the
Ellingson, Irmgard Hein. The Bukovina Germans in Kansas: Zipser story is included in “Miner and Foundry Worker: The
A 200-Year History of the Lutheran Swabians. Hays KS: Fort Establishment of the Community of Jakobeny in Bukovina
Hays State University, Ethnic Heritage Studies Series, 1987. by Dr. Claus Stephani and translated by Dr. Sophie A.
Welisch. This is posted on the Bukovina Society’s website.
Petersen, Carl et. al. Handwörterbuch des Grenz- und
Auslandsdeutschtums. Breslau: Ferdinand Hirt, 1935. Käsmark (Késmárk in Hungarian, Kežmarok in Slovak)
and Leutschau (Lőcse, Levoča) were part of the Szepes/Spiš
county in the Kingdom of Hungary within Austria-Hungary.

In modern usage, the term Zipser refers to a group of

German language speakers on the territory of present-day
Slovakia and in Maramureş, located in the northwestern
area of Romania.

10
 The Bukovina Society extends its congratulations and A recent album review in the local Pueblo Chieftain
best wishes to Dr. Scridon! newspaper, noted that “the disc is fun but historically
meaningful” and “the songs are sung by Parke in a homey,
charming way that makes them quite enjoyable.”
WINDSWEPT MERCY CD RELEASE
You can listen to brief musical previews of the songs at www.
Steve Parke, a newsletter contributor and Bukovina cdbaby.com. Once at the website, search for “Windswept
Society International Board member, recently released a Mercy”. Clicking on the “Windswept Mercy” album cover
new CD, Windswept Mercy. The 12 song recording is a will give you a list of the songs. Click on individual songs to
tribute to Western Kansas landscape and people with songs hear short previews.
rooted in history and contemporary culture as well as a dose
of artistic license. From a working person’s perspective You can digitally download the songs from the CD Baby
there are songs about farming, ranching, oil exploration, website or iTunes. To have a hard copy of the CD, send
a railroad water well, immigrants, and getting laid off! Of your name and address plus $12 to Steve Parke, PO Box
course there are a few romantic songs and then the opening 7261, Pueblo West, CO, 81007, and he will happily send
cut, America, serves as an overview. All of the songs were you a copy.
written and arranged by Steve.

In the BSA Steve is known as the descendent of maternal

Bukovina ancestors, but the CD liner lifts up his paternal
Irish ancestry. Tribute is paid to his uncle, Curtis Parke,
and his Irish immigrant grandfather, Peter Parke, both story
tellers and singers in their own right.

Each track includes Steve playing acoustic guitar and

singing vocals. A tight rhythm section is provided by a
drummer and bassist. Instrumental coloring comes from a
fiddle and harmonica evenly split between the songs. The
musicians are primarily from Pueblo, Colorado, with the
recording studio in nearby Beulah, a foothills village.

Musically the CD is categorized as “Americana”, a category

of country music that includes folk, county and blues styles
and whatever other style it takes to get the songs presented
appropriately. The consistency of the instrumentation ties
the album together.

11
BUKOVINA SOCIETY
P.O. Box 81
Ellis, KS 67637

12