August 23, 2019 Issue 17

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

August 23, 2019 Issue 17 THE SAXON NEWS Published by The Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons Home Office: 5393 Pearl Road Cleveland, Ohio 44129-1597 Tel: (440) 842-8442 Celebrating over 100 years of Saxon Fraternalism ATS Founded in 1902 August 23, 2019 Issue 17 the park. We will have three baskets BRANCH 27, NEW CASTLE to raffle off at the Oktoberfest – lottery, By Dolores Both wine, and Steelers. The ladies voted to donate to Jennifer Today, I have a special going on: three months Spor’s brother who lost his house and PRESIDENT’S of Branch 27’s activities rolled up into one article. family in a house fire. His insurance MESSAGE It’s been a busy summer starting with our delayed refused to cover his losses because Mother’s Day dinner at Tanner’s Restaurant on the fire was arson plus the funeral By Joan Miller-Malue June 6. We had lovely spring flowers blooming expenses. ATS Nat’l President at everyone’s place setting as we shared our fa- It was voted not to accept any more vorite memories of our mothers. Judy Both read social members into Branch 27. With her endearing original poem, “A Special Love.” the passing of our older full members It truly was an enjoyable evening. and no new full members joining our The lazy days of summer are just about over. The Our July meeting started with tragic news from branch, we are in jeopardy of losing new school year is here, which means new school this morning regarding Jennifer Spor’s family. some of our privileges and benefits by clothes, new books, new teachers, new friends and Her brother’s house burned down and his wife disregarding our bylaws and regula- hopefully some renewed study habits. It can be and daughter died in the fire. Our very heartfelt tions. If we have more social members hard for many children to swap those lazy days sympathies are with Jennifer and Jake and their than full members, we are in a serious of summer for early morning wake-ups. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first family. Thank you notes were received from tax situation with the federal govern- day of school because of all the new things: new Linda Stoops, the Kinderchor and Branch 25 for ment. Applications are welcome for our donations. Get well wishes are sent to Ruth teachers, new friends and maybe, a new school. full membership but closed for social Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around Kennedy and to our former barmaid Mary Konan membership. who is in the Overlook Nursing Home. We hope for a little while. Many parents are overcome with Marie encouraged all to support the a sense of relief at the prospect of getting their you both are feeling better. The good news this activities planned by the club. A lot of bored kids out of the house and back to school month is that Marie Benedict’s grandson married work has gone into putting entertain- again. Others, especially those who are new kin- in June and Helen Burick is a great grandmother ing programs on at the grounds for all dergarteners off for the first time, wrestle with the and expecting two more great grandsons very to enjoy. Dolores Both won the door pride and pain of seeing those little ones pass an soon. prize. important milestone in their young lives. A good The ladies decided they would like to see “Bare- Our next meeting is September 4 at beginning makes a big difference and that can be foot in the Park” at the New Castle Playhouse on the club. We will have our meeting at accomplished with a positive mindset and staying November 17. The members who attended three 4:00 pm followed by our indoor picnic. focused. The ATS Board of Directors wish our or more meetings received a surprise refund of $10 Giant Eagle will cater our picnic meal junior members good teachers, new friends and for their meal at Tanner’s Restaurant last month. and members may bring a guest. Just lots of success in the new school year. Learn a Carol Shumberger won the door prize. be sure to let Dolores Both (724-658- lot as well as have some fun! To our young members, although college may Already it’s August and we met at the club for 7407) know you’re coming. our regular meeting. This month’s meeting began be many years away, your involvement in the ATS with our treasurer reporting problems with ordering fraternal activities may help you in receiving an new checks. There was a discussion and plan to ATS scholarship. Participation in ATS local and get the issue resolved. BRANCH 30, YOUNGSTOWN national activities will earn you extra points when Unfinished business: The Oktoberfest is Sep- By Helen Fotiuk it comes to applying for an ATS scholarship. This year we awarded 22 Freshman Scholarships and tember 14 and 15 at Cascade Park and help is three Renewable Scholarships and 14 Continuing needed in making the potato salad and kraut We had a great turn out for the Saxon Education Scholarship to ATS members. Please on Friday and with the Schnitzel on Saturday Day Picnic. A sincere thank you to all take advantage of earning extra points toward a and Sunday. We need a few men to help lift the the Ladies and Men for the help to make scholarship award by being active in our fraternal heavy pots on Friday. Glorie Geisel volunteered the day a success. A special thank you society. to make the bacon at home. Corgette Troutman to the band for the entertainment. It was Next year we will add an additional one-time and Diane Reiber are in charge of the kitchen at a hot day, but the children had a nice scholarship in memory of long time ATS member day sharing culture with family. Honey Wolff with donations from several friends. We had our branch meeting this past Establishing a perpetual or one-time scholarship Sunday, dues have been set to $35.00. is a thoughtful and giving way to honor a family If anyone is interested in being an of- member or friend. I hope more of our members ficer, please have your dues paid in full give thought to the possibility of establishing a scholarship in a loved one’s name. A meaningful and make sure you have attended four way to remember someone as well as giving help branch meetings. to a young member to further their education. We have a new manager for the club, Just as the children will be getting back to their she will be in charge of the daily busi- school day routine, so will many of our Local ness. If you are interested in booking Branches who will be resuming their monthly an event she will be glad to assist you. meeting after a summer break. The ATS Officers Just call the club @ 330-792-7973 and encourage our members to attend their local ask for Candy. meetings and lend a hand in volunteering. Our With the months and summer going by Branches cannot accomplish all they would like so fast please remember the upcoming to do without your help. There are specific areas events. We have the 300 Club dinner, you can volunteer your services such as helping the Pork Roast Dinner September 22, to develop social programs that include youth, TIMELY - DO NOT DELAY TIMELY (we will need your help to make these cultural or sporting events. For our Branches whom The Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons Alliance of Transylvanian The a success). Please continue to enjoy own their own Clubhouses, much help is needed 5393 Pearl Road Cleveland, OH 44129-1597 your summer. in the maintenance of the facilities as well as the MAILED WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019 MAILED WEDNESDAY, Rosemarie Kascher is doing better Continued on Page 2 Attention Postmaster: Send all Changes of Address to: Attention Postmaster: Send all Changes of and she is home, please continue to pray for her recovery. Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Home Offi ce: 5393 Pearl Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44129 Cont’d from Page 1 Telephone: (440) 842-8442 promotion of their daily FAX: 440-842-5442 business. Volunteers can E-mail: offi [email protected] Website: www.atsaxons.com help in organizing the char- ity efforts within the com- National Board of Directors President - munities on behalf of the Joan Miller-Malue Br. 4 (216) 251-6036 Local Branch. Remember 17105 Hilliard Rd., Lakewood, OH 44107 everyone has two hands. Honorary Past President - One to help yourself and Thomas J. Manning Br. 2 (814) 864-6072 the second to help others. 3909 Schaper Ave #203 Erie PA 16508 Volunteering is a gift from First Vice President - your heart that you share Robert B. Cunningham III Br. 1 (216) 398-7520 with many! 9005 Memphis Villas Blvd., Brooklyn, OH 44144-2426 Transylvanian Saxon Second Vice President - Trivia: Archaeological evi- Monica M. Weber Br. 4 (440) 356-5936 Third Vice President - dence suggests that the Randall Floyd Br. 26 (219) 798-6908 village of Schönberg is Schönberg 1806 E 73rd Ave, Merrillville IN 46410 among the oldest of the Secretary- Saxon settlements dating ond World War until 1952 tions) could participate in Monica F. Gilles, Br. 5 (440) 309-7894 back to the mid-twelfth when collectivization was the election of the offi cers, 3520 Beavercrest Dr, Apt 107, Lorain, OH 44053 century. This history of forced through under com- the resolution of disputes Treasurer- the village is similar to the munism.
Recommended publications
  • For a Comparative History of Alsace and Transylvania†
    article doi:10.17684/i1A10en DIACRONIA ISSN: 2393-1140 Impavidi progrediamur! www.diacronia.ro For a comparative history of Alsace and Transylvania† Valentin Trifescu∗ Faculty of Letters, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Bd. Carol I 11, 700506 Iași, Romania Article info Abstract History: Alsace and Transylvania are two historical border provinces which have been Received May 6, 2014 intensely debated throughout history and which have always been interrelated Accepted June 3, 2014 with each other in discourses of politicians as well as of intellectuals and of his- Published January 13, 2015 torians. By our study we would like to set forth a plea for a comparative history of Alsace and Transylvania (as two border provinces) and to yield a first set of Key words: arguments in favour of such a scientific endeavour. Once established the advan- Alsace tages and the methods upon which an inquiry of comparative history rests, we Transylvania could better understand the particular identity and the ways in which these two comparative analysis sideline provinces have related to their centres of power. Thus the monolithic and exclusive national history may be replaced by a fragmentary and/or periph- eral standpoint which would bring to light different aspects concerning local or regional history, regionalism or the relationship between the centre and its periphery. To Jean-Noël Grandhomme 1. Mitteleuropa from the Vosges to the Carpathians Countless arguments could be called forth in favour of a history in which Alsace and Transylvania should be compared to each other. One might equally find counterarguments to it, among which the strongest one could be the contestable question which would significantly diminish the importance of the chosen subject: why should Alsace be compared to Transylvania and not to Sicily or to any region on planet Mars?1 The research methodology, on the other hand, has a set of serious problems quite its own foritis very hard to determine precisely, as Veyne (1999, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Holocaust/Shoah the Organization of the Jewish Refugees in Italy Holocaust Commemoration in Present-Day Poland
    NOW AVAILABLE remembrance a n d s o l i d a r i t y Holocaust/Shoah The Organization of the Jewish Refugees in Italy Holocaust Commemoration in Present-day Poland in 20 th century european history Ways of Survival as Revealed in the Files EUROPEAN REMEMBRANCE of the Ghetto Courts and Police in Lithuania – LECTURES, DISCUSSIONS, remembrance COMMENTARIES, 2012–16 and solidarity in 20 th This publication features the century most significant texts from the european annual European Remembrance history Symposium (2012–16) – one of the main events organized by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity in Gdańsk, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. The 2017 issue symposium entitled ‘Violence in number the 20th-century European history: educating, commemorating, 5 – december documenting’ will take place in Brussels. Lectures presented there will be included in the next Studies issue. 2016 Read Remembrance and Solidarity Studies online: enrs.eu/studies number 5 www.enrs.eu ISSUE NUMBER 5 DECEMBER 2016 REMEMBRANCE AND SOLIDARITY STUDIES IN 20TH CENTURY EUROPEAN HISTORY EDITED BY Dan Michman and Matthias Weber EDITORIAL BOARD ISSUE EDITORS: Prof. Dan Michman Prof. Matthias Weber EDITORS: Dr Florin Abraham, Romania Dr Árpád Hornják, Hungary Dr Pavol Jakubčin, Slovakia Prof. Padraic Kenney, USA Dr Réka Földváryné Kiss, Hungary Dr Ondrej Krajňák, Slovakia Prof. Róbert Letz, Slovakia Prof. Jan Rydel, Poland Prof. Martin Schulze Wessel, Germany EDITORIAL COORDINATOR: Ewelina Pękała REMEMBRANCE AND SOLIDARITY STUDIES IN 20TH CENTURY EUROPEAN HISTORY PUBLISHER: European Network Remembrance and Solidarity ul. Wiejska 17/3, 00–480 Warszawa, Poland www.enrs.eu, [email protected] COPY-EDITING AND PROOFREADING: Caroline Brooke Johnson PROOFREADING: Ramon Shindler TYPESETTING: Marcin Kiedio GRAPHIC DESIGN: Katarzyna Erbel COVER DESIGN: © European Network Remembrance and Solidarity 2016 All rights reserved ISSN: 2084–3518 Circulation: 500 copies Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media upon a Decision of the German Bundestag.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham Research Online
    Durham Research Online Deposited in DRO: 04 November 2015 Version of attached le: Accepted Version Peer-review status of attached le: Peer-reviewed Citation for published item: Koranyi, James (2014) 'Voyages of socialist discovery : German-German exchanges between the GDR and Romania.', Slavonic and East European review., 92 (3). pp. 479-506. Further information on publisher's website: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5699/slaveasteurorev2.92.3.0479 Publisher's copyright statement: Additional information: Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LY, United Kingdom Tel : +44 (0)191 334 3042 | Fax : +44 (0)191 334 2971 https://dro.dur.ac.uk Voyages of Socialist Discovery: German-German Exchanges between the GDR and Romania Abstract This article explores the little-known history of German-German exchanges between East Germany and Romania during the Cold War. It reveals a complex picture of tourism, travel, and information exchange in which Germans from both countries were able to construct socialist escapes. While the Cold War history of Germans in east-central Europe has tended to either ignore their presence or focus mainly on expulsion and emigration, this article highlights the vibrant existence of a ‘German sphere’ in Cold War east-central Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Paper Title [Times Tahoma 14, Bold, Centred, Upper Case]
    Journal of Urban and Landscape Planning #3/2018 URBAN CHALLENGES GERMAN CHURCH ARCHITECTURE Boștenaru Dan Maria,1 Meilă Alexandra2 1, 2’Ion Mincu’ University of Architecture and Urban Planning, Bucharest (ROMANIA) maria.bostenaru-dan [at] alumni.uni-karlsruhe.de, secretarsefuauim [at] uauim.ro Abstract. This paper presents the heritage of Germans in Romania (Danube Swabians and Transylvanian Saxons) in relationship with the regions of emigration in the home country of Germany. Nowadays there are institutions dealing with the effects of immigration on art and architecture, including research institutions and museums, and the paper makes reference to these. Also, Italian research is interested in the province of Dacia and many conservation methods come from those lessons, while many of the buildings in the home country were inspired by Italian journeys. The heritage was subjected to disasters over time (earthquake, fire, war among others) and is facing abandonment today, for which reason conservation and management of these heritage buildings is important. This conservation includes also digital conservation, such as CAD virtual reconstruction and laser scanning. The confessional history has been different, with the Saxons arriving before the church Reformation and becoming protestant, while the Swabians arrived as part of the Counter-Reform of Emperor Maria Theresia of the Habsburgs. This, and the position of the dominant architecture programme for the respective periods of history of architecture determined the position of the churches of different confessions in the city. 2017 500 years of Reformation were celebrated, which made the question of confession actual and the agreement today between Christians. Also, the basic professions of the immigrants influenced how the church architecture spread from urban to rural areas.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationship Between Religious and National Identity in the Case Of
    THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE CASE OF TRANSYLVANIAN SAXONS 1933-1944 By Cristian Cercel Submitted to Central European University Nationalism Studies Program In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Advisor: Prof. András Kovacs External Research Advisor: Dr. Stefan Sienerth (Institut für deutsche Kultur und Geschichte Südosteuropas, Munich) CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2007 Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to the IKGS (Institut für deutsche Kultur und Geschichte Südosteuropas) in Munich whose financial assistance enabled me to do the necessary research for this thesis. Georg Aescht, Marius Babias and Matthias Volkenandt deserve all my gratitude for their help in assuring me a fruitful and relaxed stay in Munich. I am also grateful to Peter Motzan for his encouragement and insightful suggestions regarding the history of the Transylvanian Saxons. The critical contribution of Dr. Stefan Sienerth has definitely improved this thesis. Its imperfections, hopefully not many, belong only to me. I am also thankful to Isabella Manassarian for finding the time to read and make useful and constructive observations on the text. CEU eTD Collection i Preface This thesis analyzes the radicalization undergone by the Transylvanian Saxon community between 1933 and 1940 from an identity studies perspective. My hypothesis is that the Nazification of the Saxon minority in Romania was accompanied by a relegation of the Lutheran religious affiliation from the status of a criterion of identity to that of an indicium. In order to prove the validity of the argument, I resorted to the analysis of a various number of sources, such as articles from the official periodical of the Lutheran Church, diaries and contemporary documents.
    [Show full text]
  • Philo-Germanism Without Germans. Memory, Identity, and Otherness in Post-1989 Romania
    Durham E-Theses Philo-Germanism without Germans. Memory, Identity, and Otherness in Post-1989 Romania CERCEL, CRISTIAN,ALEXANDRU How to cite: CERCEL, CRISTIAN,ALEXANDRU (2012) Philo-Germanism without Germans. Memory, Identity, and Otherness in Post-1989 Romania, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4925/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Philo-Germanism without Germans. Memory, Identity, and Otherness in Post-1989 Romania Cristian-Alexandru Cercel PhD School of Government and International Affairs Durham University 2012 3 Abstract The recent history of the German minority in Romania is marked by its mass migration from Romania to Germany, starting roughly in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War and reaching its climax in the early 1990s, following the fall of Communism. Against this background, the present thesis investigates a phenomenon that can be termed “philo-Germanism without Germans”, arguing that the way the German minority in Romania is represented in a wide array of discourses is best comprehended if placed in a theoretical framework in which concepts such as “self-Orientalism”, “intimate colonization” and other related ones play a key role.
    [Show full text]
  • German’ Communities from Eastern Europe at the End of the Second World War
    EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE, FLORENCE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION EUI Working Paper HEC No. 2004/1 The Expulsion of the ‘German’ Communities from Eastern Europe at the End of the Second World War Edited by STEFFEN PRAUSER and ARFON REES BADIA FIESOLANA, SAN DOMENICO (FI) All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reproduced in any form without permission of the author(s). © 2004 Steffen Prauser and Arfon Rees and individual authors Published in Italy December 2004 European University Institute Badia Fiesolana I – 50016 San Domenico (FI) Italy www.iue.it Contents Introduction: Steffen Prauser and Arfon Rees 1 Chapter 1: Piotr Pykel: The Expulsion of the Germans from Czechoslovakia 11 Chapter 2: Tomasz Kamusella: The Expulsion of the Population Categorized as ‘Germans' from the Post-1945 Poland 21 Chapter 3: Balázs Apor: The Expulsion of the German Speaking Population from Hungary 33 Chapter 4: Stanislav Sretenovic and Steffen Prauser: The “Expulsion” of the German Speaking Minority from Yugoslavia 47 Chapter 5: Markus Wien: The Germans in Romania – the Ambiguous Fate of a Minority 59 Chapter 6: Tillmann Tegeler: The Expulsion of the German Speakers from the Baltic Countries 71 Chapter 7: Luigi Cajani: School History Textbooks and Forced Population Displacements in Europe after the Second World War 81 Bibliography 91 EUI WP HEC 2004/1 Notes on the Contributors BALÁZS APOR, STEFFEN PRAUSER, PIOTR PYKEL, STANISLAV SRETENOVIC and MARKUS WIEN are researchers in the Department of History and Civilization, European University Institute, Florence. TILLMANN TEGELER is a postgraduate at Osteuropa-Institut Munich, Germany. Dr TOMASZ KAMUSELLA, is a lecturer in modern European history at Opole University, Opole, Poland.
    [Show full text]
  • United States Newspaper Program. List of Intended Audience Terms for 655 Genre Field
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 272 212 IR 051 586 TITLE United States Newspaper Program. List of Intended Audience Terms for 655 Genre Field. INSTITUTION Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison. PUB DTL Jun 86 NOTE 14p. AVAILABLE FROMState Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State Street, Attn: Newspapers, Madison, WI 53706 ($5.00). PUB TYPE Reference Materials - Vocabularies /Classifications /Dictionaries (134) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Cultural Background; *Ethnic Groups; Ethnic Origins; Library Cooperation; Local History; National Programs; *Newspapers; *Religion; *Religious Cultural Groups; *Subject Index Terms ABSTRACT The United States Newspaper Program (USNP) isa national, cooperative effort to locate, catalog, andpreserve on microfilm newspapers published in the United States and its territories since the seventeenth century. This list of intended-audience terms was initially developed by the USNP staff at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, but soongrew to include terms submitted by other national repository projects and later by state projects. The goal in producing the list was to createa thesaurus for the USNP that would allow users of the database to access specialty newspapers by their particular characteristic. The terms on the list were derived from a variety of sources familiar to staff at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin from their earlier bibliographic work. Terms are listed alphabetically under three major subject headings: (1) Ethnic Terms; (2) Religious Terms; and (3) Other Terms. (THC)
    [Show full text]
  • The Ethnic German Refugee in Austria 1945 to 1954 Studies in Social Life Ii
    THE ETHNIC GERMAN REFUGEE IN AUSTRIA 1945 TO 1954 STUDIES IN SOCIAL LIFE II EDITORS: GUNTHER BEYER JULIUS ISAAC ADVISORY BOARD P. J. BOUMAN, University of Groningen DAVID V. GLASS, University of London JEAN GOTTMANN, University of Paris WALTER HOFFMANN, University of Munster LIVIO LIVI, University of Rome THE ETHNIC GERMAN REFUGEE IN AUSTRIA 1945 TO 1954 by TONY RADSPIELER B. A., DR. OEC. PUBL. (ZURICH) PREFACES BY L. NEHER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE NETHERLANDS NATIONAL REFUGEE AID COMMITTEE AND w. BICKEL, PROFESSOR IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH • MARTINUS NIJHOFF / THE HAGUE 1955 ISBN-13 978-90-247-0508-5 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-011-7910-2 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-011-7910-2 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1955 Copyright I955 by Martinus Nijhott, The Hague, Netherlands All rights reserved, including the right to translate or to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form TO MY WIFE PREFACE "The Ethnic German Refugee in Austria 1945 to 1954" is an objective book and that is why the reading of this extremely interesting study creates a feeling of sadness, but at the same time a conviction that it is still possible to alleviate the grief of the numerous refugees in Austria, provided properly co-ordinated assistance is offered. The resultant feeling of sadness, which is most acute, is due to the characteristic of this book in which facts and figures are given in a purely scientific and sober manner, thus driving home the truly horrible human folly that was at the bottom of two world wars.
    [Show full text]
  • Loss, Flight and the Role of Memory
    Ethnopolitics Papers September 2011 | No. 11 Loss, Flight and the Role of Memory The Case of the Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft 1 Karl Cordell Professor of Politics | University of Plymouth , UK E-mail address for correspondence: [email protected] Abstract The purpose of this paper is to fulfil two primary objectives. The first is to re -count the experience of flight and expulsion of ethnic Germans from their traditional areas of settlement in Czechoslovakia between 1945 and 1949. The second is to assess whether or not the goals set and the message articulated by the Sude- tendeutsche Landsmannschaft (Sudeten German Association/SdL), and its umbrella organisation the Bund der Vertriebene (Federation of Expellees/BdV) is of any significance for the politics of German-Czech recon- ciliation given that the events covered here occurred outwith the lifetime of the large majority of the citi- zens of either state. The paper concludes by arguing that the activities, concerns and values of the SdL, although by no means irrelevant, make no substantive contribution to the process of Czech-German recon- ciliation because neither side is prepared to move away from entrenched positions regarding the rationale for and nature of the expulsion process. The paper further draws some observations from the case that may be germane to the wider study of refugee issues. 1 This paper draws on elements of K. Cordell & S. Wolff (2005) Germany’s Foreign Policy Towards Poland and the Czech Republic, London: Routledge. ISSN: 2048 -075X Copyright © 2011 by Ethnopolitics Papers . All rights reserved. Edited by Dr Annemarie Peen Rodt, University of Southern Denmark PhD candidate Anaïd Flesken, University of Exeter We welcome contributions to and comments on Ethnopolitics Papers to [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparison of the Medieval German Settlement of Prussia and Transylvania
    Issue 4 2014 Sword, Cross, and Plow vs. Pickaxe and Coin: A Comparison of the Medieval German Settlement of Prussia and Transylvania GEORGE R. STEVENS CLEMSON UNIVERSITY The German medieval settlement of Eastern Europe known as the Ostsiedlung was carried out by Germans and the Teutonic Order in both Hungary and Transylvania, but with vastly different results. Of the regions settled during the Ostsiedlung, Transylvania offered colonists some of the strongest incentives to settle there; in addition to an agreeable climate and fertile soil, those who settled in Transylvania also stood to enjoy generous expansions of legal and economic freedoms far beyond the rights they held in their homelands. Yet the Ostsiedlung in Transylvania was arguably a failure compared to the success of the movement in Prussia. Much of this contrast can be explained by comparing the settlement process in each region, conducted largely by peaceful means in Transylvania but by the sword and cross in Prussia. Conquest and conversion supported by secular and ecclesiastical authorities allowed Germans to dominate Prussia and cement the primacy of German language and culture there. By contrast, peaceful settlement left Transylvania’s large indigenous populations intact and independent. This cultural plurality, along with the long journey required to reach Transylvania and inconsistent support for settlement there, ensured German settlers in Transylvania never became more than a minority population. The medieval settlement of Prussia and Transylvania, from here on referred to by its German name, Ostsiedlung, was carried out by Germans and the Teutonic Order in both regions, but to vastly different ends. The German settlement of Transylvania was mostly peaceful, with the majority of settlers being miners, merchants, and peasants.
    [Show full text]
  • The Deportation of Germans from Romania to Forced Labor in the Soviet Union
    The Deportation of Germans from Romania to Forced Labor in the Soviet Union by Hannelore Baier Abstract The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the deportation of women and men of German origin from Romania to forced labor in the Soviet Union. In January 1945 nearly 70,000 working-age persons were coercively transported to the Donbass. For those affected, it seemed to be a cloak-and dagger operation. However, documents show that the exploitation of “German laborers” for the reconstruction of the areas of the Soviet Union destroyed by the war was addressed by the Allies and meticulously planned by the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs (NKVD). Ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) as well as German citizens from all over Central Eastern Europe were deployed for reconstruction. n the first half of the 20th century, the archives (RGASPI2, GARF3) indicate that the Ideportations of groups of the population deportation of German civilians for labor on the basis of their ethnic affiliation and purposes by the People’s Commissariat for their deployment as forced laborers took Internal Affairs (NKVD) was planned and on new dimensions as a means of enforcing managed at the central level. Its execution the political interests of those in power. began after the areas were “liberated” by the Millions of Jews lost their lives during hard Soviet Army. labour in Third Reich concentration camps. Yet millions of Soviet citizens were also Stalin’s Command exploited as foreign workers (Fremdarbeiter) In November 1944 a stocktaking of the for Nazi Germany. The deportation and Germans living in the operational area of the deployment of German laborers – both the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian Front of German citizens as well as ethnic Germans Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, (Volksdeutsche) – as a potential reparation Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia) was carried payment for rebuilding the Soviet Union was out.
    [Show full text]