BLESSED CHARLES – THE LAST EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA

BLESSED CHARLES – THE LAST EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA, KING OF HUNGARY AND BOHEMIA

 

On June 28, 2022, the post office of the Portuguese island of Madeira issued a series of stamps commemorating the centenary of the death of Charles I of Habsburg.

 

 

 

 

Charles of Habsburg, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia, was born in Persenbeug, on 17 August 1887. He began his military career at a very young age and, stationed with provincial garrisons, lived at a distance from the throne. As Crown Archduke, he succeeded Franz Joseph at the height of the First World War, and was the only Head of State of a belligerent power to welcome  Pope Benedict XV’s peace initiatives.

 

 

Between October and November 1918, the fall of his empire began. Abandoned by all, he was forced to withdraw from government executives indefinitely. He refused to renounce the throne, believing this to be a dereliction of duty. He lived with his family in Eckartsau Castle, near Vienna, under close surveillance, and left for Switzerland on 24 March 1919. On 3 April that year, he was stripped of all his assets.

The last Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Charles I and his wife, Empress Zita of Bourbon arrived in Funchal, in exile, on 19 November 1921, aboard the British warship Cardiff. They were initially lodged at Vila Vitória, on Estrada Monumental, and later at Quinta do Monte. From the outset, the Emperor won over the people of Madeira, who called him the ‘Holy King’. He was often accompanied by his children, in whom he instilled a love for the Catholic faith, for peace and for the people. He got close to locals, always exuding friendliness and kindness, sharing the little he had with the poor who knocked at his door.

 

He died with a reputation for holiness, on 1 April 1922, and his body was buried at the church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, in Funchal. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 3 October 2004.

Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said of him: “He served the people with justice and charity; he strove for peace, helped the poor and committed himself to a spiritual life”.

A hundred years after his death, we remember this man of peace who became the first saint to live and die in Madeira, with pilgrims from all around the world flocking to his tomb. A good man. A saint.

The Last Emperor Karl I and the Collapse of the Austrian Empire

 

Karl I, also known as Charles I, ascended to the throne of Austria-Hungary in November 1916 during a critical period of World War I. He succeeded his great-uncle, Emperor Franz Joseph I, who had reigned for nearly 68 years. Karl, born on August 17, 1887, was a relatively young and inexperienced leader when he became emperor, but he quickly sought to bring about significant changes in the hopes of preserving the empire.

         

        

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, a multi-ethnic conglomerate, was already in decline by the time Karl I took power. The empire consisted of numerous ethnic groups, including Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Croats, Serbs, Italians, and others, each with its own nationalistic aspirations. The empire's dual monarchy system, established in 1867, created a complex and often inefficient governance structure, with Austria and Hungary as separate entities under a single monarch.

World War I further exacerbated the empire's internal tensions. The war drained resources, caused widespread suffering, and intensified nationalist movements within the empire. Karl I inherited a situation where the empire was crumbling from within, with various ethnic groups pushing for greater autonomy or complete independence.

       

      

      

 

 

 

 

Karl I recognized the need for reform and sought to address the empire's internal divisions. He attempted to negotiate peace with the Allies, recognizing that continuing the war would only further destabilize the empire. In 1917, he made secret peace overtures to France through his brother-in-law, Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The Allies demanded Austria-Hungary's total defeat, and Germany, Austria-Hungary's primary ally, rejected any separate peace.

Domestically, Karl I attempted to decentralize the empire by offering greater autonomy to the various nationalities within the empire. He proposed transforming the empire into a federal state with more power given to its constituent nations. However, these efforts came too late. The nationalist movements had gained too much momentum, and the empire's ethnic groups were no longer satisfied with mere autonomy; they sought full independence.

 

   

         

The final collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire came in the wake of military defeat in World War I. By late 1918, the empire was disintegrating rapidly. Czechoslovakia declared independence on October 28, 1918, followed by the establishment of the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs on October 29. Hungary declared its independence on November 1, and Austria itself proclaimed itself a republic on November 12, 1918.

Karl I, realizing that his empire was beyond saving, did not formally abdicate but instead issued a proclamation on November 11, 1918, in which he renounced participation in state affairs. He hoped that by stepping aside, the empire might be preserved in some form, but this was not to be. The empire dissolved, and its various territories either became independent nations or were absorbed by neighboring countries.

 

    

 

The German-speaking regions of the former empire sought to establish their own state, Deutschösterreich. On October 21, 1918, representatives of these regions met in Vienna and proclaimed the creation of the Republic of German-Austria (“Republik Deutschösterreich”), which aimed to unite all German-speaking Austrians within the new state. However, the victorious Allied powers, particularly France and Italy, opposed the unification of Austria and Germany. This opposition was formalized in the Treaty of Saint-Germain, signed on September 10, 1919, which officially ended the war for Austria. The treaty recognized the Republic of Austria (no longer called Deutschösterreich) as a separate state and explicitly forbade any future union with Germany without the consent of the League of Nations.

 

After the collapse of the empire, Karl I went into exile in Switzerland. He made two unsuccessful attempts to regain the Hungarian throne in 1921, but these efforts failed, and he was forced into permanent exile. Karl I spent his final years on the island of Madeira, where he died on April 1, 1922, at the age of 34. His death marked the end of the Habsburg dynasty's rule over Austria-Hungary, a dynasty that had lasted for nearly 400 years.

 

Die Deportationen der Bevölkerung deutscher Herkunft

Eine vergessene Tragödie: Die Deportationen der Bevölkerung deutscher Herkunft aus dem Gouvernement Radom ins Russische Kaiserreich (1914–1915)

 

Einleitung

Im Januar 1915 begann auf dem Gebiet des Gouvernements Radom eine der ersten großangelegten Zwangsaussiedlungen von Zivilisten im 20. Jahrhundert. Opfer dieser Politik des zaristischen Russlands wurden Kolonisten deutscher Herkunft, überwiegend evangelischen Glaubens, die seit Jahrzehnten die Gebiete des Königreichs Polen bewohnt hatten. Ihre Gemeinschaft, die um eine dynamische Gemeinde in Radom organisiert war, wurde dezimiert. Dieser Artikel, der auf der Forschung von Krzysztof Latawiec[1] basiert, stellt die tragische Geschichte der Deportation dieser Gemeinschaft vor dem Hintergrund der Geschichte des Radomer Protestantismus dar.

 Die Geschichte der Besiedlung und die Entstehung der Gemeinde in Radom

Die Besiedlung durch Bevölkerung evangelischen Glaubens, die aus West- und Nordeuropa (vor allem aus Deutschland) stammte, nahm an der Wende vom 18. zum 19. Jahrhundert zu, angeheizt durch die Möglichkeit der Ansiedlung ausländischer Handwerker und Spezialisten im Königreich Polen. Anfänglich wurde die seelsorgerische Betreuung der Gläubigen in Radom von Geistlichen aus der Gemeinde in Węgrów übernommen, die die Stadt nur zweimal im Jahr besuchten.

Ein Meilenstein war die Genehmigung von 1821, evangelische Gemeinden zu gründen, sofern sich auf einem Gebiet von zwei Meilen mindestens 200 protestantische Familien befanden. Auf Initiative von Johann Konrad Burchardt und seiner Petition wurde am 30. September 1826 offiziell die evangelische Gemeinde in Radom gegründet – die erste im Gebiet zwischen Pilica und Weichsel. Sie zählte damals 1442 Gläubige lutherischen und 21 reformierten Bekenntnisses.

Im Jahr 1827 kaufte die Gemeinde das Gebäude der früheren säkularisierten Marienkirche und baute es zu einer Kirche um, in der am 15. August 1828 der erste Gottesdienst stattfand. Die weitere dynamische Entwicklung der Gemeinschaft führte zur Anlage eines Friedhofs (1833), einer evangelischen Schule (1842) und zur Vergrößerung des Kirchengeländes. Durch die Arbeit nachfolgender Pfarrer wie Juliusz Krause, Franciszek Stockmann oder Otton Wüstehube wuchs die Gemeinde, und das Gotteshaus wurde modernisiert. Vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg zählte die Radomer Gemeinde mit ihren Filialen u.a. in Kozienice und Jawor etwa 12.000 Gläubige, wobei jedoch nur etwa 500 Evangelische in Radom selbst lebten.

Evangelisch-Augsburgische Gemeinde in Radom

Historischer Hintergrund und Rechtsstatus der Kolonisten

Die deutschen Siedler, die das Rückgrat der Gemeinde bildeten, hatten einen zweifachen Rechtsstatus:

1.  Einige von ihnen hatten die russische Staatsbürgerschaft angenommen, was mit der Verpflichtung zum Militärdienst in der zaristischen Armee verbunden war.

2.  Andere behielten die deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft, was ihnen erlaubte, dem Dienst in Russland zu entgehen, sie aber gleichzeitig nach Kriegsausbruch Repressalien aussetzte.

Die erste Deportationswelle: Januar–Februar 1915

Unmittelbar nach dem Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs erließ Zar Nikolaus II. am 7. August 1914 einen Ukas, wonach alle deutschen Männer im Alter von 18 bis 45 Jahren, die in Deutschland mobilisierungspflichtig waren, als Kriegsgefangene betrachtet und ins Innere Russlands verschleppt wurden.

Die eigentliche Wende kam jedoch Anfang 1915. Ein Rundschreiben des Warschauer Generalgouverneurs vom 9. Januar präzisierte, wer als zur Deportation bestimmter "Kolonist" galt. Dies war jeder Bauer (Bewohner eines Dorfes), der die russische Staatsbürgerschaft besaß und deutscher Herkunft war, was oft einfach mit dem Geburtsort auf dem Gebiet des Deutschen Kaiserreichs gleichgesetzt wurde. Diese Entscheidung umging in Städten lebende Deutsche, die von den Behörden als stärker assimiliert angesehen wurden.

 

Die erste Deportationswelle, die von Mitte Januar bis Ende Februar 1915 dauerte, betraf hauptsächlich Männer im Alter von 15 bis 60 Jahren. Aus dem Gouvernement Radom wurden damals 1642 Personen deportiert.

Die zweite, totale Welle: Februar–Mai 1915

Am 25. Februar 1915 wurde die Politik des Zarenreichs radikal verschärft. Ein neues Rundschreiben ordnete an, bis zum 6. März alle Kolonisten deutscher Herkunft unabhängig von Geschlecht und Alter zu deportieren. Die Deportation betraf somit Frauen, Kinder, Greise und Landlose.

Diese zweite, viel größer angelegte Welle dauerte bis Ende Mai 1915 und hatte verheerende Folgen. Wie aus der beigefügten Tabelle hervorgeht, wurden damals 3092 Personen deportiert, von denen fast die Hälfte (1433 Personen) Einwohner des Kreises Kozienice waren. Insgesamt verließen nach beiden Wellen 4735 Personen das Gouvernement Radom, was über 85% der dortigen evangelischen Bevölkerung deutscher Herkunft ausmachte. Für die Radomer Gemeinde, die vor dem Krieg Tausende von Gläubigen zählte, war dies ein vernichtender Schlag – ihre Zahl sank auf nur noch 10% des Vorkriegsstandes.

Wohin wurden sie deportiert? Die Geographie der Verbannung

Die Orte der Zwangsansiedlung der deportierten Kolonisten waren unterschiedlich und wurden von den Zentralbehörden oft geändert, was von Improvisation und Chaos der gesamten Operation zeugt.

*   Ursprüngliche Ziele: Ursprünglich wurde Ende Januar 1915 die Gouvernement Saratow an der Wolga als Hauptverbannungsort angegeben. Bereits wenige Tage später, am 30. Januar, wurde jedoch angeordnet, die Transporte in das Gouvernement Ufa im Ural zu leiten.

*   Realität der Transporte: Trotz der Anordnungen von oben trafen die Deportierten in der Praxis in verschiedenen Regionen des Imperiums ein. Dokumente erwähnen, dass bereits an der Wende von Januar zu Februar 1915 eine Gruppe von etwa 300 Personen aus den Kreisen Radom und Kozienice in Aleksandrowsk im Gouvernement Jekaterinoslaw eintraf.

*   Hauptrichtungen: Zu den Gebieten, in die die Kolonisten gelangten, gehörten die Städte: Tula, Moskau, Saratow, Kursk und Nischni Nowgorod sowie die Kreise: Charkow, Tula, Werchnedneprowsk, Jekaterinoslaw und Saratow.

*   Rückzug der Front und Verschärfung der Politik: Als sich die deutschen und österreichisch-ungarischen Truppen immer weiter ins Königreich Polen vorschoben, leiteten die zaristischen Behörden die Deportierten immer weiter nach Osten, um sie außerhalb der Reichweite möglicher Kriegshandlungen zu bringen. Mitte April 1915 wurde empfohlen, Transporte in den transuralischen Teil des Gouvernements Perm zu schicken, und zwei Monate später – bis in den Turgai-Oblast im Herzen Zentralasiens.

*   Zusammenführung von Familien: Teil der Politik war auch das Bestreben, Familien zusammenzuführen, so dass während der zweiten Deportationswelle Frauen und Kinder oft in die gleichen Gouvernements geschickt wurden, in die zuvor ihre Ehemänner und Väter gelangt waren (Ufa, Saratow).

Tragische Folgen: Transport, Eigentum und Verluste

Der Deportationsprozess war brutal und chaotisch. Die Menschen wurden gezwungen, ihre Häuser sofort zu verlassen, oft unter winterlichen Bedingungen. Der Chronist der evangelischen Gemeinde in Radom schrieb: *"Das bedeutete den materiellen Ruin für die Familien, Krankheit und Tod für Hunderte von Kindern"*. Die Kolonisten versuchten, in panischer Eile ihr Hab und Gut – Land, Tiere, landwirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse – zu verkaufen, und fielen oft Betrügern und Plünderern zum Opfer. Ein Teil des Eigentums wurde später von den zaristischen Behörden übernommen und ausgeschrieben.

Der Transport erfolgte hauptsächlich per Bahn. Die Deportierten mussten selbst den Transport zu den Bahnhöfen (u.a. in Radom, Dęblin oder Puławy) bezahlen, von wo aus sie ins Innere des Imperiums geschickt wurden. Die Reise war lang, und die Lebensbedingungen an den Verbannungsorten waren schrecklich. Die Menschen starben massenhaft an Infektionskrankheiten, Hunger und Erschöpfung.

Nachkriegswiederaufbau und weitere Schicksale

Nach dem Ende des Ersten Weltkriegs und der Wiedererlangung der Unabhängigkeit Polens kehrte ein Teil der Deportierten zurück und begann mit dem mühsamen Wiederaufbau des Gemeindelebens. Seelsorger blieb der sozial engagierte Pfarrer Henryk Tochtermann. 1920 wurde sogar eine Darlehenskasse eingerichtet, um den Umsiedlern zu helfen. Doch die Gemeinschaft erreichte nie wieder ihre Vorkriegsgröße und Bedeutung. Weitere tragische Ereignisse – der Zweite Weltkrieg, die Verhaftung des pro-polnischen Pfarrers Edmund Friszke durch die Deutschen und die Nachkriegsvertreibungen – besiegelten endgültig das Ende dieser bedeutenden Gemeinschaft in Radom.

Zusammenfassung

Die Deportationen der Bevölkerung deutscher Herkunft aus dem Gouvernement Radom in den Jahren 1914–1915 waren eine ethnische Säuberung, die von den zaristischen Behörden unter dem Vorwand einer Kriegsbedrohung durchgeführt wurde. Indem sie sich an nationalen und konfessionellen Kriterien orientierten, führten sie zur praktischen Liquidierung der einst blühenden evangelischen Gemeinschaft, deren Anfänge bis ins 19. Jahrhundert zurückreichten. Die über ganz Russland – von Charkow bis nach Zentralasien – verstreuten Verbannten erlitten enormes Leid, und viele von ihnen kehrten niemals nach Hause zurück. Diese vergessene Geschichte ist ein düsteres Beispiel dafür, wie Kriegshysterie und Misstrauen zu tragischen Repressalien gegen unschuldige Zivilisten führen können, die das Werk von Generationen zerstören und die Kulturlandschaft einer Region nachhaltig verändern.

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[1] Krzysztof Latawiec, (UMCS, Instytut Historii, Lublin), Deportacje ludności pochodzenia niemieckiego z obszarów guberni radomskiej w głąb imperium rosyjskiego w latach 1914–1915 w Ewangelicy w Radomiu i regionie,  Praca Zbiorowa, 2007

Emigration from Galicia to Canada and Brasil

 Emigration from Galicia to Canada and Brasil, an article from Zeitweiser 1912.

 Below the translations in Portuguese and English

 

Alemães da Galícia na América

Por Joseph Schmidt

 A história cultural nos ensina que, há centenas de anos, a língua alemã, a ciência alemã, a educação alemã, a literatura e a arte alemãs influenciaram a América da mesma forma que a Grécia influenciou o nível cultural da Roma antiga. 

Dr. Learned

 

O número de alemães que imigraram para a Galícia, segundo fontes oficiais, era de aproximadamente 18.000 almas. Hoje, os descendentes desses 18.000 imigrantes alemães somam, segundo estimativas bastante precisas, mais de 200.000. Infelizmente, apenas cerca da metade deles ainda reside na Galícia; a maior parte emigrou. Cerca de 10.000 alemães da Galícia vivem em Höfen e Werkprüchen, 2.000 na Bósnia, 1.000 na Rússia, 1.000 em várias cidades e vilas austríacas, e o restante — praticamente uma segunda Galícia Alemã — está na América. Além disso, muitos alemães na Galícia foram polonizados ao longo do tempo.

 

Em qualquer lugar da Galícia Alemã que se visite, ouve-se que muitas pessoas emigraram para a América — principalmente para o Canadá ou o Brasil. Em muitas colônias alemãs da Galícia, há hoje mais alemães vivendo na Américado que na própria Galícia. Por exemplo, em Chicago e Aurora, há mais alemães de Hohenbach do que no próprio Hohenbach, que tem 420 habitantes alemães. De Münchenthal (Muzplowice), não menos de 36 famílias alemãs e muitos indivíduos solteiros emigraram para a América nos últimos 25 anos. De Oltenhaufen, Weisenberg, Ernstdorf, Mühlsach, Freifeld e muitas outras localidades, mais da metade das famílias alemãs já emigrou para a América. A principal razão para essa forte emigração está na atividade intensa dos recrutadores de imigrantes das sociedades de colonização na América e na falta de uma escola primária alemã na Galícia até o ano de 1907.

Para saber como estão nossos compatriotas na América, tanto no aspecto étnico quanto no econômico, solicitei relatos de alemães galicianos confiáveis que vivem lá. O autor Schreyer¹, de Fromwell, Volta Office, no Canadá, escreve: 

*"Fromwell, 26 de novembro de 1910. Prezado Senhor...! Em Fromwell, vivem alemães da Galícia e da Rússia. Em Winnipeg, a capital, que fica a uma hora e meia de trem daqui, vivem alemães de todo o mundo. Nossa estação ferroviária mais próxima, Beauftigung, pode ser alcançada em uma hora de viagem. A região aqui é aberta, permitindo que se viva em um raio de 30 a 40 milhas. Há terras boas e também de todos os tipos; o fogo causa muitos danos, pois há grama alta e seca que é facilmente incendiada por faíscas das chaminés dos trens, queimando quilômetros de vegetação..."*

 ¹ U. Schreyer emigrou de Beckersdorf para o Canadá em 1896 com sua esposa e oito filhos.

 Relato do Canadá

A terra aqui é principalmente floresta e pântano, sendo este último drenado por valas profundas. Cada colono recebe do governo inglês um pedaço de terra de até 160 metros, pelo qual deve pagar 10 dólares (50 coroas). No início, o trabalho é muito difícil, pois não há estradas nem pontes, e muitas vezes é necessário carregar sacos de farinha ou grãos nas costas. Aqueles que têm dinheiro compram terras mais próximas de estradas e não precisam sofrer no início na selva². O preço da terra atualmente é de 20 a 25 dólares por acre. Eu tenho 220 metros; há também colonos com apenas 30 metros, dependendo de suas possibilidades. Todos podem caçar em suas próprias terras. Ursos e lobos podem ser caçados o ano todo, búfalos no inverno, perdizes em novembro e patos em setembro.

 Quanto à escola, as aulas são ministradas apenas em inglês, mas o alemão também pode ser aprendido. Da mesma forma, os órgãos governamentais funcionam apenas em inglês.

 Cada agricultor tem sua terra em um único lote, cercado por arame farpado para evitar invasões. Cultiva-se trigo, cevada, linho, batatas e feno...

 Relato do Brasil

Em contraste, o alemão é mais preservado no Brasil, como mostra o seguinte relato: 

*"Marienthal, 29 de maio de 1911. Prezado Senhor...! Sou professor de alemão aqui há oito anos. Em Marienthal, vivem 55 famílias alemãs, das quais 10 são da Galícia, 5 da Bucovina e o restante da região do Volga na Rússia, todas imigradas entre 1872 e 1873. Em Marienthal, só se fala alemão; a língua alemã é altamente valorizada. Na igreja, reza-se e canta-se em alemão. O pastor é brasileiro, mas prega em alemão. Como ele mora a duas horas de Marienthal, os colonos costumam chamar padres franciscanos da capital, Curitiba. Atualmente, Marienthal tem 360 habitantes alemães. A escola tem 53 alunos. A taxa de natalidade é, graças a Deus, alta, com cada família tendo 8 a 9 filhos ou mais. Casamentos mistos nunca ocorrem. A colônia prospera; está localizada em uma planície, e o solo é muito fértil. Cultiva-se milho, trigo, centeio e batatas. Há quatro cervejarias, uma torrefação de café, duas ferrovias, sapateiros e açougueiros. A colônia fica a duas horas da estação ferroviária. Nas proximidades de Lapa, perto de Marienthal, está a colônia alemã de Johannesdorf, cujos colonos também vieram da Galícia e da Rússia..."

 Conclusão

Ao comparar os relatos do Canadá e do Brasil, vemos que os colonos alemães na América trabalham duro e são valorizados como pioneiros e cultivadores do solo. No entanto, enquanto os alemães no Canadá são assimilados e anglicizados pelo governo inglês, no Brasil eles podem preservar sua identidade alemã. Portanto, se um alemão emigrar para a América, que o faça pelo bem de seu próprio povo, indo para o Brasil em vez do Canadá.

Emigration from Galicia to Canada and Brasil, an article from Zeitweiser 1912.

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Germans from Galicia in America
By Joseph Schmidt

Cultural history teaches us that, for hundreds of years, the German language, German science, German education, literature, and art have influenced America in the same way that Greece influenced the cultural level of ancient Rome.
Dr. Learned

The number of Germans who immigrated to Galicia, according to official sources, was approximately 18,000 souls. Today, the descendants of these 18,000 German immigrants number, according to fairly accurate estimates, over 200,000. Unfortunately, only about half of them still live in Galicia; the majority have emigrated. Around 10,000 Germans from Galicia live in Höfen and Werkprüchen, 2,000 in Bosnia, 1,000 in Russia, 1,000 in various Austrian towns and villages, and the rest — practically a second German Galicia — are in America. In addition, many Germans in Galicia have been Polonized over time.

Wherever you go in German Galicia, you’ll hear that many people have emigrated to America — mainly to Canada or Brazil. In many German colonies of Galicia, more Germans now live in America than in Galicia itself. For example, in Chicago and Aurora, there are more Germans from Hohenbach than in Hohenbach itself, which has 420 German inhabitants. From Münchenthal (Muzplowice), no fewer than 36 German families and many single individuals have emigrated to America in the past 25 years. From Oltenhaufen, Weisenberg, Ernstdorf, Mühlsach, Freifeld, and many other places, more than half of the German families have already emigrated to America. The main reason for this wave of emigration is the strong activity of immigration recruiters from colonization societies in America and the lack of a German primary school in Galicia until 1907.

To find out how our compatriots are doing in America, both ethnically and economically, I requested reports from trustworthy Germans from Galicia who now live there. The author Schreyer¹, from Fromwell, Volta Office, in Canada, writes:
"Fromwell, November 26, 1910. Dear Sir...! In Fromwell, there are Germans from Galicia and Russia. In Winnipeg, the capital, which is an hour and a half by train from here, there are Germans from all over the world. Our nearest train station, Beauftigung, can be reached within an hour. The area here is open, allowing people to live within a radius of 30 to 40 miles. There is good land and all types of terrain; fires cause a lot of damage because there is tall, dry grass that is easily ignited by sparks from train chimneys, burning kilometers of vegetation..."

¹ U. Schreyer emigrated from Beckersdorf to Canada in 1896 with his wife and eight children.

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Report from Canada
The land here is mainly forest and swamp, the latter being drained by deep ditches. Each settler receives from the English government a plot of land up to 160 acres, for which he must pay 10 dollars (50 crowns). At first, the work is very difficult, as there are no roads or bridges, and one often has to carry sacks of flour or grain on one's back. Those who have money buy land closer to the roads and don’t have to suffer as much in the early days in the wilderness². The price of land is currently 20 to 25 dollars per acre. I own 220 acres; there are settlers with as little as 30 acres, depending on their means. Everyone can hunt on their own land. Bears and wolves may be hunted year-round, buffalo in winter, partridges in November, and ducks in September.

As for school, lessons are conducted only in English, although German can also be learned. Similarly, government offices operate only in English.

Each farmer has his land in a single plot, fenced with barbed wire to prevent intrusions. Crops grown include wheat, barley, flax, potatoes, and hay...

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Report from Brazil
In contrast, the German language is more preserved in Brazil, as shown in the following report:
"Marienthal, May 29, 1911. Dear Sir...! I have been a German teacher here for eight years. In Marienthal, 55 German families live, 10 of which are from Galicia, 5 from Bukovina, and the rest from the Volga region in Russia, all of whom immigrated between 1872 and 1873. In Marienthal, only German is spoken; the language is highly valued. In church, prayers and hymns are in German. The pastor is Brazilian but preaches in German. As he lives two hours from Marienthal, the settlers often invite Franciscan priests from the capital, Curitiba. Currently, Marienthal has 360 German residents. The school has 53 pupils. The birth rate is, thank God, high, with each family having 8 to 9 children or more. Mixed marriages never occur. The colony is thriving; it is located on a plain, and the soil is very fertile. Corn, wheat, rye, and potatoes are grown. There are four breweries, a coffee roastery, two railways, shoemakers, and butchers. The colony is two hours from the railway station. Near Lapa, close to Marienthal, is the German colony of Johannesdorf, whose settlers also came from Galicia and Russia..."

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Conclusion
By comparing the reports from Canada and Brazil, we see that German settlers in America work hard and are valued as pioneers and cultivators of the land. However, while Germans in Canada are being assimilated and anglicized by the English government, those in Brazil are able to preserve their German identity. Therefore, if a German is to emigrate to America, let him do so for the good of his own people — by going to Brazil rather than Canada.

 

My books - Meine Bücher

 My books - Meine Bücher

Heim ins Reich – Das Schicksal der Deutschen aus Galizien im Zweiten Weltkrieg

 I am pleased to announce the publication of my new book: 

"Heim ins Reich – Das Schicksal der Deutschen aus Galizien im Zweiten Weltkrieg" 

("Heim ins Reich – The Fate of Galician Germans in World War II") 

 This work not only documents individual wartime experiences but also serves as a valuable resource for genealogical research. The book includes: 

- Archival source references for family historians 

- Name index of Galician German families 

- Rare photographs and documents 

 

The book is available for purchase: 

📌 On eBay:  EBAY [https://www.ebay.pl/itm/135776592660](https://www.ebay.pl/itm/135776592660) 

📌 Directly from the author (contact for details) 

 

The eBay listing includes the full table of contents and name index for reference. 

 

Ich freue mich, die Veröffentlichung meines neuen Buches bekannt zu geben: 

"Heim ins Reich – Das Schicksal der Deutschen aus Galizien im Zweiten Weltkrieg" 

 

Das Buch schildert nicht nur Einzelschicksale, sondern ist auch ein wichtiges Nachschlagewerk für genealogische Forschungen. Enthalten sind: 

- Archivquellen für Familienforscher 

- Namensregister galiziendeutscher Familien 

- Seltene Fotodokumente 

 

Bezugsquellen: 

📌 Bei eBay: EBAY [https://www.ebay.pl/itm/135776592660](https://www.ebay.pl/itm/135776592660) 

📌 Direkt beim Autor (auf Anfrage) 

 

Der eBay-Eintrag enthält ein vollständiges Inhaltsverzeichnis und Namensregister. 

GGD newsletter # 122, April 2025

 The April 2025 issue (#122) of the GGD newsletter is now available on our website, [https://galiziengermandescendants.org/cms](https://galiziengermandescendants.org/cms...)

Stanisławów on stamps

There are many stamps related to Galicia (especially to Lviv). In this article I only present postage stamps dedicated to Stanisławów (Stanislau, today Ivano-Frankivsk), from which my ancestors come.

A beautiful postal card sent from Lviv (Lwów – Lemberg)

A stamp of the Polish Post from 1938 depicting the Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv.

For the beginning, an Austrian stamp from 1867 for 2 kreuzers with the image of the Emperor Franz Joseph I and a beautiful postmark of Stanislau dated November 9, 1872. The first postal issue related to Stanisławów that appeared after Ukraine gained independence are stamps from 2004 depicting Ukrainian folk costumes from the Ivano-Frankivsk Voivodeship. The stamps depict a folk music band and a village wedding.

The next edition comes from 2006 from the Wedding Headdress' of Ukrainian Women series. The series consists of 12 stamps, one of which shows a lady from Stanisławów with a wreath on her head.

A continuation of this theme is the series of 12 stamps from 2007, Traditional Headdresses of the Ukraine. Representatives of Stanisławów are on three stamps. However, it was only in 2012 that a stamp dedicated to the city itself appeared. The occasion was the 350th anniversary of the city's founding by Andrzej Potocki, who named Stanisławów the settlement of Zabłotowo in honor of his son Stanisław Potocki.

The stamp contains the historical name of the city - Stanisławów and the modern name (in force since 1962): Ivano - Frankivsk.

A very interesting edition appeared in 2016. However, it is related to The 770th Anniversary of the First Historical Mention of the City of Kolomyia. Kolomyia is located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The block shows the city's monuments (town hall, the Museum of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia, the Greek-Catholic Cathedral) and the Pysanka Museum , which will be discussed later.

A very nice stamp appears in 2020 in the Beauty and Greatness of Ukraine series. It shows a railway viaduct in Vorokhta (Ivano-Frankivsk region). At the end of the 19th century, Vorokhta developed as a sports and tourist center. This was facilitated by the laying of a railway line through Vorokhta in the summer of 1894. In 1895, a stone arch bridge was built. With a total length of 130 meters, the span is 65 meters. The bridge is on the list of the longest stone bridges in Europe and the world (currently the bridge is not in use) .

In the same 2020 Beauty and Greatness of Ukraine series, a block featuring the Ivano-Franskivsk Region was also released. The block shows: a painted bowl from the 19th century, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (17th-18th century) in Vorokhta, Hutsuls - a groom and a bride on horses, and the Dovbush (Drummer's) Rock .

The last stamp dedicated to Stanisław is a stamp from 2023 depicting an Easter egg (pysanka) from the Stanisławów Oblast from the village of Trościaniec (Dolina region).

If you are interested in these stamps, please contact the author directly.