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Archiver > BANAT > 2000-07 > 0963248950


From: "Benshetler, Eric M" <>
Subject: RE: [BANAT-L] TRIP/1875 words
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 13:09:10 -0400


Thanks for the story, Alex.

> what did Philadelphia have that lured most of the Schwaben to the city?

As a Philadelphian, this is an interesting question that I've always
wondered about. Why would people from an agricultural background in the
Banat take jobs in a crowded, industrial city where they had to work in
factories? When you see some of the rowhouses that immigrants lived in,
sometimes with two families to a house, I'm surprised that more didn't head
back. Sure, things got better over the years, but there must have been some
strong reasons for them to tolerate that initial culture shock. My
great-grandmother's headstone has a line about "her complaints are now
quiet," so maybe not everyone was so happy to be here. On the other hand,
if they hadn't lived in such close proximity in Kensington, my grandparents
(from Jahrmarkt and Billed) probably wouldn't have met, but that's another
story.

--- Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Leeb [mailto:]
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2000 7:55 PM
To:
Subject: [BANAT-L] TRIP/1875 words


<snip>

I talked to many people, and they all told me their grandparents went to
America in the late 1800 and early 1900.

Some of them didn't know where their ancestors went to, but the majority
said they figure their ancestors went to Philadelphia. I'm just a new kid
on the block, but what did Philadelphia have that lured most of the Schwaben
to the city? Especially Philadelphia isn't the easiest city to spell.
Couldn't have been the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phyllis, or the
Philadelphia Flyers? What did Philadelphia have as to Sweet Grass, Montana,
or Shackelton, Saskatchewan?

Work, there was work in many other cities. Mind you a Schwab would never go
to a place where there was no work.

....

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