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Archiver > BANAT > 2002-09 > 1031159517


From: "gerry" <>
Subject: [BANAT-L] history of Detsch near Semlin/Surtschin
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 13:16:20 -0400


Hi
This history was originally written by one of my distant relatives & I received a copy from my mother which Monika translated for me .
Later I discovered that it became part of the book
Surtschin - Ortsbiographie der Deutschen Minderheit eines Dorfes in Syrmien (which also includes the towns of Aschanja , Betschmen , Detsch & Obresch .

I thought it's a good time to post it to the list as we now have a few memebers researching this area .

Anita
.........


Report On the German part of the population in the former home community of Detsch, Semlin area.


In the last decade of the 19th century, the first Germans settled in the, til then, except for a few Hungarian families, pure Serbian community of
Detsch.

These were: the carpenter-master Johann Freund from Feketitsch, the farmers, Friedrich Avemaria, Johann Adam Kreuscher, Karl Kreuscher, and
farmer and hotel/bar owner Jakob Kreuscher from Pivnica, farmer Karl Mueller from Kuzura, forge-master Heinrich Geier from Bulkes, merchant
and land owner Jakob Bechtold, property superintendant Friedrich Trissler, and masonry-master Heinrich Seibert from Kleinker, barber-master Jakob Schmidt from Altker and farmer Thomas Berger from Ridjica.

In the first decade of this century, the following came: wagon-master Johann Groh from Pivnica, the farmers David Kilz, Johann Biermann, Andreas Biermann, Friedrich Biermann, and tailor-master Wilhelm
Vollweiter from Schajkasch-Sentiwan, the farmers Jakob Niefer, Michael Lenhardt, Franz Lenhardt, Christian Bischof and farmworker Jakob Greuling from Budisava, farmer Konrad Niefer and lock-master Johann Heu
from Jarek, wagon-master Johann Schollenberger, carpenter-master Franz Wolf, farmer Konrad Wolf, and brickmaker-master Franz Leonhardt from
Katsch.

In most cases, the settlers' families had many children who were able to sell their property in the Batschka for a good price and were able to buy here twice as many Joch (acres) as they had had there. It was not an organised settling on real estate of a landlord or a corporation, but one was dependent on private offers of sale. Therefore settling of the area lasted for decades and was not extensive.

During the first world war almost half of the settlers mentioned at the beginning moved away because of changes in the political circumstances
and only in the 1920s did a few more families move in.

These were: the farmer Philipp Harffmann from Beschka, farmer Christian Filippi, the widow Elisabeth Decker, the widow Margarete Berleth and the tailor-master Jakob Maerz from Krtschedin, farmer Friedrich Wittmann from
Surtschin, masonry-master Franz Burbach from Dobanovci, master-miller ?
[ sounds like he had a position over all other millers or he was a very well qualified miller] Andreas Heinz from Katsch, farmer Michael Gutwein and farmworker Jakob Keipert from Schajkasch-Sentiwan.

-----

Around 1903 the first settlers, who with one exception (the family Berger) were all Protestants, were successful in the founding of a church community by buying a house in the middle of the community across
from the Serbian church. In this house the prayer room and school room were set up as well as a home for the preacher.

Friedrich Trissler, a parish member, who was suited for this job, offered to hold the reading at the Sunday service and to hold reading , writing and religion classes on school-free days for the school age children who attended the Serbian school. In the Austro-Hungarian as
well as in the Jugoslavian time because of our small numbers, the children had to attend the Serbian school because we could not come up with the required number of 30 school age children that was necessary to found a German school section.

A short time later, two bells could be acquired which were mounted in the newly built bell tower beside the building.

The parish was a filial parish of the Protestant community of Surtschin and was taken care of from there.

When the Serbian troops crossed the river Save in August 1914 in order to occupy the territory between the Save and the rail line Semlin-Agram, the German population fled this area, even we from Detsch, across the Danube into the Batschka.

With horse drawn wagons we reached Vojka on the first afternoon, and the yard of the miller Maier where we waited for the slower ones and spent the night. On the next day we went as far as Beschka, and overnighted
there, and on the following day to Karlowitz in order to cross the Danube. On the already waiting ferries the approaching wagons were carried over immediately, in order that by evening the goals of
Schajkasch-Sentiwan, Budisava, Katsch and other places in which one or the other still had relatives could be reached.

The involuntary stay in the Batschka lasted almost 3 weeks until the Serbian troops had again been pushed back and the home journey could be begun.

Looking back, today this can be seen as a small preview for those involved of the large flight which was to come in 1944, from which there was no return.

At the withdrawal of the Serbian troops, several horse drawn wagons with their coachmen (drivers) were confiscated and taken along over the Save.
The drivers were not let go and were kept captive. The only German, 21 year old Jakob Biermann, became sick i n captivity and died.

This first sacrifice of the war of 1914 by its end had been followed by the fallen, Jakob Schmidt, Lorenz Geier and Ludwig Kilz, Philipp Kreuscher who died at home of his war wounds, as well as the badly
wounded Johann Groh senior.

One had to cope with the changed political scene of 1918. After several lootings occurred at the beginning and in houses of Germans windows were
damaged again and again, a complaint to the district finally resulted in a 4 man commando of Serbian troops that was stationed in the community to protect the German population. The complainants to the district were obliged to provide room and board for the commando, which was gladly done. The 4 men were separated and lodged in 4 German houses for 10
weeks and taken care of. After this time the situation had calmed down.
--
After the first settlers were successful in acquiring the centrally located Schmale house (Str. 1) for the church community in 1903, the wish was that it would house a church and this wish stayed with the following generation as well. Therefore, after the first world war a church construction fund was opened at which at appropriate events, e.g.
get-togethers or family events donations were sought.

In the 1930s the church authorities allowed a house-to-house collection in the communities of the Batschka and Syrmien deaconries. With the
result of this collection, the voluntary donations of the community members and the church construction fund, the financial prerequisite was
available so that the wish (for a church) could be fulfilled. In 1937 the construction council was approached to approve the construction plans of
Ing. Sorg from Agram, a son of the neighbouring community of Betschmen who had, at no cost to the community, drawn up the building plans for the
preacher's house, and the next door building with a school room.

Architect Jensch from Semlin took on the job of getting approval from the council as well as supervising the construction itself.

After construction approval was given in 1937, the beginning of construction of the 2 buildings was scheduled to begin in the spring of 1938 and of the church in the spring of 1939 and the construction jobs were given to the artisans.

Masonry work went to Franz Burbach from Detsch, inside carpentry work to ? Sohl of Krtschedin, other carpentry work to Johann Heiler of Dobanovci and plumbing to Adam Manz of Surtschin.

The transportation of building materials and the job of tearing down the old building was done freely by the community.

As had been forseen, the construction of the 2 buildings was completed in 1938, and the church by November 1939, so that on the 2d Sunday in
November, the church was consecrated by Deacon Peter from Beschka, in the presence of the community's minister and the preacher, Ludwig Lohmann from Surtschin and Friedrich Klauser from Detsch.

Only a short time went by between the consecration of the church and the flight in spite of the great efforts of the community to build it. One
must be aware that only half a decade passed between its consecration and the flight.

The ministers of the community between its origin and the flight were:
Krafta, Reichert, Mueller and Lohmann; the preachers: Trissler, Kehl,
Walter, Schecklis, Sehne and Klauser. It is no longer possible to indicate exact lengths of service for the above. The community had a Protestant church choir under the leadership of the last preacher, Friedrich Klauser.

[ Throughout I've written "Trissler" and "Mueller" because my
keyboard can't handle the proper German letters]

In 1939, the German portion of the population was 9% out of a total of 1,800, that is 162 persons, with 27 houses, 26 farms from 5-60 Joch in
size on an area according to the 1931 boundaries of the community.


The Germans owned 7 trades/stores/industries: 3 stores and 4 industries.
The community also had a German credit and union organisation.

All Germans of the community who were conscripted into the Jugoslavian
army in April 1941 did their duty and remained at it until they were released by the arrival of the German troops. The community was occupied
by German troops on Apr 12, 1941. The disarmament of the Jugosl. troops
that were in the community occurred without incident. Neither the German troops nor individual Germans were responsible for any incidents against the Serbian population.

The partisans in the community began their deeds at the end of July 1942.In the following several assaults against the German population will
be described.
Returning to their unit from their vacation on July 27, 1942, the community members, Philipp Groh and Konrad Kreuscher took the bus "Semlin-Ruma" in
the direction of Ruma. At Pecinci, partisans ordered the bus to stop. All passengers had to get off, the 2 vacationers and 2 German men had to
strip to their underwear, were stood in rows and shot. Philipp Groh was fatally hit while Kreuscher not having been hit by the first shots, fled through the cornfields and was able to escape. Kreuscher fled into the
neighbouring community, Mihaljeci, where Franz Burbach was the mayor and telephoned news of the events. The deceased, Philipp Groh, was taken home
during that same afternoon from the site by guards* of the community
[ * kind of a community police force, but not quite]. The other 2 dead men were the mill owner, Konrad BInder from Petrovci and the bus owner and driver, a German from Ruma.

During the night of August 6, 1942, the partisans attacked the community hall during which 2 Ustasche were fatally wounded and 2 German men of the
community were lightly wounded, i.e. Peter Freund and Christian Filippi.
The partisans advanced to the community hall, occupied it, posted some on the street with a machine gun, threw the entire community archives on the street and set fire to it. Then they left.

The remaining 10 men of the Ustache-guards were shortly after relieved by 40 men of the so-called "Einsatzstaffel" who were well-armed. These were
seen to be sufficient protection for the safety of all Germans of the community.

On January 1, 1943 a horse-drawn wagon occupied by 2 men, 2 women and 2 children drove through the community shortly before midnight. When
ordered to halt in the centre of the community by the 2-man guard (Decker and Schurrer) and ordered to get out so that the contents of the wagon could be investigated, the passengers slowly did as asked.

While the women and the children left the wagon, one of the men shot with a pistol first at Decker who fell down dead, and then at Schurrer whom he
hit through the xx*. The 2 were kept from fleeing by others of the community who arrived at that moment. During the exchange of shots, both men were killed. The women with the children slipped away in the darkness
into a side street and disappeared. In the wagon were found 2 carabiners with ammunition.

xx* - I don't know whether Schurrer was shot through the knee or through the chin.


The German inhabitants of the community were vacuated to the pure German large community of Neu Pasua on May 8, 1943 on the advice of the community's leadership, and the community's guard was disbanded. A single person of the community, Johann Avemaria, who refused to be evacuated, remained in the community but was killed by partisans a few months later.

The Germans of the community of Detsch, according to the plans, preparations and notification of the group leaders, were made part of the evacuation of the German inhabitants of Neu Pasua and with them left the
homeland on October 6, 1944.

-------
In a trek organised with the Pasuaers under trek leader Befurt, and with a well-secured route, the trek went via RUma, Mitrowiza, Sid, Essegg
without threats by the partisans or other accidents. In Essegg all weapons and ammunitions could be gathered up (until then all men had had weapons). Going via the bridge over the Drau/Drava the trek passed on
through the Swabian Turkey until Fuenfkirchen/Pecs. In Fuenfkirchen the large trek was divided into 2 sections, in one were the 4 families from Detsch who arrived in the area of Ried im Innkreis (Austria). The other
part to which the majority of Detschers belonged went with the present leadership via Kaposvar, Zalaapati, and Sarvar to Oedenburg .
In Oedenburg because accommodation would be easier to find, the trek was organised into smaller
sections. Now the members of our community formed their own trek. On crossing the Hungarian-Austrian border our trek went via Wiener-Neustadt,St. Poelten, Melk, Enns, Linz, Eferding until the area of Schaerding am
Inn, where we arrived on November 6, after a journey of exactly one month to the day without harm to person or animal, in the community of Wernstein am Inn and the trek could be dissolved.

At first we were accommodated in the school and were given meals by the community, after a few weeks we were then put in housing on farms.

After the Detschers had spent 6 years in Austria,one family each emigrated to Brazil, Holland, Canada and the USA. Two families remained in Austria and in the meantime they, i.e. their children have built
houses and have settled there.

The rest of the Detschers, since legal resettlement was not possible, went illegally to Germany and today live with one exception in Baden-Wuerttemberg in their own homes.





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