Alexanderhausen - Banat - My Journey from the Banat to Canada

My Journey from the Banat to Canada

by Nick Tullius

English version book can ordered from sources such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble or through any bookstore or library.

GERMAN

Vom Banat nach Kanada

German Version

Ordering information: ISBN 978-3-86991-246-6, 19,50 €. From any bookstore or direct from the publisher at Tel. 011+49-0251/620650810 or www.mv-buchhandel.de Also from www.amazon.de

Vom Banat nach Kanada - Back Cover translated text

In the first part of this volume, the author describes life in a Banat-Swabian village during and after the Second World War. As a boy he witnessed the mobilization his father into the German army. After the war, the Romania-Germans were disenfranchised, dispossessed and deported. His mother died during forced labour in the USSR, while his father ended up in Canada. With a grandmother as the only support, he studied electrical engineering at the Technical University "Politehnica Timisoara" in Romania, where he obtained his engineering degree.

The second part of the book deals with the migration of the author to join his father in Canada, and his integration into the new environment. Among the many initial difficulties he had to overcome were a different social order, a different language and different customs. He joined the then largest Canadian telecommunications company in Montreal, which later transferred him to its newly established Research and Development subsidiary in Ottawa. There he finally found the ideal job and started a family. He worked with newly-developed semiconductor devices and the application of software to telecommunication systems. Later he contributed to the development of Canadian, American and international standards in his field. He authored and co-authored more than twenty technical papers, and presented most of them at international conferences.

Since his retirement in 2000, the author's focus is on family research and the cultural tradition of his Danube-Swabian ancestors. He strives to make the history and culture of their ancestors accessible to English-speaking descendants of the Danube Swabians. Several of his translations and writings are published at dvhh.org and dvhh.org/alexanderhausen.

The book can also be ordered from sources such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble or through any bookstore or library.

ROMANIAN

Din Banat în Canada - Back Cover translated text

Nikolaus Tullius was born in the Banat town of Sandra/Alexanderhausen. He attended primary school in his native village, followed by the secondary school Liceul Vincenţiu Babeş and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, both in Timişoara. His childhood begins under the best familial, ethnic and social auspices. The outbreak and the immediate consequences of the Second World War have a dramatic impact on his family and personal life. The never completely healed emotional trauma will cause Nikolaus Tullius to assume responsibility for his own life and immigrate to Canada.

His integration into the new society, not at all easy, is helped by his professional and general human qualities and by his mastery of English, French and German. He occupies engineering positions and works in research and development at a large Canadian telecommunications company.

He establishes and takes care of a family, which provides him with support and relaxation. After retirement, he travels a lot and dedicates himself to the history of his family and that of the community of Danube Swabians from the Banat.

Din Banat în Canada ISBN 978-973-638-520-9 appeared in Editura Orizonturi Universitare, Timişoara/Romania, in 2013. and received very favourable reviews in EUROPA 12 Magazine about science and art during the transition nr.12, 2013.

The launching of the book in Şandra/Alexanderhausen was reported in a local newspaper and is summarized below.

From the Sandra of yore ... "Din Banat în Canada” (From the Banat to Canada") - a book that renders memories
The launching of the book in Şandra/Alexanderhausen was reported in a local newspaper and is summarized
By Autor: Silviu Florescu

A very festive academic and literary event at Sandra. Tuesday, May 28, in the Timis village took place the premiere of a book launch. The author, Nikolaus Tullius, is a son of the village, who emigrated to Canada decades ago. In the land of the maple leaf he published the English version of the autobiographical book "From the Banat to Canada - Chronicle of a trip of a lifetime".

The support of former undergraduate colleague, prof. dr. ing. Alexandru Nichici, past rector of the Technical University of Timişoara, made possible the realisation of the Romanian-language edition, printed by the publishing house "Orizonturi universitare” (University horizons).

The book launch took place at the local home of culture, with a room full of students, teachers and locals. The book was introduced by distinguished guests, representatives of the Technical University “Politehnica”: prof. dr. ing. Horia Ciocârlie, Dean of the Faculty of Automation and Computer Science and director of the publishing house that printed the book; prof. dr. ing. Ivan Bogdanov, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications and president of the Foundation ”Politehnica”; and prof. dr. ing. Ionel Sabin, writer and director of the university publishing house, who did the public book review.

Luchian Savu, mayor of Şandra, spoke to those present about the author's personality and of the concerns of the local administration to keep alive the traditions and customs of the town. The book itself confront the reader with memories, facts and stories from the Şandra of yore, aspects of life of the ethnic Germans and Romanian inhabitants during World War II and after that conflagration.

The author, represented at the launch by prof. dr. ing. Alexandru Nichici, sent his message from Canada to his native town: "I wish the municipality of Şandra a bright and happy future."

Autor: Silviu Florescu