Katschmar / Katymár
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Welcome to the homepage of Katschmar,
today known as Katymár, a municipality of Hungary.

 
Known Village Names:
German: Katschmar
Official: Kacmar
Hungarian: Katymár
Variant: Katjmar

County: Bács-Kiskun
District: Batsch-Kleinkumanien
Region: Batschka (NW)
Country: Hungary
 

Village Coordinator: Eileen Wilson

I grew up in Toronto always hearing stories of the village in Hungary where my dad and grandmother had been born.  To them, it was a magical place – the place they called home.  My grandmother especially used to tell of the people who lived there (most of whom were relatives in one way or another!), the festivals, and the way of life.  The best part for me were the delicious dishes she used to cook and which could not be duplicated by anyone.  I only wish that I had paid more attention when she was trying to teach me how to make strudel!

But what was this village they called home.  In German, it was known as Katschmar; in Hungarian, Kátymár.  Like hundreds of other villages in the area of Hungary known as the Batschka, there were about 4,000 people living there at the height of its population; made up of an ethnic blend of Germans, Croatians and Hungarians.  My family dates back to around 1800 in this village, and many other German families also had ties that dated back that far.

Many left to emigrate to Canada and the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, while others did not emigrate until after WWII when all ethnic Germans were required to be “resettled” in Germany. This meant my grandmother who was alone with my dad had to take whatever they could carry and climb aboard a freight car to travel to a place which they had never seen, and to try to make a new life there.  Thousands of others made the same journey.

This past summer I was fortunate enough to visit Katymar and to visit with my grandmother’s brother who still lives there.  Anybody else seeing the village would say that it’s like many others, but to me, it is a very special place. I was finally able to bring to life the places that were always told to me in stories.

This website is dedicated to my children in the hopes that they will, one day, come to know the village of their ancestors, and understand how important it is that we do not forget these special people. Hopefully, we will find other Katymar relatives who can share their stories. If anyone has anything they would like to share, I’d love to hear from you.

Earliest Appearance in History: 1388

Earliest German Settlement: 1748

Churches: Roman Catholic/Kalocsa diocese

Population:

  • 1748: 547 (0)
  • 1762: 788 (0)
  • 1783: 1,245
  • 1791: 1,675
  • 1815: 3,069 (0)
  • 1828: 3,440
  • 1843: 3,549
  • 1890: 4,884 (2,547)
  • 1930: 4,813 (2,534)
 

 

 Village Historical Accounts & Related Links 

Earliest Appearance in History: 1388 | Earliest German Settlement: 1748

Churches: Roman Catholic / Kalocsa diocese

Sister-site: http://www.geocities.com/diekatymarfreund/

Relocation Orders received in 1945, ordering Residents to be"resettled" in Germany.

Rev. Ferenc Illés -"For Minorities" Award Recipients - 1997 

Schwabenverlag (swabia publishing house) "We are one of the most steeped in tradition publishing house and enterprises in Baden-Wuerttemberg for over 150 years" Book Corner.     

Family Registry

If you would like your Katschmar families to be listed on this page, contact Eileen Wilson.

Records & Reference

Genealogical Records:

  • Village name in FHL records: Katymar

  • Church records available at FHL: 1748 - 1895

  • FHL Microfilm Nr.: 0639366 - 0639372

  • FHL Census Microfilm: Katymar in 1828: 622965

  • Earliest Appearance in History: 1388

  • Earliest German Settlement: 1748

  • Churches: Roman Catholic/Kalocsa diocese

Katymar - Ortsippenbuch der ehemals deutschen Bewohner von Katschmar-Katymar in der Nord-Batschka (1748-1945) written by Josef Pahl. For a lookup, contact Eileen Wilson.

Available Village Books:

  • Tafferner, Anton (Hrsg.): Kunbaja. Eine ungarndeutsche Grenzgemeinde in der Nordbatschka mit Umgebung. (Bacsbokod, Csatalja, Gara und Katymar). Hrsg. HA. München 1967. 512 S.

  • Kungl, Wilhelm: Katymar. Heiraten. (ähnlich einem OSB). Ort ? Jahr ?

  • Hellenbard, Maria: Katymar, ein Ungarn-Deutsches Dorf in der  Nordbatschka. Schwäb. Gmünd 1980. 271 S.

  • Kungl, Wilhelm: Woher kamen die Deutschen nach Katymár? Ort? Jahr?

  • Pahl, Josef: Ortssippenbuch der ehemals deutschen Bewohner von Katschmar - Katymar in der Nord-Batschka 1748-1945. Sindelfingen 1998. 1136 S.

Order village book from:

Josef Pahl: (Local kinship book of the formerly German inhabitants of Katschmar (Katymár) in the Nordbatschka) Ortssippenbuch der ehemals deutschen Bewohner von Katschmar (Katymár) in der Nordbatschka 1748-1945, printed in Griesheim/Sindelfingen 1997, 1136 pages /
Order from: Josef Schopper, Ostend 2, 64347 Griesheim and Josef Pahl, Kantstraße 5, 64347 Griesheim

Ortssippenbuch Katymar.
Bezug: Josef Schopper, Am Ostend 2, 64347 Griesheim, Tel. 0 61 55/6 31 02.

Katschmar Village Photos    

 Katschmar Church

 

Cemetery Chapel Interior

 

Church Ceiling

Katschmar Church German side Alter

 

Katschmar Church Croatian side Alter

Relocation Orders received in 1945,
ordering Residents to be "resettled" in Germany.

20.11.1945

Regarding the return settlement of Germans from Hungary to their mother-country is announced:

According to the decision of the three allied powers at the Berlin Conference, the German inhabitants of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary are to be moved to Germany.

This decree is no punishment measure against the German inhabitants. They belong in their own homeland, to their own race brothers, into a related circle where they can be taken care of.

The Germans returning from Hungary to their mother country will be settled into a zone of Germany under American occupation.

The Allied Control Commission together with the Hungarian government pray that the relocation in humane manner will go according to plan, systematically and smooth.

Those that must be resettled are those that declared themselves in the last census of the German nationality and/or mother-tongue, as well as those that gave their German-sounding family name instead of their Hungarian, as well as the members of the German Folk Groups or a German armed formation (SS).

Excluded are those who are married to a spouse not of German nationality and mother tongue, including their minor children and parents and grandparents if they are more than 65 years old.

Petitions on the basis of points 2 and 3 of the government ordinance no. 12330/1945 are in the hands of the Hungarian Secretary of the Interior appointed for each village..

The re-settlers will be taken in heated cars, with sleeping chairs; for their sanitary provision, corresponding measures will be taken.

The homeward bound are allowed to take their valuables (jewelry and gold) with the exception of foreign currencies; the most necessary clothing, linens, handwork, and household goods; furthermore, each person is to take 20 kilo of provisions (including 1 kilo lard, 2 kilo meat, 7 kilo flour, bread or dough, 2 kilo fruit, 2 kilo potatoes). Total weight for the entire luggage is not to exceed 100 kilo per person, which includes the 20 kilo provisions above. For the reduction of unnecessary load and better handling, these things should be packed up in sacks.

Loading Station Katymar

The returnees are to work quietly and cooperatively with the officials to ensure good execution and to ease their workload.

On the day of the resettlement.

Statements out of the ordinance of the Hungarian Ministry of the Interior on 20.11.1945.

Those people affected by the resettlement, whether they live in or out of the country.

The heretofore owner (gentleman) may not sell or burden (mortgage?) the property. He may only take those things (groceries, food or firewood) for himself and his family -- the most required normal amount.

An offense of Section 1) is Forbidden, as well as damages or annihilation of the valuables seized, is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

The index of the mobile goods will be examined by a five-member group.

This group will consist of village or city board of directors, Gendarmerie or trustworthy people selected by the community.

The index of the mobile goods should contain the following data:

a) That to the economy belonging living and dead inventories after type and number of pieces. With animals, race, age as well as special marks. With animals, the cattle passport of the owner must be taken off and the record must be fastened.

b) Groceries, grain-products and lining means are supposed to be indicated after sort and the weight after estimation.

c) Furniture, clothing and other mobile objects are supposed to be recorded also after type and number of pieces.

d) Warehouses, businesses, workshops, raw materials especially are supposed to be recorded.

e) Next to the inventory, the state of the house is supposed to be described. The method of building, number of the rooms, type of the roofing, the size of the living space, as well as the yard place in square meters.

f) Three copies of these records are to be completed.  Besides the person filling out the form, the previous owner now subject to the resettlement must sign.

The objects registered in the records will remain in the use of the previous owners until the resettlement.

The community board of directors (mayor) is held in personal liability to ensure, that the prescribed quantities are not exceeded.  (Groceries, lining, fuel).

To bring furniture, agricultural implements, as well as living animals, is forbidden.

Whether the baggage exceeds the prescribed weight of 100 kilos per person, may be judged only after estimation.

It is absolutely forbidden to search the persons obligated to the resettlement.

The collection of the name list should especially be quickly brought forward.

It is to be respected on that all family members travel in one and the same car.

All persons of a group must be examined 24-48 hours before the trip by a group of three physicians. All persons must be in the possession of a medical health pass.

There may not be more than 30 people in each car.  A resettlement train will contain 40 cars. Each train must have at a minimum one doctor and two nurses. Sufficient medicines, as well as supplies, must also be supplied.

The re-settlers may not leave the village without police approval.  Such approval is only to be given under unusual circumstances. Whoever leaves nevertheless their residence, or opposes the re-settlement itself, is to be taken into police safe-keeping or interned in Germany.

This decree comes into effect on the day of publication.

Budapest 1946 Jan. 4. Nagy Imre S. K. Innenminister

Translated by Eileen Wilson (http://mitglied.lycos.de/aziel/bilder/kundm_gr.jpg)                            

"For Minorities" Award Recipients - 1997

The Rev. Ferenc Illés, Roman Catholic parish priest of Katymár for his exemplary community work as parish priest of Katymár, a small settlement in Felső-Bácska populated by three different nationalities, for his efforts in preserving the traditions of the local Bunyevac, Hungarian and German communities and promoting the use of their mother tongues in the church

Ferenc Illés was born in 1934 to a Hungarian family living in Mélykút. In 196 he was appointed chaplain of Katymár, a small settlement in Felső-Bácska populated by three different nationalities, where he served the Croatian, German and Hungarian congregations for three years. In 1975 he returned to Katymár, where he has been working as parish priest ever since. For more than two decades, he has displayed an outstanding example of respectful and humble attitude toward minorities. As a representative of the Hungarian nationality, he made an important point of acquiring the languages of the local minorities, knowing that was vital in becoming a fully authentic servant of the Croatian and German believers. As parish priest, he has been part of his community’s everyday life. He has always considered the use of the mother-tongue a most essential human right for every person. In 1997 he is celebrating the 4th anniversary of his ordination and the 25th anniversary of his activity in Katymár, serving the local Croatian, German and Hungarian communities.

(Quoted from: http://www.meh.hu/nekh/Angol/award97.htm)

 

Village Coordinator: Eileen Wilson

If you have information to contribute or know of additional websites referencing Katschmar, please contact me.

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Last updated: 09 Sep 2015