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 |
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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)
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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:
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Village name in FHL records:
Katymar
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Church records available at FHL: 1748 - 1895
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FHL Microfilm Nr.: 0639366 - 0639372
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FHL Census Microfilm:
Katymar in 1828: 622965
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Earliest Appearance in History: 1388
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Earliest German Settlement: 1748
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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:
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Tafferner, Anton (Hrsg.):
Kunbaja. Eine ungarndeutsche Grenzgemeinde in der Nordbatschka mit Umgebung.
(Bacsbokod, Csatalja, Gara und Katymar). Hrsg. HA. München 1967. 512 S.
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Kungl, Wilhelm: Katymar.
Heiraten. (ähnlich einem OSB). Ort ? Jahr ?
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Hellenbard, Maria: Katymar, ein
Ungarn-Deutsches Dorf in der Nordbatschka. Schwäb. Gmünd 1980. 271
S.
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Kungl, Wilhelm: Woher kamen die
Deutschen nach Katymár? Ort? Jahr?
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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
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Katschmar
Church Croatian side Alter
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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)
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