Donauschwäbischer Kalenders

1924 Donauschwäbischer Volkskalender

Our Danube Swabian Banat Villages Have Their Own Character
By Prof. Nischbach
Published at DVHH.org 2004 by Jody McKim Pharr

Various characteristics of the Banat Swabian Villages

Even though our Swabian villages have all been designed in a similar fashion - all of them pretty, sunny, tidy and dollhouse-like, with wide streets espaliered with two or four rows of trees, all the houses taking on the character of the homes in Franconia and even the Banaters themselves resembling each other more or less - there are still quite a few differences to be found in the Danube Swabian villages on the wide Banat plains. Here are some examples. It is possible that the almanac writer himself, who travels up and down throughout the whole of the Banat in order to earn his daily bread, happens to be of quite a different character, but he is forgiven, as he is only trying to forge a friendship with his fellow Swabians.

Now for the cultural aspects:

The nicest school is in NEUBESCHENOWA; JAHRMARKT has the largest number of schoolchildren; PERJAMOSCH has the most teachers; the largest reading club is in DETTA; the very best choir is in KARONSEBESCH; the largest village choral society is in SCHOENDORF; the best village sports club is in TRIEBSWETTER, the very first cultural center is in SEGENTHAU; the oldest Bricklayers Union is in BOGAROSCH; the Swabian Agricultural Union in NEUARAD has the most members; the home of the oldest union is in GROSSJETSCHA; the most academic are from BOGAROSCH; the largest village church stands in DEUTSCHTSCHANAD; the tallest steeple is in GLOGOWATZ; the lowest steeple is to be found in SEGENTHAU; the DETTAers can rightfully claim to have the most beautiful church; the oldest and best preserved church building stands in NEUBESCHENOWA; FREIDORF has the oldest parish; the most beautiful monument stands in LENAUHEIM and there is a tug-of-war for the best poet between LENAUHEIM and GUTTENBRUNN; PERJAMOSCH is the birthplace of most scientists; the teachers of LOVRIN are paid the most; the best village mill is in ORCYDORF. MARIENFELD has the keenest youth club; GROSSSANKTNIKOLAUS has the most churches; the most church-going parishioners live in NEUSANKTANNA; the church which lies furthest from the centre of the village, i.e. at the edge of the village, is to be found in MERCYDORF; the oldest village monastery is in PERJAMOSCH; only ALEXANDERHAUSEN church has two steeples and the villagers are proud of it; the prettiest cemetery is in DETTA.

Some folk characteristics:

The oldest settlement is PERJAMOSCH; the earliest Kirchweih (church dedication festival) of the year starts in NEUPETSCH; the most original Kirchweih dances which are still performed are also found in NEUPETSCH; the last Kirchweih of the year is celebrated in ALEXANDERHAUSEN; the most beutiful Kirchweih hats are worn by those living in BENTSCHEK; the most decorated hats are worn by BILLEDers; the most beautiful traditional costumes are worn by the girls of GUTTENBRUNN; the men from LIEBLING have the oldest men's traditional costumes; the women's costumes in LOVRIN are lovely; the most admired girls' costumes are worn by the girls of GOTTLOB; the prettiest Swabian village is ALEXANDERHAUSEN; the most typical Swabian village is GOTTLOB; the longest street is in ST. ANNA; the prettiest main street is in WARJASCH; the most crooked street is to be found in GLOGOWATZ; the nicest and most original dialect is spoken in SADERLACH; the people in BESCHENOWAR speak with the most 'a' and 'ou' sounds; the SACKELHAUSEN people have words with the most 'ae' sounds; the largest village square is to be found in ST. ANNA; the roundest square is in ALEXANDERHAUSEN; LOVRIN has the nicest town park; the oldest inn which is still functioning is the 'EINKEHR' which stands opposite the Siebenbürger barracks; BENTSCHEKers believe they have the nicest pub; the most elegant town hall is in LENAUHEIM; the oldest and lowest-built- town hall is in LOVRIN; the funniest people are supposedly from UIHEL; the most cheerful people are from BLUMENTHAL;  the DEUTSCHTSCHANAD Swabians are the most relaxed and good-natured people; the GUTTENBRUNN people dance most sernely; the most steadfast and courageous people are from GROSSJETSCHA. LENAUHEIM has the Banat's calmest Swabians; the most serious are the Hechelswabians in BECSEHAUSEN and NEUKARANSEBESCH; the most religious live in ST. ANNA; the hardest working Swabians are in... well, all of them are hard-working, but the most industrious are still the citizens of BAKOWAR, or was it NEUARAD? The same is said about the SACKELHAUSENers and for quite a few others; the fattest people are found in LOVRIN; the MARIENFELDers are known as the most chivalrous Swabian gentlemen; the thriftiest folk are... well, all of them are thrifty people, but even so, the NEUARADers seem to be at the very top; the hippest are surely those in MARIENFELD and GRABATZ; the friendliest hosts are the BAKOWAers; the sturdiest-looking fellows live in GLOGOWATZ; the prettiest girls... well, the Swabian girls are pretty everywhere; the families with most children are to be found in ST. ANNA and with the fewest children in NEUDORF; actually, there are no Swabian villages to be found with too many children; the most ethnic diverse village is GROSSSANKTNIKOLAUS; the biggest village is ST. ANNA; the smallest pure German community is ALTRINGEN; the nicest 'front rooms' are in GRABATZ; the two hundred year celebration was the biggest Swabian event.

Some commercial characteristics:

The best farming establishments are found in GRABATZ; the nicest farmhouses in GUTTENBRUNN and NEUDORF; the most typical pubs in WARJASCH; the GRABATZers use the most manufactured fertilizer; TRIEBSWETTER has the largest average income per capita and the richest cottagers; NEUARADers have the prettiest gardens; LOVRIN has the most railway traffic; LOVRIN also has the most meat stores; the richest village is MARIENFELD; the largest market square is in TSCHAKOWA; the best looked-after fields are in TRIEBSWETTER; the DARUVARers have the least looked-after fields; GUTTENBRUNN has the largest communal pasture; ORCYDORF has the most large farms with over a hundred acres each; GRABATZ harvests the most wheat; WARJASCH the most corn; DEUTSCHTSCHANAD early potatoes and TRIEBSWETTER the most greens; vegetables in LOVRIN and early season vegetables in NEUARAD; the best tobacco grows in WIESENHAIDE; MARIENFELD makes the most wine, BAKOWA the best wine; the best schnapps is made in GUTTENBRUNN; the most hay is harvested in in MORAVITZA; the nicest horses are in BOGAROSCH, cattle in GRABATZ, pigs in LENAUHEIM and LOVRIN, poultry in DETTA; the majority of 'Fratschlers' (?) are to be found in NEUARAD; businessmen in DETTA and TSCHAKOWA has the most carpenters; GERTIANOSCH has the most brickworks; most mills are in PERJAMOSCH; most barbers are to be found in... there are too many as they are found all over the place, the barbers of the Banat are known worldwide; the oldest milk co-operative is in JOHANNISFELD, the most productive one in SACKELHAUSEN; JAHRMARKT has the most fruit trees, GUTTENBRUNN the most plums; LOVRIN has the most banks.

Other miscellaneous characteristics:

The village with most artesian wells are to be found in BESCHENOVA and the most front window boxes in DETTA; the best drinkers... eating and drinking is good all over the Swabian homeland; the oldest building of the Banat is the military command building in TEMESVAR; BLUMENTHAL (Flower Valley) has the prettiest village name; there is a street in BESCHENOWA called Hundschwanzecken (Dogs Tail Corner); there is a Kipfelgasse (a type of cake) and an Eselgasse (Donkey Lane), originally spelled Elsass-Gasse (Alsace Lane); the best bone doctors are in KLEINJETSCHA; the best exhibition was in LOVRIN; SADERLACH has the most teachers; SACKELHAUSEN has the most parsons; LOVRIN has the most medical doctors and BILLED the most pharmacists.

Some typical nick-names:

TRIEBSWETTER Fujaker (cab); LOVRINer Paprikawagen (pepper cart); NEUARADer Frachtlerin (woman bringing produce to market); SAKLASer Milchweib (woman delivering milk); and can you guess where the most famous Swabian thickhead can be found?

Some questions still unanswered:

Where is the best Swabian school? Where will the next youth club be established? Which community has the biggest public library? And where is the next college being opened, or the next evening classes? Where is the most money spent on education? Who is going to donate the most for the opening of an agricultural college? Where will the first co-operative for the ranching community be? Which courts are the busiest? Where is there still no co-operative to be found? Where are the teachers and parsons paid the least? Where is the next agricultural co-operative to be organized? Where are the sturdiest Swabians and where are the most well-behaved Catholics?