Deutschbentschek in Banat

Family Registry | Family Pictures | Family Stories
 

Deutschbentschek Photos:

Village Photos taken by John Ehardt in 1973, Richard Schicht & Jim Hulka in 2006, Wilhelm Kuhn in 2007, and David Zavortink in 2011; additional contributions courtesy of Christian Andor, Jane Moore, and HOG Deutschbentschek.

Cemetery Photos taken by John Ehardt in 1973, Richard Schicht & Jim Hulka in 2006, Wlhelm Kuhn in 2007, and David Zavortink in 2011; additional contributions courtesy of Helen Hays and Christian Andor.

Stefan Schicht Photo Gallery includes several photos taken in Deutschbentschek in the 1940s and 1950s by resident Stefan Schicht.

Family Pictures, some of which were taken in Deutschbentschek.

The Photographers:
 

John Ehardt and his wife, Kay, traveled to Deutschbentschek in September of 1973.  They stayed with relatives of Agatha Scheirich, John's grandmother.

John writes, "There were no cars, and the one we drove there from Bucharest was greeted with a great deal of interest, parked in the relative's yard.  The Polaroid camera we had gotten as a wedding present was the biggest hit.  By the time we left (after five days), nearly everyone in town had a schnell photograph ("fast picture") of themselves and us."

Richard Schicht and his nephew Jim Hulka, along with Jim's wife and Jim's mother (Richard's sister), visited Deutschbentschek in May of 2006.  They took a train from Budapest to Timisoara, then hired a car and driver to take them to Deutschbentschek and on to Ianova.

Richard writes, "Once we got on the outskirts of Timisoara the traffic lessened and, as we approached Bentschek, disappeared altogether.  We did see a few horse drawn cars with rubber tire wheels.  The roads had numerous potholes.  The farm fields were deserted."

David Zavortink traveled by himself to Deutschbentschek in June of 2011.  He writes:

I flew from L’viv, Ukraine, to Timisoara via Carpatair.  I stayed in Timisoara for five days.

I had arranged for a guide and car to tour five of my ancestors’ villages, including Deutschbentschek.  Although it started out as an overcast day, and was a bit rushed, it was still an eye-opening excursion.  Seeing the lay of the land, walking through the cemeteries and spotting familiar names, experiencing a different culture first hand.

Whit Monday is a national holiday in Romania, so the archives were closed on one of the days I planned to be there.  I wish I had gone to the archives [before visiting the villages], because I added a sixth village to visit!

Timisoara is fascinating.  Alas, the Banat Museum was closed for renovations.  The Banat Village Museum was open; it is very interesting, but a bit run-down.  I was one of the five visitors that afternoon.

I have learned so much since my visit, I look forward to another trip.  [Next time,] I want to get the photo permit to take photos of the records.  I want to spend a good day in each village; an hour isn't enough.  I want to take more pictures.  I’d love to go to the Ulm Treffen, too.  There’s much more to explore.