We also
learned interesting facts about Beschka from the book by Josef Pindor. “The Evangelical Church
Croatians, Slovenians in Past and Present,”
Essegg 1902. From this book I would
like to cite the following where I have included some of my own remarks in
brackets in this citation:
“In Beschka 24 German families of both beliefs already purchased
together vacant house lots and neglected vineyards in the patent year 1859.
They were connected to Neu-Pasua for church matters and already appointed
Philipp Lautenbach as their own teacher in 1860 who assembled the children in a
rented room. After this Friedrich
Steinmetz followed (1863 to 1869). Also
Rev. Weber strongly accepted the young colony.
Unfortunately the Reformed detached themselves here in 1869 and at first
connected themselves as the daughter community to Neusatz, to an independent
parish in 1878. There the migration
continued uninterrupted, the Lutherans already purchased a house lying in the
center of the village and erected a school and prayer house.
At the same time Vicar Paul Polereczky agreed as administrator to move
Rev. Weber to Beschka where he cared for the congregation there.
As salary he received 240 florints, 60 Metzen of fruit (wheat), 4 fathoms
of straw, 3 fathoms of wood, and free quarters placed in view on the condition
that one third of his earnings besides that (Stolarien?) Rev. Weber had to pay
out to the independent community. The
military border command in Agram found that the salary was much too small and
uncertain and agreed to leave the community 56 yokes of horse and school? field
and besides that the 10 year use and consumption of 100 yokes of Hutweide
(meadow) for the formation of the church fund. This rare generosity was greeted
with jubilation in the widest circles of the Evangelical
church, but the happy community brought the church authorities the
independent agreement. Polereczky
was chosen to be the pastor and remained there until 1878.
In 1874 the community acquired two cast steel bells from Bochum for 600
florints.
Unfortunately the two parties were enemies from the very beginning and
sadly endless friction followed, that the border authorities did not keep their
promise, the religious school was converted into a local public school and
Polereczky received an appointment to Katy (also called Kaatsch), Hungary (today
Yugoslavia), and the old prayer house was put up for auction because of debts
owed.
In Polereczky’s place in the same year Samuel Gretzmacher was appointed
who is still working there now (1902). He
restored peace again, ended the process against the prayer house (it did not
actually go to auction), it was renovated and extended about 2 fathoms.
At the same time the political community placed 30 yokes at the disposal
of both sister communities (Lutheran and Calvinist) and yet another 57 yokes in
1885. The entrance of the Reformed
(split in 1870) was made possible through new settlements, so that the Lutheran
community already numbered 800 souls in 1879.
This brought out with the division of each 87 yokes new quarrels between
the Lutheran and the Reformed, which after a lot of tugging and pulling,
Recurieren?, and protesting through the national government (from Croatia in
Zagreb = Agram) it was finally decided that the Lutheran community would receive
53 yokes, and the Reformed would receive 34 yokes.
After that the Lutheran community was restored, a house adjoining the
prayer house was purchased (in 1890) and in 1895 a beautiful church to perform
in and equipped with a new organ (in 1899).
Also there was a school again (in 1893) with the Evangelical teacher
Michael Gesell, and after his departure (in 1901) it was occupied by Samuel
Schumacher. The number of people in
this community amounted to about 1000. (The
book cited was printed in 1902 and probably written from 1900 to 1902.)
Through the independent agreement Beschka was released from the Neu-Pasua
community, which grew into new problems for the Semlin district.
The cheap ground and the favorable work relationship had already lured
individual families here since the beginning of the 19th century. However as a result of the imperial patent, the migration was
accepted to such a strong extent that several gathering points formed here and
some schools established such as Boljewzi, Beschanija (1865), Surtschin (1869),
Dobanovci (1875), Obresch (1882). Ministerial
service was performed by the Germans (Lutherans) from Neu-Pasua, the Slovakians
of Alt-Pasua, besides the teacher/Levit service.
The schools served at the same time as church service places.” – end
of citation.
