| Villages
Lorrains En
Roumanie |
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by André Rosambert
Written in French, Magazine Publication: L'Illustration*,
24 Nov 1934 -
Issue N. 4786
Translated by
Elisabeth Koch
Translation Edited
by Nick Tullius
Contributed &
Published @ DVHH
by Jody
McKim
- 09 Sep 2010
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| LORRAINE VILLAGES IN ROMANIA |
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The town hall of
Mercydorf, today
Mertisoara (1934) |
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Marchal, Tirié (Thiriet):
don’t we find them in
the civil registries
between Meuse and Sarre?
And, in effect, their
holders came from Metz,
Delme, Boulay, Juville, Differdange, Guébling, Lemoncourt,
Baronville,
etc.
Austrian
officials
did not want
to carry on
with certain
family names
of
particular
spelling or
pronunciation:
this is why,
for example, Rousselet
became
Russle;
Toussaint
became
Tussing. |
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Last
year, we
described
the curious
destination
of the
Lorraine
emigrants
that were
made
Yugoslavian
subjects by
the treaties
of peace,
and the
three
villages,
Saint-Hubert,
Charleville
and Seultour
who found
themselves
grouped in
the
north-east
part of the
kingdom of
Yugoslavia.
It is
without a
doubt in
this part of
historic
Banat of
Temesvar,
where the
residents of
Lorraine,
due to its
superior
numbers and
densely
populated
community
were able to
conserve its
unique
character
while
adopting the
language of
the Swabian
people that
lived in
neighbouring
villages.
But if the
Yugoslavians
originating
from
Lorraine
were
numbering
three
thousand,
the
Romanians of
Lorraine
origin
numbered in
the tens of
thousands.
Today (in
1934), there
exist
descendents
of Lorraine
in about
sixty
villages in
the Romanian
part of
Banat, with
equal
numbers
north and
south of
Timisoara,
capital of
Timis-Torontal.
Last
summer saw
the
commemoration
of the
bicentennial
of one of
these
villages:
Mercydorf,
today
Mertisoara,
is in its
3rd century
of
existence.
That a
village
located
within 24 kilometers
from the
ancient
Turkish
fortress of
Temesvar
carries the
same name as
the summer
residence of
M. Albert
Lebrun –
Mercy, in
Lorraine -
that is at
least
unexpected.
But if the
Banat became
such a rich
and fertile
land where
so many poor
emigrants
from the
four corners
of Europe
found
fortune and
prosperity,
don’t they
owe it to
the Lord of
Lorraine Florimond-Claudius
Mercy? It’s
true that
Mercy’s
family,
which had
its lands
between Metz
and Longwy,
distinguished
itself in
the service
of the Holy
Empire.
Field
Marshal
Francois de
Mercy,
grandfather
of the first
governor of
Banat, was
killed
during the
Thirty-year
war in
combat at Allerheim on
the 3rd of
August
1645. His
father, the
baron
Pierre-Ernest,
“fell
beneath the
walls of
Ofen” in
1686, in the
ranks of the
imperial
army.
Count Florimond-Claudius
Mercy, that
the Viennese
archives
simply
indicate was
<born in
1666 on the
lands of his
father in
Lorraine>
was actually
born in the
duchy,
at
Martin-Fontaine,
close to Longwy. This Lorrainer battled
bravely
against the
Turks under
the orders
of a Savoy,
the famous
Prince
Eugene. |
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When the
capture of
Belgrade in
1717 finally
assured the
emperor of
the conquest
of the
Banat, which
had been
under Muslim
domination
for 164
years, it
was Prince
Eugene of
Savoy who
would
entrust to
count Mercy
the
administration
of this
territory
that was
directly
connected to
the imperial
chancellery.
The Banat
exhibited
the
appearance
of a
desert. The
Turks had
taken over
the tiny
population
of the
region
desolated by
the bloody
battles, the
few mud huts
among which
the churches
were only
distinguishable
by their
crosses,
which housed
a few half
savages,
decimated by
the Malaria
fevers.
In fifteen
years, Mercy
made the
area a
breadbasket
of Europe.
Then, once
the miracle
was
completed,
he was
killed on
the 19th of
June 1734 in
the assault
on the
castle of
Crocetta
close to
Parma.
His name
was to be
perpetuated
in the very
center of
his work:
the baron of Engelshofen,
second
governor of
Banat gave
the name of
Mercydorf,
or the
village of
Mercy, to
the town of
Caran, which
had been
established
in 1733 by
his
illustrious
predecessor,
with 48
Italian
families
originally
from Trentin,
specializing
in the
culturing of
rice and the
raising of
silk worms.
Thus
Mercydorf
was born, in
name if not
in fact, 200
years ago.
The town was
to become
later a
miniature
Babel, a
typical
Banat
locality,
where three
or four
races
cohabitated
very
peacefully.
In 1734,
the imperial
administration
brought to
Mercydorf,
besides
indigenous
Romanians
and Italian
colonists,
more Spanish
families.
Then, in
1765, it was
the turn of
the
Germans.
Finally,
three years
after, the
compatriots
of Florimond-Claudius
Mercy came
in large
masses and
gave a boost
to the
population
of the
village.
French
speaking
inhabitants
formed 58.4%
of the total
population
of
Mercydorf,
Italians and
Spaniards
formed 24%,
and German
speakers
formed 17.6%. The street of France was created.
The names of the new
arrivals, grouped into
150 families are well
characterized: Abou,
Malgras, De-Manche (Demange),
Vasseur, Clodon (Claudon),
Prévot, Varrain, Everard
(Evrard), Henriquet, |
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Then, much
like in
today in the
Yugoslavian
portion of
Banat, under
the
successive
reigns of
Maria-Theresia
and Joseph
II, the
systemic
denationalization
of Lorraine
and French
families
continued,
favoured by
the arrival
of new
German
settlers.
The
bicentennial
festival
committee of
Mercydorf-Mertisoara
had
nevertheless
thought of
associating
Lorraine
with the
ceremonies
(maybe the
opportunity
was
suggested?)
that took
place last
September in
this little
village.
Anyway, it
took this
occasion for
a Frenchman
to affirm by
his
presence, to
the
descendents,
that they
had not been
forgotten,
at least not
by the
University
of Nancy and
the Academy
of Stanislas,
of which the
capital of
Lorraine has
the honour
of being the
seat.
Although the
contribution
of Italians
to the
founding of
Mercydorf
was
considerable,
not one
Italian
delegate
appeared at
the
bicentennial
festivities.
By contrast,
Germans from
the Reich
were very
numerous and
would remind
the
Romanians
who were
speaking
their own
language,
that on the
shores of
the rivers
Main, Spree,
Oder, Isar,
they were
aware of
these
manifestations
of Germanism
in foreign
countries
and would
make an
effort to
participate.
Reaping
the fruits
of patient
and
meticulous
propaganda
that hadn’t
ceased in
Banat since
the sons of
their race,
the Germans,
had arrived
there, and
their
arrival was
celebrated
with joy by
the Banatar
Deutsche
Zeitung and
by the
Temesvarer
Zeitung,
modern
successors
of the old
weekly
Intelligenzblatt
founded in
Temesvar in
1769 by the
printer
Mathieu
Heimerl, and
received by
all the
German
associations
in the
region
reunited on
this day in
the Lorraine
village
founded by a
Lorrainian
for
Lorrainians:
Popular
German
Federation,
German
Cultural
Association
of Banat,
German Youth
Association
etc. |
A road in
a village of the
Romanian Banat, founded
by immigrants in the 18th
century
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The effusions were
prolonged to the sounds
of the Swabian hymn
“Heil dir mein
Heimatland”, which
resembles a certain
“Heil dir im
Siegerskranz” of sad and
notable memory. Oh! My
God, this was very
normal! Haven’t we ever
dreamed of having sent,
from France “La Marche
Lorraine” to the
Lorrainians of
Mercydorf? Even since
Mercydorf became
Mertisoara? Shouldn’t
we have known that there
were Lorranians in
Mercydorf, and in many
other villages of the
Banat?
The speakers during these two days of celebrations didn’t forget to comment on, not without
humour, on the
progressive
disappearance of the
Italians, the French and
the Lorrainians who
immigrated two centuries
ago, and whose delicate
nature could not support
the rigours of the
climate, where only the
vigour of the Germans,
the labour of the
Swabians and Germanic
tenacity could succeed.
The historic Italians,
French and Lorrainians,
those that the good
hosts of the village of
Mercydorf did not take
care to forget, were
celebrated, but in the
way that, at a
prehistoric congress,
ancient missing races
are celebrated.
Welcomed at the
outskirts of the village
at the rustic triumphal
arch where the word
“Welcome” was inscribed
in strong German, and in
much less distinct
fashion in Romanian, Demetor Nistor, Prefect
of the Department of
Timis Torontal, and a
high class diplomat,
made a joyous entry by
carriage with four
horses, preceded by
young riders carrying
banners in the national
colours.
The program of celebrations consisted first in the inauguration of a plaque dedicated
to the poet-peasant
Gabriel, originally of
France, but who spent
the large part of his
life singing the virtues
of the German race, of
which he came to believe
himself a son. |
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Lorrain villages in
Romania
Sunday
morning arrived with new
hosts, whose tall
carriages pulled by
black horses, fast like
lightning, followed each
other on all the village
streets. Under a fiery
sky, one of the most
historic processions was
organized: all the
episodes of immigration,
all the scenes of rustic
life, filed into an
enthusiastic crowd three
people deep. And we saw
successively, after a
curious group of
<ancestors>, whose
costumes had curiously
been re-created, an
antique plough preceded
by the most modern
agricultural machine, an
old village forge with
retaining anvil, the
chariot of harvest, and
that of grape
gathering, and finally
a ravishing <vigil to
the village> and a
<country inn> with
extras in clothing more
than a century old,
playing cards very
seriously…a jolly scene
from L’ami Fritz…
Sadly for
photographers, and
despite numerous
complaints, the
procession passed only
once from the town hall
to the church, and in
turning, had their backs
to the sun!
On the threshold of
his church, the priest
of the parish, encircled
by a number of his
clergy, received the
wheat and symbolic
grapes, then the town
council held a solemn
public meeting in a
large barn, where
numerous speeches were
given, in Romanian and
German and cheers
followed depending on
the circumstances by "Se
Treasca!" or "Heil!" |
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Naturally, there was a
banquet at the Hotel
Muttar that the citizens
continue to call by its
French name, Moutarde.
Given the state of siege
that was prolonged on
the territory of the
Kingdom of Romania, it
was decided that
strangers would not take
the floor: this measure,
which was courteously
brought to the attention
of the invitees, and to
which the French
delegates adhered to
scrupulously, was not to
the liking of Germans
coming from the Reich,
and
their <<leader>>, a
Berlin engineer who was
very happy to discover
an old grandmother from
Mercydorf, to
sarcastically violate
the agreement under the
nose of the present
Romanian authorities.
The engineer Victor
Wagner started by
declaring that he was
bringing to the Swabians
of Mercydorf, the salute
of Verein fur das
Deutschtum im Ausland,
and in a voice in with
which he could command a
cavalry attack, he
finished by affirming in
a stentorian voice, that
the Romanians had no
better subjects then the
<Swabians>, an opinion
of many that were not
embarrassed to say out
loud, unlike the
delegate of the Reich
who did not demonstrate
a high opinion of this
<discipline> to which
his country so easily
claims a monopoly.
There are thousands of French descendents in this Banat, the wealth of which makes our
Romanian allies |
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The priest of
Mercydorf-Mertisoara
receives on the
steps of his
church,
the fruits of
the harvest.
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proud. France, and
particularly Lorraine and
Alsace have the duty of
remembering them, if they
don’t want others to erase
the last traces of an
origin, the recall of which
cannot but make our cousins
in Timis Torontal better
citizens of the Romanian
homeland.
André Rosambert
(Written in French in
1934) |
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Who among us ever
thought of him as being
any different? His
eulogy was given, in
excellent manner, by a
young school inspector,
Mr. Etienne, whose
surname , we note, was
not particularly
Germanic.
Ten the civil and religious authorities inaugurated the monument to the dead of the
community on which one
reads with emotion the
names such as Kade
(Cadet), Wingron (Vigneron),
Willkomm (Vuillome): I
indicate here the
etymologies that were
given to me by local
historians according to
municipal archives. |
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Inauguration of the
monument to the dead of
Mercydorf-Mertisoara.
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Also see André Rosambert's 1933 previous article of the
"Villages Lorrains En
Roumanie"
Written in the French magazine publication: L'Illustration*,
01 April 1933 -
Issue N. 4700
[Article discovered & contributed by Jody McKim and translated from French to English
by Elisabeth Koch on behalf of Anne Dreer & Published @ DVHH - 09 Sep 2010 by Jody McKim Pharr.]
L'Illustration
was a weekly French
newspaper published in
Paris. It was founded
by Edouard Charton; the
first issue was
published on March 4,
1843.
In 1891, L'Illustration
became the first French
newspaper to publish a
photograph, and in 1907,
the first to publish a
color photograph. It
also published Gaston
Leroux' novel Le mystère
de la chambre jaune as a
serial a year before its
1908 release.
During the Second World
War, L'Illustration
was published by Jacques
de Lesdain, a
collaborator; after the
Liberation of Paris, the
newspaper was shut down.
It re-opened in 1945 as
France-Illustration, but
went bankrupt in 1957.
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