Archdiocesan Archives

Djakovo
Contact the archive (there should be a hacek symbol atop both the "s" & the "z" in the name):

Drazen Kusen
Biskupski Ordinarijat
Strossmayerov trg 6
HR-31400 Djakovo
CROATIA

See this article at Geanealogy.net: http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/ESE/dsarch.html#stuttgart:

The archdiocese includes all of Syrmia (Szerem County), including portions in both present-day Croatia and Serbia. Reports are that the archive is responsive and that they are willing to forward any queries to the local parish churches. Only baptism registers survive at most churches, although some have burial registers back to 1900. Successful queries have been written in Croatian and English (see sample letters, included two International Reply Coupons and cash to (two $5 bills) defray expenses. Response times may vary.

Churches

1828 Hungarian Property Census for SZEREM MEGYE includes Sotin

TOVARNIK DEANERY www.hbk.hr/crkve/etekstp/edjakovo/edjakovo.html

DURING THE WAR IN CROATIA DAMAGED CHURCH PROPETY IN THE DJAKOVO-SRIJEM DIOCESE www.hbk.hr/crkve/etekstp/edjakovo/edjakovo.html

SOTIN (Sotin Parish), votive church: MARY THE HELPER (MARIJA POMOCNICA)
The church is a cultural monument. During August - December 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army destroyed the church and rectory.

VUKOVAR (Vukovar Parish), Franciscan monastery and church: SS. PHILIP AND JAMES (SV. FILIP I JAKOV) www.dvhh.org/crkve/vukovar/eindexkfj.html
The monastery complex dates from the 18th century and is a cultural monument. After September 19, 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army completely demolished the church. They looted and destroyed the inventory.

VUKOVAR (Vukovar Parish), chapel: ST. ROCH (SV. ROK)
www.dvhh.org/crkve/vukovar/eindexk.html
During September - November 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army completely demolished the chapel and destroyed the inventory.

VUKOVAR (Vukovar Parish), old cemetery and cemetery chapel of family Eltz
The chapel was built in the 19th century and is a cultural monument. During September - November 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army severely damaged the cemetery and completely destroyed the chapel with the entire inventory.

VUKOVAR (Vukovar Parish), convent and chapel of THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY CROSS (SESTRE SVETOG KRIZA)
During September - November 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army completely destroyed the convent and chapel.

VUKOVAR (Vukovar Parish), municipal cemetery: BULGARIAN CEMETERY (BUGARSKO GROBLJE)
During September - November 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army devastated the cemetery.

VUKOVAR (Vukovar Parish), new cemetery: DUBRAVA
During September - November 1991, members of the rebel Serbian forces and the Yugoslav National Army devastated the cemetery.

The diocese of Osjek-polje and Baranja

Sotin

Church of the Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas – built in 1802; completely renovated in 1968. In August 1991 damaged by rifle fire from Croatian National Guard.

Barry S. Marjanovich Presentations:

O12 CROATIA - DJAKOVO DIOCESE - 1991
DESCRIPTION OF REPORTED CRIME: Destruction of churches and church property.
TIME AND LOCATION: 1991; Sotin.
SUMMARY OF REPORTED CRIME: Mary the Helper of Christians Church (1768, cultural monument) sustained damage to the belfry and the roof.
PERPETRATORS: YPA soldiers; members of Serb irregular units.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Publication "Sacral Institutions on
Target", Croatian Information Centre, 1991, p. 18.

The History of Srijemske Laze

Croatian Catholics were the only inhabitants in Laze in the Middle Ages, who also managed to withstand a hundred and fifty years of Turkish rule (1526 – 1691). The Roman Catholic parish was situated in that settlement. Sotin became also subject to the Laze parish, after its own parish ceased to exist due to the Turkish invasion. Stories about those days continued until the year 1729, when Gabrijel Bacic, a provost of the chapter home in Pecs, led his canon visitation to this area.

Croat Catholic Ustashi clergy Here follows an incomplete list of Croat Roman Catholic clergy that participated in the atrocities and Holocaust of the Ustashi regime of Ante Pavelic. By the end of WW II, 1500 Croat Roman Catholic clergymen fled Europe in order to escape justice. These were Roman Catholic priests who murdered Serbs and Jews with their own hands, incited others to do so or took part in their forced conversions.

ANDERLIC, Dr. VILKO: Catholic curate in Sotin and a very active Ustasha who used terror extensively to force Serbs to convert to Catholicism, threatening those that didn't with death.

Reference

Reference Books & Reviews

Ortsfamilienbuch “OSB's”, Heimatbuch, Bildband & others

Sotting's Heinmatbuch 1

Gospina Slika U Sotinu (Miraculous Picture of the Lady of Sotin) by author Mr. O. Placido BELAVIC, University of Vukovaru, 1909.

This booklet gives a short history and has information on the The story of the Portrait of the Blessed Mother. It was reprinted by the Vukovar Museum, in abt 1996 but may no longer be available. It is written in Croatian.

Ortsfamilienbuch

Family books otherwise known as. "OSB's" abbreviation for "Ortssippenbuch", "Familienbuch" or "Ortsfamilienbuch" should list all of the families of a certain village with their genealogical data in alphabetical order. These books usually taken from church records list marriages births and baptisms. They may also include government records such as tax rolls. All genealogical data known to the author may be given. Sotin does not have a OSB.

(Ortssippenbuch ref. Ort means place; Sippe means kinship or tribe, buch means book)

Heimatbuch

A Heimatbuch is not a family book / OSB. It is a written local history and geography of a village. It depends on the author if they provide any of the names of the villagers. Sometimes they will list first settlers / founders and prominent citizens.

Bildband

A Bildband, (bild —picture), Book of pictures, Many may have historical or miscellanies data, But the book has mostly pictures.

Microfilm

Many church records, documents and books exist on Micro film or Micro Fisch and are usually ordered through the NARA or FHS some of these films may be purchased or rented for a small fee.

Sotting’s Heimatbuch 2

Title: Deutfche Siedlungen in Syrmien, Sotting bei Wufowar und Neudorf bei Winfowzi. Author: Pissler, Adalbert - Year: 1942 - pages : 60. Publisher / Verlag Leipzig: Von S. Hirzel >Stuttgart / Leipzig, Germany

It is an essay contained in book Nr. 6 of the Deutsches Archiv fu"r Landes- und Volksforschung-(pages 368 - 370)University Library Frankfurt-am-Main has Deutsches Archiv fu"r Landes und Volksforschung - Leipzig : Hirzel 1.1937 - 8.1944,4, which includes this title by Aldabert Pissler) Pissler's essay was about Ethnologie in Syrmien, Vo"lkerkunde in Syrmien.

In some documentation this Sotting-Neudorf book Deutfche Siedlungen in Syrmien was claimed to be a “family book”, it is not....it is a Heimatbuch (Historybook). It was written about two small Croatian towns, Sotin by Vukovar and Neudorf (Vinkovacko) by Vinkovci. It was written during the Nazi occupation and contains information on history and enthology. It contains stories of colonizing, shapes of villages, shapes of tenement, stock farming and agriculture. . Only six images/schetches of proposed buildings barns ect. This heimatbuch is written in German, the font is an old German script probably (normal) “Fraktur”, Fraktur went out of fashion during the early 20th century because of the obvious communication problems with non-native German speakers. However, in an attempt to deliberately differentiate Germany from the rest of the western world, it was reinforced by Nazi Germany (1933-1945). The author Dr. Adalbert PISSLER , died a German Soldier. He was a junior lawyer and was in the position of communication department in the SS, he died in WW2 at the age 26 years old, Sept. 11.1942, Northwest of Rschew on the east front, where he fought. It would appear from his obituary, he was from a small family, the only known relatives are Pastor Armin PISSLER of Barneberg, over Eilsleber, (in district Magdeburg, in Northern Germany), Hertha, nee ROST and Ursula PISSLER . It is not known what connection the PISSLER family has to Sotting, Neudorf bie Vinkovci or Syrmien other than these writings.

Pissler, Adalbert the author, died about a year after the book Deutfche Siedlungen in Syrmien was completed, but the same year Adalbert Pissler also wrote a essay "Volksbra"uche zur Schwangerschaftsverhu"tung in Syrmien" (Beispiele fu"r negativen su"dslawisch-deutschen Kultureinflu)

Table of Contents

I. History of colonizing
Slav colonizing
German colonizing
II. Endangerment of the German folklore in the liberal time
III. Nature of colonizing and agrarian (agriculture?)
Form of villages and lea (corridor?/steet?) 
Building houses
Stockfarming and building stable
Agriculture and building elevators

Sotting’s Heimatbuch 3

Historical Notes of Sotin

“Povijesne Biljeske Sotina”

By Ferdo Gerstner Published: June 1996, Zagreb by the “GRADSKI MUZEJ VUKOVAR”/ Vukovar Museum

Donations may be made to the museum.

This book is in Croatian and is out of print, but you may still be able to find some copies at the museum, book stores in Croatia or online or try

KNJI®ARA TAMARIS
Trg Bana J. Jelaèiæa 3
10000 Zagreb
tel: 01/4882680 01/4882686
fax: 01/4882681
sandra@tamaris.hr

Summary of the Ferdo Gerstner`s
«Historical Notes of Sotin»
(Povijesne Biljeske Sotina)

The Rev. Ferdo Gerstner was born on March 25, 1882 in Pozega. After studying theology in Djakovo he was ordained priest on July 3, 1905. He died in Pozega after his retirement, in his 58th year, on June 18, 1939.

He saw services in various places in Croatia (Piskorevci, Semeljci, Tovarnik, Slankamen, Kopanica, Andrijevci, Berak, Zemun) and from May 16, 1916 to April 24, 1923 was parish priest in Sotin. He was caring but blunt priest, who fought hard against moral turpitude. He enjoyed the reputation of being an excellent teacher of religious knowledge.
He rose above the ordinary level of parish affairs and was highly educated, well read and wrote numerous important works. At the behest of the see, he drew up the scholastic base for the teaching of religious knowledge in schools, in 1921. In 1926 he was entrusted with the drawing up of a historical catechism on the basis of the
Bible to serve as a textbook for religious knowledge. Gerstner wrote for many journals and was known outside his own diocese. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his ordination and in recognition of his work he was appointed honorary president of the diocesan office. Ferdo Gerstner was inseparably linked with his own Croatian people. He lived for the Church with all his heart, and was beloved by the people. While serving in Sotin the Rev. Gerstner wrote his «Historical Notes of Sotin». This was at the time when, at the end of the First World War, the Croatian people was going through crucial moments, when it suddenly found itself unwillingly a part of the state of Yugoslavia. Gerstner could not have imagine that this manuscript would be published in a independent and free Republic of Croatia which had won its autonomy in the war of for Croatian independence.

Even after so many years the Historical Notes of Sotin still have
their own value. The author made great efforts and studied many sources and works, but relied above all on ecclesiastical chronicles in Vukovar and Sotin, as well as the statements of his contemporaries living in Sotin.

Gerstner paid great attention to the national and demographic
problem. He shows the decline of the Croatian population in Sotin, ascribing it to social, health and other reasons. He gave an accurate list of priests, teachers, village headmen and every Croatian family in Sotin. He noted all the most important events in Sotin, the founding and building of the church, the school and other institutions. He paid particular attention to national life and customs.. He had necessarily to deal with the influence of the Germans, who by that time already constituted the majority population of Sotin and were tending to drive out Croatian culture and customs. That is way the author deals separately with the marriage customs of the Croats, and the Germans and others.

There are also songs in Gerstner`s manuscript. Sometimes these are just verses, but there is also musical notation for some.
Musicologists have ascertained that the most of the songs were not written by Gerstner. The tunes were written by father Antun Bauer, born in Sotin in 1909. He was closely connected to Sotin and kept up friendly relations with Gerstner. The musical notations were obviously put in later the in 1930s, for Gerstner brought his MS up to date when he was living in retirement in Pozega.

Gerstner`s manuscript is a good basis for the history of this village as well as of life in the country and the customs of the region of eastern Croatia.

Preparing this manuscript for the press, the Editors decided on
making only the most minor and necessary changes with respect to grammar and spelling, so that the reader should be able the better to feel the spirit of Gerstner`s writing. And in the order to illuminate his wrote the more completely, the Editors have decided to add a number of supplementary works:

Monsignor Marin Srakic, bishop of Djakovacko –Srijemska diocese
Antun Ljubas –Tone: Respect and dear reader
Robert Farkas: Gerstner, priest and catechist
Miroslav Badanjak: The Rev. Ferdo Gerstner
Tvrtko Zebec; Historical Notes of Sotin, an important contribution to the historical knowledge of the ethnographic heritage of Srijem (Srymien)
Miroslava Hadzihusejnovic-Valasek: Musical notation in the manuscript of Ferdo Gerstner.

Biography of Father Antun Bauer
Vlado Horvat: Original documents about Sotin from 18th and first half of the 19th century

The inhabitants of Sotin were expelled from their homes in 1991 during the civil war in Croatia. They gathered together around their Catholic parish in order to be able to bear the bitter days of exile the more easily and to retain their spiritual awareness. While their church in Sotin retain devastated, they have decided to print the work of their one-time priest Ferdo Gerstner. The city museum of Vukovar in exile has helped this action, so that every inhabitant of Sotin and every friend of Sotin, should be able to have copy of the book in his or her hand to strengthen this belief and hope that they will soon be able to return.

Data about Ferdo Gerstner from the book «Historical Notes of Sotin»

Ferdo was born as 5th child in marriage of Katarina Sulc (like Schulz) from Pozega and Ferdinand Gerstner from Osijek. As barrel maker assistant Ferdinand Gerstner came to Pozega with intention to buy from widowed Genoveva Sulc (born Mueller) her husband's tools for producing (wooden) barrels. Here Ferdinand met Genoveva`s daughter Katarina (14 years younger than he was) married her and left in Pozega. Katarina and Ferdinand had 12 children: Antun, Matilda, Paulina, Julka (Julia), Ferdinand (Ferdo Gerstner), Marija, Katarina, Vera, Dragica, Terezija and Ivan (three sons and 9 daughters). Ferdo Gerstner died on June 18, 1939 in Pozega (tuberculosis and diabetes). Interesting data mentioned in this book are that in 1921 in Sotin 46.1 % of inhabitants were Germans and in 1948 only 0.3%. All German families were emigrated, killed or put in the prison camps. The most known camp in this region was in Krndija, small place not far from Djakovo.

Syrmien Bildband

click cover to enlarge

KOD BECARSKOG KRIZA

narodne nosnje okolice Vukovara i Iloka published 2003 by the Vukovar Museum

This book contains a brief history of the region, as well as photo's of some of Syrmien traditional costumes, clothing and textiles, and hair styles. It includes many people in the area from different villages, dressed up in traditional costumes, including a couple people from Sotting / Sotin.

Gradski muzej Vukovar, 22.03.-15.04 2003. / <autori strunih tekstova Josip Forjan, Zdna Lecher ; uvodni tekst Ruzica Maric ; tekst o Srijemu Mato Batorovic ; prijevod na engleski Lelija Ricijas ; autori fotograija Zvonko Benosic ... et al. . .-Vukovar; gradski muzej Vukovar; Zagreb Posudionica i radionica narodnih 2003

ISBN 953-96444-9-6 (Vukovar) ISBN 953-6697-10-6 (Zagreb), Traditional culture and ethnography - Project Leader Ruzica Maric

Donauschwaben Colonist in Austria Hungary

Sammelwerk donauschwäbischer Kolonisten

Compilation of
Danube-Swabian colonists

The Sammelwerk is the life work of our member Stefan Stader who passed away in December of 2003.

To date the following volumes have been published:

I, A-D, with an introduction to genealogic research by Helmut Zwirner 1997, L and 888 pp, Sindelfingen 1997

(vol. 64 of Schriftenreihe zur donauschwäbischen Herkunftsforschung) price: 43 €

http://www.genealogienetz.de/vereine/AKdFF/sammelwerk-e.htmI

*I, E-G, XXVIII and 715 pp, Sindelfingen 1998 (vol. 69 of Schriftenreihe zur donauschwäbischen Herkunftsforschung) 41 € *III, H-Kap, XXX and 711 pp, Sindelfingen 1999 (vol. 82 of Schriftenreihe zur donauschwäbischen Herkunftsforschung) 41 €

*IV, Kar-L, XXXII and 748 pp, Sindelfingen 2000 (vol. 89 of Schriftenreihe zur donauschwäbischen Herkunftsforschung) 41 €

*V, M-O, XXXVI and 648 pp, Sindelfingen 2001 (vol. 98 of Schriftenreihe zur donauschwäbischen Herkunftsforschung) 41 €

They contain information on approximately 40,000 colonists.
These volumes can be ordered from our office in Sindelfingen AKdFF-Sindelfingen@t-online.de or sales@pictonpress.com

http://www.genealogienetz.de/vereine/AKdFF/sammelwerk-e.html

Sammelwerk donauschwäbischer Kolonisten

Stefan Stader's goal is to list the place where the Donauschwaben settlers originally came from. These volumes concern only the original settlers [~1740-1830] and the settlers from the second and third wave of colonization known as the Great Swaben Trek. Imigration of previous German settlers is not the focus of these books.

Stefan Stader published 5 books of his "Sammelwerk donauschwäbischer Kolonisten"; A - D, E-G, H-Kap, Kar-L and M-O. Stefan Stader, listed in this 5 volumes 39.765 settlers, he gathered together the most important data available to donauschwaben researchers, in the emigration as well as in the settlement communities, and used 289 sources, as Hacker, Hengl, Lux, Petri, Zwirner and Wilhelm and Karlbrunner (*Available on Microfilm, FHL microfilm #0897413 item 4 on the roll and #1256477 item 2 on the roll).Stader's information is may be a little more detailed than the Franz Wilhelm and Josef Kallbrunner book.

The results of his efforts are available to us in the first five of a projected eight to ten volumes. For a substantial number of colonists, the connection between the original and the new settlement could be positively established. Anyone concerned with research of origins will, hardly be able to get by without these books. Stader's books are a work in progress, only recorded surnames up to O. In 2003 Strader, in his sixth volume, starting with the letter "P" is getting ready for print. So if you’re looking for T, that’s when the Franz Willhelm and Josef Kallbrunner publication comes in handy.

Stefan Stader's volumes of "Sammelwerk donauschwäbischer Kolonisten/Auszüge aus der donauschwäbischen Gesamtkartei" vol. 1-5; AKdFF, Sindelfingen/Germany, 1977-2001 are in alphabetical order by SURNAMES. ABBREVIATIONS USED BY STEFAN STADER http://www.genealogy.ro/cont/16.htm

Quellen zur Deutschen Siedlugsgeschichte in Sudosteuropa

by “Kallbrunner, Josef and Wilhelm, Franz book”

*Kallbrunner, Josef and Wilhelm, Franz book... Quellen zur Deutschen Siedlugsgeschichte in Sudosteuropa, 1935, München, Ernst Reinhardt, Verlag ISBN # 3-89433-005

This publication is more or less an abbreviated version of the Banater Akten* (Vienna records). The Banater Akten is in the Finance and Court Chamber Archive (HKA) in Vienna, 1600 pages of documents from the period 1749-1804 which are designated Banater Akten. They include the Vienna Lists or Vienna Passenger Lists. These are consignments of colonists who emigrated through Hungary including the Banat and Batschka

Kallbrunner, Josef and Wilhelm, Franz book can be ordered through the LDS on film or, through inter-library loans. Only useful for ancestors who emigrated directly from German lands, not those from other parts of the Austrian Empire. Available as FHL microfilm #0897413 item 4 on the roll and #1256477 item 2 on the roll.

Reference and look up: Deborah Dumelle Kristmann
Email: dkris@sprynet.com

Also:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~banatdata/Glogowatz/Books.htm

http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/ESE/dsrec.html#ba

Familien-Kalender magazine

The official name " Deutsch-Ungarischer Familien-Kalender

German-Hungarian Family Calendars

NOTE: The Sotting Village Coordinator volunteer Kurt McCRARY has the 1953 edition. He is looking for the copy that includes a photo of a woman from Swabish Turkie, (probably in 1952 or 1954) any information is appreciated.

-- Ein Jahrbuch der Deutschen aus Banat, Batschka, Burgenland, Slavonien, Ungarn und Oesterreich, in Amerika". The Familien Kalender was started in 1932 by Josef MARX from Klein Betschkerek who immigrated to the USA in the early 1900's and lived in Chicago. It was a bound paperback, in format 9-1/2'"x 7" x 1/2"(+/-) published by the Heimatbote (German language newspaper also was owned by Josef Marx), and published by National Weeklies, Inc. of Winona MN, as a "Yearbook" or Annual Almanac.

The magazines were written in German in a “Fraktur” style font. They were published in the U.S.A. from

1932-1954. They contained stories from the German-Hungarian regions of

Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania, and Germany amongst others. Included in the magazine are pictures, jokes, poems a seasonal calendar and a list of American and Canadian subscribers, their spouses, their place of origin and their present addresses in the U.S. and Canada. Subscribers listed were from the United States and Canada. During its Publication, the magazines listed approximately 13 thousand Donauschawben.

The Kalender was published 1932 to 1954. Early issues can be found in the library of the Institut fuer Auslanddsbeziehungen in Stuttgart. The 1937 and 1952 issues can be found in the library of the Balch Institute in Philadelphia. There are issues in the Indiana State Library but they do not participate in interlibrary loan. See also library of Congress catalog. http://cefha.org

A very interesting analysis of the Familien-Kalender was formed, by David Dreyer and John Movius on the migration paterns of the Banat, Batschka and Burgenland Donauschwabens and localities where they migrated up.( to veiw go to ANALYSIS)

Pete Alan SCHMIDT Glogowatz Webmaster is the great nephew of Josef MARX the publisher. Peter is working on putting all of the subscription lists on to the web to make them available to everyone. He will also make them available with higher quality resolution on CD.s or DVD's afterward. The 1935 issue of the Familien Kalender is included on the 3-CD collection set Marriage CD of Glogowatz Church records. This is a great #1 site, check it out. The information and explanation can be found at:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~banatdata/DUK/HomePage.htm
Include are David Dreyer and Dennis Bauer extractions from the DU-Kalenders. As of 3-12-1904 there are about have about 8,757 individuals listed.

Reference

Movies, Microfilm, News & Reports

Sotin Microfilm

Title Maticna knjiga, 1758-1885
www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp
Authors Rimokatolicka crkva. Zupa (upa) Sotin (Main Author) and Notes Snimljeno sa originalnih dokumenata v Hrvatskom drzavom arhivu u Zagrebu.

Szottin (Sotin) - Apparently there are four (4) films

Ro eni 1758-1828 >Film location Vault INTL Film 1739720 Items 4-5

Ro eni 1829-1856 Vjen ani 1795-1856 >Film Location FHL INTL Film 1739721

Ro eni Vjen ani Umrti 1857-1885 >Film location FHL INTL Film 1738996 Items 2-4

Ro eni Vjen ani umi Umrti 1828-1846 >Film location Vault INTL Film 1921752 Item 3

Szottin Roman Catholic parish registers of births, marriages and deaths for
Szottin, Slavonien, Austria; later Sotin, Szerém, Hungary; now Sotin,
Croatia. Text in Latin and Croatian.

For the years before 1857 the records are written long hand “note book style” after 1857 the records are put into logged columns and are easier to translate. The 1857 records contain entries for Tompojevci area which is located a few miles S of Sotin in Vukovar-Srem (county). Sotin Parish records contain some, if not all the BMD records from the years 1857-1885 for parish Tompojevci Parish, This records seem to be circuit type records. Which include Sotin, Berak, Boksic, Cakovci, Grbovo, Miklusevi and Tompojevci. Many of Sotin and Tompojevci residents appear to have come from The Batschka. Starting in the late 1700's with a much stronger presence in about 1830 and 1840.

Explanation: These films are copied from different books (Usually Church Books) at different times and time periods. Realize your time period that interests you and the Film number, films at research centers are about 3.50 USA dollars to order from the LDS-FHC.

Sotin Census records

Bacs-Bodrog and Torontal County, Hungary Note: Book #1

Bacs bodrog (Batschka), Book # 11 - Szerm,

Census records 1828 German-Hungarian land Census for

The Census is available from the FHC.  Some counties (megye) have
been translated by Mrs. Martha Remer Connor and are available both
through the FHC and a printed form directly from Mrs. Connor
(her books are on LDS film)

Movies

1) Movie Title: The Grofa Eltz of Vukovar www.mzos.hr/svibor/6/04/024/rad_e.htm

Institution depot: HTV, Language: hrvatski Summary, The history of the family Eltz in Vukovar. Keywords: Vukovar, Eltz. This movie may be a documentary on the Eltz family and castle

Movie Title: Vukovar

Serbia-Croatia/Italy, 1994
U.S. Availability: 2/96 (limited)
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Violence, rape, sex, nudity, profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Cast: Mirjana Jokovic, Boris Isakovic
Director: Boro Draskovic
Producer: Danka Muzdeka Mandzuka
Screenplay: Boro and Maja Draskovic
Cinematograpy: Aleksander Perkovic
U.S. Distributor: Tara Releasing

2) Movie Title: Vukovar
Review: Vukovar is a Croatian town just across the Danube river from Serbia, in the former Yugoslavia, where different ethnic groups had managed to coexist peacefully. When Croatian Anna (Jokovic) marries her childhood sweetheart, the Serbian Toma (Isakovic), however, their celebration is marred by nationalist demonstrations. Soon Anna's pregnant, Toma has been drafted, and the town comes under siege, with Tomas' parents fleeing, Anna's family killed in a bombing, and Ann herself struggling to survive. Film was condemned by the Croatian government as pro-Serbian propaganda though director Draskovic, a Serbian whose parents are Croatian and Bosnian, strove to be nonpartisan. Serbo-Croatian with subtitles. On the back of the box cover it states, "Vukovar was recommended by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer to President Clinton for a White House screening. Vukovar was blocked by the Croatian government from screening at the prestigious United Nations Fifth Annual International Cultures Conference in New York City, 20 minutes before its scheduled screening." It also says it was the winner of 18 International Awards

Reports

SERBIA - BEGEJCI - November 199

DESCRIPTION OF REPORTED CRIME: Imprisonment of civilians, internment to the Begejci camp near Zrenjanin.
TIME AND LOCATION: November 1991, Begejci near Zrenjanin.
SUMMARY OF REPORTED CRIME: YPA members brought civilians with their hands bound to the Begejci camp on a regular basis. They battered men, as well as two women from the villages of Tovarnik and Sotin. The civilian prisoners slept on the concrete. They lacked food. The YPA soldiers took women out by night. The women refused to tell what happened.
PERPETRATORS: YPA soldiers.
EVIDENCE: Audio tape recording of an interview with a witness, supplemented by a written statement currently kept in the archives of the Department.

The Chicago Tribune By Tom Hundley Tribune Foreign Correspondent October 31, 1999, VUKOVAR, Croatia :

In Sotin, a village about 5 miles from Vukovar, Croat returnees have been staging a candlelight vigil for the last two months.

Case Study

Author: Gosselin, Tania pphgos01@phd.ceu.hu

Abstract: The Sotin project aims at providing professional support to a group of Croatian women who are still grieving over the loss/disappearance of one or more relatives in the 1991 war.

Papers

SVIBOR - Collecting Data on Projects in Croatia:

Type of paper: Paper in book
Title: From the history of Sotin, the Parish and the Church in Sotin
Publisher: Gradski muzej Vukovar u Zagrebu
ISBN: .
Year: 1995
Pages: from 35 to 55
Language: hrvatski (Croatian)
Summary: Historic review of the Sotin locality, transportation and worship of the painting of Our Lady; data on Placido Belaviæ.
Keywords: Sotin, painting of Our Lady, Placido Belavi æ

Biographies and bibliographies - Persons

Rauš, Ðuro, prof., dr.sc., dipl.ing.šum., Šumarski fakultet u Zagrebu (Jakobovac, Sotin, Vukovar, 31.III.1930 - Zagreb, 10.IX.1997), - bibliografija -Hrvat. šumarski životop. leksikon 4 1999: 182 - 187. <biografija, bibliografija, pisao o pèelarstvu, predavao zaštitu prirode>

Related Links & Research Information

Links

Danube Swabian Heritage

The River Danube This postage paid mark was applied by UNTAES, the United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, which functioned from 10 May 1996 to 15 January 1998. The cover was sent from Sotin to Slunj, ie from a Serb-held area to Croatia, and in order to avoid the use of Serb-inspired postage stamps (which were unacceptable).

Croatian Place Names
Alternate spellings (Austria, Hungary and Italy) and available FHL Microfilm Summary at the Family History Library (FHC)

Post Offices

Post Offices Of Former Austrian Territories: Yugoslavia

Ellis Island Records

click image to enlarge

American Family Immigration History Center

Ellis Island was the gateway through which more than 12 million immigrants passed between 1892 and 1954 in their search for freedom of speech and religion, and for economic opportunity in the United States. 4,000,000 people from the Austria- Hungary Empire alone passed through her gates in 1880-1930. The database of immigration records from The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation are a very useful genealogical tool. Search passenger records for immigrants who were processed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. Names and Places are often misspelled when they were transcribed. After 1924 Ellis Island was only used for dentention! Prior to 1924 immigrants coming to the US got a passport, bought a steamship ticket and arrived in the US and THEN went to Ellis Island for processing. After 1924 immigrants were required to visit a US Embassy or Consulate and go through a check out and processing, thus Ellis Island was not needed.

You first must register. Registration with this Website is free. Once you've registered, you can:

• Access passenger records during a Passenger Search

• Save searches in Your Ellis Island File and resume them at any time

• Save passenger records, ship images, and ship manifests in Your Ellis Island File

Registered users can also join the Foundation online. With a one-year Foundation membership, you can:

• Create and maintain your Family History Scrapbook

• Annotate passenger records in the Community Archives

• Order one free copy of your initial Scrapbook (print or CD-ROM)

• Receive a 10% discount at our online Gift Shop

• Support the ongoing work of the Foundation at Ellis Island

Searching the Ellis Island Database in One Step

The work of Dr. Stephen Morse in creating this search tool,
with major contributions from Dr. Yves Goulnik

Ellis Island Database Tips

Explanation of the missing manifest search

National Archives, Washington, DC

Contains the Einwanderungszentralstelle (EWZ) Anträge, records of ethnic Germans applying for German citizenship during the period 1939-45.The Einwanderungszentralstelle (EWZ) Anträge [Immigration Center Applications] is a collection of records consisting of more than 400,000 applications by ethnic Germans living outside Germany during the period 1939-1945. These were people applying for naturalized German citizenship.

The actual documents were formerly kept in the so-called "Berlin Document Center" and since 1992 have been part of the Berlin (Finckenallee 63; 12205 Berlin) Bundesarchiv [Federal Archive] </gene/reg/DEU/bundesarch.html> (D).

Microfilm copies of these records (publication A3342) are now also stored with the United States National Archives <www.nara.gov/> in Washington, DC. They may be ordered at a cost of $34US plus shipping and handling. You may contact James Kelling james.kelling@arch2.nara.gov, to find out which roll holds the surname you are seeking. Once you know which ones you want, films may be ordered by calling 1-800-234-8861 or (202) 501-5235 and must be paid for with Visa or Mastercard.

The applications are arranged by country or region of origin and thereunder alphabetically by family name. Each application might include several forms and other documents already described in other EWZ series, along with additional correspondencMedia The applications represent only a fraction of the total number of ethnic Germans who were considered for naturalization by the EWZ. Series EWZ-541 for Yugoslavia
(c. 23,000 files for ethnic Germans from regions within the 1941 boundaries of Yugoslavia, reproduced on 150 rolls). Each file within these series might contain some or all of the following documents:

*Identity papers that establish an applicant's ethnic German background (Volkstumsausweis) or resettler status (Umsiedlerausweis)

*a "family form" (Stammblatt) that identifies the ethnic backgrounds of an applicant's parents, spouse, and children

*a naturalization application form (Einbürgerungsantrag)

*a declaration of naturalization (Einbürgerungsverfügung, usually abbreviated Vfg.)

*a copy of the naturalization certificate (Abschrift der Einbürgerungsurkunde)

*related correspondence.

Some applications included family trees up to four generations as the applicants had to prove their German descent.

United States Naturalization

In the U. S. naturalization is a voluntary act; naturalization is not required has never been required. Of the foreign-born persons listed on the 1890 through 1930 censuses, 25 percent had not become naturalized or filed their "first papers." However, if your ancestor applied for U. S. citizenship those papers might reveal some important information. These records are, in many instances, much more valuable genealogically than ship passenger lists.

Neighboring Villages

Neudorf/Novoselo

website

Neudorf / Backa Novo selo (New Town) is a small village in the Batschka across the Danube from Sotting.

Lowas/Lovas

website

Lowas/Lovas is a town Just south of Sotting,
this site includes Opatovac (In Croatian)

Regional History of Vukovar & Ilok

Vucedol dove

Web Site Part 1

Further down river Sotin (Cornacum) was an important Roman stronghold on the Slavonian-Syrmian limes but the whole region was linked economically and administratively to the municipality in Vinkovci (Cibalae).

VUKOVAR and ILOK (Part 2/2) ILOK - WYLOK - VJOLK - Reminiscences of a visit in 1999:
The return drive was more pleasant passing the lovely country sites through villages of Sarengrad and Sotin but soon we were back to the realities of war after as we drove straight trough the torn City of Vukovar. The return drive was more pleasant passing the lovely country sites through villages of Sarengrad and Sotin but soon we were back to the realities of war after as we drove straight trough the torn City of Vukovar Regional History of Vukovar & Ilok. (neat site, photos)

Vukovar Pictures

By Darko Click on SLIKE

Ilok Winery

Vukovar, Vucedol & Opatovac Winery

Local wines from Vukovar-Srijem winegrowing hills
Its origin is in the Srijem winegrowing hills where the tradition of cultivating fine varieties of grapes has been nourished since the Roman time. Wines of Vukovar Vucedol, Opatovac and Ilok web sites.
www.vupik.hr/vinarstvo.htm

Vukovar Cafe

Tompojevci municipality

Tompojevci municipality consists of 6 villages: Berak, Boksic, Cakovci, Grbovo, Miklusevi, Berak, and Tompojevci. It is situated in north-east part of Vukovar-Srijemski county, South of Sotin, between two rivers the Danube (Dunav) and Bosut, in Republic Croatia.
www.opcina-tompojevci.htnet.hr/okvir.htm

The River Danube

This postage paid mark was applied by UNTAES, the United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, which functioned from 10 May 1996 to 15 January 1998. The cover was sent from Sotin to Slunj, ie from a Serb-held area to Croatia, and in order to avoid the use of Serb-inspired postage stamps (which were unacceptable)

There are 3 Vukovar group sites on Yahoo

Click to subscribe to VUKOVAR

Click to subscribe to Club Vukovar

Click to subscribe to Wolf Town Genealogy

Free Vukovar -

Srijem County genealogy group site Andrijasevci, Babina Greda, Bapska Novak, Beleep, Berak, Bobota, Bogdanovci, Boksic, Bosnjaci, Borovo, Brsadin, Cakovci, Celija, Cerna, Drenovci, Grabovo, Gradiste, Gunja, Ilaca, Ilok, Ivankovo, Jacobovac, Jarmina, Klisa, Lipovaca, Lovas, Ludvinci, Nestin, Nustar, Miklusevci, Mohovo, Negoslavci, Nijemci, Opatovac, Puszti, Pacetin, Petrovci, Sotin, Svinjarevci, Sarengrad, Tompojevci, Tovarnik, Trpinja, Vera, Vukovar (city) and other villages.

Turisticka Zajednica Vukovarsko-Srijemske Zupanije

Tourist Information center for the Vukovar-Syrmien area
Contains information on History Hotels and more

www.tzvsz.hr/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vukovarsko-srijemska_zupanija

Castle Eltz - History: Vukovar

Short history ELTZ Castle

Village Coordinator
Kurt McCrary

I am the Sotting Village Coordinator. Towns of interest to me are in Slavonia, Genealogy in Vukovar - Srijem County (Croatia) and the Batschka (Vojvidina): Bac, Backo Novo Selo (Neudorf), Gasinci, Fillipova, Lovas (Lowas), Millitics, Obrovac, Opatovac, Orolic, Slavonski Brod, Sotting (Sotin), Staro Toplje (Alt Topolje), Tompojevci,Tovarnic, Vinkovci, and Vukovar (Vukowar).

Last Updated
May 19, 2005

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