The
WILLIG Family lived in Sotin, (Croatia) Austria-Hungary, for over
fifty years or more. Little is known about when or where the Willigs
came from but they were, a Catholic Donauschwaben Family, that
probably followed one of the Swabian migrations. Many of Sotins
Donauschwaben residents came from the Batschka, which includes the
villages of Neudorf, Bukin, Melitics and Obrovac.
Andrew
WILLIG, may be the brother of Magdalena, Jacob or Mashad WILLIG, but
so far, the only records searched are Sotins Parish B.M.D.'s
1857-1885. Andrew WILLIG married Judith ABT probably around 1850. She
was from a very prolific Donauschwaben Family.
The
ABT family settled in the area about 1750. Over 200 birth marriage
and death entries of ABT's are recorded between 1700's-1800's in
“two” villages across the Danube river called, “Neudorf”
(Backa Novoselo) and “Bukin” (Mladenova) .
Several
more ABT records are found in the church books from the parish of
Sotin.
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Andrew
WILLIG and Judith ABT lived in Sotting at house numbers #71 and
#72 for several years. They owned House # 72 at latest by 1859. This
home once a Mill, was inherited or purchased by Andrew WILLIG's
oldest son Pavo (Paul). Most records indicate the tradition of the
Donauschwaben farmers were to will /sell the farm to the eldest son. Intern, the son would take care of his parents (parent) and would
then employ his siblings or buy them out. This was a very common
practice and to some degree motivated expansion of the farm or the
movement of the siblings. In some manor this German rational probably
applied to The Willig family home /farm / mill. According to the
Sotin BMD's and deed records, we know that Paul and Elizabeth WILLIG
lived and raised children in there house #72 in Sotin. |
Sotin's old mill and Willig house. Photo by Danil Vdovic |
Paul
and Elizabeth may have willed it to thier dau. or may have sold it
family members, as he
next owners of the home were Katherina and Maria STAMPFER. Eventually
the home was owned by Eva SCHRODER (SREDER) of Tovarnik. In 1923 the
house belonged to the Franz SPIELER.
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During
WW2 the Communist forces, ethnically cleansed the area. They killed
and or forced the Donauschwabens to leave the area. On the 8th
of Sept. 1945 the home was confiscated by the communist. Next, two
undocumented home owners were Serbian families, they filled the
vacancy at the home until 1990. It was then purchased by a The VDOVIC
Family. Mr. VDOVIC 's wife is from Sotin and is related to the
Agidius LAUFER and Lorenz and Julianne HORVATH families. The home was
destroyed by people in the JNA. During the 1991 Civil War. This home
was probably on Gupca Street in today's Sotin. |
The old Willig home - mill on Gupca St?, 2003.
Photo by Danil Vdovic |
Unlike
the Great Swabian Migration in the 1700's and early 1800's , in the
late 1800's and early 1900's another migration was in full force.
Mostly because of economic reasons people from Austria Hungary began
seeking work in the United States and other countries. Thousands of
people were leaving Europe. There were so many that it became a real
burden, too many area's. Hungary passed laws against it. In the
Batschka the Banat and Slovenia the people were no different than
anywhere else in Ausria -Hungary. Thay wanted a better life.
Thousands upon thousands came to the States. In Sotin a villiage of
Almost 1000 people, over 200 people moved to the States. One such
person was the youngest son of Andrew WILLIG,..“Antonius
WILLIG”.
Anton
WILLIG was 38 years old when left Sotin, Hungary. He probably took a
train to the Nederlands, He then boarded The ship named after the
Port, the SS Rotterdam. He departed Port of Rotterdam on Feb 13 1902
he arrived in the USA, 12 days later , and went to the processing
center in New Yorks *Ellis Island Feb 25 1902. his destination
Sharon, PA . On the ship's manifest, he noted that he was married, a
laborer, in possession of $8, and on his way to Sharon, Pa., Going to
see Georg SERCER (no relation).
(*According
to Ellis Island Joseph NUSSBRUKER, 32y his wife Madelena 30
NUSSBRUCKER Johan GERSTNER 40yrs old all of Sotin were aboard the
same ship and arrived the same day. But the manifest is destroyed and
missing. )
Anton
remained in Sharon Pa. only briefly, He soon crossed the Ohio border
directly to the west and lived in Youngstown, OH. For a time. As
documented by his friend Josef LEHNHOF of Sotin/ Neudorf.
Though
some Sotin area residents went to NY and other places, Many went to
Sharon PA. Sharon PA. offered employment opportunities in Steel
Mills, and was one of the main places that people of Sotin went for
work. Akron/Aultman, Youngstown, Barberton and Dayton, Ohio also
offered people work in steel mills or rubber plants.
Though
not exactly well documented it seems that Clara WILLIG followed Anton
to the States in 1903. On a Ellis island manifest for May 12 1903
Clara WILLIG arrived from Vukovar (just north of Sotin), and was
going to New York to see her brother Frank WIMMER c/o George in New
York.
Anton
WILLIG made his way to Aultman, Stark County, Ohio In 1909 he sent
for his children. Apparently he made arrangements with a friend in
Sotin that had visited him in the States before, *Josef LENHOF. Josef
LENHOF at the age of 50, presumably accompanied the WILLIG children
on there train trip from Vukovar to the Ports of Triest in Italy (on
the Slavenia Border at the corner of the Adriatic Sea) where they
boarded the Ship SS Argentina bound for the USA. They disembarked in
New York on March 26.
The
Willig Children reported that there nearest relative in the The
Country they came from, was their Grandmother Tatjana LEHOLTZ /
SCHOLTZ? Of Sotin. Anton and Clara's descendants continue to live in
the area of Stark County Ohio.
(*Josef
LENHOF's wife, Elisabeth LENHOF of German descent came to America
from Sotin on the ship Nieuw Amsterdam, in 1920 age 64, he lived on
Hughs street, Dayton Ohio Was residing in Vukovar, His brother in law
Anton AMENT of Sotin came to see him in 1910)
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