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4-2 September 1999

COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE

Preliminary work has begun on the park where our plaque will be installed, but most of the work will not take place until next summer. We are planning a dedication in late summer or fall.

NEW AT THE LIBRARY AND ON THE WEB

The Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS) has rejuvenated its quarterly journal which had suffered from time constraints on the editor. Two editions covering all of 1998 and the first two quarters of 1999 have been published recently. The 1998 edition includes two articles of particular interest to Banat researchers. One outlines research resources in Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, the access is not good at this time, but the article provides a good overview of what is available. The other article is a good guide to the records of the Einwandererzentrallstelle (EWZ) or Immigration Control Centre. These records consist of pedigree charts and family group records of 2.1 million ethnic Germans who entered Germany from Eastern Europe between 1939 and 1945. A few Zichydorfers could be among them. Some of these records are accessible through the Mormon Family History Library. The FEEFHS Quarterly should be available at most genealogical libraries.

CD-ROM PROJECT

We discussed this project at our spring meeting and have decided to proceed with Laura as project leader. It will be a fairly long term project, beginning with project definition this winter. We will scan as many old Zichydorf and Zichydorfer pictures as we can find and copy them to a CD, creating a permanent digital record of our Zichydorf heritage for future generations! If you don’t have a computer, there is bound to be someone in your family who does. Those who contribute a certain level of content would receive a free CD in return. Those who do not contribute could buy them for a nominal fee. Content could include pictures, family trees in GEDCOM or text format, stories, indices that we have created for the web, etc., etc. The only limits are our imaginations.

FEDERATION OF EAST EUROPEAN FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETIES CONVENTION

FEEFHS, host of our web site, is planning its 2001 convention for Regina. There are sure to be many speakers that would be helpful to those researching our corner of the world. They will be searching for speakers and volunteers in the months ahead. Give some thought to whether you could present a topic or spare some time to help out with planning or execution of the convention. As the time approaches, I will be recruiting volunteers.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Banat Germans by Nikolaus Engelmann (translated by John Michels) is a general overview of the ethnic German experience in the Banat. It describes the history and culture of our ancestors from settlement to expulsion, including religion, schools, customs, festivals, agriculture, industry, etc. If you read only one book about your roots in the Banat, this should be it. It is fairly widely available in libraries, including the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society library.

ST MARY’S CHURCH RECORDS

John Hugel, like most of us, had a busy agenda during the summer and was unable to advance this project. He has high hopes for progress over the winter. He has recruited one helper, but if you can also help out, call him at 789-1643. Good luck John.

ACHTZENER BOOK TRANSLATION

The two-book combined volume will be ready to go by early October. This is an absolute “must have” for any Zichydorf researcher. It contains the history of the village, many pictures, and a roster of the residents in 1944 with birth dates. The exact price has not yet been set, but will be in the range of $30-$35 CDN, including postage. To help Liz determine the size of the print run and to reserve your copy (or copies), call Liz Hugel at (306) 761-0656 or email her at bhugel@cableregina.com.

SASKATCHEWAN GERMAN COUNCIL

Thanks to a tip from Liz Hugel, ZVA has joined the Saskatchewan German Council. This will help raise our profile in the German community of Saskatchewan and hopefully discover new Zichydorfers. ZVA members are eligible to receive the SGC newsletter and ZVA is eligible for project funding from SGC. We plan to enroll only Saskatchewan members for the newsletter, but if you are outside Saskatchewan and would like to receive it, please advise Glenn ASAP.

RESEARCHER LIST

A new researcher list is attached for regular mail members and posted on the web for email members. New names include Adam Niesner, John Rick, Kay Lambrecht, and Franz Laferton.

MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

We welcome all members, dues paying or not, for the knowledge they share with all of us. However, we hope members will voluntarily contribute to the cost of maintaining the group (web site, mailings, etc.). We suggest a one-time donation of $25 CDN to the library fund plus an annual donation of $10 to run the association’s affairs. Canadian members will receive a tax receipt for the library donation from the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society. Please consider forwarding your 2000 dues in the near future. If you don’t remember whether you have paid for 1999, please consult the list below. Some of you have made substantial donations not directly attributable to dues. You may not appear on the list, but thank you very much anyway.

Paid for 1999: M. Kainer, N. Stetner, M. Kleisinger, G. Schwartz, L. Grzyb, P. Niedermayer, C. Johnson, B. Anwender, C. Ortman, T. Novak, S. Osborn-Ryan, D. Connelly, R. Borschowa, A. Ritter, P Eichof, J. Novak, G. Gleisinger, D. Haack, J. Devine, S. Gibbard, K. Niedermayer, B. Petz, C. Noll, A. Neison, J. Molter, J’ Hugel, M. Rist, B. Harle, D. Fleury, P. Bolen, A. Fulford, J. Miller, J. Hayhurst, J. Lang, B. Fritz, J. Mayer, F. Koenig, T. Dash, J. Rick.

Paid for 2000: M. Kainer, S. Gibbard, B. Harle, F. Koenig, J. Mayer.

ZICHYDORF DATABASE

I now have over 11,000 names in my database. Have you sent me your family tree? I may be able to link you with others and save you a lot of work.

REGINA BRANCH MEETING

Regina Branch will meet at 2pm on Sunday, September 26, at St. Timothy School, 280 Sangster Blvd. Mark your calendar and please join us. Bring some Zichydorf friends.

Zichydorf Village Association News

edited by: Glenn Schwartz

2274 Baldwin Bay, Regina, SK, S4V 1H2

Internet: http://feefhs.org/zva/frg-zva.html email: gaschwartz@usa.net