FAQ.maehren (Moravia)

May 1999

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CONTENTS

Contents: 
 
Q1: Where is Maehren (Moravia)? 
Q2: What was Maehren's recent history? 
Q3: What were the administrative areas of Maehren (Moravia)? 
Q4: Is there a listserv for Maehren family researchers? 
Q5: Are there maps available for Maehren before 1945? 
Q6: What books discuss hints and sources for East German searchers? 
Q7: Any websites of interest to Maehren researchers? 
Q8: When were civil registers introduced in Maehren? 
Q9: What type of land records are available? 
Q10: Where was Oesterreichisch-Schlesien? 
Q11: Are there links to dictionaries on the web? 
 
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Q1: Where is Maehren (Moravia)? 
 
A1: Maehren was an Austrian crownland located East of Boehmen (Bohemia). 
 Its capital was Bruenn (Brno). 
 
Q2: What was Maehren's recent history? 
 
A2: Maehren had been a part of Boehmen (Bohemia) until 1849 when it became 
    a separate crownland together with Oesterreichisch-Schlesien 
    (Austrian-Silesia). 
 
In 1890 the population was 70% Slavic (Czech, Moravian,Slovak) and  29% German. Germans lived mostly in the border areas towards Schlesien  (Silesia) and Nieder-Oesterreich (Lower Austria), in various German  enclaves (Iglau,Zwittau) and in all cities. 
 
In 1890 the population was 95% Catholic, 3% Protestant and 2% Jewish. 
 
In 1918 the Austrian monarchy was dissolved, and Maehren became part 
of the new Czechoslovakia. 
In 1938 Germany annexed the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. 
In 1939-1945 Maehren was declared part of a protectorate of Germany. 
Maehren was cleansed of its ethnic German population in 1945. 
The Western powers were silent on the ethnic cleansing. 
 
Q3: What were the administrative areas of Maehren (Moravia)? 
 
A3: In 1890 Maehren (Moravia) had the following Bezirke (districts): 
 
   Staedte (Cities): 
     Bruenn,Iglau,Kremsier,Olmuetz,Ungarisch-Hradisch,Znaim. 
 
   Bezirkshauptmanschaften: 
     Auspitz,Boskowitz,Bruenn,Datschitz,Gaya,Goeding,Gr.Meseritsc h, 
     Hohenstadt,Holleschau,Iglau,Kremsier,Kromau,Littau,Maehrisch -Truebau, 
     Mistek,Neustadtl,Neutitschein,Nikolsburg,Olmuetz,Prerau,Pros nitz, 
     Roemerstadt,Schoenberg,Sternberg,Trebitsch,Ungarisch-Brod, 
     Ungarisch-Hradisch,Walachisch-Meseritsch,Weisskirchen,Wischa u,Znaim. 
 
The highest court was the Oberlandesgericht in Bruenn. 
Lower courts were the Landesgericht in Bruenn,5 Kreisgerichte and 
79 Bezirksgerichte. 
 
Q4: Is there a listserv for Maehren family researchers? 
 
A4: There is a GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-L genealogy list for anyone with a 
  genealogical interest in Boehman and Maehren (Bohemia and Moravia) 
  Mailing  address for postings is 
 
    GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-L@rootsweb.com 
 
     To subscribe send the word "subscribe" (without the 
     quotes) as the only text in the body of a message to 
 
     GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-L-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or 
     GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-D-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode). 
 
Q5: Are there maps available for Maehren before 1945? 
 
A5: A Generalkarte von Mitteleuropa, 1:200,000 and a 
 
    Spezialkarte der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie,1:75,000 
 
may be purchased from 
 
Bundesamt fuer Eich und Vermessungswesen in Wien (Vienna) 
          (Landesaufnahme) 
A-1080 Wien VIII 
Krothenthallergasse 3, Austria. 
 
Q6: What books discuss hints and sources for East German searchers? 
 
A6: Wegweiser fuer Forschung nach Vorfahren aus den Ostdeutschen und 
     Sudetendeutschen Gebieten sowie aus den deutschen Siedlungsraeumen 
     in Mittel-,Ost- und Suedosteuropa (AGoFF-Wegweiser): 
     Verlag Degener &Co, 91413 Neustadt, Germany (1991 and later) 
        (The out-of-print English edition is being revised presently) 
 
     Germanic Genealogy (by Edward R.Brandt et alii), 2nd edition. 
           1997, St.Paul MN, 517 pp.,1st edition, 1995. 
 
     W.Krallert: Atlas zur Geschichte der deutschen Ostsiedlung, 
           Velhagen &Klasing, Bielefeld-Berlin-Hannover 1958. 
 
There have been some calls recently for books in English on 
     the German exodus and ethnic cleansing in East Germany and 
     Eastern Europe: 
 
    Thorwald, Jurgen: Es begann an der Weichsel.  1951 
                      Das Ende an der Elbe. 1952. 
            English:  Flight in the winter; 
                 [New York]  Pantheon  [1951] 318 p.  22 cm. 
                 CALL #: 940.542 T52F 
 
    De Zayas, Alfred M. 
         Anmerkungen zur Vertreibung der Deutschen aus dem Osten. 
            English: The German expellees :  victims in war and peace / 
                   Alfred-Maurice De Zayas ; [original German version 
                   translated by John A. Koehler]. 
                 New York :  St. Martin's Press,  1993. 
                 xlii, 177 p., [24] p. of plates :  ill., map ;  22 cm. 
                 Includes bibliographical references (p. [161]-169) and 
                   index. CALL #: DJK 28.G4D413 1993 
 
    De Zayas, Alfred M. 
         Anmerkungen zur Vertreibung der Deutschen aus dem Osten. 
            English: A terrible revenge :  the "ethnic cleansing" of the east 
                   European Germans, 1944-1950 / Alfred-Maurice de Zayas ; 
                   [original German version translated by John A. Koehler]. 
                 1st pbk. ed. with additions. 
                 New York :  St. Martin's Press,  1994. 
                 xlii, 179 p. :  ill., maps ;  21 cm. 
                 Includes bibliographical references (p. [153]-171) and 
                   index. CALL #: DJK 28.G4D413 1994 
                 Germans  Europe, Eastern  History  20th century. 
                 World War, 1939-1945  Refugees. 
                 World War, 1939-1945  Atrocities. 
                 Population transfers  Germans. 
 
    Helfert, Erich A.: 
         Valley of the shadow :  after the turmoil my heart cries no 
                   more-- /  Erich Anton Helfert. 
                 [S.l.] :  Donald S. Ellis ;  Berkeley, Calif. : 
                   Distributed by Creative Arts Book, c1997. 
                 xxiii, 343 p. :  ill, maps, port. ;  24 cm. 
                   CALL #: 940.548243 H474v 
                 World War, 1939-1945  Personal narratives. 
                 World War II, 1939-1945  Refugees. 
                 Refugees  Sudeten  Biography 
 
Q7: Any websites of interest to Maehren researchers? 
 
A7: Check the websites 
 
     http://www.genealogy.net/gene/reg/rindex.htm 
     http://www.iarelative.com/czech/ 
     http://www.genealogy.net/gene/reg/SUD/sudet_en.html 
     http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/SUD/sudet_crarch_en.html 
     http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/SUD/lit-hb.html 
     http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/SUD/sudet.html 
     http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/SUD/sudet_en.html 
     http://www.adnc.com/web3/lynnd/gfaq.html 
     http://www.netway.at/ihff/indexa.htm/        in deutscher Sprache 
     http://www.netway.at/ihff/index.htm/         in English 
 
Oesterreichisches Staatsarchiv:  
  
   http://www.oesta.gv.atresearch 
 
  Microfilmed parish books of the Sudetenland area at Leipzig: 
     http://www.genealogy.com/gene/reg/SUD/kb-leipzig.html 
 
     Stiftung Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek Herne. 
      (ehemals B|cherei des deutschen Ostens) 
     Inhalt: \ber die Bibliothek. Die Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek.... 
        e-mail: charly@charly.ping.de 
      http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/~geneal/kp/fome/andere/mob.htm l 
 
     Herder -Institut Marburg e.V. Gisonenweg 5 - 7, 35037 Marburg/Lahn 
     Telephon: 06421/184-0, Telefax: 184-139 
        e-mail: herder@mailer.uni-marburg.de.... 
     http://www.uni-marburg.de/herder-institut/bibliohp.html 
     http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/~geneal/kp/fome/andere/herderm b.html 
     http://www.uni-marburg.de/herder-institut/klassi.html 
 
If you have no access to the Web (www), you can direct web files to  your email box by sending a request to 
 
    getweb@usa.healthnet.org 
 
        or to 
 
    getweb@unganisha.idrc.ca 
 
with the message HELP or 
    get http://..... 
 
Q8: When were civil registers introduced in Maehren (Moravia)? 
 
A8: They were introduced in 1939. 
 
LDS MICROFILMS: 
 Czech records have not been microfilmed by the LDS, and 
  there are no current plans, due to the Czech government. 
 
Q9: What type of land records are available? 
 
A9: Some land records go back to pre-1500 times and are usually 
deposited in the district archives. 
Modern land records were introduced in 1874  
Czech:  POZEMKOVE KNIHY or GRUNTOVNI KNIHY 
 
For summary of archives see 
 
     http://www.genealogy.net/gene/reg/SUD/crarch-list.html 
     http://feefhs.org/frl/czs/dg-arch.html 
 
ARCHIVES: 
   Statni Ustredni Archiv v. Praze; Malastrana, Karmelitska 2; 
      118 01 Praha 1; CZECH REPUBLIC.  Tel. 531 551. 
 
BOOKS: 
   "A Handbook of Czechoslovak Genealogical Research", by 
      Daniel M. Schlyter.  (GenUn, 1985, 1990).  131 pages. 
      ($15).  ISBN 0-912811-06-4.  {Excellent in-depth guide 
      to research, detailing record types, archival addresses, 
      microfilms available, translation helps, etc.}. 
      OUT OF PRINT.  A revised version, entitled "A Handbook 
      of Czech and Slovak Genealogical Research" is planned. 
 
Q10: Where was Oesterreichisch-Schlesien? 
 
A10: Oesterreichisch-Schlesien (Austrian-Silesia) remained with Austria 
   after the Breslau peace treaty of 1742 with Prussia as an Austrian 
   duchy and crownland. It was also called Maehrisch-Schlesien. 
 
In 1890 it comprised the following districts: 
 
Staedte (cities) of Troppau,Bielitz,Friedek. 
 
Bezirkshauptmannschaften (land districts) of Bielitz,Freistadt, 
   Freiwaldau,Freudenthal,Jaegerndorf,Teschen,Troppau. 
 
Q11: Are there links to dictionaries on the web? 
 
A11: Links to Dictionaries to  Estonian, German, Hungarian, Latin, Slovak, 
     Slovene, Russian, and others are found at: 
 
        http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pedro/dictionaries.html 
        http://www.dcs.napier.ac.uk/~st5004/dictionaries.html 
 
Corrected 30 April 2000