A copy of the English translation of a work originally published in Serbian by Marta Istvan appeared in my mail box(thanks to Anita Pare). Marta, who lives in Gr Kikinda, is well known to many Banat list subscribers for her Banat family history research skills and as a guide for visiting North Americans to Torontal County. Her richly illustrated work (186 pp) entitled "German Bourgeois families of Gross-Kikinda Before World War II", details the roll of selected German families, associated with Gr Kikinda in the economic and cultural development of the Banat. Among the families discussed in detail are, Bohn, Krummer, Draxler, Kastory, Kisslinger and Buechelbauer. Banaters are usually associated with the agricultural development of the Banat but this work illustrates their roll in economic matters in a more urban environment. Marta's work not only describes the part played by these families in the economy of Gr Kikinda but details the legacy left by these families in the form of the their buildings which still grace the city even though the families themselves have been swept away by the communists in the aftermath of the war. Foremost among the families in this study is Bohn which begin with a modest brick works in St Hubert and in two generations developed into the largest industrial concern in Southern Hungary employing upwards to 2000 people. They evolved from the cimple manufacture of bricks to especially patented and popular roof tiles. These tiles were exported to Greece and through out the middle East, especially Jordan and Syria. The company eventually had their largest production facility and headquarters in Hatzfeld where they developed a number of specialized brick and title making equipment and innovations. One branch of the family established a large foundry and machine works in Gr. Kikinda mainly for the production of brick making machinery. Marta's work is accompanied by an extensive collection of photos(many taken by the suthor) and illustrations to accompany the text. These illustrations give a picture of appearance of Gr Kikinda in the 1920-1930's. The book suffers from some disjoined passages and a few errors of fact but these are easy to overlook in the midst of so much rich material. Marta's email address is [email protected] Dave Dreyer