You need to understand the history. The Donauschwaben lived in the Banat for 150 years. When they left they were German residents of Austria-Hungary. After World War I, Hungary was separated from Austria. The Germans in Hungary gradually lost their identity as Germans, although many still felt German. They no longer had a homeland protecting them. Then Hitler took control. In general the Donauschwaben were against Hitler, but the Hungarians were now in control of the Banat. The German Banaters became like second class citizens. They had no homeland. Tito took their homes away from them and put them in concentration camps. Then after World war II our allies ignorantly decided that every nationality should return to its original homeland and they changed around the boundaries. Part of Germany became Poland. So germans were forced to leave these areas so that Poles could move there. They created monstrous chaos! I could not understand my parents' reactions until I went back to the history! And I am still learning. Fran Matkovich Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App -----Original Message----- From: Eve To: Daniela Cc: donauschwaben-villages Sent: May 11, 2014 at 5:36 PM Subject: Re: [DVHH] German-Hungarians - Nationality vs Citizenship Daniela, My mom & dad told the same story. Mom didn't feel wanted in Austria - or like she belonged and were refused entrance into Germany in 1946 as it was overcrowded and they already had some cousins that were admitted - early on in 45. Eve On Mon, May 5, 2014 at 9:48 PM, Daniela <danielashowley@aol.com> wrote: >> Germany, after the 2nd world war, I am talking now West Germany not East > Germany. West Germany was the biggest confusion and chaos after the war > because they bombed the crap out of West Germany. The native Germans that > lived there were homeless. And on top of that food supply and business >>>>>> ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Syrmia Regional Coordinator http://www.dvhh.org/syrmia ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thank you, Everyone. My mother was part of Romania when part of Austria-Hungary was taken and given to Romania as part of the treaty after WW I. Even the children were forced to learn the Romanian language at school. After many years, a move to Canada, the U.S.A., and becoming a U.S. citizen, I remember that she still hesitated strongly (became nervous, uncertain, had a hard time saying "Romanian") when we crossed the border to Canada and a Border officer asked her nationality. Her passport then said she was from Romania. How confusing that must have been! All her family remained in Ontario, Canada. I appreciate your sensitive expression of what must have been such a painful history for all the Donau-Schwabian people with German ancestry. My father was German and sometimes referred to her being a Schwabian and somewhat lower than others. Eleanor On Mon, May 12, 2014 at 11:04 AM, <mjm1021@comcast.net> wrote: > You need to understand the history. The Donauschwaben lived in the Banat > for 150 years. When they left they were German residents of > Austria-Hungary. After World War I, Hungary was separated from Austria. > The Germans in Hungary gradually lost their identity as Germans, although > many still felt German. They no longer had a homeland protecting them. > > Then Hitler took control. In general the Donauschwaben were against > Hitler, but the Hungarians > were now in control of the Banat. The German Banaters became like second > class citizens. They had no homeland. Tito took their homes away from > them and put them in concentration camps. > > Then after World war II our allies ignorantly decided that every > nationality should return to its original homeland and they changed around > the boundaries. Part of Germany became Poland. So germans were forced to > leave these areas so that Poles could move there. They created monstrous > chaos! > I could not understand my parents' reactions until I went back to the > history! And I am still learning. > > Fran Matkovich > > Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App > > -----Original Message----- > From: Eve > To: Daniela > Cc: donauschwaben-villages > Sent: May 11, 2014 at 5:36 PM > Subject: Re: [DVHH] German-Hungarians - Nationality vs Citizenship > > Daniela, > > My mom & dad told the same story. Mom didn't feel wanted in Austria - or > like she belonged and were refused entrance into Germany in 1946 as it was > overcrowded and they already had some cousins that were admitted - early on > in 45. > > Eve > > > On Mon, May 5, 2014 at 9:48 PM, Daniela <danielashowley@aol.com> wrote: > > >> Germany, after the 2nd world war, I am talking now West Germany not East > > Germany. West Germany was the biggest confusion and chaos after the war > > because they bombed the crap out of West Germany. The native Germans that > > lived there were homeless. And on top of that food supply and business > >>>>>> ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > > -- > Syrmia Regional Coordinator > http://www.dvhh.org/syrmia > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

All A wasn't going to add anything to this conversation but I just had to. Nationality vs Citizenship is not that important. I love my heritage, and keep up with some of the customs and am passing them on to my children, but what is important is to be a good citizen of your country. My Seitz Ancestors immigrated from Hessen to the Austrian Empire in 1765, settling first in what is now Hungary. From there onward to the Batschka, Macedonia, eventually back to Serbia. My mother was born in Hamburg, Germany. My Dad in Neu Slankamen Syrmia. I have two brothers born in Romania, a sister and brother born in Macedonia, one sister born in Poland, one in East Germany and I was born in West Germany. I am currently a dual American and Canadian Citizen living in Canada, soon to move to Florida in the USA. See what I mean? Frank - Windsor On 5/12/2014 2:33 PM, Eleanor Little wrote: > Thank you, Everyone. My mother was part of Romania when part of > Austria-Hungary was taken and given to Romania as part of the treaty after > WW I. Even the children were forced to learn the Romanian language at > school. > > After many years, a move to Canada, the U.S.A., and becoming a U.S. > citizen, I remember that she still hesitated strongly (became nervous, > uncertain, had a hard time saying "Romanian") when we crossed the border to > Canada and a Border officer asked her nationality. Her passport then said > she was from Romania. How confusing that must have been! All her family > remained in Ontario, Canada. > > I appreciate your sensitive expression of what must have been such a > painful history for all the Donau-Schwabian people with German ancestry. > > My father was German and sometimes referred to her being a Schwabian and > somewhat lower than others. > > Eleanor > > > On Mon, May 12, 2014 at 11:04 AM, <mjm1021@comcast.net> wrote: > >> You need to understand the history. The Donauschwaben lived in the Banat >> for 150 years. When they left they were German residents of >> Austria-Hungary. After World War I, Hungary was separated from Austria. >> The Germans in Hungary gradually lost their identity as Germans, although >> many still felt German. They no longer had a homeland protecting them. >> >> Then Hitler took control. In general the Donauschwaben were against >> Hitler, but the Hungarians >> were now in control of the Banat. The German Banaters became like second >> class citizens. They had no homeland. Tito took their homes away from >> them and put them in concentration camps. >> >> Then after World war II our allies ignorantly decided that every >> nationality should return to its original homeland and they changed around >> the boundaries. Part of Germany became Poland. So germans were forced to >> leave these areas so that Poles could move there. They created monstrous >> chaos! >> I could not understand my parents' reactions until I went back to the >> history! And I am still learning. >> >> Fran Matkovich >> >> Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Eve >> To: Daniela >> Cc: donauschwaben-villages >> Sent: May 11, 2014 at 5:36 PM >> Subject: Re: [DVHH] German-Hungarians - Nationality vs Citizenship >> >> Daniela, >> >> My mom & dad told the same story. Mom didn't feel wanted in Austria - or >> like she belonged and were refused entrance into Germany in 1946 as it was >> overcrowded and they already had some cousins that were admitted - early on >> in 45. >> >> Eve >> >> >> On Mon, May 5, 2014 at 9:48 PM, Daniela <danielashowley@aol.com> wrote: >> >>>> Germany, after the 2nd world war, I am talking now West Germany not East >>> Germany. West Germany was the biggest confusion and chaos after the war >>> because they bombed the crap out of West Germany. The native Germans that >>> lived there were homeless. And on top of that food supply and business >>>>>>>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >>> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >> >> >> -- >> Syrmia Regional Coordinator >> http://www.dvhh.org/syrmia >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Hy everyone, I think indeed that a better knowledge of history would help us all put things in perspective, although I'm sure most of you have done enough researches on the subject. Here is a short clip on the empires of Austria and Prussia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdpuTqZC8t8 Cheers! Tina Michel, Montreal, Canada