Home from the Burgenlanders: old roots unfolded!

Home from the Burgenlanders: old roots unfolded!

A delegation from New York is currently traveling to Burgenland, combined with the "first Burgenländer Kranken-support new New York". This illustrates the still existing connection between the American diaspora and her homeland. However, Eduard Nicka, President of the Burgenland Community, expresses his regret about the creeping decline in this bond, especially in cities like Chicago. The community, which was launched in 1956, is committed to promoting the loyalty to the home of Burgenland around the world. This also includes its own magazine that informs about 1,000 subscribers about news in Burgenland, such as The Kurier reported.

The path of the Burgenland into the world is characterized by an eventful history. In the course of the 20th century, around 52,000 Burgenländer emigrated to three waves. The first wave that started before the First World War comprised 26,000 people, followed by 20,000 during the interwar period. After the Second World War, the third wave started with around 6,600 emigrants. This phenomenon is particularly interesting, since Burgenland did not exist in its current form at this point and most of them came from the German -speaking regions of Hungarian comedies, as can be read on Austria wiki

The effects of emigration

Although many Burgenlands were successful in the distance and their stories of prosperity and happiness often promoted the tendency to emigrate, the relationship with home is not without challenges. Nicka notes that the bond of many descendants to Burgenland becomes weaker over time. This trend in the new generation is particularly noticeable, which is often only familiar with their origin through stories. That is why the Burgenland community plans a youth camp for 14 to 18 year old descendants to bring them closer to Burgenland.

A nice example of the well -groomed connection to the home is the picnic in Moschendorf, where the "Miss Burgenland New York", Freida O'Purk, occurred. Her roots also go back to Burgenland because her grandfather emigrated from there. Such events are crucial to keep the inheritance alive.

The way of life abroad

Marc Peischl, restaurateur from Ollersdorf, who lived in the USA from 1999 to 2012, experienced the differences between the two cultures up close. He reports that he felt comfortable in the United States and describes the way of life there as a "massive uncomplicated". However, Peischl emphasizes that, like him, many, like him, know little about the current activities of the foreign castle countries. This could also have to do with the general mobility of the population in the region, in which many once found their doors as a migrant worker in the neighborhood, as the reports also show.

The history of the Burgenlanders, which took the step over the large pond, is not only a narrative of emigration, but also of return. Many return hikers invested their savings in larger farms in Burgenland, which shaped the landscape and society. A total of around 160,000 Burgenlanders live or their descendants in North and South America today, with an estimated 80,000 living in the USA. The strongest waves of emigration have decisively shaped the history of this region, as different sources show. According to Atlas Burgenland , the vast majority of these emigrants have migrated in the first decades of the 20th century, and many of them lived in cities like Chicago, New York or Pennsylvania.

The Burgenland's business card is not only what is on the map, but also what remains in the hearts of people over generations, no matter where they are.