november 2004
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MONTHLY HIGHHOLDER

November 2004

Vol. 3 Issue 11


I am going to order this book if anyone wants to get a copy for themselves let me know and I will order them all at the same time to save on shipping. Send me an email by November 15th. The book is about $25 plus shipping.

Von Böhmen nach Wien

Der Schwarzenbergische Schwemmkanal

 

Hello Mr. Kindermann, 

I have mentioned some months ago the work on my second book about the timber canal from the Bohemian Woods, the famous "Schwarzenbergische Schwemmkanal". I think Fred Schröder has translated the press-note for you and as he is more experienced in english I think I don't need to translate it again. Please feel free to use some text from it. Now that the book will be available from next week on I will give you and your readers some additional information and also some historic pictures:

The story of the Schwemmkanal fascinates me more and more, the longer I worked on it. It was clear for me, that the target "a historic picture album" would be very difficult, because the few people living on the Czech side of the border do not know much about the canal and of course they do not have old pictures! The former German speaking people, who have lost nearly everything in 1945/46 are spread all over Europe - and also USA! But I was very successful!

One valuable source is the fantastic archive in the Krumau castle with Anna Kubikova and Jiri Zaloha, both speaking also German. Anna and Jiri found remarkable documents and pictures about Joseph Rosenauer, the constructor and architect of the canal. One of the richest collection outside the Krumau-archive is of the late Robert Baldassari, the leader of the Austrian reconstruction of canal-buildings. Of course the Schwarzenberg archive in Murau/Austria also keeps lots of interesting pictures.
 

Above all I want to mention the people, who once lived and worked along the canal and gave me the most important informations:

  • Charlotte von Rosenauer, widow of Felix III Rosenauer, great-great-grandson of Joseph Rosenauer, now living in Austria,
  • Prof. Fritz and Franz Bertlwieser from Reiterschlag, now living in Austria,
  • Horst Wondraschek from Krumau, who restored church and churchyard in Glöckelberg (his mother comes from Glöckelberg), now living in Austria,
  • Walter Franz from Josefstal, coming from a glass worker family, now living in Austria,
  • Dr. Otto Spitzenberger from Oberplan with one of the biggest collections of Böhmerwald-postcards, now living in Austria,
  • Helmut Mitgutsch from Klaffer/Austria, collector of old Böhmerwald-photos,
  • and last but not least Fred and Othmar Schröder from Hirschbergen! Fred now lives in USA, Othmar in Germany.
 
Here are some of the pictures in the book
 
Joseph Rosenauer was initiator, planner, builder and "floating-director" (Schwemmdirektor)
of the timber floating canal, crossing the big European watershed. He was a contemporary
of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born in 1735 in Kalsching near Krumau and died 1804
in Krumau.
canalmap.jpg (80259 bytes)
The canal starts in Bohemia, 925 Meters high, has a tunnel in Hirschbergen, crosses several times the border between the Czech Republic
and Austria and leads into the river "Grosse Muehl", which itself leads into the Danube river. After 320 kilometers (200 miles) from the beginning
the logs reached their destination: Vienna, at this time capital of the Austrian Hungarian Monarchy. After the "peaceful revolution" in the Czech
Republic the borders are open again and the canal forms one of the most beautiful routes for bikers and hikers in the center of Europe.
Since 1960 the Moldau river forms the biggest artificial lake in the Czech republic and drowned 13 villages.
This postcard from 1912 shows one of the highlights along the canal: the tunnel in Hirschbergen, built between 1821 and 1823.
tunnelmap.jpg (87668 bytes)
canalpostcard.jpg (108081 bytes)
Josef Falta was one of the students of Rosenauer and the engineer planning the tunnel after Rosenauers death. The tunnel is 419 meters long.
The entrance has a portal in gothic style, the exit in classicistic style.
After 1950 the border between Austria and Czechoslovakia became the "Iron Curtain". Fences with landmines, watch-towers and high-voltage
wires formed a zone of death, which isolated the Bohemian Woods from the "free world". Even Czech inhabitants could not reach the canal,
which forms the border for about one kilometer.
ironcurtain.jpg (83797 bytes)
houseremoval.jpg (138163 bytes)
Every building on the bohemian side of the canal was destroyed in 1956. Here people, standing on the Austrian side of the canal, had to watch
as a Czechoslovakian driver of a bulldozer destroys the house of Josef and Franziska Hinterberger in Asang 28. In this area nearly one hundred
villages with former German speaking inhabitants were destroyed and vanished totally.
It was late 1990 when the former inhabitants of Glöckelberg could enter their village for the first time after the war. Here one could watch
a spooky scene in front of the half-destroyed church: Out of the soil, which once was a graveyard, came crosses, stones and bones of the
former inhabitants of Glöckelberg.
glockelbergchurch.jpg (94344 bytes)
bookcover.jpg (83071 bytes)
This is my book about the story of the canal, with 200 old and rare pictures
and a few pages of text (Sorry, the text is in German). The cover shows a
scene in Neuofen around 1900. At this time a new "switch" at the wooden
bridge in the background could direct the logs to Austria (right) or down to the Moldau (left).
This link leads to the publishers home page:
 
http://www.suttonverlag.de/such_u_best/suche.php3?id=723
 
 
Perhaps I can meet one of your readers next summer along this old canal! Best regards,
 
Fritz Lange
Gugitzgasse 6/18
A 1190 Wien
 
AUSTRIA
f.lange@utanet.at 
 

 

Ein historischer Bildband über den ehemaligen Holztransportweg

A historic picture series,- publication over the former wood transportation system

Auf 128 reich illustrierten Seiten führt der Autor den Leser auf einen Streifzug durch die Geschichte des Schwarzenbergischen Schwemmkanals im Grenzgebiet zwischen Österreich, Böhmen und Deutschland. Über 200 Fotografien und Grafiken zeigen das historisch bedeutsame Bauwerk und das Leben und Arbeiten am Kanal, mit dessen Hilfe Brennholz aus den böhmischen Wäldern über die europäische Haupt-Wasserscheide nach Wien gebracht wurde. Aus privaten Fotosammlungen, Erzählungen von ehemaligen Bewohnern des Böhmer­walds, Holzhauern und Schwemmarbeitern sowie zahlreichen Plänen und Abbildungen aus Archiven und Heimatmuseen hat Fritz Lange die interessantesten Objekte gewählt und zu einem öffentlichen Fotoalbum zusammengestellt. Dieser Bildband lädt ein zum Erkunden, zum Neu- und Wiederentdecken des ehemaligen Wasserweges.

On 128 very explained illustrated pages, the Autor guides the reader through a series of history of the Schwarzenberg (wood)floating channel in the border area between Austria, Bohemia and Germany. Over 200 photos and illustrations are showing this historic important building project, and the life and work on the channel; with their help was fire wood from the bohemian forest delivered over the main European water dividing line to to Viena.

From privat photo collections,interviews from former residents of the Bohemian Forest, wood cutters an channel workers, as of blue prints and copies from Archives and Homeland Museums, Fritz Lange selected the interesting objects, and made a public photo album. This picture serie invites you to inquire to a new disvovery of the former waterway.

Das einleitende Kapitel erzählt die spannende Geschichte von Joseph Rosenauer, genialer Planer, Erbauer und erster Schwemmdirektor des Schwarzenbergischen Schwemmkanals.

The first section describes the thrilling story of Joseph Rosenauer, genial planer an builder, and the first Schwemm Director of the Schwarzenberg floating channel.

 

 

·        In  weiteren Kapiteln folgt der Bildband bei sechs Spaziergängen dem Verlauf des Kanals von der Großen Mühl bis zum Lichtwasserbach in Böhmen. Verschwundene Ortschaften wie Asang, Glöckelberg, Josefstal und Hüttenhof werden genauso zum Leben erweckt wie die Arbeit und das Leben in den Schwarzenbergischen Wäldern und am Kanal.

·        Die Bilder in diesem Buch spiegeln die Entwicklung des Holztransportweges vom ersten Projekt 1776 über Bau und Nutzung bis in die jüngste Zeit wieder, in der der alte Wasserweg, freigelegt und restauriert, zu einem der schönsten Wander- und Radwege Mitteleuropas wurde.

Der Autor Dipl.-Ing. Fritz Lange beschäftigt sich seit Jahrzehnten mit den technischen und historischen Details des Kanalbaus und hat für dieses Buch Bilddokumente aus einer Zeitspanne von  240 Jahren ausgewählt. Im Sutton Verlag ist 2003 sein erstes Buch „Von Wien zur Adria. Der Wiener Neustädter Kanal“ erschienen, das jetzt schon seine 3. Auflage erreicht hat.

In further sections follows a picture series of six walking trips of the course of the channel from the big river Mühl

Till to the Lichtwasser creek in Bohemia. Disappeared Villages like Asang, Glöckelberg, Josefstal and Hüttenhof are awaken a life  again, and as the work and life in the Schwarzenberg forests and on the channel.

The pictures in this book are reflecting the progress of the wood transport road from the first project in 1776,

during the building and operating until the present time, in which the old water way was cleared an restored

to the beautiful lest walking an bicycle routes in middle Europe.

 

The Author Dipl.- Ing. Fritz Lange, researches already decates with technical and historic details for the channel

Building, and selected for this book pickture documents from a time period of 240 years

The Sutton Publishers issued his first book in 2003,-„From Viena to the Adria“.

„The Viena Neustädter Channel“ is already the 3th Edition

Von Böhmen nach Wien

Der Schwarzenbergische Schwemmkanal

 von Fritz Lange

erscheint im November 2004, Due in November

beim Sutton Verlag

 

ISBN 3-89702-723-2

18,90 EUR [A]

128 S., ca. 200 Abb.

 

Die Reihe Archivbilder  ist im gut sortierten Buchhandel erhältlich.

Der Sutton Verlag wurde vom britischen Verleger Alan Sutton gegründet und hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die Alltagsgeschichte von Städten und Gemeinden in historischen Bildbänden einzufangen. Bisher hat der Sutton Verlag in seiner Reihe „Archivbilder“ in Deutschland und Österreich über 500 Bildbände herausgegeben.

THE Sutton  Publishers Co.  Were established from a British Edtidor Alan Sutton, he made his target to catch all days stories from cities and municipalities

In historic picture books. Since, the Sutton Publishers issued a series of  Archive Pictures“ in Germany and Austria, and issued over 500 picture volumes.

Pressestimmen über verschiedene Bände der Reihe Archivbilder:

Press comments over different volumes, series Archive pictures

„...eine Vielzahl von Schnappschüssen, für die nachfolgende Generationen dankbar sind.“ Die Presse

many snapshots, the future generation will be thankfull for it.  THE PRESS

 

 „Für eine Schmökertour durch die Geschichte des Heimatbezirkes sind diese üppig illustrierten und für jedermann erschwinglichen Bände sehr zu empfehlen.“ Wiener Zeitung

For a Schmöker tour trough history of the home district, are these luxurious illustrations afordable and very  recommended for everyone. VIENA NEWSPAPER

 

„Ein Spaziergang als Zeitreise ...“ Neue Kronenzeitung

„A walk as a history trip“ New Kronen Newspaper.

 

„.. lässt Geschichte wieder aufleben.“ ORF.on

„let History come a life again, “ ORF

 

„Die kurzen, schnörkellosen Texte beschönigen nichts und verleihen den Privataufnahmen eine ganz besondere Authentizität.“ APA

„the short script less texts don’t hide nothing and give the privat made pictures a special authentic ,“ APA

 

„Nicht nur eine Sache für Nostalgiker, eine Entdeckungsreise für jeden.“ Oberösterreichische Nachrichten

„Not only a matter for Nostalic, a exploration trip for every one, “ Upper Austrian Nachrichten.

 

„Es ist ein Buch vom Menschen.“ NÖN

„It is a book from  people  NÖN

Weitere Informationen und Rezensionsexemplare erhalten Sie bei:

Further Informations and Recensions Exemplars available by:

Mag. Katharina Schmidt-Chiari

Sutton Verlag – Verlagsbüro Österreich

Lenaugasse 9/24, 1080 Wien

Tel/Fax: +43-1-40 66 110

austria@suttonverlag.de

www.suttonverlag.de

 


 

Dear Peter

  I have also heard the story that Ken Mauritz related.  Father Bastian was for a long

time the Pastor of St. Vincent's, and it was because of him that the Church which

stands now, was built. The earlier Church burned down in 1910- (date unknown)

The new church was rebuilt in 1917.

 

 Father Bastian was from that region of Germany that had just been re-annexed

to Germany, the Alsatian, or Alsace Lorraine region, during the 1868 war, between

France and Germany.

  I know that he always held Mass in German, so he was a fluent speaker of the

German language.

   For many years his relatives continued to go to St. Vincent Church, and I believe

they lived on South Park Avenue towards the Lake. I don't know if they are still in

Oshkosh, anymore.

  The reason that so many people walked out, was because many of the Parishioners

had family fighting in the German Army. My grandfather had 4 brothers fighting

for Germany, and one of them was killed near the Battle of the Somme.

This event probably occurred in 1914, and at that time, the sentiment in Oshkosh was for

the German Army, but later in 1917, when the U.S. joined the war, and many people of

Oshkosh had to register for the Draft, that sentiment changed overnight. I have seen

records that my grandfather Alois Nigl registered for the draft in 1917, but since he

had 13 children, he was never called.

                                                                   Charles Nigl  


Interesting Links

Flyfishing in South Bohemia

International conference on groundwater in fractured rocks.

2003 in Czech Republic

Some good pictures of Bohemia while the site lasts

International Friends of Nature

Landscape of the Year 1999/2000 - Bohemian Forest/Šumava

The Bohemian Forest

A tale of two National Parks

 

Bohemian Forest - day #5 photo album

 

  Stabilization of the natural landscape in the Bohemian Forest frontier area (Czech Republic/Germany) abandoned for 40 years

 

Fürstenthal

a paper 

presented at the Bukovinafest, September 19, 2003, Ellis, Kansas

by Rebecca Hageman, Wichita, KS

Be sure to visit the site map page to see all that is available 

A really good web site about Bukovinians

 

 

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