Donauschwaben in the Military Border Region

Contents:

• Geography of the Region
• History of the Region
• Genealogical and Historical Records
• Maps and Colonies List
• Bibliography
• Microfilm List
• Other Internet Resources

Because of its special research problems and resources, in a sense the Military Border region can almost be considered a ninth region of Donauschwaben settlement.

History of the Region

• Croatian Military Border (1538-1872/81)
  • Karlstadt Generalcy [Likaner #1, Ottoscaner #2, Oguliner #3, and Sluiner #4 infantry regiments, Karlstadt Hussar Regiment]
  • Warasdin Generalcy [Kreuzer #5 and St. Georgen #6 infantry regiments, Warasdin Hussar Regiment]
  • Banal Generalcy [1st Banal #10, 2nd Banal #11 regiments, Banal Hussar Regiment] (officers appointed by the Croatian Ban)
• Slavonian-Syrmian Military Border (1702-1872/81)
  • Slavonian/Syrmian Generalcy [Border #7, Gradiskaner #8, Peterwardiner #9 regiments, Tschaikisten Battalion?, Slavonian Hussar Regiment]
• Banat Military Border (1742-1872/81)
  • Banat Generalcy [Deutsch-Banat #12, Wallachian-Illyrian #13 regiments, (Banat Hussar regiment ordered but never raised)]
• Transylvanian Military Border (1764-1851)
  • Siebenbürger/Transylvania Generalcy [1st Szekler #14, 2nd Szekler #15 regiments, 1st Wallachian #16, 2nd Wallachian #17, Szekler Hussars, (Wallachian dragoons never raised)]
  In total, there were 14 Infantry Border Regiments and 1 Border Battalion with associated land districts and 12 Military Communities. In 1849, the region became a separate crownland; an 1869 census (availability of this data unknown) counted its inhabitants at 1.2 million.

  The Croatian Military Border, comprised of Karlstadt, Warasdin and Banal, and the Slavonian were in 1878 joined as the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia.

  The Banat Military Border, with the Tchaikist Battalion (formed in 1763) in the Donau-Theiss-Winkel region which had previously been part of Slavonia-Syrmia, was in 1872 transferred to the Kingdom of Hungary and constituted parts of the counties of Bacs, Temes and Krasso.

  Regiments included the Deutsch-Banat Regiment Nr. 12 which was raised in the western portion (between the Danube and Weisskirchen) and the Wallachian-Illyrian regiment Nr. 13 which was raised in the eastern portion.

  In the Batschka, this region included the communities of Curug, Djurdjevo, Donji, Gardinovci, Gornji Gospodjinci, Iwan, Josefsdorf, Katsch, Kovilj, Kowil-St. Lok, Mosorin, Nadalj, Neudorf, Novi Sad, Titel and Vilovo.

  The Transylvanian Military Border consisted of Szekely (formed 1764) and Wallachia (formed 1766) and by 1851 had been transferred to the Grand Duchy of Transylvania.

  Restrictions on immigration into the border region may have been relaxed c. 1815-1816. A German community was founded in Franztal in 1816, for example, primarily by people from Batschka and Banat.

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  Genealogical and Historical Records

  • Blodgett, Steven W. An Introduction to Austrian Military Records,  FEEFHS Journal, IX p 72, 2001
  • Dreyer, David,  Anton Krämer.  Banaters in the XII Deutsch Banater Grenz Regiment Records.  Self published. Contact David Dreyer, 808 N Claremont, San Mateo, Calif 94401 USA.
  • Frank, Josef. Materialien zur Besiedlung des südwestlichen Banats. Band 1, Pass-Protokolle des Deutsch-Banatischen Grenzregiments 1796-1806. Sindelfingen 2004.  Can be ordered from Josef Frank 
  • Frank, Josef.  Materialien zure Besiedlung des südwestlichen Banats. Band II, Die Besiedlung des südwestlichen Banats im Lichte historischer Karten und Quellen 1690-1821. Sindelfingen 2005. Can be ordered from Josef Frank
    
  • Census Records:
    
    • Settlements in the military border region did not participate in the 1828 Taxable Census of Hungary.
    • The status of records from an 1869 census is unknown.
  • Military Records:
    Please see our information on Austrian Military Records.
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  Maps and Colonies List

  The military border region is shown by the orange line in this map from FEEFHS.

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  Bibliography

  Historical
• Ambrozy, Ludwig von. Temesvar im Jahre 1849 während der Belagerung Geschrieben. Wien 1850. 
• Amstadt, Jakob. Die k.k. Militärgrenze 1522-1881 (mit einer Gesamtbibliographie) Phil.Diss. 1969, Würzburg.
• Author unknown. Grundgesetze für die Carlstädter, Warasdiner, Banal, Slavonische und Banater Militär-Grenze. 1807, Vienna, publisher unknown.
• Hillbrand, Erich. Die Kartenbestände des Kriegsarchivs Wien für das Gebiet der ehemaligen Militärgrenze, In: Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums in Wien 6, Wien 1973.
• Hoedl, Rudolf von.  Geschichte des k.u.k. Infanterieregiments Nr 29, Temeswar 1906. Available in the Kriegsarchiv Wien.
• Hoffmann, von Donnerberg August.  Geschichte des k. u.k. Infantarie-Regiments Nr 61 1798-1892,  Wien 1892.  Available in the Kriegsarchiv Wien.
• Kaser, Karl. Freier Bauer und Soldat. Die Militarisierung der agrarischen Gesellschaft in der Kroatisch-slawonischen Militärgrenze (1535-1881). 1986, Graz, publisher unknown.
• Milleker, Felix.
• Geschichte der Banater Militärgrenze, 1764-1873. 1926, Pancevo, Wittagschlager. Standort: IfA UBM
• Geschichte des Schulwesens in der Banater Militärgrenze, 1764-1876. 1939, Werschetz, Kirchner. Standort: IfA
• Kurze Geschichte der Banater Militärgrenze, 1764-1872. 1937, Werschetz, Kirchner. (Banater Bücherei, 58). Standort: IfA
• Pecinjacki, Sreta, Granicarska naselja Banata (Siedlungen der Banater Militärgrenze), 1773-1810, 2 Bände, 1985, Novi Sad, zus. 910 S. [Settlements on the Banat military border]
• Petri, Anton Peter,  Die belagerten Festungen Arad und Temeschwar in den Jahren 1848/49. Suedostdeutsches Archiv VIII p 113 1965. 
• Roth, Erik, Die planmässig angelegten Siedlungen im Deutsch-Banater Militärgrenzbezirk 1765-1821, München 1988. Volume 33 of the Buchreihe der Südostdeutschen Historischen Kommission.
• Rothenberg, Gunther. The Military Border in Croatia, 1740-1881: A Study of an Imperial Institution. 1966, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. 224 pp. [Extensive bibliography and a fold-out map of the Croatian and Slavonian military border areas in 1847. Coverage of the Hungarian-administered military borders (including the Banat and Transylvania) is only incidental.]
• Ruestow, W. Geschichte des Ungarischen Insurrectionskrieges in den Jahren 1848 und 1849,  Zürich 1861 Vol. 2. 
• Schwicker, Johann. Geschichte der österreichischen Militärgrenze. 1883, Wien-Teschen, publisher unknown.
• Vanitschek, Franz. Spezialgeschichte der Miltärgrenze, aus Originalquellen und Quellenwerken geschöpft. 4 Bde. 1875, Vienna, publisher unknown.
• Wagner, Walter. Quellen zur Geschichte der Militärgrenze im Kriegsarchiv Wien, In: Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums in Wien 6, Wien 1973.
• Wrede, A. Geschichte der k. u.k. Wehrmacht, Wien 1898-1905 in 5 Volumes.
• Wessely, Kurt, Der Abschluss der Militärgrenzerrichtung im 18 Jahrhundert. Österreichische Osthefte 17, pp 278, 1975.

Genealogical
• Ortssippenbücher
  • Apfeldorf
  • Brestowatz/Banat
  • Homolitz
  • Pancsova
  • Rudolfsgnad
  • Weißkirchen

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  Microfilm List

  For information on some of Military Border region communities, consult the Donauschwaben Village List.

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  Other Internet Resources

  • The Military Frontier - A Habsburg Limes / Die Militärgrenze - Ein Habsburgischer Limes by Helmut Flacker

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  Last update: 12-0ct-06 (mf/gj)
  Monika Ferrier, Helmut Flacker, Robert Goetz, Dave Dreyer have contributed to this web page.
  Created by: Rick Heli
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