Genealogy

A significant part of my family's history is the history of Gottschee. In particular, my father's family lived in a tiny place called Tschermoschnitz (Crmosnjice), belonging to Gottschee.

The county of Gottschee was colonized in the 13th century with settlers from Tyrol, Carinthia and others who came from Austrian and German Dioceses of Freising, Brixen and Salzburg. These settlers cultivated the uninhabited mountain forests in what is today the south central part of Slovenia. Thus, towns and rural villages were founded.

Gottschee received the municipal charter and city seal in 1471.

Photo: Matzelle family 1922. Feichtbüchel, Tschermoschnitz, Gottschee.
From right to left: Aloysia, Franz (9.1.1905), Cecilia
Johan (13.7.1874) , Maria Schmuck (19.4.1880)
(Karl Holynnski, Fotograph für Kunst- und Momentphotographie)

With the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Gottschee became part of Slovenia in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. During the second world war, the Gottschee area was given to Italy. The Gottscheer ethnic Germans lost their 650-year homeland, being relocated to Brezice (Rann) in 1941-1942. Allthough most Gottschee refugees immigrated to the USA (mainly Ohio and New York) and Canada, my family came to Westfalia, Germany.

Today the city of Gottschee is known as Kocevje. The Gottschee descendants frequently come together to celebrate the tradition and speak their language.

Gottheer meeting in Klagenfurt, Austria, 2011

References

Gottscheer Heritage and Genealogy Association
http://www.gottschee.org/

Gottschee County
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottschee_County

Gottscheer
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottscheer

Audio folklore samples and informations from Gottscheers in the United States
http://www.gottschee.com/