Old photographs and documents from Uihei (Neusiedel auf der Heide)

with many grateful thanks to Mari Pitzer-Cojocaru, the only German lady still living in Uihei, for supplying as many names on the photos as she could remember; to Hans Schimmel for several brass band photos, to Adam Meiszner for several 1930s and 1940s photos and to Herwig Strubert for some of the 1960s photographs!

Click on images to enlarge

Above is an old picture postcard of Uihei (called Ujhely at the time) with views of the school, the parish hall and the prayer house

1907

A typical ship's manifest of passengers entering the USA. This one is dated as arriving in New York on 22nd March 1907 and includes several people from Uihei / Neusiedel. Surnames include Ludwig, Zorner, Baumann, Lambing and  Hubert.

The Farmers' Club in 1913

Front row: KERSCHEN Josef and KESSLER Nikolaus are the first two men on the left.

Uihei Brass Band in 1922

with Band Leader Johann GOSCHI

(Blasmusikkapelle von Neusiedel a. d. Heide im Jahre 1922 unter Leitung des Kapellmeisters Johann GOSCHI)

Back row: (L - R) KORECK Franz (Bass); ENGELMANN Sepp (Bassflügelhorn); EBERHARDT Johann (Klarinette); SCHIMMEL Anton (Bassfl.); TASCH Peter (Trompete); KORECK Michael (Trompete); JOSCHKA Jakob (Bariton).

Front row: (L - R) KLUG Feri (Klarinette); WEBER Mischko (Klarinette); JOSCHKA Hans (Flügelhorn); GELLERT Nikolaus (kleine Trommel u. Trompete); Kapellmeister - GOSCHY Hans (Flügelhorn)

Kirchweih with the Uihei Brass Band in 1922

and Band Leader Johann GOSCHI

(Neusiedler Blasmusikkapelle im Jahre 1922 mit Kapellmeister Johann GOSCHI)

Men's Choir 1923

Front row (L - R): GIMPEL Peter, GIMPEL ?, WOLZ Josef, BEITZ Eberhard, BOSCH ?, OTT Adam, LECH Johann, MESS Theodor, SCHMIDT Johann

 Back row: REITER Josef, WOLZ ?, LICHTFUSS Michael, LICHTFUSS Michael, SCHIMMEL Karl, EBNER Johann, EBNER Adam, REITER Martin, KESSLER Nikolaus, BEITZ Johann, ??, LICHTFUSS Nikolaus, BEITZ Johann, NOTHUM Nikolaus, NIKOLA Adam, MANGOL Franz, ??, BLATTNER Franz.

Kirchweih 1924

Sitting on ground (L-R): LIND Mathias and LICHTFUSS Franz; 

 Sitting on bench: METTLER Johann, SCHÜTZ Nikolaus, ZWERGALL Nikolaus, REITER Anton, GOTTSCHALL Georg, HELFRICH Franz?, FALLER Lorenz, BERNHARD Nikolaus.

Middle row: SCHLUPP Michael, GOTTSCHALL Karl, HELFRICH Franz?, THIERJUNG Mathias.

Back row: ??, FALLER Lorenz, SCHENNE Anton

The LAMBING family 1921 to 1950

L - R: Johann, Susanna and Nikolaus LAMBING in Philadelphia in 1921 and ~1927; Uihei ~1930; Nikolaus with accordion mid-1930's; Johann and Susanna LAMBING neé ENGELMANN in 1950; Nikolaus's grand- parents (Nikolaus and Anna LAMBING neé KRONBERGER) around 1933.

Letter from Ujhely written in March 1928

An absolutely charming letter from 16 year-old Kate ROTHSCHINK of Uihei to her friend Elisabeth in America, written on March 11th, 1928. Unfortunately, I can't remember who sent me this wonderful document. Below is the ship's manifest which records her arrival in New York on 1st March 1922 on the steam ship 'Minnekanda', together with her 34-year old mother, Katharina ROTHSCHINK Their nearest relative in Ujhely is named as Christian EBERHARDT, Kate's uncle. They are travelling to  New Jersey. They are going to join Kate's father, Martin Rothschink at 270, Somerfield Street, Brunswick, NJ. Kate is 4'8" and her mother is 5'7", both with green eyes and blonde hair. According to the manifest, they don't intend returning to Ujhely. Kate's stay in America seems to match the exact years my own father (Nicolaus LAMBING) and his parents were there, i.e. 1922 to 1928. Checking my records, it seems that Kate was born 27th September 1911 in the USA, and died in Uihei on 14th February 1953 at the age of 41.

Schoolchildren around 1930 - First Holy Communion?

Front row (L-R):  SCHNEIDER Nikolaus, ??, LAMBING Nicolaus

Middle row:   KESSLER Josef, LICHTFUSS Franz, BEITZ Johann, BALLMANN Josef, SCHAUERMANN Nikolaus, REITER Josef, ??.

   Back row: Teacher (tall lady) SEHI Barbara. Girls' names currently unknown, except for KRONBERGER Elisabetha on the far left.

According to another source, SCHIMMEL Karl, LAHM Barbara and LAHM Elisabeth are also somewhere on this picture, which was taken around 1930.

Alexanderhausen and Uihei school orchestra ca. 1930

Front row (L-R): UNC Josef, ASSMANN Wawi, LAMBING Nicolaus  

Second row: SADORF Hans, LEFORT Adam (teacher), UHL Mathias

Surrounding teacher (L-R): KLEMENTZ Mathias, TAUGNER Hans, REITER Nikolaus and BEISER Mathias

Back row: SCHMIDT Mathias, DINJER Hans, REITER Nikolaus, ??,  SIEBER Michael (with double bass)

31st May 1931

Above left: The Uiheler Männergesangsverein (Men's Choir) in 1931.      

Above right: The old Beitz house in the Hauptgasse in 1931. The house was rebuilt in 1935 and is now the local 'Magazin' (shop).

Both pictures are taken from the stills from the 1931 film of the Consecration of the Church in 1931. See the link 1931 Film for hundreds more stills!

Friends with accordion player in 1930s

Left to right: REITER Josef, LICHTFUSS Franz, ?LAMBING Nicolaus?, SCHIMMEL Karl, EBNER Adam

I have been told that it is definitely my Dad playing the accordion, although it doesn't look like him to me...

Members of the BEITZ family around 1930

Back row, left to right: LAMBING Josef or Nikolaus, BEITZ Johann, WAMBACH Nikolaus, WAMBACH Elisabeth (née WAMBACH), WAMBACH Nikolaus, BEITZ Adam, BEITZ Johann.

Centre row: REITER Katharina (née SCHIMMEL), SCHIMMEL ?, LAMBING Margaretha (née PACKI), ??, ??, BEITZ ?, BEITZ Eva.

Front row: MARX Nikolaus, MARX Margaretha (née BEITZ, 1885-1968, daughter of Franz and Eva), BEITZ Eva (née SCHIMMEL, HAUPT Elisabeth (née BEITZ, daughter of Johann and Anna), BEITZ Franz (1858-?), BEITZ Johann (1890-1975), BEITZ Anna (née LAMBING, 1893-1979).

1930s

Hannes NIKOLA, ca. 8 - 9 Jahre alt, er versucht sich im Reiten auf einer der beiden Schimmelstuten seiner Familie, aufgenommen in Uiheiu, vermutlich Mitte der 1930er Jahre.

Hannes NIKOLA horse back riding in Uihei on one of the family's two white mares, around the mid 1930s

(contributed by Maria Teschler-NICOLA)

1933

Mathias MEISZNER (Schuster) mit seiner Frau, Elisabetha geb.WILHELM, und Sohn, Christian Adam MEISZNER

Uihei schoolchildren in 1936

Back row, left to right: REITER Josef, BEITZJohann, WEBER Maria, KRONBERGER Anna, SCHMIDT Ekaterina, REITER Eva, BALLMANN Barbara, REITER Michael, BALLMANN Josef, SCHAUERMANN Nikolaus. Second row: JANOSCH Elisabetha, LAHM Ekatharina, BLATTNER Helene, REITER Anna, FALLER Eva, BEITZ Elisabetha, BLATTNER Franz, ZIMMER Margaretha, WOLZ Eva, WOLZ Elisabetha, MESS Margaretha, MANGOL Margaretha, PULJER Elisabetha. Third row: LICHTFUSS Anna, SEHI Ekatarina, BEITZ Barbara, MÜLLER Elisabetha, FUCHS Barbara, EBNER Mariana, BAGI Magdalena, ENGELMANN Elisabetha, PITZER Anna, KRATOCHWILL Susanna. Fourth row: GOSCHY Christian, KUHN Nikolaus, LICHTFUSS Josef, SCHIPPER Andreas, DINJER Mathias, MÜLLER Anna, SCHMIDT Johann, ENGELMANN Franz, WOLZ Johann, BAGI Nikolaus, GROSS Johann. Front row: RINTCHE Johann, MERSCH Adam, KLEITSCH Johann, SCHIPPER Johann, OTT Anton, MESS Ekatharina, SCHÜTZ Josef, FUCHS Johann, HUBER Johann, KESSLER Johann.

1939 / 1940

Adam and Elisabetha MEISZNER with their mother, Elisabetha MEISZNER (née WILHELM), and with Hans NIKOLA and Mari HERZOG; Adam (born 1931 in Kleinbetschkerek) at his First Holy Communion in Uihel in 1939.

Boys' Junior Band 1942

Left to right: FUCHS Johann, KUHN Nikolaus (behind), HUBER Johann, KESSLER Johann, KUHN Johann, KASPAR Johann, GOSCHY Johann (leader), GROSS Johann, SCHMIDT Johann (behind), GOSCHY Christian, PITZER Johann (behind), MANGOL Franz, SCHAUERMANN ? in hat, KLEITSCH Nikolaus (with drum),  LICHTFUSS Josef in hat.

Cookery class in 1942

Back row (L-R): REITER Anna, BEITZ Elisabetha, ?LECH Amei or PLÄTTY ? or HELFRICH?, BAGI Magdalena, WEBER Maria.  Front row: JANOSCH Elisabetha, KRONBERGER Anna (little girl's name may be DIAN  Magdalena)

Uihel boys from the V, VI and VII classes on the sports ground in 1943.

(Die Uiheler Buben der V, VI und VII Klasse auf dem Sportplatz im Jahre 1943)

Front row (L-R): GOSCHY Hans, TITTEL Heinrich, SCHIMMEL Adam, KRATOCHWILL Nikolaus, SCHANNEN Nikolaus, MEISSNER Adam.

Middle row: KOWATSCH Karl, GIMPEL Dietrich, NIKOLA Hans, SCHANNEN Franz, SCHIMMEL Hans.

Back row: GOTTSCHALL Karl, KRATOCHWILL Sepp, HUBER Sepp.

(Sepp = Josef, Hans = Johann)

1943

Elisabetha (Lissi) MEISZNER at her First Holy Communion in 1943

Girls' Club 1943

Front row (L-R): BEITZ Lisi, WOLZ Eva, BLATTNER Helen, WOLZ Elisabetha, BAGI Magdalena, ZIMMER Margaretha, MANGOL Margaretha, MÜLLER Elisabetha.

Back row: FALLER Eva, ??, MESS Margaretha, PULJER Elisabetha, LICHTFUSS Anna, MESS Katharina, OTT Margaretha.

1940s

?Uihei people (Susanna LAMBING née ENGELMANN is 3rd from right) possibly on a visit to Herkules Bad?

Baptism (Taufe) of Anna Lichtfuss in 1950

Uihei Brass Band with three generations of musicians led by Anton SCHIMMEL, set up in 1948 after the Second World War

(Neusiedler Blaskapelle unter Leitung von Anton SCHIMMEL. Musikanten von drei Generationen zusammengestellt nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg im Jahre 1948)

Uihei musicians in 1950

Twins Hans and Adam SCHIMMEL, two of the last Uihei descendants who were taught by Band Leader Anton SCHIMMEL

(Die Zwillingsbrüder Hans und Adam SCHIMMEL aus Neusiedel, der letzte Nachwuchs von den Neusiedler welche bei Kapellmeister Anton Schimmel gelernt hatten)

1958

The wedding of Anton OTT and Katharina ROTSCHING, posing with Johann and Susanna LAMBING née ENGELMANN

Field workers in Uihel in the 1960s

Standing (left to right): ??, LECH Johann, LECH Anna, SEHI Michael, RINTCHE Magdalena, MESS Michael, DINU Elisabetha, DINU Gcheorg, GIMPEL Johann.

Sitting: STRUBER Anna, STRUBER Peter, GOTTSCHALL Gheorg, PAUL Elisabetha, BLATTNER Helene, ??.

More field workers (mostly Romanian)

Back row: Third from the left is SCHLUPP Peter; sixth from the left is OTT Adam and next to him is OTT Eva.

Front row: Third from the left is KRATOCHWILL Susi, and somewhere in the middle is SCHLUPP Anna.

1968

Hintere Reihe:  Hilde TITTEL geb. MARX; Magdalena MEISZNER geb. KERLER; Adam MEISZNER; Elisabetha KAUFMANN geb. MEISZNER, Josef TITTEL.

Mittlere Reihe:  Anna Margaretha MARX geb. HOLZ; Peter MARX; Elisabetha MEISZNER geb. WILHELM; Peter MARX sen.

Vordere Reihe:  TITTEL Alfred; Brigitte Elisabeth TITTEL.

Josef LIND (Lind Vettersepp 1892 -1976), husband of Anna née KLEIN, outside house number 60, digging a ditch to drain the water after the heavy rainfall in 1968.

Des is de Lind Vettersepp, d'r Lind Anna ihre Mann (Haus Nr. 60), im 1968, do hats so gereent, das de Vettersepp a Grawe ziehe hat misse. Die Gäns han e Freid khat.

GOTTSCHALL Karl (links) und GOSCHI Hans (rechts)

?1969

Anna und Lissi HARTMAJER mit Susanna LAMBING geb. ENGELMANN

Headings for the 'Matrikelbuch der Getauften' (Uihei church register of baptisms from 1951 to 1990) which I am currently transcribing!

Certificate of Registration

 issued in 1948 to Nicolaus LAMBING from Uihei (wrongly spelled as Vikeui) who arrived in England on 17th August 1946 as a POW, and below a postcard sent to his parents in Uihei from the POW camp.

Part of a British Certificate of Naturalisation

For Nicolaus LAMBING from Uihei who became a British subject in September 1957, having earlier been a Prisoner of War in England.

Kirchweih 1956

Front row couples (L-R): KOWATSCH Eva, SCHLUPP Josef, GIMPEL Agnes, SCHLUPP Peter, LICHTFUSS Friede, JUNG Johann.

Five girls in middle row: SCHIMMEL Hilde, SCHIMMEL Anna, ELSNER Magdalena, JUNG Barbara, KRONBERGER Heidrun.

Five men in back row: RINTCHE Ewald, GOSCHY Johann, FALLER Josef, ??, SCHIMMEL Johann.

Uiheler Kirchweih in 1957

Left photo: Members of the Uihel band. Six men from left to right are SCHIMMEL Hans, RINTYE Hans, SCHIMMEL Johann, SCHIMMEL Adam, MERSCH Adam and KUHN Nikolaus.

Right photo: Kirchweih couples heading for the dance hall past the school in Middle Street with the musicians in 1957. (Die Kirchweihpaare gehen mit den Musikanten in das Tanzsaal mittlere Gasse längst der Schule vorbei im Jahre 1957)

Kirchweih in Uihei (1960s?)

Back row includes the following men: REITER Robert, TITTEL Josef, SCHLUPP Josef, BEDNAR Werner, PILLES Franz, RINTCHE Mathias, RINTCHE Ewald, STRUBERT Peter, ENGELMANN Franz. Three names missing still!

Front row includes the following girls: REITER Klara, MARX Hilde, SCHLUPP Eva, ENGELMANN Hilde, BEDNAR Anna, HARTMAYER Anna, RINTCHE Kathi, PAUL Lisl, STRUBER Anna, ENGELMANN Elisabetha. Two names still missing!

Kirchweih 1960s or 1970s

Above: LICHTFUSS Anna and KAISER Friede lead the procession. Behind them are SCHŰTZ Manfred, DINU Johann, GOTZ Norbert, and STRUBERT Peter with the basket. Does anyone recognise any others on either of these two photos?

Kirchweih 1981

The Banater Club at 2nd and Masters Street in Philadelphia, 1926. Possibly includes some Uihei people. Some names in the group are: Anna, Margaret and Adam KIRSCH; Charles HUBER(T); Nicky SCHNEIDER; Nick PINE; Mike ROHMER (RÖMER?); Mary TWITCHLER; Eva OCHNER (ANKNER?)