Traditions and Culture of our Ancestors

Pictured is our house on Hodschager Strasse, Karavukovo, with my mother at a washing machine that my dad built; an aunt visiting from Budapest, where my mother’s brother was a dentist; a modern dressed woman was a friend of my mother, a teacher; my oldest brother, Stefan, b. 1922; and my oldest sister Barbara holding a baby (me). ~ Helene Sleep

•  Cooking Donauschwaben Style! Recipes, Books & Memoirs!
• The Nourishment by Dr. Viktor Pratscher

• Trachtenfest! (Poem)
• “Ratschen” – Holy Week in the Banat My Personal Recollection by Nick Tullius
• Punctual course of life for my father byHorst Samson(includes a poem)
• The Flight  by Andreas Thuro, Sr (Poem) by Peter Lang
• Escape by Andreas Thuro, Sr (Poem) by Peter Lang

Arts & Music Index

• The Cultural Life by Peter Lang
• Fresch un Krotte ‘Folksong’ from Saderlach and Alexanderhausen
• Deutsches Liedgut (German Songs) aus dem Banat, Siebenburgen und dem Sathmarer Land Chorbuch. Edited by Andreas Porfetye
• JÄGER, Stefan & His Art Collection

Musician, Kapellmeister

Sepp Tanz Kapelle, Vrsac. It was interesting that my mother, after 70+ years, recognized almost each face in this photo. She is in the front row, 2nd from the left (beside the girl with the ribbon in her hair). Her father is in here, as well as other relatives. ~ Linda John-Theis

• SCHILZONYI, Nicholas *1872 Billed, Banat Musician, Kapellmeister & Inventor
• SAMSON, Franz Banat, Batschka, Srem Musician & Singer
• HUSS, Hugo Jan *1934 Timisoara, Romania, + 2006 at the age of 72, Banat Musician & Kapellmeister
• MAYER, Kornel Mayer *1917 Kubin, grew up in Karlsdorf; + 1964,  Banat Musician & Kapellmeister
• NUßBAUM, Michael *1866 Billed, Banat Musician & Kapellmeister
• SCHMALZ, Josef *1932 Glogowatz, Banat Musician & Kapellmeister
• STAHL, Peter *1884 Bogarosch-1982 Philadelphia, Banat Musician & Kapellmeister
• STEINER, Lambert *1837, + 1914 Sanktanna, Banat Musician & Kapellmeister
• HUSS, Hugo Jan *1934 Timisoara, Romania, + 2006 at the age of 72. Banat Musician & Kapellmeister

• The Dialect by Peter Lang
• Foreign Words by Peter Lang
• “Our folks in the Banat spoke “schwowisch” – Excerpts: DVHH Mail List thread RE: Danube Swabian dialect  “Schwowisch” simply means “Swabian,” and the _correct_ German word for “Swabian” is “Schwäbisch,” or “Schwaebisch” 
• The Sathmar-Swabian Dialects and Their Carriers by Dr. Hans Gehl
• The Banater Post published two short stories written in the schwowisch dialect by Nikolaus Tullius
• Sound of Swabian & The Wenker Sentences by Adam Schneider
• The Sathmar-Swabian Dialects and Their Carriers by Hans Gehl
• Shift of Languages in the Works of Robert Reiter (aka Franz Liebhard, b. 1899 in Temesvar)

• Superstitions by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• BANATER FOLKLORE – Fairy Tales, Legends & Comical Tales. Stories from “Banater Volksgut” Märchen, Sagen und Schwänke by Walter Konschitzky & Hugo Hausl. Publisher: Kriterion Verlag Bukarest 1979.

Birth, Marriage, Death and Kindred Occasions among the Danube Swabian

• Birth, Naming Customs & Baptism
• Marriage & Weddings
• Death & Funerals

• Traditional Danube Swabian Costume

• Observances and Festivals of our Ancestors

Last updated: 11/01/2026