MISSING IMAGE

The Great Swabian Trek &
Village Settlement Plans For Settlers

The beginnings of the Danube Swabian/Donauschwaben society began during the Swabian Migrations that came to be known as “Der Grosse Schwabenzug” or “The Great Swabian Trek” which occurred in three intervals between the years 1722-1787. This index is organized according to time periods. For detailed historical accounts see our HISTORY section. We hope you find our broad collection of information surrounding each of the three migration waves, written by notable writers, educational and entertaining.

The 1st Swabian Migration (1722 – 1726) under Karl VI

• Claudius Florimundus Count Mercy and the Hӧgyész Domains by Josef Hoben
• The Recruitment of Colonists in Germany by Peter Lang
  The So-called Settlement Patent by Peter Lang
• The Encouragements for the Community on the Strength of the Settlement Patent by Peter Lang
• The Swabian Trek to Sathmar by Stefan Schmied
• The New Time By Josef Schramm
• Settlers Property Lots, Floor Plans & Cost of building a house
• The Kameral Settlement Construction Office by Peter Lang
• Typical Settlers House includes: Inside a Danube Swabian Home, The Kitchen, Front & Back Courtyards, Furnishings, Water Sources (Well & Schwengelbrunnen), Lighting, Village House Images.
• Living Quarters of the German Settlers by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• Furnishings of the Families Settlement Patent by Peter Lang
• Josef’s settlements in the Batschka and Syrmia by Peter Lang
• Swabians in Scheindorf by Stefan Schmied
• The Early Colonization of Swabian Turkey by Josef Hoben
• The Settlement of Swabian Turkey (Slavic & German Settlements) by Josef Hoben
• Where Did the Settlers in Hӧgyész Come From? by Josef Hoben
• The Settlement Policies at the Time of the Great Swabian Migration by Josef Hoben
• The Structure of the Village by Josef Hoben
• The Farm Homestead and Agricultural Pursuits by Josef Hoben
• Ancestors of the Settlers by Stefan Schmied
• The fruitful land between the Danube & the Theiß By Josef Schramm
• SCHMIDT-TOMKA, Gustav: The Early History and Development of the Lutheran Congregations and Church District Of Swabian Turkey in the 18th Century (In 1718, the large-scale immigration of Evangelical Lutherans from Germany into Tolna County began.) Taken from: Beiträge zur Geschichte Des evangelischen Seniorats In der Schwäbischen Türkei
• HOBEN, Josef: The Early Colonization of Swabian Turkey – Hӧgyész (Tolna) in the 18th and 19th Century (In 1722, in Regensburg where emigrants from Fulda, Darmstadt and Franconia boarded the ships)

The 2nd Swabian Migration (1763 – 1787) under Maria Theresia

• Arrival in the New Homeland by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• The Life in the New Homeland 1784-1818 by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• The Development of the Hӧgyész Domain in the 18th and 19th Centuries by Josef Hoben
• Revolt of the Settlers by Stefan Schmied
• Trek to Banat

The 3rd Swabian Migration (1782 – 1787) under Joseph II

• On the Way to the New Homeland (the Schwabenzug) by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• Arrival in the New Homeland by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• The Life in the New Homeland 1784-1818 by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• The First Germans in Feketitsch 1818 by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• Josef’s settlements in the Batschka and Syrmia by Peter Lang

1787-1849

• Tax Burden in the Year 1798 by Peter Lang
• The First Germans in Feketitsch 1818 by Dr. Viktor Pratscher, 1936
• Special Feature: Seven Immigrants from One European Village and a Purdue Tradition That Has Lasted Over 75 Years
  by Michael Schmidt IV, Richard Schicht, and Jane Ehardt Moore (Deutschbentschek)
• A Portrait of the Settlement of the Hӧgyész Domain by Josef Hoben
• People of Feketitsch in Foreign Lands by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• Cemeteries by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• Self-sacrifice & Sense of Community by Stefan Schmied

1849 – 1921

• 1849 – Lajos Kossuth declared Hungary independent
  New: Old Newspaper Clippings, Articles & Tidbits related to the Danube Swabian geographic areas.
• The Consequences of World War 1914-1918 by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• 1921 – Treaty of Trianon & the Dismemberment of the Kingdom of Hungary (History Section)

Post World War I

• The Village Group of the Swabian-German Cultural Association by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• Our History in Transition by Franz Gaubatz

Post World War II

• Eve Eckert Koehler – Wrote the first book about the Donauschwaben in English.
• Our History in Transition by Franz Gaubatz
• Punctual course of life by Horst Samson
• The Inter-War Years and the Fate of the Danube Swabians in Yugoslavia by Henry Fischer
• Recall postwar terror – Interview with Anna Naegele & daughter Rosemary Naegele by Linda Steiner
• Evacuation of the Swabians by Stefan Schmied
• The Integration in the New Homeland by Peter Lang
• The Extermination Camp by Peter Lang – “It was unjust because all Serbs were accused of these crimes”
• Scattered throughout the World by Stefan Schmied
• We Remember the Victims of War by Stefan Schmied
• The Potatoes “Hunger drove us to some unbelievable lengths.” by Adam Martini
• Everything to Reflect On (Poem) by J. Wolf
• War Years by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• The Flight by Andreas Thuro, Sr.
• The Escape by Andreas Thuro, Sr.
• People of Feketitsch in Foreign Lands by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
• My Big Adventure: America by Adam Martini

Related Information

• The Frequently Named Village Names in Yugoslavia by Peter Lang
• The History of Beschka, Before the German Settlers Came & The Immigrant list of the First Germans in Beschka
  by Peter Lang

Last updated: 10/27/2026