Henry A. Fischer born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, is the son of Danube Swabian immigrants from Hungary whose lives and families provide much of the background for his writing and historical research.  This resulted in the publication of his first book:  Children of the Danube.  In a sense, it gave birth to the trilogy entitled:  Remember To Tell The Children.

  Although a work of historical fiction, it is based on extensive historical and genealogical research, family and village traditions and stories handed down through the generations.  They reflect the common experience of the Children of the Danube and their descendants since joining the Great Swabian Migration into Hungary early in the 18th century.

  The first volume of the trilogy:  The Pioneers deals with their journey down the Danube and the early settlement years in Hungary.  The second part of the trilogy focusses on the development of their own distinct identity and lifestyle duirng the first half of the 19th century within the context of the wider society in which they were:  Strangers and Sojourners.  The final volume deals with their continuing search for a homeland and their eventual forced dispersal throughout the world, leading to their becoming:  Emigrants and Exiles.

  He and his wife Jean reside in Oshawa, Ontario.  They enjoy travelling and the freedom of retirement but spend as much time as they can with their children and grandchildren.  A former Lutheran pastor and co-founder of InterChurch Health Ministries, he is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.

10 Responses to “ About the Author ”

  1. Peter Klein says:

    Dear Mr Fisher; I have been trying to research the history of my fathers family. From the oral history that he gave us as we were growing up, I have been able to piece together quite a bit of the family story. My fathers family was from Bawanischte (Bavaniste), a neighbour village to Mramorak. They were raised as Lutherans and were very religious, to the point that my grandfather was reportedly jailed as a conciencious objector for refusing to serve in the army.

    I was very interested to read your story regarding the influx of Lutherans into the Mramorak area. We were told by my father that he believed they were originally from the Schwartzwald, but based on what I just read perhaps that is not true. I was very saddened by reading about what happened to the german peoples of Mramorak and the surrounding villages. My father was in a British POW camp when he ran into someone he knew from Bawanischte. That person told him that most of his family had been killed. Fortunately, his younger brother, who was only 9 or 10, was not killed and eventually got out to Germany. After the war the were able to reunite and my father heard the grisly details of what had happened.

    By the way, I think it is important to state that what you say about the ethnic Germans in that area is accurate. My father said that only a few of the Volksdeutche were rabid Hitlerites, while most had no love or time for him or German war efforts. He always said that if it were not for the threats of being declared an enemy of the Reich, almost nobody would have joined the Prinz Eugen SS division. That division was never a “volunteer” division by any stretch.

    I am actually planning to visit Vojvodina/Serbia later this year. One of my goals is to discover the land tract numbers for my fathers family farm, reportedly pretty large, so that I can then trach the family back via the records of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Is this something that you were able to do in your research?

    I would love to hear back from you on any thoughts you may have on how I can make my search more productive. Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Peter Klein
    Newark, Delaware, USA

  2. diana says:

    Good morning..

    I was totally mesmorized by the Filopowa history.. I have been doing some research on the area because my inlaws and their family were born there in the early 1900’s and like most had to evacute in the nite. I have even attended a reunion in Chemsee in 2005 of some of the villagers ( 60 yrs)
    I am trying to get more information on the background like family tree but have limited access since most have passed away.. is there a church or city hall still in existance that would have any records from the before the invasions?? I would appreciate any assistance. and once again thank you for such a detailed history of Filipowa/batscha ..

  3. gordan beideck says:

    Bravo for presenting this research findings.
    It is interesting and inspiring. I am also doing research about Beydeck/Beideck family.
    In Hogyesz there are Beideck family members coming from Swabia. They spread all over Europe – Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, Slovakia, Rumania, Russia and Ukraine and then USA.

  4. Michael Reinhofer says:

    Thank you soooo very much for all your diligence and efforts in capturing history that is seemingly taboo and almost void here in the Americas.

    I am the son of Schwabian ancestory, and to not give you the entire story, here is just a brief bit about my family.

    Both my parents and ancestors are from these areas Keschinzi-Semelzi/Kesinci-Semeljci and Jarmine-Jarmina. Their names were Birmily, Riesel, Reinhofer & Bergmann. I have the Heimat Buch for both villages.

    My mother and grandmother were part of the group that returned to Jarmine-Jarmina only to be sent to Josefsdorf-Josipavac. Cousins were lost there. I yearn to know more about this incident and the area you described, but there is so little known to the public due to the lack, hiding, and destruction of information available.

    Both my Grandfathers were part of the Prinz Eugen 7th, one (Riesel) loosing his life in combat against Partisans, the other (Reinhofer) having been captured with 3000 Itilians then marched endlessly to serve time in the copper mines of Bor, Serbia. He later escaped to Austria and brought our family here. My Grandmother Reinhofer (nee Bergmann) passed away a year ago and was the last of her time. My father was 13 (now 75) and my mother was 9 (now 72) when the came to the U.S..

    My father has put a family history and story in writing for myself and three brothers, but I know there is so much he could learn and also share.

    We have distant cousins that made it to Brazil, and our likes are scattered and shattered around the world.

    I’m interested in resources that you have found or know of that could possibly shed more light on my ancestry. I often find myself pondering during the winters where my grandfather Riesel had traveled to during the war, the mountains he fought in, and which campaign was perhaps his last.

    As you know history makes up a large part of who we are. When we are missing a piece, or even several, it can leave one feeling incomplete.

    Again, thank you for all you have written here, and I would enjoy talking with you if ever you are interested.

    Sincerely,

    Michael J. Reinhofer

  5. Tabby Masters says:

    This story is very similar to the one I was told by my grandfather growing up. He was born in Jarkovac in September 1929, met his wife in Kukujevci, Yugoslavia and married at St Florian Austria and moved to USA in May 1952. His mother and sister were forced into a camp and his brother went into army and my grandfather lied about his age so he didnt go into the army and fled and lived in the woods near the camp until his mom and sister died then he lived with gypsies.

  6. Dan Johnston says:

    I’m married to a Zepp, daughter of a Medel, granddaughter of Medel/Schramm. The Zepps, Medels, etc all came from Welimirowatz. During WW2 the men were conscripted into the army and sent away. The women and children and grandparents made the wagon escape you describe, or escaped by train if they could afford it. Now these children tell stories about these events.
    I have been helping family members compile family Genealogy information, and to collect and record family history stories before they are lost. These are intended for family internal use only.
    Could I include reference to your articles in our documentation? Or even, could I place a excerpt (with proper acknowledgement and links) inside the history chapter of the genealogy document? Please let me know the proper procedure. Thank you.

  7. Leslie Adams says:

    Dear Mr. Fischer,

    I have avidly read your article titled History of the German Lutheran Congregations in the Banat. My grandparents were both Lutherans from the Banat and their documented family history shows that their prior generations settled in Libeling, possibly when the town was built. These family members were originally from Swabia/Wurrtemburg. Your article mentions there were 50 families from Swabia that settled Libeling. How can I find a list of these families, their names, birthdates, etc? I would really appreciate your help in sending me in the right direction. Thanks, Leslie Adams

  8. Marcel says:

    Thank you very much for the effort in this Piece of History!

  9. Kelley McClain says:

    Mr Fischer,

    My grandmother is Kathe Einz-Fischer that you wrote about.
    My mother is very interested in getting in touch with you as soon as possible.
    You can reach her at (tripofyourdreams@icloud.com)
    My mother is Linda Katherine Fischer McClain —
    Thank you
    Much love,
    Kelley

  10. Paul Hock says:

    Mr. Fischer
    I noticed an update I did on Wikipedia, Kalazno, Hungary based on information in your book was rejected because of possible copyright infringement. Perhaps if you have a Wikipedia account and control over copyright you could update it yourself. This was the page I tried to expand upon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalazn%C3%B3

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