A LONG AWAITED TRIP

May 2001

On the morning of Tuesday, May 1, 2001, Myrtle and I finally left on our trip to Austria and Germany to visit the towns and the surrounding areas where my ancestor’s were born. We drove from Libby, Montana to Calgary, Canada to our new genealogy friends, Alex Leeb and his wonderful wife Rose Marie. We spent the night there as we were too tired after a six-hour drive to continue on to Austria and Germany by plane and another 15 hours of sitting and waiting. The next morning we visited with Alex and Rose Marie until they took us to the airport at 4:00 P.M. at which time Myrtle and I boarded a Lufthansa Airlines flight bound for Frankfurt, Germany. Ten hours later we arrived at Frankfurt and had to “run” for the connecting Austrian Airlines flight to Ansfelden, Austria. (This certainly had a way of reminding us that we were not nineteen years old any longer!)

Upon arriving at Linz airport in Austria (one hour flight from Frankfurt) we were greeted by Oskar Feldtänzer and his daughter, Doris. Again, we had to “run” as Doris told us “Emmi”, Oskar’s sister, was leaving on the next flight back to Ontario, Canada and we needed to meet her. A very quick “hello and goodbye” and Emmi was off on her return flight to Ontario where she lives.

The following is taken from notes in Myrtle’s diary she kept each day:

Thursday, 3^rd:

Walked the town of Ansfelden. The town is a very clean town freshly swept by its residents each day or two! The buildings are mostly done in a baroque style. There is a beautiful church, a museum, bank, post office, and a few shops consisting of a couple small markets, bakery, and cafes, but with all the amenities. About 20,000 residents reside here in the county along with millions of beautiful flowers and green vegetation everywhere.

Friday, 4^th:

Left for the city of Linz (before the chickens got up, as would be the case for the rest of the trip!). We rode the local bus to the city center, then picked up our rental car which was a new “Opal” with only 14 miles on the odometer. It was a diesel engine, which was a gift from the gods…as we ended up getting around 45 miles to the gallon in our travels! We parked the car and walked, which seemed forever, in Linz. The town square was really very old and very, very nice--again CLEAN!! We returned to Ansfelden in the early afternoon, and Oskar decided we (John, Myrtle and Doris) should visit the St. Florian Church and monastery where the great organist and composer, Anton Bruckner, played for the people and was later buried. His tomb is located in the Church basement directly below the organ. There is a plague/monument inside the entrance of the Church mounted in the floor, denoting this. The church was beautiful with 7,500 organ pipes; very impressive.

Saturday, 5^th:

Left with Oskar for the area of Hallstatt (a small alpine village) located in the Alps; about a three-hour drive from Ansfelden. We (Myrtle and John) again walked forever and tried to keep up with Oskar. (Note: The reason for bringing up the long walks is that Oskar just turned 79 years old this month! Everyone should be blessed as Oskar is with such good health and vitality.) Hallstatt is a picture postcard village with a very beautiful clear lake, many tourist shops, and a Church on a hillside that must have had a zillion steps leading up. We did the steps, and the way down was much easier, as there was a sidewalk/path meandering down the backside of the mountain. When we got down to the front of the Church, we witnessed a baby’s christening, and took pictures as the family came outside. We then went to a market and purchased cheese, bread, drinks and a sausage made from the “wild deer” of the Alps. As we left the village, we stopped in the Alps and had a much needed picnic lunch.

Sunday, 6^th:

Left for Wels (pronounced Vels) Austria to see the Donauschwaben Memorial. There are no words that can describe my feeling while looking at the memorial, except to simple say that anyone that does not get tears--is not “there” in their research yet! It is very beautiful and extremely well done and very, very professionally put together and should be the first thing any good genealogist working in the BANAT and BATCHSKA area of Hungary visits. Oskar Feldtänzer has received an award for his contribution to the Monument. A very moving day!

Oh yes, we walked the town of Wels, which is another very old historical town, but very well kept up.

Monday, 7^th:

Went to the market in village next to Ansfelden. It was very large (compared to our market) but prices were about the same as here. Noticed a few weird things though: there were no sacks or boxes to carry your items out to the car in; only the cart! Later went to dinner (which is lunchtime) to the Buffet in Ansfelden (Oskar’s favorite place as we later learned) and had a very good meal. Again, the prices are about what they are in the States.

Tuesday, 8^th:

Spent the morning at Oskar’s (Doris was still working) and prepared for the trip to Germany. Decided to walk to the post office in town and Myrtle got us LOST! -- Unreal in a town much smaller than the size of Libby, Montana, no less! John then mowed Oskar’s lawn. Erich, Oskar’s son, invited us all for lunch/dinner at the Sports Bar in Haid, and then took us on a tour through his Hi-Tec Bike Shop. That was very impressive!

Wednesday, 9^th:

Doris is now on vacation and we are (at last) now on the way to Ansbach, Germany to visit (in the very small farming village of Wippendorf (Weihenzell St.) John and Babette Feldenzer, our new genealogist cousin. We arrived in Ansbach after traveling for four hours (and 100 mph). On the way, we passed by the U.S. Army “Apache” helicopter base which is only about one mile from John and Babette’s house. Babette fixed a wonderful lunch/dinner and we had a good visit with them, their daughter Marianne and husband, and grandchildren, Benjamin and Kathrin (whose father was son of John and Babette). It was great to meet and visit with Benjamin Feldenzer, the young 17-year old, that had located me on the internet and then after he found out we were coming to Germany, asked us to stop and visit them. We stayed overnight and the next morning after Babette fixed breakfast we left for Sobernheim. Babette Feldenzer is what everyone would expect to see in a grandmother – very loving and a very fine “hostess”.

Thursday, 10^th

Left Ansbach and stopped in Rothenburg, a medieval town, surrounded by a wall. We walked the town, and saw the Church. It was really neat. Arrived in Sobernheim early A.M. “TOURED” the town and took many pictures. Stopped to have coffee and tea at the old “DUR LINDE HOTEL” (it is very difficult to stir the coffee with a spoon as it is so thick!). I had promised a friend a picture of this hotel, but discovered that the building was sold and completely redone and there is now an apartment building and an outdoor cafe. We talked to the owner and was introduced by the owner to a woman named --- VELDENZER! She and her small son were having coffee and ice cream. We joined them, and had a nice visit. Afterward, we took in sites and visited the Catholic/Evangelical combination church. We looked for a place to stay the night and the place we would like to have stayed had no bath/shower facilities! So we stayed at a place Myrtle refers to as the “Harley Davidson” joint -- as it was filled with rough looking bike riders -- but, it did have showers! What a delight; makes one really appreciate the “Good Old U.S.A.”

After checking in at “Harley’s” we left to take the tour through the Sobernheim Archaeological Museum. Before we even got started on the tour, we met the Museum Administrator outside, and he decided that the “AMERICAN’S” should be toasted! We did manage to visit the museum, but Doris stayed and continued the “toast” and on the way back to “Harley’s” managed to take a tumble ---(everything was A.O.K. though..). Just before we left the museum, the Administrator took us on a “side tour” which was a visit to the wine cellar. There he explained to us that during World War II, the cellar was used as a bomb shelter which could be accessed from above through a 18”x18” opening with a drop of eight feet. (One wonders how anyone that loves bratwurst and beer could have gone through that small opening!!!)

Friday, 11^th:

Left for NUSSBAUM! On the way, Doris kept insisting we stop at some small town’s cemetery that the Veldenzer lady told her about and we could find some Veldenzer names. After a few minutes, Oskar in his very quiet unassuming manner said, “Why should we drive to a cemetery to visit the dead when they won’t be able to talk to us?” (John thought this very humorous!) (M’s note: John really enjoyed meeting, visiting, and being with Oskar. He is such a well-versed person, and a walking encyclopedia on the histories of the countries we visited. We both appreciated him so much for making this our trip of a lifetime.) So, on Friday morning we stopped in Nussbaum to see our ancestor’s Catholic Church. (The Church is now being used by both Catholic and Evangelical’s.) Outside, behind the Church, we stopped to view the WWII Memorial for the German military who died serving their country. We saw the name, Bernhardt Veldenzer. While at the Church (which was locked) we were met by the gardener, and Oskar talked to him. We discovered there was a lady named “VELDENZER” living in town and the gardener offered to show us the house. Oskar, Doris, Myrtle and I followed the gardener a couple blocks to the house and Oskar knocked on her door. A lady named “Melanie” answered and after talking to Oskar “opened her house” to all of us and served some coke, orange juice, tea, etc. It was soon discovered that Melanie is related to all of us through grandparents of “DANIEL VELDENZER and ELISABETHA SCHLARP”!! After a long visit with cousin Melanie and her husband Jacob, we walked with her back to the Church, which she had a key to open it, and we got to see inside. She then showed us the Memorial again and the name of Bernhardt Veldenzer was – her father. She then, with her husband Jacob Stadt, showed us the Nussbaum Cemetery where her ancestor’s are buried (and I believe many of our ancestors also). (Note: After 25 years, the plots are used for others, and the tombstones are removed.) I drove both Melanie and Jacob back to their home, which was built Abt. 1007. Upon my leaving, they insisted that I take a bottle of “NUßBAUM” wine home for a souvenir of Nußbaum. What a great visit!! It was wonderful meeting and visiting with Melanie, but such a very touching experience for me to meet a complete stranger and her be such a warm and gracious hostess.

We then left for Lauterecken to see the VELDENZER TOWER where the “Count George Hans Veldenz” ruled over all his Empire, which included the towns of MONZINGEN, NUßBAUM and SOBERNHEIM in which our ancestor’s were from. Oskar and I both believe that our Hans Vellentzer/Veldenzer lines are from the town of Veldenz, Germany, that was ruled by the Counts of Veldenz.

LAUTERECKEN --- This visit turned out to be a terrible experience as we tried to receive “Marks” from our Visa card and this turned out to be impossible as we did not have a “PIN” number! Needless to say this was the “LOW” point of our trip and it even got worse, so bad, that Myrtle has completely eliminated this day from her mind regarding the trip!! But, the local “Sweet Shop” called the vice-mayor for some help. After walking the town and visiting every single bank and talking with every bank president, we still had no success in using our Visa card. He called in the Mayor, and we used the Mayor’s office and phone to call the Visa card company and Myrtle’s Credit Union. Still no success, as we couldn’t get through. Myrtle just wanted this all to stop. But they wanted very much to help! (The next day, Myrtle used her local (Libby, Montana) ATM card, and it worked just fine!) We wanted to see the sites in Lauterecken, so the Vice-Mayor took us to the VELDENZ TOWER and having the keys to the City, opened it so we could look inside. It was a very impressive visit in the “TOWER” of the Count. We visited a library room that held records from as early as the 1400’s. We spent the night in a “PUB” per the vice-mayor’s recommendation. It was a fairly nice hotel above the restaurant which was owned by a friend of the Vice Mayor’s. Myrtle and I spent quite awhile each in the shower unwinding!!

Saturday, 12^th:

Had an early breakfast again (7:00 A.M. – remember, I told you it would be this way while with Oskar); then left for the town of VELDENZ, via Trier, which is reputed to be the oldest town in all of Germany dating to Abt. 300 A.D. Trier was a little hectic to get in and out of because it was so busy. Not my choice for a return visit. We toured Trier, but I was not impressed. I like the small towns. After a short stay we left for VELDENZ which was our original destination.

VELDENZ, GERMANY--- After three years of extensive reading and study of Veldenz and Nussbaum, VELDENZ did not disappoint me!! Veldenz is a very quaint and a very, very beautiful village, everything that I had hoped for. We took a short walk through the village and then checked into the “BOTTLER Gasthaus Pension” (Pension: a family run hotel and resturant in Germany) and the rooms were really nice; the best we were to encounter on our trip. We stayed two nights and could have stayed a week as it was so nice. The following is the agenda for the time spent in VELDENZ:

First morning we spent walking and visiting in the town and also shopping. Then in the early afternoon we went on a tour of the VELDENZ CASTLE which sits on a hill above the village. Fantastic visit to the Castle. Found a duplicate VELDENZ TALER for us. Came back to “Bottler’s” and had a bite to eat and then took off for a view of the MOSEL River at the top of Trittenheim area (per the suggestion of Bottler’s owner) —and it was indeed, a very impressive view. Then, sleep, sleep for another early day of activities!

Second day (13^th) left for Bernkastel, the most beautiful of all the towns that we visited!! I was really impressed with this town and would like to return and spend at least a full day in the town. We took the time to really look around for once, we were very happy that we visited this town. The trip from VELDENZ to Bernkastel is all along the “MOSEL” River, and the trip (only a 20-minute drive) is really worth the drive!! Back in VELDENZ we went shopping and stopped at a couple’s home who owned and operated a family run winery that made “VELDENZER” wines. A point of discussion at the wine maker’s was the use of his tractor to harvest the grapes on a 35 degree slope. That is extremely steep! On the way back to Bottler’s, we stopped at the local museum, saw a Veldenz/Veldenzer coin collection and purchased wine glasses with VELDENZER on them and other trinkets!! After a full day, we had a bite to eat, then the owner of Bottler’s invited us to her patio behind the restaurant and hotel. We toasted to our last night at Veldenz and to the Feldenzer’s, then crashed for another early day on Monday.

Monday, 14^th:

Had breakfast at “Bottler’s” and left Veldenz (a very sad time for me; way too short a stay!) for Ansfelden, Austria, via Trier, and a different way back. Stopped off at a town called “Dinkelsbuhl” and went to see the oldest church in Germany, was very glad Oskar wanted to stop. Arrived in Ansfelden after a 10-hour drive. It is so nice to have two back seat drivers and a front passenger who is hard of hearing telling one how and where to drive! Oskar and I had hand signals we used, but, after 10 hours of instruction from the back seat driver’s and Oskar who had a hard time hearing, I was ready for more than a nightcap!! I guess I need to put the above information regarding help for the driver, into the proper perspective. The roads in the areas that we traveled when not on the Autobahn (driving at 2000 miles an hour), are one- lane roads, and are 4 ½ feet wide that have parking on both sides and the locals walk down the middle of the road along with the bicycle riders---think I’m kidding? Also, my backseat drivers told me a zillion times that I forgot to turn off my blinker!

Tuesday, 15^th:

Organized packing the “TREASURE’S” and then went to market and after a bite to eat we went to see the WILHERING Monastery. This was by far the most beautiful church/monastery that I have ever seen, bar none! I was held in awe all the time I was inside---absolutely beautiful. We then went to see the second highest church in Austria located in Linz. It is second in height only because when built, the Austrian government would not allow them to exceed the height of the one in Vienna.

Wednesday, 16^th:

Toured St. Laurenz Basilika Church which was built over the ruins of a “Roman” foundation that was the site of their military garrison. Next, we went to “WELS,” Austria again to visit the DONAUSCHWABEN Memorial to take pictures (ran out of batteries the first time!). This Memorial is very beautifully done and should be seen by the reader to really appreciate it. This site and Nussbaum along with the town of Veldenz were the high points for me.

Thursday, 17^th:

SALZBERG---Myrtle’s dream! Myrtle’s story:

Another nightmare! John and Myrtle took off by themselves for Salzburg. It was 1-1/2 hours drive from Ansfelden. Got “lost” going into the town. Arrived to the marketplace in the nick of time to purchase tickets for the “Sound of Music Tour”. Had to run like crazy across the street (on a red light) and down a block to get on the big yellow bus. The bus was ready to leave and had only four seats left. There was a couple right behind us, that took the last two seats.

We saw the settings that were in the movie, but it was a little disappointing. They were spread all over the country-side! Front of castle on the lake, was on the lake; but the back of the castle was another castle, several miles away. The gazebo was in a park to see by paid visitors, etc. It was very beautiful country. Myrtle enjoyed the tour itself, but John did not. We got back to the underground city parking lot and found our car. We didn’t know how to operate the parking fee machine, and when we got to the Exit, they wouldn’t let us out! Had to back up, go park, run back up the stairs (two flights) then argue with the customer service desk about how to pay. Needless to say, we got lost again going out of town, and this time had to drive on the Autobahn at least 20 miles before we could get off and get headed back in the right direction. This was a hot and exhausting (very exhausting) day!!!!!

Johns note: You can take this town…… (remember the 4½ foot wide streets? Well, try finding your way through the town with walls that go straight up for about 60/70 feet for blocks and no street/traffic signs) and give it to the Indians !

Friday, 18^th

Visited Stift Kremsmunster Monastery, and back to the small Village atmosphere again! Lots of very old and beautiful paintings and a room full of old war weapons.

Fantastic room, very old weapons spears, bows, pistols, rifles and all the very old steel armor and its associated weaponry. Neat place to visit!

Saturday, 19^th:

Left Ansfelden under guidance of Oskar again (thank goodness for him, as we would never have made it without him!) for the town of “Eferding” to see the “Johann Kepler House” and visited another Church and then up to the SCHAUMBURG Castle. What a fantastic view…could not get Myrtle up to the top of the “TOWER” section, what a “candy” and her, an “ex-stew”! But, what a view of the Danube River from the one section we managed to drag her up, behind our guide. J