Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Hrastovac/Eichendorf
1865-1944
Most of the settlers to the
future settlement of Hrastovac in Slavonia, which was clear-cut of the ancient oak
forest in the year of 1864, came from the diverse Danube Swabian Evangelical
Lutheran communities in the Swabian Turkey. Swabian Turkey was the popular name
for the three counties Baranya, Somogy and Tolna in Hungary, which were settled by
various Germanic tribes more than a century before. Both Swabian Turkey and
Slavonia were prior to 1918 part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
Every Donauschwab wanted
to be a farmer his own boss. Even if he learned a trade, as most of them did, if he lived in
the countryside, he had to have his own farm. By the middle of 19th
century there were no farms available for purchase in all of Swabian Turkey at any
price. And when the word spread in 1865, that south of the Drava River in the
county of Slavonia, Baron Tikery of Daruvar was looking for settlers for the
future farming village of Hrastovac, most of the plots were soon sold to the eager
ethnic Germans relocating from the Swabian Turkey.
Hrastovac was the first
Evangelical Lutheran community in Slavonia and belonged to the Diocese of Somogy
in Hungary. As it was still a very small community a pastor visited it only once a
year. He would baptize all the children born since his last visit, unless they
were baptized already by the orthodox priest in Uljanik, would wed the couples,
held a service (Abendmahlgottesdienst) and be on his way again.
By 1880 the first struggles of
the colonists were behind them and the community felt that it was time to have its
own pastor. A larger school building was built and opposite the school a
parsonage. The church service was held in the school building.
The
first pastor was Peter Adam, whose home was in Tolna. Pastor Adam taught
the children and held the prayers in the Hungarian language. 12 years later he
returned to Tolna.
Pastor Theophil Bayer from Burgenland, who implemented the
Pressburger
Gesangbuch (prayer book) was the next pastor, but stayed only for three years.
Pastor Bayer returned back to his hometown of Güns in Burgenland (Austria.)
Pastor
Bela Seregeli was the next pastor and stayed also for three years. Pastor
Seregeli returned back to Burgenland and became pastor in Unterschützen/Austria.
The
next two pastors were Croatians:
Pastor Dobrovoljac, who later left the church for civil service.
Pastor Filip Plivelic – left in 1916. Also left for civil service.
Pastor Jakob Kettenbach 1916-1917. Returned to
Sidski Banovci.
Pastor Heinrich Zulauf, who married Hrastovac teacher Ms. Neufeld. Returned to
Hungary in 1922.
Pastor Erhard Torinus from Wolhynien in Russia.
Pastor May form Austria.
Pastor Petrik from East Prussia.
After the division of
Austro-Hungary in 1918 the few Lutheran congregations in Slavonia belonged now to
the Diocese of Agram (Zagreb) under Bishop Dr. Popp.
The Hrastovacers were planning
for quite some time to erect a church building in their town. Then came WWI, which
was followed by the Inflation and all their savings for a better place of worship
were now worthless. Alas, by 1929 the parish was once again ready and eager to go
ahead with the building of the church.
The Laying of the Church Foundation Stone
Festival
For the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hrastovac
On 26th of May 1929
This festive Sunday was rung in
by the music of the ‘Königsberger Posaunenchor’ at five in the morning. The
sermon started at 9.30 h with the whole community assembled on the grounds, as
well as guests from far and wide, and accompanied by the Posaunenchor singing heartily:
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise him until I die.
While I still count my hours here on earth
I will sing praises to my God.
Who has given me body and soul.
I will praise Him both early and late.
Hallelujah......
Blest, yes blest are those
Whose help is the God of Jacob.
He does not allow himself to be separated from his faith
Who hopes with certainty on Jesus Christ
Always has his Lord on his side
And finds the best counsel and support.
Hallelujah.....
Sing praises all you people
To the Everlasting Lord
Who does such marvelous things.
Everything that has breath shout Amen!
And offer praise with joyous tongues
You Children of God love and praise Him
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Hallelujah...
(Translated by Henry Fischer)
Senior Andreas v. Tarczay
read the Scripture, followed by more singing, followed by the prayer by Pastor
Franz Schoschfarecz.
The congregation sang “Heart
and heart together are searching for Gods help…" after which the Hrastovac Pastor
Hellmut May held the Sermon.
More singing followed it, this
time by the church choir under the leadership of conductor Mr. Ebersold.
His Honour, Bishop Dr.
Philipp Popp, who came all the way from Zagreb, gave the blessings.
In the afternoon at 14h, the
whole congregation assembled in front of the old Bethaus (Prayer House) and from
there the procession went to the building grounds, singing heartily “Grosser
Gott, wir loben Dich!…”
The church inspector Bruno
Matern greeted the assembled, after which the prayer was read by Pastor
Gerhard May (the brother of the Hrastovac Pastor Hellmut May.)
The Bishop Dr. Philipp Popp
held his speech prior to the reading of the Church Building Document by the Church Inspector Bruno Matern.
More singing by the
congregation and a prayer by Pastor Erich Ellenberger. Followed with the
blessings by Senior von Tarczay.
“Nun danket alle Gott mit
Herzen Mund und Händen…”, was the song, which closed the ceremonies in the
afternoon, to be met again at 20h for an evening of festivities.
…………………
Bauurkunde (Building Document)
In the year of our Savior 1929,
on 26th of May, the Trinities Sunday, at the reign of S. M. King
Alexander I, during the time of Bishop Dr. Philipp Popp’s administration of the
Evangelical Lutheran Diocese A. B. and Andreas von Tarczay as Senior of the upper
Croatian District, the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Hrastovac is laying
the foundation stone for their church building during the rain of their Pastor
Hellmut May and the Church inspector Bruno Matern, the Church fathers Sebastian
Faul and Johann Fleisch, the Architeck as well as the project administrators Andreas Ellenberger, Konrad Gärtner, Heinrich Jung, Heinrich Kaiser, Johann Köhler, Johann
Lotz, Adam März, Andreas Müller, Johann Müller, Hans Müller, Heinrich Müller,
Peter Müller, Johann Reith and Johann Stickl. This stone was taken from the ruins
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Scharfenau next to Cilli, which was
destroyed on 21st of January 1600.
The settlers, who arrived here
in the year of 1865 from the Swabian Turkey, whose ancestors arrived there from
Hesse and Württemberg, transferred the marsh and jungle, which they found at
arrival through many hardships of epidemics, deprivations and sacrifices and made
this town their new home through their incredible hard working efforts. Today,
with much trust in God for a better future, they are building for themselves and
their neighbours a new House of God, under the supervision of the
Architect Ing. Leo Kalda and with the help of the Adolf Club after the loss of the
old Prayer House. This building is to be the home of the Gospel, God to honor and
for their own salvation.
“I will not die,
but live and praise the Gods works” – Psalm 118, 17.
……………………
It did not take a long while to build the church.
Already six months later, on the 17th of November 1929 the parish was
proudly celebrating the official opening of their church building.
This time again not only the
guests from the neighboring Lutheran communities were present but many dignitaries
too:
Bishop Dr. Philipp Popp;
Senior Andreas von Tarczay;
Senior Jakob Kettenbach from
Zemun, Banat;
Superitendet Tehophil Bayer
from Oberschuetzen/Austria, a former Hrastovac Pastor;
Church Inspector Bruno Watern;
Chruch Director Wilhelm
Ebersold from Zagreb;
Pastor Heinrich Zulauf,
former Hrastovac Pastor, now Pastor in Kalazno, Tolna;
Pastor Hermann Lagershausen
from Braunschweig;
Preacher Dully from Bastaji;
Pastor Gerhard May from Celje/Slovenia
(brother of Hrastovac Pastor Hellmuth May)
Architekt Ing. Leo Kalda;
As well as once again the
Königsberger Pousanen Choir from Königsberg.
………………..
The Hrastovac Evangelical
Lutheran Church became the Mother Church for the surrounding Lutheran
Congregations.
Alas, WWII was soon to follow
with all the atrocities directed specifically to the ethnic German communities.
The church bells were ringing often for a funeral, if not as a warning for the
approach of the Partisans.
By 1944 the life for our
Donauschwaben was not safe in that part of the world any more and the citizen were
ordered to abandon the village. Most of the villagers left in three different
convoys within months of each other, while the church bells kept ringing the sad
good-by.
With the expulsion of the
congregation not only the church life came to an end, the new inhabitants soon
transferred the church building first into a sheep stable and later in a
restaurant.
Hrastovac-Church-Photos
With thanks to
Ingrid Hensley for supplying the Church Consecration Documents and
Henry Fischer
for translating the poem.
Rosina T.
Schmidt
