The second Peterswalder Heimattreffen on June 21, 1959 in Hainstadt am Main

Sponsorship over Peterswald

On June 21, 1959, 700 former inhabitants of the Sudeten German community of Peterswald accepted the invitation to the large Heimattreffen in Hainstadt. They came from all areas of the Federal territory, some even from adjacent East German areas. The Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft in Hainstadt had taken over the patronage over this large meeting.

The festival program was initiated with a photo lecture about Peterswald and Aussig.

The next morning they met at the Hainstädter Ehrenmal in the cemetery for a memorial service. Prelate Hauser and Mr. Franz Ritschel commemorated the dead and fallen of the former homeland. Mr. Ritschel put down a wreath at the war memorial. Musikvoträge the music society “Eintracht” and songs of the BvD singing group framed the ceremony.

At the official opening of the meeting in the sports hall, Mr. Ritschel welcomed the BvD district association chairman Dr. Ing. Doranth (Offenbach), mayor Böhn and the municipal council and the municipal council. His thanks were to the parish council, which provided all help and support during the 14 years of the Hainstädter Volksgruppe from Peterswald.

Mayor Böhn greeted the large Peterswald community in the name of the parish council and expressed his joy that these homeland-displaced citizens had just come together in Hainstadt. He pointed out that the Hainstädter community parliament after unanimous decision the sponsorship for the place Peterswald in the district Aussig took over.

The Mayor recalled the time more than twelve years ago, when 1,000 displaced people found a second home in Hainstadt. By the accommodating of the old citizens and the provision of building sites succeeded to bridge the first housing shortage. As a particularly pleasing fact, Mr. Böhn pointed out that 75 percent of the new buildings in the municipality Hainstadt were created by expellees. With the construction of their homes, it was precisely the expellees who helped to alleviate the housing shortage in Hainstadt. Also two Peterswalder would have established in Hainstadt industrial enterprises, which occupy a number of old and new citizens.

Mr. Ritschel thanked for taking over the sponsorship and the support of the community. As a gift of remembrance, he presented Hainstadt’s mayor with a leather-bounded local chronicle of Peterswald.

District association chairman dr. Doranth delivered the greetings of the BvD district association, the Sudetendeutschen Landsmannschaft and the Aussiger district council. He described the great home-gathering as a new proof of the life of the Sudeten German ethnic group and as a closed confession of self-determination and the former homeland. Under the direction of teacher Schuller the BvD singing group sang Heimatlieder. Miss Helga Hiebsch surprised with poetry lectures.

THE PETERSWALDER THANKS  !

June 24 and 25, 1959

On the 24th and 25th of June, the second home meeting of the Peterswa! More than 800 friends from the homeland came together this year, proof of how well the Peterswalders liked it here in 1959. For us all who were there were unforgettable hours. One heard the familiar familiar dialect again, saw faces that one often no longer recognized. Many hundreds of people were like a single family. What joy, when I recognized a since 1945 not seen youth friend!

In past happy times, we were set back by the photo lecture on Peterswald, the spiritual council Johann Stiel held. The morning party on the Ehrenma was especially moving. of the Hainstädter cemetery, where our pastor Roman Endtrich gave the commemoration speech. When the friends of the family Franz Ritschel and Heinz Wolf laid down a wreath to commemorate our dead and the Hainstädter Musikkapelle played the song of their good comrade, many eyes became wet. The church in Hainstadt, in which Archdean Stiel held the High Mass, was packed.

The beautiful day sounded like a cozy get-together. There was a lot to tell. It was laughed and joked, but also wistful memories were exchanged.

When we look back, we scarcely realize what a tremendous amount of preparatory work was done to succeed in this festival. Especially the Peterswaldern, at the top the Mr. Franz Ritschel and Heinz Wolf deserve our sincere thanks! Thanks also to all those who have often hurry from far to their godfather city to show that the Peterswalder still stick together in foreign countries and stand together like a real family!