Alexander Krischan

Alexander Krischan (born February 25, 1921 in Žombolj ( German  Hatzfeld ), Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes ; † June 21, 2009 in Vienna ) was a German historian and bibliographer .

Life

Adolescence and study time

Alexander Krischan attended elementary school and high school in Jimbolia . Middle school studies were continued at the Loga Lyceum in Timișoara . During the years 1937 to 1940 Krischan was a student at the piano school of Prof. Elise Andrée in Timișoara. His colleague was the later famous Banat organist Josef Gerstenengst .

After graduating from high school in June 1940, Krischan performed specialist student service in the cultural department of the German National Community in Timișoara. The cultural center also made contact with the German Scientific Institute, Bucharest . Krischan went to Vienna in spring 1941 and enrolled at the Vienna University of Economics and Business with a VDA scholarship . In the summer of 1942 he completed the four-semester course of the “Southeast Course of the Central European Business Conference in Berlin for the Training of Young Entrepreneurs for Southeast Europe at the University of World Trade in Vienna” with a diploma. One year later he submitted his diploma thesis “The settlement of Germans in the Banat under Maria Theresa. Economic Geographical Studies ”at the University of Economics and Business.

In 1943 Krischan was assigned to a department of the Foreign Office as a scientific officer. The office was relocated to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Lambrecht ( Styria ) at the end of 1944 and was continued by the Documents Section of the British occupying forces after the end of the war . After the British agency was closed in 1946, where Krischan continued to work, he was imprisoned in the UK for a year. After his release, Krischan was an agricultural worker in St. Lambrecht Abbey. As a result, studies were resumed in Vienna. In spring 1948, the graduation took place as a graduate economist , the end of 1948 approval of the doctoral thesis "Austria's foreign trade with the Southeast countries by the global economic crisis to break 1930-1938." In summer 1950, the promotion of Krischan doctorate rer. pole. of economics.

Professional background

In 1949, before completing his studies, Krischan started working for the successor company of IG Farbenindustrie AG, a representative in Vienna, of the Hoechst Group. In connection with his professional activity in a leading position, he traveled extensively in the eastern countries ( Poland , Russia , Bulgaria , etc.). For years the most frequent trips were to Hungary and Romania . Two extended trips should be particularly emphasized here: In 1964 there was a three-week study trip to the USA and Canada (in particular New York , Washington , Philadelphia , Detroit , Wilmington , Toronto ). Another ten-day trip was made in 1979 to the People's Republic of China for business talks in Beijing , Shanghai and Hong Kong as a member of an Austrian business delegation headed by the Austrian Minister of Commerce and Vice Chancellor Dr. Fritz Bock .

Source research on the history of the Banat

Krischan's interest in the history of his homeland was aroused as a high school student when he became acquainted with documents from the abandoned archives of the count family Csekonics (former manor in Hatzfeld ). After graduating from high school, Krischan performed specialist student service in the cultural office of the People's Community of Germans in Romania in the German House in Timișoara . His acquaintance with the works of Böhm, Hoffmann, Juhász, Milleker, Schwicker and Wettel in the holdings of the library there aroused his interest in the history of the Banat . The study of Hermann Hienz's bibliography should be essential for this interest. It was a key experience and made a decisive contribution to the fact that he could not get away from a “Banat Bibliography” project, as there was nothing similar about the literature of the Banat.

First he dealt with the medieval history of his home community, which was first mentioned in the papal tithe registers in 1332/33. The article was forwarded to the “German Research in Hungary”, Budapest , and appeared in 1942. After he moved to Vienna, the rich holdings of the Court Chamber Archives in particular had a strong appeal to him. As a 20-year-old student, he began doing archival research. Special mention should be made of Maria Theresa's colonization patent, published for the first time and critically examined, from 1763 after the end of the Seven Years' War , which was published in the "German Archives for Regional and People's Research", Leipzig , 1943 (Prof. Meynen).

A fresh start could be made during the 1950s when he began to travel to the south-east for business. This activity should last for years. Here he now had the opportunity to look at the material available in Budapest and Bucharest, especially the non-borrowable periodicals.

From the Südostdeutschen Kulturwerk in 1969 and 1987 the books "The 'Temesvarer Zeitung' as a Banat historical source 1852-1941", "The German periodical literature of the Banat 1771-1971" and in 2000 "Archival sources on the history of the Banat, instructions, memoranda, Patents, Contracts 1695–1873 ”.

The commemorative publication “Banatica”, published by the Association of Banat Swabians in Austria, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, contains contributions by 34 authors. The bibliographer, cultural monograph and historian Dr. Alexander Krischan is counted among the most important Banat researchers of our time. Dr. Krischan has set up an extensive private archive that includes almost all areas of the Banat literature, with the Banat Bibliography 1514–1965 consisting of 20,000 index sheets deserving mention. The range of topics extends from bibliography , cartography , historiography , balneology to local and settlement history, biography , place names and clan studies to printing and the press.

Memberships

• Board member of the Society for the Chemical Industry, Vienna (1954)
• Board member (later member of the board of trustees) of the Danube European Institute, Organization for International Economic Relations, Vienna (1957)
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft, Munich, as representative of Hoechst AG Frankfurt (1963)
• Member of the Economic Policy Committee of the German Chamber of Commerce in Austria, Vienna (1967)
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal College for the Chemical Industry, Vienna (1970)
• Chairman of the Society for the Chemical Industry, Vienna (1971)
• Vice President of the Chemical Industry Society, Vienna (1977)
• Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the German Chamber of Commerce in Austria (1978)

Appreciations and awards

• Silver medal awarded for special services to the German Chamber of Commerce in Austria (1976)
• Medal of Honor of the Danube European Institute in recognition of special merits (1977)
• Honorary certificate from the Chamber for Workers and Salaried Employees in Vienna for 45 years of work in the service of the Austrian economy (1980)
• Silver medal from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce for 50 years of professional activity at Hoechst (1980)
• Medal of Honor of the Society for the Chemical Industry in recognition of services to society (1980)
• Award of the Golden Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria by the Federal President Dr. Rudolf Kirchschläger in the Vienna Hofburg (1980)
• Awarded the golden doctoral diploma from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (1998)

Publications

Independent publications

• Settlement of Germans in the Banat under Maria Theresa 1763–1773. Economic geography studies. Vienna 1943. 62 p. Typescript (diploma thesis; Vienna University of Economics and Business)
• Austria's foreign trade with the south-east countries from the Great Depression to the upheaval 1930–1938. Vienna 1948. 191 pp. Typescript (dissertation; Vienna University of Economics and Business)
• The development of the German tar paint industry. Vienna 1954. 55 p. (SA from: Practical Chemistry)
• Bibliography of IG Farben unbundling. Darmstadt 1957. XVI, 65 pp.
• The "Temeswarer Zeitung" as a Banat historical source (1852–1949). Munich 1969. 160 p. (Publications of the Südostdeutschen Kulturwerk, Series B, Vol. 24)
• 200 years of Hatzfeld in the Banat (1766–1966). A bibliography. Stuttgart 1972. 53 p. (Danube Swabian literature, no. 17)
• Supplements to the Hatzfeld bibliography (1967–1983). Vienna 1985. 16 p. Typescript
• The German periodical literature of the Banat. Newspapers, magazines, calendars 1771–1971. Bibliography. Munich 1987. 142 pp. (Publications of the Südostdeutschen Kulturwerk, Series B, Vol. 46)
• German contributions to the Banat historiography 1860–1980. Bio-bibliographic sketches. Freiburg 1993. 144 p. (SA from Banatica. Contributions to German culture, born 1989–1993; see B24-B33)
• Collected contributions to the cultural history of the Banat 1942–1996. Vol. I: Treatises; Vol. 2: Reviews, anniversaries, honors, varia. Vienna 1996. 403, 275 pp.
• Banat research as a task. Extract from the complete works. Edited by Horst Fassel . Munich 1999. 383 p. (Banater Library, Vol. 7) [contains B18, B20, B24-B33, B13]

Articles in magazines and edited volumes

• From Chumbul to Hatzfeld 1333–1766. On the older history of a large German Banat community, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn (Budapest), 7th year (1942), no. 1–2, pp. 34–47; also in: Anton Peter Petri (Red.): Home book of the little heather town Hatzfeld in the Banat. Marquartstein 1991. pp. 40-45
• Where does the name "Landestreu" come from? Critical consideration of the history of place names in Deutschbanater, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn (Budapest), 7th year (1942), no. 1–2, pp. 151–153; also in: Anton Peter Petri (Red.): Home book of the little heather town Hatzfeld in the Banat. Marquartstein 1991. pp. 556-558
• Letters to recruit colonists for the community of Hatzfeld in the Banat, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn (Budapest), 7th year (1942), vol. 3–4, pp. 272–288
• Pastor Sebastian Blenckner's colonist train into the Banat. A contribution to the history of the community of Hatzfeld, in: German Research in the Southeast (Hermannstadt), 1st year (1942), no. 3, pp. 443–457
• The residents of Hatzfeld in 1767, in: German research in the southeast (Hermannstadt), 1st year (1942), no. 4, pp. 641–647; also in: Anton Peter Petri (Red.): Home book of the little heather town Hatzfeld in the Banat. Marquartstein 1991. pp. 58-64
• The first settlers from Hatzfeld. A contribution to the German settlement history of the Banate, in: Adler. Monthly journal on family research in the Ostmark (Vienna), 5th year (1943), pp. 143-147; also in: Emmerich Henz: Familienbuch Hatzfeld. The first 100 years in the mirror of the registers of the Roman Catholic. Parish church (Hatzfeld, Klari, Tschene, Ketscha, German Zerne and stately domains) 1766–1866. Rheda-Wiedenbrück 1998. Unpag.
• What a colonists letter from Hatzfeld tells us, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn (Budapest), 8th year (1943), no. 1, pp. 73-75
• Maria Theresa's colonization patent from February 25, 1763 as a contribution to the settlement history of the old Hungarian region, in: German Archive for Regional and Folk Research (Leipzig), 7th year (1943), H. 1–2, pp. 99–104
• Bibliographical contributions to the history of German settlements in the Banat, in: German research in the southeast (Hermannstadt), 3rd year (1944), no. 2, pp. 316–343
• Handwritten sources on the history of the Banat in the Vienna War Archives, in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 2nd year (1959), 2nd half volume, pp. 186–190
• Banatica in the Apponyi Collection of the Hungarian National Museum, in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 4th year (1961), pp. 117–122
• The history of place names from Hatzfeld in the Banat, in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 5th year (1962), pp. 197-200; in abbreviated form also in: Anton Peter Petri (Red.): Heimatbuch des Heidestädtchen Hatzfeld im Banat. Marquartstein 1991. pp. 558-560
• Banat maps in the Vienna War Archives (1686–1900), in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 6th year (1963), pp. 115–166
• Contributions to the Banat Bibliography. Series of articles “Neuer Weg” 1949–1964, in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 8th year (1965), pp. 178–190
• The fate of the Banat 1918/20 in the mirror of literature, in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 10th year (1967), pp. 210–233
• Dissertations on the Banat 1897–1967. Bibliographical contributions, in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), 13th year (1970), pp. 203-221
• The oldest Banat printed matter from 1771. An important find in the Budapest Ráday Library, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn, 8th year (1943), no. 2-4 (Munich 1980), pp. 260-263
• Franz Griselini - first historiographer of the Banat. From Venice to Timisoara anno 1774, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn, 8th year (1943), H. 2-4 (Munich 1980), P. 127-186
• Peter Jung's literary estate in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, in: Contributions to German Culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 1st year (1984), no. 3, pp. 91–94; also in: Südostdeutsches Archiv (Munich), Vol. 26/27 (1983/84), pp. 165–168
• Karl Friedrich Anton Count von Hatzfeld and Gleichen (1718–1793). Namesake of the community Hatzfeld in the Banat, in: Deutsche Forschungen in Ungarn, 9th year (1944), H. 1–4 (Munich 1985), pp. 92–118; in abbreviated form also in: Anton Peter Petri (Red.): Heimatbuch des Heidestädtchen Hatzfeld im Banat. Marquartstein 1991. pp. 554-556
• Thoughts on the 65th birthday (February 25, 1986), in: Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 3rd year (1986), no. 1, pp. 63–68
• Bibliography of newspaper articles by Peter Jungs 1920–1957, in: Contributions to German Culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 4th year (1987), H. 3–4, pp. 5–16
• Banat balneological literature (1757–1944), in: Anton Peter Petri: Contributions to the history of healing in the Banat. Marquartstein 1988, pp. 520-531
• Leo Hoffmann and his publications on the history of the Banat (1919–1938), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 6th year (1989), no. 3, pp. 38-46
• Adalbert Schiff and his publications on the history of the Banat (1922–1948), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 6th year (1989), no. 4, pp. 38-47
• Dr. Ludwig Baróti-Grünn and his publications on the history of the Banat (1888–1916), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.). 7th vol. (1990), H. 1, pp. 36-43
• Dr. Georg Reiser and his publications on the history of the Banat (1936–1941), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 7th year (1990), no. 2, pp. 41-45
• Dr. Koloman Juhász and his publications on the history of the Banat (1914–1964), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 7th year (1990), no. 3, pp. 40-54
• Dr. Theodor Ortvay-Orthmayr and his publications on the history of the Banat (1869–1914), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 7th year (1990), no. 4, pp. 40-52
• Dr. Johann Heinrich Schwicker and his publications on the history of the Banat (1860–1902), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 8th year, (1991), no. 1, pp. 45-52; H. 2, pp. 40-48
• Leonhard Böhm and his publications on the history of the Banat (1860–1916), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 8th year (1991), no. 4, pp. 24-36
• Franz Wettel and his publications on the history of the Banat (1880–1938), in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 9th year (1993), no. 2, pp. 26-50
• Publications on the history of the Banat. Review and Outlook, in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Freiburg i. Br.), 10th year (1993), no. 1, pp. 15-43
• The oldest Banat calendar. "Timisoara old and new writing calendar for the year 1773", in: Banatica. Contributions to German culture (Munich), 12th year (1995), no. 3, pp. 57-60
• Source research on the history of the Banat [memory sketch], in: Südostdeutsche Vierteljahresblätter (Munich), vol. 45 (1996), no. 1, pp. 57–59
• Pelbartus de Themeswar. Contribution to the history of medieval Banat literature, in: Transylvanian Revue, Vol. 14 (2005), No. 2, pp. 3–12; in rum. Translation also in: Dictionar al Scriitorilor din Banat. Timișoara 2005. pp. 579-581
• The Banat - Imperial Province in the Southeast 1718–1778, in Hans Dama (Hrsg.): Austria and the Banater Swabians. Festschrift. Vienna 2005, pp. 33–46.

literature

• On the death of Banat researcher Dr. Alexander Krischan, Hans Dama, June 2009
• List of publications by Dr. Alexander Krischan, Walter Tonta

Web links

• Database of the Berlin State Library
• German periodical literature of the Banat The free library
• Temesvar newspaper as a Banat historical source The free library

Individual proof

1. ↑ On the death of the Banat researcher Dr. Alexander Krischan, necrology by Hans Dama, July 11, 2009