Village of Katschmar / Katymár Homepage

Coordinator Comments.....

I grew up in Toronto always hearing stories of the village in Hungary where my dad and grandmother had been born. To them, it was a magical place – the place they called home.

My grandmother especially used to tell of the people who lived there (most of whom were relatives in one way or another!), the festivals, and the way of life. The best part for me were the delicious dishes she used to cook and which could not be duplicated by anyone. I only wish that I had paid more attention when she was trying to teach me how to make strudel!

But what was this village they called home. In German, it was known as Katschmar; in Hungarian, Kátymár. Like hundreds of other villages in the area of Hungary known as the Batschka, there were about 4,000 people living there at the height of its population; made up of an ethnic blend of Germans, Croatians and Hungarians.

My family dates back to around 1800 in this village, and many other German families also had ties that dated back that far.

Many left to emigrate to Canada and the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, while others did not emigrate until after WWII when all ethnic Germans were required to be “resettled” in Germany. This meant my grandmother who was alone with my dad had to take whatever they could carry and climb aboard a freight car to travel to a place which they had never seen, and to try to make a new life there. Thousands of others made the same journey.

In August 2003, I was fortunate enough to visit Katymar and to visit with my grandmother’s brother who still lived there. I'm glad I went to visit when I did as he passed away in February 2005. Anybody else seeing the village would say that it’s like many others, but to me, it is a very special place. I was finally able to bring to life the places that were always told to me in stories.

This website is dedicated to my children in the hopes that they will, one day, come to know the village of their ancestors, and understand how important it is that we do not forget these special people. Hopefully, we will find other Katymar relatives who can share their stories. If anyone has anything they would like to share, I’d love to hear from you.

Eileen Wilson