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Finally, a definitive
location where they
could settle and live
was assigned to them six
kilometers to the south,
consisting of those
parcels of land that
were combined together
for this purpose plus a
small section of another
and was given the name
Nova Pasova. But things
would not go well for
the settlers for very
long. The unfamiliar
climate took its toll.
In the second half of
October 1791 three
adults and three
children from among the
small group of sixty
families died.
Alongside the health
hazards another dark
cloud hung over the
settlement. Early in
the summer of 1791
Bishop Matthew
Franciscus Krtica of
Djakovo, in whose
diocese the new
settlement was being
established raised
complaints in Varsadin.
He pointed out that the
people were adherents of
the Augsburg Confession
(Lutherans) and if they
were tolerated their
teachers could easily
enter the entire
province and the entire
northern region up to
the border. He appealed
to a law passed that
same year forbidding
adherents of the
Augsburg and
Helvetic
(Swiss) Confessions to
settle in Dalmatia,
Croatia and Slavonia
with the exception of
Lower Slavonia. The
issue was brought
forward in Zagreb
addressed to the Ban,
Johannes Erdödy, the
governor of the region
and sent on to the
Government Chancellery
in Ofen (Buda) and
eventually reached
Vienna. In the end, the
ordinances of the past
prevailed and no
guarantees were given
for the future. During
the times that followed
the people were often
threatened with
expulsion. It was only
as a result of the
Austrian and Italian War
of 1850 that Austria put
forward a toleration
clause in the new
Constitution and things
got better for the
Protestant settlers.
What the people had to
endure to maintain their
spiritual life and faith
is a subject that needs
to be addressed
elsewhere, here we
simply mention it to
note that they did not
enjoy the same
favorable situation
that the Protestants in
the Batschka received.
In the State plan of
the village it was to
have had four streets
that intersected at the
centre. “In the very
early years of
settlement and following
the constant rains a
virtual lake was created
around the village to
such an extent that the
western section became
totally uninhabitable so
that the fourth street
that faced the east had
to be abandoned because
the majority of the
houses that were built
there were under water
and later caved in.”
The houses on the street
were later rebuilt after
applying landfill to the
house lots and the
section from the church
to the small lane (Gasslein)
that begins at the
cemetery as far as the
orphanage was given the
name: Wassergasse
(Water Street). Shortly
before the turn of the
century the section was
given the name Zottelgasse.
For as long as
we were there it was
commonplace for people
to catch fish from
behind their houses.
Ten years of freedom
from paying taxes was
also granted but once
the time lapsed they
were responsible to pay
back the cost of their
houses and the other
costs involved in their
settlement to the State
which was fully
accomplished by 1807.
A small church was
built quite early but by
the 1830s it was far too
small as well as badly
in need of repairs.
Finally in 1837 there
was agreement for the
expansion and
construction of a larger
church beginning with
the building of a tower
that would befit the
proportions of the much
larger new prospective
church. Because the
construction costs would
be covered by the State
Ministry of Finance the
plan was forwarded to
Vienna to the
appropriate officials.
In one year’s time the
plan was returned due to
a flaw with regard to
the prospective tower
that did not appear to
be suitable and in
conformity to the
architecture of the
church. A new plan had
to be made and sent
back. The plan simply
sat there in Vienna for
four years despite
frequent inquiries.
This was at a time when
a great degree of
hostility and
intolerance was directed
against the Lutherans.
Finally in 1842 word was
received: “His Imperial
Majesty has signified
his gracious pleasure
and acceptance of the
report of the approval
of the Imperial Royal
War Office of February
28th of this year to the
request of the Lutheran
congregation of Nova Pasova to build their
Bethaus (Prayer House)
along with a sacristy in
addition to a clock
tower.”
Finally the
construction contract
could be awarded but the
approval by the Border
Regiment for that
purpose was only
received in December.
In the spring of 1843
the construction began
and the rather simple
tower was completed in
1844 after almost ten
years of effort on the
part of the
congregation.
The above information
comes from an excerpt
from, “Samuel Schuhmacher, a Herald of
the Youth Organization
of the Christian
Endeavour Society among
the Danube Swabians,” by
Friedrich Renz.
The following is a
synopsis of the
statistical information
given on page seven
based on the situation
on the day of the Flight
on October 6, 1944:
1,153 Houses
5,880
Inhabitants
5,812 German
Lutherans
11 German
Roman Catholics
31 Croats
5 Slovaks
1 Serb
2 Czechs
18 Gypsies
Second World War
losses up to October 6,
1944
124 Men
[Published at DVHH.org 18 Aug 2009]
Next:
The
Military Administration of
Alt-Pasua, Neu-Pasua and Woika; A
Footnote; Peterwardein Border
Regiment Nr 9/10 Company
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Neu-Pasua
A Short Homeland
Book
By Mathias Huber
Translated by Henry Fischer
Edited by Rose Vetter
Syrmia
Coordinator:
Eve Brown
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