Across this vast and remote land of North Western and Eastern Victoria, to the well known Barossa Valley and other country areas of South Australia, there is a strong representation of the group of people who identify themselves as Wends from Silesia and Lusatia; although Australians rather describe them as the 'old German immigrants'. I have met a number of them and upon learning their names and their Windisch background, they tell me they are not really German, but rather Windisch or Wends or Veneti from Germany or Austria. At once there is a warmth between us, perhaps due to our historical connection.
Last year I met with Fr. Ivan Tomazic at the Slovenian World Congress meeting in Tinje, Austria, who is the co-author of the books on history: "Veneti - First Builders of European Community". Since then I have read the book on Slovenian Venetian background and studied this well documented theory about 'Veneti' with great interest.
Ivan Tomazic states: "My intention is to present in a clear and accessible manner, important evidence showing that we Slovenes are a people rooted in central Europe since time immemorable. We created our own social system, and the first form of statehood before the Roman times (Noric Kingdom). We re-established them in the Middle Ages, and we have maintained the same foundation of social and judicial organisation in the tradition of our village community up to modern times..."
The Veneti - In the region extending from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic, the Po River region and further south into Apennines, numerous Slovene or Slavic names aroused the attention of linguists and other researchers during the last century...archaeologists have shown that the bearers of the Urnfield culture came from Lusatia and were, according to research, Proto-Slavic Veneti or Wends. (*3, page 72)
...Polish science gives its attention in further studies predominantly to the area of present Poland and neighbour regions.... and have confirmed two fundamental points:
The ruins of the fortified settlements in the area of Lusatian culture show that its bearers possessed a strong military organisation and often battled with neighbouring Scythian and Germanic tribes...." (*3, page 78)
I came across many more articles and also met such people as a living example of our common history. But, this well proven theory has been ignored and even denied by the official Slovenian and European historians. One must understand that no current nation in Europe would like to acknowledge that within their borders, their population does not consist entirely of their original indigenous people. Many European countries hold a large population of old Venetic culture.
...The School of Gustav Kossinna "lex kossinna" has a profound influence not only on ensuing German historiography, but on European history-writing in general. According to Kossinna school, ancestors of the Germans were the Indo-Germanic people from Indo-European background. Only the Celts, Romans, and Germanic people were seen as bearers of European culture. Slavs, on the other hand, who came out of the Pripet swamps in the 6th century, and consequently were at a low level of civilisation, could have adopted their culture only from the central-European culture-bearers. Under the pretext of bringing culture and progress to the "unhistorical, primitive" Slavs, the Germans justified their nationalistic eastward expansion and the so-called bridge to the Adriatic...(*3, page 73)
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Recently I shared the book "Veneti" with a local and a much respected pastor Mr. Noel Uebergang, who displayed great interest about the Wendish history. He introduced me to the Holy Bible in their original language and also to his well documented family history which was compiled in detail in the following books: "Mirtschin (Mercin) Family in Australia from 1851 - 1990" and "A Little Leaven The Peucker History" from 1853 - 1984. These great and well known families have openly and proudly professed the cultural and historical background of their Wendish culture. Such historical texts have inspired and amazed me as I have developed an awareness of these "little group of strangers in this very strange land".
Noel's great great grandfather, Johann Mirtschin, with his family was one of the vast number of pioneer families from Tabor and Gnadenthal in Western Victoria who were considered to be German, but who were in fact Wendish of the Slavic race, also called Sorbs. Johann was born into a very different community, in the village of Steindorfel in 1809 in what was the Kingdom of Saxony, who married Maria Gude in Saxony. They made their home in Doehlen by the river Spree, the ancient hiding ground of the Wends in times of war. The political turmoil throughout Europe had an impact on Saxony during the occupation of Napoleon and his forces. The instability of the political scene lasted into 1840's and combined with some dissatisfaction with the church scene, poor harvests over successive drought seasons and subsequent lack of sufficient food and depression times, all led to the longing for a more peaceful existence in Australia.
Saxony was a kingdom with everything officially done in German. The Sorbs-Wends were an ethnic minority and not all could speak German well. Place names had their official German names but also their Wendish names. Johann Mirtschin was known back home as Jan Mercin.
Wends were a very superstitious people who prized personal freedom. Crimes against the individual, family or tribe were severely punished. The marriage bond was held sacred among them. Often called 'stubborn' the Wends were tenacious people who defended themselves at all costs. Once converted to Christianity they displayed a warm hearted faith and intense religious feeling, persevering and imparting their faith to their children regardless of cost or effort. The Wends were hardy, stocky and strong-boned people. Most have wavy brown hair. They have a great capacity to endure pain and hardship. They were not easily discouraged and their determination grew in the face of opposition. They loved trees, art and singing. A deep-feeling people, their loyalty was not lightly withdrawn once given. They were energetic and ambitious; a mystical people, they leaned readily towards spiritualism and prophesies. They raised large families and lived long lives...
In 1848 there were political uprisings throughout the German States. The Wends rejoiced when they saw the end of the feudal system. Their flag was shown for the first time at the pan-Slavic congress, which was held in 1848 in Prague. In Saxony, the Wends presented a petition to the Royal Saxon Assembly. These requests for recognition did not get a very favourable reaction and only a few were met. Their joy was short-lived when they found that the land they wished to till was expensive. Unemployment was wide spread. In 1849 there was an uprising in Dresden, the capital of Saxony, and Prussian troops were to be brought in.
Jan and Maria Mercin had good reasons to emigrate to Australia. The barge 'Helene' with a group of Sorbs finally left Hamburg on 19 August 1851. There was a strong bond within their culture and against the Germans. Together the travellers found comfort in singing their precious hymns when they needed to be reminded of God's sustaining grace. The barge 'Helene' arrived in Port Adelaide on Christmas Eve 1851 after being on board for some 16 weeks. Johann and Maria with their three surviving children (two died at sea) travelled to Rosenthal where there were other Sorbs and Wends living around Lyndoch in Barossa Valley. A year later they had moved to Portland with enthusiasm after the exploration party had returned. Portland was a desirable place for newly arrived immigrants of any nationality to settle, for the town economy was severely depressed. The paper 'Guardian' reported: "Come, good Germans, come and cultivate our lands and grind our cornu They were in fact expecting 300 German families, but were disappointed at the arrival of 11 wagons and families only. The Mercin family finally established themselves and built their home in Gnadenthal in the times of the gold rush in Victoria around Ballarat area. "Gnadenthal", meaning "The Valley of Grace" was the name given to their new little community in Australia. The early years at Gnadenthal were busy and most difficult for Johann and Maria's families and their neighbours. But this Sorb-Wendish community was close-knit. Most of the families had known each other before emigrating, some were even related. They were bound together by their cultural identity, which gradually disappeared, their longing for a better life and their old Lutheran faith. Jan and Maria Mercin had 13 children and of their seven surviving children, five married Sorbs. The Mirtschin family could look back over an incredible journey through life across continents, through joys and sorrows in the company of faithful friends and fellow-believers...
The words "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord" which appeared in the death notice for Johann in 1878, apply equally to the matriarch and patriarch of the Mirtschin family in Australia... (*1,pages 10-12)
...The origin of the Peucker family also reaches back to Silesia (Prussia), where Edward was born in the year 1791 in Kowary and died 1876 in Berlin. Name Peuker means 'baker' in English (in Slovenian 'Pekar') and is a Wendish name. When the first of the Peukers arrived in Australia, gold mining was in full swing in the Victorian Ballarat area. The Wendish group from South Australia travelled via Mount Gambier to Portland, then further to Tabor, Gnadental and Penhurst. The Victorian government welcomed the influx of these good-working 'Germans' and gave them financial assistance for land, for their churches and schools and even paid allowances for pastors and teachers. In 1871 the Wimmera was opened up for settlement and many immigrants took advantage of this Victorian Selection Act. The Peuker story in Australia has its cradle around Warrnambool and it spread throughout Western district of Victoria, Wimmera, to north eastern Victoria and the Riverina and, even further, to Perth and Qld.
Life wasn't all rosy for the New Australians. Apart from the long hours of toil, the primitive equipment and the lack of education, it was still better then back in Prussia. They reminded themselves again and again of the hardship they faced in the old country. They put their backs behind the plough, built churches and thanked God for their new lot in life...(*2, pages 10 -11)
"By the singleness of purpose, their hard work, and perhaps most of all the revealing of God's grace in their lives, this Sorbian/Wendish families had flourished. A little group of strangers in a very strange land." (*1,page 16)
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Reference: Information in this article was collected, and some transcripts were taken from the following books: