Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Where are Kozubs From?

It has been difficult for everyone to trace Dorothy Kozub's roots because her ancestors came from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. That means, different countries ruled the land they came from at different times. So in looking at census data, Dorothy's paternal grandparents (Alex and Irene) will say they were born in Austria one year and then Hungary another year and then Germany and then Czechoslovakia later on. The area they were from is now part of Poland.

With all the turmoil in that part of the world, it is a good thing that the Kozubs left and came to America!

Going off of a ship record found for Alex Kozub, we believe the Kozubs came from Zegiestow. In coming to America for the 2nd time, arriving at Ellis Island May 12, 1904, Alex says that he had just come from Zegiestow.  He says his ethnicity is "Ruthenian."

Alex Kozub's ship records in 1904, saying he had come from Zegiestow.



Before Zegiestow became part of neighboring countries Austria or Hungary or Germany or Czechoslovakia, it was part of a "country" called Galicia. Galicia was settled by people who came from Russia. They call themselves Ruthenians and they were Carpathian shepherds (they were shepherds in the Carpathian mountains), also called "Lemkos." Another name for the area is "Carpatho-Ukraine."


Galicia, or Ruthenia, was later controlled by neighboring countries.



As a side note, there was an early existence of a Greek-Catholic church in Galicia. That is consistent with the fact that the Kozubs list "Greek Catholic" on a couple of the records I have found.

My family history center guy, Les, showed me information found at www.carpatho-rusyn.org/new/112.htm:

Zegiestow, in the Nowy Sacz District, in present day SE Poland has this history:

Lemko Surnames cited by Krasovs'kyj from 1787 Austrian Cadastral Records:
29 Surnames are listed. Number nine is the name "Kozub" and it says 3 families have that name.



In other words, YES, there were Kozubs living in Zegiestow. So it is another proof that Alex did in fact come from Zegiestow.

Les, my family history center guy, has been ordering in microfilms from Greek Catholic churches in Zegiestow and in surrounding areas, hoping to find a record of Alex Kozub's birth. So far, we have been unsuccessful and we are out of ideas. (Okay, I admit I never had any ideas of my own.) We were hoping that in finding Alex's birth records, we would find his parents.

Zegiestow is in the administration district of Nowy Sacz in the judicial district of Muszyna.

Today, Zegiestow is a spa town in Poland. Google it and see how beautiful it is!

Anyway, there is much to research on this part of the world. I have just skimmed the surface and I'm not sure if I got all my details right. 

Check out www.carpatho-rusyn.org and www.lemko.org! (I plan to take more time to read everything there myself!)

Here is something interesting I just read at www.lemko.org:

After the World War II - pursuant to the idea of transforming Poland from a multi- into a mono-national state - the Lemko minority was sentenced to extinction, and, as the first stage, the decision was made, in concert with the Soviet authorities, to displace them to Ukraine (1945-1946). In spring 1947, the remaining Lemkos (app. 40 thousand) were ruthlessly deported to the Regained Territories in the west, and scattered around to avoid the settlement of any larger groups. Those who tried to resist were imprisoned at the Jaworzno camp ("the Vistula River" Operation). After 1956, some short lasting opportunities emerged to return to the mother lands, unfortunately known to very few. Not many Lemkos returned. Their houses and farms did not exist or were occupied by Polish settlers. Orthodox churches were either devastated or demolished. Some villages disappeared from the map... 


1 comment:

  1. Hello - my paternal grandmother was born in Zegiestow - I have been there. I am Carpatho-Rusyn and have some Kozub cousins. Please contact me if you want to compare notes.
    MG

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