Gonda Family from Drugethaza

Dear Maxim and forum friends,

My grandfather, Michal Gonda, emigrated to Australia in the 1950s from Germany. He was born in Drugethaza according to him, spoke Czech and considered himself Czech through and through. He had a brother called Andrej and his father was also called Andrej. His brother was apparently sent to an uncle in Vienna (we have no idea which side or even if this was an actual relative) and my grandfather was sent to Pelhmirov and Mislotin in what is now the Czech Republic (he always said for school but we have no evidence of this).

What we have evidence of is him being there in 1939 at the outbreak of war, in the form of German occupying police checks, which show him as holding a Hungarian passport issued in Prague in 1940. We also have a police report detailing his daring escape on a tractor and subsequent admittance to Allied Occupied Germany at the end of the war.

I recently went to Drugethaza (now Zarichovo) to try to find some information but it was very difficult. I am very keen to find some birth, marriage or death records of the family, particularly, his birth certificate, that of his parents and their marriage certificate. On some of the documents he is listed as Greek Catholic, on others not.

The particulars:
Michal Gonda
DOB 4th March 1922
Drugethaza/Zarici
Parents -
Andrej Gonda
Julie/Julia Gericz/Gerich/Gondova (various spellings on the documents)

Thank you everyone!
Jillian

Hi Jillian, thanks for your post. In fact, we have communicated in private and resolved your inquiry so I write this public reply for our readers.

I’ve reviewed documents sent, the translation that you’ve made is absolutely correct. Michal Gonda is born on 4.03.1922 in Drugethaza, RC, his parents are Andrej Gonda and Julia Gerich.

First of all, birth of Michal Gonda should by in civil records of Drugethaza/Zarichovo, so it may contain some information about his parents. This is what may be stated confidently.

Then, it depends a lot on information found. Andrej and Julia may originate from other village or city, also it depends on her rite. For example, there are a couple of pre-1895 Greek Catholic church books for Drugethaza but pre-1895 Roman Catholic church books are absent.

Please check your mail for my suggestions.