Rio de Janeiro scene, showing a two storey "Pension"
at the left rear, suggesting that Helene may have owned one like that after
1906 (picture courtesy Alessandra Walckiers Pierro of Rio).
The family legend about the ownership of a coal mine.
During a debriefing session, my then 93 year old cousin Ida Birman (née Zwierzina) said that "our family had owned a coal mine in Böhmisch Krumau, which was not sufficiently profitable to support the whole family, and that some of the owners - among them our great grandfather - had divested themselves of their share."
She returned to this topic once more when she said that "around 1910 there was some excitement among grandfather's daughters because there seemed to be a chance of getting some money from the distribution of the assets of a Zwierzina mine. But that the legal firm handling the distribution had told them that our branch of the family had broken off from these others far too back in time to have any claim." There were, unfortunately, no details known about the particular Zwierzina family involved, nor about the identity of the law firm nor about the exact timing of these procedings.
In an effort to substantiate the family legend told to me by cousin Ida Birman (née Zwierzina) that our family had at one time owned a coal mine, I have perused old Viennese City directories and government publications relative to the ministry of mining and smelting, and have in fact found several Zwierzina entries indicating that there were some people by that name who owned mines. There was, for example, an entry in Lehmann's address book of Vienna 1919 "Emil Zwierzina, Bergwerkbesitzer, IX (i.e. 9th district) Müllergasse 3". Another find to confirm that some Zwierzina was connected to a c0al mine is the certificate pictured below, which appeared in a catalogue for collectors of such old certificates. It is considered "rare" and was estimated to be worth 1,600 German Marks (in 2001). It brought in fact 2,100 Marks at the auction. Who needs coal? Just give me a suit case full of certificates.
Perhaps the most impressive indication that a Zwierzina was in fact into mining and other heavy industry endeavors is an article with nice pictures of what was at one time the "Zwierzina Mansion" in Opava, the Silesian capital.
The conclusion of this topic, at least for now, is that I have not been able to find any indication that any of the mine-owning Zwierzinas were related to us.fggdoc289
 |
 |
Krumau (German name) belonged to the poorer sub-mountain and border regions. In the 15th and 16th centuries mining started to develop and flourish in the region because of the silver deposits. After the precious metals diminished the mining activity also slowed down, but revived in the 19th century when "black lead" (graphite) started to be mined in the region.
Once a tiny fishing village on the northwestern delta of the Nile called Rhakotis until Alexander the Great of Macedon chose it as the site of the new capital of his empire. The building of the city was carried out by Ptolemi, one of Alexander's Lieutenants, who succeeded Alexander as King of Egypt. The new city became Egypt's capital in 320 B.C.
Helen Zwierzina's 1906 passage to Rio de Janeiro
Letter from Kriegsarchiv, Vienna, about Emo's school documentation.
| Information aboutCasino of Baden bei Wien obtained bei Erica Ulbing of Vienna from the Casino office in Vienna. They found an index card showing that Emil Zwierzina (Cptn), residing at Baden Sauerhofstr. 12, was employed 24 March 1944 by Casinos Austria (possibly not the Casion's name before 1945) with the job title of "Bac. Changeur". |
| It is not entirely clear what a Bac. Changeur is, and my telephone inquiries (on 19 Oct 1998) at the Casino Hull, Québec (772-2100) did not clear it up. The term is apparently not used today - at least not in Hull, where all their floor staff are called croupier. They say that Bac. could mean Baccarat. If taking the word out of the Casino context, changeur would mean cashier, teller, etc. in a wicket - where people buy, or cash in chips. |
|
| Emo stated in his application, to the Wehrbezirkskommando Wels, for an officer's position, that he attended after the war an officers' course for high school graduates at the Academy of Commerce, Vienna, Hamerlingplatz. |
 |
| Confirmed for me (via Erika Ulbing in June 1999) that according to Dr. Eder, Director of the school, Emo appears in the List of Students of the Handelsakademie, Wien 8, Hammerlingplatz as "Emil Zwierzina III. 1918/19". Individual documents that could have been photocopied could not be found. The Roman numerals (III-VIII) are believed to refer to "Externists" (earlier called "Privatists") who had to write examens of some sort. |
 |
Map segment showing locations of Sollenau and Wöllersdorf
Last changed 25 Jul 2007