Genealogy /
Manko, Federowicz, Baszczek, Zatwarnicka. Family history mystery. [36]
Dear Sir.
Your ancestors all seem to be originating from a region located in the extreme south-eastern Poland and present whose name is Bieszczady.
From 1772 until 1919 this area was within the province "Galicia" which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The language that most people there spoke was the Ruthenian language is a language close to Ukrainian. Most people were Greek Catholics. The languages used by the authorities were German and Polish. The Poles, because the nobility, who were great landowners Landlords were Polish and that since before 1772. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century this area was densely inhabited mainly by small farmers. Today it is the least populated region of Europe.
During the last quarter of the nineteenth century and juqu'au beginning of the First World War, there was a mass emigration of the population, especially to the USA and especially to Pennsylvania. The locals were very poor and the land could no longer feed the people. Démacheurs of Americans came to recruit workers. They were mostly workers for the coal and steel.
These canvassers lent them money for the trip. At least one quarter of the population left for the U.S. and many never returned.
After the First World War the region was awarded to Poland. Between 1944 and 1946 much of the population was deported to Ukraine. In 1947, the remnants of the Greco-Catholic population was expelled by the Polish Army to the areas reclaimed from Germany. That is why the region is now desert.
The last three years, three times I visited this area and I made many photos which Polana. There is also a village named Zatwarnica near Polana and I'm sure some of your ancestors were originally from there.
