Researching Bohemian-German Settlers in Bukovina

Glass makers from the Prachiner Kreis in Bohemia found jobs at Lubaczów in the 1780’s. When production slowed down at the end of that century, many of the Bohemian workers were able to find work at the new “Krasna Glassworks” by Althütte in Bukovina. At the beginning of the 19th century, the glassworks at Putna (Karlsberg) and Fürstenthal were also populated by Bohemians from the Prachiner Kreis. Thirty years later, the Bohemian settlements of Lichtenberg, Bori, Pojana Mikuli and Schwarzthal were also populated with settlers from the Prachiner Kreis.

Bohemian German Settlers in Bukovina


German-Bohemian Research requires knowledge of the current Czech Names of Bohemian places that were often commonly only known by their German names. Here are some helpful links for Researchers.

Wikipedia list of German exonyms for places in the Czech Republic

Gazetteer Encyclopedia of Austria-Hungary – Information on place names utilized before World War I

Mapy.cz – Online Czech Map with 19th Century Map Option using place names utilized before World War I

Disappeared places and objects


Catholic Family Tree research in the Czech Republic will require knowledge of the name of the town or village where the person lived. It will also require the researcher to know in which Parish the town or village was located. The researcher also needs to know in which Diocese the Parish is located. Through the years, the borders of many Parishes changed, so that the Parish Registries later included (or no longer included) the same villages. Some Parishes were also sub-divided. With these various sub-divisions, some villages ended up in a Parish that was in a different Diocese. (Ausser- and Innergevild)

The following resources can be used to research the Bohemian Roots of the Bohemian Settlers in Bukovina.

The State Regional Archives in Plzeň(Using the Pilsen Archive)
Parish Map of the Pilsen Diocese
Additional Parishes to the Pilsen Diocese (<- Left of Red Line)

The State Regional Archives in Třeboň(Using the Budweis Archive)
Parish Map of the Budweis Diocese (Right of Red Line ->)


Some Bohemian Settlers originally immigrated to and settled in Galicia before later resettling in Bukovina. Also, most Bohemian Settlers to Bukovina traveled through Kolomea in Galicia. After a number of years in Bukovina, some Bohemian settlers in Karlsberg relocated back to Kolomea. Many of those returning settlers eventually founded the daughter Colony of Mariahilf near to Kolomea. Many of the records from the Lemberg Dioceses (which included Lubaczów, Kolomea, and Marihilf) can be found in the Warsaw Archive.

Lemberg Dioceses Church Records in the Warsaw Archive