Brigitte Haas, Durach (Allgäu)
Translation by Google, Needs Editing
From: Der Südostdeutsche , November 20, 2002, p. 4
Published with permission January 24, 2003
Posted in English, February 8, 2021
For 25 years now, on the initiative of Norbert Dombrowski, the former residents of the German-Bohemian community of Fürstenthal have come together once a year on the first weekend in August for a home meeting. As in the last 11 years, the people of Fürstenthal met again this year in the Kursaal in Oy (Oberallgäu, Germany) for a service and a cozy get-together. Father Mathäus read the mass from the ‘Indian Brothers’, who have been holding sensitive and appealing services for the Bukovina visitors in Oy for years.
The mayor of Oy, Wolfgang Hützler, once again welcomed the almost 70 guests who had come from all over Germany and brought a bell, a cider jug, a cheese sparrow bowl and a wristwatch with the coat of arms of Oy as gifts from the community. The gifts were given to the longest-married couple, the oldest participant and the family with the most people present (Gaschler 11, Geschwentner 9 and Dombrowski 7).
In addition to the opportunity to chat and exchange memories, physical well-being and music for dancing were of course also provided – both of which were eagerly used. At 9 p.m., the event ended with a community group and a song.
Many of those present stayed in Oy on Sunday because the local fire brigade was taking the flag there, or even spent their vacation in the area and used the time to visit families or to meet former schoolmates.