The Name: Weigand (Upper German-Middle
German, LowerGerman Wiegand): from Middle High German "wîgant" (warrior, hero)
(frequent in the medieval epic Nibelungenlied), also popular as family name
(especially in Hesse, with nickname "Witzel"): Wigant Cleynod, 1325 near Wetzlar,
Wigand von Büchleins, Glatz 1328, Wiegand Spiess, printer in Eltville, Weigandt
Zigler, Freiberg 1452, Weigand Puntschuech, Tyrol 1459. Still 1588 in Kreuznach:
Wigand Spanheim. Nicknames are Weigel and Witzel; Weigt is Silesian; corrupted
Weigang (Hans Weigang, Grünberg 1520), several in Glatz region.
(note: info from
http://www.robert-weinland.org/weyland.php?lang=en )
See my Family TreeMaker site. Computerized Family Tree
Donauschwaben Society of Trenton Has many more Donauschwaben links.
Donauschwaben: means Schwabishe people (southern Germany) who came down
the Donau (Danube River) to Hungarian territory.
Barefoot in the Rubble, story of the Danube Schwabians. A book by Elizabeth Walter.
Alex Leeb's Page has very detailed, interesting and sometimes disturbing history of the Banat.
Ellis Island research
Site has been very useful: I have found:
Thomas Weigand (my Great Grandfather), born in 1878. Emigrated to USA on May
5, 1909. Ellis Island lists him as Tomas Weigand, Ethnicity Hngary/German, Place
of Residence Gadoz Hungary, Date of Arrival May 5-1909, Age 30y, Male, Married,
Ship of Travel Kronprinz Wilhelm, departed from Bremen Germany.
Lists him again in 1914 as Tamas Weigand, Ethnicity Hungary/German, Place of
Residence New York-NY, Date of Arrival April 20-1914, Age 36y, Male, Married,
Ship of Travel Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm, Point of Departure Bremen Germany.
Thomas' Son, My Grandfather, Joseph Weigand.
Ellis Island lists him as: Josef
Weigand, Ethnicity Hungary/German, Place of residence Gador Hungary, Date of
Arrival August 13-1914, Age 6y, Male, Single, Ship of Arrival George Washington,
Point of Departure Bremen Germany.
They list him again in 1921 as Josef Weigand, Ethnicity Ju-Slov Slovak, Place of
Residence Jakeuo Ju-Slov (this makes sense since Gakavo can easily pass for
Jakeuo and Ju-Slov is Yugoslavia, being right after the war he may not want his
German ethnicity mentioned so Ju-Slov Slovak is used), Date of Arrival
August 13-1921m Age 13y, Male, Single, Ship of Travel Manchuria, Port of
departure Hamburg Germany.
Thomas' Son, My Grand-Uncle, John Weigand
Below, postcard from Lena and Thomas Weigandt to Joseph (my Grandfather) from Gáddoról (or Gakova, Yugoslavia)
I now know from relatives that the top house is the home of the Wölfl family for over 200 years.