Kroatisch Geresdorf

Kroatisch Geresdorf lies in the rolling farmland of Burgenland, five kilometres from the Hungarian border. The village belongs to the municipality of Nikitsch and sits on gently sloping ground north-west of Lutzmannsburg. Its name first appears in 1156 as Gerolth, later evolving into the present forms in German, Hungarian and Croatian. The land once formed part of the Lutzmannsburg estate held by the Gösfalvi knights. In the 16th century refugees from Croatia settled here after the Turkish wars, giving the village its distinctive Croatian identity. The village is worth visiting for its well-preserved Burgenland-Croatian culture. By 1674 every one of the 285 parishioners was recorded as Croatian and Catholic. The community lived mainly on grain and wine, though heavy feudal dues kept most farmers poor. In the 19th century the population rose from about 300 to 900, forcing many to leave for seasonal work or emigration. After the Second World War the village rebuilt despite losing 29 houses in a fire and suffering heavy damage during the final battles. Visitors find a quiet farming settlement with a few reminders of its past. A windmill still stands near the centre, and the old schoolhouse recalls the days when children learned in Burgenland-Croatian. The village keeps its traditions alive through a tamburitza group and a kindergarten where the local language is taught. A single main street runs past the former inns and small shops, leading out to fields and scattered orchards.