Majer and Pacas Family - Czechoslovakia 1900-1930 eBook
pictures from the family - 30 years Frances Majer away from her birth home

There were an amazing number of Czech immigrants in early 1900-1930.
The ships logs show a growing number of these passengers.
I am not sure what was the driving force behind this massive movement but the economic hardships and war drums could have been the primary factors.
The religious opportunity presented at that time appears to be an emerging Baptist movement trying to raise new money and to expand the church plus congregations. We have found the village name of Velké Hostěrádky listed in many ship logs.

For 30 years the Majer family was involved with the military - 1898 until WWI.
If he was born perhaps in 1855 and this pictures is 1930.
Josef was in the military and Captain helmet pictures.
Frank Majer we estimate age 72-75 in these pictures which 10 years older than Sam Crothers.
After these pictures were taken in 1930, it would be extended under Communist occupation post WWII.
Select the buttons below for Majer, Austria-Hungary History & Literature.

The Majer family has pictures which show they were active in the military. These history pictures were kept by a young Frances Majer who left in September 1912. She just left before the Second Balkian War in 1913 was about to begin.
She left the country as it was crumbling with leader killings and the Austria-Hungary KuK military was starting to have turmoil. Her family being in the military so they were well aware of the future that was to come. They may not have seen WWI and would not have expected Russia to control them after WWII. Frances went back for a visit in happy times before WWII began.

There is a problem determining the pictures and faces of Frank Sr, Frank Jr, Maxmilian, Josef and who is Jacob?? The faces are so similar - add a mustache and a hat - it makes it more confusing and then - date the picture and uniform to their ages. This then becomes a work in progress.

Could these following pictures have been a younger Frank Majer b1855?

This could have been a young Frank Jr 1900 in this military uniform.

This looks like Frank Sr in military around 1880 age 35.

Josef age 28 and unknowns

Looking for a picture of Jacob, Ludvik and Frank Jr.????

Josef age 39 and Ruzena wife, third from left- age50 Frank Jr no wife, Frances in front

Below - notice military ribbon medal.

Could be 1915 Frank Sr age 60 or Maxmilian age 34 and Rosalie 33

daughter Rozena 8 yr and Rosalie 1 yr

the KuK Calvery

who is this in uniform

Maxmilin below

Maxmilian

Frank Jr and Sr?

Frank Jr?

This looks like Frank Sr b1855-58 age 25 could be in 1880 - age 35 in 1890 KuK uniform , how did he get the land in his town?
Military reward may be the land grant to him for Captain service.

This may have been Frank Majer in a picture - KuK Kavallerie before 1918

The k.u.k. or common army was organized after the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy in 1867 and existed until the end of World War I in 1918. Prior to 1867, Austria's ground forces were those of the Austrian Empire named k.k. for kaiserlich, königlich. The Hungarian military (light cavalry, infantry, and artillery) waged a successful War of Independence against the imperial army from 1848 until its surrender to Czarist army dispatched to help out the kaiserlich army in 1849. After the surrender, the Hungarian units were either disbanded or dislocated and national Hungarian military units could not be organized again until 1867 Ausgleich, or Compromise.

Officers-Czapka (Helmet) 2nd Landwehr Lancers Regiment

Josef Majer medals of honor 1914-1918, Three stars on neck lapel rank?.
He was born on 1892 which means he was in the military when his age was 22 to 26.

Josef Majer

harvest hay

Frances and Frank Sr

above 1913 ? XIII my guess this is a 23 year old Josef Majer bottom left unknown, right below is Frank with pigeons?

unknown Frank Sr

Josef and wife Ruzena Maxmillian and wife Rosalie

Maxmilian, daughter Ruzena and wife Rosalie

could this be Jacob in back and unknowns

could this be Jacob?

unknowns

Maxmilian and hunting dog

rear Ruzena, Maxmilian, front ?? Rosalie, Frances ???

rear, Maxmillian, Frances, Rozena, ?? ?? Frank Jr ? Josef?
Front Fank Sr, Frances, Rosalie,

Maxmilian family?

unknown

Frank Sr, Rosalie, Rozena, Jaocb?

The Second Balkan War was fought in 1913 between Bulgaria on one side and its First Balkan War allies Greece and Serbia on the other side, with Romania and the Ottoman Empire intervening against Bulgaria. The outcome turned Serbia, an ally of the Russian Empire, into an important regional power, alarming Austria-Hungary and thereby indirectly providing an important cause for World War I.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot to death in Sarajevo, (while traveling in an armored car with no roof), capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Gavrilo Princip, one of a group of six assassins coordinated by Danilo Ilić. The political objective of the assassination was to break Austria-Hungary's south-Slav provinces off so they could be combined into a Greater Serbia or a Yugoslavia. The assassins' motives were consistent with the movement that later became known as Young Bosnia. Serbian military officers are believed to have played a part in organizing the attack.

The bombing and murders of June 28 led to the outbreak of World War I a month later.

1938 Battles of Otnice, Bošovice and Velké Hostěrádky (Fall Grün)

Battles of Otnice, Bošovice and Velké Hostěrádky

Date

October 23 - November 1, 1938

Result

Decisive Czech-Soviet victory

Combatants
Czechoslovakia Soviet Union	Nazi Germany
Commanders
Brig. Gen. František Kravák Komkor P. L. Romanenko	Gen.Maj. Joachim Lemelsen
Strength
October 23: 20. divize “Bernolák” October 26:	October 23: 29. Infanterie-Division (mot.)
Casualties
320 killed, 300 WIA, 380 POWs	360 killed, 500 WIA

Background

Following the German breakthrough in southern Moravia, the Germans could take advantage of their armed forces' motorisation and mobility, and by October 20 the Fourteenth Army had advanced at some places more 40 km inland, and the forward elements of the had reached the town of Pohořelice, 25 km southwest of Brno. While the 2. Panzer-Division secured the frontline around Brno, elements of the 29. Infanterie-Division (mot.) had captured the villages of Sokolnice, Šaratice and Otnice.

On October 22, the Germans pulled out of Otnice, which was the result of a communication error. On October 23, elements of the 20. divize “Bernolák”, under command of Brig. Gen. František Kravák, used the German's mistake to his advantage and occupied the village. The division had a shortage of anti-tank weapons, and the ammunition supply was also running out. However, he decided to hold the line along the villages of Otnice, Bošovice and Velké Hostěrádky.

While the Hraniční pásmo XIV “Svatopluk” was engaging troops 2. Panzer-Division around Brno, Gen.Maj. Joachim Lemelsen was furious by the neglect of the company that had occupied Otnice, and ordered the division to take it back. At 10:00 a company of the 29. Infanterie-Division (mot.) entered Borkovany without meeting resistance.

The Battle

One hour later the continued towards Velké Hostěrádky, but outside the village the German vehicles crashing into a Czech roadblock. Then the Czech machineguns began firing on the German soldiers, killing the leading officer of the coloumn. Confusion arose among the German soldiers, and screams and military commands could be heard, at one point the Czechs could hear a soldier yelling "Feige Tschechen die zuerst schiessen". The ensuing firefight continued until 1 PM, ending with the German soldiers pulling back. The Czechs were reinforced and regrouped into new positions.

At 1600 hours Div. Gen. Alois Eliáš, commander of the V. sbor “Kolár”, received orders that the Czech forces defending the line Otnice-Bošovice-Velké Hostěrádky would be reinforced by elements of the 23. Tank Brigade, but until the Soviet units had reorganised to defend the sector, the Czechs were given the order to "Hold out at all costs".

Wine growing was in the south Velke Pavlovice in the rich soil of the valley.
The Frank and Frances Majer family were farmers in Velké Hostěrádky and growing grains, hay farming.
Their son Josef Majer ran the hardware store in town.

Written evidence of the existence of vineyards in southern Moravia comes to us from the beginning of the second millennium. They are often mentioned in the monastery archives, in deeds, purchasing or other documents, such as judgements in court proceedings over vineyard ownership or payments of tithes. Although not much evidence can be gleaned from these documents on the state of viticulture and winemaking in those days, nonetheless they do confirm the existence of vineyards in specific localities.

Probably the first written reference to viticulture and winemaking in the region of Velké Pavlovice comes from the year 1252, when Boček of Obřany gifted the new Cistercian monastery in Žďár a third of the crop of his vineyards in Pouzdřany, Zaječí and Velké Pavlovice. From the 13th century on rich city burghers became involved in viticulture and winemaking in the Moravian countryside. Because good vineyards were valued higher than a nice house, the citizens of Brno, Znojmo and Olomouc invested their money in vineyard planting. The most significant wine centre of the time was formed in just such a way in Hustopeče. In the town Hustopeče the largest Bergrecht court for Moravia was also established, which meant that all disputes concerning vineyards and matters vinous were heard here.

Farming was the main job of those families who remained. The German war took away many of these farms.
The standard of living in America was vastly superior to those in Czechoslovakia.
So the opportunity promised for the young was to go make a new life in this place.