Travel trips to VYZHNYTSIA

[ace-interpreter]

Susie, i am from Chernivtsi region and if you need any help here, i will be glad to help you.
You can fly directly to Chernivtsi airport and take bus or taxi from there.
Vasyl

[Hannia]

Susie,

It is not unreasonable to think that Grandfather was born and lived in Romania. The geopolitical history of Eastern Europe is quite complex.

From late 18th century to 1918 Wiznitz > Bukowyna was a part of Galicia > Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the Interwar Period (1919-1939) it came under Romanian domain and was called Vijiniţa >Storojineţ > Romania. Post WW2 this region was incorporated into SSR Ukraine, under Soviet domain, until 1991 when Ukraine became independent. Depending when Grandfather emigrated, his documentation would show him as either of Austrian or Romanian citizenship.
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Following links should be helpful in preparing for your journey:

Dr. Gold has written an entire article re Vyshnitsia.
ShtetLinks Page - Bukovina

Depending on time frame of research you may also have to travel to Romania???
Bukovina

Jewish Genealogical Resources for the Bukowina (northern Romania and western Ukraine)

http://www.cjh.org/pdfs/Romania.pdf

[Hannia]

Birth Records:
Locality/Town: VIZHNITSA
Raion/Region: VIZHNITSA
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: CHERNOVTSY ZAGS ARCHIVE
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ZAGS OFFICE
Document Type: BIRTH
Year List: VITAL RECORDS INCLUDED IN STOROZHINETS

Holocaust Records :
Locality/Town: VIZHNITSA
Raion/Region: VIZHNITSA
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: STATE ARCHIVE OF CHERNOVTSY OBLAST
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ARCHIVES
Document Type: HOLOCAUST
Year List: 1942
Fond/Opis/Delo: 47/2 (12 BOOKS)

Locality/Town: STOROZHINETS
Raion/Region: STOROZHINETS
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: CHERNOVTSY ZAGS ARCHIVE
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ZAGS OFFICE
Document Type: BIRTH
Year List: 1909-1941

Locality/Town: STOROZHINETS
Raion/Region: STOROZHINETS
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: CHERNOVTSY ZAGS ARCHIVE
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ZAGS OFFICE
Document Type: DEATH
Year List: 1933-1942

Locality/Town: STOROZHINETS
Raion/Region: STOROZHINETS
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: CHERNOVTSY ZAGS ARCHIVE
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ZAGS OFFICE
Document Type: MARRIAGE
Year List: 1930-1940

Locality/Town: STOROZHINETS
Raion/Region: STOROZHINETS
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: STATE ARCHIVE OF CHERNOVTSY OBLAST
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ARCHIVES
Document Type: CENSUS
Year List: 1941-1943
Fond/Opis/Delo: 45/4

Locality/Town: STOROZHINETS
Raion/Region: STOROZHINETS
Oblast/District: CHERNOVTSY
Country: UKRAINE
Archive Name: STATE ARCHIVE OF CHERNOVTSY OBLAST
Archive Locale: CHERNOVTSY
Archive Type: ARCHIVES
Document Type: HOLOCAUST
Year List: 1941-1943
Fond/Opis/Delo: 45/4 (82 BOOKS)

PS> For any inquiries at ZAGS (District Level Archives) you should have a privacy release document (ANTHEKA) to present at the archives. You can obtain this thru your nearest Ukrainian Embassy or Consulate. Traveling to Chernivtsi is not complicated, but getting all your ducks in a row is critical to a successful research trip. I think you mentioned that you are in UK. Check w/the The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain and ask for recommendation for guide familiar w/Jewish genealogy in Chernivtsi. They may have other recommendations as well.

[IreneLviv]

Hannia, here in Lviv they demand from a foreign visitor ( looking for his relative's records) a notarized Ukrainian translation of the visitor's passport or other document proving the connection - and an inquiry written in Ukrianian.

[Hannia]

Hello Irene.

That is the ANTHEKA (note PS in my previous post) that is obtained thru the Ukrainian Embassy or Consulate in UK, where Susie resides. This is as per Intl Privacy Law, not just Ukrainian Law.
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Susie,

I would also make several copies of this Antheka to bring along for any in-case moments. Copying can be quite expensive. Additionally, bring along a handful of copies of Josef's death certificates .

[Susie]

Many thanks again for all the advice and articles Hanni, they are brilliant. We will get in touch with the embassy here and with the British Jewish Genealogocal Society and we really appreciate you taking the time to give us so much help.

My mum has dug out some relevant information over the weekend. From my grandfathers certificate of naturalisation for the UK it says his place of birth is Wiznitz, Bucowina, Austria, birth date 08/08/1894. His parents are listed as Aron and Chaje Rosner and as Roumanian. We also have his parents ‘Certificate of Nationality’ which is written in another language, but says at the top JUDETAL, VIJNITA. It seems my grandfather and his sister were living in Vienna before moving to London on 30/11/1939, so after the Nazis had invaded which makes him extremely fortunate to have got out.

Does this information sound like we are right to start our search in Vyzhnytsia?

Many thanks and best wishes,

Susie

[Hannia]

Susie,

In answer to your general question, you get a resounding YES. Now, there is no doubt that you are researching the right place in the correct region.

I would imagine that Mum and you will be visiting Vyzhnytsia after your trip to Chernivtsi. Not only is Vyzhnytsia a historical and cultural town , but it is in fact the gateway to the Ukrainian Natural Preserve, Vyzhnytskij Park. The town itself was first mentioned in Moldovan Chronicles in 1501. Located just west of Chernivtsi, in the foothills of the Carpathian Mtns, this town is closely associated with the highland and lowland areas of Bukovina. The scenery is quite something,

Vyzhnitsia was originally developed as a trading settlement and has a long time trading fair tradition. At the end of XVIII century, with the development of the forest industries, Vyzhnitsia became an important stop for the timber trade. The timber and wood was floated to Chernivtsi on the Cheremosh and Prut Rivers, and further through Bojana, to Bessarabia and Podolia regions.

You might consider treating Mum and yourself to a Mineral Springs Spa here. Additionally, also consider taking the short trip into village Kosiv. Here you will find a folk art bazaar, displaying the works of premiere Hutsul folk artists. The inlaid jewelry boxes are spectacular.

This trip should not be all work. Make time for a spa and the Kosiv folk art bazaar. You will not regret it.
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Following is Vyzhnytsia address as it would appear in Ukrainian:

м. Вижниця
Вижницький район
Чернівецька область
УКРАЇНА 59200-205

town Vyzhnytsia
Vyzhnytskij raion/distict
Chernivetska (Chernivtsi) oblast/region
Ukraine, zip code for Vyzhnytsia is 59200-205
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Once you have firmed up travel dates, also make arrangements ahead of time w/archives you will visit.

If you run into problems w/bilingual chauffeur, please let us know. We know a bunch of reliable people, we can recommend.

written in another language, but says at the top JUDETAL, VIJNITA.

Very likely Roumanian.

Does this information sound like we are right to start our search in Vyzhnytsia?

I would start w/Chernivtsi Archives before doing anything else.
State Archives of Chernivtsi Oblast