Vienna and Beyond

Pat Serby

Description

After new genealogical findings on an ancestor I am not aware of, I decide to go back to Vienna to research my mother's ancestrial side this ancestor is from. In Vienna, a most surreal incident happens to me.
The author is also the main character of this book, and some parts of the book are autobiographical. Pat while doing genealogical research, finds out an intriguing story about one of her ancestors. She goes back to Vienna, Austria to try to understand why things turned out the way they did. While in Vienna a most extraordinary occurrence happens to her.
The reader, as well, is taken on a private tour of present day Vienna, with all the important sights to see, the sounds and unique food.

Sujets

• Science Fiction
• Viena
• The Holocaust
• World War I
• Vienna
• Fiction
• Première Guerre mondiale

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 19 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665738613
• Langue: English

Extrait

Vienna and Beyond
... A Sci-fi Thriller
 
 
 
Pat Serby
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 Pat Serby.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3860-6 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3861-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023902511
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 04/18/2023
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
PART ONE
CHAPTER 1 The Seidler Homeland
CHAPTER 2 The Metzgers Immigrate to America
CHAPTER 3 Discovery of the Seidlers in Vienna
CHAPTER 4 Return to Vienna
CHAPTER 5 A Most Extraordinary Occurrence
CHAPTER 6 Living Back in 1938 Vienna
CHAPTER 7 Out and About in Vienna
CHAPTER 8 The Famous Vienna Opera House
CHAPTER 9 Coming Up with A Plan
CHAPTER 10 Back to Reality
CHAPTER 11 Going Back to The Future
CHAPTER 12 Back in Vienna in 2019
PART TWO
CHAPTER 13 The Long Explanation
CHAPTER 14 Home Again
CHAPTER 15 A Letter from Vienna
CHAPTER 16 How Americans Got Their News in the 1940s
CHAPTER 17 Reporting the News in 2019
CHAPTER 18 Reunion
CHAPTER 19 The Jewish Population in Present Day Vienna
CHAPTER 20 Richard Back in the United States
Recipes and beyond…
Kugelhopf
Pat’s Austrian Schlag (Whipped Cream)
Pat’s German Apple Pancake
BOOKS AND OTHER SOURCES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This book is dedicated to my daughter, Jennifer Lauren, and my wonderful parents, Horty and David Serby, who instilled in me the importance of family.
FOREWORD
For years, I was drawn to as many movies as I could find on World War II. During this war in the United States and England, the people of these countries were so devoted to the war effort. It was a part of their everyday lives. Young men and women enlisted in the armed forces. People left at home replaced workers in the factories, many of which were enlisted and fighting. Women and children were raising money for causes.
The general population was united and volunteering, in any way they could. There was a romantic notion about this war. Sweethearts were kissing and saying goodbye at train stations. Couples got married just before the men were being sent overseas. There was an anxious, optimistic energy all around.
I wanted to better understand World War II, especially how the European countries and its people were affected, the horrors of the Holocaust and especially how the war was won by the Allies.
Winston Churchill was a brilliant leader for his people, as well as the allies. He was one of the first political leaders to understand Hitler’s Fanatical Plan for “world dominance”. He helped sway the world away from appeasing Hitler, as Lord Chamberlain did before him. Churchill made such inspiring speeches to the people on the radio during World War II, encouraging all to fight to the end.
My dad, David Serby, enlisted during World War II and joined the US Coast Guard. Before long he was out on a 60- foot sailboat, cruising the north- east shoreline searching for German submarines.
When Dad had a shore leave, he would go to Manhattan, to visit The Stage Door Canteen. This night club was created for men and women in uniform. Dad met Hollywood stars and starlets at the club. Constance Bennett, Joan Bennett and Addison Randall were a few stars of the day he spent time with. A couple of these friendships lasted long past the end of World War II.
All servicemen would go for free to the famous Stage Door Canteen. They would be entertained by famous movie stars and bandleaders. Single women volunteered to be hostesses at the club to dance with the men and to help keep morale up. Everyone wanted to support the men and women who served.
Movie stars travelled the country selling war bonds. One such movie star, Carole Lombard, while on a trip selling war bonds, died in a plane crash.
By now, I learned as much as possible about my father David’s ancestors from Austria and Russia. I had written a book, “The Serby Saga” as well. It was published in 2016.
My family and friends said they appreciated the book and enjoyed reading it. It appeared on the bookshelves of a few popular bookstores in Manhattan, for many months.”
However, I was not satisfied. Something inside me told me to research further on my mother, Horty Metzger’s, side of the family, The Seidlers and Metzgers. I just knew there was another story to tell about this part of my family.
PART ONE

CHAPTER 1 The Seidler Homeland
M y great- grandmother, Anna Seidler Metzger, was born in a town called Vertelka, Poland, in 1872. Her parents, Feige and Meyer Seidler owned a farm in Vertelka, a shtetl of Poland, near the border of Russia.
Feige and Meyer and their six children worked on their farm, which had a lot of land. They were farmers and landowners. They owned one of the largest homes in the area. They grew all the vegetables and fruits they needed to live on. On the farm they had lots of goats and chickens. They also had horses.
On their farm, at some time, a tavern and small inn were built with about a half dozen rooms, for paying guests. They were known in the area for Meyer’s homemade whiskey, and Feige’s fresh baked breads and home cooked meals. The people who frequented the tavern were Jewish people in the area, but just as many were non-Jewish. It was also popular with the Russian cavalry soldiers on horseback stopping by on their patrols. 1
Feige was a Dubowy. The Dubowys and Lewinters were two well- known families in the town of Zalozce, Poland, which is one of the towns near Vertelka, since the late 1700s.
The Dubowys were cattle owners. The Lewinters were tanners. These two families married each other for generations in Poland, to keep their businesses in the family.
In 1875, Fanni was born. She was named after her ancestor, Fanni Dubowy- Lewinter. This ancestor and her husband, Salomon Lewinter had lived on the farm in Vertelka since the early 1800s. Soon Fanni grew to be big enough to help Anna, her big sister, with the many chores. The years went by.
When Anna grew up to be a young woman of marriageable age, her parents arranged a marriage for her with a scholarly, religious man. Anna protested, but in the end, she had to give in.
They were married on her farm. It was customary in those days to consummate the marriage right after the ceremony. The young couple went up to the second floor, to one of the guest rooms.
The wedding party stood outside waiting for the couple to come down together. Instead, the groom came flying out of a window, from the second floor He was OK, but he must have been quite humiliated. The marriage was annulled. Anna probably was not happy living at home, as her parents were disgraced by the incident.
Soon after, a young, good -looking man came to the home of the Seidlers and asked for Anna’s hand in marriage. That man was Salomon Metzger, my great grandfather. He told Anna’s parents that he loved her and he would always take care of Anna. Salomon said he would always work hard, and make money to support her and their future family. Salomon went on to say that he would go with Anna to America. They would make a new start. She could not wait to leave with Salomon, even though she knew she would miss her family.

CHAPTER 2 The Metzgers Immigrate to America
I n 1896, Salomon first went to America by himself, to see what opportunities there were for his family, and himself. About five years later, Anna, Salomon and their family were settled in America.
Anna did make a few trips back to Vertelka by ship. It was a long, hard trip in those days. However, Salomon always got Anna a cabin with a steward to take care of her and the children, who came along. On one of these trips back to Vertelka, my grandfather, Irving “Metz” (his nickname), went with his mother to meet the family. He was a baby on that voyage. He was the youngest child of the family. 2
I was told by my mother that her grandparents, Anna and Salomon Metzger, lived a comfortable life in America. Salomon soon purchased a big, beautiful townhouse in Brooklyn for his family. He created an apartment to rent out, when the children were small. Salomon would go to the synagogue on Friday nights with a few challahs, Anna had baked earlier in the day. He was quite a respected member of his synagogue. He was also a successful matchmaker.
When my mother, Horty, was about seven years old, she went to live with her grandparents, Anna and Salomon Metzger. By then all their children had left home. Horty always remembered lots of relatives visiting. Her grandmother was in the kitchen cooking and baking, for hours each day.
Mom said many a night she saw young men and women in their large kitchen, sitting at the big, long table, and chatting with Salomon about what they hoped for in a match.
When my mother annoyed her grandfather, he