Memories of Childhood

Using most of the photographs on this web site as a starting point, Ridy Hoegler and I have written a book about our early childhood in Gottschee. We included a brief history of Gottschee, and describe many of the centuries old customs and traditions of the people

Gottschee had its beginnings in the 1330s and for over 600 years it remained a German-speaking enclave (Sprachinsel) within the Slavic region south of the present-day border of Austria, and just east of Italy. Until the end of the First World War, Gottschee was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following WWI, Gottschee came under Yugoslavian rule. After the outbreak of WWII, the tiny area became part of Italy. At the end of 1941, after an agreement between Germany and Italy, the German speaking Gottscheers were resettled into an area controlled by Germany, which was located slightly north-east of their former homeland. At the end of the Second World War, the Gottscheers became refugees and made their treacherous flight out of Yugoslavia into Austria. Some of them settled there, but many more eventually found new homes in Germany, the United States of America, Canada, even as far away as Australia and Brazil. Our own families settled in Canada and the United States of America.

A large part of the book is devoted to the resettlement of our families from Gottschee into the region known as Untersteiermark during WWII, and our lives during that war. Following our successful escape to Austria at the end of the war, we both lived in Graz for several years. This post-war period is described by us as we remember it. The book ends with our departure for the New World.

If you would like to order a copy of this book, please contact

Ridy Hoegler Skyrme at:

ridy@sympatico.ca