Emlek - Memory of Empress Sissi
Erzsébetemlék or Elisabethheim, called Emlek by the locals, was a settlement between Zillasch, Sackelhausen and Großberegsau, which, founded at the beginning of the 20th century, existed for only 31 years. The place about 500 m southeast of Berksoff received its name in "memory" (=Emlék) of Elisabeth (=Erzsébet), Empress of Austria ("Sissi"), who died in an assassination attempt in Geneva in 1898.
The settlement was part of a concept of the Hungarian authorities around the new lease of 1000 yokes of state land, which had already passed through the hands of several tenants, including the rich landowners of Berksoff. The goal was to build up to 96 houses and lease the land parceled out to new settlers. These were then essentially German entrepreneurs willing to relocate from areas around Großbetschkerek (Serbian: Zrenjanin) that had been often heavily affected by floods.
The settlement project became concrete around 1905. The foundation of the village was in 1907, the school and the church were completed in 1908. The village had 3 streets and 60 houses, a 'Gschäft' (grocer's store), a 'Wertshaus' (tavern) and a 'Kerchhof' (cemetery). Emlek was co-administered by Berksoff. The school was state-run. The Catholic parish was served by the Zillasch parish priests as a branch parish.
Emlek was one of the smallest settlements in Banat. It failed to survive mainly because of its isolated remoteness in the shadow of Berksoff and Sackelhausen, the uneconomical nature of the tenancy for the inhabitants, and the lack of possibility to generate or increase property. As in other villages, the high number of children and the very modest income led to migration to neighboring villages such as Zillasch, Sackelhausen, Utvin, but also to America.
Already in 1938 the village was completely dissolved. In 1944 the school and the church were demolished. The church inventory had been taken over from Königshof (Remetea Mica) before. In 1944 Peter Schmitz, the last inhabitant of Emlek, moved to Berksoff, where also a few German families lived.
Families of Zillasch with roots in Emlek are among others Bittenbinder, Lutsch, Massong, Porstner, Schauer, Wogh.
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