In den Mühlen der Bürokratie: Der Fall der Rückkehrerin Dorothea Schäfer aus Siebenbürgen nach Württemberg
In the wheels of bureaucracy. The case of Dorothea Schäfer, repatriate from Transylvania to Wuerttemberg

Summary/Abstract: After 1817, when they were confronted with a high number of repatriates, the communes of Wuerttemberg showed little understanding for their situation. In the 1840s, a relatively high number of peasants and artisans emigrated from Wuerttemberg to Transylvania, but due to problems many of them returned soon after. As case study, the article presents the destiny of the weaver Johann Adam Schäfer who left Sindelfingen in 1847 together with his family. He was cilled in 1849 in Transylvania, and his wive Dorothea returned to Sindelfingen in 1850 together with one child. She applied for the recovery of her local citicenship, but was refused due to lack of wealth. A detailed study of archival sources shows the difficulties repatriates were confronted with. Such studies can demonstrate many aspects of the social system and of migration history.

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