Zdeslav

Vaclav wenzil janda

This story is authored by Bob Janda and delves into the history of the Janda family. It explores their heritage, family tree, and Janda ancestors, complete with photographs of individual family members. The cover features Vaclav Wenzil Janda alongside his wife Anna and daughter Magdalina. Vaclav and Anna, who are my (Bob Janda’s) Great Great Grandparents, are captured in the oldest family photo. When Laura saw the photo for the first time, she remarked that Wenzil resembled my son David. Through my research, I was able to trace our ancestry back to Katerina Verba in 1673, a remarkable span of 349 years. Interestingly, I hadn’t realized they could write during that period.

I conducted research on the Janda family and discovered our lineage has been rooted in the southwest corner of Czechoslovakia, now known as Czechia, specifically in a village called Zdeslav, since 1674. This village is situated near Klatovy and Pilsen. It’s plausible that our family had likely resided in the same village for several centuries before that. Their mobility was limited until the industrial revolution. As a result, they potentially witnessed various historical periods including the Great Moravian Empire (9th century), the Přemysl Dynasty (9th century – 1306), the Luxembourg Dynasty (1310 – 1437), the Hussite Revolution (1419 – 1436), The Jagellon Dynasty (1471 – 1526), the Habsburg (Austrian) Dynasty (1526 – 1918), the German occupation (1939 – 1945), and the Soviet occupation (1948 – 1989). They ultimately proclaimed their freedom from the Soviets in 1989 with the “Velvet” Revolution, having undergone various cultural and political influences, including Roman, Austrian, German, Moravian, Luxembourgian, and Russian, to name a few. Our Great Grandfather Bartol emigrated from Zdeslav at the age of 15 in 1867, registering himself as a tailor from Bohemia. Our Great Great Grandfather (Bartol’s Father), born in 1852 in Zdeslav, followed Bartol’s footsteps and immigrated in 1869. He was listed in the US census of 1900 as hailing from Bohemia.

WHERE IS ZDESLAV AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LKE?

Zdeslav is located at 49°23′43″N 13°17′36.75″E and is a small village situated eight miles northeast of Klatovy. During the Middle Ages, Klatovy held significance as a trade route hub. Přemysl Otakar II established Klatovy as a village in 1260 to safeguard the trade routes. Over time, Klatovy grew in importance and became one of Bohemia’s key towns. In the 17th century, the town’s prominence expanded as Jesuits arrived in 1636. In that same year, they established a secondary school, followed by the Baroque Pharmacy three years later, now recognized as a UNESCO landmark. Klatovy boasts several historic structures, including the Black Tower, the Baroque Pharmacy, the Jesuit church with catacombs, and the Archdeacon’s church. The 19th and 20th centuries marked Klatovy’s transition into an industrial town. During World War II, Klatovy hosted a Gestapo (Nazi secret police) headquarters. Liberation came on May 5, 1945, with the arrival of the US Army. Today, Klatovy serves as the Municipality’s seat, with Zdeslav being a small farming town located 8 miles northeast. According to Grandmother Emma, our family once owned a farm that fell under Soviet control. She recounted that the family patriarch resisted the takeover and was tragically shot.
“CZECHIA” Zdeslav (Gold Star) is 25 miles south of Pilsen
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I traced our family name back to Jakub Janda, our Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, who was born in 1688. Nearly two hundred years later, our Great Great Grandparents, Vaclav Wenzil and Anna Janda (born Matouš) from Zdeslav near Klatovy, Plzeň, had two sons: Wenci Vaclav Janda and his brother Barthold. Both siblings immigrated from Bohemia in 1867 to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Through my research, I successfully traced our lineage back to Mikulas Vrba, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, who lived from 1674 to 1729, and his wife Katrina, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother, who lived from 1673 to 1713.

Most of our direct ancestors hailed from ZDESLAV, which is located 27 miles south of Pilsen (known for its beer) and 83 miles southwest of Praha (Prague).

As a young child visiting my grandmother Emma, she would show me photos of where our family lived. During my research, I stumbled upon a picture of the Šumava mountains. It was like being struck by lightning – I immediately recognized the mountains and the view my grandmother had shown me as a child. This photo is taken from Klatovy towards Zdeslav, with the Šumava mountains in the background.

I gathered this research from sources such as MYHERITAGE.COM, MYFAMILYTRE.COM, ANCESTRY.COM, and The Vane Family Bible (Cedar Rapids).

LOCATION OF KLATOVY
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ZDESLAV IS 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF KLATOVY
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ZDESLAV
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ZDESLAV CLOSE UP
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ZDESLAV TYPICAL HOUSE
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MAIN ROAD ZDESLA
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SUMAVA MOUNTAINS AS SEEN FROM KLATOVY LOOKIONG TO ZDESLAV
MY GRANDMOTHER SHOWED ME A SIMILAR PHOTO AT 5 YEARS OLD
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TOWN OF KLATOVY
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TOWN OF KLATOVY
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Great Great Grandmother Anna Matous
Was Born 1822 here in Borice, Nova, Domachlice, Bohemia
100 Km south Phra and 100 Km east Klatovy
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PILSEN
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PILSEN A TOWN OF JANDA’S and GOOD BEER
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PILSEN
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Given that the Janda family has been present in the Zdeslav-Pilsen-Klatovy region for over 340 years, they have significantly contributed to populating the area with Jandas, much like the prevalence of the name ‘Smith’ in America. In Pilsen, Janda Roofing, Janda Bicycle Repair, Janda Real Estate, Janda Travel Service, Janda Photography, Janda Home Moving Service, Janda Electronics, Janda Dance Studio, Janda Education, and Janda Finance are just a few instances. Presently, Pilsen stands as a sophisticated city with high-speed rails and elegant cathedrals. While the Janda name is widespread in Pilsen and Klatovy, records indicate that my direct ancestors (1865) hailed from the small village of Zdeslav, located just south of Pilsen.

My daughter Diane Janda journeyed to Europe after her high school graduation. Upon her return, she brought me a bottle of beer from a village east of Klatovy called Budejovice, which translates to ‘friend’s garden’ in Czech. When I sampled the beer, I noticed it had a stronger flavor than our American Budweiser. Legend has it that Budejovice was the original source of yeast for the American Anheuser-Busch beer, an ingredient that was apparently ‘borrowed.’ Although Anheuser-Busch found success and attempted to purchase the Budejovice brewery for the yeast and the name, the Czechs declined to sell.

My maternal aunt Helen married Godfrey Dvorak, and their daughter Terry was born. As Grandpa Indra grew older, they expanded their house and cared for him. My mother and I were regular visitors to their home and Grandpa’s. During one visit, Godfrey mentioned that his family had immigrated from Czechoslovakia to Spillville, Iowa. He also shared that his family was related to the composer Antonin Dvorak. Anton Dvorak held a special fondness for Spillville, considering it akin to home. In 1893, Anton and his family spent the summer in Spillville, during which he composed the “The New World” symphony. Therefore, through marriage, our family is connected to the composer Anton Dvorak, a beloved figure among the Czech people. In fact, some hotel rooms in Prague are named in his honor.