Dear Stephan,

The surname Milosavljevic is origanally from central Serbia. The family migrated throughout Serbia and also Montenegro. Brzohode is located close to Aleksandrovac is Central Serbia ( about 20km south of it)

If you have knowledge of any relatives still living there then it should be easy. Question I have for you is if you speak Serbian?

Regards,

Hello again and thank you for replying Sergej,

I am sorry but I do not speak Serbian. My father was a POW (I think he had been in the cavalry - possibly the army) in Hamburg - Germany during the war and remained behind and married a young Fraulein - my mother Hannelore. They came to Australia (Perth) as displaced people in 1949 and proceeded to get on with assimilating into Australian society. My father died when I was 18 - never taught any of his (5 children) to speak Serbian (although we can swear fluently!!) - and we lived in a community with few immigrants. My father was born in 1911 to Dobrosov and Bogdana and he also had a brother Stephan and at least a sister - (hmmm) my mother is still alive - I will talk to her - she may know some more names - and she visited Brzohode in 1970 after my father died but was only given a 5 day visa into the country.

Look forward to hearing back and more advice.

Kind regards

Stephan

Zdravo Stephan,

Yes, swearing is the basic But Serbian is easy so dont worry. You can learn it easily. Anyways, ask your mother is she has any old addresses of other relatives. If so then it should be easy work. Also because they can help you out then. Let me know if you get some info on that first. Then I will direct you to the local archives there so you can go on with research.

Regards,

Hello Sergej,

I spoke to my mother - but she has not communicated with Brzohode family for 30 years and does not have any addresses other than Brzohode! So this is what I know.

Dobrosov and Bogdana had 3 children.

A son Stephan (I think the oldest)

A son Dragutin (My father born May 17th 1911)

A daughter Mara

My fathers brother Stephan married a Katica or a Katrina? We have a photograph of him with his daughter (unknown name) and 2 grandchildren (unknown names). My mother recalls that Stephan was also an official of some importance in Brzohode in 1970 (when my mother visited for 5 days).

She recalls having a wonderful time for the 4 days she was in Brzohode - they spit roasted an ox or bullock for her visit!! She said there was also some concern that my mother had come to claim some land that was my fathers inheritance?? She was not interested and certainly none of us are!!

I am interested in learning to speak Serbian - the software on your site is that your recommendation? I look forward to any further help that you may be able to offer in tracing family.

Kind regards

Stephan

Hello Stephan,

I think the best thing you could do is to write to the archives with the data you have. Their address is in Zajecar:

Istorijski arhiv timočka krajina
Nikole Pašića 160
Zaječar
Serbia

Yes, the SpeakSerbian course is recommended by us. Its low priced and works good. It also gives you the ability to learn how to prenounce words.

If you wish you can become a member of the Serbian Genealogy Society. You can look ath the FAQ section for more info on that.

Yes eating oxes and pigs are one of the many hobbies in Serbia

Hope this helps, let me know.

Best regards,

Hello Sergej,

Thankyou for the advice - I will write to the archives this weekend. Now I feel a bit stupid but .... how does one join the Serbian geneological society?? I looked at FAQ but there does not appear to be an a way to join on line?

Regards

Stephan

Hello Stephan,

No we took the link away because people keep registering and then dont pay. They think they can fool the system. Just click on this link: http://www.rodoslovlje.com/amember/signup.php

Regards,

Sergej

Hello again,

Thank you for all the good advice. I was recently attending a biomechanics conference in Dunedin New Zealand and met a scientist from Novi Sad. A good man - speaks reasonable English - he stayed with my family and we showed him around the sights of Otago. He offered to travel to Brzohode when he returned. He has contacted my family and they are still in Brzohode (280 houses!) as well as Petrovac and Belgrade. There are many relatives - and they are very surprised and delighted to hear from us. We will start writing to them - unfortunately I don't think they understand English. I will look for someone to translate for me either here in NZ or my friend in Novi Sad.

Are there any translation services on the internet that anyone is aware of???

Thank you again Sergej - I will join the genealogy society sometime soon.

Kind regards

Stephan

Hello Stephan,

Thats good news, I am glad to hear you had succes. We translate for members, and we do it low priced. Other translations services on the net I can't vouch for.

Let me know if you want us to do it.

Hello again,

I have received some information from relatives in Brzohode. My father was in military training college (?) in Sarajevo before WWII. Does anyone know whether any of the military records of the Royal Yugoslav Army survived either during the war or after the war? It is probably a long shot ... but it would be nice to find as much information of my father as possible.

Regards

Stephan

Yes they did, but you have to be there to access them.

Hello Sergej,

Thank you for the reply. it is great that these records survived but ... Do you mean that you have to be in the army to view these ... or have to be family to view these or .... is it very difficult and I shouldn't explore this issue!!?? Happy to take your advice on this matter.

Kind regards

Stephan

Stephan,

You need to be contact with the archives in Belgrade and ask them for further info. You need have the Serbian nationality, and the records need to be cleared, this usually happens after a couple of decades.

Click on the top link on the left side of our frontpage, that will direct you to their site. Email them(see their footer page) and then all you can do is wait.

Thank you Sergej,

I did contact the Archives by email about 3 weeks ago but no reply yet! As I wasn't sure about the military records - I thought I would post here to make sure I was on the right track. I guess I am a little impatient - you know - once you start tracking something it is hard to do it slowly!! I am waiting for some letters from Brzohode - and I will see what further information this gives. My friend from Novi Sad is doing the translation for me at present.

My compliments for a terrific site .... every bit of advice I have been given I have acted on and it has been good. I am surprised more enquiries are not coming your way ... Thank you again ... if I have any success I will let you know!

Regards and best wishes

Stephan