Karl Colnago, Deer Hunter, P.O.W.

 Karl Colnago, Deer Hunter, P.O.W.

My great uncle Karl Colnago was born Jan. 4, 1906, the son of Ferdinand Colnago, a K.u.K. military officer and Mathilde von Enderes, daughter of the Viennese author Aglaia von Enderes.

Below is a photo of Karl with his siblings taken in Békéscsaba Hungary.  Baby Karl is almost 1 year old sitting on his maid's lap.  Their father Col. Ferdinand Colnago, from Obrovac, Croatia  was stationed in Békéscsaba at that time.  My mother Erna is Karl's niece.  She told me that all the adults in this photo were officer's servants and handmaids.  The fourth child from the left is my grandmother Bianca.  

"Alle Erwachsenen sind Offiziersdiener und Hausmädchen." - Erna Kordesch.  
Colnago children from left to right: Erna Colnago (6), Karl Colnago (1) , Cia Colnago (9), Bianca Colnago (5), and Wera Colnago (4). 
Békéscsaba, Hungary, late 1906.

This was before WWI when the Kaiser's army was still well funded and officers were well paid.  Kaiser Franz Josef was was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia 1848 - 1916.

Kaiser Franz Joseph I
Emperor of Austria 1848 - 1916.

Below is Karl Colnago at age 6 (the boy at the center) with the other Colnago children. 

The photo was taken in 1909 in Pyhra, Bezirk St. Pölten, Austria, where Ferdinand was stationed at that time and where Nora was born.  Thanks to Peter Colnago for this photo!

Karl's younger brother "Gigi" is 2 years old with long hair (far right).  Col. Ferdinand and Mathilde had 10 children of their own and then adopted one more, "Gypi."  Bruno, Georg, and Aglaia died as young children.  

The Colnago Children. Left to right: Erna (8), Nora (1), Cia (9), Bianca (below, 7), Karl (6), Veronika (Wera, 3), Ferdinand (Gigi, 2).
Pyhra, Austria, 1909

Below is Karl Colnago (far right) at age 17 at Schloss Rothschild, Reichenau, Austria with his parents and siblings.   Col. Ferdinand Colnago was Commander of Schloss Rothschild in Reichenau, Austria for 2 1/2 years.  July 1, 1916 through December 23, 1918.

Standing: Gigi Colnago, Franz Böhm, Bianca Böhm, Unknown, 
Wera Colnago, Unknown, Unknown, Karl Colnago.
Sitting: Nora Colnago, Mathilde von Enderes, Col. Ferdinand Colnago, and baby Erna (Böhm) Kordesch. 
Reichenau, Austria, 1923.
Franz and Bianca are my grandparents.

Around 1919, after WWI ended, Col. Colnago retired from the Kaiser's army and rented a house in Kalksburg near Vienna, where he lived with his family until he died in 1934.  Karl was 13 so he must have lived in his father's house in Kalksburg.  We are pretty sure it was at Breitenfurterstraße 24.  I believe the house no longer exists - I tried to find it.

Peter Colnago explained to us that the Kalksburg house was rented, based on stories from his grandfather "Gigi" Colnago.  He said it was probably rented from the government forest service.

About 1931 (age 25) Karl Colnago married Eva Teibler, the daughter of two generations of famous Austrian painters.  After the wedding, Karl moved into Eva's house at Scholaugasse 3.

Friedi Colnago wrote to me about the Teibler's house:

The house in Scholaugasse comes from Eva Teibler's family.  Her grandfather, the painter Karl Teibler, originally bought the house. I think it was a single story house and later Karl Teibler’s son Georg Teibler expanded it.  After the death of Georg Teibler - I think he died at the age of 49 - Eva Teibler and her mother, her sister and one or two aunts lived there.  Karl Colnago moved in after his wedding with Eva Teibler.

Ferdinand Colnago bought a house in Kalksburg after the end of the First World War and lived there until the end of his life. Maybe Peter Colnago knows more about it.  But I'm sure that Ferdinad Colnago lived in Kalksburg because Erna Kordesch has often told me about her visits to her grandparents in Kalksburg.  The Colnago family grave is also in the Kalksburg Cemetery.

Georg Teibler (Eva's Father) as well as Eva Colnago and Robert Colnago are buried in the Perchtoldsdorf Cemetery.  However Karl Colnago was buried in the Axams Cemetery in Tirol because he lived his last years with Maria and Ernst Beham at their house in Axams.  I think that was Karl’s wish.

Below is a photo I took of the Teibler family house at Scholaugasse 3.   Karl and Eva, and their children lived there, as well as Friedi Colnago.  The house now belongs to Veronika (Colnago) Tan, the Colonel's gand daughter.

Karl and Eva had four children, Maria (1932)  Robert  (1935) and the twins Bianca and Roswitha (1938). 

Scholaugasse 3, Perchtoldsdorf, Austria 2017

Marty says: 

"Upstairs, you can see the window in the picture, is where Karl and Eva lived.  We played canasta there often.

I once painted the gutters on the garage, but spilled green paint on the wall.

 Karl's grandson Rupert Colnago sent me this photo of Karl in a sports car, at least we assume it was him.  The car is a left-hand drive, and Karl is not clearly visible behind the windshield glass.  We didn't recognize the other people in the photo.

Bianca Fritzsche wrote: (My translation below)

"Opas  Fiat Dopolino ein 2 Sitzer,  drinnen  sitzen Karl Colnago,  Herr  Dickstein  (hatte  Kleinwuchs) und  Elmar  Spendlingwimmer,  alle 3  bei Firma  Herold   als  Vertreter,  stehend Fr, Fux  die  Vermieterin der  Vertreter.  In  Innsbruck."

 "Grandpa's Fiat Dopolino was a 2-seater. Sitting in the car are Karl Colnago, Mr. Dickstein (with a short stature) and Elmar Spendlingwimmer.  All three were salesmen at the Herold Company.  Standing is Mrs. Fux, the [bed and breakfast] landlord for the salesmen in Innsbruck."  

Lieber  Al !  Die 3  Vertreter waren  für  Tirol  zuständig,  mein  Vater  war  bis  zu  6  Monaten  im  Jahr  in  Tirol.  Jeder  hatte  dort  sein  Gebiet,  er war  sehr  beliebt  bei  den  Firmen.        Der  Dopolino  stand  in  der  Garage  in  der  Scholaugasse P,dorf    während  Opa  im  Krieg in  Finnland  war.   ZU  Eva Colnago  kam ein  gewisser  Herr Jockl,  der  einfach  das  Auto  abholte .  Als  Opa  wieder  aus  dem  Krieg  zurückkam  =  das  Haus  steht  noch,  Familie  lebt  noch  u.  dann fragte  er  was  ist  mit  dem  Auto,  Opa  bekam  wieder  sein  Auto. 

Liebe  Grüsse  Bianca 

"Dear Al, The 3 salesmen were responsible for the state of Tirol, so my father was in Tirol for up to 6 months.  Each sales representative had their own territory.  The companies were very fond of Karl. The Topolino was parked in the garage at Scholaugasse in Perchtoldsdorf while Karl was in the war in Finnland.  On day a certain Mr. Jokl came and simply took away the car.  When Grandpa Karl came back from the war the house was still standing, the family was all still alive, and he asked what happened to the car? And Grandpa got his car back."    Greetings, Bianca.

Eva explained that Herold Company was the publisher of Austria’s first phone directory.  Herold is still in business today offering Austrian online phone directories. Eva Fritzsche-Steindl said "Elmar Spendlingwimmer was 20 years younger than Karl and my father's [Rudy's] best friend since childhood."

Karl Colnago driving his 1939 Fiat 500 Topolino Model A roadster near Innsbruck, Austria

Helmut Pillau sent me this explanation (and later a correction).

​Dear Al, Regarding the photo of Karl Colnago in the Fiat Topolino, h​ere is what I remember:

The car belonged to my brother Horst Pillau from Berlin, who was ​studying ​at Innsbruck University for a semester. Horst, Karl​ Colnago's​ nephew, ​was staying in Axams, "am Bachl". He came​ from Berlin​ with the "Topolino" (Italian: "the little mouse"). The photo with Karl at the wheel was "posed" because an Austrian was not allowed to use a car registered in Germany at that time (​because of ​customs, taxes). With this Topolino Horst drove from Innsbruck to Rome together with Peter Böhm. (Horst broke two fingers while repairing ​the​ car in Rome).​ 

Correction:

Lieber Al, wir kommen der mysteriösen Topolino-Affaire näher, hier ein kleiner Beitrag zur Aufklärung: Nach einem Telefongespräch mit Maria Beham (geb.: Colnago, der ältesten Tochter von Karl ) stimmt die Aussage von Bianca. Dieser schwarze Topolino gehörte Karl. Später war mein Bruder Horst mit einem weißen Topolino zum Studium in Innsbruck/ Axams. Es gab also ZWEI Topolinos. Liebe Grüße Helmut 

 "Dear Al, We are getting closer to solving the Topolino-Affair.  After I had a phone call with Maria Beham (born Colnago, Karl's oldest daughter) I realized she is right.  This black Topolino belonged to Karl.  Later [1958] my brother Horst had a white Topolino during his studies in Innsbruck/Axams.  So there were TWO topolinos.  Greetings, Helmut Pillau"

Another story from Anette and Helmut: 

"This morning, we conferenced in Florian as well, and Dad [Helmut] told another yet unknown story about Horst’s Topolino that got me excited.

Supposedly, Horst had a contract with a chocolate manufacturer called Montezuma to use his Topolino as a "canvas" for their advertisement. He had two large stickers on his car, one on each door. For this service, he was paid DM10.00 each month and received 2 chocolate bars. While the money helped the family, Helmut was the beneficiary of the payment in chocolate, a huge luxury in those days. Such a sweet (indeed) story.

Karl and Eva already had four children when Karl was conscripted into the German Army, late in 1939.   This photo is dated 1941 so he must have been on home leave.  It is Karl with Maria and Robert.

Karl Colnago on leave during his service in the German Army. 
With two of his four children.
Maria Colnago (9) and Robert Colnago (7)
Spring of 1941, in or near Vienna.

Karl's grandson Stefan Leimer who now lives in Norway wrote: 

"I know he was also at Rovaniemi (Finland). His rank was Oberfeldkornett, the unit Transport Korps SPEER (TRAKO SPEER). After the war he was POW at Oslo."

Stefan sent me these photos of Karl Colnago's "Soldbuch" below.

NOTE: The German Army Soldbuch served as a form of identification and record keeping. It was the standard identity document in the German military, issued to every soldier. It allowed the owner to draw pay, prove they had permission for leave, recorded what equipment he had been issued, and identified their current and former units.  - [Epic Militaria]

Karl's Soldbuch has details of his military assignments.  He was in the Transport and Construction division and served in France, Finland, and Greece.  He was never involved in combat.  His daughter Maria Beham (born Colnago) remembers a story that he once saved a woman from drowning during his service in Greece.

Stefan told me Karl had a pretty good life in the army in Finland.  Stories of hunting reindeer and lots of fishing.  Karl shot so many reindeer he had to freeze them and store them under the roof.

Karl's military assignments in his Soldbuch.

Karl was promoted from rank Soldat to Gefreiter as of December 1, 1940.  His "Soldbuch" was stamped every quarter from 1940 through 1944.

Soldbuch zugleich Personalausweis
Identification mark: 974
Blood group: A
Gas mask size: 2

Kar's Soldbuch "Bescheinigungen" (Certificates) below.

3. RANK PROMOTION: Feldcornett (second lieutenant).  November 1, 1944

Karl was captured in Finland by Allied Forces (probably British or American).  Below is his military pass issued by the Allied Zone Commander in 1945.

Regiment: Trako Speer. RANK Oberfeld Cornett (Second lieutenant)
 "For permission to leave his quarters when on duty in the Oslo Zone - Allied Zone Commander"
24 May, 1945

Stefan explained to me that Finland switched sides during WWII, when it became apparent the Germans were going to lose.  Finland was first fighting along with the Germans on the German side.  Russia attacked Germany from the East, and the Allies attacked from the West.  Finland joined the Allies.

Below is the certificate awarding the medal "War Service Cross with Sword" to Karl Colnago, "OT Finsatz, Finnland, Transportkorps Speer 32.Kp."  30 Jan. 1945, signed by General Jodl.

"War Service Cross with Sword" to Karl Colnago.
Narvik, Norway
January 30, 1945

After 5 years in the German Army, Karl returned home to his father's house in Perchtoldsdorf to live with Eva and their four children.  Austria was devastated after the war and I know daily life there was very tough.

Karl's older son Robert Colnago married Friedi Friedl in 1966.  Below is a photo from their wedding.  The boy at the bottom right is Stefan Leimer.  Karl's wife Eva is wearing a black veil (center).

Robert Colnago and Friedi Friedl's wedding. 
Left to right: Maria Beham, Bianca Fritzsche, Friedi's uncle,
Eva Colnago wearing a veil, Helga Friedl,  Roswitha Colnago.
(The boy Stefan Leimer is by the tree below).
Hafnerberg, Austria, 8 January 1966

This was taken at Vienna Airport (Schwechat) about 1963.  Probably saying goodbye to my mother Erna Kordesch who was flying back to Cleveland, Ohio.

Cia (Colnago) Pillau, Karl Colnago, Bianca Böhm, Erna Colnago
 at Vienna Airport (Schwechat) about 1963. 

Below is a photo that Karl's grandson Rupert Colnago sent me.  Notice the Christmas cookies and the embroidered tablecloth.

Eva Teibler (67), Rupert Colnago (4) and Karl Colnago (68)
Weihnachten (Christmas) at Scholaugasse, 1974

Martin Leimer sent the next two photos of Karl, below.  The first is Karl's 70th birthday celebration at the Leimer's house in Axams, January 4, 1976.

"Opa" Karl Colnago mit Eva an seinem 70. Geburtstag - Weihnachten 75-76
 January 4 1976, Axams, Austria

 

The second photo from Martin Leimer is of himself with Karl Colnago and Karl's dog "Alfie" at the Vienna train station.  Karl's daughter Roswitha (Colnago) Leimer and her two sons Stefan and Martin Leimer were going back home to Basel, after a visit to Perchtoldsdorf.

Martin Leimer, Karl Colnago and his dog "Alfie."
Roswitha, Stefan und Martin reisten zurück nach Basel.
Westbahnhof, Wien, 1976

From Vienna to Basel, Switzerland by train is about 11 hours [Google Maps].

This is Karl and Eva in their garden in Perchtoldsdorf,  probably around 1980.  Stefan Leimer said this photo was taken by his father Robert Leimer at Scholaugasse 3, Perchtoldsdorf.   Robert Leimer was born and raised in Kalksburg and married Roswitha, one of Karl's twin daughters.  They moved to Basel, Switzerland and had two sons, Stefan and Martin.  Roswitha passed away in July of 2001, but  Robert Leimer still lives in Basel, Switzerland.

Karl and Eva in their garden Perchtoldsdorf, Austria. 
Circa 1980.  Eva passed away in 1988.
Photo by Robert Leimer

Karl enjoyed hunting deer and wild boar in the forests around Vienna.  Below is a hunting photo from Stefan Leimer.  Benny said a copy of this photo used to hang on the wall at Bianca Böhm's apartment at Reischachstraße 3, Vienna.

Stefan wrote: 

"Georg, Karl, and Robert Colnago. Three generations of Colnago at the Treibjagd (hunt). But not the ones with guns, just the ordinary people (Treiber) who chase the game towards the hunters.  Therefore the orange jackets so they can't be mistaken for wild boar."

Three generations of Colnago at the Treibjagd (hunt).

Benny says: 

The photo of Karl, with Robert and Georg, must be from 1981 though. 

I remember they also had a Dackel (Dachshund) called "Wauzi" if I remember correctly.

Georg looks about 15 years old, so it is likely 1981.  Robert would be 46 and Karl 75.  It's definitely in the forests around Vienna.

Karl Colnago, 84, Perchtoldsdorf, Austria, 1990.

Karl Colnago, 84, Perchtoldsdorf, Austria, 1990.
Photo by Stefan Leimer

From my brother Marty Kordesch: 

Hi Al,

The only story I know about Onkel Karl/WWII is that he told me they would shoot reindeer, and store them in the rafters of some building in the cold.  He was a game warden of some kind, we went to the Hochstand a few times in the forest near Perchtoldsdorf.  Never saw any deer.

 

He also had a dog. Alfie.  Around 1970 when I was there. A German Kleiner Muensterlaender, they are dogs with brown muzzles, and grey and brown spots.

I was there [Scholaugasse] often with Mami-omi [Bianca] on the weekends.  I think Friedi and Robert lived downstairs, we worked on those spice bouquets and sometimes Robert was there and was doing the hinterglass paintings.  He was amazing.  He balanced one hand on a stick, to steady the paintbrush, and started with the eyes and buttons on the coat…  All backwards.

From Eva Fritzsche-Steindl:

I actually remember him as both friendly and scary although I don’t remember much. But a few things were impressive: that he had a screaming fit at a teenage friend of Martin or Stefan because of a silly table manner issue. Also, he promised me a rubber boat once I could swim; of course I never reminded him and he was probably not serious about it in the first place. On the other hand I loved how he always had chocolate beetles in his sock drawer and would “secretly” let me choose one when I came to visit. 

Also, my mother told me he asked them to not take me to church that much, he thought it wasn’t good (well he was right!). Although his mother was extremely pious.

From Camilla Hutschinksi:

Dear Al,

I remember Karl had a turtle in his garden - no cage or box - he/she was free and Karl wrote his Telephone number on the shell of the turtle (white, in big numbers - I remember it so well), in case it got lost...

Liebe Grüsse!  

From Florian Pillau:

Dear Al,

There is only one personal experience with uncle Karl that I can recall:

Uncle Karl made me afraid when I was a boy. When I was about 19 he asked me to cut a branch off an apple tree in Scholaugasse 3. He told me he would get vertiginious by looking upward by squeezing the blood vessels of his neck. After my successful [tree] surgery he revealed his prejudice against me as an unexperienced urban youngster by wondering how I managed to handle the saw without seizing its blade. Which was certainly - but not obviously - meant as a compliment!

(-;

Kind regards,

Florian (Munich)

From Anette Pillau:

We went over to visit at the “Big Yellow House” frequently during my stays in Vienna. Even at my parent’s house, I was drilled to be at my very best and polite behavior when heading over to visit them! There are memories of meeting the tortoise (which my Dad thinks to be the same that lived with them in Berlin until the war), Uncle Karl’s hunting dog which we were forbidden to pet (I remember a large pointer), Uncle Robert’s art studio which I remember as really scary with all the forms and figurines, and everyone being enlisted to help with the Marillen Ernte, which resulted in the most amazing freshly prepared Marillenknoedel, Marillenmarmelade and other scrumptious treats. Us kids were usually the ones climbing highest into the trees - seems like a duplicity of stories now compared to my brother’s encounter with Uncle Karl!

Karl passed away on July 12, 1991 in Axams where he lived his last years with the Beham family. Ernst Beham passed away on November 3, 2018.  Maria Beham (born Colnago) still lives in her house in Axams.

Karl Colnago was laid to rest in the Axams Cemetery, Austria, July, 1991

Here is a timeline of Karl's life.

Thanks to all the family members who helped!  If you have any more stories, photos or memories of Karl, please let me know.   - Al Kordesch