About this episode
Send us Fan MailIn today's episode, I take you on a journey through my unexpected DNA discoveries and how they've connected me to both famous and infamous historical figures. This discovery some new (but very old) Hungarian connections inspired me to research Hungarian immigrant victims of the Eastland Disaster, leading to some remarkable stories of transatlantic families.My Family BackgroundAll four of my grandparents immigrated to the US from Eastern and Central Europe in the late 1800s/early 1900sUnexpected Royal ConnectionsDNA testing in 2016 revealed a surprising maternal haplogroup connection to Nicholas II Romanov, the last Tsar of RussiaThis connection was especially meaningful since my mother had always been fascinated by the RomanovsWhile this is a distant connection shared by millions, it created an emotional link to historyThe Blood Countess ConnectionRecently discovered connections to Hungarian royalty through my father’s line—specifically, the Bathory family!Hungarian Immigrants and the Eastland DisasterI profile the story of Paul Marton and his teenage son Paul Jr., who were labeled as Hungarian victims of the Eastland disasterThe Marton family came from Myjava (now in Slovakia), a stronghold of Slovak LutheranismThe Marton family's story is a rare one: multiple immigration trips, and children baptized in both Chicago and Slovakia.Reflections on IdentityEastern European identity is complex, with shifting borders, overlapping languages, and blended identitiesMany immigrants identified as Hungarian, Slovak, Austrian, or Rusyn depending on the time periodThese threads of connection to the past, whether to royalty or ordinary people, take on the meaning we give themLinks:For a thoughtful and well-researched take on Elizabeth Bathory, I recommend this episode from Reading the Past by historian Dr. Katrina Marchant :Tale of the “Blood Countess”: Elizabeth Bathory (YouTube)Encyclopedia of Chicago, "Slovaks" and HungariansBook website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/Substack: https://nataliezett.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/Instagram: https://www.ins
