Dawson Creek is loaded with history. The Alaska Highway has made the region famous with many tales of trials and triumphs. But there is another little known tale: the story of the Sudeten German settlement in Tomslake.

Fortunately, one man has helped bring their story back to life in a book called The Odyssey of Willi W. Genesis of Canada’s Sudeten Settlement Tomslake.

Rudolf Pueschel has a passion for history, and when he came across the story of the Sudetens, he pursued the tale of their leader, Willi Wanka, and of the plight and successes after being forced from their homeland after WWII.
“It was a fascinating story around 70 years ago, but it plays out still today because after the war all the Sudeten Germans had been moved from what was then Czechoslovakia, and the only reason was that they were German,” said Pueschel.

“I had no notion before of who Willi Wanka was, but when I looked into the story of those people I got so interested in their faith, in their accomplishments and I got interested enough to start doing research and writing this book.”
In 1939, Sudeten Germans immigrated to Canada; 500 of them settled in the South Peace. They were refugees who had escaped the Nazis and came to Canada looking for a new home. Here they faced an entirely new culture, language and new careers.

At the time, entrance to Canada was granted if immigrants established themselves as farmers. Most were city folk of a range of professions – but not farmers.

Wanka stepped up as the Sudeten’s leader to guide them to redemption.

Pueschel follows Wanka’s footsteps during the Sudeten’s transition in the South Peace.

The author explains that because the Sudeten settlers didn’t know anything about farming, they had to be trained. It wasn’t easy given the circumstances.

“They had to fight the odds, cultural, language problems…. But they managed to do so,” he remarked.
Pueschel’s drive to write the book stems from righting a wrong.

“[They were] innocent people, and those people are the witnesses. They are examples of what went wrong.”
He added that the historic event is still relevant today.

“It’s a local historic event no question about it, but it ties into European politics and worldwide politics because now they realize that these are people who didn’t deserve to be persecuted.

“I think it’s a very important event to realize that those guys [Sudetens] were not Nazis. They didn’t deserve to be knocked at all after the war but they were.”

Although Pueschel isn’t a local, he maintains strong ties to the story he passionately researched and wrote over 10 years.

Pueschel is Sudeten German and was forced from his home in 1946. He fled to what was then East Germany, where he resided for eight years. He then fled to West Germany living there for eight years before immigrating to the US in1962. He currently lives in California.

Pueschel asserts that he could not have written the book without the help of the friends he’s made in Dawson Creek.

Werner Tschiedel was just 13 when he arrived in Canada on Aug. 16 1939.

“We were free all of a sudden,” Tschiedel reminisced. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder [anymore].

“It’s like getting a lottery ticket; and 16 million lives later the war’s over and we escaped it all.”

Pueschel said he was fortunate to meet Tschiedel. There are not many Sudeten people left in the area, and not many local people are interested in the past, Pueschel stated.

“He [Tschiedel] also gave me lots of information; he was a very good source of information for what’s in this book.”
Pueschel hopes that his book will encourage younger generations to learn from history.

“It’s unfortunate but, in general, the second generation, the third generation loses interest in what happened…. So it’s important that we keep this story alive, keep the tradition alive.”

jwoodford@dcdn.ca