Volume 58, Number 1
February / March 2010
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Why Am I Getting Two Papers?
By: Darlene Fuchs
Excerpts From NovelGuide.com In Germany, the Karneval season begins am elften elften elf Uhr elf (11th November at 11:11AM).Within a Karneval club, the Council of Eleven (‘Elferrat’) is in charge of everything. Festivities must not start at any time other than 11 minutes past the hour. Karneval continues in a fairly low-key way for about three months before the Tolle Tage (Crazy Days), which climax on Rosenmontag, the 42nd day before Easter. Karneval in Germany is a time of true merriment; it is called the Fifth Season, or Season of Fools. In Germany, during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, groups of young men held a rite to welcome spring and entertain their neighbors after a long, hard winter. They dressed in sheep or goatskins, wore their hair and beards long, and ran through the countryside talking gibberish and behaving wildly. This custom became known as Fastnacht or Fasnet, meaning “night of the fast.” It is also translated as “nonsense night.” In some areas of Germany, the custom was called Schembartlauf, meaning “run of the hairy men.” This strange festival was abolished by local governments in 1339, but it was brought back in 1349 by members of a butchers’ guild. Fools’ societies were organized in Europe’s large cities, in the homes of noblemen, and later in small towns. These societies became widespread from the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries. They brought back old pre-Lenten festival customs and made fun of their neighbors. They also held large parades featuring floats designed to make fun of people’s foolish pride. During the 1600s, the wealthy added masked balls and carriage promenades to Karneval celebrations. When Europeans immigrated to the Americas, they brought the tradition and festivals of the fool with them. They eventually
became part of Carnival celebrations in North and South America, as well as the Caribbean. In 1794, the French occupied the Rhineland region of Germany, the region along the river Rhine, and banished the fools’ societies and Karneval celebrations. Although the ban was lifted in 1801, the societies were no longer organized and events were poorly planned. By the mid-1800s, the wealthy people of the cities controlled most of the festivities and they introduced many Karneval traditions that are still in place today. Karneval festivities in Germany, like Carnival celebrations in other countries, include such traditions as the crowning of a prince and princess. Every German town crowns its own prince and princess of Karneval. In Cologne, Prince Karneval is called “His Crazy Highness.” The prince and princess and their court are allowed to live at City Hall all day on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. They are in charge of the city government for the day and are attended by a Fool’s Court, whose members wear pointed caps and badges proclaiming their membership in the Order of Fools. Many German cities feature fools’ processions, which are large parades with hundreds of fools, jesters, and clowns. In the Black Forest region of Germany, the fools who participate in the Karneval parade are dressed in red like devils. The event is held on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, beginning at noon with loud music. Everyone pokes fun at everyone else, and those who take the jesting in good humor get candy, fruit, and flowers. There is a big bonfire in the evening to end the festivities. The Women’s Karneval began in 1824, when overworked washerwomen in a small village near Bonn, Germany decided to take over the town hall and declare a day off for
See SEASON OF FOOLS on PAGE 3
A reputation, once tarnished, is hard to recover; (at least that ‘s what my mother always told me). Smart people like Howard Schultz, the chairman and CEO of Starbucks, understand that the aura of a brand counts for a lot. A reader’s relationship with his newspaper is a lot more tenuous, especially these days, than a sipper’s relationship with his coffee. Each newspaper has its own personality formed by the relationship between its journalists and you the readers. Some of you may wonder, “What does this have to do with me?” Well, the last issue of the German American Journal, the 50th Anniversary Edition, was not up to the publishing standards we have put in place. Before we knew what had happened, the Journal had been put in the mail. LithoType, after being made aware of the inaccurate color variations and the use of a lower grade newsprint, was quick to find a solution. They willingly reran the 50th Anniversary Edition and offered to resend it with the first Journal of 2010 at no additional cost to DANK. Since many of you wanted to remember this celebration of 50 years, we have included a quality copy of the special commemorative 50th Anniversary Edition of the German American Journal. Please keep it or pass it on for someone else to read.
Before (l) and After (r) representation of the Dec 09 / Jan 10 issue.
TidBits
Education
Business & Technology
Calendar
The Insider
Oskar & Atticus
Lifestyle
Obituaries
Pages 3-6
Pages 7-11
Page 12
Pages 13
Page 14
Page 15-17
Page 18 Page 19
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German-American Journal
February / March 2010
Check Us Out Online! WWW.DANK.ORG DANK Discussion Forum Official DANK Blog
Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde! Dear Members and Friends, As I write this message it’s still a winter wonderland in Illinois but the days are getting longer which is a welcome sight, along with the sunshine peaking through the winter clouds. I’m looking forward to the snow melting and nature presenting new growth as spring arrives. I certainly hope that the New Year 2010 brings us all much success, happiness and good health. As I make those wishes for all our members, I also wish the same for our organization. In my new term as National President I pledge to continue working towards making DANK a better and more valuable organization for our members. The founding fathers created DANK with much spirit and dedication 50 years ago and the torch inside the DANK logo signifies the passion that existed to carry out their mission. That mission, to present a positive image of German Americans along with establishing a path for German immigrants and Americans of German descent to be good citizens, is still with us today. Along the way, DANK also chose the task of fostering German language education and preserving our German heritage. As I look forward to new, green growth outside my home, I am also looking to have renewed growth in our organization. During the last two years we have laid down the foundation for a quality organization with an improved Journal newspaper and an updated and informational website. We will build upon this foundation as we harness new ideas from volunteers that are willing to help DANK. Renewed growth of our organization cannot happen without our members renewing their membership and encouraging new members to join. As you read this edition of the Journal, if you have not renewed your membership for 2010, and you believe in our mission, I urge you to send in your dues now. You will be doing your part in making DANK a better organization, since without membership dues and donations we won’t have the financial resources to make DANK the premier German-American organization in the country. I also urge our members to continue the “Just-Add-One” campaign. If every member signs up just one new member this year, our membership will double. I understand that most of our members are feeling the effects of the bad economy and things are not easy, but DANK membership costs only $2.50 per month ($3.34 per couple) and makes a great birthday or friendship present. DANK has the lowest membership fees of any national organization that I personally belong to. We have worked very hard to keep our fees down by cutting expenses drastically and searching for additional income, while at the same time improving membership value and services. Our DANK credit card program is one more way that our members can help the organization at no cost to them. There are four beautiful designed cards and DANK, as a non profit organization, receives a donation from the credit card company after the first time each card is used. The card also gives many attractive bonus advantages to the card holder, so if you have not signed up, please go to our website and fill out the application. We will also have a credit card sign-up drive again this year but you don’t have to wait ‘til then. In closing, I would like to bring up one of the original purposes of our organization, which is a natural part of being a non-profit organization. That is for us as an organization to be good citizens! Throughout the year we will cover how DANK is fulfilling this obligation and how our members and chapters can help DANK grow with additional fun-filled activities while also displaying a positive image within our communities. Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
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DIE BRUECKE ZUR ALTEN HEIMAT “Building Bridges to Germany” Listen to LIVE radio from Germany on our website!
President William Fuchs 1. Vice President Erich Wittmann 2. Vice President Donna Lippert Treasurer Maria Thompson
Common Winter Myths • You Lose Half Your Body Heat Through Your Head
This falsehood is perpetuated by mothers and grandmothers who want their children to wear hats. You will only lose approximately ten percent because that is roughly the amount of the body’s surface area that the head composes. That leaves 90 percent from the rest of your body. Also, shivering is your body’s way of turning up the thermostat, producing up to five times more heat than simply resting in a warm environment.
• Bundle Up Or You’ll Catch Your Death
Contrary to what your mother told you and what you may have told your own kids, chilliness and dampness have nothing to do with susceptibility to the common cold. In order to catch a cold, you need exposure to one of the viruses that cause the cold; just being exposed to drafts or cold weather wont’ give you a cold. Cold weather, however, may decrease your resistance to fight off a cold if you are exposed to one.
• Licking Chapped Lips Will Keep Them Moisturized
Licking lips leaves a residue of saliva which evaporates quickly and actually leaves lips drier. Instead, wrap a scarf around your mouth to protect lips from the cold. Furthermore, some common ingredients in lip balm can actually have an adverse effect. Use natural-oil-infused balms or those with Shea and cocoa butter.
• Don’t Kiss Me I Have A Cold
A study infected one member of 16 couples with a cold virus and had them plant an extended kiss on their partners’ mouths. Only one partner (6 percent) caught the cold. During colds, the virus generally stays in the nose and throat. The mouth remains remarkably virus-free. There’s no reason to refrain from kissing cold sufferers, especially if the kiss is a peck on the cheek; just don’t rub noses with them.
• Downing Tons Of Water Daily Will Quench Dry Skin
When it comes to maximizing moisture, nutrients are more important than what you drink. Chugging water does help maintain skin’s moisture, but sip too much and you’ll only increase the speed with which your body gets rid of all that liquid. (And who wants to make five trips to the bathroom before lunch?) Conversely, getting enough omega-3 fatty acids through a diet rich in salmon and halibut can be helpful in combating dryness. These fish are packed with alpha-linolenic acid, which lessens inflammation helping skin retain natural oils. There is no really hard evidence that you can prevent a hangover, except with time and fluids The most effective way to avoid a hangover is to consume alcohol only in moderation or not at all. The only way to end a hangover is to wait it out.
Submission Deadline For The April / May 2010 Issue:
Secretary Beverly Pochatko
Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Darlene Fuchs Darlene@GoldenFoxPro.com Editorial Staff Margita Mandel Amanda Pedersen Chapter News Editor Beverly Pochatko erieoma@verizon.net Membership Erik Wittmann erik25@comcast.net German Correspondent Corinna Bienger corinna.bienger@live.de Layout & Design Stephen Fuchs Stephen@FoxTaleEdit.com Advertising & Classifieds Darlene Fuchs Darlene@GoldenFoxPro.com
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DANK seeks to bring together Americans of German descent in the pursuit of cultivating and presenting their heritage and interests on local, regional and national levels. These were the primary reasons that the German American National Congress was founded in 1959, and they are still among the organization’s primary objectives today.
DANK National Executive Board
• You Can Cure A Holiday Hangover
William Fuchs National President
Der Deutsch-Amerikaner
Feb. 25, 2010
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February / March 2010
German-American Journal
MAR
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1983 - The last of the remaining wooden radio towers in Germany, Ismaning, was demolished. It was referred to as the “Bavarian Eiffel Tower” due to the structures shape. At the site, there still remains the concrete foundations and tuning house, which stood underneath the tower.
Karneval Traditions in Chicagoland “Prinzenkrönung”
By: Hans Wolf P.R. & Webmëister, Rheinischer Verein When we arrived at the Rosemont Convention Center Ballroom, there was already an exiting buzz in the air. We, meaning myself, my wife Kathy, our friends Bill, DANK National President and Darlene Fuchs and Ron and Erica Zielinski and Margita Mandel, also joined us at our table. Over 700 festival goers attended the ‘09 Prinzenkrönung. It was a gala event with all the pomp and elegance of a ‘real’ royal crowning. Well, it was a real royal crowning, but its Karneval Zeit and the Narren will be in charge until Rosenmontag. The Ballroom was decked out with balloons, and in the back a German buffet. The suckling pig was prominently displayed. Forget the food! We secured several bottles of champagne to add to the festivities, the occasional Obstlers (shots that taste like gasoline) added to the stimmung. My favorite band, the Phenix with Jonny Gruber at the controls, provided some real Karneval stimmung.I can still hear the song,Einmal~ am Rhein~~~~, Quite frankly I could have schunkelt some more but then tradition is more important and timing (ruck-zuck) of the evening schedule had to be upheld. And here it happened, Prince Bobby and Princess Sylvia (motto:” Hey listen ,forget about it”, the best is yet to come) said their goodbyes and had to leave the stage without their royal garb. Bobby, as he was now called, had provided lots of youthful exuberance that will be remembered. Prince elect Joseph was ushered to the stage to be crowned and to declare his new Princess. She arrived in a shipping box delivered to the stage by Bradke’s movers (Joe’s company)! The new Prinzenpaar was then introduced by Cornell Erdbeer, the Master of Ceremonies, to the waiting crowd. S.T. Prinze Joseph and I.L. Prinzessin Debbie were elected for 2010 to reign over the upcoming Narrezeit. I was scurrying around taking pictures for our website which is never easy because nobody wants to stand still! As the Prinzenpaar and Royal Hofstaat departed the stage they had to pass through a spalier flanked by the Elferrat and PrinzenGarde. It was a beautiful sight. The Prinzengarde displayed their new swords, they are real and very imposing. Then came the the” Orden Hustle”, everybody crowding the Prinz begging and imposing for their yearly Orden, “trophy”. Ironically, the Hofmarshalls are Erich Himmel and Joe Matuschka,,both former Ehrenpräsidenten and leaders in the Chicago german community. Prinz Joseph’s
motto is “Why can’t we get along?”… ooops, it’s really “Unity in the German community.”. During the evening protocol the Amazonen dancers gave us some spirited performances, they are getting better all the time. The Fanfaren Drum and Bugle corps is always impressive and it brings out my Prussian heritage. They are a very important part of our tradition and the Fanfaren frame our Karneval event most impressively. But then our retooled PrinzenGarde looked extremely spiffy. Their new uniforms hats and feathers (from Germany) looked great on the young ladies. the Elferrat as always, added that special mystic with their presence. It was a great evening and an exciting crowning giving us something to look forward to, during our upcoming Karneval season! I have only been with the Rheinischer Verein for 8 years and I can only be proud to add to our history which started 1890 in Chicago. Our ever evolving website - www. mardigraschicago.com is a picture testimonial of our history and future. Please join us at our next event… especially our premier event, the Preis Maskenball (Masquerade ball) February 13. See you there!
Visit Online At: MardiGrasChicago.com February 13, 2010 • Masquerade Ball February 15, 2010 • Rosenmontag
~ ~ Und gib mir ein donnerndes Alaaf u.Helau! ~ ~
SEASON OF FOOLS: Celebration of Karneval Germans Looking For A New Compass CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 themselves. They crowned a “washing princess” and claimed a womens’ day beginning at 11:11 on the Thursday before Lent, which quickly became an annual tradition. This tradition continues today, as women—costumed as witches, devils, clowns, soldiers, and other characters—storm the Bonn town hall and take charge of the city for the day. At night, women go to nightclubs without their husbands or boyfriends for a fun and rowdy “girls’ night out.” The highlight of Karneval in Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Mainz, Germany, is the Rose Monday Parade. The parade in Cologne is the largest in Europe. It starts at 11:11 A.M. on the Monday before Ash Wednesday and features floats, bands, and groups of people masquerading as fools. Special tractor-and-trailer floats display life-size paper figures of real celebrities, politicians, and other public figures, who are made fun of during the parade. These
works of art take months to design and complete. More than seven thousand people, and three hundred horses, participate in this procession. Those riding on floats throw candy into the crowd lined up along the streets to watch the parade. In Munich, the city sparkles with hundreds of costume balls and parties. The final week of Karneval is the wildest. Party goers fill the nightclubs and drink beer until the early morning hours. A parade called Mad Munich (München Harrisch) is held on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and features floats and costumes. As Karneval draws to a close, a final costume ball is held. At midnight before Ash Wednesday, the “fool” representing Karneval is put into a fake coffin and carried out of the city, followed by a crowd of people sloshing the last of their beer at him. A street sweeper comes behind, symbolically sweeping away the trash of another year’s madness.
By: William Boston Magazine-Deutschland.de How do Americans see Germany today, some twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall? Well, I’d just like to share some impressions. So let’s start with a true story from the dark days of the Cold War. In the Spring of 1987, I attended one of those church-organized East-West workshops that were fairly commonplace back then. It took place in an old church in a village near Gera, in East Germany. There were many light-hearted moments over the weekend, such as when the East German men stood in line to take turns driving my VW Polo. And there was the usual gallows humor when our hosts would joke about our “chaperones”, two
Stasi agents pretending to be tourists who followed us everywhere we went. One afternoon we discussed how to change the world. I was the only non-German and was astounded as East Germans and West Germans discussed everyone’s problems – except their own. So, exploiting my host’s
See COMPASS on PAGE 5
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Schumi’s Formula One Comeback with Mercedes
Germany was pleasantly surprised by Michael Schumacher’s announcement of his comeback in 2010. He signed a oneyear contract with the rebranded Mercedes team, who won the constructors’ championship last season according to reports in Germany. For Formula One superstar Niki Lauda, this comeback is a historical moment, even a relief for the trouble-ridden Formula One. For him, unlike most others, Michael Schumacher - or Schumi as he is lovingly called in Germany - does not only have the chance to win some races, but he has the chance to become World Champion again, even though he has not been racing the Formula One for three years. Schumacher retired from Formula 1 in 2006 after seven world championships and 91 overall wins. At the first race of the season, Schumacher will be 41, almost double the age of many just entering the sport. Flavio Briatore, the former manager of the Benetton racing team, for whom Schumi has won his first two World Championship titles in 1994 and 1995, thinks that Michael has decided to come back to the Formula One after thinking about it thoroughly, and that he is sure that Schumi can win the World Championship again.
It is sensational. Michael Schumacher, a German boy, racing for Mercedes, a German car maker. This will top the hype that has been around Schumi for years. It is the dream we all had when Michael Schumacher was driving so successfully for Ferrari. Since he is a perfectionist who has never left anything to coincidence during his previous motor sports career, Schumi will be perfectly fit when he starts driving for the Silberpfeil in March. And he will not only be physically fit, but mentally as well because he will fear nothing more than not driving in pole position. Mercedes meanwhile, apparently plans Schumi’s first appearance in a silver car. A Sunday newspaper reported that the team is planning a spectacular presentation of the new superstars. We are now anticipating a possible “Schumi-Show” at the beginning of the year. Rumour has it that Michael Schumacher and his team colleague Nico Rosberg are supposed to appear before the public where the new Formula One racing car will be presented, in a big bash. We are all looking forward to another racing season, finally with Michael Schumacher in a German car. Hopefully the end result will mean being able to celebrate Schumi and his eighth World Championship title.
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German-American Journal
February / March 2010
We May Be Drinking “Kalte Kaffee”
By: Dr. Albert E. Jabs After a four day respite along the Atlantic Ocean, as Vice President under George Wallace...was the surfing its waters, spotting a shark not too far from progenitor of low level bombing in both Germany and my swimming area, I heeded the words of my friend, Japan...and was ready to move into Cuba in October, Lutheran Minister, Dr. Frank, “better we get out of l962. Again, reflect on the implications of this which the water, Al!” There is a great teaching lesson in is almost fifty years ago. Let us drink another cup this admonition, a kind of metaphor that even in the of perhaps even Turkish Coffee...strong stuff. For relatively tranquil ocean waters, hidden dangers can GWA and other think tanks need to think outside of lurk. the “box.” We are living in an unprecedented age Here is the important lesson. Those of us in GWA where the remnants of war are going back to Verdun and other groups may need to smell a stronger cup of in WW I, Stalingrad, WW II, where my Uncle Julius coffee. We may be drinking “Kalte Kaffee.” Willi, and friend, Franz, served and survived before Marshall preserved by God, and still alive after 94 dangerous Frederick Von Paulus surrendered the Kessel...and the missions, and perceived as part of the “enemy” is still Sixth Army was given up...and where only about 5,000 with us. So he and others with experience of real war subsequently survived. Keep on going and think of the will understand what I am about to say. chemical garbage (see Donovan Webster: Aftermath... Just outside of Ft. Sumter, South Carolina, The Remnants of War) for a more complete reading... where in April, l861, Citadel and reflect on the demolition cadets shot off the rounds at experts who are still deactivating Major Robert Anderson’s Ft. the millions of bombs and other Sumter contingent, and thus a former ordinance left over from the two West Point instructor (Anderson), major wars of the Twentieth in his own student, General P.G. Century...and people are still dying T. Beauregard,Beauregard, of the and children are being wounded Rebel force was attempting to from this left over ordnance wound or kill him. Fortunately, in places like Vietnam where no deaths occurred at the time, thousand of babies and children but the war clouds of both North are born with birth defects. and South had now descended... Julius, and Dr. Marianne. and naively...there were people on Bouvier, Dr. Brigitte Neary, both sides that thought of a short and others, think with me about war...and both prayed for a quick this continuing tragedy, and victory...but in the long four years Julius, when you say you have of war about 620,000 died...and I Dr. Albert E. Jabs is writer, researcher, 23 members of your family at am not including the wounded, the communicator, and currently engages in the table...think of those who are orphans, nor am I even mentioning portrayals of Martin Luther still dying from Agent Orange enduring hatreds and animosities in in Vietnam or even in the first of spite of Lincoln’s plea for taking care of the wounded, the Middle East wars where seven million land mines the widows, and the orphans...and 25,000 died in each of the Gulf War are still killing and wounding. I am others prison camps. Here were brothers and some not even going into the current war of Afghanistan... sisters at war. Why have we nor learned from this our most enduring war in American History...but read tragedy? This question kept on resonating in my mind beyond the headlines of each day. Again, I am not a with the ocean waves rolling by. pacifist...but we need to brood, to ruminate about the But on our return from the visit to Ft. Sumpter, dying, wounded, and survivors. Each of you and all I spoke to a former Lt. Colonel in the SAC force of you have some valuable experience in these matters under General Curtis Lemay:...now, go back to the that can be instructive for the entire world. late l950’s, and stop at Cuba, in the thirteen days of Finally, after reflecting on our own Civil War for October, l962...when the planet earth was in danger. the past five days along the beautiful beaches of the Here is what two of the SAC pilots confessed that even Atlantic Ocean...and having about 21 senior citizens in l957...read again...they were flying over Moscow... sing, pray, and fellowship together, in that context...I and “Moscow Mary” was announcing their names over am absolutely convinced that none of us are astute the radio...think about the intelligence services of even enough to predict the future. In fact, we can be certain in these post Stalin days that were active...and they that there will be both joys and sorrows...and we do not were carrying nuclear bombs. Now, fast forward to have to be students of history to know that...but in these October, l962, when JFK and Khrushchev were at each joys and sorrows and uncertainties of life and history...I other’s throats...and they had their respective trigger am absolutely certain that our Lord is in control and fingers on nuclear weapons...the Soviet Union did have that we have a Savior...even in the dark nights of a nuclear division in Cuba...and during those October torture, war, and conflict, and although the lights can be Days...my SAC pilots told me that they were already dimmed...they cannot be put out. I believe that GWA in the air over the Arctic areas moving toward Russia as a reasonable think kind of tank should drive toward with nuclear weapons...when they were pulled back. given lessons of how Germany crushed by war and Both intelligence services knew about this...and it is no deep darkness, and reflecting “Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser wonder that Nikita said that the knot could be so tight Gott” can give powerful insights about the lingering that the Rubicon could have been crossed...and think remnants of war even in these late evening hours of with me...about mega deaths...in the millions. human history. Your move. General Curtis LeMay, who later volunteered to run
February / March 2010
German-American Journal
5
Newspapers in Germany
Germany is a country of newspaper-readers: over 350 papers with a total daily circulation of 25 million copies inform people in even the smallest villages about what is going on in the world By: Michael Ridder Magazine-Deutschland.de Diversity of opinions in the media is represented in Germany above all by the newspaper market. The entire country is covered by a network of sometimes incredibly small local publications, big regional papers and the major national dailies. More than 25 million copies are printed in Germany – every day. Despite the competition from radio and television and the Internet, daily newspapers continue to reach 71.4% of the population. These figures impressively prove that the newspaper medium remains up-to-date. This also applies to introducing new themes into the political and social debate. Even television relies on press journalists for knowledgeable discourse. Presseclub, the ARD broadcast in which several journalists discuss a topical subject every Sunday at 12 noon, has now been a classic for decades. One journalist is almost always present from one of the five large papers of national significance: Süddeutsche Zeitung (Munich) with a circulation of 430,000 copies, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt am Main) with 368,000
Frankfurt’s Dippemesse German Spring Fair
By: Darlene Fuchs Frankfurt welcomes the return of the warm season with it’s annual “Spring Dippemess” at the “Festplatz” (Fairground) on “Ratsweg”. This fair, which is the oldest and largest folk festival in the Rhein-Main region, will be in full swing from March 26th to April 4th. Here one can join half a million fellow revelers for Frankfurt’s “Frühlings Dippemess” (Spring Dippe Fair), the first open-air fair after the end of winter. Highlights are the huge firework displays, which open and close the event. The Frankfurt “Dippemess” (Festival of Stoneware) is a tradition which dates back to the 14th century. At that time, the “Maamess”, as it was then called, was a medieval market for domestic articles. Potters from the Westerwald, Kannebäckerland and Urberach came here to sell their wares, especially their ceramic bowls and pots. These were known in the Frankfurt dialect as “Dippe”, from which the event soon took it’s name. “Dippe” is a regional Hessian dialect word meaning “pot” or “jar” and which would not be understood in most other German regions. Over the years, more and more fairground booths and popular attractions joined the market as well. In the 1950’s, the ”Dippemess” was relocated to Frankfurt fairground (Festplatz) on “Ratsweg”, as the showmen’s larger rides could no longer be accommodated in the city itself. In the generous space available here, the “Dippemess” rapidly expanded and today it is Frankfurt’s largest fair and Germany’s most popular Easter event. With visitor numbers reaching 2.5 million annually, the “Dippemess” always features the latest high tech rides and attractions. Visitors can try one of the numerous carousels, the roller-coaster, or, if they prefer, stick to the regional food and wine - Frankfurt boasts an unusual specialty in it’s apple wine, served in rustic earthenware jugs at the Spring Dippe Fair.
copies, Die Welt (Berlin) with 264,000 copies (together with Die Welt kompakt), Frankfurter Rundschau (Frankfurt am Main) with 150,000 and tageszeitung (Berlin) with 56,000 copies. These five newspapers represent the range of political opinions: Die Welt is conservative and has a predominantly older readership; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is conservative-liberal; Süddeutsche Zeitung is politically left-liberal, but presents a business-friendly view in its economic section; Frankfurter Rundschau is left-liberal; tageszeitung is progressive and anti-establishment and organized as a cooperative which is owned by its readers. Below this top group, there are regional papers with supraregional influence, including Stuttgarter Zeitung (Stuttgart), Tagesspiegel (Berlin), Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (Cologne) and Rheinische Post (Düsseldorf). The largest share of the German newspaper cake is taken by local papers that generally work with bought-in front sections from regional newspapers. The most read daily in Germany is the tabloid Bild which sells 3.3 million copies a day and is published by Springer-Verlag, the publisher of Die Welt.
Bild often selects the topical themes for agencies, television stations and other newspapers, but is frequently criticized for extreme sensationalism. The most popular weekly is the liberal Die Zeit (Hamburg), which sells 491,000 copies. However, the media crisis has not passed the newspapers by. Falling circulations and advertising revenues are creating problems for most publishers and as a result there is an increasingly strong trend towards concentration in the German press market. Thus, for example, Kölner Verlagsgruppe acquired M. DuMont Schauberg, which publishes Kölner StadtAnzeiger, a majority stake in Frankfurter Rundschau in 2006 and Berliner Zeitung in 2009. Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding, which owns Stuttgarter Zeitung, bought a stake in Süddeutsche Zeitung at the end of 2007. So far international equity investors have not been able to gain a foothold on the German newspaper market. The free newspapers that are well-established in many countries have also not been successful in Germany. German readers are obviously prepared to spend money on quality journalism and well-researched background information.
COMPASS: A New Direction CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 understanding for my American naiveté, I blurted out what seemed to me the most obvious question: “What would happen if the Wall fell tomorrow?” Both the East Germans and West Germans were united in their horror. The silence was deafening. Then one of the East Germans said: “The West would flatten us.” One of the West Germans threw in that West Germany would be overwhelmed, that change couldn’t happen overnight. I’ve often thought of this exchange over the past twenty years whenever Germans talk about the Wall in the mind. I remember getting completely lost on one of my first visits to Berlin after the Wall was gone. Without the Wall, I had lost my orientation in the city. For Germans, too, the Wall was more than just a division. The Wall was more like a compass. It helped them navigate both the past and the future and told them who they were in the present. Wessi or Ossi. Winner or Loser. And ever since the Wall fell in 1989, they’ve been looking for a new compass. Germany today is, of course, a completely different place. Germans find great hope in the political changes happening in the United States, yet doubt there is any
Traveling Job To Job By: Marti Goodlad Heline South Bend Tribune Correspondent Mishawaka—Traditionally after an apprenticeship, German carpenters would go on a three-year journey to find work and develop their skills. Although that path was less common by the 1940’s, that is what Gunter Kison chose to do because of conditions in post-World War II Germany. Kison described growing up in Germany and his journey to becoming a master carpenter and bringing his family to South Bend during a talk recently at the Mishawaka-PennHarris Public Library in downtown Mishawaka. Born in Hamburg in 1930, Kison remembers the war years with never-ending bombing raids on his home city. His father moved the family to live with relatives until forced to split up. Kison spent nearly a year living at his school not knowing exactly where his parents were until his mother sent for him to return to Hamburg on a journey that involved five trains over 500 miles for a 13-year-old. As the war ended, conditions were still hard, he said. After his school became a hospital for German soldiers, his classes met in a private villa three days a week. When the coal ration was used up, students would each bring a stick of wood so they could have heat. “It was a lousy time and no one had money,” Kison said. In 1948, Kison became an apprentice carpenter, but when he finished the only job he could get was in a creamery, which led his journey.
William Boston
hope for change in Germany. To find that hope, they first need to find a past they can believe in. And that, I guess, is what remembering 1949 and 1989 is all about, not to forget the darkness of the night but to celebrate the light of a new day. Perhaps many Germans still don’t understand that the Wall was so much more than a physical dividing line. After Barack Obama spoke in Berlin and said that toppling the Wall in 1989 gave us hope that all barriers can be overcome, I was asked by a German journalist what he meant. Why did the destruction of the Berlin Wall in Germany mean anything to an American? I asked, why do you think that victory is yours alone?
Wearing traditional carpenter garb of a white shirt, black vest, and trousers with extra pockets for tools, Kison showed how he took food, a walking stick and a pack containing clothing, bedding and tools. About half the 30-pound weight was from the hammer, saw, push-axe, chisel and square he carried. Despite his father’s prediction he’d be home in a week, Kison walked from city to city for two weeks looking for carpentry work, sometimes sleeping in a hayfield. “Everything hurt. Every step was tough, but I had to go on” he said. He stumbled upon a job building 100-foot-high arched bridges on the Autobahn. His next big job was helping to build a six-story bank in Dusseldorf without scaffolding. After that, he had a choice of jobs and took one in Stuttgart because it had sleeping quarters. As he traveled from job to job, he worked his way up to foreman and superintendent. Returning to Hamburg, Kison earned his master carpenter license and continued to supervise projects. He married wife Erika, and working from early morning until late at night, built their home, worked and took night classes for several years to become an engineer. Following his brother to the United States, Kison moved his family to South Bend in 1962. He was soon building houses for local contractors. He was involved in the construction of the Joyce Center and other buildings at Notre Dame as well as Coveleski Stadium, Century Center, the Schurz Library at IUSB and other projects from Bridgman to Indianapolis to Chicago. Buying an 80-acre farm on Maple Road in Greene Township, Kison and his wife raised their children along with assisting friends, relatives and neighbors in times of crisis. He and his wife still live on the farm.
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By: Eric Braeden / Hans Gudegast When I accepted the invitation to speak at the ACTFL Conference, I began to ponder anew the question what is it like to be a German, or German-American? How do I define my Germaneness? In personal terms I have early memories of bombings and fires, of having to frantically be carried into the basement, of fear that gripped everyone at the sound of approaching allied bomber squadrons who would inevitably unleash their destructive fury on cities and villages like mine, only to leave burning farms and screaming animals in flames in their wake. I have memories of being hosted unto the shoulders of my teenage brother so that I could see the city of Hamburg aflame after one of those devastating firebombing that left the city an inferno in which tens of thousands of civilians perished in one night. I have memories of thousands of homeless and hungry people descending like desperate vultures from devastated cities like Hamburg and Kiel, onto the countryside to frantically dig for any left over potatoes or kernels of wheat. I have memories of Christmas Eves when my brothers and I had to recite poetry to the local Santa Claus and sing “O Tannenbaum” and “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” and only then could we turn to our presents, a pair of shoes perhaps, which would have to last to next Christmas. I have memories of make-shift ice-hockey games on frozen ponds and soccer games with pig bladders because we couldn’t afford a real ball. Memories of a beloved father suddenly dying, of long bicycle excursions through a beautiful countryside, of hard work on farms and hard school benches, of teachers who had come back from the Russian front with no legs or one arm, and great bitterness. Memories of long hiking excursions on hot summer days, singing “Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann Und Mir Liegts Auch Im Blut,” of secret rendezvous and adolescent kisses with my first love, Rosely, on country lanes. Of my mother saying “Das koennen wir uns nicht leisten” when my brothers and I were coveting a pair of soccer shoes in the store window. Oh, when I think of my hard working proud mother and father, who experienced the two most cataclysmic and devastating wars in the history of mankind, and who each time had to start with nothing. I remember Tanzschule and waltzing and doing the tango, and Elvis Presley, and Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, and I remember leaving it all behind, one day in May, when I was 18, while standing aboard the “Hanseatic” waving goodbye to my family while the orchestra was playing “Junge, Komm Bald Wieder.” I remember the first sighting of the Statue of Liberty, the skyline of New York City, the sweltering heat, the frenetic hustle and bustle of white and black and brown skinned people, of taking the Greyhound Bus through Southern cities, where they had separate toilets and drinking fountains for whites and blacks, and where a genteel Southern lady expressed her love for castles on the Rhine and Apfelstrudel, and asked me what I thought about Hitler, and I said, “I didn’t – and hadn’t.” I remember fulfilling my childhood dreams of being a cowboy when I was in Montana and going to University there, and one day in a lecture on Philosophy being asked in front of the whole class, how it was possible that a country that had produced Goethe and Schiller and Beethoven and Schubert could product Hitler and concentration camps? I was 18 then, and couldn’t answer. I remember the experience that left an indelible mark on my brain, and heretofore innocent German heart. It was in Los Angeles, in a movie theater, where I saw a documentary called, “Mein Kampf.” I went to see it because its title promised something about Germany and I was homesick. It showed scenes of concentration camps, goose-stepping soldiers, of Hitler kissing babies, corpses piled high in make-shift mass graves in concentration camps, of dead German soldiers standing frozen in the wind and snow swept steppes of Russia. It showed American soldiers liberating walking skeletons from camps. It was then that I had lost my innocence and no one was there to explain or quiet my deeply felt sense of anger betrayal and shame. Had my
German-American Journal
beloved mother and father been a part of that? They just couldn’t have been and yet I remember sending letters filled with anger and bitterness and inexplicable disappointment to my mother. I remember later playing for a Jewish team called “Maccabees” and I fought hard for them, perhaps in the vain hope of atoning for the sins committed by some members of my parents’ generation. I met Jews from Hamburg, a village in Hessen, from Cologne, Jews who had left in the 30’s, and who seemed more German in their old-fashioned ways and attitudes than I did. I met Jews who accepted me because I was too young, and Jews who did not accept me because I was German, and Jews who talked nostalgically of their favorite pre-war soccer teams: Eintracht Frankfurt, or Dresden, or Hamburg, or reminisced bitterly about the insidious ways of anti- Semitism. I met a German who called me a traitor because I played for a Jewish team, and I remember an Israeli teammate who talked like a racist about blacks and was suspicious of me because I was German. I remember my first agent in Hollywood, a Jew, who was kind-hearted and helpful, and gave me my first break in this tough business of acting. I recall Americans coming up to me when I played Captain Dietrich, on the Rat Patrol, saying, “I wish you Germans had won the war, we wouldn’t have to worry about the damn Russians.” I remember fighting with producers on how to play my role in the Rat Patrol. They wanted an eye-patch and a limp so as to perpetuate the stereotypical image of a German soldier. And I insisted on playing the Rommel-like figure as a human being, with dignity, because the German soldier of the Wehrmacht who came back from the Russian front was decent and brave and tough and fought for his country just like any other soldier. I remember a conversation with Curt Juergens on the way to the theater in New York where I played his son in a Broadway Play, and he thought I should go back to Germany, because in America I would play nothing but those damn Nazi roles, and I said it may take me awhile, but I was determined to help destroy that caricature. I was determined to show that we were human beings, with all the strengths and frailties, with all the feelings and thoughts of any human being. I remember my son coming home from grade school one day and telling me that he had been called a Nazi, and asking me what that meant, and I remember my trying to explain something I had taken years to study and understand, to a little boy. I remember reading Shirer’s “The Third Reich,” and Bullock’s “Study in Tyranny,” and Speer’s “Inside the Third Reich,” and the best book about that fateful period by Sebastian Haffner called “Anmerkungen Zu Hitler,” Anecdotes to Hitler. I remember Simon Wiesenthal, during an interview, saying that the actual perpetrators of atrocities numbered about a hundred thousand, and Henry Kissinger saying under no circumstances is the post-war German generation to be held responsible for Auschwitz. And then the wall came down and Americans came up to
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me with genuine feelings in their hearts and congratulated me and it felt good to be German. And then my nonAmerican friends from Europe and South America patted me on the shoulder, and spoke with admiration and respect of the German National Soccer Team, playing the World Cup in Italy. And then we became world champions. And it was almost all to good to be true. And then came some editorials in the newspapers about the renaissance of German power and a caricature of Helmut Kohl, as a new Hitler, and the many scathing remarks made by the cheap English press and character assassinations by Margaret Thatcher and her Cabinet, all warning of German power whilst bemoaning the loss of their own. And as a German, I wanted to shout to the world “When will you ever stop talking about those damn 12 years? When will you ever give us credit for more than 40 peaceful Democratic years during which Germany has been an exemplary Democracy, a loyal ally of the Western alliance, an unwavering friend of both America and Israel, a patient initiator through its Ostpolitk with a Communist East, a country that has opened its arms to more politically disenfranchised, the persecuted and hungry, than any other except perhaps America? When will you ever talk about and acknowledge the untold contributions made by German immigrants who toiled for you, America, as carpenters, farmers, mechanics, longshoreman, doctors and nurses, coal miners, machinists, lawyers, surgeons and generals, teachers and scientists, when, I ask?” Well, it will happen when we German immigrants and Americans of German descent start talking about it and when we start addressing the issues that concern us, when we have dialogue amongst ourselves and with those who mistrust us, when we open our hearts and extend our hands to each other and to those who were wronged by another generation, when we become aware of our profound contributions to the success in freedom and democracy that is America. For that purpose, a few friends of mine, and I, have founded the German American Cultural Heritage Society of Los Angeles. We want to preserve the histories of German Americans and their immigrant ancestors – be they Catholic or Protestant or Jew. Our formerly divided Germany will become one again: let us not forget Reagan and Bush, Baker and Mitterand, Kohl and Genscher, and Gorbachev and Shevardnadze, who made the seemingly impossible a reality, and the thousands of brave East Germans who courageously cried out for freedom. Because of our historical legacy, we Germans have a profound responsibility to be tolerant of others and to cooperate as equal partners in this world of many peoples. Tonight, let us remember the many positive contributions the Germans have made to mankind. What does it mean to be German? It means that we are part of the community of mankind, with a specific and complex heritage, and I am proud of that heritage.
Eric Braeden On TV & Film
Over the past five decades, Braeden has scored numerous Hollywood roles.
The Rat Patrol (TV)
(1966-1968) Played a German officer and the Patrol’s main opponent. By the end of the series it is shown that his character is an anti-Nazi.
Colossus: The Forbin Project
(1970) Chief designer of a secret government supercomputer that has a mind of its own and wants to control the world.
Titanic (1997) Played the real-life millionaire John Jacob Astor, referred to as “the richest man on the ship” by Kate Winslet’s character, Rose.
The Young And The Restless (TV)
(1980-present) Plays Victor Newman on the long running daytime soap, in which he won an Emmy award for in 1998.
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It’s hard to believe, but it’s been one year since I started working full time for DANK. It started out as a big challenge for me and quickly turned into a warm, happy new home. Working in the office is a lot of fun…especially right now in the winter when I have a snowy view out my window and am typing away at the computer. I am looking forward to another incredible year at DANK, with more exciting projects to kick off. Eva won the Outstanding Service and Dedication Award at this year’s National Convention and has earned it! She continues to do a great job leading the office and DANK into another successful decade. We’d also like to thank Gary Dietz for helping us acquire and install a brand new phone system in the office, which was generously donated through the DANK
Haus by Kopka, Pinkus Dolin & Eads. Aside from resting comfortably on our laurels after a fabulous 2009, Eva and I are busy with the dues statements coming in right now. Thank you to everyone who has sent in their 2010 dues so far! Please keep them coming. There’s nothing like the smell of freshly printed membership cards in the morning. I believe that’s how the saying goes. So, we have just wrapped up a wonderful year, and aside from managing the dues drive, the new year is looking like a fresh, clean palette for us. Please feel free as always to share your thoughts, ideas and much-appreciated donations with us, join us on the forum, or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, StudiVZ, and Twitter. If nothing else, just drop us a line to say hello! Our door is always open.
Sign Up For Membership Online @ www.DANK.org
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1793 - The first democratic state on the current German territory, the Republic of Mainz, was declared by Andreas Joseph Hofmann, a leading member in the first democratically elected parliament in Germany, called the RheinischDeutscher Nationalkonvent.
2010: A Year To Build Our Base! Yes, a new decade has arrived and we just celebrated our organization’s 50th Anniversary! Despite many challenges, our membership numbers have begun to stabilize in the past years with, a loss of members. Those losses were primarily due to factors such as death of many of our founding members, or those who joined in the 1970’s and 80’s because of our discounted “Flight to Germany” programs. We were unable to attract new members because we failed to change our organization to meet the needs of the younger generation and individuals who are of Germanic ancestry vs. being GermanAustrian-and Swiss by birth. Yes, we were comfortable with the status quo and content with events from our various chapters, even though membership and chapter locations were decreasing. This, by the way, is not unique to just DANK, but almost all those ethnic organizations, who failed to adapt to the reality that immigration from European countries is at a all time low, with new immigrants coming primarily from Asia, Africa, Mexico and Latin America. So, knowing what the problems are, does not automatically fix the issues. Thus, as noted in previous communications, we, as an organization, are changing our focus to attract new members. We now actually have a membership drive budget and membership tools, so that we can initiate activities to increase the organization’s visibility and the services we offer, on both the national and local levels. The first two areas of focus were our national web site (DANK.org) and the DANK Journal. For those of you who have provided written/verbal feedback on both the quality of the Journal and the new website, the overwhelming response has been favorable. We also know from the number of hits our web site recorded, that the numbers are up and visitors find the new web site inviting and easy to use. The establishment of a Membership Committee, a budget and the improvements in our web site and Journal are only step one in a process that ultimately also requires active participation of our chapters and individual members. We continue to work with those chapters struggling to attempt to infuse both resources, ideas and help, in reversing membership slides, so that we do not lose more chapters. Simultaneously, we are continuing to work on establishing new chapters in those areas where interest has been shown by some local individuals. April 2010 will be the establishment of our newest chapter in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Let’s quickly review what is being attempted in helping existing chapters:
Possible New Chapter Locations
First of all, a new membership brochure is available for all chapters to access. A representative from the Membership Committee will be in contact with every chapter to discuss individual chapters needs and to go over the membership drive efforts each chapter plans on undertaking within the next year. We will provide resources to those chapters, be they materials or possibly ideas on how to proceed. We are currently working on placemats that a chapter can use by working with receptive local eating establishments to see if advertising through those means works. Most likely we will have 3-4 chapters pilot that effort and see what results it bears. We are also making available extra copies of the Journal to chapters so that they can place those in local libraries, etc, to have DANK be more visible and possibly see if that aids in the recruitment process. Other ideas are being considered and we hope that you as DANK members will contact our National office with ideas that you think may work. Email them to either office@dank.org or write to Membership Committee at the DANK National Address. On our effort to establish new chapters, we are continuing to work with several sites to establish chapters were interest has been shown including utilizing our sub chapter concept . Additionally, as announced in the last membership report, the Membership Committee, with the support of the Executive Board, will be identifying three areas that we will target for the establishment of new chapters within the next year. The areas currently under consideration are eastern Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, Charlotte, North Carolina, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Denver, Colorado. Should you know persons in those areas, or others who may want to get involved in creating a new chapter, please share that information with our Membership Committee. Ultimately, it will take every single member of DANK to assist in the process, be it through your ideas, your signing up new members for your own chapter, or donating funds to our membership drive efforts. If you choose the latter please make sure you mark your donation as “Membership Drive.” Anyone wishing to communicate directly with me on any of the issues mentioned in this article, please do so by emailing me at erikwittmann@germaninpittsburgh.org. Wishing everyone a healthy and happy New Year and let us all work together to develop a solid new membership base during 2010.
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German-American Journal
February / March 2010
Local DANK Food Drive Huge Success
In honor of St. Nikolaus, Christmas party guests collect more than four hundred pounds of food to feed hungry in local area BARTLETT, IL – A group of members from DANKwould like to announce the huge success of a sponsored local food drive December 5th to assist the local Hanover Township Food Pantry in collecting nonperishable food donations. Overall, DANK members and friends collected more than 400 pounds of food for the Hanover Township Food Pantry. Bill Fuchs, National President of DANK and his wife, Darlene, hosted a Christmas Party asking that guests bring food for the needy instead of gifts. DANK’s “Focus on Serving” in our communities was supported in the German community by attending members from the Niedersachsen, Reinischer Verein and German Day. Generous contributions brought in over 400 pounds of food with an average of 10 pounds per person. This “Focus on Serving” was done in honor of St. Nikolaus Day on December 6th, promoting the saint’s reputation for charitableness and a “bringer of gifts.”
“With so many people facing tough times right now, we are happy to make a difference, starting in our local community,” says Bill Fuchs, DANK National President. “We’d like to give a special thanks to all of our guests for their generous donations when a lot of families are struggling with the economic conditions.” The Hanover Township Food Pantry helps eliminate hunger in Bartlett and the surrounding area through the acquisition and distribution of healthy food to individuals and families in need. In light of heightened unemployment rates and several other contributing factors, the need for support is stronger than ever. In the giving spirit of Christmas, Bill and Darlene ask that everyone take a moment to reflect on what they have and to generously give to those who are less fortunate. We ask that all German organizations plan a “Focus on Serving” event in their communities. Please submit an article on how your German/American club or group made a difference with a
“Focus on Serving” event to darlene@goldenfoxpro.com. Make sure to send out press releases in order to get positive PR in your communities. For more information on DANK please visit dank.org.
Pittsburgh’s Annual DANK Chapter Indianapolis Supports Education Projects Weihnachtsfeier By: Ruth Reichmann
By: Erik Wittmann DANK Chapter Pittsburgh continued its’ long time tradition of kicking off the Christmas Season with its annual Weihnachtsfeier, always held the first Friday of December. As in past years, the event started off with a German Buffet in the Rathskeller of the Teutonia Männerchor and then heads to the main ballroom, which is spectacularly decorated for the annual celebration including a visit from St. Nicholas himself. This years program, hosted by one of our German Teachers Erna Jochum, included performances by both members and guests including the Teutonia Children’s Schuhplattlers. Glüwine was served throughout the evening as well as other refreshments, Christmas carols were sung in both English and German, plus of course the visit by St. Nick, who always brings gifts for all the children in attendance. After the visit by St. Nick,
homemade cookies and cakes are enjoyed by all with coffee, hot chocolate and of course more Glüwine. The chapter runs a Christkindlmarkt and a Christmas Gift Basket Raffle before the start of the event so that items can be purchased for the holidays. Three lucky winners go home with Christmas baskets valued at about $150 each. The baskets are annually created through the solicitation of donations from local businesses by hard working members like Ray Schmidt, John O’Connor, Chris Sabatini and others. Of course Natalie Kugler takes care of having the children’s Christmas gifts packaged and ready for St. Nick. Special thanks to Dan and Kristy Weiss who handle both the arrangements for the facilities and making sure there is plenty of Glüwine to go around. As to the Christmas basket raffles, wouldn’t you know, attendees from our Mason –Dixon sub chapter walked away winning two out of the three.
this important piece of Indiana German Americana has not halted. On the contrary, DANK Indianapolis co-sponsored with the many contributors to the anthology the Max Kade German-American Center have continued and even accelerated work of Indiana University-Purdue University, on the volume over the last six months. Indianapolis, a Transatlantic Outreach Concrete plans are in place to finish work Program (TOP) Workshop held, October on the volume in Eberhard’s memory and 3, 2009 at the Deutsche Haus-Athenaeum as a memorial to his spirited commitment in Indianapolis. It was to Indiana German-American conducted by Wood Powell studies. and Klaus Brodersen of the In May of 2009 Fred TOP team of the Goethe Yaniga of Butler University Institut, Washington, DC (and also a DANK member) with more than 30 German joined the collaborators on the and Social Studies teachers in project as Associate Editor attendance. The topics ranged and began working closely from “Why study German & with Eberhard and other Germany?” to “Examining colleagues throughout the the Past: the History of summer and into the fall on Dr. Eberhard Reichmann German Immigration to the outlining chapters, bringing United States.” Groups split to view the together loose ends in the project. During English or the German version of Part this past summer, in spite of his illness, 1 of the 4 part series the “Germans in Eberhard was concentrated on completing America”. The English version of this a number of the chapters as well as series was shown in the Indianapolis area delegating other chapters to the volume’s on PBS during October. There was also collaborators (Daniel Nuetzel, Michael a discussion on teaching materials for and Vicky Peake, Steven Schmidt, Ruth both the German and the Social Studies Reichmann, Robert Reichmann, William classrooms and the teachers left with an Selm and others) to edit, revise and abundance of information and materials. develop individual chapters. The result Since this workshop was so successful of this concentrated effort has been that DANK Indianapolis offered to co-sponsor work on nine of the sixteen chapters has a similar workshop again in 2011. been completed or is nearing completion. DANK Indianapolis also gave a major The true value of this anthology will contribution to the expansive Anthology certainly be in the careful selection and “THE HOOSIER GERMAN HERITAGE, grouping of these writings which portray AN ANTHOLOGY,” a project which Dr. what had been for so long fairly unknown Eberhard Reichmann began many years contributions by German-Americans to ago. The passing of Prof. Reichmann in Indiana’s history and growth. The first October represents a great intellectual three chapters are online and can be and spiritual loss for the entire German- previewed at HoosierGermanHeritage. American community. However, work on info
An Active End To 2009: DANK South’s Holiday Events By: Marianne L. Dietz The holidays are times for family and friends to gather and at DANK Chicago South, gatherings were numerous these past two months. Just a few weeks after hosting the 50th Anniversary and National Convention, we had a full house for the Armin Homann Christmas Show. Entertainers from Germany mesmerized our members and guests with melodies from our homeland and traditional Christmas songs. We all
joined in to sing. We celebrated Christmas with our traditional dance with the musical entertainment by Die Perlen. We sang traditional Christmas carols and welcomed Santa Claus who wished everyone a Frohe Weihnacht. But before he left, he gave all the little boys and girls a chance to sit on his lap to tell him their Christmas wishes. As we reflect over the past year and all the great times we shared, we also remember those who are no longer with us, however, they are always with us in spirit. It is also a
time for thanks and appreciation. Several of our members work hard behind the scenes and at every function throughout the year to ensure our members, family and friends have a memorable time when they visit the club house. We also welcomed several new members and were proud to share our 50 year history as we embark on the next 50 years of continued growth. DANK Chicago South wishes everyone a Happy New Year full of love, health, prosperity and joy.
Check Us Out Online Head On Over To Our National Website to get the latest updates and information on DANK. DANK.org DANK.org/forum DANK.org/blog
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Springfield’s Christmas Pappas Welcomes German American Community Leaders Ethnic Outreach To Holiday Party By: Anne Marie Fuhrig
On December 3, for the fourth time in as many years, DANK Springfield sponsored the Christmas ethnic outreach to staff of the SIU Medical School at Memorial Hospital. The school events are coordinated by Patricia Davis. Anne Marie Fuhrig always gives a brief talk on an aspect of the influence of Germans in this country, this time on the considerable role of the Roebling family in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge between 1869 and 1883. Johann Augustus Roebling left Germany in 1831, after receiving his engineering degree from the then Berlin Technical College in 1826 with a paper on suspension bridges. After designing and lobbying for the Brooklyn Bridge, he died from an accident before it was
begun, so his son Washington Roebling took over. Soon Washington fell ill from decompression sickness contracted in the excavation chambers under water, so his wife, Emily nee Warren, directed and supervised the day-to-day construction while her husband filled her in on the technical knowledge she needed and observed from his special apartment. All three have a plaque at the Manhattan anchorage of the bridge. Since it was built multiple times stronger than needed, it has held up to modern demands. The John Roebling engineering firm continues in Trenton, N.J. and still specializes in wire rope and bridge building. After the talk, Anne Marie and local member Bill Ryan, a German language student of Edith Baumhart, hosted a reception with potato salad and Christmas treats. New members were recruited.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas welcomes leaders of the German American community to her Annual Holiday Party. Several hundred persons from diverse ethnic and religious groups attended Pappas’ Holiday Party, which has become a tradition
in the Treasurer’s Office at the Cook County Building in downtown Chicago. Guests viewed more than 80 Christmas trees decorated by different ethnic groups of Cook County and sang carols as the Treasurer played the keyboard.
Top Photo: Maria Pappas plays the keyboard surrounded by carolers from diverse ethnic and religious groups
Bottom Photo: (L-R) Darlene Fuchs, German-American Journal editor, Reinhold Richert, Maria Pappas, Reinhard Richter, RV President, Bill Fuchs, DANK National President, Kathy Wolf.
The Roebling exhibit in the Medical School Museum with Bill Ryan and Anne Marie Fuhrig
DONATIONS TO DANK - 2009 Abbott, Clarence Abelkis, Marie Charlotte Adamski, Margaret Anderson, Ursula Appelt, Helmut Bauer, Rudolf Beinhauer, Gerhard Bernhardt, Eugen Bertsch, Werner Bielski, Adalbert Biersach, Ann Blanke, George R. Boden, Hans Boeger, Guenther Bohn, Mark R. Bolle, Daniel Born, Rose Willand Boucek, Josef Bradel, Jr., John H. Bradtke, Joe Brantsch, Sara Brown, Linda Bruns, W. Theodore Buegner, Karl H. Burkart, Josef Burkhard, Leonhart F. Childs, Ralph N. Chlubek, Alfred Chylik, George J. Clark, Christine L. Custard, Clara Daeschner, Emil A. Depenthal, Lore Dienhart, John Dixon, Pamela Doblinger, Alois Dominis, Inge S. Dorgan, Gudrun M. Dost, Adrianne Maria Dost, Hagen B. Dreisilker, Henry Dudkiewicz, Luise Dudziak, Roderich W. Dunn Boza, Meredith C. Erbach, Steven Ernharth, Ronald L.
Faubl, Hermann Ferguson Greene, Scott Fiedler, Horst Fiedler, Martin Fluss, John A. Foster, Allan E. Freese, Heinz O. Freiberger, Erich F. Frolich, Irma Froom, Sofia B. Fuchs, William Fuhrig, Wolf D. Gansewendt, Ewald Gantner, Ida Garbelmann, Barbara Gataric, Peter Gentz, Arnold Gier, Peter E. Goemmer, Hans Alfred Gorski, Jeff Greif, Margaret J. Greiff, Gerhard Greis, Ursula Gronau, Erwin O. Grosser, Kenneth C. Gudeman, David J. Guntermann, Wilfried J. Gustafson, Lucille L. Hageman, Walter H. Harfmann, Daniel Harle, Eleonore M. Harnischmacher, Walter Hartung, Walter Hatfield, Kenneth B. Hauser, Irmgard Heerling, Ruth J. Heinscher, Hans W. Henke, Peter D. Herble, Kathryn Ann Herian, Elfriede Herzman, Kurt Heuberger, Elly Hinz, Alexander D. Hoban, George R. Hoeft, Greg Hoffman, Matthew J.
Hofmann, Ernst Hopp, Gustav Horwath, Peter Jacobs, Hans W. James, Bill Jany, Gertrude Jasniowski, Martha Jochum, Erna Joneikis, Johann E. Jones, Patricia J. Jurgens, Johanna Kalbfleisch, Werner Kanka, Judith Karpiel, Josepha Kearney, Lanny H. Keenan, Joanne J. Keim, Edward J., Jr. Kelbert, Erwin G. Keller, Rudolf J. Kempf, Guenter Kempf, Hartmut Kendler, Claudia Kilcoyne, Robert Kistner, Martina Klein, Charles N. Kleinschmidt, Hans A. Klimach, Karl Heinz Koelln, Elke Koelsch, Robert R. Koenig, Oscar E. Koepfle, Henry Koetke, Renate Kollacks, Wolfram A. Konrad, Adam Konrath, Michael R. Kordas, Karl Krautwurst, Louise Krueger, Elisabeth Kruse, Hedwig K. Kubitz, Gerlinde Kuppelwieser, Vigil Lange, Erika Lauer, Jr., Raymond C. Laven, Erika B. Lemke, Alan Lemke, Fred E.
Lengfelder, Rosa Linzing, Richard J. Lipa, James David Luecht, Brian Luettke, Erich Lynch, Thomas W. Machalek, Margit Mai, Harry Maier, Laura Manarin, Carlo A. Mandl, George Manko-Morgan, Christiane T. Manthey, Jack E. Maren, Peter A. Maurer, Carl Mayer, Karl O. Mayrens, Hedwig Mentz, George S. Metzger, Ralph Meyer, Jared H. Michallek, Elfriede Misch, Frank Missun, Gertrude Mizuta, Tak Monson-Lohrmann, Ute Moore, Detlef B. Morgen, Rosemarie Mueller, Volker Mulderink, Sr., James J. Nadda, Stephanie U. Naugle, Ingrid E. Nelson, Kathleen Neradt, Daniel Nice, Phillip Nikurs, Lydia Nordt, Vera Nowacki, Waltraud Obernberger, Alfred Olsen, Anna F. Ostertag, A. Bruce Owens, John Paterek, Kurt Peliwan, Ewald Pelzer, Rubin Penev, Gerta Perlenfein, Otto J.
Perry, William D. Pfeifer, Horst Pielstrom, Reimar Pook, Barbara G. Prenzno, Thomas W. Prolic, Anita Prusak, Ludwik Raack, Edward Radke, Walter Ray, Linda A.S. Rehder, Ernst Reisel, Richard M. Richards, Colleen Rock, Reinhold Rosenbach, Madeline R. Ross, Anneliese Roth, Stephan L. Russell, William A. Sabitsch, Joseph Sabol, Hermine K. Scheel, Hans J. Schirrmacher, Ruth A. Schlechter, Anna B. Schlilling, Gretchen M. Schmidt, Peter Schmidts, Hedwig Schmitt, Ursel Schneider, Heinrich Schneider, Wilbur H. Schoenbrunn, Mark O. Schoentag, Helene Schroetter, Anna Olivia Schubert, Susan B. Schuller, Hans Schulten, Troy T. Schultz, Harolyn J. Schulz, Karl Schwab, Catherine M. Schwab, Paul R. Schwass, Alfred Schweistal, Karen Scroggin, Arthur M. Seelman, Jr., Frederick G. Seibt, Wolfgang P. Siegel, Horst E. Simon, Doris
Smith, Ingeborg Soliwon, Gerda Sprainys, Erika Staroske, Manfred A. Stockmann, F. J. Strahl, Rudolf Streib, Gerald W. Strelis, Harri W. Szabo-Masica, Hilda Ter Horst, John Thompson, Maria Thorsen, Charles A. Thunhurst, Linda Tkocz, Josef Totzke, Erhard J. Tricou, Daina E. Uogintas, Donatas Van der Vlis, Nicolaas D. Verterano, Elizabeth Vieraitis, Irene Anna Vogel, Frederick Voges, Renata Voss, Klaus W. Wagner, Jack Wagner, Werner J. Wagoner, Ingrid Wagschal, Ingrun F. Watson, Gudrun E. Weber, Berta M. Weber, Walter Wegener, Anneliese Wendler, Guy H. Wichner, Herbert Will, Keith Wilson, Clifford Wilson, Sonja Wirth, Jr., William F. Wirtz, Matthew J. Wolf, Hans J. Wolkov, Michael Workman, Ilse M. Wurlitzer, Wendy H. Zaschke, Ehrenfried Zigman, Erika R. Ziler, James R. Zurniewicz, Andrew H.
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German-American Journal
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From the Pennsylvania Shore of Lake Erie By: Beverly Pochatko
Here it is, another year has gone by and we wonder just where it went to. Christmas just seemed to fly in and of course our partial lack of snow didn’t help. Christmas needs snow to set the mood. The Erie Chapter overall had a great year - welcoming 20 new members; had a great DANK summer picnic; another great year for the German Heritage Festival; were able to send three delegates to the national convention; sponsored a bus trip to a Weihnachtsmarkt in historic Old Economy Village (Ambridge, PA); and a great Christmas party on St. Nicholas Day. On the down side, we mourned the passing of two Charter members of the Chapter: Joseph Pochatko and Fred K. Huttel, Sr. Our summer picnic was well attended and a way to say thanks to the many volunteers who help at the German Fest each Labor Day weekend. We joined forces with the Lake Erie FanFare to put on the festival. When the PA LCB decided that they would no longer approve our liquor license to sell the beer (we don’t fit any category – long story) the LEFF, who was qualified stepped up and got a license and the beer sales were a go. Could you imagine a festival with no beer? So sometimes standing alone can be a downfall, but finding the right partner was a plus for both groups. Margaret Potocki, Rich and MaryJane Hartman attended the National Convention and came back to the Chapter with a better understanding of how DANK works and WHY we need to follow certain guidelines. They highly
recommended that others attend the next convention in Pittsburgh. In keeping with our goal of preserving German traditions, a bus trip was arranged by Bev Pochatko (Oma’s Heritage Tours) on Dec 6th to the historic Harmonist site of Old Economy Village in Ambridge PA. We stopped first at the Slovak Folk Store (Grove City, PA) and saw a hand carved scene (carved in Slovakia) and animated using sewing machine and windshield wiper motors! It’s amazing. Then we visited the Wendell August Forge just 5 miles down the Road and enjoyed a tour of the forge and shopped of course. Following a light lunch we headed south to Ambridge
L-R: Jennifer (hiding her face), Jillian, Frankie, Santa, Karle, Paige and Brooke
South Bend News Flash
and the Village where we spent an enjoyable afternoon and dined on German food in the Church Hall. Everyone was in period costume and we were able to learn how the Harmonists lived, worked and played. In all there were 17 buildings with working displays open to visit. It would be a nice place to visit in the summer when all the gardens are growing. (This was the 1st historic site to be funded by the Commonwealth. We learned that Gov. Rendell is not putting them on a funding list for 2010 and we all signed a petition to oppose him.) Our trip home found us in a blinding snowstorm just 35 miles from Erie (our snowbelt) and thankfully let up as we stepped out of our coach to go to our cars and home. The following day (St. Nicholas Day) was our annual Christmas Party at the Saga Club. Members and families gathered for a great buffet dinner. The blessing was said by Heidi Cowey. There were two tables groaning with the wide array of delicious cookie treats to be enjoyed with our coffee. But, before we had a chance to get to the cookies, Santa Claus made his surprise appearance much to the children’s delight. We enjoyed the Christmas carols in the background and talked about Christmas’ past. The Chapter will meet on Jan 20th to set its program and goals for the coming year. This is a big year for us as we begin looking toward celebrating our 20th anniversary in January 2011. We were officially given our Gründsbrief on January 19th, 1991, having been founded in April of 1990! Wishing you all the joys and blessings of the New Year and may it be filled with health, happiness and prosperity for all.
Laurel Highlands Celebrates 1st Year As Subchapter By: Bill and Cynthia Russell The Laurel Highlands German Club celebrated its first year as a Subchapter of DANK Pittsburgh Chapter 58 by hosting a dinner at the Black Forest Restaurant und Bier Haus in Parker, PA. December 1, 2009. A festive evening was enjoyed by everyone who included members from the Pittsburgh Chapter. William Russell, President, reviewed activities from the past year which included teaching German classes to individuals interested in learning basic
By: Christine Weiss It’s that time again to turn on the computer, pull out the keyboard and tell you our chapter happenings. On November 28th we met at the Centre Township Library, to have a membership meeting and to elect the new officers. All officers where once again re-elected. December 6th we gathered at the Hilltop Church for our Christmas party. The tables were decorated with white table clothes, fir branches, gold and red Christmas ornaments and red candles, which gave the room a festive appearance. A hot spiced glass of punch, a traditional drink, made by Trudy Muessig, awaited the people on their arrival. After saying grace, a fabulous and delicious assortment of well prepared foods and deserts were waiting for all of us. Eventually it was time to pass out the song sheets, gather around Patricia Nyuken, who accompanied us on the piano, to sing German Christmas songs and recite poems. Guenter Kison finished the program by reading the Christmas story in German. In September we made a showcase at the Goshen Library with the title “Carpenter Journeyman”, a true recount of Guenter Kison’s life. He gave a talk to interested people in Goshen and the Mishawaka library, where we took the display in October.
In December we arranged a display for the German Township Library showcase with the title: “German Christmas Tradition.” We are very proud to say that we are the first to do a display for Christmas for this newly built library which opened this year in August. It has been a rewarding and exciting year for me as president of our chapter. I was very fortunate to attend, together with Sonja Wilson, the National Convention in Tinley Park, IL and also the celebration of 50 years of DANK. I am impressed by our National President Bill Fuchs and his officers. In the last two years, cost of the organization was cut in half, the office was revamped, the Journal became more informative and the web site underwent a total overhaul attracting thousands of visitors. Needless to say that the entire board was re-elected. This convention presented us with very informative workshops, but it also gave us a sense of togetherness and being proud to be part of it. Please come and join us, have fun with us, share with us and be part of the great organization called DANK. Where else can you experience German Gemütlichkeit, Fahrvergnügen, have a wet and wild pool party, sit around a campfire, take a trip to a Germanfest and share a friendship that lasts a life time? We certainly will welcome you.
German conversation. Additionally, programs were presented that provided a historical perspective of the German immigration to the United States. Erik Wittmann, President of the Pittsburgh Chapter discussed the advantages of Laurel Highlands participating with the Pittsburgh Chapter in its various activities. Future plans include increasing activities with the Pittsburgh Chapter, and to participate in the Western PA Laurel Festival held each summer in Brookville, PA., and to increase membership.
South Bend $1000 Raffle Winner South Bend DANK members Erika and Gunter Kison were the lucky winners of the $1000.00 raffle ticket drawn at the National Convention held in Tinley Park Illinois. The 2nd place priz, a wide screen TV ($750.00) went to Anita Kaylor from Estero Florida. Ted Joachim from Bridgman Michigan was the winner of the $250.00 prize. Pictured left to right is Erika Kison, Gunter Kison and Region Two President and DANK National 2nd Vice President Donna J. Lippert. Last year Benton Harbor DANK members
L-R: Erika Kison, Gunther Kison with Region Two / DANK Natl 2nd VP Donna J. Lippert
from Region Two were the $1000.00 lucky raffle winners. I guess it pays to belong to Region Two!
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Celebrating Christmas In The Desert? By: Helen Pipho
I know it is hard for those of you living in the “cold country”, with your snow, icy roads and below temperature, to realize we do have Christmas here in the desert. It does not take snow and the beautiful pictures that come on Christmas cards to have Christmas. We decorate our houses outside and inside with beautiful lights, our yards have many decorations also, as well as flowers in bloom and green grass. We do not have to wait for a nice day to get all this ready. Anytime you feel like it, the weather is fine with no cold winds, snow blowing or below zero temperatures to plan around. All you need to have Christmas is family and friends to celebrate it with. DANK, in Phoenix, celebrated their Christmas party on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at a new German restaurant Bayrischer Hof. There were over fifty members and friends present to celebrate. We all enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert, which included cookies brought by some of the members. We enjoyed background music of Christmas songs provided by Walter Weber. After our dinner, we were led in group singing by some of the members from the Frohsinn Chorus, accompanied by Rainer Fischer on the accordion. We sang familiar carols, and since we had a young guest, we sang Jingle Bells especially for him. Our president, Jerry Woods, then welcomed everyone, and since it was a party, we did not have a business meeting.
Annis Folk Dancers with Santa Chrisra Anderson
There was some “old business” that we had to take care of however and that was to present a fifty-year membership pin to some of our members. Merle Pipho called the following members forward; Horst and Sylvia Wolf, Horst and Elsa Radtke, and Peter and Anni Schmidt. We have another member who was unable to be there, Elke
Koelln, so her pin was delivered to her. Seven members have all been members for fifty years. Congratulations to all of you. You will note Anni Schmidt getting a pin. She has a group, called Annis Folk Dancers, who had performed that morning before coming to the dinner at the Peoria Sports Center This is only one of the places
her dancers have performed in the past years. They have performed at Rest and Retirement Homes all over the valley to celebrate Oktoberfests, Christkindlmarkt, and for entertainment at dinner dances for other clubs in the area. This group does a variety of folk dances and is always coming up with new routines. We are very fortunate to have Pastor Traugott Vogel and Holdine as members of our chapter. Pastor Vogel has always seemed to know when circumstances were getting a few members upset . He would quietly stand up and offer a prayer and kindly advise to all present, so we always left our meeting feeling uplifted. Pastor Vogel also started an all-German Christmas service, this year was the 13th year for this service, and it is always well attended. He will be celebrating his 80th birthday January 24, 2010. I mentioned Elke Koelln as a 50 year member and that she was unable to attend the party. We received word this morning that she died this past week. So we were happy that we had been able to give her the pin she deserved. Now it is time to get back to reality and face the future, whatever that may be. We did not have enough members present at our November meeting to have our election of officers, nor did we have any candidates wanting to run for a position. Therefore, we need a president , treasurer, and we are not sure about the vice presidents, so we shall wait and find out who will stay in.
Lake County Volkstrauertag Commemoration Victims of war and terror were remembered and mourned with wreath-laying observance By: Ursula Hoeft
On November 15, 2009 DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois once again hosted a Volkstrauertag remembrance at the Fort Sheridan, Illinois Cemetery where nine German soldiers who had been prisoners of war at the fort are buried. In her welcoming address, Chapter President Cobi Stein thanked Board member Ernst Weber for organizing
the commemoration, the German Consulate’s Office for providing the official wreath, and Chapter Board member Anni Kordas and Vice President Victor Kordas for making the wreaths for the graves. In his eloquent and timely address, German Deputy Consul General Roland Herrmann stressed the universal focus of Volkstrauertag, a day when all victims of war and terror are remembered without regard for race, ethnicity, religion, political party or social standing. By recalling the suffering caused by war and acts of terror, Volkstrauertag remembrances seek to unify people in grief, Mr. Herrmann stated. He expressed his hope for peace, freedom, justice and tolerance, and an end to all inhumane ideologies, as well as for the safe return of soldiers currently defending the freedom and liberties we all enjoy. Mr. Herrmann expressed his appreciation to “our American friends for giving these German soldiers ... such a peaceful place to rest.” To the solemn sound of a chime, and with his name read, a wreath was placed at each soldier’s grave by Helga Knauz, Kathleen Behrend, Annelene Storch, Anni Kordas, Maria Thompson, Ingrid Gross, Karin Shaffer, Christa Garcia, Irma Lenz.
Volkstrauertag - Fort Custer By: Donna J. Lippert More than sixty brave individuals endured the chilly, yet sunny day to honor the deceased German soldiers buried at Fort Custer Michigan, on November 15th, 2009. It is one of many events held within the USA, in other cities and also in other countries. Present at the ceremony were German Consul Onno Huckmann from Chicago Illinois, along with DANK Benton Harbor/St. Joseph President Walter Patzer, his wife Julie Patzer, Donna J and Reinhard Lippert and members from the St. Joe Kickers Sports Club.
The ceremony was very touching and a group from Ohio provided us with both the American and German anthems, honoring the sixteen German soldiers. German Consul Onno Huckmann spoke and stated that “we are here to honor all soldiers who died as we must never forget their sacrifices.” Those presenting wreaths that day were Donna & Reinhard Lippert, presenting a wreath from DANK National/Chicago; Walter and Julie Patzer from DANK Benton Harbor/St. Joseph and Ted Joachim with Siegfried Lehmann from the St. Joe Kickers Sports Club, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. A club from
Master of Ceremonies and Chapter Vice President Karl Schmidt read an English translation of the poem Der Gute Kamerad (The Good Comrade) in memory of Otto Alden, DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois Board member and German Kriegsgräberfürsorge honoree. A moment of silence was observed in memory of Helmut Lenz, Chapter member and former Fort Sheridan prisoner of war. Mr. Schmidt introduced Walter Spahn who also had been a POW at Fort Sheridan. Mr. Spahn was visiting from Germany. Honorary DANK National President Ernst Ott also spoke. In addition to discussing the significance of Volkstrauertag he provided interesting information about the history of Fort Sheridan. The day was memorialized in prayer by the Rev. Richard Käske, a DANK Chapter Lake County member, and in song by members of the combined Schleswig-Holsteiner Sängerbund and Schwäbischer Sängerbund directed by Glen Sorgatz. The remembrance was followed by cake, coffee, conversation, more time to reflect on the day’s significance, and an opportunity to learn about the deceased POWs through photographs and information about them compiled by Mr. Weber.
Kalamazoo, Michigan and a club from Ohio also presented beautiful wreaths. After the ceremony, those at the service traveled to the Air Force Sergeant’s Association Club, located in Falcon Hall in Battle Creek Michigan, to warm up with some good coffee and delicious treats, provided by the wonderful ladies at Falcon Hall. Randy O’Neill, the organizer of the event, did a wonderful job. He let General Counsel Onno Huckmann speak to the crowd. He stated that this was his first time here in Michigan and he was very impressed and hoped that this special ceremony continues for years to come. The next ceremony will be held November 14th, 2010. If you missed this year’s event, please remember to attend this event as it is very heartwarming.
Encourage any local German-American club to participate, as extra wreaths would be welcomed by the families of soldiers buried there.
L-R: Counsul General Onno Hückmann, Donna Lippert, Reinhard Lippert
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German-American Journal
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2009 - The building of Historical Archives in Cologne, Germany, collapses. Around 90% of archival records were buried by the collapsing building, which is generally believed to have been caused by the construction of a new subway line of the Cologne Stadtbahn system.
Speaking Up For Languages, The Power of Many Voices By: Christa Garcia
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Annual Convention and World Languages Expo brings together more than 6,000 teachers, administrators, method instructors and students of foreign languages at all levels from across the world. The convention features over 600 educational sessions on such topics as: Assessment, Culture, Curriculum, Learner Variables, Literature, Materials, Methods/Techniques, Policy/ Issues, Professional Development, Research, Specific Purposes, Standards and Technology. The pre-convention workshop for the two Washington Embassy officials, the ZfA representative from Cologne, Germany, and the four US and two Canadian Fachberater Language Coordinators of German - as well as the Stipend Recipients took place at the Albert Einstein Academies Charter School in San Diego. This German Immersion School started with 24 students seven years ago and has
grown to over seven hundred students. The elementary as well as the middle school is following the IB program International Baccalaureate - a very rigorous international curriculum with a K-5 German Immersion program. The day of the visit we had a chance to experience firsthand the multifaceted and culturally-enriched education offered students at the Albert Einstein Academies during the Fall of the Wall assembly. As part of their project to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, third-graders erected a wall separating their classroom into two sections. Students then took part in a simulation of what life was like for Berliners divided by a wall for 28 years. They could not talk to each other or see each other unless they first crossed a border check, just like the famous Checkpoint Charlie crossing point between East and West Germany during the Cold War. At the assembly students shared their feelings about the experience and the meaning of the Berlin Wall. The AEA School’s Mission: Teaching our children today to advance our
L-R: Birgit Schafer (winner of the Friend of German award), Christa Garcia, Sonja Goehler, Frank Mueller
shared humanity tomorrow. The ZfA (Zentralstelle für Auslandsschulen) German Foreign Ministry’s Central Office for Schools Abroad had awarded several stipends for German teachers of U.S. German schools
to attend the ACTFL Conference. These teachers came from the following states: NJ, Washington, DC, MA, GA, CA, OH, NC, WA, TX, CT and NY. All teachers gained valuable additional skills and shared their professional experiences with each other.
Gift That Keeps On Giving What Do Students Gain German & Austrian Stained Glass Windows in Chicago Source: www.spurensuchemidwest.org Chicago has been a great center of German and Austrian made stained glass. Since the Great Fire of 1871 the studios of Franz Mayer and F.X. Zettler, both of Munich, Germany, and the studios of the Tyroler Glasmalerei Anstalt (TGA) in Innsbruck, Austria began to send representatives to sell their new decorative patterns for churches. These three studios often worked together and their style is interchangeable. From the 1870s to the 1920s, Chicago became the most influential center of Catholic culture in the United States. Unlike that of any other period of history, its state-of- the-art church design included brightly colored windows, often displaying action packed scenes from biblical events or episodes from the life of a patron saint. Chicago has a wealth of these national churches, be they German, Irish, Italian or Polish, in almost every city neighborhood, but especially on the north
and west sides. Today superb examples of windows made in Munich by F.X. Zettler or Franz Mayer can be seen in churches such as Saint Vincent de Paul on Webster, St. Joseph on Orleans, St. Michael in Old Town, St. Michael on the South Side, St. Benedict on Irving Park, and former St. Henry, now the Guardian Angel Croatian Catholic Church at Devon and Ridge. A set of windows depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary and dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, were made by the Tiroler Glasmalerei Anstalt (signed TGA) of Innsbruck, Austria for St. Stanislaus Kostka (1327 N. Noble Street), the mother church of the Poles in the United States. The Munich style lost much of its appeal in the 1920s. Today it is appreciated as a fine expression of German aesthetics and artistic sensitivity in the face of an almost overpowering American competition led by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
From ‘DSD’ Testing? Deutsche Sprachdiplom Tests
The Illinois Standard Achievement Testing System does still not test the German language proficiency of students. It is very difficult for our foreign language students to receive official recognition for their linguistic accomplishments. The State of Illinois has long abandoned support and recognition of foreign language competencies. The now commonly adopted Deutsche Sprachdiplom Test (DSD) gives us a testing instrument which is universally recognized all over the world. Using this test earlier this year in Saturday Schools, we were very proud to see the many good results from the students’ hard work learning the German language. Traditionally, language performance was scored in multiple choice answers on paper. It is now possible to measure and record the students’ ability to perform in four skills which can be documented. These are reading, writing, listening and speaking. The new Federal Republic’s measure of learning German, the ‘Sprachdiplom’ (DSD) is truly phenomenal. The tests are divided into three major achievement levels: A2, DSD I and DSD II. As an illustration we will describe the levels for the fourth skill – speaking. This oral performance is based on a previously student-prepared and researched project which will be judged by objective and trained scorers. Generally, our students qualify for the first test in this new sequence, “A2,” in their fifth year. As a rough definition and talking only about speaking, you can compare A2 to the most basic
functioning, obviously in age-appropriate situations, but also only in very concrete, immediately obvious situations, which you might roughly describe as traveler’s language. A2/B, now called DSD I, in contrast, requires a learner to be versed enough on several topics. The student must be able to explain the chosen topic and also to respond to specific questions about it. The tests always go beyond the student’s prepared presentation. They will branch out into a conversation on more than two aspects of the topic which the tester has chosen. This new testing system is cost-free for the students and has been made possible thanks to the support from the ZfA = Zentralstelle fuer Auslandsschulwesen (Central German Agency for Schools Abroad). The new testing is part of today’s joint European testing system for all languages and its definitions are used and recognized in all of Europe. For young people, there is tremendous future value in being included in learning the language and documenting the achievements with this testing system. The third level, the DSD II test, allows American students for instance to qualify for study in a German university at minimal expense. It is, however, quite a step to each next level of achievement. This seems to be reached best with very intensive exposure to the language in Germany or in a German language immersion camp, such as the Concordia College German camp in Bemidji, Minnesota: www.concordialanguagevillages.org
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“The Adventures of Oskar and Atticus” now has over 125 Fans on Facebook! Thank you, Fans! And don’t forget to send us your ideas, story titles, or a picture you’ve drawn of Oskar and Atticus to: Oskar@ dank.org or Atticus@dank.org. They’ll write back and we may even print your work in a future edition of the Journal!
Oskar and Atticus Play in the Snow! By: Amelia Cotter
It was snowing outside. It was beautiful. Winter is Oskar and Atticus’ favorite time of year! Oskar and Atticus looked out the window and dreamed of playing together in the snow. But it was way too cold for little Atticus. “What should we do about this?” asked Atticus disappointedly. “I don’t know. I can probably hide you in my ear again, so that you’re a little warmer. But Dani can’t find out.” “Good, we’ll do that.” Atticus hid in Oskar’s ear stealthily and carefully, like a little James Bond. Soon it was time to go for a walk. Walk—that was Oskar’s other favorite time! Oskar wore a black coat and Atticus wore his little green earmuffs. They didn’t need gloves and caps. They were actually warm with so little clothing, even though it was very cold outside. Snow was falling everywhere. Oskar ran back and forth, and Atticus watched the magical snowflakes. “How beautiful,” he said. “Let me out, I also want to, eh, slither back and forth.” It was very silent and calm outside, as if the whole world had gone to sleep under a white blanket. Atticus slithered quietly
through the snow… But it was so cold! “Cold!” Atticus yelled. “Cold! No! Help! Cold!” “Oh man.” Oskar, who was busy building a snowman, shook his head. “I’m coming.” He ran to Atticus. “It’s okay, Mr. Von Snake. Come one, I’ll put you back in my ear.” When Atticus was warm and dry again in Oskar’s ear, the two looked where Atticus had been slithering. They tipped their heads slowly from side to side. “That’s some art!” said Oskar. “What did I do?” asked Atticus. “It’s a…a word! I wrote something!” Oskar ran to Dani and brought her to the special word. “What is it?” he asked in his animal language. “Oh Oskar, somebody wrote something in the snow with a stick or something. It says: winter. What beautiful handwriting!” “It must be some clever animal!” Oskar shouted and laughed. “Exactly,” thought Atticus. “Let’s go, Oskar. I want to make myself a hot chocolate. And Atticus is all alone at home. Our best friend probably wants to hear all about your adventure in the snow. Come on!” Atticus smiled. He suddenly felt very warm.
Oskar Enjoying Christmas This story is about winter and different winter words that are helpful to know while studying German when it’s cold outside! Oskar and Atticus love winter because they get to relax and also have fun adventures outside, where nature looks very pretty. It can snow all over Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in winter, especially near the mountain region called the Alps, that all three countries share. The Alps are really big and even extend out to other countries, like Italy and France. Oskar and Atticus have never been to the Alps, but maybe they’ll go one day. In the meantime, learn some new German words and get warm with your favorite human or animal friend!
Oskar und Atticus spielen im Schnee! By: Amelia Cotter
Draußen schneite es. Es war wunderschön. Winter ist die Lieblingsjahreszeit von Oskar und Atticus! Oskar und Atticus schauten aus dem Fenster und träumten davon, im Schnee miteinander zu spielen. Es war aber viel zu kalt für den kleinen Atticus. „Was sollen wir nun machen?“, fragte Atticus enttäuscht. „Ich weiß nicht. Ich kann dich bestimmt wieder in meinem Ohr verstecken, damit es dir ein bisschen wärmer ist. Aber Dani sollte es nicht herausfinden.“ „Gut, das machen wir.“ Atticus versteckte sich heimlich und vorsichtig in Oskars Ohr, wie ein kleiner James Bond. Es war bald Zeit, spazieren zu gehen. Spazieren—das war Oskars andere Lieblingszeit! Oskar trug seinen schwarzen Mantel und Atticus trug seine kleinen grünen Ohrenschützer. Handschuhe und Mütze brachten sie nicht mit. Trotz so wenig Kleidung war es den Beiden warm, obwohl es sehr kalt draußen war. Überall fiel Schnee. Oskar rannte hin und her, und Atticus guckte die magischen Schneeflocken an. „Wie schön“, sagte er. „Lass mich raus, ich will auch ein bisschen hin und her, äh, schlittern.“ Draußen war es sehr still und ruhig, als ob die ganze Welt unter einer weißen Decke eingeschlafen sei. Atticus schlitterte leise
durch den Schnee… Aber es war so kalt! „Kalt!“, schrie Atticus. „Kalt! Nein! Hilfe! Kalt!“ „O, Mann.“ Oskar, der gerade mit dem Bau eines Schneemanns beschäftigt war, schüttelte den Kopf. “Ich komme.“ Er rannte zu Atticus. „Alles klar, Herr von Schlange. Komm, ich nehme dich wieder ins Ohr.“ Als Atticus wieder warm und trocken in Oskars Ohr war, guckten die Beiden, wo Atticus herum geschlittert war. Sie neigten ihre Köpfe langsam von Seite zu Seite. „Das ist Kunst!“, sagte Oskar. „Was habe ich da gemacht?“, fragte Atticus. „Es ist…ein Wort! Ich habe da was geschrieben!“ Oskar rannte zu Dani und brachte sie zu dem besonderen Wort. „Was ist das?“, fragte er sie in seiner Tiersprache. „Oh Oskar, jemand hat etwas im Schnee mit einem Zweig oder so geschrieben. Da steht: Winter. Was für eine schöne Schrift!“ „Das muss irgendein kluges Tier sein!“ rief Oskar und lachte. „Genau“, dachte Atticus. „Lass uns jetzt gehen, Oskar. Ich will mir eine heiße Schokolade machen. Und Atticus ist ganz allein zu Hause. Unser bester Freund will bestimmt von deinem Abenteuer im Schnee hören. Komm!“ Atticus lächelte. Ihm war plötzlich sehr warm.
Vocabulary Words Found In The Story: schneite (Infinitive: schneien) der Winter die Lieblingsjahreszeit der Schnee wärmer spazieren (gehen) der Mantel die Ohrenschützer die Handschuhe die Mütze
snowed (Infinitive: to snow) the winter the favorite time of year the snow warmer to go for/take a walk the coat the earmuffs the gloves the (winter) cap
warm kalt die Schneeflocken still ruhig leise der Schneemann trocken die heiße Schokolade das Abenteuer
warm cold the Snowflakes silent, still calm softly the snow man dry the hot chocolate the adventure
In the next installment: Oskar and Atticus Capture a Space Alien! /// In der nächsten Folge: Oskar und Atticus fangen einen Außerirdischen ein!
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German-American Journal
February / March 2010
MAR
04
1978 - The first four-wheeled gas powered automobile, Gottlieb Daimler’s “Benzin motor carriage” was unveiled and given its first test run in Esslingen, Germany. The prototype of the engine used continues to be the most widely used to this day.
Social Networks In Germany iTunes Top 10 Song Downloads Taken: January 16, 2010
United States 1. TiK ToK Ke$ha 2. Hey, Soul Sister Train 3. Bad Romance Lady GaGa 4. Replay Iyaz 5. Fireflies Owl City 6. Blah Blah Blah Ke$ha (feat. 3OH!3) 7. I Gotta Feeling Black Eyed Peas 8. Naturally Selena Gomez 9. Imma Be Black Eyed Peas 10. Do You Remember Jay Sean
Germany 1. TiK ToK Ke$ha 2. I Like Keri Hilson 3. Fireflies Owl City 4. I Will Love You Monday Aura Dione 5. Bad Romance Lady GaGa 6. Wishing You Well Stanfour 7. Meet Me Halfway Black Eyed Peas 8. Whatcha Say Jason Derulo 9. Monsta Culcha Candela 10. Disco Pogo (Atzen Musik Mix)
Die Atzen Frauenarzt & Manny Marc
# - Song Found On Both Lists
$
source: www.apple.com
Comparing Markets
By: Alexander Gajic Magazine-Deutschland.de Communication rather than information – this is the common denominator that best describes the Internet use of young Web users in Germany. Some 78% of 14to 19-year-olds use online communities at least once a week and 76% of this age group visit forums, newsgroups or chatrooms every week. Social interaction with other Web users is the most important reason for young people to access the Internet. The proportion of online gamers is also steadily growing in this age group. Whereas only 17% of all Internet users play against and with one another in virtual worlds, among 14- to 19-year-olds the figure is 30%. The Internet is increasingly becoming a participatory medium. In late September 2009 an Internet Manifesto caused a stir. Journalists and bloggers, including Sascha Lobo und Stefan Niggemeier, formulated
17 “declarations” on how “journalism works today”. According to this Manifesto, the Internet – with all its services such as social networking or YouTube – has long since become part of everyday life for people in the western world. If media companies want to continue to exist, they will have to understand the lifeworld of today’s users and embrace their forms of communication. This proposal has already become a reality, since at least the prominent bloggers on the German Web are often newspaper or magazine journalists. Yet the German blog scene is regarded as relatively apolitical. US blogger Felix Salmon once claimed that traditional German virtues like thoroughness and meticulousness were rather a hindrance in the fast-moving world of the Web. On the other hand, such qualities are far from misplaced when it comes to journalism. Nevertheless, everyone agrees with the assessment of the role that social networks –
probably the most import ant Web 2.0 media – will play for the advertising industry in the future. Marketing managers put them at the top of the list when they were polled about raising spending on advertising. The market leader in Germany is the VZ Group with a total of 15 million users. It operates three platforms for different target groups: StudiVZ for university students, SchülerVZ for school students and MeinVZ for a more general audience. SchülerVZ alone managed 6.4 billion page impressions in October 2009, making it Germany’s most clicked-on website. However, when it comes to the number of user profiles, the market leader in Germany is Facebook, with almost seven million members and a monthly growth rate of around 10%. People who are more interested in career networking tend to use Xing, which has 3.4 million members in German-speaking countries. Interestingly, the VZ networks belong to the Holtzbrinck publishing group, while their biggest competitor, werkennt-wen (who-knows-who), belongs to broadcasting company RTL. So the social media have long-since become part of German media companies’ portfolio. The latest stroke of genius in the Web 2.0 landscape, the micro-blogging tool Twitter, is currently still regarded with a certain amount of scepticism. Some of the comical excesses have included many fake accounts with satirical entries in the name of prominent politicians. Some journalists are using Twitter successfully as a research tool, although it is often emphasized that there can be no real journalism on Twitter. The Internet-versus-journalism debate goes into the next round.
Germany Tells Citizens To Stop Using IE By: Stephen Fuchs
Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security issued a warning to all web users in Germany to stop using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and look for a more secure alternative browser. This came shortly after Microsoft admitted that there was a security flaw in its last three versions, 6 through 8, of Internet Explorer, and these flaws were exploited by hackers in China to attack Google. Microsoft has said that they don’t believe that the flaw is that serious and state that users can change security settings in the browser to a higher level in order to prevent an exploit. However, German security authorities do not agree that making this change would prevent an attack from happening, and would just cause frustration
from users since the higher security setting greatly restricts functionality and blocks many websites. It is believed that Microsoft is working on a fix, but it will not be an easy task. Since it spans three separate versions of their browser it can be a challenge to properly fix without creating new security flaw. Since making the announcement, popular browser alternatives to Internet Explorer, such as Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari, have seen a substantial increase in German users. Over the last several years, Internet Explorer has been losing market share throughout the world, mainly due to the increase in security risks and the incompatibility with today’s web standards. Several days after Germany made this
announcement, the French government decided to issue a similar warning to its own citizens. With the potential of other countries following behind Germany and France, Microsoft may be in for a tough year on the browser side of their business.
DOW
DAX
2 month (Nov. 18, 2009 - Jan. 18, 2010)
2 month (Nov. 18, 2009 - Jan. 18, 2010)
2 Month Closing Range 10,426.31 - 10,609.65
2 Month Closing Range 5,787.61 - 5,918.55
February / March 2010
German-American Journal
MAR
24
15
1944 - 76 prisoners break out of Stalag Luft III, a POW camp during WWII that housed captured air force servicemen. The camp was used since it would be extremely difficult to escape by tunneling, which ironically is how the prisoners escaped. The event is depicted in the film The Great Escape.
Berlin’s International Film Festival Berlinale’s 60th Anniversary Source: Berlinale.de
From February 11 to 21, 2010, the Berlin International Film Festival will be held for the 60th time. Berlin - a cosmopolitan, exciting capital, a city of culture with international appeal. In the middle of it all: the Berlinale – not only the city’s largest cultural event, but also one of the most important dates on the international film industry’s calendar. More than 19,000 film professionals from 136 countries, including about 4,000 journalists, are accredited for the Berlin International Film Festival every year. With more than 270,000 tickets sold, the Berlinale is not only a film industry meeting. It also enjoys by far the largest
audience of any film festival in the world. Up to 400 films are shown every year as part of the Berlinale’s public programme. Artists from around the world are attracted to Berlin and many consider Berlin the unofficial capital of German film. It is home to a rich cinema scene and a diverse, discerning public. Last but not least, Berlin has captured the imagination of countless filmmakers. Over and over again, the city has served as the backdrop for great silver screen productions, often becoming itself the secret protagonist of the movie. For two weeks every year Berlin is totally enraptured by the Berlinale. The first seven titles for the Competition of the 60th Berlin
International Film Festival have been confirmed. The films selected so far are from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany, India, Iran, Turkey, the UK and the USA. This first group of films selected for the Competition is characterized by up-and-coming young directors, stars and masters of filmmaking like Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski. “The Competition of the 60th anniversary Berlinale will be marked by a mix of styles and genres, by exciting newcomers and renowned directors,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick.
Confirmed Nominations: As of press time, 7 films have been confirmed as being nominated. A total of 26 films will be selected for competition in the festival.
Bal (Honey)
by Semih Kaplanoglu
Der Räuber (The Robber)
My Name Is Khan by Karan Johar
by Benjamin Heisenberg
Na Putu (On the Path)
by Jasmila Zbanic
North Face (Nordwand)
Award-Winning German Film Hits U.S. Theaters Jan. 29 By: Libby McInerny Writer/Director Philipp Stölzl’s breathtaking new adventure makes its way to U.S. movie theaters this winter after being met with critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences in Europe. Based on a true story, NORTH FACE is a breathtaking drama about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. The film garnered German Film Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Sound Design, and was awarded Best Screenplay by the German Film Critics in 2009.
It’s 1936, and Nazi propaganda urges German Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed Eiger North Face of the Swiss massif – aka “Murder Wall” – before the Olympic Games begin. The legendary 1800-meterhigh wall of stone and ice has been casting its spell for decades, and two young hotshot Bavarian climbers, Toni Kurz (Benno Fürmann) and Andi Hinterstoisser (Florian Lukas), are lured into the challenge. While preparing at the foot of the mountain, Toni and Andi unexpectedly run into Luise (Johanna Wokalek), Toni’s childhood love. Now a journalist, she has come with her boss Arau (Ulrich Tukur), a loyal Nazi, to
report about the first ascent. The German rope team makes good headway at first, but then loses their advantage over the mountain -- and the race against time and the forces of nature begins. The myth of the Eiger North Face has loomed large for mountaineers and the general public for generations. The site of many tragedies and mysteries, the formidable mountain was also a very popular Alpine tourist destination. From hiking paths and lookout stations, visitors and press could comfortably watch the deadly struggles taking place on the mountain face. NORTH FACE adeptly captures the buzz and anticipation that surrounded the 1936 competition. Born in Munich in 1967, Philipp Stölzl is a successful opera, music video, commercial and feature-film director. With NORTH FACE, he succeeds in redefining the genre of the mountain film. Together with cinematographer Kolja Brandt, he keeps viewers as breathless as if they were out climbing the mountain themselves, instead of sitting comfortably in a theatre. NORTH FACE opens in New York on Friday, January 29th, then expands to cities across the country through April. For complete listings and to watch the trailer, visit www.northfacethemovie.com.
Shekarchi (The Hunter)
Shutter Island
by Martin Scorsese
The Ghost Writer by Roman Polanski
by Rafi Pitts
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16
German-American Journal
Discover The... Unimaginable By: Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Euro Lloyd Travel Group/Chicago Straddled more than 5000 km across the equator, among 17,508 islands, the single island of Bali, lures the traveler to come. Mystical, enchanting, tantalizing, she allows you to slip into a slower pace. The trick is to find the heart beat of Bali….what makes it special. Access to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport is easy with connections through Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore or Denpasar. Denpasar, the oldest resort village of Sanur Beach, offers a blend of hotels and resorts from modest to deluxe accommodations amongst lush tropical gardens, quiet side streets, and white sandy beaches. Kuta Beach is different and world famous for its vibrancy of live entertainment, discotheques, pubs, cafes, markets, galleries, surfing and relaxation – a mecca for the mind, spirit and that fun loving part of your nature. For secluded separation from the hustle and bustle, choose the peninsula of Nusa Dua, where mega resorts on pristine beaches await you. Having settled in, it is time to explore Bali. Laced with intricate and diverse cultural beliefs in a sophisticated society, the Balinese people maintain their lives in harmony amongst themselves, their gods and ancestors. Acknowledging this will open your entire understanding of everything that you see and hear during your stay. Bali-Hinduism regulates and dominates the lifestyle so that everything is created and expressed towards finding a cosmologically balanced consistency between nature and their gods. From the daily placement of flower and food offerings on the steps of a shop, to the multitude of shrines that are for ancestor worship, to black and white checked poleng cloth draped over shrines to represent the constant balance of good and evil - the yin and yang of life, this balance is sought after. Let’s explore the villages in the north. We can arrange group tours to different parts of the island, or hire transportation with your own private guide, or rent a car, bicycle and explore on your own. Towards the town of
Bali Tour Starting At: $1575 Including Air From Chicago And Hotels For 9 Days Other Departure Cities Also Available
Call Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Office: 312.362.0218 Toll Free: 800.572.3149
Ubud, there are a few musts. Religous dance of various Bali-Hindu epics is important to the Balinese. At the village of Batubulan, the Baron and Keris dance epics are in full mythological costumes. Legong Dance is my favorite, the Kecak or Monkey Dance in which about a hundred men perform, some in a real trance. Dancers are accompanied by a Gamelan Orchestra (each village has its own) specifically tuned and whose spirit is ‘kept alive’ with offerings. North of Batubulan, visit Celuk village for its gold and silver work centers. Next comes Mas village, world renowned for its woodcarving center. Besides the many stores of master carvers, walk around the streets to watch young and old apprentices, as they develop their skills and styles at learning the handed down craft. Ubud is the center for artists, particularly paintings. The Dutch introduced ink and drawing to the Balinese long ago. They then rendered it into an art form different from any place on earth. Be sure to visit the Puri Lukasan Museum with its samples of Balinese art and a gallery where you can buy a treasure to take home with you. Ubud offers lodging, from budget to true paradise, such as Puku Puku Barong overlooking the Ayurg River, the Amandari or Banyan Tree resorts of the exotic where one stays reclusive in private compound hideaway bungalows. Perched high in the hills terraced with rice paddies, tropical gardens and pathways, the bungalow offers a tranquil paradise of intricate wood carvings, stone sculptures, fountains, private plunge pools, artwork, sunken marble bathtubs and my favorite, a private outdoor garden shower. There are very moderate home-stays and hotels which offer the full experience of Ubud and the surrounding area. From here, one can go trekking, white water rafting, mountain cycling, birding, motor biking or tour further north, past tiers of rice paddies, banana, coconut and salak fruit plantations, to the sacred volcanoes of Mt. Batur and Mt. Gunung Agung where the gods are believed to abide. Further east, find intriguing ‘Bali Aga’, or pre Hindu villages. The archaic village of Tenganan nestled in the hills has remained reclusive, but allows you to visit during a certain period each day before the gates are locked to outsiders each night. Known for their cultural tenacity, they practice the arts of an old Bali that is kept alive through their sacred and complex beliefs. Their famous and very rare geringsing cloth is woven with a difficult double ikat knot technique which is found no place else on earth. Bali teaches us that life is to be embraced, however you interpret it. When you travel, become enmeshed with the country and her people. Bali is a living art, vibrant, hypnotic, simple and complex. She will teach you to learn once more, the art of appreciation, from the nature of the land, to the nature of the Balinese and their beliefs. For after all, isn’t that why we travel?
February / March 2010
Kurt Weill Festival Dessau February 26 - March 7th By: Libby McInerny Every year, the Kurt-Weill-Gesellschaft e.V. organizes the international Kurt Weill Festival in Dessau, Germany (February/March). Attendees enjoy the vibe of the “Golden Twenties” in Dessau, the birthplace of German composer Kurt Weill (The Three Penny Opera.) The city celebrates Weill with a week-long music festival and the famous Bauhaus buildings are the ideal stage for Weill’s concerts. Dessau is in the state of SaxonyAnhalt, Germany, by the river Mulde, 115 km/70 miles southwest of Berlin. It manufactures chemicals, machinery and
chocolate and was the site of the Junker’s airplane works. The city’s “Bauhaus” (House of Building or Building School) is the common term for the “Staatliches Bauhaus”, a school that combined crafts and the fine arts and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933.
This year, for the 18th time, the city of Dessau-Rosslau celebrates Europe’s only international festival dedicated to the multifaceted career and music of it’s famous son, the composer Kurt Weill. Born March 2, 1900, his works are representative of the dazzling first decades of the 20th century, which saw so many innovations in art, science, architecture, design and technology. At that time Dessau was the center of the “Klassische Moderne”, the classical modern movement, and the city’s face was transformed by members of the Bauhaus. Kurt Weill rejected the dubious distinction between so-called “popular” and “serious” music, a prejudice which is sadly still alive today. Creating his very own style, Weill collaborated with Bertolt Brech on a new form of music theater. During the Nazi rule he moved to Paris and later settled in the US where he became one of Broadway’s most successful composers of musicals. His work stands for an open-minded curiosity and a willingness to explore new creative paths. The Kurt Weill Festival has a large and diverse program. The musical, “One Touch of Venus,” takes place on the magnificent stages of the “Anhaltisches Theater”. Audiences can also look forward to other star-studded jazz and classical music concerts at various venues scattered around the city. If you make a musical journey to Dessau you are sure to experience an array of music performed by talented artists.
EURO LLOYD TRAVEL Announcing AIR FARE SPECIALS for members of DANK If you have not traveled to Germany lately, or just thought you might skip the trip to Europe this year, you can not afford to pass up the low discounted travel airfares being offered by all airlines. Please identify yourselves as DANK members when calling our office.
Special summer roundtrip airfares for travel to and from Germany, including taxes, start from: Chicago Indianapolis Milwaukee Madison Cleveland Detroit
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Rates are subject to availability for your date of travel, with various airline non stop or connection options. Friday, Saturday, Sunday Weekend surcharges apply for each direction.
February / March 2010
German-American Journal
Seeing Is Believing: In a state that prides itself on its German heritage, one father/son team has married German engineering with good old-fashioned Midwestern values to benefit Wisconsin homes and conserve energy. WASCO Windows is proving that even in a down economy, investments in innovation, advanced technology and economic conservation are worth making. WASCO is well-known throughout Southeastern Wisconsin for offering exceptional custom-made vinyl replacement windows at affordable prices. Founded in 1957, WASCO had one location and four employees when it was purchased in November of 1983 by David Paulus Sr., then an accountant. Today WASCO is four stores strong, and services all of southeastern Wisconsin with around 50 employees, from their sales people to the craftsmen in their Milwaukee factory to their team of installation carpenters. Always on the search for new, energy-efficient technology, and with a desire to compete with the best products on the market, three years ago Paulus Sr. turned to his son, David Paulus Jr., for help.
WASCO three-in-one design Tilt & Turn windows
17
That’s the WASCO Difference
Paulus Jr. was four years into a five-year stint in Germany as a senior research associate at the Technical University of Berlin, researching and teaching thermodynamics, thermoeconomics and energy conservation. With his entry into the window business, he became a student of “green building,” the practice of creating environmentally responsible and resource-conserving homes and structures. This, along with an affinity for the beauty, construction and superb energy efficiency of the European windows he had lived with in Germany, led to the introduction of the “Tilt & Turn” window to WASCO. With the help of well-known German building supplier Rehau AG, as well as the hardware company GretschUnitas, WASCO began constructing their custom three-inone design Tilt & Turn window in late 2007. When closed, the multipoint steel locking system makes the Tilt & Turn among the most secure window on the market today. It offers draft-free ventilation in the tilt position (anchored at the bottom and tilted in at the top), a feature widely popular overseas where most homes do not have air conditioning. It is also much more secure in the tilt position than an open window would be. And when in the “turn” position, the window swings wide open like a door, allowing for full ventilation, and easy ingress and egress in case of a fire. The windows can also be installed side-by-side to create a beautiful, mullionless French window, and can be built large enough to make beautiful patio and terrace doors. The “Baukasten” principle allows fully glazed entry doors to be built on the same CNC equipment used for the windows, supplied by the German firm of Stürtz Machinenbau GmbH. “European consumer expectations and higher energy standards dictate the more advanced construction and designs of these types of windows,” said Paulus Jr. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer that technology, and as a result new stunning window and door options, to consumers in
Owner Dave Paulus and son David, director of engineering.
Wisconsin.” The Tilt & Turn windows not only earn the EnergyStar(TM) now, but also have performance that will exceed the next generation of EnergyStar(TM) standards expected in 2013, as well as the LEED requirements for exceptional windows for green building. “We’re not just building a window for today, we’re building a window that will meet and exceed energy standards far into the future,” said Paulus Jr. “And, for customers who prefer traditional North American windows, we offer a full line of these as well, built on the same equipment to the same high WASCO standards.” All WASCO windows exceed the energy performance required to qualify for the government’s 30% Stimulus Package tax credit (available through December 31, 2010), explained Paulus Jr. For more information on WASCO and its products, visit www.wascowindows.com, or call 1-800-558-2882
“Das Weisse Band” Takes Home Golden Globe Award
German film “Das Weisse Band” (The White Ribbon), about strange incidents in a small village on the eve of World War I, won the prize for best foreign-language film at the 67th Golden Globe awards.
By: Darlene Fuchs The black-and-white film, “Das Weisse Band,” about strange occurrences in a German village in the months leading up to World War I, was up against stiff competition, including Italy’s “Baaria,” “La Nana” from Chile, French film “Un Prophete,” and the film “Broken Embraces”
from Spain, directed by previous Oscar winner Pedro Almodóvar. Last year The White Ribbon, considered to be one of the darkest films ever made, also won the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival and the European Film Prize. Haneke’s film will also be Germany’s candidate for Best Foreign Language film at the 2010 Oscars in March. In his acceptance speech, Haneke paid tribute to the movie’s German, French and Austrian producers and especially to the child actors, who he said are “the soul of this film.” The film set in a northern village of Germany in 1913, is based on the backdrop of a very turbulent time politically. The First World War had not yet broken out, but was looming large on the horizon, as the film describes a series of increasingly mysterious atrocities, perpetrated by unknown parties on the residents of the village. There are a fragile handful of good people being suffocated by an ever-tightening circle of bad. The Protestant village pastor, Burghart Klaussner, unjustly punishes children for
various infractions. Meanwhile a daughter, Klara, acts as ringleader of a roving group of children who may be responsible for the rash of bizarre incidents. The first of these incidents involves the local doctor, nearly killed in a horse-riding accident, due to a metal trip-wire strung between two trees near the doctor’s home. The underclass resentment toward the authorities simmers, dangerously. Everyone has secrets. One family’s child endures sexual abuse; another family’s children fuel their own violent humiliations on others, including the developmentally disabled boy of the doctor’s long-suffering midwife. Haneke wants to show us how Nazi ideology could gain a foothold and then a stranglehold on an entire populace. His vision is gripping as this stark depiction is brought to life beautifully by the exemplary performances of the actors.
The precise answer to the question of “The White Ribbon” -- who is doing these horrible things? -- isn’t the issue here, Haneke argues. The evil lies deep in the psyches and the beliefs of these blinkered people. The Golden Globe Awards are awarded annually by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Watch the Trailer Watch the trailer for “Das Weisse Band” on the DANK National Blog
DANK.org/blog
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German-American Journal
February / March 2010
*** Calendar Of Events ***
This area is designated for DANK chapters and Associate Members to inform their members and the public of events they are having. We rely on the submissions of each chapter or organization, therefor all events may not be included. Please contact our National Office at 773-275-1100 or visit www.DANK.org for the most recent listing of events or for information on how to make sure your event is listed in the next issue. (Associate Member Events Listed In Italics)
FEBRUARY 2010
MARCH 2010
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Benton Harbor: Fish Fry 6-8pm. Doors open 5:30pm, band plays 7-10pm. $8.00 all you can eat. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information.
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South Bend: “Wir sprechen Deutsch” at 52739 Lilac Rd., South Bend, IN. Starts at 4pm. For more information, call 574-272-8163 or 574271-6922.
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Lake County: Karneval at the Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest, IL. Doors open at 6:11pm. Band: Walter Flechsig. Contact Ludwina Homer, 847-249-0073 or Cobi Stein, 847-234-3920 for more information.
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German American Heritage Center of Davenport, IA: Book Discussion—“Parzival” by Wolfram von Eschenbach, 7pm. Free and open to the public. Call 563-322-8844 for more information.
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American/Schlwesig-Holstein Heritage Society: Quarterly Meeting, 1:30pm. Walcott American Legion, 121 Bryant St., Walcott, Iowa. For more information, call Mary Ann Muller 563-2846640, or email meemarmul@aol.com.
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Milwaukee: Mardi Gras event with Bavarian Soccer Club at the Bavarian Inn, 700 W. Lexington Blvd. Glendale, WI. 7pm. Prizes awarded for best costumes.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Adam, Cole Adam, Max Adam, Robert Adamus, Margie Alwardt, Sara Alwardt, Shary Azizi, Dylan Azizi, Hormoz Azizi, Jasmin Azizi, Martina Barlick III, John L. Barlick, Wanda M. Baum, Betty Bowman II, John L. Bowman, Max Bowman, Paige Brinkman, Beth Byrom, Joey Byrom, Linda E. Byrom, Susie Callendar, Barbara I. Callendar, Gary Camin, Dieter H. Camin, Ingeborg
Cana, Ramon Chapp, Allegra Chapp, Jade Chapp, Marion Chapp, Nolon Chapp, Sky Daszczuk, Joseph Daszczuk, Leander Davidson, Paula A. Defrates, Susan Di Beasi, Alisa M. Droege, Ella Droege, Lennart Droege, Pauline Droege, Wiebke Farley, Margaret C. Flagler, Glen Forsyth, Karin Forsyth, Nicholas Fuchs, Robin L. Gonda, Rebecca Haller, Conrad Hatfield, Dr. Kenneth B. Hellickson, Jacob
Hoffmann, Gertrude Hogrewe, Bonnie S. Hopp, Alissa Hopp, Kassandra Hopp, Peter Juergen Humphrey, Elisabeth Kammholz, Clara Kammholz, Craig Kammholz, Emma Kammholz, Karsten Kammholz, Rebecca Kaufmann-Daszczuk Killian, Maria Killian, Reinhold Kittlaus, Janet Kittlaus, Lloyd R. Klein, Elke Knox, Brienn Somer Lisek, Kinga B. Lisek, Leni Long, Angela Malcherova, Jana Malcherova, Krystof K. Marcum, Adele
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Chicago South: Rundfunk Jubiläumstanz. 25249 Center Road, Frankfort, IL. Contact Nancy at 708-448-8731 for more information.
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South Bend: Sing-a-long at Wiseguys, 3421 W. Sample St., South Bend, IN. Starts at 5pm. For more information, call 574-272-8163 or 574271-6922.
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Lake County: Chicago Wolves vs. San Antonio Ice Hockey Game at the Allstate Arena, 3pm. Block of 20 seats at $31 per person are available. Great seats and can be reserved by sending your check payable to “DANK Chapter Lake County, IL” to: Cobi Stein, 1190 Estes Ave, Lake Forest, IL 60045 no later than March 1st. Contact Cobi Stein at 847-234-3920 for more information.
10/29/09 to 12/21/09 Mattner, Anna Mattner, Eric Mattner, Irma Mattner, Waldemar Michelsen, Alyssia Michelsen, Angelina Michelsen, Celena Moritz, Dottie Moritz, Thomas M. Mueller, Andy G. Noll, Angie Noll, Anya Noll, James Noll, Jim Noll, Liesl Plank, Walter J. Quaisser, Luc Quaisser, Mary Quaisser, Nicole Rackow, Charles H. Rackow, Christel P. Ranne, Cameron Ranne, Justin Ranne, Shirley A.
Rohde, Elizabeth Rohde, Matthias R. Rohde, Maximilian Sandberg, Jacques Sandberg, Soren Schneider, Bonnie Schneider, Robert Schroeder, Dieter Schulze, Gregory Seyboldt, Renee Spade, Daniel Spagel, Beth Spagel, Evan Spagel, Katherine Thielmann, John Tombazzi, Hillary Tombazzi, Louis Wippenbeck, Alexandra Witt, Daniel Witt, Nathan Witt, Renee A. Woodrome, Thomas
I have determined that in order to live healthy I must immediately give up the stress of school.
February / March 2010
German-American Journal German-American Journal
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Contact: (269) 422-1884 marilyn98@gmail.com PO Box 20, Stevensville, MI 49127
Dr. Edith von Zemensky, former Secretary of the Philadelphia chapter and member since 2/1971, passed in September. Her husband, Dr. Karl von Zemensky, died in June and was a member since 6/1968.
Frederick Klaus Huttel, Sr
The Erie Chapter mourns the loss of Frederick Klaus Huttel, Sr., 1926-2009, who passed away on Saturday, November 21st. Fred had been ill for a long time and his family and friends will not forget his courage. Fred was a peacemaker. The word ‘peace’ had special meaning to Fred, more so since his days as a German POW in WWII. He vigorously promoted peace among all those he encountered bearing no ill will towards anyone. He and his wife Hilde were founding members of DANK. Fred was gifted with a beautiful tenor voice and enjoyed singing not only in his church choir, but also for 13 years with the Erie Männerchor Gesangverein. He said that music had healing powers and despite severe pain, Fred sang with the choir just three weeks before his passing, ending the program with “Danke Schön und auf Wiedersehen” in a duet with Beverly Pochatko. Fred was educated in Germany, drafted into the
German Luftwaffe serving as a pilot. Following the war he immigrated to the United States arriving in the US on Feb 13, 1952 and was in Erie on the next day. He became a citizen by choice in 1957. Fred was an auto mechanic for 19 years prior to opening his own auto repair business in 1971, retiring in 1988. Fred was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church and the Choir; the Männerchor Gesangverein, and DANK. He truly loved music and singing; and working in his garden. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Hilde Fabian Huttel; three sons, four grand-children; and his brother, Ulrich Huttel, in Germany. Interment was in the Asbury Methodist Church Cemetery. (Fred’s story of “My Memories of Christmas in Germany” was printed in the Nov-Dec issue of the GAJ.)
Erika Voss
Erika Voss, 78,will be remembered for proudly serving, until her recently declining health, on the board of DANK Chapter Chicago Northern Suburbs, IL. Erika, together with Heinz, founded the DANK German language schools in 1973. The first two were established in Glenview and Palatine, and then later two more came to be in Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights. The purpose of the schools was and still is to preserve the German language and foster German culture and customs. For a number of years Erika took an active role as both recording secretary and financial secretary for the German American Education Fund. She served for approximately three decades as financial secretary for and later assisted in auditing the books
of the German language schools. And all along the way this diminutive woman, a bundle of talent in motion, joyfully decorated Christmas trees and enthusiastically organized games for the annual holiday parties and end of the year picnics hosted by DANK Chapter Chicago Northern Suburbs for the language students and their families. As the insidious disease called Alzheimer’s robbed Erika of her memory, Heinz, her husband of 53 years, moved from partner to caregiver with patience, kindness and courage facing the various challenges this illness brought. May God bless him for what he meant to and did for Erika and for what he means to and does for the members of the DANK family. Erika was the beloved wife of Heinz Voss for 53 years; loving mother of Wayne (Kimberly); sister of Edith Terlecki, Bruno (Margie) Krueger; sister-inlaw to Elfride (William) Jung; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Karl H. Erichsen
Karl H. Erichsen of Brook, Indiana passed away on January 1, 2009. He served in the German Army, 293rd Volksgrenedier Regiment, and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He came to America in 1953 from his homeland of the island of Sylt, West Germany, and became a proud American. He first worked for a meat packing firm in Iowa, and then moved to Indiana, where he worked as a meat cutter for Tittle Bros. grocery, and Strack & Van Til’s. He is dearly loved and will forever be missed by his wife Joan of 35 years, and daughters Monika and Heidi, and sons Eric, Greg, and Scott. He was a DANK member for over 40 years. He joined DANK in 1967.
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German-American Journal
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