German-American Journal | April/May 2012

Volume 60, Number 2

April / May 2012

Muttertag By: Darlene Fuchs

If we could look into the future, what would we see? Will we see families sharing the traditions of their ancestral ties?

Will we see families proudly proclaiming their ethnic roots or will they become a part of the melting pot…forgetting all that was so important to the family that left Germany for a better life in America? Oh they may be there for the brats & beer festivals, but what will they pass on to their children and or grandchildren.

It is no secret that ethnic organizations are beginning to fade from the scene and among them many German societies that have been around even longer than DANK! We have watched various German choruses disband for lack of member/singers; Turnvereins have closed as well. How long can we stand by and watch our heritage disappear?

If you are proud of your heritage, now is the time to stand-up and get involved in maintaining this organization to be here for the next generation. Now is the time for you to get involved by becoming actively involved within your chapter and by your financial support.

DANK was organized by German immigrants who came for a better life, who banded together as they became naturalized citizens of the country they adopted and to share their culture, and to preserve the language, traditions and music they held dear from the ‘Heimat’. Many Germans worked hard in various organizations to raise money to help one another through their “Private Krankenkasse” funds… basically the early forerunner of health/life insurance… money that was used to keep food on the table when ‘Papa’ couldn’t work because he was sick or hurt at work. The ladies raised money for the organizations (today’s auxiliaries) to build the halls where they could meet. They worked together for a common cause united by their heritage.

Somewhere along the line, we have become so sure of ourselves that not until its too late do we realize what is at stake—what we are losing.

Is your heritage worth the nine cents per day for membership in an organization dedicated to preserving what our grandparents held so dear? Will you give a gift of membership to another family member? Will you consider giving a gift of money to help preserve DANK? No gift is too small and remember even pennies add up! Perhaps you will consider remembering DANK in your will. You may ask, “What will I get in return?” Besides membership in an organization that values the preservation of our heritage, you help to leave a legacy of pride in having Germanic roots.

Right now, the future of DANK is up to you. You can chose to ignore the pleas for support; you can say I’ve paid my dues, BUT if you turn your back, then remember when you gather family around, after you depart this earth, you leave them nothing but your name. Gone will be the pride in your heritage because no one stepped forward to see the future.

Mother’s Day has been celebrated in Germany since 1923, since 1917 in Switzerland, 1918 in Finland and Norway, 1919 in Sweden and in Austria since 1924. The day is a holiday in honor of mother and motherhood.

In Germany, Mother’s Day was finally established by the Association of German Flower shop owners, displaying posters “Honor the mother” stressing that it was a day that flowers were the desired gift.

During the period of National Socialism, the celebration of Mother’s Day was linked to the idea of a “Germanic master race”. Childbearing mothers were celebrated as heroes to the people. Das Mutterkreuz, the German Cross of Honor, was awarded to mothers who produced children for the Vaterland. (The medal was nicknamed “Karnickelorden,” the “Order of the Rabbit.”)

After World War II the German holiday became a more unofficial one that took on the cards-and-flowers elements of the U.S. Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis is credited with founding today’s Mother’s Day in the US. On May 9, 1907 in Philadelphia, (the 2nd anniversary of the death of her own mother), she handed out 500 white carnations in her church to other mothers as an expression of her love for her deceased mother. Anna devoted her time to the goal of creating an official Mother’s Day and launched an initiative by writing letters to politicians, businessmen, clergy and women’s associations.

The movement grew rapidly and on May 8, 1914, the U.S. Congress adopted the Joint Resolution, under President Wilson, designating the Second Sunday in May, to be celebrated as “Mother’s Day.” Ironically, Anna Jarvis, who later tried in vain to combat the increasing commercialization of the holiday, never became a mother herself.

Not surprisingly, flowers are still top on the list of popular gifts. What mother does not rejoice over a fragrant bouquet of fresh flowers, even it it comes from her own children, delivered with a few appreciative words.

“Even after a Mother’s gone, her love will see you through Her love will help you carry on, because that’s what Mother’s do.”

TidBits

Associate Members

Education

Auf Deutsch

Insider

Business & Tech

Pages 3-4 Page 5

Page 6

Pages 7-12

Page 13-14 Page 15

Lifestyle

Pages 16-17

Calendar Page 18

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German-American Journal

April / May 2012

CHECK OUT THE NEW DANK.ORG German Radio & T V Official DANK Blog Newspaper Archives

Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde!

Dear Members and Friends, Here it is, the springtime of the year and a time of renewal. The first day of spring has passed as has St. Patrick’s Day. Our Christian members celebrated Easter (April 8th) after Lent, a 40 day period of fasting and repentance; and our members of the Jewish faith celebrate Pesach (Passover) the time that the Israelites were freed from Egyptian bondage on April 6th followed by Shavuot on May 16th, marking the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. No matter what our beliefs are, we all celebrate a renewal, the ‘making of things new’ again.

So it is within DANK, we celebrate various forms of renewal: the renewal of membership; renewing our interest in our German heritage, etc. In our office, we celebrate the renewal of updated technology; moving forward from a computer technology that served us well over the years and maintained by Willi Gohs from Fox Valley Chapter and assisted by Dave Fairbrother to a modern updated version that will allow us to accomplish reports etc. in less time. A goal of Past President, Bill Fuchs to move ahead with our computer technology has become a reality. Thanks to our Vice President, Alfred Mueller, Sr., who introduced us to George Nagata, our computer technology has been updated and is now running.

Alfred, Al Schafer, Ed Sutter and George sought out the necessary equipment to accomplish the tasks and with the assistance of Fred Leinweber and Virginia Apfel, the necessary software was explored and purchased. Our website developed by Stephen Fuchs is now maintained in-house by Eve and George, and they are working on a few new ideas that I’m sure will be welcomed. Here is teamwork at its best!

In the past, we had no funds set aside to improve our technical services until last year when several chapters and members stepped forward with donations to make this day happen. As we continue to improve our technology, we need your help to continue to make funds available so we don’t get stuck in a rut again. On behalf of the national board, I would ask that as a member, or a chapter, that you consider a donating to our “Technology Fund” so we can stay abreast with updates and have the ability to replace outdated equipment. We want to be able to continue to provide you with the best services possible. Your donations will be set aside specifically for our technology needs. Your donations, no matter how small will be greatly appreciated.

DANK National, is the ‘mother’ of our organization. She was founded by German immigrants to teach and nurture the traditions, language and culture of their fatherland. As a mother, she has had to adapt to changing lifestyles – recognizing the youth of today will value the heritage of their German roots if gently guided to respect all the great contributions of Germans and Americans of German heritage. We all need to listen to them and help them to understand that we are trusting them with the most precious gift we have…our Germanic heritage.

To all mothers, everywhere, the most recent to the greatgrandmothers, thank you for all you are doing to nurture, teach and set example to the children you love most dearly. Happy Mother’s Day! Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Beverly A. Pochatko National President

DIE BRUECKE ZUR ALTEN HEIMAT “Building Bridges to Germany” Listen to LIVE radio from Germany on our website!

Find ‘Radio Heimatmelodie’ along with a list of other live German radio stations that you can listen to for FREE.

Visit www.DANK.org

And More...

Der Deutsch-Amerikaner 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 President Beverly Pochatko 1. Vice President Alfred Mueller

2. Vice President James Dombrowski

Treasurer Bob Miske

Secretary Linda Voit

Editorial Staff

How Important is Communication?

Editor-in-Chief Darlene Fuchs darlene@dank.org

Communication is easily overlooked, but the ability to communicate effectively is necessary to carry out the thoughts and visions of an organization to its members. The importance of communication is to convey ideas, events, and to promote our Germanic heritage, customs, and language.

There are many ways to provide communication from the National office and chapters of DANK, to the people of our communities. Whether through the Journal, a phone call, face to face conversation, fax, email, letter, webpage, instant message software, or through social networking websites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) etc., you are able to communicate DANK to the world. Views can be expressed, ideas can be shared, and events promoted, making DANK a relevant organization throughout every community.

The ability and the importance of communication becomes much more crucial when you are on a mission or need to fulfill a goal.

This goal may be increasing membership, raffle sales, fundraising, food drives, and increasing the number of people attending chapter events and German language schools.

Two way communication, between the leadership of DANK and its chapters, is the key to keeping member confidence and loyalty to the organization. It will also strengthen inter-organizational relationships, minimize the risk of misunderstandings and improve associations with other Germanic organizations.

The importance of communication and exchanging ideas is crucial to the success of DANK and its chapters, because you need to reach out in order to grow. It also lets people know what is being offered at DANK and why they should be encouraged to join.

Without a means to communicate, DANK would become isolated. The ability to effectively communicate is very important yet it is usually underestimated and overlooked.

Let’s face it, communication is something people do.

Communication is the “lifeblood” of every organization. It is with this in mind that I hope you find the articles in the GermanAmerican Journal engaging, the topics interesting, and some of the content thought provoking. This year we will continue to bring you sections covering Chapter News, “Auf Deutsch,” Education, Business, A Calendar of Events and much more.

Correspondents Corinna Bienger Amelia Cotter Stephen Fuchs Christa Garcia Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Matthias Knobloch

Darlene Fuchs Editor-in-Chief

Submission Deadline For The June / July 2012 Issue:

April 25, 2012

Editorial Staff Margita Mandel Amanda Pedersen Chapter News Editor Darlene Fuchs darlene@dank.org Membership Erik Wittmann erik25@comcast.net Layout & Design Stephen Fuchs Stephen@FoxTaleEdit.com Advertising & Classifieds Eve Timmerhaus eve@dank.org

Office Staff DANK National Executive Office

4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, Il 60625-2013 Call (773) 275-1100 Toll Free (866) 926-1109 Fax (773) 275-4010 Office Hours:

9am - 4pm / Monday, Wednesday-Friday Executive Secretary Eva Timmerhaus Office@dank.org

Office Manager Eve Timmerhaus Eve@dank.org

General Information German-American Journal - ISSN 1086-8070 - is published bi-monthly and is the official publication of the German American National Congress. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: German-American Journal 4740 N. Western Ave., Suite 206 Chicago, IL 60625-2013

Annual Subscription - Rate: $15.00 www.dank.org/news.html

DANK does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information published herein. DANK reserves the right to change or amend submissions for any reason without prior notice. ©2012 DANK. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

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200 Years of Beer Gardens

In 2012 Munich and Upper Bavaria are celebrating an old Bavarian tradition source: www.muenchen.de January 4, 2012 began the 200th anniversary of the edict which permitted beer brewers to sell retail quantities of their own beer in their beer cellars from June until September and to serve beer and bread to their guests.

Once upon a time...In a time when there were no electric cooling systems, the brewers planted linden and chestnut trees above the cellars where the beer was stored and covered the ground with a thick layer of gravel. Thus the storage rooms remained cool, and the beer kept its freshness in summer. After buying their beer the locals enjoyed staying under the shady trees, and they right away drank the beer that had

actually been bought for consumption at home. King Max I granted permission to the brewers to sell their beer on the spot.

The custom that guests are allowed to bring their own food to the beer garden and consume it there is based on this edict of 1812.

Thus the beer garden was “born”.

Up to the present day..... The beergarden tradition still enjoys great popularity and is the hallmark of Bavarian Gemütlichkeit, tolerance and ease. While beer gardens sell food, it’s also a tradition to bring one’s own picnic...On balmy summer nights Bavarians love to pack their picnic baskets and to enjoy the dimming of the day with a beer from the tap, bread, cucumbers, radishes cut in an elaborate spiral, homemade Obatzda cheese, grapes, ham, and sausages.

In the beer garden young and old people, locals and foreigners, revelers from all social classes mix in a casual get-together.

Far beyond the borders of Bavaria beer gardens are regarded as a typical expression of the Bavarian way of life.

When you visit Munich, just sit down at one of the tables with locals - it is a custom in Bavaria, to join complete strangers and enjoy each other’s company.

The 200-year beer garden anniversary is a joint project of the Munich Tourist Office and the Tourismusverband München Oberbayern e.V. (Upper Bavaria Tourist Board).

Numerous traditional beer gardens will join in on the 2012 celebrations.Information about beer gardens in Upper Bavaria can be obtained at: www.oberbayern.de

Award of the Knight Commander’s Cross with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany to General David Petraeus Easter Emotions

source: Germany.info / by: C. Avril German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière met with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on February 16 at the Pentagon, where the Secretary hosted an honor cordon for him. Following their discussions, Minister de Maizière and Secretary Panetta addressed the media from the Pentagon Briefing Room (see video below). Panetta expressed his appreciation for the steadfast support of Germany in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, in particular the “in together, out together” approach toward said mission.

Following the Pentagon meeting, Minister de Maizière had numerous other political talks in Washington.

On Friday, de Maizière will give a speech on counterinsurgency strategy at Washington’s historic Willard InterContinental Hotel before leaving for Boston. Friday evening, he will speak at Harvard University.

Honoring Petraeus Defense Minister de Maizière arrived in the United States on February 14, after a visit to Canada. After paying a visit to German troops in Virginia, de Maizière presented one of Germany’s highest honors to CIA Director David H. Petraeus at a ceremony and dinner hosted by German Ambassador Peter Ammon. Petraeus was awarded the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contributions as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011, his last assignment as four-star general before retirement.

Petraeus said it was an honor to receive the Knight Commander’s Cross and lauded the steadfast support of Germany in the international mission in Afghanistan.

The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is presented to CIA Director David Petraeus by Defense Minister de Maizière Petraeus initiated a trend reversal in Afghanistan, Defense Minister de Maizière said in his laudatory remarks during the ceremony at the residence of Ambassador Ammon. “Even after his departure from active duty, the name Petraeus stands for the strategic approach of the counterinsurgency strategy,” de Maizière said. In his position as commander of the US Army Combined Arms Center (CAC), Petraeus was instrumental in developing the counterinsurgency or COIN strategy which he later implemented as commander in Iraq and then in Afghanistan.

In Iraq the strategy laid the groundwork for the end of the military combat mission, and in Afghanistan Petraus and the strategy created the preconditions for the transfer of responsibility to Afghan security forces.

De Maizière also pointed out that on General Petraeus’s initiative especially important military capabilities like MedEvac helicopters were placed under the German-led Regional Command North. The rapid evacuation of the wounded saved the lives of many soldiers serving in Afghanistan, the minister said. “One can justifiably say that the USA thus still contributes significantly to fulfilling the mission in the Regional Command North,” he said. Without this contribution, the joint Afghanistan strategy would have been much harder to realize.

For German soldiers also, General Petraeus was always a charismatic and caring leader who made a priority of his bond with soldiers. His tireless efforts for the strategy of networked security, his personal commitment and his exceptional service as a leader in Afghanistan deserve special appreciation, de Maizière said.

Visiting German troops out West

The next day, de Maizière flew to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, where he visited with German Luftwaffe pilots training there. He then traveled on to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and met there with Luftwaffe personnel.

Easter fires glow for miles around and illuminate the dark night.

You often see beautifully decorated eggs in splendor. They hang blown out - in bouquets of spring flowers, painted with lots of love, and they touch your heart with their beauty.

Bunnies made of chocolate are loved throughout the land, and their long ears magically attract the children. On Easter Sunday the little ones are searching for eggs which have previously been hidden and the parents are engrossed in the hunt, until they are finally all discovered.

Bouquets with forsythia and narcissus are laughing at you and for the holiday dinner you often find lamb. Glazed in white, as a symbol of innocence, it is often made into a cake. To treasure old traditions means you have to understand them too.

There is a deeper meaning to all those wonderful customs: fire, rabbits, lambs and eggs are symbols for renewal. Christians celebrate the “Resurrection”, Jews celebrate their “Paschal Feast.”

It is a kind of deliverance when the lights brighten the night.

Colorful eggs, Easter bunnies wrapped in shiny golden paper, flowers which sprout in spring - that really is embellishing. Despite the commercialism we should be receptive to the little wonders we can see when we wander through the world, with our eyes wide open.

After all, the new life is a gift to all of us and when the Easter bells ring, we should all remember that. Keep alive the old customs and traditions and bear them in remembrance. Therefore we think about the meaning and the significance of this holiday, especially during the Easter vigil.

Gesegnete Ostern!

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April / May 2012

Theo Wangemann:

The World’s First Professional Sound Engineer

Theo Wangemann at Edison Laboratory (1905)

By: Ursula Hoeft Stored on a wax cylinder recorded over a century ago, Otto von Bismarck’s voice, silent for more than a hundred years, can now be heard by twenty-first century audiences.

The Otto von Bismarck Foundation of Germany knew that Bismarck’s voice had been recorded but efforts to find the recordings were fruitless until just recently. They finally were identified among a group of 12 sound cylinders released by the Thomas Edison National Historical Park on January 31 of this year. These historic recordings were made by an Edison employee, Adelbert Theodor Edward (“Theo”) Wangemann.

Wangemann was born in Berlin in 1855.

His father was a businessman who dealt in paper goods. For a time, both Theo and his older brother worked for their father.

The family was known for its musical talent. His grandfather, Johannes Theodosius Wangemann, performed, directed, com-

posed and taught music; his cousin, Otto Wangemann, was an organist, composer and musicologist; his uncle was also an organist. Wangemann himself composed music and played piano.

The young Theo Wangemann immigrated to the United States in 1879, married in 1884, and became a naturalized American citizen the same year. He worked in the paper industry until 1888 when he was hired

by Edison to develop musical recording techniques and oversee the production of wax recording cylinders at Edison’s laboratory in New Jersey. Although he had no previous technical training, Wangemann became proficient at voice and music recording and is credited with being the world’s first professional sound engineer.

A recording of military strategist Helmuth von Molke is also among the voices that have recently again “come to life” through Wangemann’s cylinders. Molke’s voice is the only known recording to exist of a person born in the eighteenth century.

Bismarck and Molke, a Johannes Brahms voice and piano arrangement, prominent German and Hungarian singers and other important musical performances of the day were recorded by Wangemann during his 1889-1890 tour of Germany, Austria, Prussia, and France to introduce Edison’s new recording technology to continental Europe.

Wangemann traveled to Europe in June 1889 primarily to service Edison’s phonographic equipment at the Paris World’s Fair.

The trip was supposed to keep Wangemann away for only a few weeks but it was more than a year-and-a-half before he returned to the U.S. Edison’s phonograph was wildly popular in Europe, and Wangemann was kept busy demonstrating the new technology and creating sound recordings.

In September of 1989, at Edison’s behest, Wangemann traveled to Berlin to demonstrate the phonograph to Werner von Siemens, a friend of Edison’s and Edison’s most important business partner in Germa-

ny. Von Siemens was so impressed that he provided Wangemann with a special room for his use at one of his companies. He also assigned a German mechanic to travel with Wangemann and assist him while he toured Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The following month, accompanied by his wife, Wangemann visited Bismarck.

The German Chancellor was 74 years old at the time. After hearing the recordings Wangemann had made in Paris and Berlin, Bismarck agreed to let his voice be recorded. He recited poetry and, surprisingly, lines from the French national anthem, and sang pieces of songs in English, Latin, French and German. He also gave his son, Herbert, lifestyle advice, recommending that he practice moderation. Could this qualify as the world’s first voicemail message?

The cylinders are scratchy and difficult to decipher, and Bismarck’s name is not mentioned in the recording he made. Reference on the cylinder to Friedrichsruh, the Chancellor’s estate, was the clue that made it possible to determine that it was Bismarck’s voice heard on the recording.

Wangemann had a great fondness for music. He liked to boast that one musical performance he recorded had “international value.” The recording is of a Russian tune performed by a Hungarian quartet on a French stage and recorded on the American phonograph.

The Bismarck and Molke recordings and musical performances recorded by Wangemann can be found at: http://1.usa.gov/ xoAKtw The recordings at this site are directly from the wax cylinders and are difficult to make out. Full transcriptions in German and English are also on this website.

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

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Des Deutschen wohlverdienter Urlaub

Amerika ist das Land der Unternehmer und hart arbeitenden Arbeiter.

Schließlich wurde hier so manch amerikanischer Traum, vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär zu werden, wahr. Jeder kennt die Geschichten von Bill Gates, der sein Unternehmerdasein in einer Garage begann. Produktivität benötigt Zeit. Derjenige, welcher Matthias Knobloch am längsten arbeitet wird am Ende des Monats den größeren Gehaltsscheck in der Tasche haben – so ein ungeschriebenes Gesetz aus der Theorie des Kapitalismus. Doch stimmt das wirklich?

Die Europäer, so scheint es, haben hier eine andere Herangehensweise. Der durchschnittliche deutsche Arbeitnehmer arbeitet im Schnitt 1.436 Stunden im Jahr. Demgegenüber stehen 1.804 amerikanische Arbeitsstunden. Viele mögen jetzt vielleicht denken, dass US-Amerikaner produktiver sind. Fälschlicherweise, wie eine zuletzt in der New York Times veröffentlichten Studie beweißt.

Thomas Geoghegan, Anwalt für Arbeitsrecht aus Chicago, meint, dass Amerikaner in den 60er Jahren mehr Urlaub hatten als heutzutage. Würde man 50 – 60 Jahre alte US-Bürger danach fragen, wie viele Urlaubstage ihre Eltern hatten, würde man sicher zu hören bekommen, dass Familien früher öfter in den Urlaub gefahren sind als heute.

Aber warum sind Amerikaner zu Workaholics mutiert während die Deutschen zugleich produktiver sind und mehr Urlaubstage haben als Ihre amerikanischen Kollegen?

Deutsche sehen das Ergebnis ihrer Arbeit als größten Indikator für Erfolg. Amerikaner sehen ihr Büro mehr als Treffpunkt um Freundschaften zu knüpfen. Europäer wollen dagegen weniger sozial aktiv als produktiv sein. Ich kann für mich selbst die soeben erwähnte Behauptung für

mich beanspruchen. Ich konzentriere mich mehr auf meine eigentliche Arbeit. Das Ziel, korrekt zu arbeiten, hat für mich oberste Priorität. Ich bekomme schon bei einer einminütigen Verspätung ein schlechtes Gewissen. Gelassener sehen das die Amerikaner. US-Amerikanische Büros machen einen ruhigeren Eindruck – irgendwie auch sozialer.

Deutsche Arbeitsstätten legen mehr Wert auf die Qualität des Endproduktes und Arbeiter auf ihre genauen Arbeitszeiten.

Ein weiterer Grund warum Deutsche weniger Arbeitsstunden für den gleichen Output benötigen mag auch an den unzähligen Besprechungen in US-Büros liegen. In einem Forum auf der Internetseite der New York Times meinte ein Amerikaner, der als Manager in Deutschland gearbeitet hatte, dass deutsche Arbeiter individueller und selbststaendiger sind. Amerikaner dagegen veranstalten Besprechungen „bis zum bitteren Ende“ wenn sie mit Problemen konfrontiert werden.

Deutsche konzentrieren sich auf das Wesentliche mit individuellen Lösungsansätzen.

Der durchschnittliche Arbeitnehmer in Deutschland bekommt pro Jahr sechs Wochen Urlaub. Ich bekomme genau die Hälfte – was für amerikanische Verhältnisse gar nicht mal so schlecht ist. Dennoch verursachen Konversationen mit meiner Familie und meinen Freunden daheim über meine Urlaubstage Verwirrung. In Deutschland werden Urlaubstage durch den Staat gesetzlich garantiert. In

Amerika muss man für seinen Urlaub kämpfen, ihn sozusagen verdienen. Ferien sind in Deutschland eine Notwendigkeit. Das deutsche Sozialsystem garantiert Krankenversicherungen, Kindergärten, Ausbildung u.s.w. Amerikaner muessen dies meistens aus eigener Tasche bezahlen. Dinge über die sich die Deutschen keine Sorgen machen müssen.

Dies erlaubt es den Deutschen, sich auf das Wesentliche zu konzentrieren. Geoghegan ist der Meinung, dass Deutsche Ihre Wochenstunden unterbewerten, waehrend Amerikaner das Gegenteil tun. Das Verwunderliche dabei, Deutsche schaffen mehr in weniger Arbeitszeit, sind effizienter.

Amerikaner sehen längere Arbeitszeiten dagegen als eine Errungenschaft.

Amerikaner sollten beginnen, Arbeitserfolg mit Resultaten zu messen als mit der Zeit, welche amerikanische Arbietnehmer dafür benötigt haben. Vielleicht ändert sich dann auch am System etwas.

Germans and Their Well-Deserved Vacation By: Matthias Knobloch

America is the land of entrepreneurs and hard-working business people. “Rags to riches” is the American way, after all.

Stories of companies that started their success with nothing but know-how and a great amount of puritan work ethic are pervasive both inside and outside of the United States and the truism of capitalism is that the one who works the most makes the most money at the end of the day, and that this is the answer to being satisfied in life. But…really?

Europeans take a different approach when it comes to their work/life balance.

The average German will work 1,436

hours in one year. Compare this to the average American’s 1,804 hours of work.

One may think then that the U.S. workforce does more and is more productive, but according to recent studies, they are not. Thomas Geoghegan, a labor lawyer from Chicago, says that Americans weren’t always this overworked. He explains that in the 1960’s, Americans spent more vacation time than they do now and many people in their 50s or 60s will tell you that they take less vacation time than their parents did. Geoghegan believes that Germans understate their work hours, and Americans overstate work hours, and yet both countries are getting roughly the same amount of work done. This means

that Germans are actually doing more, while working less.

So, this begs the question, why are Americans such workaholics?

One possible explanation as to why Germans work fewer hours/year may be that American workplaces spend more work hours on meetings among people working on a project together that drags out the lifetime of the work and view the number of hours spent working on something as a badge of honor. In an online-based debate room of The New York Times, one American who worked as a manager in Germany described German workers as more individual and closed off, whereas Americans tend to “meet it to the death” when faced with problems, convening as a group more often to determine how to move forward.

Another possible explanation that I have experienced personally is that Germans view results as the biggest indicator of success in the workplace, while American work atmospheres are geared more towards creating an inclusive, pleasurable social experience that continues beyond working hours. Americans tend to spend more time socializing at work, while Europeans are less social, and leave quickly at the close of the work day – contributing to an overall lower number of hours spent at the office. This certainly applies to me: I focus on my work and try to do everything possible to finish on time and with the best possible outcome so that I can leave punctually at the end of the day.

Along these same lines, arriving at work already one minute too late gives me a bad conscience and causes me to leave home earlier than I actually need to in order to arrive punctually on time.

The largest reason, however, for Germans logging fewer hours/year at work is the allowance of vacation days. On average, a German worker has six weeks— that’s weeks, not days—of vacation time a year. For myself, a German who lives and works in the U.S. with only half the amount of weeks available for vacations, this is a hard fact to swallow. In Germany, vacation time is a federally mandated right, a way of life. And therein lies the difference: Americans view vacation as a bonus and Germans view vacation as a necessity. The German government provides healthcare, childcare, free higher education …necessities that an average American has to pay out-of-pocket. These facts lead me to think that Germans don’t have as many things to worry about paying for each month, which allows them to focus more on things like productive work, instead of monthly expenses.

In my opinion, if you really want to be productive at work and capitalize on vacation time, make sure you’re getting stuff done. When we start to take pride in our work and view it less as a boring routine and more as an occupation, we see better results. Let’s start measuring work output by results, not by time spent in a chair.

And enjoy life!

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German-American Journal

April / May 2012

Karneval In Chicago By: Hans Wolf / Rheinischer Verein Mardi Gras Society of Chicago

Once again the Mardi Gras Society of Chicago’s fifth season of Karneval is over.

Heavy traditions and 121 years ( est.1890) of Karneval in Chicago still gives us that Rheinland Karneval Stimmung.

Last year’s visit to Mainz and being part of the Karneval Umzug (Parade) and days long celebration confirmed our adherence to the ‘old’ traditions.

We just finished 6 weeks of Karneval celebrations in Chicago.

Multiple Kappenabends, ‘a new’ Weiberfastnacht, a bombastic Maskenball and a very traditional Rosenmontag.

Yes, we have doggedly stuck to our core audience while welcoming new faces to our many festivities. The desire to speak German, and celebrate, as they do in Germany, is a natural at all of our celebratory festivals.

Masken Ball (Masquerade Ball), February

18th, was a huge success! Our President, Reinhard Richter, and our Vorstand, with the help of many dedicated members, created a fantastic evening. The 40 some Karnevalisten from the Blaue Funken of Edmonton Canada, with Prinz Ole Berger as well as Prinzen and Hofstaat from St. Louis, Kanasas City and Minneapolis, made the evening even more festive.

Our Rheinischer Verein Mardi Gras performers, such as the Fanfaren Drum & Bugle Corps, our Amazonen dancers, Prinzengarde and Elferat, all added a positive energy, to the fast paced evening.

The Phenix band and Alpen Echo from Zinnzinati, provided a variety of traditional Schunkel and dance tunes. It was bumper to bumper on the dance floor. Penguins, some life-size cotton candy, a pair of rolling dice, a peacock, and even some ladies with “Bad Hair,” dance into the wee hours.

The Karnevalisten from Edmonton performed a western show dance number, showcasing some talented cowhands, to

Tollität Prince Ole & her loveliness Princess Sylvia II, Blauen Funken Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Hans Wolf and Prinz Franz Josef I and I.L. Prinzessin Sandra I.

the tune, ‘I’m Sexy And I Know It’! It was a fantastic display of disciplined dancing, with some moves that only the young can perform.

Two Drum and Bugle Corps and three costume parades filled the banquet hall with many youthful guests the entire evenings.

The next day there was exciting Facebook chatter about the Maskenball event. Check out the Mardi Gras Society website (www.

MardiGrasChicago.com) and Facebook for pictures-video and more information. “I love Karneval.”

Erie’s Männerchor Club Mark Your Calendars 2012 Dates You Will Not Want To Miss Celebrates 140 years!

By: Hans Hunger

Erie Maennerchor Club located in the heart of downtown Erie, PA

The Erie Männerchor Club was founded on December 12th 1871. The stately old brick structure, located in the heart of downtown Erie that is home to the Männerchor Club has withstood the test of time.

Originally formed as a German singing society, today the club is a mixture of social activity. Although many aspects of the club have changed with the times, many similarities still exist between the founders of the club and today’s membership.

The Männerchor remains a club which is deep in tradition. People who have given their time and talents to the betterment of the community have spent many day singing, bowling, playing cards or just socializing within the confines of the organization. According to Steve Chichester, general manager of the club, membership is about 2,000 regular members, 600 life members (35+ years of membership) and approx. 600 auxiliary members. From the membership list, one can almost put together a ‘who’s who’ in the community. The rooms of the club can host a variety of groups from 35 in the Diamond Room (the card room), the 50 person Crystal Room (the original music practice room); 80 in the Gold room, to the Grand Ballroom that can seat 300 with its balcony and dance floor. Not to be forgotten are the four lane Duck Pins alleys in the lower level.

In 1957, music ceased to ring out in the halls of the club, but in 1992, members of DANK approached the Board and asked to bring music back into the club. A small, but determined gemischterchor (mixed chorus) began and continues today. The Erie Männerchor Gesangverein practices on Tuesday evenings and then goes to our senior retirement and nursing homes/assisted living establishments to entertain them with traditional German folk songs and familiar American music. They represent goals of the founding fathers – to preserve the songs of the homeland. Around 1995, the Choristers of Erie, associated with the Männerchor bringing male harmony to the halls on Monday evenings.

One of the biggest events of the year, the gala Holiday Ball on December 3rd, was also a celebration of the club’s 140th Birthday! The Social Committee worked hard to ensure this was a celebration for the ages.

It is quite a tribute to our members that we are able to celebrate such a milestone, and a tribute to the employees both past and present for making the Erie Männerchor what it is today.

Today, the Männerchor Club remains an integral part of the Erie community and continues to be one of the most unique social organizations in Erie.

Here we are going into Spring and I hope all is well with everyone. The Super Bowl Party, as the first event of the year, was a total success. There were over 150 people in attendance from both GAPA and the Jeffersonian Hawthorne Club. It was a great time with good beer along with excellent food prepared by Sharon Harris of S & S Catering.

Having the event at the JH Club was a very good move and we will definitely continue to partner with them in the coming year.

I would like to thank Tim Schaefer (with daughter on right) and our Scholarship committee for the great job organizing the event in addition to special thanks to Jim Murphy, President of the JH Club, and their board for allowing us to join up with them. We look forward to having an even bigger number of members attend next year.

Our February meetingwas well attended even though it fell on Valentine’s Day. There were some very special guests in attendance.

It was nice to see Dottie Moritz make here first appearance at a GAPA meeting. We do hope it won’t be her last!! Dave Dunham of the Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union also made a guest appearance. He and the Credit Union have been staunch supporters of our organization for quite a long time.

We do all of our business with the Credit Union and always receive the bestservice possible. It was also nice to welcome An-

dreas Hecht, President of DANK North.

GAPA’s 15th Annual Golf Outing will be held on 18 June at Renwood Golf Course.

See our ads on pages 10 and 11 for further info. Our trip to Milwaukee for the German Fest will be the weekend of 28th and 29th of July. Tom Moritz is starting a sign up list. Call him at 815-464-4665 for further details.

Tom is also signing up those interested in attending our annual Tailgater with GAPA Milwaukee game with GAPA Milwaukee for the Cubs/Brewer game as well as for possession of the Norbert Holzinger Pickelhaube Trophy. GAPA Milwaukee took it last year, and it is currently resting on display in Mader’s German Restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. This event will be the 22nd of August. Be sure to mark these dates on your calendar.

For all our other 2012 event dates, please attend a meeting, visit our website www. gapachicago.org and go on the Current Updates page or refer to your refrigerator magnet that you received with your membership renewal.

On a sad note, I would like to send out condolences to Tom Moritz for the loss of his father, Ferdinand and condolences to Jim, Rita, and Renee Geohagan for the loss of their son and brother, Craig.

On a lighter side, I would like to thank Tom Hartwig for giving me the shirt off of his back, literally. Until next time, Prosit!

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

7

Life Members, An Elite Class

By now, you have read about the new data base upgrades taking place in the office.

We have been very busy transitioning from our old data base to our new system.

George Nagata has been converting our old database to the new Access format and we are looking forward to using the features and applications.

Dues reminders have been sent to all unpaid members. If you have already sent your renewal, we thank you for your continued support of DANK. As a reminder, our membership dues payments are due on January 1 of each year but we allow our members until March 31 to make their payments.

The National Office is now in charge of maintaining DANK’s web site – www. dank.org. This new responsibility includes monitoring and updating the existing web site and DANK’s blog. We always welcome suggestions from our members about how we can improve our Web site. Please email your comments and ideas to us at office@ dank.org.

Please check out our Facebook page to get the latest updates and information on DANK and our German-American community -

www.facebook.com/DANKNational.

This year we celebrate Earth Day April 22nd. One way DANK chapters are “going green” is to eliminate unnecessary paper usage and paper newsletters are a prime example of this. Many of our chapters are now emailing their newsletters. Email newsletters are environmentally friendly in that they do not use paper or ink and they do not have to be physically delivered, which helps keep costs down for the chapters.

If you have not already done so, please send us your email address today. Please remember, DANK will never sell, rent or share your personal information, including your e-mail address, with any third parties for marketing purposes.

Chicago’s German community will celebrate Mayfest in Lincoln Square; the heart of Chicago’s German Community, May 31 – June 3. We look forward to seeing familiar faces and welcome new ones.

Mother’s Day is also just around the corner. Let’s all use this day as a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.

By: Beverly Pochatko DANK National President

What does it mean to us, when members join the elite group of Life Membership?

As President, I see individuals who truly believe in the goals and mission of DANK, the preservation of the traditions, culture, language and music of our Germanic roots.

These individuals give us hope for our future and our reasons to continue to move forward. A Life Membership costs $500/ individual. It can be paid all at one time, or the individual can make arrangements with the office to send specific amounts towards that goal and when the full amount

is reached, they are then recorded and recognized as a Life Member. On becoming a life member, you receive a Life Member certificate, a specially designed pin and membership card, and your name is inscribed and placed on the Life Members Plaque that hangs in the national office.

Life members continue to receive all the benefits of their chapter and our bimonthly newspaper. It is a great investment in the future of DANK. Won’t you consider investing in your heritage?

We welcome 2012’s newest life members: Edward Leddin (ChicagoSouth), Karen O’Connell (Chicago), Adolf Pelzer (Benton Harbor) and James von Loewe (Erie). They join the 58 elite DANK Life members.

2012 Springfield DANK Board

Efforts Are Underway to Resurrect a Chapter in Rochester, New York Area

By: Erik Wittmann DANK Membership chair

Interest has been expressed in the Rochester, New York area to start a Chapter in the New York mid state area.

Mike Weisenberg, a resident of that area and active in German groups within the Rochester area, has been in contact with DANK’s Membership chair to

explore the possibility of re-establishing a Chapter, that would possibly cover the Mid-State Area of New York.

Individuals interested in working with Mr. Weisenberg in joining that Chapter and re-establishing a DANK presence should contact Erik Wittmann, DANK Membership chair at erikwittmann@ germaninpittsburgh.org.

First Row: Bonnie Matheis - 1st Vice President, Lynne Wright - Secretary, Gisela Motzkus - Board, Edith Baumhardt- Board, Cathy Sweitzer- Board, Jeff Engel - President Second Row: Bill Ryan- Board, Paul Herche- Board, Pat Milner- Board, Bob Gobel Treasurer, Chuck Martin - 2nd Vice President, Robin Fuchs – Board.

Sign Up For Membership Online @ www.DANK.org

8

German-American Journal

April / May 2012

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center We are excited to announce that the new façade is complete! At last, the exterior of our beloved facility matches the quality and standard of the programming and events we offer within.

We are enjoying a sunny winter, where the German and American flags dance above the restored entrance as language students and museum and event visitors stream in.

We want to thank our generous 114 private donors and 15 Friend of the DANK Haus sponsors for helping us raise over $40,000 to support this project.

However, we are still in need of funding. This project cost over $370,000. After our City of Chicago grant of $150,000 and our donors, there is still $180,000 outstanding.

Project Highlights and Accomplishments: • Original Keystone retained in new main entrance • Create storefront attractiveness for future tenants • Zero accident construction site • Original Cornerstones reincorporated into main entrance • Establish DANK Haus as jewel of Western Avenue • Ensure prominence of German American Cultural Center in city • Time Capsule from 1927 found and being prepared for display by Archives Committee On January 27, 2012, with façade construction at 90% complete, the stone mason knocked on the office door all covered in dust and presented us with the time capsule from the facility’s original construction in 1927.

When he removed the south cornerstone, the time capsule was nestled inside. About as tall as a piece of paper and no wider than an index card, the copper box had reacted with the lime over the last 85 years and had some deterioration.

Time Capsule contents

Archives Chair, Angelique Wisler gently removed the cover and began removing items. First, a leather bound Bible, then the By Laws of the Three Links Association and five folded newspapers from the time.

A coin of each denomination from 1927, including a silver dollar still bright as could be and a buffalo nickel rolled out. The most exciting find was the commemorative coin struck for the erection of the facility. On one side is a full engraving of our beloved DANK Haus with the phrase “Friendship, Love and Truth, Our Temple 1927.” On the obverse is the Three Links logo.

Archives enlisted the assistance of professional conservators through DANK’s membership in the Chicago Cultural Alliance, a consortium of ethnic museums, and prepared the items for display.

The Time Capsule premiered on March 9 in the Scharpenberg Gallery as a feature of the city of Chicago’s 175th birthday celebration.

DANK Haus Facade Unveiling President Andreas Hecht Opening Remarks 21 Jan 2012 Sehr verehrte Damen und Herren, vielen Dank dass Sie sich die Muehe gemacht haben, heute an der Eroeffnung der neuen Fassade des DANK Hauses teilzunehmen.

Good afternoon and thank you for coming out on this Chicago winter afternoon to join us.

I am Andreas Hecht and the newly elected President of the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center. Today we will officially open this beautiful limestone façade on Western Avenue and then head inside for a reception and the re opening of the museum exhibit “Lost German Chicago” The DANK Haus has been located in Lincoln Square since 1959, first on Lincoln Avenue across from the Davis Theater, and we then purchased this facility in 1967. In 2003, we came very close to closing our doors but were able to reinvent ourselves with a fresh group of Board members and volunteers and have spent the last 8 years building up to this moment.

Today we offer German language education for children and adults, musical performances, fine arts exhibits, museum displays, tours, unique German cultural celebrations, sports viewing and have become a resource for so many members of the Lincoln Square area for community events and private celebrations. This façade will enhance the visibility to those programs and give everyone in Chicagoland a more accurate sense of all the wonderful programs the DANK Haus offers inside.

I want to thank first of all the City of Chicago for offering this incredible grant program, which covers nearly 50% of the renovation. Also the planning and dedication of our staff and Building Committee as well as our newly retired Board members: Dagmar, Susanne, Angel and James.

Most of our programs are offered for free or for a nominal fee and a capital improvement like the façade is achieved by many corporate sponsors and private donors. I wish to thank everyone who has already donated so generously. I see many of you here today – and encourage everyone to make a donation to keep this center of German culture a thriving place for years to come. All of the Board members have House collection boxes and will be happy to accept your donation or provide you with sponsor packets.

I would like to now introduce 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar and ask him to cut the ribbon on this outstanding addition to Western Avenue thanks in large part to the City of Chicago.

New Façade

Please mail or bring your tax-deductible contribution to:

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60625 773.561.9181 development@dankhaus.com FEIN: 36-2656050

Also, please remember that donors giving $1,500 to $9,999 receive Friend of the DANK Haus sponsorship recognition and benefits. Platinum Legacy ($20,000+), Gold ($15,000-$19,999), and Silver ($10,000-$14,999) sponsorship packages are also available for companies and individuals.

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center Emerges From The Dust With A Full Season Of Programming!

By: Nicki Dombrowski While the construction crew was sawing and mortaring and shining the DANK Haus like a new Pfennig, the Archives, Events and Fine Arts Committees were making big plans inside. Our 2012 programming calendar offers a full range of activities for members and the public to appreciate and learn about German and German American culture.

The winter season saw record attendance at “Songs For a Winter Afternoon,” a mostly German “Lieder” concert starting a year of fine musical performances. Native Chicagoan Laura Strickling and pianist Liza Stepanova delighted with Schubert, Wolf, Clara Schumann and Richard Strauss and Liszt’s translations of Mendelssohn’s Fruehlingslied, Neue Liebe, Suleika, and Reiselied.

This success was closely followed by “Erin Go Berlin: Irish Folk Songs with German influence.”

Unbeknownst to many, Ludwig van Beethoven spent nearly a decade setting several collections of Irish folksongs for piano trio; Ignaz Brüll gave us expansively romanticized Irish melodies; Robert Schumann composed tunes to texts by Robert Burns and Thomas Moore.

Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1966 play “Der Meteor” opens March 23. Geopolis Theater enters their second season looking at Germanic works. The works chosen are mostly modern stories that play with the idea of fate. Geopolis shows how some of the most famous and well-known stories of all are still very much a part of the lives and imagination of the people in German speaking countries. Performances run through April 14. Please contact the office for tickets.

At writing, DANK Haus is in final talks

to open the exhibit “Märchenwelten” to further explore traditional German fairy tale themes. The exhibit would be installed in the Scharpenberg Gallery and celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of the Brothers Grimm’s collection.

Friedrich Nietzche famously stated, “Without music, life would be an error.”

DANK Haus is happy to provide visitors with plenty of opportunities for musical enrichment.

The month of May brings three outstanding performances to the Marunde Ballroom.

Bach & Beyond Ensemble treats guests to their annual Spring Chorale on Sunday May 6 at 3:00pm. Schubert Lyra takes the stage on Saturday May 19 at 6:00 pm followed by Deutsch-Amerikanischer Kinderchor’s Mother’s Day on Sunday May 20.

After a full calendar of Fine Arts, one may need a new diversion. Fortunately, this year is Germany’s much anticipated return to the Euro. Viewing parties begin June 9 at 1:45 pm, where the German team takes on rival Portugal. The German team is the solid favorite to go all the way to the July 1 final. DANK Haus viewing parties are highly attended by all ages dressed in all variations of black, red and gold. When Germany achieves the final, plans are in motion to take the party to the Marunde Ballroom, where 500 fans can enjoy Germany’s likely triumph.

From our palatial new façade to our fairy tale performances and exhibits to our dream team, German Americans have much to enjoy at the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center in 2012 and beyond.

For the most current programming information and tickets, please visit www. dankhaus.com and sign up for our weekly electronic newsletter.

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

9

Und die Bundesländer sind...

Open House at the DANK School Chicago Northern Suburbs

Frau Klein with 1st grader Emma

By: Silvia Schmid, Ph.D., Faculty Die Erstklässler in der DANK Schule wissen, dass es 16 Bundesländer in Deutschland gibt. Wissen Sie das? Zählen Sie mit mir auf: Bayern, Hamburg, Saarland, Bremen, Hessen, . . . ?

Jeder von den 16 jungen Schülern, die sich jeden Samstag Morgen in Frau Kleins Klassenzimmer treffen, hat ganz eifrig ein Poster gestaltet über ein Bundesland. Das ist eine anspruchsvolle Arbeit. Am Tag der Offenen Türe hat dann

jeder Schüler das Bundesland vorgestellt.

So viele Informationen! Ich bin ganz erstaunt über die vielen Fakten, die ich lernen kann. Und hier sind nur ganz wenige davon: Die Mainzelmännchen kommen aus Mainz.

So erzählt es mir die Emma. Ella weiss, dass die Bremer Stadtmusikanten aus Bremen kommen. Soweit kann ich noch mithalten. Aber je mehr ich mich mit den Schülern unterhalte, desto mehr staune ich, was die so alles wissen und studiert haben.

Krystof informiert mich über den Baumkuchen. Ist er wirklich aus Baum zusammengemischt? Den Baumkuchen sollte ich mir mal zum Kaffee und Kuchen geniessen lassen. Liam berichtet über den Sachsen Martin Luther, und dass die Sachsen die Milchschokolade erfunden haben. Das scheint mir eine interessante Kombination zu sein! In Wiesbaden gibt es ein grosses, altes Rathaus, sagt Gabriella. Und wo ist der Sitz vom VW? Das sollte ich besonders wissen, weil ich mit einem VW aufgewachsen bin, und mein 86-jähriger Vater ist immer noch ein stolzer VW Besitzer. Leider muss ich auch da “PASS” sagen. Der Sitz von VW ist in Niedersachsen. Dann gibt es noch das Saarland, das an Frankreich grenzt. Und woher das Bier kommt, das darf natürlich auch nicht fehlen. Ich tippe da auf Bayern und das Oktoberfest – doch Andrew erzählt mir, dass in Dortmund, Nordrhein Westfalen das meiste Bier Deutschlands gebraut wird.

Vielen Dank und BRAVO an die 16 Erstklässler und die Lehrerin, Frau Klein. Das war ein gelungenes Open House, ein richtiges Fest. Und wenn die Erstklässler so weitermachen, werden sie bald Deutschland Experten sein.

Und falls Sie sich immer noch wundern, welches die

16 Bundesländer sind, hier sind sie: Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thüringen

1st grader Liam with his big sister

From the Pennsylvania Shore of Lake Erie By: Margaret Potocki

Fasching is the one time of the year that we can let our hair down and really be ‘fools’!

Our Fasching Party was successful and 90% of our guests arrived in costume. The ‘old lady’ (Charlotte Chase) really caught us off guard; the ‘tube of toothpaste’ (Heidi Cowey) was unique. Costumes ranged from a baker to Paul Bunyan, hookers, flappers, beach boy, a roving gypsy and more. The Gold Room was decorated with balloons, beads, coins, stuffed lions, flags and lots of glittering tinsel.

Everyone enjoyed the light German supper buffet with the added pizza this year.

The dessert was what else...Fasnachts and Kraphen with coffee. “Doctor” Don Cowey provided the music for the evening getting the ‘oldsters’ out to dance and joining the Zugparade and singing traditional Fasching songs provided by his wife, Heidi. As Dr. Don started up the Polinaise music, the Zugparade took form, led by Jason Jaquith who took us throughout the Club passing

out beads as we went.

Later the beat changed to the modern Schlager and the younger people took over, dancing and having a real good time. No one left early and most really didn’t want the night to end. The winner of the best costume was won by James von Loewe.

Eleven-thirty that night, I went to the Elmwood Presbyterian Home and dropped off the balloon decorations so their residents could enjoy them on Sunday. Everyone had a great time that evening.

Congratulations to James von Loewe who recently joined DANK as a Life member!

James has been a member since 2009 and also sings with the Gesangverein.

Our March meeting will feature Leo Gruber, DANK member and a professor at Edinboro University who will talk about the “German Royalty”. In April, we will hold an Open House and special dessert night as we celebrate our birthday. Fröhliche Osternfest! Margaret Potocki, Chapter President.

Brigitte, Charlotte and Jeff Chase

!"#$%& (&)%"*%&) DANK Chapter 71 German Heritage Society of Erie

10

German-American Journal

April / May 2012

...and “schwupps” – the tie is cut off!

Fashing at the DANK School Chicago Northern Suburbs

Herr Golsch und Herr Herod (president and vice-president) mit abgeschnittener Kravatte

By: Silvia Schmid, Ph.D., Faculty It is not Halloween, and yet, the students of the DANK School come dressed as cowboys, robots, Darth Vader, Mario, fairies, pirates – in the middle of February!

Why? It is Fasching, Fasnet, Fastnacht, Karneval! Every year Germans, Austrians, and the Swiss celebrate by wearing masks and costumes, singing, dancing, laughing and walking in parades.

Maybe you are like me. I have never gotten into the dress-up mode - nor for Halloween, or Karneval or Mardi Gras, or for fun. My children may be deprived in this area. Sorry, boys! And yet, I must admit, our Fasching day at DANK makes teaching quite interesting. In the classroom,

the atmosphere is relaxed. We laugh and look forward to the party in the cafeteria where a party awaits us.

What makes Fasching such an exciting time for many?

Frau Klein (faculty) appears as Snow White and spreads the Karneval enthusiasm. She informs me that “the origin of Fasching goes back to Roman times with the purpose of driving out the evil spirits of winter.” Fasching officially starts on 11/11 at 11:11am and ends on Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. “Dressing up is so much fun. It brings color into a dreary February. There is cheerfulness and laughter,” she muses.

Sounds like fun. My heart starts beating faster. Maybe I should try to get a costume; or better yet, create one myself.

! !tteeiinnbbaacchh +uuttccrraacckkeerrss

! CCrryyssttaall

! BBeeeerr !tteeiinnss

! TTrraavveell BBooookkss aanndd DDVVDDss

! HHuummmmeell FFiigguurriinneess

! DDoollllss

! CCllootthhiinngg

! OOlldd WWoorrlldd DDiirrnnddllss aanndd BBlloouusseess

Frau Klein mit 3 Schuelern

Then, the Dusseldorf native Frau Herod (co-director) begins the Faschingsfest with an enthusiastic “HELAU”. Frau Woerner (faculty) joins her and greets the crowd with her Kölsch “ALAF” or “Kölle Alaaf”. Apparently, Kölsch is spoken in and partially around Cologne. Kölsch is one of the few dialects of German where the ”eszett” can appear in double form; for example, in the word ėßß (“is”).

We learn about “Weiberfastnacht”. On this day, Frau Herod explains, “women rule!” – sounds good to me! Frau Woerner, with scissors in hand, cleverly demonstrates what could happen to a man wearing a tie.

She surprises our school president, Mr. Golsch, and in a jiffy cuts off his tie! Can you believe it? Frau Golsch, (co-director) from the South of Germany, chops off the tie of Mr. Herod, our vice-president.

“Schwupps” and no more ties. Luckily the ladies stop right there, even though they could have continued their fun by running after the men’s shoe laces and trim them too.

After that, Frau Golsch tells us about her hometown “Esslingen”, also called “Zwieblingen”, where the largest fools guild

is called “The Zwieblinger Gesellschaft 1905 e.V.” Their masks are “Zwiebela” – yes, onions! The story goes that a strange man used to come to the market and helped himself to the apples. A smart market woman saw the man’s foot “a horseshoe” (the sign of the devil), and offered him a delicious apple, which actually was an onion. The man bit into it, spit it out and angrily screamed: “From now on you shall not be called “Esslinger” but “Zwieblinger” – and he was never seen again.

Now, it’s time to dance! The Cowboy song, the Flieger song, a costume parade!

My favorite part is the mummy wrapping with toilet paper. Young and old participate.

Candy is being thrown into the crowd – a tradition on Rosenmontag. After all the fun and games, everybody enjoys Brezeln, Donuts and other goodies.

I hear a lot of laughter. Dressed up or not, everyone seems to have a fabulous time. www.chicagogermanschools.org facebook “Dank German Schools” Photos By: George Rykowski

! TThhoommaass KKiinnkkaaddee CCoolllleeccttiibblleess ! JJeewweellrryy ! !tteeii;; aanndd HHeerrmmaannnn BBeeaarrss

! MMuussiicc CCDDss aanndd DDVVDDss

! TTaappeessttrriieess

! Fmmppoorrtteedd FFoooodd !ppeecciiaallttiieess

! BBeeaarriinnggttoonn BBeeaarrss

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Mummy wrapping mit Toilettenpapier von der Co-Schulleiterin, Frau Herod

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

11

Fasching/German Mardi Gras‌ DANK Chicago South Style By: Anita Walthier On Saturday, February 11, 2012, DANK Chicago South held their annual Fasching Dance.  The weather cleared from the snow storm the day before, was definitely in our favor. This was the first time we had a theme for this event: celebrating the 1950’s.  We were pleasantly surprised to see so many people dress up in costumes from this era. Celebrities included a stunning Marilyn Monroe (Marianne Dietz), various members from the cast of Grease (DANK North) and Hugh Hefner (President Dietz).   The hall was decorated in Karneval-style from by the talents of many members to help to kick of the event in style.

The kitchen crew satisfied our taste buds with a delicious pork roast dinner. Â The aroma was absolutely delightful.

Thanks to Linda and Frank Janca along with the help of Mike Konrath, Karin Arlt, Kathy Fandl, Paula Malloy, Marlene Kaiser, Bill Schmidt, and Linda Wilson. Â They all worked so hard in the kitchen preparing our fabulous meal. Â Kathy Kruss, Dan Duffy, Kurt Paterek, and Mike Murray served cocktails to quench our thirst. Thanks go out to Christine Walthier for graciously creating wonderful raffle prizes as well as Stefanie Walthier and our Miss DANK,

“Poodle Girls� - Kathy Kruss, Sharon Harfmann, Linda Janca, Doris Knight

Costume Contest Winners

Andrea LaMontagne, for selling the raffle tickets.   Everyone seemed to enjoy and dance to the music of the Johnny Wagner Band.  President Gary Dietz announced the various guests that attended our Faschingtanz which included former PresidentsTim Garrett and Bill Schmidt, Dagmar Freiberger, President DANK Region #1, DANK Chicago North, DANK Chicago West, Armin Homann, Klaus Leicht (German Club Antioch & Deutscher Tag Verein, Chicago), and various members of the Jolly Burgenländer Club.  One of the highlights of the evening was our former Miss DANK South, Daria Baker placing the sash on our newly crowned Miss DANK Chicago South, Andrea LaMontagne.

Costume prizes were awarded to Kim Duncan (Pink Lady,),Annie Harfmann (50’s waitress,)Jake Harfmann (Buddy Holly,) Kathy Kruss and Sharon Harfmann (PoodleSskirt Girls,) and Sean Harfmann (ToughKid).  Thank you to everyone who came to support our chapter and make the night spectacular with the Gemßtlichkeit of the south side Germans.  Visit our website at www. dankchicagosouth.org for more information on upcoming events.

Miss DANK Chicago South 2012 - Andrea LaMontagne

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Call today: 800-451-8199

12

German-American Journal

South Bend Ends the Year in Style

Looking Forward to a New Year of Growth

April / May 2012

DANK Lake County Members Joined in the Karneval Fun By: Ursula Hoeft

An enjoyable afternoon by coffee and cake at Arborwood

On February 18, members of DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois celebrated Fasching with the German American Club of Antioch, Illinois. And when it came to costumes, you might say they “stole the show.”

First place for best costume in the couples category went to the King and Queen of “Burgerland” (also known as Brigitte and

the Rev. Richard Käske, Chapter Secretary and Board Members) and Evel Knievel – yes, that’s how the infamous daredevil spelled his name – (a.k.a. Greg Hoeft, Chapter President) won first place in the single male category.

No, Evel did not jump his motorcycle over the cars in the parking lot, and the King and Queen left their horse-drawn carriage at home.

By: Christine Weiss

we had our coffee and cake.

December the 7th we were invited to On November the 5th we held our come to Arborwood, a retirement home, election/membership meeting and the entire to sing to the residents German Christmas board was re-elected. songs. The people truly appreciated us.

We had our Christmas party at St. Paul’s Our calendar of event was sent out and Lutheran church on December the 4th. It was everyone should have one. We included a a very good turn out. After our luncheon we personal letter to about 10 people thanking presented a German Christmas program. We them for there continuous support to the resided poems and sang Christmas songs German American National Congress. We accompanied by Bill Troutman guitar and were worried that they might not continue Patricia Nuyken piano. After the program their membership.

We also discussed how to get new members. Many of us meet people in stores who are German or have a German background. We thought it would be nice to hand them a business card with our DANK web side and a telephone no. they can call if they would be interested to join.

Our first DANK function will be Saturday January 22nd. We will meet at Arborwood and show a video in their Happy Birthday from left to right Inge Bradburn, movie room. Coffee and cake will be Ron Szulczyk, Barbel Kelley and Rudy Muessig provided by the DANK officers.

From Left: Evel Knievel (aka Greg Hoeft) Queen and King Of Burgerland (aka Brigitte and the Rev. Richard Käske)

Pittsburgh Chapter Elects 2012 Board Of Directors!

By: Erik Wittmann After taking time out and recovering from a whirlwind of activities, including hosting the 2011 National Convention and various chapter events during the latter half of 2011, Chapter Pittsburgh held its election of officers in January of 2012.

The Chapter is pleased to announce the election of some new members to its executive board. Colletta Stickel and Eric Trainer, new members to the organization within the past two years, were elected 1st and 2nd Vice President, Kristy Weiss was elected Secretary, John Kugler, who has held the position of Treasurer for over 10 years, was re-elected as Treasurer. The Board elected former Chapter Secretary

Rediscover Your Heritage

Christine Weaver Sabatini, as back-up Treasurer to John Kugler.

Erik Wittmann, former National VP has agreed to stay on as President for the Pittsburgh Chapter for the term of this Board, with the hope that, as the Chapter grows and the Board evolves, he can relinquish that role, after having served as Chapter President for 18 years.

The Chapter also re-elected Jim and Pat Schmitt (Chapter Newsletter Editor), Carol Steiner, Robert Isler and Ray Schmidt to the Board.

New members elected to serve on the Board are Ruby Wilkosz , Helga Flemish and Mary Wagner. Pittsburgh’s election cycle is a two year term, thus this Board will serve through 2014.

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

An Illinois History Project, Part 1 By: Anna Marie Fuhrig

At a time when the issue of immigration to the United States commands much public attention, students can gain a perspective by studying an individual immigrant (or their own family’s German background) who had a noticeable impact in this country.

They can start by considering the lasting changes German immigration has brought, especially in the non-metropolitan MidWest, and how life, work processes, and institutions have changed, because of the particular skills and knowledge of both individual immigrants or of a group.

Such examples teach a new way of looking at historical events, because they illustrate this benefit for America.

If students work under the guidance of a social studies or history teacher and for the purpose of competing at the Illinois History Fair in Springfield early every May, students also have a chance at the Ernst Ott Prize sponsored by DANK. Junior High students who have decided to work on a topic on Germans who immigrated to this country, can find many examples of immigrants from Germany.

They can also present their own family member or someone from among that person’s children and grandchildren. For a better overview, the push-pull factors during the time of immigration need to be part of that.

American school books sometimes list overpopulation (partly due to a lack of economic growth) as reasons for emigration, but miss the specific ”push” factors for Germans, for example extreme military devastation and the need to flee due to political changes. Students probably need extra help to understand which events pushed particular parts of the population to emigrate. Political push factors for example, caused the exodus of intellectuals after the revolutions of 1830 and 1848 and again after 1933.

One frequently missed economic factor in the 19th century was the potato famine of in 1845. It not only caused the Irish exodus, but also affected the entire Rhine Valley. Economic changes, such as farm mechanization, often lead to emigration of farm laborers. Then again, when industrialization picked up in Germany after 1870, Germans had an option to emigration.

In the 20th century, the largest wave began after 1950, caused by the expulsion of 16 million Germans from territories which were lost after 1945. Close to 4 million of the expellees immigrated to the US and annual numbers remained steady through 1990.

These displaced persons’ birth places can puzzle the uninformed, because they are not on modern maps of Germany. This can be resolved easily by using a map of Central and Eastern Europe from before 1914.

Studying these facts can provide students with a positive view of their family’s achievements in America, along with the opportunity to bring a winning project to the History Fair.

A successful project, however, requires documentation and a particular format. In general, students can bring an exhibit, a performance, a media entry, or a research paper, but for the German-American Prize, only exhibits can be considered. Exhibits consist of illustrations attached to a card

Nick Kemp, Mark Snider, and Philip Spillmann, Freshmen at Tuscola Jr./Sr. High School, won the Ernst Ott Prize for their project “John Peter Altgeld, progressive Governor of Illinois.” (Mark Snyder is not pictured)

board stand-alone display and a paper.

Exhibits should be no more than 40” wide, 30” deep, and 6’ high. If a teacher is not available to guide the project, families can find further details at: http://illinoishistory. gov/education/Expo_rules.pdf.

A summary statement must accompany an exhibit and give the reason for selecting the topic, preview the work steps, say how long it took, and state what was learned.

Obviously, if conflicting information was found, that has to be explained. It is also important to relate the chosen topic to Illinois History. A bibliography of the sources used, including oral traditions and interviews, and any public sources, such as libraries, museums and the internet, finishes the accompanying paper.

To get their student started, families need to understand that research alone—no matter how much work has gone into it—is not enough for a prize-worthy project. Rather, the summary paper and the bibliography turn out best after the student has thought through the research in two major steps, 1. analysis, and 2. a conclusion/statement of impact. All of this has to be reported in the accompanying paper.

Depending on the part of the state, there may be a county level History Day for preselection of student work. There is also a website which clarifies the additional requirements for projects that are to be taken to National History Day at the University of Maryland at College Park every June.

Projects on topics of Americans from Germany have been selected for an award for five years and have ranged from the Laesch Brewery in Peru in 2008 to a very well-done exhibit on Governor John Peter Altgeld of Chicago and the Altgeld Halls that he sponsored on every Illinois university campus.

This discussion is to be continued for the more demanding high school level in the next Der Deutsch-Amerikaner, GermanAmerican Journal.

This project marked a turning point, because for the first time in five years, it fulfilled all contest expectations

13

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German-American Journal

April / May 2012

TheGerman-American Workforce Exchange

The latest State of the Union Address at the beginning of this year highlighted a very interesting phenomena: a deepening skilled-labor partnership between Germany and the United States. Siemens was mentioned as the forerunner of this movement and was cited for its relationship with Central Piedmont Community College Christa Garcia (CPCC) in Atlanta, which combines vocational training and cultural exchange called The Apprenticeship 2000.

This program provides technical training apprenticeships to local students and workers a four-year program with the promise of a job after the successful completion of the program. Other German companies participating in Apprenticeship 2000 include: Chiron, Stabilus, Sarstedt, Blum and Daetwyler. Additional interested German companies in the future are: VW, Festo USA, Karl Storz. They met with representatives from business, politics, German Industry, Trade and education with the German Embassy and the German Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC in October 2011. A “German-American CEO Roundtable of the Carolinas” is planned for May of this year in which German companies like BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler will participate. A formal resolution is planned to go into effect and will be called the German-American Workforce Exchange.

The topic of discussion will be this kind of a work force exchange relationship which has existed in Germany since the Middle Ages, a relationship that unites theory with practice. It allows for a labor force beginning a career early.

The workforce, however, will be fully skilled and certified at the end of the apprenticeship. Germany’s lowest youth unemployment rate in the world (9.1 %) attests to the success of this kind of vocational training. Siemens in Charlotte’s Apprenticeship 2000 has created 700 new jobs last November – jobs very much needed in this country.

European Union Youth Orchestra Tours the US By: Alix de Mauny

The European Union Youth Orchestra will be touring the United States of America in April 2012. There will be seven young musicians from Germany on this tour.

As you may know, the EUYO is one of the world‚s most prestigious and dynamic orchestras, which unites the best young musicians from all 27 European Member States under world-class conductors. The President of the European Parliament, and the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, heads up the many Honorary Patrons, which include the Heads of State and Government of the EU Member States.

The EUYO is planning a high-profile tour to the United States in April 2012.You can see the schedule by visiting

The Recognition Act By: Christa Garcia

The ”Official Recognition Act for Professional Training Earned Abroad” was passed last year and is now official: professionals who received their training outside Germany can now get a license much easier inside Germany.

Immigrating to and using professional expertise in Germany will become quite a bit easier thanks to a bill passed by the Bundesrat (Federal Council representing all 16 states) on November 4, 2011. This will clarify and expand assessment procedures for vocational and professional qualifications earned outside of the country or outside of the European Union. This opens the door to career prospects for hundreds of thousands of workers whose education and training were earned overseas.

The bill will also eliminate German nationality requirements previously coupled

with certain professions. For instance, before only Germans could practice medicine in Germany. Now an American doctor who moves to Germany can apply to have his or her qualifications approved by a licensing body, and when approved the American doctor would be eligible to open an office in Germany.

According to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, about 2.9 million people living in Germany earned their highest degree of qualifications in another country. However, before passage of this law, many of these highly qualified individuals were unable to use their degrees, certificates or diplomas simply because of the absence of official recognition. Furthermore, employers were prevented from obtaining their expert services, especially in medicine and education, where there is a great need in Germany.

This law is changing everything, it is establishing a standardized system for

www.euyo.org.uk. The tour takes place in the context of efforts at the European political level to reinvigorate the transatlantic partnership. The tour, which is organized in partnership with the British Council and the Friends of the British Council, has the moral and financial support of the European Union. It takes in some of the US‚s leading venues and involves four of the top names in classical music, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Yefim Bronfman.

The European Union Youth Orchestra is working closely with the EU Diplomatic Corps in Chicago to promote the tour. The EUYO will perform at the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston on Tuesday, April 24, at 7.30pm.

For more information please visit www.euyo.org.uk

professional assessment at the federal level. This is an important step in the right direction in helping with integration and alleviating a skills shortage, said Federal Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan and it will also be very beneficial for the political integration.

The cornerstone of the law is the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act, but it contains over 60 amendments to existing federal vocational legislation.

It covers a gamut of occupations, from health-care professionals to master craftsmen. The German Bundestag (the national parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany) approved the act on September 29 and the Bundesrat (Federal Council representing all 16 states) followed suit on November 4, 2011 with an implementation date on March 1, 2012.

Following implementation, it is estimated that around 300,000 professionals will be able to benefit from this law.

In addition, the bill assures an equivalence review for each of the approximately 350 non-regulated professions

that require formal training in Germany.

For example, a welder from Kentucky, if he were to marry a German woman and move to Germany, would have the legal right to have his welding qualifications checked by an official board against German standards. He could even begin the application process for such a review while still in the United States.

Perhaps best of all for anyone familiar with bureaucratic red-tape is that this process will be both punctual and painless.

It will take no more than three months to receive results of an equivalency review. And there is a hotline, available to applicants, a website and information in several languages. http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/policy_developments/legislation_en.htm Ultimately, the Recognition Act will do more than its name hints at. It will indeed recognize a lot of skilled professionals, who can then fill German employers’ unmet demand for their services. But it will do so in an orderly process of transparency, ease of use and clarity.

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

German PR Stunt Goes Terribly Wrong

15

Can A German Save the Dying Blackberry Maker RIM?

By: Stephen Fuchs | GermanPulse.com

By: Stephen Fuchs | GermanPulse.com Businesses are always trying out new ways to attract new customers and while some creative ideas result in huge success, others can be disastrous. For the German computer data security company Convar Deutschland, their idea of a clever marketing stunt has created chaos throughout Germany and racked up a hefty police bill.

To promote their specialty business of data recovery, Convar Deutschland sent out 40 “time bombs” to a handful of businesses, including embassies and newspaper organizations, that they believed would find their services useful. These “time bombs” consisted of several hard drives being glued together with an alarm clock and note that contained the phrase “Your time is running out.”

Unfortunatly, Convar Deutschland underestimated the name recognition of their company since numerous buildings were evacuated and bomb squads were sent out throughout the country to take care of the supposed bombs.

Convar Deutschland released a statement once they heard of the panic that ensued and stated that “to raise awareness of the dangers of losing data, we sent a comic-book style alarm clock to symbolize the fact that time is running out on data safety. At absolutely no point did we mean to threaten, or injure, anyone.”

The police are still evaluating the damages caused by this PR stunt gone wrong, but Convar Deutschland will more than likely have to pay for all the wasted time and cost associated with the incident. If all they face is some fines, they should consider themselves lucky.

The Canadian-based Research In Motion (RIM) has handed off the CEO role to German businessman Thorsten Heins after the co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped down in January. Blackberry phones were once one of the most popular smartphones in the world, but RIM failed to keep up with the consumer demands and latest trends once Apple’s iPhone came on the market, along with the many Android alternatives. As a result, RIM’s market share and stock value has plummeted.

Shareholders have been asking for a radical change in the company, and now with a new CEO they may get a little change. But will it be enough to save the company? Heins, who began his career at Siemens in Germany, has been with the company since 2007 and has played a major role in creating RIM’s current product lines. You have to wonder if he will be able to make the major change the company needs since he struggled to help create the next big thing in his previous role.

Thorsten Heins has a big challenge ahead of him, but maybe it will take a German to stop the downward spiral RIM is facing. Only time will tell.

Facebook Loses Privacy Case in German Court By: Stephen Fuchs | GermanPulse.com

The German consumer protection organization Verbraucherzentrale Bundesver (VZBV) won a major court ruling against Facebook’s popular ‘Friend Finder’ feature that encourages users to import the names and emails of their friends to see if they are part of the social network.

If an uploaded email doesn’t match up with an existing member of Facebook, users can choose to have Facebook send an email invitation out to try to sign them up.

Comparing Markets DOW

VZBV believed that this process violates European privacy laws and told the court that the current terms and conditions published on Facebook’s website does not make it clear to the user that email addresses imported into Facebook through the ‘Friend Finder’ feature would be used to contact others. As a result of the court ruling, Facebook will be required to clearly inform users that if they choose to use the ‘Friend Finder’ feature, their entire email address book will be uploaded to Facebook.

iTunes Top 10 Song Downloads United States

DAX

Data Taken Mar. 23, 2012

Germany

01/13/12:

$12,422.06

01/13/12:

€6,143.08

1 We Are Young • Fun. feat. Janelle Monáe

1 2012 (If the World Would End) • Mike Candys

03/23/12:

$13,080.73

03/23/12:

€6,995.62

2 Somebody That I Used to Know • Gotye feat. Kimbra

2 She Doesn’t Mind • Sean Paul

$ Change:

+ $658.67

€ Change:

+ €852.54

3 Eyes Open • Taylor Swift

3 Heart Skips a Beat • Olly Murs feat. Rizzle Kicks

% Change:

+ 5.30%

% Change:

+ 13.88%

4 Glad You Came • The Wanted

4 Drive By • Train

5 Wild Ones • Flo Rida feat. Sia

5 Ai se eu te pego • Michel Teló

EUR/USD

6 What Makes You Beautiful • One Direction

6 Leider geil (Leider geil) • Deichkind

01/13/12:

$1.268

7 Call Me Maybe • Carly Rae Jepsen

7 Easy • Cro

03/23/12:

$1.3271

8 Drive By • Train

8 Friends • Aura Dione feat. Rock Mafia

$ Change:

+ $0.0591

9 Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) • Kelly Clarkson

9 Wild Ones • Flo Rida feat. Sia

% Change:

+ 4.66%

10 Part of Me • Katy Perry

10 Forgive Forget • Caligola

Source: Yahoo! Finance

Shaded Row: Song found on both lists

Source: iTunes

16

German-American Journal

April / May 2012

Ecotourism Of Belize Life’s Great Expression By: Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Euro Lloyd Travel Group/Chicago Our world is becoming more ecologyminded and respectful in our protection of nature – something that indigenous cultures have long embraced. Thus, Ecotourism has been born – a new name for an old concept. Let’s face it – nature, once gone, is gone forever.

Environmental specialty tour-operators render you access to greater appreciation of wildlife habitats with minimum impact and insightful comprehension to those very balances needing protection – our world of awe and wonder. We are captivated by and taught about our natural world through such organizations as National Geographic Society, Smithsonian Institute, World Wildlife Foundation, and Discovery Channel TV programs. There are tour companies and ways to approach levels of interest in touching our legacy for adventure, experience and discovery, and our desires can easily take us to the four corners of the world.

The options for experience are endless, from mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda to bird and whale watching in Florida and Canada; from Antarctic and Amazon cruises to African game Safaris; from Sailboat and Kayak adventures, to back country tours or mountain trekking, to wildlife photographic expeditions.

But at this point, let’s focus on a country at the cutting edge of the ecotourism phenomena – a country of rainforests, reefs and ruins – Belize.

Tucked into the corner of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in Central America, Be-

lize has known a colorful past from highseas pirates to the ingenious Mayan culture (at least 600 recorded Mayan sites in Belize), to a current stable government that promotes its natural resources. With nearly one-third of its land set aside as nature reserves, parks or monuments, she is one of the world’s most authentic and accessible eco-environments. English speaking Belize is also the youngest nation in the western hemisphere when in 1981, it was granted independence from Britain.

Divers were amongst the first tourists to discover this Caribbean tropical paradise with the world’s oldest and second largest Barrier Reef at 175 miles in length (behind Australia’s) and more than 200 offshore islands, or cayes. You can explore these tiny islands and Reef by Sea Kayaking while staying in charming hide-away beach resorts or camping along their white sandy beaches. Cayes provide shelter and rookeries to bird species, like White Ibis, Frigate-birds, and Red-footed Boobies. Snorkel or dive amongst mangrove forests and ‘shelves’ of the Reef – home to hundreds of species of fish, corals and sponges. Some of the best mangrove snorkeling is off Little Water Island. Queen Cayes may be the most beautiful with its white beaches and palm trees.

“Jaguar Reef Lodge’ is located on one of the finest beaches south of Dangriga, close to Jaguar Preserve. “Victoria House’, a small colonial-style resort, is located on Ambergris Caye, a short biking distance to San Pedro town with its quaint shops and restaurants. From Belize City, nature lovers can visit the Belize Zoo with habitats for some 125 animals native to the country,

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.

Current Winter airfares (special sales can occur at any time) for travel to and from Germany, including taxes and fuel surcharges, start from: Chicago Indianapolis Milwaukee Madison Cleveland Detroit

$939 $950 $950 $950 $939 $939

Audrey L. Hess-Eberle or Tiffany Nedwed EURO LLOYD TRAVEL GROUP Partner of Lufthansa City Center The Monadnock Building 53 W. Jackson Blvd. - Suite 863 Chicago, Illinois 60604

*Call for special airfares to other European cities and beyond. *Low discounted Domestic and international airfares. *European Rail passes and single tickets. *Car rentals with special low dollar rates in most European countries. *Cruises world-wide. *Worldwide tours – independent, hosted and fully escorted.

the community Baboon Sanctuary sheltering black howler monkeys or the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, a 30,000-acre reserve of lagoons and marshes. West of Belize City, visit one of the lovely highland lodges around San Ignacia with day trips to visit 25 temples, horseback ride in pine forests, or tube through caves whose walls bear Mayan cave drawings.

Primates like Howler Monkeys and Jaguars abound in the diverse interior of primary and secondary rainforests, mangrove swamps, cool mountains, and savannahlike grasslands. At the foothills of Maya Mountains, ‘Pook’s Hill Lodge’ borders the 6,800-acre Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. Here, you can encounter exotic birds like red-lored Parrot, Keel-billed Toucans and Jabiur Storks. ‘Lamanai Outpost Lodge’ offers comfortable cabanas perched on a bluff overlooking the New River Lagoon and Mayan ruins of Lamani. All – a true paradise for naturalists.

The only literate pre-Columbian people in the Americas, the powerful Maya, whose decline is still shrouded in mystery, developed hieroglyphic writings, an accurate cal-

endar and sophisticated agricultural techniques. Belize has been called the ‘Maya Heartland’, the trade route through which they traveled from great cities like Tikal in Guatemala in their passage to the sea for ritualistic items like shells, corals and pearls, to trade with the interior tribes for species and medicine. Numerous ruins like Caracol (largest archaeological site in Belize) to the 135-foot Pyramid of Xunantunich offer a study of culture from which we have yet much to learn. “Tikal Inn’, a traditional Spanish-style lodge, is on the edge of the jungle and minutes from the center of Mayan ruins.

Belize, a country to be treasured, will give you a chance to step back into realizing a forgotten past in tune with nature – a present worth saving.

Call today for more information, on this and other cruises or tours, various destinations.

Identify yourselves as a DANK member. Ask for Audrey or Tiffany.

Phone: 312-362-0218 /// Toll Free: 800572-3149 /// Email: chi@eurolloyd.com

20th Birthday of Munich Airport on May 17, 2012 www.munich-airport.de

Munich Airport will soon celebrate the 20th anniversary of its official opening on May 17, 1992. Since then, Munich’s new airport has achieved enormous success on the strength of unparalleled growth. In just two decades, passenger traffic in Munich has more than tripled from 12 million to nearly 38 million passengers per year.

During the same period the number of take-offs and landings has doubled, and is now close to 410,000 per year. On May 17, the airport’s 20th birthday, friends, visitors and passengers will be on hand in the Munich Airport Center to mark the occasion. The celebration will carry on into the evening hours with the rockabilly vibes of Dick Brave and the Backbeats.

Annual traffic at Munich Airport is projected to reach 58 million passengers

by 2025. This volume cannot be handled without additional capacity in the runway system. Consequently, FMG is planning to build a new runway. A decision on the planning application for this expansion project is expected by the end of this year. In the coming years FMG also intends to expand the passenger handling capacity in Munich to keep pace with demand. To achieve this aim, a satellite terminal will be built on the airport apron and linked to Terminal 2 by an underground transport system. The first phase of the satellite project will include the creation of 27 additional aircraft park positions adjacent to the terminal to permit passengers to board and disembark quickly and conveniently. The new facility will have an annual passenger capacity of 11 million. According to current projections, the satellite terminal will be ready to go into operation in 2015.

Call now for information: 1-800-572-3149 or 1-312-362-0218 email: chi@eurolloyd.com Visit us at: www.eurolloyd.com

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.

Satellite-assisted airport expansion

photo by: Dr. Werner Hennies

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

17

Quedlinburg, the Cradle of German History in Central Germany By: Deanna and Holger Sommerfeld

Quedlinburg lies in the formerly East German state of Sachsen-Anhalt at the foot of the Harz mountains. The city itself is a Unesco World Heritage site famous for its 1200 half-timbered houses, the oldest built in 1320. This medieval gem is mostly undiscovered by American tourists. If you are planning a trip to central Germany to explore its rich history or many protected natural areas, Quedlinburg is the perfect place to use as a home base.

When approaching Quedlinburg the first thing you’ll see are the twin towers of the castle rising above the city. It was originally built by King Heinrich I. in the 10th century. He was offered the crown in 919, in the building known as the Finkenherd, according to legend. Today the castle houses a magnificent collection of treasures from the middle ages in its Collegiate Church of St. Servatius. During WWII this treasure was hidden outside the town where the most valuable items were stolen by an American officer who kept the items until his death. Read about how they were finally, in 1993, returned to Quedlinburg at a price of $3 million, in the book, “Treasure Hunt”

by William H. Honan. View the treasure yourself and take a tour of the castle after walking up the narrow streets and through the stone arch at the entrance. Be sure to stroll through the Schlossgarten (castle garden) and gaze at the city from above the red clay shingled roof tops.

To get a feel for the town, take a ride on the “Bimmelbahn” for a 45 minute narrated (in German) tour. Other sites to see: the Lyonel Feininger Gallery, the most extensive exhibit of his art in Europe, the central market with the Rathaus (Town Hall) and its Roland statue and the St.Nikolai Church, one of many you can visit. Cobble stone streets are lined with quaint shops and restaurants. Restaurants include outdoor cafes, where locals and tourists meet friends for coffee and kuchen in the afternoon, full service restaurants offering German and International cuisine and imbisses (inexpensive fast food restaurants or kiosks) offering brats, burgers, döners, grilled chicken and much more. Enjoy local specialties at the Brauhaus Lüdde along with a stein of one of their house beers. We would also recommend Artemis, an excellent Greek restaurant and Münzenberger Klause for authentic German cuisine. If you are thirsty, you can get a delicious German beer just about anywhere. A few of our

Finkenherd with Quedlinburg Castle in the Background Pictures taken by Yvonne Schott, who lives in Quedlinburg

favorite haunts are the Pub Nase Irish Pub, Prinz Heinrich or any one of the cafes at the central market which have colorful umbrellas to keep you cool.

All within 2 hours of QLB are locales where you can ride a train to the highest peak in the Harz Mountain range, hike the trails of the Harz National Park, ride a cable car up to the Hexentanzplatz (place where the witches dance,) visit a concentration camp or follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther.

The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen has a ticket office on Marktstrasse. Buy your tickets here to take a ride on the narrow gauge train through the Harz and to the summit of the Brocken. Board in Quedlinburg or at other stops along the route.

Fifteen minutes to the Southwest is Thale in the valley called Bodetal. Atop the gorge is the Hexentanzplatz, named for the witches that gather in the Harz mountains on Walpurgisnacht, April 30th, every year.

Also at the top of the cliff is a small zoo, an open air theater, shops and restaurants.

To reach it, you can hike the trail, ride the Seilbahn cable car or drive up from the valley floor. Thale also has a Funpark, a climbing park, a new indoor swimming pool and much more for family fun and relaxation.

The town of Wernigerode lies 20 minutes to the NW of QLB. The town center, which is a great place for shopping, is easy to reach by car or by train. The Castle is situated high above the town and the view from its

beer garden is gorgeous.

If you like to hike, don’t miss Bad Harzburg. About 30 minutes from QLB, this tourist destination has many trailheads leading into the Wald (forest). The trails are maintained and marked well. A lovely waterfall is visible from the road.

If you are ready to venture a bit further, the towns of Eisenach, Wittenberg and Eisleben are rich in the history of Martin Luther and the Reformation. Eisleben is where Luther was born and also where he died. The Luthergeburtshaus and the Sterbehaus are museums relating to his birth and death.

In Wittenberg, you can stand in the church where Luther once preached, where he nailed the 95 theses to the door and also where he is buried, just under the pulpit. In June, the town holds a Hochzeitsfest (Wedding celebration) to celebrate the anniversary of the marriage of Martin Luther to Katarina von Bora. The Wartburg castle is atop a foothill just outside of Eisenach.

Famous for being the place Luther hid for 10

months while he translated the New Testament from Greek to German and wrote other texts, it is another Unesco World Heritage site. A tour in English is offered once per day. The Lutherhaus here, is where Luther lived as a young man while he studied and is now a museum. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach and the Bachhaus museum showcases his life and preserves his music.

Last stop: Weimar-die Kulturstadt (City of Culture), the city where poets and composers were inspired to greatness.

Famous past residents include Johann Wolfgang Göthe, Friedrich von Schiller and Franz Liszt. Each has a museum in Weimar dedicated to his life’s work.

Unbelievably, just a few miles outside of the cultural city of Weimar is the somber memorial to those who suffered and died in the Buchenwald concentration camp.

After the camp was liberated by Americans in 1945, citizens of Weimar claimed that they had no idea of the horrors that had been taking place there. Buchenwald is open to the public. Entry is free and rental of an i-pod with a guided tour in English is available for a small fee.

As you can see, people of all ages and with many different interests will appreciate this beautiful region of Germany. With a bit of planning from home you can experience it at your own speed, highlighting what your group is interested in. Following are some websites which may be helpful: tripadvisor.com, booking.com, quedlinburg. de, seilbahnen-thale.de, bodetal.de, nationalpark-harz.de, quedlinburgungesehen.de

Quedlinburg Castle viewed from the Münzenberg

Bratkartoffelverhältnis: The Fried Potato Relationship By: Darlene Fuchs | GermanPulse.com

Bratkartoffelverhältnis, literally translated, means, “fried potato relationship” or, one could say an “on-off relationship,” which does not have to be short-lived, just a casual arrangement of mutual convenience. The idiom, “Er hat ein Bratkartoffelverhätnis mit ihr” translates into “he only sees her because she provides water and food for him.”

Even stranger, “Er sucht ein Bratkartoffelverhältnis” which means “he’s looking for a meal ticket.”

This colloquial expression, for a casual affair, is probably due to the impact WWI had on a man’s basic necessities.

Having a woman that provided such things as a warm meal and shelter were more important than purposeful relationships. After the second World War it was a popular term to describe the casual love relationship between returning veterans and widows, who were living in common-law relationships to avoid losing the widows’ pensions.

Today, in Germany, it is used casually when referring to relationships that are sporadic or not very serious love affairs; sometimes also used as a metaphor for occasional friendly cooperation in other areas of life. This form of co-

existence was considered a breach of good manners until the mid 1970’s. Extending a rental contract to an unmarried couple was seen as facilitating pandering, which was illegal, making the agreement invalid. Until 1969 it was a criminal risk for landlords to enter into these contracts.

The protests of 1968 consisted of a worldwide series of protests, largely participated in by an anti-establishment culture. With the change in sexual tolerance since then,

non-marital partnerships have been increasingly tolerated in Germany.

Some may ask, “which version of “Bratkartoffelverhältnis” did you mean?” Sometimes it can be a little intimate and friendly relationship, and sometimes it can just be intimate and sometimes it can be just friendly.

Bratkartofflen are one of the most common side dishes in Germany. Simple, like many of the traditional dishes in any traditional cuisine, but just perfect. Bratkartoffeln are raw or cooked potatoes fried with bacon and onion, often seasoned with salt and pepper. Bratkartoffeln are served as a side dish with many types of entrees and also make a good breakfast dish when served with “Rühreier” (scrambled eggs.) It will take 20 - 30 minutes to cook them to a crispy golden brown, but the wait is worth it. One could call them “German soul food.”

“Lass es dir schmecken!”

Other German words you may know that share the “Brat” prefix include: The world known Bratwurst (sausage), Brathänchen (fried or broiled chicken), Brathering fried herring, Bratapfel (baked apple), Bratpfanne (frying pan/ skillet,) and even the musical instrument Bratsche (viola).

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German-American Journal

April / May 2012

*** 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.

April 2012 1

Pittsburgh, PA. April Fool’s Day Brunch- 1pm- Pittsburgh Hofbrauhaus - Water Street -Southside Works- more details on Chapter web site www.germaninpittsburgh.org

4

Milwaukee, WI. DANK Singers meet every Wednesday at 7pm. All events are at the German Fest Hall. For more information: 262-675-6336

21

Benton Harbor, MI. DANK Benton Harbor Spring Dance.

The doors will be open from 6-11 pm. Music by Squeezebox Polka Band. 2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI

21

Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

21

Chicago, IL. Lost German Chicago, Exhibit celebrating the establishments no longer with the Chicago German community. Doors open 11am DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. Info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com Chicago, IL. Pilates Klasse, 9:15am, $10 per class. Please bring mat. For info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

5

Chicago, IL. Pilates Klasse, 9:15am, $10 per class. Please bring mat. For info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

6

Chicago, IL. Bach and Beyond. Chamber Music. 3 pm . For advance tickets please go to www.bachandbeyond.org or call 773-561-9181

11

Benton Harbor, MI. Blood Drive. The doors will be open from 9 am - 3 pm. 2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI.

11

Benton Harbor, MI. DANK Benton Harbor Rummage Sale.

Doors open from 8am - 6pm. Rent a table or donate items for DANK fundraiser table. 2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI. For more information: call 269-926-6652 or email dankeventcoord13@att.net

11

Chicago, IL. Kulturekueche. Make Oma proud demonstration, recipes, tasting and drink. 7:30 pm. 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL. For more information call: 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

12

Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

7

Benton Harbor, MI. Easter Egg Hunt, 2pm (Members Only).

2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI.

10

Chicago, IL. GAPA general membership meeting in the DANK Haus, 4740 N Western Ave, Chicago. For more information: http://gapapk.tripod.com/

21

11

Milwaukee, WI. DANK Dancers Meet at 6 PM. Dancers meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 6pm.

For more info: 414-764-1895. DANK Singers meet at 7pm

22

Milwaukee, WI. Liedertafel Spring Concert. DANK Is the Guest Choir. 3 pm St. Dominic Parish, 18255 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI

12

Louisville, KY. German-American Club Gesangverein.

GHA Gründerfest, 5pm, Pot Luck Dinner/Cash Bar. Entree provided by GHA. Please bring covered side dish.

Reservations: call Vicky Ullrich: 459-6820 e-mail: ultravic@ bellsouth.net by April 17 /// 1840 Lincoln Ave., Louisville, KY. For more info visit: german-americanclub.com

25

Milwaukee, WI. DANK Dancers Meet at 6 PM. For more information: 414-764-1895. DANK Singers meet at 7 pm.

For more information: 262-675-6336

27

Chicago, IL: German Cinema Now. Contemporary German films with English subtitles. Free. 7:30 p.m. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

12

Chicago, IL. Lost German Chicago, Exhibit celebrating the establishments no longer with the Chicago German community. Doors open 11am DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. Info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

28

Cleveland OH., DANK Cleveland will take a Field Rrip to “Historic Zoar Village” First German Settlement in Ohio, in the year 1817. Call Stefan Pigler for info, 216 398-6606

12

Chicago, IL. Pilates Klasse, 9:15am, $10 per class. Please bring mat. For info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

28

South Bend, IN. DANK South Bend will meet at Rocco’s Restaurant for Pizza! 6 PM. 537 N St. Louis Blvd, South Bend, IN. For more information: 272-8163 or 271-6922

12

Louisville, KY. German-American Club Gesangverein, Biergarten 6pm - 10pm. Music by Gebhard Erler. Club Address: 1840 Lincoln Ave., Louisville, KY 40213.For more information: www.german-americanclub.com

28

Benton Harbor, MI. Dancing with DJ Sandy. 5 pm-12 am.

2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI.

16

28

Phoenix, AZ. DANK Phoenix Springfest. information: 602-569-9381

Erie, PA 7 PM. Brief Meeting; Program “My German Roots” No fee. Open to the public. Erie Männerchor Club – 1607 State St. - Join us for dinner at 5:00 – reservations

by Tuesday evening – 814-520-5036

28

Hillside, IL. Join DANK Chapter Chicago-West for their Spring Dance! Entertainment by Perlen. Location: Alpine Banquet House, 4550 Roosevelt Road (near Mannheim Road) Hillside IL. For information: (708) 562-7038

18

Chicago, IL. Stammtisch. Monthly Open –Haus – Great German food, Bier and Gemütlichkeit . 7:30 pm DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

28

Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

19

South Bend, IN. Meet at Fernwood. 12 pm. Picnic in Niles, MI. For more information: 272-8163 or 271-6922

19

Benton Harbor, MI. Humane Society’s Bids for Barks IV. The fun will begin @ 5:30pm. Live Music, Dinner and Cash Bar. 2651 Pipestone Rd. Benton Harbor, MI. For ticket information: 269-927-3303

19

Chicago, IL. Schule Graduation/Last Day of Kinderschule.

For more information call 773-561-9181

13

13

Benton Harbor, MI. DANK Benton Harbor Fish Fry. 6-8 pm. Doors open at 5:30 PM. The band plays from 7-10 pm .

2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI Chicago, IL. Kulturekueche. Make Oma proud demonstration, recipes, tasting and drink. 7:30 pm. 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL. For more information call: 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

14

Chicago, IL. Pilates Klasse, 9:15am, $10 per class. Please bring mat. For info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

14

Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

14

Chicago, IL. Lost German Chicago, Exhibit celebrating the establishments no longer with the Chicago German community. Doors open 11am DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. Info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

15

Phoenix, AZ. DANK Phoenix Membership Meeting. For more information: 602-569-9381

15

Pascack Valley, NJ. Regular meeting. Easter Celebration.

For more information: 201-391-2185

15

Benton Harbor, MI. Membership Meeting. .4:00 pm. 2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI

15

Chicago, IL. Germania on the Pier. Presented in partnership with DANK-Haus, German American Cultural Center and the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce. Join us in the Crystal Gardens for an afternoon of live music, dance, colorful costumes, authentic cuisine, folk art and more.

Navy Pier, 12 pm – 5 pm Free Admission.

16

18

Davenport, IA. Men’s Chorus (Maennerchor) of Penzlin, Germany will perform at Upham Theater on the former Marycrest Campus in Davenport, IA (1607 W 12th St.). The 35 member choir will present songs in high and low German, as well as English. Free admission. 7:00 pm 563-322-5489 info. Sponsored by the Quad City German-American Clubs and DANK Davenport.

Erie, PA, 7pm, 21st Anniversary Open House & ‘Dessert Night’ to introduce ourselves to guests and prospective members. Special presentation TBA No fee. Open to public.

Erie Männerchor Club – 1607 State St. - Join us for dinner at 5pm – reservations by Tuesday evening – 814-520-5036

18

Milwaukee, WI. DANK Singers perform. 7 p.m.at Steeple View, 12455 W. Janesville Rd., New Berlin, WI

20

Chicago, IL. Stammtisch. Monthly Open –Haus – Great German food, Bier and Gemütlichkeit . 7:30 pm DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

21

Pittsburgh, PA. Board of Directors meeting. 10:30 am. Visit www.germaninpittsburgh.org web site for location details

28

For more

Chicago, IL. Lost German Chicago, Exhibit celebrating the establishments no longer with the Chicago German community. Doors open 11am DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. Info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

28

Chicago, IL. Pilates Klasse, 9:15am, $10 per class. Please bring mat. For info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

20

Phoenix, AZ. DANK Phoenix Membership Meeting. For more information: 602-569-9381

28

Louisville, KY. German-American Club Gesangverein, Biergarten 6 pm – 10pm. Music by Gebhard Erler. Club Address: 1840 Lincoln Ave., Louisville, KY 40213. For more information: www.german-americanclub.com

20

Pascack Valley, NJ. Regular meeting. Memorial Day celebration. For more information: 201-391-2185

21

Pittsburgh, PA. Board of Directors meeting. 10:30 am. Visit www.germaninpittsburgh.org web site for location details

26

Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

26

Louisville, KY. German-American Club Gesangverein, Biergarten 6pm - 10pm. Music by Rheingold Bandr. Club Address: 1840 Lincoln Ave., Louisville, KY 40213. For more information: www.german-americanclub.com

27

Louisville, KY. Spring Concert-Dinner 5pm – 9pm Reservations Required. For more information: www. german-american club.com

29

Phoenix, AZ. DANK Phoenix Mai Dance at Sun City Elk’s Club. For more information: 602-569-9381

May 2012 4

Benton Harbor, MI. DANK Benton Harbor Fish Fry. 6-8 pm. The doors open at 5:30 PM. The band plays from 7-10 PM. 2651 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI

5

Pittsburgh, PA. Bundesabend Dinner Buffet & Sing-alongGerman and English songs- 7pm - Max’s Allegheny TavernPittsburgh Northside – For info: germaninpittsburgh.org

5

Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

5

Chicago, IL. Lost German Chicago, Exhibit celebrating the establishments no longer with the Chicago German community. Doors open 11am DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. Info: 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com

31- Chicago, IL. Maifest. Enjoy the highly anticipated event in June 1 Lincoln Square at the corners of N. Lincoln Avenue and W. Leland Avenue.

April / May 2012

German-American Journal

Welcome New Members National Members

Gretchen Rasp James Schwartz Edward & Maria Freyfogle

December 26, 2011 - February 25, 2012 Fox Valley, IL

Louis Schroeder Thomas Riley James, Kristy, Annalise & Cecily Mahhlo Robert Stine Peter & Nicole Hauschildt

Chicago-South , IL

Helga Lancaster Robert & Marlene Kaiser Rory, Annelies & Andrea LaMontagne

Chicago-West, IL

Chicago, IL

Todd & Brenda Marcelain

Marie Abelkis Horst Adomat Fraline Allgaier Michael Baum Hedwig Beer Eugen Bernhardt Guenther Boeger Mark Bohn Daniel Bolle Robert Camp Raimond Cerbins George Chylik Ilse Davit Andrew Diener Alois Doblinger Ingewalde Dominis Paul Dorocke Henry Dreisilker Meredith Dunn Boza Heidi Eichler

South Bend, IN

Mark Pape Svea Christensen

Birgit & Timothy Sommer

Benton Harbor, MI

Lieselotte & Ernest Inzana Wayne Hippo John & Elisabeth Jaskot

Pittsburgh, PA

Barbara Orr Helen Steinke Dean Swingler Linda Lowe

Frank & Paula Reinier

Lake County, IL

LIFE MEMBERS Karen O’Connell Adolf Pelzer James von Loewe

Cleveland, OH

Rick Maier

Marie Abelkis Horst Adomat Fraline Allgaier Michael Baum Hedwig Beer Eugen Bernhardt Guenther Boeger Mark Bohn Daniel Bolle Robert Camp Raimond Cerbins George Chylik Lisa D’Angelo Ilse Davit Andrew Diener Louis Doblinger Inge Dominis Henry Dreisilker Paul Drocke Meredith Dunn-Boza Heidi Eichler Rolf Eilhauer

Hank Haller

German-American Journal Donations 2011 Wendel Feiter Martin Fiedler Claudia Fisher Erna Friedl Barbara Galloway Barbara Garbelmann Walter Geissler Ruth Glienke Gerhard Greiff David Gudeman Andrew Hain Walter Harnischmacher Irmgard Hauser Kathryn Hebble George Herrmann Ernest Hofmann Reinhard Hudak Frederick Isaak, MD Hans Jacobs Erna Jochum Johann Joneikis Gerald Kaltenbach

Edith Kebleris Erwin Kelbert Hartmut Kempf Klaus Kempken Martina Kistner Wolfram Kollacks Siegfried Kratzke Louise Krautwurst Joan Kristy Jeanne Kross Hedwig Kruse Vigil Kuppelwieser Erika Lange Alan Lemke Richard Linzing James Lipa Raymond Lnter Thomas Lynch Harry Mai Christiane Manko-Morgan Jack Manthey Dieter Markwart

Karl Mayer Dale Maz Harry Meinhold Katherine Messing Ralph Metzger Take Mizuta Anna Montsko Rosemarie Morgen David Moser Juliana Mueller Paul Mueller Steve Nagel Ingrid Naugle Kathleen Nelson Daniel Neradt Bruce Ostertag Gerta Penev William Perry Frank Pesce Hildehard Pieger Reimar Pielstrom Walter Radke

Linda Ray Ruth Reichmann Charles Richy Klaus Ruetschlin Joseph Sabitsch Frederick Schaupp Hans Scheel Evelyn Schell Kenneth Schlick Richard Schnell Mark Schoenbrunn John Schroeder Ferdinand Schumacher Karl Schweisthal Arthur Schwotzer Wolfgang Seibt Geret Seidel Jakob Setter John Sheets Ernes Siedenberg Ingeborg Smith Ingewalde Snyder

German American Day Donations 2011

Rolf Eilhauer Hofmann Ernst Wendel Feiter Martin Fiedler Claudia Fisher Erna Friedl Barbara Galloway Barbara Garbelmann Walter Geissler Ruth Glienke Gerhard Greiff David Gudeman Andrew Hain Walter Harnischmacher Irmgard Hauser Kathryn Hebble George Hermann Reinhard Hudak Frederick Isaak, MD Hans Jacobs

Erna Jochum Johann Joneikis Gerald Kaltenbach Edith Kebleris Erwin Kelbert Hartmut Kempf Klaus Kempken Martina Kistner Wolfram Kollacks Siegfried Kratzke Louise Krautwurst Joan Kristy Jeanne Kross Hedwig Kruse Vigl Kuppelwieser Erika Lange Alan Lemke Raymond Linter Richard Linzing James Lipa

19

Thomas Lynch Harry Mai Christiane MankoMorgan Jack Manthey Dieter Markwart Dale Max Karl Mayer Harry Meinhold Katherine Messing Ralph Metzger Tak Mizuta Anna Montsko Rosemarie Morgen David Moser Juliana Mueller Paul Mueller Steve Nagel Dr Ingrid Naugle Kathleen Nelson

Daniel Neradt A. Bruce Ostertag Gerda Penev William Perry Frank Pesce Hildegard Pieger Reimar Pielstrom Walter Radke Linda Ray Ruth Reichmann Klaus Ruetschlin Joseph Sabitsch Prof. Frederick Schaupp Hans Scheel Evelyn Schell Kenneth Schlick Richard Schnell Mark Schoenbrunn John Schroeder Ferdinand Schumacher

Karl Schweisthal Arthur Schwotzer Dr. Wolfgang Seibt Geret Seidel Ernst Seidenberg Jakob Setter John Sheets Ingeborg Smith Ingewalde Snyder Jeanette Sproul William Steenblock Harri Strelis Kathleen Sutton Charles Tichy Waltraud Tooren Marina Tyler Gertrude Ulm Suellen Vacula Nancy Vazquez Frederick Vogel

Jeannette Sproul William Steenblock Harri Strelis Kathleen Ann Sutton Waltraud Tooren Marina Tyler Gertrude Ulm Suellen Vacula Nancy Vazquez Frederick Vogel Klaus Voss Ingrid wagoner Gudrun Watson Walter Weber Thomas Weidl Richard Wieser Keith Will Ernes Zeller Josef Ziegler Hannelore Zydel

Klauss Voss Ingrid Wagoner Gudrun Watson Walter Weber Thomas Weidl Richard Wieser Keith Will Ernest Zeller Josef Ziegler Hannelore Zydel

Misc. Contributions Bernhard Deichmann John Dienhart Edward Raack Michael Wolkov

Obituaries Margit Ella Machalek Surrounded by her loved ones, Margit Ella Machalek entered the gates of heaven at 9:12 am on Monday, January 9, 2012 after a long illness. Margit was born on August 16, 1931 in Josefsthal, Germany, in the region once known as Sudetenland on the border of then Czechoslovakia. She was the only child born to Franz and Maria (Pilz) Siebeneichler. During her childhood, she and her parents were part of the 3.2 million refugees who had to leave their homeland by the Russians back in the 1930’s. She endured many difficult situations during her lifetime, but rose above them all and remained a strong and positive woman.

She met Joseph J. Machalek while he was in the military service, and they married September 24, 1954 in Gerlachscheim, Germany. She came to the United States on December 9, 1954 and initially settled in New York City, NY. In 1959, they moved to Decatur, IL. Together they had three children: Joseph E. Machalek, Marianne A. Machalek and Melissa L. (Machalek) Hart.

Margit was very active in her community and had a true passion for keeping the German culture alive. In 1961, she was one of the founding members of the Decatur GermanAmerican National Congress (D.A.N.K). For years for both she and her husband Joe, along with their children enjoyed many wonderful polka dances and creating so many joyous memories with great friends. She served as the Decatur D.A.N.K. Club president for many years and was instrumental in keeping that club alive for its 50 years duration.

Margit was also an active member of the Decatur International Club and also served as their past president. She loved being part of organizations where she could meet new

friends and celebrate our heritage. In her earlier years, she was also active in the Garden Club that reinforced and further expressed her love of plants and flowers.

She will always be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother-and close friend to many. She enjoyed being a homemaker and her delicious cooking will indeed be missed. In her earlier years she owned and operated the Crystal Room in the old Hotel Orlando. Later, she also worked as a fashion consultant at El Dora’s Fashion store in Decatur.

Margit lived her life to its fullest potential. She had a strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and she was one of the most caring and giving souls we have ever known. She never met a stranger and was always there to listen and to lend a helping hand. She loved all animals and fed every bird that flew her way, and every cat that walked the neighborhood. She will be remembered for her gentle and caring spirit and for her ability to always stay positive and optimistic. She is at peace now, resting safely in God’s loving hands.

Jeanette M. Page Feb. 23, 1968 - Feb. 8, 2012 Jeanette M. Page, 43, is survived by mother Christine Weiss, President of DANK Chapter South Bend, son Ryan M. Clifford, daughter Kailyn M. Clifford, brother Kenneth M. (Lisa Greenlee) Slisz and her life partner Chris Low, all of South Bend. She worked at Notre Dame for ten years in various positions, most recently as Administrative Assistant to the Director of Nuclear Physics. She loved gardening, camping, playing piano, knitting and embroidery. She graduated from LaSalle High School & attended IUSB. Cremation by McGann Hay, Morning Star Chapel.

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German-American Journal

Please Support the Businesses That Advertise in the German-American Journal

April / May 2012

2012 Voted 2009” est of ans F t s e “B Chicago by ye 1/26/10 R ed E

Food, Live E Dancing, nt and as ertainment Germa Always ... n Gem ütlichk eit

Thursday: 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM “Rock the May Fest” Preview Party Friday: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM (8:00 PM Official Opening Ceremony, Traditional Keg Tapping and May Queen Crowning) Saturday: 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM (Live Music & Entertainment) Sunday: 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM (Maypole Dance, Ethnic Program) Brought to you by the May Fest Committee, President: Joe Matuschka, Vice-President: Matt Lodge Special thanks to the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce and 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar

For more information visit www.mayfestchicago.com or www.lincolnsquare.org Additional parking available at St. Matthias Church and MB Financial Bank