Monthly Progress | September 2013

Volume 68 – No. 9

September 2013

T H E O R I G I N A L O K TO B E R F E S T I N T H E D E L AWA R E VA L L E Y

– SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28th –

– SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29th –

Admission $5.00 (children under 13 FREE) Gates open at 1pm | Food & Bar open at 2pm Musical Entertainment by:

Admission $5.00 (children under 13 FREE) Gates open at 1pm | Food & Bar open at 2pm Musical Entertainment by:

Emil Shanta 3:00pm-7:00pm

Joe Weber Orchestra 1:00pm-5:00pm

Blasorchester TV Jahn Bockum

Die HeimatKlänge Orchestra

The Burgenlaender 7:00pm-11:00pm

5:00pm-9:00pm Performances Both days by the German Hungarian Cultural Group & the German Hungarian Schuhplattler Group

SOCCER GAMES INCLUDING OUR MAJOR TEAM AND MUCH MORE!!!

September 2013

— DANCING AROUND — German-Hungarian Junior Members Connect with Banater Schwaben from Abroad As many of you know, on Saturday, August 17, our club along with Philadelphia and Trenton Donauschwaben clubs, hosted a Schwaben Abend. Many of us were excited to make new Schwob friends, dance, and have a good time. We hosted and housed a wonderful group of Germans from three different clubs: Brauchtums- und Volkstanzgruppe der Banater Schwaben, Esslingen- Wendlingen, Tanzgruppe der Banater Schwaben aus Singen, and the talented band, Die "Eisenbahner Musikanten" aus Freiburg.

These two Banater danced groups combined to put on a very lengthy, impressive show for us.

The three groups are touring all over the United States and Canada, and Philadelphia was their first stop. We were excited to say that we will see them again in Detroit for the Landestreffen Der Donauschwaben over Labor Day weekend!

Our guests were truly great, fun and happy people. We are lucky to have started new friendships with people who have the same background as us. It was a great experience. Many new dances were learned, many laughs shared, and most importantly, countless new friendships were formed.

I can speak for all of the Cultural Group and the members I have grown up with, when I say that we are proud of our heritage and want to share our culture with all of our friends!

Karina Fricker EDITOR’S NOTE: Karina is the granddaughter of immigrants born in the Banat regions of Yugoslavia, Romania, and Hungary. She is an active and dedicated member of the Cultural Group since a young age and recently competed at the Gaufest on our club’s Preisplattler Team.

The German Hungarian Cultural Group performing at Schwaben Abend

German Hungarian Hall filled to capacity during the performances of the Banater Dancers from Germany

Monthly Progress

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ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW:

— SCHWABEN ABEND —

Brauchtums—und Volkstanzgruppe der Banater Schwaben, Esslingen—Wendlingen, Donauschwaben Philadelphia, Donauschwaben Trenton, Die Eisenbahner Musikanten aus Freiburg , Tanzgruppe der Banater Schwaben aus Singen, & the United German Hungarians in a group photograph taken in Oakford, PA.

German-Hungarians Share Their Culture Hosting Three Clubs from Germany As it is clear by our name, United German ents. After all the word was in the name of Hungarians of Philadelphia and Vicinity our club at its founding; “The Banater (Vereinigte Deutsch-Ungarn, for those who Männerchor.” It is who we are. prefer), our people were Germans from The G.H. co-hosted this event with the Hungary. It is as simple and true as that! Trenton and Philadelphia Donauschwaben Thousands of words and hundreds of pages clubs and whether a participant or a spectacould be devoted (and have been) to this tor wonderful times were had by all! Gertopic and this history. I leave you with only man-Hungarian delicacies were served hot that short description as it speaks to the from the kitchen! Two fully stocked bars true heart of our people. overflowed with people speaking numerous On Saturday August 17th our club was proud and excited to be the first stop, on a tour of the United States, for the “Banater Schwaben aus Deutschland”! The group consisting of two clubs from southern Germany and a Band as well joined our club and our local neighbors for SCHWABEN ABEND! The Brauchtums - und Volkstanzgruppe der Banater Schwaben, Esslingen - Wendlingen, was founded in 1988 in Esslingen by people with roots in the Banat regions. Tanzgruppe der Banater Schwaben aus Singen, was also established in 1988 coming from various places in Banat. These two groups stand to uphold the traditions and customs of the place they came from. The band, Die "Eisenbahner Musikanten" aus Freiburg consists mostly of musicians who also come from Banat. With support of the Deutsche Bahn they were able to form this band after they emigrated, hence the name “The Railwaymen.” Banat is the region many of these people come from. It is divided between three countries, Romania, Serbia (Yugoslavia) and Hungary. It is the region that the founders of our club came from as well as many of the immigrants of the 1950s, those that became our grandpar-

dialects and drinking cold beer and thirst quenching cocktails. Thunderous and exciting dance music sounded about German Hungarian Hall where polka and waltz steps could not be held back!

With a sold out crowd of over four-hundred people the performances of the evening began without delay! Our own Cultural Group opened the performances around 6:30 in the evening. The Children’s Group danced to the crowd favorite, “I See You”, a larger group consisting of all ages danced to “Drei Laidrige Strumpf.” An older group, often labeled the “German Hungarian Dancers” performed what is becoming a staple of their repertoire, a waltz to “Lüneburger Windmüller.” After lively performances from both Philadelphia and Trenton it was soon time for the Banater Schwaben to take the floor.

The two dance groups danced as one to the live band and put on a performance that can only be categorized with the terms program, show and spectacle! Broken into three parts they performed over twenty dances. The first three sets that made up the first part featured traditional dances in traditional costume.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

September 2013

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43rd ANNUAL GERMAN-AMERICAN STEUBEN PARADE P H I L A D E L P H I A On Saturday September 28th the German-American community of the greater Philadelphia area will take part in the Annual Steuben Parade! Beginning at 12:00 noon in the Mayfair Section of Philadelphia groups will march on Frankford Avenue from Rhawn St. to below Cottman Ave. Grand Marshal Colonel John J. Ziegler III will lead the parade. This year’s parade features the Kornblumenkönigen, Katie Coons as well as her court including 1st Prinzessin Jessica Hagmaier and 2nd Prinzessin Mikayla Appell.

Joining the participants is direct from Germany, Blasorchester TV Jahn Bockum! As always the World’s Largest Tricycle, the German-American Tri-centennial 12 seat Bike will be on hand to excite the crowds of Philadelphia. All the associated clubs as well as friends and guest groups will participate.

Military Units and German & American Bands will also take part in the parade.

The German Hungarians will be taking a group to the parade as we do yearly. The Heimatklänge Orchestra will be providing music on our float and we hope to bring a number of marchers from our membership to create a united statement of pride in our German heritage. There is a dedicated group of German Hungarians who consistently support the parade. They wish you to join them. They wish that we can gain a greater number of members who will take part in this great tradition.

Now is a time when the excuses of days-gone-by can and will no longer be accepted. The group of thirty or so have proven time and time again that they can support the parade and still support our own fest all in the same day. Why can you all not do the same?

YOU know you who are! Get to the parade! March as a German Hungarian! March as a GermanAmerican!

As a member, I urge the leaders of our club and the makers of the schedules to do all that is necessary to allow our members the opportunity to march. It needs to work from the top down. The Executive board, the Board of Governors, the Chairman, Committee members, and dancers and players alike need to be with our group at the parade on Saturday morning! Put on your vest or your club Dirndl and come to the Parade!

For More information you can contact Werner Fricker at wjfricker@hotmail.com

AND HER COURT: 1st PRINZESSIN—JESSICA HAGMAIER. 2nd PRINZESSIN—MIKAYLA APPELL.

STEUBEN DAY OBSERVANCE ASSOCIATION | THOMAS MARKOW, PRESIDENT & GENERAL CHAIRMAN |717.392.6066 WWW.PHILA.STEUBENPARADE.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/PHILA.STEUBENPARADE | TWITTER.COM/PHILLYSTEUBEN

September 2013

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PERFORMANCES BY

THE GERMAN HUNGARIAN CULTURAL GROUP

IN BANATER SWABIAN TRACHT Music provided by the

HEIMATKLÄNGE ORCHESTRA – 7:30 to 11:30 pm

Hot Dinner Buffet – 6:30 pm Adult Tickets - $25.00

Children Tickets (6 to age 12) - $12.50 | Tickets for Children 5 and Under – No Charge

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Contact Nichole Deely 215.806.1998 | Kirchweih@ughclub.us

UNITED GERMAN HUNGARIANS 4666 Bristol Road | Oakford, PA | 19053

September 2013

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— LANDESTREFFEN DER DONAUSCHWABEN— USA AND CANADA 2013 | CARPATHIA CLUB |DETROIT MICHIGAN This is an annual national celebration dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Danube Swabian Peoples. The Donauschwaben People as well as the German Hungarian People are the descendants of German ethnics who emigrated from the German lands to the Danubian Plains of Hungary in the late seventeen and eighteen hundreds.

They were referred to as “German Hungarians” until after World War I, when their provinces were divided among Romania, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and Hungary. Many adopted the name “Donauschwaben”, however the members of our club founded in 1910 still refer to themselves as “German Hungarians” It was through the efforts of President Andy Weyershaeuser (1980-1986) that our club became members of the National Federation of the Danube Swabians. We have participated many times in the “Verband’s” National Soccer Tournament held each year over the Memorial Day Weekend. We won first place in 1990 and in 2011 when we also hosted the event. Since 2006, our president Bill Galgon and his wife Marlene Fricker have been attending the annual Landestreffen in various states in the USA and Canada. In 2007, a group of our members and dancers attended the event in Mansfield, Ohio. Marlene and Bill have been the driving force to interest our club members and dancers to participate in the various aspects of this group. It was through Bill’s efforts that the Donauschwaben selected to have our club host this event in 2010.

In 2011 we took a bus to Mansfield Ohio and in 2012 we took a bus to Kitchener, Toronto.

Members of the Donauschwaben of Trenton joined us. However this year, 2013, we were only able to rally a group of approximately 20. Twelve traveled by van while 10 others traveled by car. The dancers consisted of: ALEX BLANK – ANNA MARTINI PAUL FRUHNER – MICHELLE PAUL BOB WALTER – EMMA WALTER MICHAEL FRICKER – KRISTEN REITER NICK WALTER – KARINA FRICKER MIKE CRAMER – SOFI WALTER WERNER FRICKER III – ALLYSA REITER The group performed THE SOUND OF MUSIC LÄNDLER, THE POLKA, and THE CZARDAS. The dancers had been earnestly practicing since their participation at the Gaufest in late June, reviewing the Ländler and the Czardas and learning a Polka newly choreographed by Marlene especially for this event. They were looking forward to their performance and

L to R: Back Row - Werner Fricker Jr., Alex Blank, Paul Fruhner, Robert “Fun-Bobby” Walter, Michael Fricker, Werner Fricker III, Mike Cramer, Billy Galgon, Peter Knapp.

Front Row - Karina Fricker, Marlene Fricker, Michelle Paul, Allysa Reiter, Anna Martini, Kristen Reiter, Emily Fricker, Sofi Walter, Susi Hartmann, Lisa Fricker. Photographers - Kim Walter & Joseph Hartmann

meeting once again new friends they had met in the past years. They especially looked forward to meeting again the “Banater Schwaben” who had been at our club two weeks prior.

Everything went according to plan. I can only speak for those twelve who traveled by van.

We were a group aging from mid teens to mid seventies. Our drivers going to Detroit were Werner III and Alex and I must say they did an exceptional job. Traveling on the turnpikes, we made a short stop every two hours.

Since it was a Friday and a Holiday weekend, the worst traffic happened when we reached Detroit.

Arriving at our hotel, the Staybridge Suites in Utica, Michigan we quickly changed into our “German Hungarian” T-shirts and headed for the scene of the event, the Carpathia Club in Sterling Heights, about ten minutes from the hotel.

The food – Chicken Schnitzel, Sarma, Hungarian, Weiss, or Knack Wursts, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Pizza, Beef Goulash, Roast Pork, Mashed Potatoes and Red Cabbage were among the selections. Oh yeah!

And great homemade cakes, which of coarse I had to eat since there was no fruit!

The Carpathia Club’s building and grounds are beautiful and the entire event was held here. With the name “Carpathia”, I imagined that somewhere in their history, this group are “landsleit” to the former local club members, “Karpathan Sängerband”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Philadelphia Carpathians came from Saxony and immigrated to upper Hungary while we and the De-

troit Carpathians who were founded in 1913 by a gentleman, who considered himself an “Ostschwabe” or “East Swabian.” The Carpathia club of today was founded in 1913 as the “German Austrian-Hungarian Singing Society” with Peter Schock as its first President. The In 1914 after a split within the club the name was changed to “Carpathia Singing Society.”

It was chosen and won favor among members because most could claim origins in the vicinity of this Eastern European mountain range. (For example – if we would name ourselves after the Pocono Mountain Range) WHY IS ANY OF THIS RELEVENT IN AN ARTICLE ABOUT OUT TRIP??? Because the Detroit Carpathian Club’s first president, Peter Schock was also the Banater Männerchor of Philadelphia’s (the founding name of our club) first president. (More info next month) Back to the event – We arrived at the tent and were able to eat our dinner and enjoy the performance of the “Banater Schwaben” once again. Meeting up with our Donauschwaben Friends from Philadelphia and Trenton and others, we enjoyed the evening and looked forward to bedtime.

However, not all of us! It seems we were by design in the same hotel as the Milwaukee Donauschwaben with whom our dancers had become friendly over the years and across the street from the Banater German Groups.

It also seems that many of the hotels were in this same compound, so it seems that quite a lot of partying went on. Ah, to be young again!

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

September 2013

Monthly Progress

—SCHWABEN ABEND CONTINUED—

This costume is what we call the “Kirchweih Tracht.” Girls in many beautiful pleated white skirts and colorful shawls. The women from the Esslingen group wore pink while those of the Singen group wore a light blue. The men were in black trousers and Banater wool vests. Most interestingly they wore black dress socks like the men of our club do, contrary to our friends from the mid-west who wear white!

They performed choreographed waltzes and polkas interspersed with singing, speaking and reading of poetry. Often times a small skit or some music from the band would break up the performances to allow for a costume change. In the second part of the performance they danced to a few more waltzes as well as a tango to “Kriminaltango” in more modern dresses and clothing. Then they moved onto disco and salsa numbers.

Their final set in the third part included a section called “Bayrisch” that included the Bavarian style dancing in dirndls for the girls and bundhosen for the men. Like many of the Schwowe dance groups in America and Europe they closed the evening with “Bis bald Aufwiedersehen.” A great applause and calls from the audience led them to perform an encore!

As the evening came to a close, at the hopes of our elders, the earnest call by some of my peers with Werner and Karina Fricker at the forefront, led us to dance yet again! Like all folk dancers know, the end of performances never means the end of dancing. With the iPod engaged we stepped on to the dance floor and with us we brought our new friends. The lights were dim, the music loud and partnered a German for every American (well almost) we danced the night away. We learned by doing and we taught by doing. Soon more came and joined the ranks as we all, young people, danced together having only just met hours before! In those moments we shared a bond on the surface as dancers and performers. Though we may be have been worlds apart we gathered that night around the charm of our entertaining spirit! Deeper we come from the same backgrounds and places. We have the same ancestors and the same heritage. We celebrate the same customs and culture. (Weeks later in Detroit our friends told us that on their entire tour, Philadelphia was the only place that danced with them following the close of their performances!)

I can tell you what feelings were in the room late that evening.

Whether an observer or a performer, at that time for those twenty or thirty minutes on the dance floor every single individual felt and believed that they were a Banater. And they were.

Michael Fricker

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—LANDESTREFFEN CONTINUED— The festival schedule is set up so that during the band breaks, there are various dance performances. The bands on Saturday were: Hank Haller Band and the Tradewinds playing in the Hall while the Martin Brothers and Freddy Ziwich played in the tent.

The following dance groups performed: Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago Aid, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Mansfield, Akron, Cleveland, Toronto, Windsor, Oakford/German Hungarians, Kitchener, Phila/Trenton, Chicago Donau. Los Angeles, Carpathia Singers, and Milwaukee Society.

Although we perform only with a Youth Group, many perform with a Youth group, a Kulture (Adult) Group and a Children’s Group. Many dance with precision and dignity while others dance with vim and vigor. The audience loves all the groups and each receives a mighty applause. On Saturday the tent closed at 11 PM while the hall closed at midnight.

On Sunday morning, a Mass was held in the hall at 10 AM. Father Peter Zillich, who is originally from Klein Betschkerek in Romanian Banat was the celebrant.

The Eisenbahner Musikanten and the Banater Schwaben performed from 12 to 2 PM while the Spass Band from Cleveland played throughout the day in the hall until closing at 9 PM. Our club members had been entertained by this band at the Gaufest in Toledo in 2009. The Hank Haller Band and the Enzian played in the tent until 8 PM when the DJ Glockenspiel took over until 11 PM. This DJ as you can guess by his name played both modern German and American music. The dance floor was so full that hardly anyone could move. This is a Landestreffen tradition that the final band or music (DJ) is for the enjoyment of the youth. But you should have seen how many of their parents were out there enjoying themselves.

The fest was scheduled to close at 11 PM but naturally the DJ continued longer and finally the 2013 Landestreffen was ended. Not really! Remember youth is always resilient and there was always the fun at the hotels.

Our van was scheduled to leave at 10 AM on Monday morning. After saying our goodbyes to everyone we finally got under way at 10:30 AM. Since our drivers had been up late, Lisa, who had also been our designated driver during the fest, drove for a few hours. Later Alex and Werner III took over again and as we entered Pennsylvania, it was suggested that we stop at the Memorial of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Somerset County. All agreed.

This memorial which was a common field one day will be a field of honor forever. Much has been built at this monument that honors the 40 passengers and crew Of Flight 93 who died on 9/11 and much more is planned. It was worth our detour and in the future when all plans are completed it will be a site for all Americans to visit.

It seemed to take forever to travel through Pennsylvania until we hit Montgomery County and we arrived at the Fricker’s home in Horsham.

As I stepped, or rather crawled, out of the van, I know I had a smile on my face. This was one of the best times ever!!! ef

MONTHLY PROGRESS founded by Ted Kereczmann† in 1946.

Published by The United German Hungarians Of Philadelphia and Vicinity

4666 Bristol Road, Oakford, PA 19053 Phone: 215-357-9851 Fax: 215-357-1560 Web Site: www.ughclub.us President: William Galgon, 1641 Loretta Avenue, Feasterville, PA 19053 Publicity/Editorial: Emily Fricker, 654 Manor Drive, Horsham, PA 19044

267-470-4828, ehfricker@hotmail.com