Volume 58, Number 4
August / September 2010
Revolutionary War Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben By: Darlene Fuchs
Article Provided by: City of Munich In 2010, the Bavarian capital, Munich, celebrates a very special anniversary: 200 years of the Oktoberfest. From 18th September to 4th October, the 177th Oktoberfest will once again bring its unique atmosphere of celebration and lust for life to the “Theresienweise”; the 100 acre area of open land which hosts the event in the heart of the city. The Oktoberfest is organized by the Munich Tourism Authority. Alongside the regular attractions of the world’s largest folk festival, a special program has been arranged to celebrate the 200th anniversary with performances and exhibitions of Bavarian art, culture and tradition. A festival committee headed by Munich’s Mayor, Christian Ude, will be responsible for this historical element of the jubilee. Historical “Wiesn” on the Southern Section of the “Theresienwiese” Site On the southern section of the „Theresienwiese“ site, a small complex of old-fashioned marquee tents will invite visitors to explore and discover the history of the Oktoberfest from 17th September to 4th October, every day between 10.00am and 8.00pm. A museum-tent will offer guests the chance to see and try out a collection of historical fairground rides and amusements from years gone by. Historical fairground organs, traction engines and steam engines will be displayed in another tent. A circus-tent will be transformed into a velodrome, where racers on vintage cycles will speed around the big top. Traditional Bavarian dishes will be served in an historical 3,500-man beer-tent, with two podiums for live music and a dancefloor to ensure plenty of lively entertainment. A theatre-tent is also planned, where performances of cabaret and modern Bavarian folk music will be showcased.
Oktoberfest Horse Racing on the Southern Section of the “Theresienwiese” Site On a horse racing track, next to the historical festival tents, a race-meeting will be organized by the “Festring Munich” organization, as a reminder of the first races which took place on the site in 1810. It was this gathering which initiated the tradition of the Oktoberfest, with the first races being held as part of the royal wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, later King Ludwig I, and his wife, Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Supplementary Program in Munich City Museum: Exhibition „The Oktoberfest 1810 – 2010“ Open from 9th July to 31st October 2010, the exhibition “The Oktoberfest 1810-2010” in the Munich City Museum will bring to life 200 years of Oktoberfest history, telling the story of how the first royal event in 1810 evolved into the world’s largest beer-festival. All the objects on display bear witness to the history of the Oktoberfest, including Princess Therese’s wedding dress and other traditional costumes belonging to the rich and famous, as well as carousel organs, roller-coaster models and rarely shown paintings, prints, photos and film.
Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben was a PrussianAmerican general of the American Revolutionary Army. Born in Magdeburg, Prussia on November 15, 1730. Von Steuben studied at Neisse and Breslau and served as a volunteer under the command of his father at the siege of Prague in 1745 later becoming an adjutant general and aide to Frederick the Great in 1762. He subsequently retired from military service, receiving a lucrative government position and was made Baron. In 1777 he sailed for the Americas to assist the colonists against the British. He offered his services and served under George Washington at Valley Forge in the Continental Army in 1778. He was appointed a major general and later was appointed inspector general of the American army. In that capacity he organized and disciplined the forces so efficiently that he was thanked by Congress. In 1780 he took part in and commanded a division at the Battle of Yorktown and was present when Cornwallis surrendered. In 1790, Congress granted him a township of land near Utica, New York, a pension of $2,400 and several tracts of land in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Following the war he served as an advisor and military planner to Washington. Von Steuben died in at Steubenville, near Utica, New York on November 28, 1794. The Steuben Day Parade in September commemorates German Americans and honors the Revolutionary War hero, General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. This year the parade in Chicago is September 11th starting at 2PM www.germanday.com. The New York parade is September 24th starting at Noon along Fifth Avenue www.germanparadenyc.org.
200-year Anniversary During the 177th Oktoberfest? The Oktoberfest began with the royal wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig, later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810. Since then 24 Oktoberfests have had to be cancelled or called-off for a variety of reasons, including cholera epidemics in 1854 and 1873, and periods of war in the 19th and 20th centuries. Oktoberfest 2010 will be the 177th festival.
TidBits
Associate Members
Education
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Auf Deutsch
Insider
Oskar & Atticus
Lifestyle
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
Check Us Out Online! WWW.DANK.ORG DANK Discussion Forum Official DANK Blog
Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde! Dear Members and Friends, As I am writing this message, the FIFA World Cup is down to the wire and Germany just lost the battle with Spain to qualify for the final game. Even though they were not their best today, the young German team has surprised many of us with its youthful and energetic spirit and many exciting goals. I am flying my DFB (German Soccer Federation) flag high, showing my pride for this team. Just as we show our pride for the German Soccer team’s accomplishments, we can also show our pride in what GermanAmericans have accomplished over the years in our country’s history. We are coming up to the season where we showcase our Germanic roots with the many festivals and parades celebrating German heritage and history. By the way, this paper will be distributed at one of those festivals in the Midwest, German Fest in Milwaukee in July. This festival is one of so many that will be occurring around the country that will include Von Steuben Parades in September, German Unity Day on October 3 and German American-Day on October 6. If all works out this year I will be privileged to participate in both the Steuben Parade in Chicago on September 11 and in New York on September 25. That will be a special treat for me. In December of this year the German-American community will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the dedication of the Von Steuben Statue on the Northeast end of Lafayette Park, just north of the White House in Washington DC. I also hope to be able to participate in this event. As a DANK member, by being part of this great GermanAmerican organization, you have the opportunity to be part of these ongoing celebrations of culture, language and heritage. There are many chances to participate on various levels including chapter activities, festivals and on our interactive website with forums and blogs. We hope that they provide you with much fulfillment and pride for our Germanic culture. While we have many different German-American organizations in our country celebrating our heritage and culture it is my belief that right now is an opportune time to find common ground and work together in harmony for mutual goals. DANK is reaching out to many organizations and will continue to do so in an effort to have more unity in the German-American Community in the US. We are fortunate to have new associate organizations signing up monthly and we are also revitalizing the German-American Action Committee (GAJAC) with the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA and the Steuben Society America along with some possible additions such as the German-American Steuben Parade Committee of New York. One of the many efforts will be to increase the relevance of German-American Day, which GAJAC was instrumental in getting established. Another activity to look for in the future is something that DANK is just starting up, called the St. Nikolaus Project. The purpose of this effort is to document the many good causes that German-Americans are part of, in particular food drives that our chapters and associated organizations or members have held or will be holding. The plan is to have this project peak on St. Nikolaus day, December 6 of every year. Well, I hope that I will see many of you at one of the festivals this summer and fall. I look forward to toasting a beer or sharing a story over some “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee and cake) with our members and friends. Until then… Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
William Fuchs 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.
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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 William Fuchs 1. Vice President Erich Wittmann 2. Vice President Donna Lippert Treasurer Maria Thompson
Eco-Friendly Travel to Germany After returning from Germany recently, I realized that Germans and Europeans generally take the term “living green” more serious than many of us do in the US. To live green means to help our environment from the dangers that are destroying it. It is an eco-friendly way of life and many people are hopping on-board. Being eco-friendly is a way of life that many people have chosen to live because it helps slow down the process of destroying the earth. It means buying “green products” that are environmentally friendly, along with making decisions considering the impact they would have on the environment. Living Green is making choices that are good for the earth. In Germany there are separate garbage cans designated for glass, paper/cardboard and plastic cans; and there is even a separate one for organic waste. You can easily identify re-cycable containers and packaging by the green symbol “Grüner Punkt” and returnable bottles are marked with the word “Pfandflasche”. Finding eco-friendly accommodation and accessing information on the environmental performance of your accommodation can turn out to be quite a challenge. Look out for certificates and labels that indicate an eco-friendly establishment. Another possibility would be to book your hotel via the “Viabono” website where a list of exclusively “green” accommodations is available.
5 tips on how to be eco-friendly during your next stay in Germany
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Turn off the lights, air-conditioning, TV and other appliances to save energy when leaving your room. Having towels changed every day produces unnecessary water and power usage for the hotel.
Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth helps save water – one of the most valuable resources on earth. In Germany tap water is always of such good quality that you can drink it. Leaving the water running is like pouring drinks down the drain!
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Showering uses less water than a bath. German toilets have adjustable flushing according to your particular needs. Try it and save gallons of water!
We can all make a difference without changing who we are. All it takes is changing how we live our lives. By taking the simple steps of recycling, reducing and reinventing how we become more sustainable, we give ourselves the power to change the world. Together, we can each make a difference. Even I have made some changes since returning from Germany this summer.
Darlene Fuchs Editor-in-Chief
Submission Deadline For The October / November 2010 Issue:
August 25, 2010
Secretary Beverly Pochatko
Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Darlene Fuchs Darlene@GoldenFoxPro.com Editorial Staff Margita Mandel Amanda Pedersen Chapter News Editor Beverly Pochatko erieoma@verizon.net Membership Erik Wittmann erik25@comcast.net German Correspondent Corinna Bienger corinna.bienger@live.de Layout & Design Stephen Fuchs Stephen@FoxTaleEdit.com Advertising & Classifieds Darlene Fuchs Darlene@GoldenFoxPro.com
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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.
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August / September 2010
German-American Journal
1040
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The year that the Weihenstephan Brewery was founded in Bavaria. This is the oldest brewery that is still in operation in Germany today.
200 Years of Oktoberfest in Munich By: Donna Lippert
The Munich Germany celebration begins on September 18th, 2010 and ends October 3rd, 2010. The original German Oktoberfest dates back to 1810 and was a celebration of the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxony-Hildburghausen Princess Therese on October 12th, 1810. All citizens of Munich were invited to this five day gala event, whose main attraction that year was a horse race. Annual celebrations were held every year thereafter and each event became larger and more elaborate. In 1818, a carousel and swings were set up for the revelers while mechanical rides started in the 1870s. In 1908 the Munich festival boasted its first roller coaster. Later, the city of Munich allowed beer on their fairgrounds, which eventually reverted to beer halls, which were later converted to the iconic beer tents we know today. The Munich festival was then moved to the month of September to allow for better weather. Over the past 200 years, this event had to be cancelled twenty-four (24) times due to cholera epidemics and war. This is the largest and most profitable tourist attraction in Munich, over 450 millions Euros is spent on food, drinking and souvenirs during the two week Oktoberfest celebration. The amount of food and beer consumed at
today’s Oktoberfest in Munich is amazing! Over a period of sixteen days, the festival attracts over six million people from all over the world. Over 1.5 million gallons of beer are consumed, 200,000 pairs of brats and 480,000 spit-roasted chickens are served over the course of the two weeks of this great celebration. While roaming the 103 acres of festival grounds, you will find women dressed in dirndls, and men in lederhosen. As the largest and most profitable tourist attraction in Munich, over 450 millions Euros is spent on food, drinking and souvenirs during the two week Oktoberfest celebration. The beer consumed at the Munich Germany event is produced by only six breweries, including Augustiner, HackerPschorr, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, Paulaner and Spaten. These are the only suppliers that are permitted to serve beer at the festival. Many beer gardens are set up throughout the grounds with seating for up to 98,000 visitors at a time! Beer maids and waiters must be able to carry 10 beer-filled mugs at a time. Like all German beer, the Oktoberfest beer in brewed according to strict German standards (called the Reinheitsgebot and in affect since 1516) that precisely define the four ingredients allowed in the brewing of beer; barley, hops, malt and yeast. Besides brats, sausages, chicken, steckerlfisch (fish on a stick), potato salad and sauerkraut and red cabbage, you can
What Goethe Didn’t Know 1
Words like “Ohrwurm”, “Fahrver gnügen” or “Baggersee” might exist and even become the German language’s “export hits”. They are an indication that other languages also may use German as a treasure trove should they be missing a suitable term themselves.
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A book would be published with rules on how German should be written: the Duden. And that most German words in it have eleven letters.
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The word “Grundstücksverkehrsge nehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragu ngsverordnung”, a term from the world of red tape, could have a record number of 67 letters.
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The German language has between 300,000 and 500,000 words. Thus the German word-pool ranks between French (100,000) and English (6-800,000).
5
The active vocabulary of an average German is estimated at some 12,000 to 16,000 words, although most Germans understand up to 50,000 words without any difficulty.
6
There is such a thing as BelgranoGerman in Argentina, Texas-German in the USA, Deutsch-Mokra in Ukraine, Küchendeutsch in Namibia and Unser Deutsch in Papua-New Guinea. Germanspeaking enclaves exist on almost all continents.
also find a large amount of mouth-watering desserts, including gingerbread heartshaped cookies, apple strudel, dampfnudel, kaiserschmarrn, soft pretzels, sugar-glazed almonds and cotton candy for the young and old. People roaming the 103 acres of festival grounds, will find women dressed in dirndls, and men in lederhosen. The music heard around the grounds consists of many bands from all over the country. As the evening lingers on, the music becomes louder and you will observe people linking arms
together and beer mugs held high in the air to offer an “ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit”: a toast to contentment, congeniality and relaxation. The largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany is held in the twin cities of Kitchner-Waterloo, Canada where a large amount of ethnic Germans still reside. Another large event is held in Cincinnati, Ohio and it boasts 250,000 visitors each year. Last year, DANK National Vice President Erik Wittmann and others from DANK enjoyed the Ohio event. Back in 1978, my sister, Marcia Erb, and I had the opportunity to visit our first Oktoberfest in Munich. We enjoyed delicious brats and good beer, and brought home a nice souvenir from the Lowenbrau tent (our maiden name is Loewen). It was quite an experience and we hope to someday return to Munich! I hope that DANK chapters are already planning some type of Oktoberfest event. If your chapter needs any assistance on how to plan an event like this, please visit www. ehow.com and click on “How to Celebrate Oktoberfest” as there are some wonderful ideas out there, along with items you can purchase to make your event quite eventful! Don’t forget to visit our website of www. dank.org also! So, here’s to “Eins……Zwei…… g’suffa”!!!! Prost!!!! Help celebrate 200 years of Oktoberfest!!!
Eleven curious things from the world of the German language. Even Germany’s most famous poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, would not have known that:
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Under the telephone number 09001-88 81 28 you can reach the Gesellschaft für Deutsche Sprache in Wiesbaden, a society from which you can receive information on all questions relating to the German language.
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The Wiesbaden society chose the word “Abwrackprämie” as the “2009 Word of the Year”. It describes the environmental bonus paid for scrapping an old car.
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New words like “Gigaliner”, “Regenbogenfamilie” or “Zwergplanet” could one day exist. These are three of more than 5,000 new words included in the 25th edition of the Duden.
Kiezdeutsch would become the multi-ethnic language of young people, mixing Arabic and Turkish words with German and thus giving rise to a new dialect: “Lassma Viktoriapark gehen, Lan.” The letters WAMAWIHEAD and BIGLEZUHAU indicate the ability to say as much as possible with as few text message characters as possible. The text message abbreviations stand for: What will we do this evening? I’ll be home right away.
Source: magazine-deutschland.de
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
A Passion for German Source: magazine-deutschland.de Interview By: Janet Schayan
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, President of Goethe-Institut
Professor Lehmann, the Federal Foreign Office and its partners, among them the Goethe-Institut, have launched an initiative called “German – Language of Ideas” in 2010. Why is it necessary to have such campaign at all for the German language? I regard this language campaign as important for bundling the many individual initiatives and projects throughout the world and drawing attention to them. In this way we create a clear profile with positive sideeffects. But it is equally important for us to pay more attention ourselves to our language The opening event in Berlin focused on the fun element of learning the German language. Yet the notion that German is a particularly difficult foreign language to master is a stubborn one. How can a delight in learning German be promoted? You know, when it comes to the motivation to learn, I regard the supposed difficultly of a particular foreign language as unimportant. I believe the decisive factor is always the attractiveness of the language for a particular person. Is the language relevant to my career plan? Do I need it in my private life? Does it open up attractive training possibilities for me, or offer me additional access to knowledge? Do I like the language? The responses to these questions influence our choice of a foreign language. Needless to say, in the learning situation itself there is also a need for teachers with an ability to inspire learners. Teachers at the Goethe-Institut are able to do just that, and at the same time win over their course participants. What do you see as the most important reasons for learning German? The German language is still linked with whole branches of culture and science. Many people still perceive Germany as the land of “poets and philosophers”: German poetry or scientific disciplines such as philosophy or psychology can only be experienced through a knowledge of the German language. Moreover, Germany is an export country, and many German companies
operate abroad. So the German language is a factor in a person’s own competitiveness and often linked with the hope for better professional prospects. Knowledge of German can broaden fields of action – what is more, it can so not just for individuals but for entire companies. Another reason is to be found not among people outside Germany learning German as a foreign language, but among people with a migrant background here in our own country. They often learn German as a second or third language. For them, German opens the door to German society, of which they are also a part. It gives them the possibility to participate in society, to exercise their rights. I regard living in Germany as a very important reason for learning German. In what countries is the Goethe-Institut registering a particularly keen interest in learning German at the moment? India, for example. German is a bestseller there, so to speak. We can scarcely keep up with the demand. I believe that above all the Partner School Initiative has had a great impact in recent years. German is on the curriculum in more and more schools. We are also noticing that the number of adults learning the language in different places has tended to remain constant, while the number of learners in schools, and here particularly in the primary school sector, has increased. And where is there room for improvement? We realize that the number of learners in many central and eastern European countries has declined. But in my opinion the figure has just settled at a realistic level after the euphoric mood of 1989/90 and the related orientation towards the West. English has often replaced German as the first foreign language – English is now also a tool there, a world language. Other languages have it hard competing with English. But in central and eastern Europe German is still often the second most important foreign language. There are a lot of Anglicisms in German these days. Do you think that the native German speakers treat their language with too little confidence? It would not really be appropriate here to take a swipe at German speakers, but I do think that we should look after our own language more and should certainly not treat it casually. It is the carrier of our culture, our identity, and at the same time a tool in our everyday lives. I would like to see a greater passion for our own language – German should not become a language the Germans only use at home. We should all make an effort to keep our language dynamic and fit for use, as a working language as well. On the other hand, I am not in favour of demonizing all foreign language influences. Languages change. This has always been the case. You are a qualified physicist and librarian. When did you discover your enthusiasm for the German language? Sometimes I think I could read before I could walk. What I mean by that is that I am an enthusiastic reader and have cared for and absorbed the German language from my childhood days. That applies not only to literature but later also to physics. The German language is characterized by clarity and diversity. What is your favourite German word? Augenblick – to describe a short space of time, the blink of an eye, so poetically and also so precisely is just fascinating.
German Day Festival By: Darlene Fuchs
The 90th annual German Festival is on the same weekend as the annual Von Steuben Parade. Festivities begin on Friday evening September 10th continuing through Sunday the 12th at Lincoln Plaza located at Western, Lincoln and Leland. Enjoy some folk dancing and cultural performances from a variety of German organization. Dance to live bands providing traditional German UmpPa-Pa music and when you get tired, try out some brats, smoked sausages, potato salad, sauerkraut, German cakes a pretzel and beer in a festive German environment. On Saturday you can join in and watch the the 45th annual Von Steuben parade which starts at 2 p.m. The parade steps off at Lincoln Avenue and Irving Park Road and continues north to Wilson Avenue, west to Western Avenue and then north to the site
of the German-American Festival at Western and Leland Avenue. The 45th Annual Von Steuben Parade, is a tribute to General Von Steuben’s contribution to the U.S. military in 1777. Admission is free to all. Bring your family and friends and enjoy this fun German Festival.
The Biggest Oktoberfest Ever
Get ready for the biggest Oktoberfest ever. This year will be the 200th anniversary of the festival! And so it will be longer than ever: from September 17th through October 4th, 2010. The first day, September 17th, is an extra day that has been added by the city council to the Oktoberfest in honor of this anniversary. On that day a historic reconstruction of the festival of former centuries will be opened, featuring an old Oktoberfesttent and an exhibition of domestic and working animals of those times. One of the many highlights will be the horseraces, which are planned to be held twice a day, to remember the origins of the Oktoberfest – a horserace to celebrate a royal wedding in Munich. On Saturday, September 18th at noon,, the Lord Mayor of Munich will have the honor of tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. Once the barrel has been tapped, the mayor will exclaim the famous “O’zapft is,” and with this the Oktoberfest is officially opened. When we still lived in Munich we of course went to the Fest at least once a year. Many companies rent space in one of the tents to entertain their employees and guests. But when we went privately, we always tried to do so in the afternoon right after it opened. It was that time of year when we took our “Dirndls” for a walk. Everybody does it there, so you feel out of place if you wear anything else. We always tried to get in before the party people arrived, because all of a sudden the tents would become so crowded that people were denied entrance. Now that we live far away from Munich, all we can do is follow the Oktoberfest on TV. It starts with the “Einzug der Festwirte” (marching in of the festival tent’s landlords) into the area. There the “Wirte” sit in their chariots, as you see all those famous carts with the beer barrels on them, being drawn by huge horses which looks so beautiful! Then the opening ceremony follows, being broadcasted by almost all the TV stations. On the first Sunday of the Oktoberfest, the even larger “Trachten- und Schützenumzug” is being shown live on TV. This is when all the “Trachtenvereine” and “Schützenvereine” in Munich, as well as their guests, show themselves and their “Trachten” to the public. The live footage is then shown on the Bavarian TV station; you can be there “live” almost 24 hours a day. I truly miss the Oktoberfest atmosphere. Sitting outside one of the tents, with a “Mass Bier” and a “Hendl” and a “Bretzel,” hearing the sounds of “Blasmusik” coming from the different tents and the joyous screaming from the carousels all around, mixed with the smells of grilled chicken and oxen is just something everybody should experience at least once in their lifetime.
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
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How Important Is Sport for a Nation’s Image? How much does sport influence a country’s image? An interview with British political advisor Simon Anholt about countries as brands.
Source: magazine-deutschland.de Mr. Anholt, you are recognized the world over as the leading expert on a concept referred to as “nation branding”. In the world of marketing, the Nation Brands Index (NBI) is equally loved and feared. Why has nation branding become so important in the age of globalization? I hope that the Nation Brands Index isn’t loved or feared in the world of marketing, since it has almost nothing to do with the world of marketing! The index is produced for the benefit of national governments that wish to track their national standing and profile. As I have explained many, many times in my books and articles, this is not a marketing discipline: there is absolutely no evidence that countries can alter their international images through marketing communications, and many of them continue to waste enormous sums of their taxpayers’ money every year in futile propaganda campaigns in press and television, without any indication what soever that this can succed in changing anybody’s mind. Countries are judged by what they do and what they make, not by what they say. I don’t, therefore, believe in nation branding: it’s a false and dangerous idea. Nations have brands – in the sense that they have images – and those images are absolutely important to their progress and prosperity in the modern world. Countries with a powerful and positive image can export more products, more culture, more people, more services and attract more tourists, more investors, more immigrants and the attention and respect of other governments. Countries with weak or damaged images find it much harder and more expensive to achieve all of these goals. That’s why it is so important. I repeat: countries have brands, but they can’t be branded. Only new policies, new investments and innovations can change the image of a country – and it takes a very long time. You use your own methodology in your research. In short, how do you actually obtain your results? In partnership with GfK Roper, one of the world’s largest market research companies, we poll around 20,000 people in 20 countries, and ask them about 50
questions to measure their perceptions of 50 different countries. These questions include asking whether people think the country has a beautiful landscape, friendly people, good products, vibrant modern culture, whether its government respects human rights and free speech, contributes to the environment and poverty reduction, whether the country’s economy is strong or weak, whether they would like to visit the country as a tourist or to live and work and study there, and much else besides. These scores are then averaged to create a series of rankings whereby each country’s image can be directly measured against that of the other 49 countries. Admittedly, this is not your particular area of research, but can you see a connection between sports and nation branding? Indeed it is part of my area of research, and it’s one of the questions we ask in the “culture” section of the Nation Brands Index. I have written many times about the connection between major sporting events and a country’s image, and what makes the difference between a successful Olympics or World Cup, and one that’s forgotten within a few months. I have also researched in great detail how perceptions of a country’s sporting excellence contributes to people’s perceptions of the country’s population. The connection is a very strong one. Hosting the 2006 Soccer World Cup catapulted Germany to the top of the NBI in 2007 and 2008 Yes indeed, but as I predicted, the effect didn’t last very long. Enhancing a country’s image is a relay race, not a sprint, and countries need to become obsessive about asking themselves “What do we do next?”. Germany hasn’t followed up on its World Cup success, so people are starting to revert to their previous beliefs about the country. This always happens and it can only be prevented by projecting a constant, unbroken stream of dramatic evidence that the country deserves the reputation it desires. Even in countries where Germany did not previously enjoy a great reputation, the country’s image was massively enhanced after what has gone down in the history books as “Germany’s summer fairytale”. Does this mean that some elements of the “brand essence” are in fact very volatile,
in other words, nice weather, high spirits, exciting matches is all it takes to change an image? Is it really that simple? No, they really aren’t volatile at all: quite the contrary. National image is more like a fixed asset than a liquid capital, and normally can’t be changed at all. Nothing could be more difficult than changing any of these attributes. I have great respect for the way in which Germany managed to “move the needle” on its image during the World Cup, in exactly the way it wanted to, but it hasn’t been able to make this sustainable. One must distinguish between public opinion – which can change almost literally by the minute – and national image, which is virtually fixed. What is Germany’s sporting reputation at the international level? Extremely positive. In 2009, Germany ranked 2nd in the world on the “sport” dimension, after the USA. Almost all the countries in the study gave it a 2nd or 3rd place ranking on this dimension, apart from the “Anglo-Sphere”: the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa ranked Germany around 5th or 6th, as did Egypt and Japan. What can athletes and sports associations do specifically to contribute to nation branding? I am thinking along the lines of jerseys and tracksuits. There are dozens of different sports whose national teams represent Germany internationally. Should they have a more striking appearance by wearing the national colours black, red and gold? What would be ideal from the point
of view of successful nation branding? Things like this play such a very peripheral role in something as vast as the image of a country that I think it’s hardly worth thinking about it. If a country regularly wins events, especially in high-profile events like football and (Olympic) athletics, year after year, then it will gain a positive reputation for sporting prowess. This is why the USA, Russia, China, Germany, Italy, Brazil, France and the UK are always at the top of the index for this dimension. In the last several weeks the sporting world was looking to South Africa for the first World Cup ever to be hosted on the African continent. How will this impact on the country’s image? It entirely depends on how they use the event. Some countries are highly successful at using their hosting to present a picture of their country which captures the public imagination – like Australia and Barcelona did in their Olympics, for example – while others put on highly successful events which don’t really tell a story and are quickly forgotten, such as Athens. It’s more than just whether the event is well organized, trouble-free, spectacular, or not: it’s about whether this huge media opportunity is used in the right way to project something true, something relevant and something unforgettable about the host nation. Are you a football fan? No. I was put off all sports at a very early age because I was very bad at them.
2009 Country Brand Index Top 10 Country Brands 01
USA
06
Italy
02
Canada
07
Japan
03
Australia
08
UK
04
New Zealand
09
Germany
05
France
10
Spain Source: futurebrand.com
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
Hofbräu Celebrates 200 Years Oktoberfest in Munich By: Amy Smock
On October 17 in 1810 forty thousand joyous spectators flocked to a field outside of Munich to celebrate the wedding of Ludwig of Bavaria and Therese of Saxony – Hildburghausen. A horse race was held as part of the celebration. These festivities where repeated every year and became what is known today as the Oktoberfest. The meadow was later named the Theresienwiese in honor the princess and is now no longer outside of Munich but in the middle. That was the meager beginnings of the first Oktoberfest. Today it is the largest in the world with about 6 million attendees in the 16 days of it running. This year it will start on September 18 and concludes October 3. Besides Munich, the custom has spread around the globe and today there are hundreds of Oktoberfests. Hofbräu beer and its brewery in Munich are very much connected with the beginnings as well as today. The bridegroom Ludwig was the owner of the Hofbräu Brewery. Today, still owned by the State of Bavaria, Hofbräu as one of Munich’s breweries has the largest tent at the Oktoberfest. It holds ten thousand people. The only beer allowed to be served at the Oktoberfest in Munich by all Munich breweries, as directed by the City of Munich, is a pale lager with an alcohol by volume of around 6 %. For the last 13 years Hofbräu has exported that identical Oktoberfest beer served to its customers in the Hofbräu tent at the Oktoberfest in Munich to its customers in the US. It has been the only Munich brewer that made this type of beer available to the US public and continues to
do so. Hofbräuhaus of America LLC is the proud importer of Hofbräu Oktoberfest. “We are honored to be connected with such a historic brewery. Hofbräuhaus of America has the pleasure of
Germans in America Submitted By: Ruth Reichmann
In March of 2008 South Carolina ETV and the Goethe-Institut released an Englishlanguage version of the “Germans in America” (TV and DVD) series for showing on Public Televisions (PBS). Since then PBS has been broadcasting the “Germans in America” series in selected areas throughout the United States. This great series is well worth the effort to be shown on many more PBS stations. The “Germans in America” series is available as DVDs in German and English as a home video and an educational version for showing in the social studies and German language classrooms, by DANK Chapters and clubs. Each program may be
purchased online as a single DVD or as part of the series from the ETV Store in South Carolina at www.etvstore.org. 60 Million Americans have their origins in German-speaking countries. As America’s largest ethnic group, the Germans made a significant mark on America’s cultural, business, and public life for centuries until their identity fell victim to feelings of shame and repression during and after two World Wars. But their achievements are still the basis for much of American culture. In this four-part television series, “Germans in America” recounts the immigration of Germans to the United States, using gripping stories about naive settlers and successful farmers, about
providing the American public with this exceptional Oktoberfest beer that is often ranked as the best” said Fred Schumacher, President of Hofbräuhaus of America LLC. Website: www.hofbrauhaus.us
devout free-thinkers and political refugees, about the heyday of the German-language press in America, and about the founders of industrial dynasties in the new homeland. Location shooting, archival footage, the descendants of immigrants, and carefully done historical recreation bring GermanAmerican history to life. For years we heard from friends and teachers what a pity it was that so much was shown on TV about other cultural groups such as the Irish-Americans and the AfricanAmericans. Why was nothing available about the Germans? Teacher friends complained about the shortage of materials about the German-Americans. They told us that, if materials were available, they would use them in the classroom. If “Germans in America” has not yet been shown in your area, you might check with your local PBS station to see if they know about the series and are willing to schedule it. It helps to get friends and acquaintances to write letters and postcards, requesting a showing and demonstrating support. For more information about the Germans in America series, visit www. germansinamerica.org. Teaching materials in English were produced for Social Studies teachers by
Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP), of the Goethe Institut, Washington. The lessons in each series can be used independently or collectively as a unit of study. They can be downloaded from the website as pdf files. TOP offers workshops introducing the “Germans in America” series together with other new teaching materials to Social Studies and German teachers. They arrive on location with boxes full of great handouts and new materials for teachers. For information on these workshops contact Wood Powell at the Goethe Institut in Washington at wpowell@washington. goethe.org This series was originally created for broadcast in Europe by Engstfeld Filmproduktion, produced by Fritz Baumann. Coproducers were ARTE Straßburg, WDR, Goethe Institut/German Cultural Institut with support from the EU MEDIA program and the Filmstiftung NRW. Thanks to generous support from the German Information Center USA, South Carolina ETV and the GoetheInstitut released the English-language version starting in March 2008 (satellite feed) via NETA, the National Educational Telecommunications Association.
Program One
Program Two
Program Three
Program Four
Learn about how a whole German village packed up and moved to America. Find out about the adventures of German-Americans in the California Gold Rush and how their descendants tried to pass on their heritage to the next generation.
Full of hope, families crossed the Atlantic to develop a massive settlement in the Texas hill country, only to learn that they had been swindled. Learn about the struggles and battles these heroic people overcame.
Little Germanies in American cities across the country provided everything for the German Americans. Follow two families who represent both ends of the economic spectrum.
Learn how and why this important ethnic group “Americanized” their names and tried to suppress their identity. Learn about the struggle for cultural survival and how immigrants dealt with the melting pot.
Into the Promised Land.
The Price of Freedom.
Little Germanies.
A People Disappears.
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
100 Million Als die Mauer Fiel
Pieces of the Berlin wall put to a different use.
By: Matthias Knobloch Am Abend des 10. November 1989 saß ich auf dem Rücksitz unseres beige farben Trabis. Meine Eltern waren stolz, eines des am meisten verkauften Fahrzeugs der DDR zu besitzen. Denn schließlich hat uns dieses Fahrzeug ja überall dort hingefahren, wo wir hin wollten. Naja – zumindest bis wohin wir fahren durften. In dieser Nacht fuhren wir über den Kurfürstendamm, West-Berlins erste Einkaufsstraße. Der Zweitaktmotor knatterte im Einklang mit dem Summen der Neonröhren, welche die Supermärkte, Kaufhäuser oder die Dönerbuden in bunten
Regenbogenfarben erstrahlen ließ. Da saß ich also – als Sechsjähriger, der sich in einer Märchenwelt befindet. Alles war so bunt. Das Bild der dunkelblau angestrahlten Gedächtniskirche habe ich noch immer vor mir. Beim Durchlaufen der Spielzeugläden wurden meine ohnehin schon großen Augen noch größer. Bananen, Matchboxautos, Jeanshosen – wovon so manch Ostdeutscher bis vor zwei Tagen noch träumte – hier gab es alles im Überfluss. Wir schreiben das Jahr 1989 im Ostteil Deutschlands. Spannung liegt in der Luft. Abertausende wollen nicht mehr. Sie träumen von der großen Freiheit, von freien
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Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 100 million native speakers
Wahlen, von freier Meinungsäußerung. Sie wollen die Welt erkunden und nicht mehr stundenlang für die seltenen Bananen anstehen. Viele gehen dafür auf die Straßen, wollen ihrem Unmut Luft machen. Natürlich wurden Demonstrationen und Kundgebungen von der damaligen Regierung sofort unterbunden. Tausende Ostdeutsche entschieden sich, ihr Glück selbst in die Hand zu nehmen. Unter dem Vorwand, in den Urlaub zu gehen, fuhren sie nach Ungarn oder in die Tschechoslowakei, um dort Zuflucht in den westdeutschen Botschaften zu finden. Einige schafften sogar die Flucht über die demontierte Grenze nach Österreich. Der Druck auf das ostdeutsche Regime wurde immer größer. Die diplomatischen Beziehungen zu den Ostblockstaaten verschlechterten sich und die Zustände in den überfüllten Botschaften wurden immer unmenschlicher. Schließlich entschied sich die damalige Regierung dafür, das Reisegesetz zu modifizieren und freie Reisen für jeden DDR-Bürger zu genehmigen. Dieses Gesetz sollte am 10. November 1989 in Kraft treten. In einer Pressekonferenz laß der damalige Regierungssprecher, Günter Schabowski, diese Regelung vor und bestätigte den Reportern fälschlicherweise das unverzügliche Inkrafttreten dieser Verordnung. Natürlich liefen tausende DDR-Bürger nach dem Vernehmen dieser Nachricht zu den Übergangsstellen. Ich denke, wir alle haben diese Bilder noch in Erinnerung.
Hier bin ich nun inmitten all dieser Spielzeuge. Vieles habe ich in meinem Leben noch nie zuvor gesehen. Natürlich hatte ich auch schon ein paar Matchboxautos. Glücklicherweise hatten wir Verwandte im „Westen“, die uns immer zu Weihnachten ein sogenanntes „Westpacket“ zuschickten. Charakteristisch war der Duft, der uns beim Öffnen des Packpapiers um die Nase flog. Es roch nach Kaffee, Jeanshosen, Matchboxautos oder sogar D-Mark, die westdeutsche Geldeinheit. Mit diesem Geld konnten wir in den sogenannten Intershops einkaufen. Jene Läden, die Westprodukte für D-Mark oder andere westliche Währungen anboten. Aber in dieser Nacht waren wir im Zentrum hunderter Intershops. Wir waren völlig überwältigt und erstaunt zugleich. Nach dem 10. November 1989 ging alles Schlag auf Schlag. Die Läden in Ostdeutschland verbannten die Produkte aus den volkseigenen Betrieben und füllten die Regale mit Produkten des ehemaligen Klassenfeinds. Wir verabschiedeten uns von unserem Geld und tauschten 2:1 in D-Mark um. Schulkinder fanden ALF-Aufkleber, -Federmappen oder –Hefter recht cool und jeder, der mithalten wollte, musste natürlich irgendetwas von ALF haben. Auf einer Hofpause, ich erinnere mich noch genau, sah ich eine Klassenkameradin eine komisch aussehende Gurke essen. Um es meiner Neugierde gerecht zu machen, fragte ich sie warum sie denn dieses Gemüse mit einem Löffel esse und erntete nichts als Gelächter. Sie aß eine Kiwi.
When the Wall Fell By: Matthias Knobloch I sat in the backseat of our beige colored Trabant. My family was proud to own one of East Germany’s most common vehicles. For us, it was a reliable and valuable automobile that had brought us everywhere we wanted to go. Well, everywhere we were allowed to go. On this particular night, we were driving on the Kurfürstendamm through the west part of Berlin. Our Trabi’s smoky two-stroke engine hauled my dad, my mom, and me across West-Berlin’s busiest streets. For me—as a six year old boy—I found myself in a different world. I remember it like it was yesterday. I can still picture the blue illuminated “Gedächtniskirche” in my head. The neon lights of the supermarkets, the department stores and the Döner diner bars were glaring at me. I saw colorful decorated stores everywhere. I was the most amazed little boy on the Kurfürstendamm that night. Matchbox cars, bananas, jeans, and more…they had plenty of everything. East Germany in the year 1989. A whiff of tension is in the air. Thousands of East Germans want to travel beyond the designated destinations, they want real democratic elections, they want unrestricted speech and they desire bananas and other exotic fruit. In one word: they want freedom. People are demonstrating, saying it out loud. Of course, the police and the agents of the “Stasi”, the secret police, are prohibiting those demonstrations and cutting off all attempts of organizing demonstrations. Thousands of former GDR-citizens decided to take their luck into their
own hands. They took refuge in WestGermany’s embassies scattered in Hungry, the former Czechoslovakia and other Warsaw Pact countries. Naturally, these countries were overwhelmed by the masses of refuges trying to get into West-Germany’s embassies. Although West-Germany granted them entry, the East German Politbüro found themselves under increasing pressure. They needed to act fast if they didn’t want to damage their diplomatic relations with their allied countries or if they simply wanted to avoid riots on East Germany’s streets. To ease these complications, the East German government modified a proposal that would allow private travel to all countries. Those regulations were supposed to take effect on November 10, 1989. However, the spokesperson of the Government, Günter Schabowski, who was not involved in any of these discussions, made a mistake that would change history. The press conference held by him on November 9 was the cause for the fall of the Wall. He accidentally announced the freedom of private travel with immediate effect. Naturally, thousands of citizens went to the checkpoints to see the “new world.” We all know how this story ended. So here I am…in the midst of toys I had never seen before. Sure, I got a Matchbox car maybe once a year. Luckily, I had relatives in the West who would send packages for Christmas. Sometimes, we even received Deutsche Mark. That allowed us to go to the “Intershops”, a store chain that allowed East Germans to buy western products but only with western currency. But on that night, on November 10, 1989, we were surrounded by Intershops. The new world
This church is kept for memorializing the cruelty of War. Hence, hence the old structure was not rebuilt. The new church was designed by Egon Eiermann and consists of four buildings grouped around the remaining ruins of the old church. It is constructed of concrete, steel and a breathtaking blue glass.
overwhelmed us. We were astonished and impressed. Everything went by so quickly after that day. Supermarkets in the east part of Germany evacuated their East German products. We said farewell to the East German Currency and hello to the D-Mark, state factories closed, and every student in my class had ALF stickers, pens or notebooks. We now had to be cool in order to be accepted by the second grade
students in Berlin. I remember clearly the day that I saw a classmate eating a weird looking cucumber. Why in the world would she eat that thing with a spoon? And what kind of a cucumber is that anyway? Led by my inexhaustible will to explore the world, I mentioned my concerns about her cucumber-eating habits and earned nothing but laughter. She was eating a kiwi.
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German-American Journal
91
August / September 2010
There are over 91 million visits to German museums every year
Marching to a Different Drummer By: Raymond Luniewski The Lake Erie Fanfare
The Lake Erie Fanfare is one of the newest associate members of DANK and although we are primarily a youth & music organization, we have some very strong German roots through our association with the annual Erie German Heritage Fest! The Lake Erie Fanfare had its humble beginnings in 1983 as a group of high school band instructors from the Erie area decided to work together and bring the junior drum crops activity back to the area. With the junior corps under Drum Corps International (DCI) being recognized worldwide as the “State of the art” in marching music, we felt that the area bands needed to witness this excellence first hand. That year, we offered our first show held in front of 1,300. From then forward, the seeds were planted and the desire and organization took hold. Over the years, our group has grown by leaps and bounds becoming one of the oldest continuous DCI show sponsors in the United States. Annually we now present one and often TWO large drum corps events in the Erie area for several thousand enthusiastic fans. In 1993, we received an unprecedented offer of equipment from a local senior
drum corps in order for us to continue their dream of forming and operating a junior corps. Their sheer generosity and belief in us inspired the group and we immediately went to work trying our hand at putting together one of these competing groups ourselves. Over those cold winter months, the Lake Erie Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps was born. The first year was a simple experiment to test the waters and see how much could be accomplished. The first performance season of 1994 saw the group in about 24 total events – parades, standstills and other performances that gave the kids a taste of what was to come. Buoyed by that first summer’s achievements, the corps grew in size and ability, actually taking to the field the very next year with a partial field show and the following year committing to a full tour including competing at the DCI World Championships in Orlando, Florida. Almost simultaneously, we also formed another marching group, the Lake Erie Regiment Winter Color Guard. This group performs during the winter months and competes much more regionally around the area. The guard has membership in two “local” circuits in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Ohio as well as being a member of Winter Guard International. The group has now
Photo Credit: Ron Walloch Performance Photography
completed its 13th season and is currently classed in the “Independent World” Class – the highest level possible! With the large financial needs of such an organization, we began early on with several unique fundraising efforts, one of which was getting involved with our local DANK chapter and their annual festival. Through mutual friends, our “kitchen wagon” from the drum corps tour was able to quickly feed a lot of people and we became a natural fit as one of the food vendors at the fest. Over the years, the mutual association grew and we got more involved each year finally coming to full partnership in 2008. We now work each year with the Erie DANK chapter in producing and managing all aspects of the festival and use the funds we raise to help preserve our mission of working with the musical youth of our area. DANK continues on in its mission of preserving the German Cultural presentation at these festivals. IT has truly been a perfect fit and a “win – win” situation for both of our groups. Our 14th Annual Festival
is set this year for Labor Day weekend on Sept 4th and 5th and we again look forward to another crowd of over 6,000 people in attendance. Performing this year on the grounds of the St. Nick’s Grove will be the Hank Haller Band, the Mad Bavarian – Bob Hamilton, an authentic German Schuhplattler Dance Group and Henry Doktorski, accordionist. Once again, there will be a large Kinderplatz for the kids to enjoy their own experience and of course all the delicious German foods that our festival has become famous for. Another thing we’ve become famous for is our reasonable pricing for all the food and drink and our $5 entry fee. So please consider joining us in Erie this Labor Day weekend for a great time and help support not only the German culture but also good youth and music programs in our area. Sadly, the actual drum corps has been put on the inactive list at the time of this article due to the extreme difficulty in raising funds locally. Still the color guard goes on and so does our fundraising while we strive to bring the corps back perhaps someday in the future.
Visit Online At: www.leregiment.org Find Lake Erie Fanfare on Facebook!
DANK Haus Visited by Cold War Museum Founder Francis Gary Powers, Jr. By: Amelia Cotter
On Tuesday, June 22 Gary Francis Powers, Jr., son of the famous pilot and founder of the Cold War Museum, visited the DANK Haus in Chicago with his son, Powers III, and author and former spy for West Germany Werner Juretzko, to give a talk on the Cold War, his father’s capture and the development of the Cold War Museum. Francis Gary Powers was a pilot shot down in his U-2 spy plane on May 1, 1960 over the Soviet Union, sparking one of the greatest international crises of the Cold War. Powers was imprisoned as a spy and held for two years. He was finally released on February 10, 1962, in exchange for Soviet Colonel Rudolf Abel. Powers was criticized when he returned to the United States for not ensuring that his U-2 was completely destroyed or committing suicide. He eventually began working for Lockheed as a test pilot for seven years, and in 1970 co-authored a book about his experience, “Operation Overflight: A Memoir of the U-2 Incident.”
Powers died in 1977 at the age of 47 when a television news helicopter he was piloting crashed in Los Angeles. On May 1, 2000, U.S. officials presented Powers’ family with his posthumously awarded Prisoner-of-War Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the National Defense Service Medal during a ceremony held at the Beale Air Force Base, north of Sacramento and home to the modern US U-2 force. It marked the 40th anniversary of the incident. Powers, Jr. gave a dynamic discussion recounting these events and their consequences for not only the United States and the Cold War, but for his father and his family. He then detailed his own efforts to bring the Cold War to light among modern Americans and educate those who do not always recognize it as a world war and a “hot” war, in which soldiers and civilians did lose their lives. The Cold War Museum is located in Vint Hill, Virginia with chapters growing across the United States. One of its primary goals is to spread awareness and education of this often forgotten war and spark interest in young people to
learn more about this fascinating part of world history. The Cold War Museum Midwest Chapter became an Associate Member of DANK this year. The Cold War Museum’s website is www.coldwar.org.
Gary Francis Power’s, Jr. spoke to audience at DANK Haus about his father’s capture in Russia and the work of the Cold War Museum. (L to R: Werner Juretzko, Eva Timmerhaus, Amelia Cotter, Al Shafer, Sara Hartig, Gary Francis Powers, Jr., Martin Hartig, and Lucas Faron.)
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
63
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Germany is the 63rd largest country by area in the world
Mclean County Students Win Statewide Awards At Illinois History Expo Many changes have been occurring in the office lately and we are trying to stay on top of things. But the weather is beautiful and spirits are high as we watch Germany advance in the World Cup! As a sometimes overly enthusiastic soccer fan, I have not missed a match. The class, teamwork, patience, and diversity of the German National Team remind me of why I love Germany and enjoy working in this field in the first place. The way the team works together and presents itself, and how German fans around the world support the team and each other is exciting and refreshing. This event really shows the world a fun, modern Germany, not to mention some of the best players in the world and the history of the game. On another note, I am sad but happy to announce that Matthias Knobloch, our Marketing and Advertising intern, has found a full time job in the same field with Condor Airlines. He was able to make the connection to this job through another DANK member. He started on July 1 and we wish him the best of luck! He is still helping us with our eBay sales and the Journal. We do have the pleasure now of working with John Dobies, our Grant Writing intern. He is working on a set of guidelines for grant writing and a database of grant
resources for chapters or committees of DANK to use, should they be interested in pursuing that route for finding funding. Hopefully this will make it easier to find a starting place for the overwhelming task of grant writing or looking for outside sources for funding. A little bit more about John: John lives in Chicago, where he attends Loyola University Chicago. He is majoring in international business and economics. John enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures. John spent the spring of 2009 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. He is very excited about the World Cup and has enjoyed watching the US and Germany play. We are also working diligently on processing raffle tickets. Please send in those tickets! We appreciate the work of many members who have handed out tickets to their friends and family, and we hope to see the chapters start sending in their tickets soon as well. We continue to do our best to communicate with chapters and members. Please feel free to contact us any time. We are also thrilled about the Uniontown chapter joining the DANK family, and are looking forward to all of the fun festivals coming up this summer and fall!
Fish Fry Celebrates 25th Anniversary By: Donna Lippert DANK Chapter Benton Harbor
but consist of the same meal and desserts and wonderful music. The monthly attendance back then may Back in 1985, then President Reinhard E. have been more or less, but at fish fries Lippert thought about establishing a Fish fry today the wonderful fish fry crew can serve to help generate additional income as well between 400 to 450 people in less then two as to try to promote membership growth hours. The ladies continue to sell their at this chapter. Mr. Lippert got together desserts for $1.00. with a group of DANK members from In April of this year, a “special” discount Niles, Michigan and then was given to all those presented their idea to the purchasing fish fry tickets Board of Directors. They to help celebrate the club’s loved the idea and thus the 25th anniversary of the fish monthly fish fry at DANK fry. Benton Harbor began and We wish to congratulate continues today. former Chapter President Since this “first time” Reinhard E. Lippert, and venture would involve those others who made this quite a bit of work, DANK monthly event possible, and members were asked to we wish to thank all those Reinhard E. Lippert one of help. That of course was that have in the past and the founders of the ever not a problem as many present spent “countless” popular Fish Fry offered to cook, serve and hours in cleaning the fish clean-up. Even today, this once a month and those that worked in the kitchen making event involves many “volunteer hours” by sure no one ever went home “hungry!” all that help out. So, please consider stopping by Back in 1985, ticket prices were $4.00 sometime to join us, but contact the club and the meal consisted of all the “fish you at 269 926 6652 to make sure the fish fry could eat”, salads (cold potato and German), is on the schedule since there is no fish fry coleslaw (two kinds) and macaroni salad, in January. Also some months it is held the bread and the desserts, were sold by the 2nd Friday due to holidays and therefore it ladies Frauengruppe. Besides that, live is not always the 1st Friday of each month. bands played monthly. Where else could DANK Benton Harbor is looking forward you go for $4.00 and enjoy wonderful music to serving many more appetites for years to to dance to? Ticket prices today are $8.00 come so join us, won’t you?
Lauren Wombles
SPRINGFIELD – Five students at TriValley Middle School in the McLean County community of Downs received statewide awards during the annual Illinois History Expo held May 6 in Springfield. “The Illinois History Expo winners represent the state’s best history students and teachers. We applaud their dedication, ingenuity and excellence,” said Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) Director Jan Grimes. The Agency sponsors Expo in cooperation with the Chicago Metro History Education Center. The Illinois Society Colonial Dames presented two 17th Century Awards for Tri-Valley Middle School students competing at Expo. A First Place award and a $200 prize went to Dusty Tuley for his entry “The Kickapoo.” Lindsey Abeling and Ashlyn Hayes received a Third Place award and shared a $100 prize for their entry, “Angeline Vernon Miner.” The 17th Century Awards are presented for excellence in history projects. The goals of the Illinois Society Colonial Dames include: Aiding in the preservation of records and of the historic sites of our country; fostering interest in historical colonial research; aiding in the education of the country’s youth; commemorating the noble and heroic deeds of our ancestors, the founders of our great republic; zealously maintaining those high principles of virtue, courage and
Alexa Timmermann
patriotism which led to the independence of the colonies and the foundation of the United States of America; maintaining a library of heraldry and the preserving the lineage and coat-of-arms of our armorial ancestors; and developing a library specializing in 17th Century American colonial data. Alexa Timmermann and Lauren Wombles of Tri-Valley Middle School received the Ernst Ott Award from the German-American National Congress and a $50 savings bond each for their entry, “Ignaz Schwinn of Chicago.” The award is presented for the best paper, project or performance dealing with the history of Germans in Illinois. The GermanAmerican National Congress recognizes students who study Americans of German origin in Illinois and their influence on the progress of the state and country. More than 1,400 junior and senior high school students from across the state participated in the May 6 Expo. The student winners were selected during regional history fairs held earlier this year. The regional fairs and the Illinois History Expo are coordinated by the IHPA’s Education Services Program, which also publishes the on-line student history magazine Illinois History, and Illinois History Teacher, which contains teaching materials. For more information on the program, visit www.IllinoisHistory.gov.
Advertise Your Business Here Discounted Rates Available to Chapters & Associate Members
Contact Amelia Cotter National Office Manager (888) USA-DANK Fax: (773) 275-4010 office@dank.org
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
Chicago DANK Haus Delivers President’s Volunteer Service Award
Prestigious Honor for Outstanding Commitment to Volunteer Service Chicago, IL – DANK Haus German American Cultural Center today announced it has teamed with the White House to become a Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national program recognizing Americans who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service. Established in 2003, the Award was created by President George W. Bush to give Presidential recognition to individuals, families and groups who meet requirements for volunteer service, measured by the number of service hours performed over 12-months. DANK Haus German American Cultural Center is one of thousands of organizations that have joined forces to deliver the President’s Volunteer Service Award and honor the volunteers who strengthen our Nation. As a Certifying Organization for the Award, DANK Haus German American Cultural Center is responsible for verifying service hours, nominating potential recipients and delivering the Award.
“We are extremely proud to recognize our most outstanding volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award,” said Nicholle Dombrowski, Executive Director. “DANK Haus German American Cultural Center volunteers are role models in our community, donating their time, energy and talent to bring us closer together as neighbors and a Nation. The Award is our way of thanking these volunteers and inspiring everyone in our community to make volunteering a central part of their lives.” “Even if you’ve never volunteered before, the President’s Volunteer Service Award is within your reach,” Sarah Miller, 2nd Vice President said. “There are so many ways to contribute, and every volunteer hour makes a difference in improving the quality of life for others. We encourage everyone to get involved and to bring along your family, friends and neighbors. Together, we can strengthen America – one hour at a time.”
The Award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group convened by President George W. Bush to help foster and encourage a culture of volunteer service and civic participation among Americans. Chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs, the Council is composed of leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, nonprofit and volunteer service organizations and community volunteering. For more information about volunteering with DANK Haus German American Cultural Center contact sarah@ dankhaus.com. For more information on the President’s Volunteer Service Award and to find out how to identify additional volunteer opportunities in this area, visit www. presidentialserviceawards.gov or call 1-866-545-5307.
German Day at Hunt Club Village By: Richard Sonnichsen
Nestled among the many beautiful parks of St. Charles, Illinois, are 104 independent living apartments for senior citizens, located just 1/2 mile east of the Fox River. The residents really enjoy the conveniences of shopping and find the beauty of the location to be tranquil. Hunt Club Village is made up of seniors from Newfoundland, Iceland, Germany and from the US as far east
as Connecticut to the western shores of California. We have a monthly celebration in recognition of the many countries our reside have come from. Most recently we have celebrated Ireland, Poland, Italy and Germany. Everyone is encouraged to dress in their ethnic attire as music, food and activities showcase the country of the month. All of us enjoy the variety of planned activities, with singers and musical groups performing, along
with outings to interesting places in the area. There are also local school and community groups that provide entertainment, reminding us that we are part of St. Charles, a great clean and quiet town, full of all types of businesses and shopping. It is nice to have performing groups visit throughout the year and I would like to see the German entertainers participate more frequently.
Students at the Awards Night
German Student Award Night at DANK Benton Harbor By: Donna Lippert
DANK Benton Harbor/St. Joseph held their annual German Student Award Night on April 22nd, 2010 where three local high schools, that are still teaching the German language, were present. The schools include Bridgman, Lakeshore and Michigan Lutheran High Schools. Students from each high school presented skits in German and students in the audience had to answer the questions in German. Nine students from Lakeshore and Bridgman and seven students from Michigan Lutheran High School were all presented certificates of achievements by President Walter Patzer and 1st Vice President Gary Wirth. Student Nick Quardokus from Bridgman High School, who scored 98 percent on his German test, was the winner of the Josef Baumann Memorial Award, which was presented by Mrs. Else Baumann and President Walter Patzer. President Walter
Patzer presented each German teacher with a “thank you gift” for their hard work efforts in keeping the German language alive in their schools. Next year, only two schools will be participating as there is no longer an interest in teaching the German language in any of the schools located in Berrien County Michigan. DANK member Wilma Wallat knitted sixty-five hats in German colors and all in attendance that night went home with a very colorful hat. A wonderful potluck was served and the DANK Ladies Frauengruppe provided the most delicious desserts and brats! Monetary gifts presented to the students come from the Education Fund set up at the Benton Harbor Chapter and the monies are raised at each monthly Fish Fry. President Walter Patzer thanked all that came that night and hopes to continue the German Student Award Night for years to come.
Active residence of Hunt Club Village during the “German Day” celebrations. DANK member Gail Sonnichsen, Elisabeth Roehril, Willy Roehril and Richard Sonnichsen, also a DANK member.
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
11
Milwaukee Chapter’s 50th Anniversary Just a Warm-up for Better Things
Mlwaukee DANK Chor
Donna Lippert, Edwin Günther & Bill Fuchs
By: Ronald Kabitzke On April 17, 2010, the DANK Gruppe Milwaukee celebrated its 50th Anniversary. There were more than 100 people in attendance at the Sacred Heart Parish,in Milwaukee. Chairman of the 50th Anniversary event, Ronald Kabitzke introduced Wisconsin State Representative Fred Kessler, a DANK member who presented a resolution from the State Legislature congratulating the chapter and recognized many of the achievements of the first 50 years. A proclamation was presented by former DANK member Shirley Krug from Mayor Tom Barrett proclaiming Saturday, April 17, 2010 as Deutsch-Amerikanischer National Kongress Day. Also presented was a proclamation from Milwaukee County
Executive Scott Walker proclaiming Saturday, April 17, 2010 to German American National Congress Day. Federal Republic Consul General Onno Hückmann sent a letter of congratulations to the Milwaukee Chapter, that read: On behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany I would like to convey to you my appreciation for your strong efforts to promote German culture and language in the United States. I am convinced this will further contribute to a deeper friendship between the American and German peoples. DANK National President Bill Fuchs presented a plaque to Milwaukee Chapter President Edwin Günther congratulating the Chapter for its 50 years of service to the German American community. Also in attendance were Past President Ernst Ott
and his wife, Alexandra Pradella-Ott and Region Two President Donna Lippert and her husband Reinhard. Former Milwaukee DANK Queens in attendance were Erika Guth-Degner, Victoria (Brunner) Ohde (who was also a National DANK Queen) and Heidi Günther. The evening was also graced with the presence of Miss German-American Societies Elizabeth Schrimpf. Maria Kinzer, the only 50-year member of the Milwaukee Chapter was unable to attend but she was presented with her 50year pin at her home by Doris Mueller. A sit-down dinner was prepared by the women of the Sacred Heart Parish,it was one of the best meals served.. The ladies did a superb job. The Milwaukee DANK Chor presented it’s annual concert as part of the celebration and finished with a sing-a-long. The evening concluded with music for dancing by the Gunters Good Times Band. On May 9, 2010 the Milwaukee DANK Chor under the direction of Dr. James C. Norden participated in the annual singing competition for the Wisconsin Sängerbezirk held at Hart Park. The group sang two selections, Heidenröslein and Ännchen
von Tharau. The Chor placed 3rd, the best finish they have ever had in this event. The winning Chor was the M.G.V. Harmonia Kenosha. The Milwaukee DANK Folk Dancers performed for the residents of the Luther Haven Retirement Center on May 17, 2010. In between dance numbers Carol Perkins accompanied sing-a-longs on her accordion. Allen Perkins played a piano tribute in honor of Chopin’s 200th birthday. The selection was Etude in E. On June 27, the Chapter will have it’s annual Picnic at Sacred Heart Parish in Milwaukee beginning at noon. All of the German Fest volunteers are invited to attend. Following the picnic, the chapter gears up for the monumental task of working at German Fest. DANK Milwaukee is a major source of volunteers for the fest. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve food, work backstage at all of the entertainment venues, provide security for the festival guests, and man the admission and information booths. DANK members have held key positions with German Fest during the 30 years of its existence.
Honorees Receive Longevity Pins By: Donna Lippert Chapter Benton Harbor/St. Joseph
At the railroad garden, from L-R Jim, Christine, Hedi, Guenter, Mike, Helga, Baerbel, Sonja, Trudy and Erika.
A Picnic to Remember By: Christine Weiss Chapter South Bend
On May 29th some of our members met at Fernwood for a picnic to enjoy a pleasant afternoon in the beautiful botanical garden. “Fernwood is a special place where people, plants, and nature come together. Beautiful gardens surrounded by forest are tucked into a landscape of 105 acres of cultivated and natural areas along the scenic St. Joseph River valley. Miles of trails await, and indoors, visitors may enjoy an art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, cafe, and gift shop”. Fernwood also reconstructed a 5 acre tallgrass prairie, which was once the dominant vegetation in the Midwest. After lunch, we set out for an adventurous walk on a winding trail through the woods that led us to the river. We then walked out on a wooden pier and looked over the water. Trees and shrubs covered the river bank and gave the impression of serenity and peace. With some imagination, one could easily envision canoes with Indians paddling down the river. A new addition to Fernwood is a Railroad garden, which was designed specifically for Fernwood in 2009 by architect and naturalist, Paul Busse. We all were very
anxious to see the trains. Three sets of trains made their way over bridges and through tunnels while passing hand crafted buildings. It was a delight to see. We then returned to our picnic tables to have coffee, and cake, and to sing “Happy Birthday” to Mike Smith. It was his special day. On June 12th, we chartered a bus to take 22 people to the Germanfest in Fort Wayne. Like in the previous years, John Tarwacki had reserved a table for us. During the afternoon, Cobi Stein joined us with her group from Lake County. The afternoon program presented the Freudenmacher, a Volkstanzgruppe from Saint Louis, the Alpine Express and a Polka competition. Upon our arrival, we saw Dachshunde in all colors, shape and sizes. It was the final race for these dogs to pick the winner. The humidity was very high which gave us the feeling of being in a sauna. A heavy downpour in the afternoon gave no release from the heat. Being as tough a group as we are, nothing interfered with the fun we had. There was plenty of beer and water to quench our thirst. Jerry and Barb Tarwacki entered the Polka competition and won second place. Congratulations to you both. Shortly before 8 PM we departed from Fort Wayne, both tired and hot, but in extremely good spirits!
DANK member Rudy Bley, who has been a member of DANK since 1959, was seen with National 2nd Vice President Donna J. Lippert at the Sunday, April 25th, 2010 pin presentation, where Mr. Bley was very honored to receive the most special “50th” year pin for his 50 years of dedication to DANK. Years back he came from the Gary/Merrillville Chapter and is honored to belong to the DANK Benton Harbor/St. Joseph chapter. This chapter also honored its other member for long time service to their chapter and pins were given out by 1st Vice President Gary Wirth and President Walter Patzer. Hats with DANK #13 on them were also given out to all those receiving pins that day and President Patzer thanked those members for their hard work and dedication to their chapter.
Rudy Bley with Donna J. Lippert
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
Summer on the Lake Erie Shoreline By: Beverly Pochatko
The weather in spring and summer on Lake Erie sometimes seems a little confusing. Mother Nature has a habit of getting one in before the other: we often have relatively hot weather, in the mid eighties, only to drop back to a normal of 50 degrees and then work its way up. In Erie, it is said that on occasion you can experience all four seasons in one day! Well, now we are officially in spring and heading into summer with all the activities that it brings us. In May the Chapter hosted the Student Awards Night at the Männerchor Club, to announce the winners of our 3rd Annual German Essay Contest. The First Place Senior Division winner was Aaron Wilkerson, a graduating senior at the Cathedral Preparatory School. His essay was “Gottfried Böhm: Ein Wundersamer Architekt, Ein Deutscher”. We learned from his instructor, Rolf Daeschner, that on the National AATG German Test over the last three years, Aaron had the highest score in the country – the first year a perfect score, 100 out of 100; the next year 98th percentile –top student in Pennsylvania and this past year 99th percentile. He also takes Chinese at Prep and is teaching himself Spanish. He would like to work as an interpreter for the U.N. The Second Place Winner in the Senior Division was James Bello, a youth member of DANK, who studied German at McDowell Sr. High School. His essay was “My Favorite German Immigrant,” who just happened to be his grandmother, DANK member Ursel Altsman. James had this to say in his summary: “I chose to write about my grandmother’s life and her journey to America from Germany. Her life experiences and travels to America are similar to thousands of European women now living in the United States. The project gave me the opportunity to learn more about my grandmother’s life in Germany and my own German heritage. I am very interested in the history of World War II. It is amazing to me to know that my grandmother was a part of this history. Before writing this essay I had a basic understanding of her life. After interviewing her and conducting other research on the time period, I have a new appreciation for how I came to be. I am glad I had the opportunity to participate
Bev Pochatko Chapter President, Aaron Wilkerson, James Bello, Charlotte Chase, Treasurer
in this contest”. Winners in the Junior Division were taught by Cherylne Dohman at North East High School. The First Place Junior Division winner was Kyle Groves. Kyle’s topic was: “The Interment of GermanAmericans during World War II”. He chose his topic because of his interest in World War II. “The topic is important in history because it was a cover-up by the United States government that has just recently been opened up.” While doing his research he said: “I learned that many GermanAmericans were interned for false reasons” In the opening paragraph of his essay, Kyle wrote: “World War II was a tough time for many German-Americans to live in the United States. Over 100,000 German Americans were interned for periods of time, some lasting beyond the end point of the war. Many Americans viewed GermanAmericans as potential enemies of the state. Because of these prejudices, many German Americans lost much of what they had”. The 2nd Place Winner in the Junior Division, Alia Clark, is also a 10th grader at North East High School. The topic of her essay is: “German American Groups”. Her theme was “to compare and contrast the religious groups, Moravians, Mennonites and Amish”. She went on to say in her summary that she became interested in
President, Bev Pochatko, made a one-day trip on June 19th, to Pittsburgh for shopping in the ‘Strip District’ and Southside Works, ending at the Pittsburgh Hofbrauhaus. What a day! The temperatures soared into the upper 80’s with high humidity and ended with a torrential downpour. That didn’t stop any of the 40 tour members from finding bargains in the Strip District, buying pierogis at St. Stanislaus Church; fresh breads, coffees and much more,eating lunch at one of the small restaurants, or warm donuts from ‘Peace, Love and Donuts’ shop. The afternoon was spent shopping in the retail district of Southside Works. Everyone ended up at the newest Hofbrauhaus in the United States, on South Water Street in Pittsburgh – just across from the shopping district. Some enjoyed eating in the Biergarten, while the majority enjoyed the air-conditioned comfort and music by Steve Grkman (AlpenGlo Band) in the Bierhalle. Just as we were scheduled to leave, the rain came down. When it slowed – everyone made a mad dash to the bus. After dropping off participants in Meadville and Edinboro, our bus left the rest of the tired, but happy group off in Erie – where it was considerably cooler. Many are looking forward to our fall trip.
these religions “because we live in an area where we are surrounded by Amish and Mennonites. And I wanted to learn more about them. I did learn that everything has a meaning or symbol, such as the way they dress and when they eat or don’t eat. My favorite part of this project was learning all different aspects of the religions.” Following the awards presentation , everyone enjoyed the social gathering munching on pizza, lemon cake and beverages. At our June meeting, the Chapter hosted a Literature and Prose Night with members of the” Deutscher Buchklub” attending. The results were very interesting and we made new friends that evening. Over 30 persons attended and following the program we enjoyed a German “Kaffee Klatsch” with coffee, cake and other beverages. Oma’s Heritage Tour organized by our James Bello and his “Favorite German Immigrant”,
Ursel Altsman
Lake County Celebrated Members’ German Heritage By: Ursula Hoeft One thing is for sure: DANK members are not bashful about sharing their German roots! On May 23, DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois members and their guests gathered at the In Laws Restaurant in Gurnee, Illinois to celebrate their common heritage and to welcome new members, some of whom were actually
long-time members of DANK. The long-time members, former members of DANK Chapter Kenosha-Racine, included Loni Singer, Irene Servantez, and Hella and Erwin Goering. New DANK members were Enid and Nelson Cleary. After a delicious buffet lunch, Chapter President Cobi Stein invited members to provide samples of the dialects peculiar to the various regions from which they came.
L-R: Victor Kordas, Loni Singer, Verena Veile, Irene Servantes, Gert Vardeman, Josephine Schmidt, Hella Goering, Karl Schmidt Photo by Judy Schmidt Kanka
People weren’t shy! Many gladly showed off the dialects spoken in their Heimat. Some did it in verse and some in song. Admittedly, it was sometimes difficult for those who were not familiar with a particular dialect to understand the stories that were told. But whether understood or not, they all made for an interesting and entertaining time. Anniversary pins were presented. Recognized for 45 years of DANK membership were Helmut and Elsie Appelt, Helmut and Renate Fallak, Kurt Gebert, Victor Kordas, Katharina and Victor Pfluegl, Karl and Fini Schmidt, Loni Singer; for 35 years, Hella and Erwin Goering, Frieda Habschied, Vera Nordt, Irene Servantez, Verena Veile; for 25 years, Rick Kanka, Michael Pfluegl, Gustav Ploch, Francesca Sauter, Gert Vardeman, Erica Young; for five years, Gerda Hahn. Unfortunately, not all were able to attend the luncheon. President Stein also introduced Life Member and Honorary Chapter President Victor Kordas and Honorary Chapter President Karl Schmidt, who, along with his wife, Fini, had planned the luncheon. Other long-time members who were introduced included Anna and Stefan Schmidt and Anneliese Bode, Chapter members since 1962; Werner Stein, a member since 1964; Helga Knauz, a member since 1967; Maria and Stefan Heinrich, members since 1969; Walter Veile, a member since 1970; Judy Schmidt Kanka and Edith Kofler, members since 1971. President Stein announced that she, too, has many years of DANK membership under her belt, having joined the Chapter in 1967.
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
13
Newest DANK Chapter in Uniontown, PA. By: Chris Decker
This past Saturday, June 5, 2010, a new organization became a stand-alone chapter in Fayette County. It is called the German American Club Uniontown DANK Ch#54 and is a club celebrating all things Germanic. This includes the history, the customs, the games, the music, and the knowledge of all things German, as well as its impact on America, especially in Fayette County. DANK stands for DeutscheAmerikanischer National Kongress, or German American Club, and is recognized as the largest German American Club in the U.S. Three years ago, the late Ron Nehls and Chris Decker talked with Erik Wittmann, president of the Pittsburgh chapter, about beginning a new German club here in Uniontown. This affected the beginning of a sub-chapter concept where an established chapter would sponsor a formation of members desiring to meet in a location away from the home chapter. In this case Uniontown meeting away from Pittsburgh. It took time to establish an organization of members but, during this time, the club did grow in membership and leadership, and with the help of the Pittsburgh chapter,
finally became an independent chapter. The celebration of independence took place at the Summit Inn, with the National President and Vice President attending the party and presenting the charter to the present officers of the club. William Fuchs, DANK National President, and Erik Wittmann, National Vice President, and Pittsburgh Chapter President were in attendance. They awarded the charter to Ernst Jung, President of the Uniontown Chapter, and some “seed” funding to continue the German language classes and to begin building up the treasury. Furthermore, entertainment was provided by the Alpen Schuhplattler Dancers from Pittsburgh who beautifully performed Bavarian style dancing. The officers elected for the chapter are: Ernst Jung, Chris Decker, Lois Henck, Lori Greene, John Hela, Julie Skursha, Dr, Jean Braun, and Anneliese Ross with Sue Jung as the membership and Program coordinator. A number of activities have been held this year and are planned for the rest of the year including an Oktoberfest style picnic, a Christmas Party, a game day, and other trips to various locations including the Hofbrau Haus on the South Side of Pittsburgh. The members of Chapter 54 are asking all of the folks from Fayette County, especially
Officers of the New DANK Ch# 54 celebrating their new beginning. Front row (l-r): Ernst Jung Pres, Anneliese Ross, Lois Henck, Chris Decker Back row (l-r): Julie Skursha; Dr Jean Braun, Lori Greene
Uniontown, to come to the club meetings and see what we are all about. The meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the St. Peter Lutheran Church on Walnut Hill Road at 7PM. Also, President Ernie, who is the instructor for the German
language classes, which are held on the other Tuesdays of the month, also at 7PM, invites all to come & learn the language. For information about the club call President Ernie Jung at 724- 425-1168 or V.P. Chris Decker at 724-437-5232
Mai Fest At Chicago West
By: Annelies E. Pitz Our annual May Dance was celebrated this year again at the refurbished Alpine Banquet Haus in Westchester, IL. The owner made several interior changes that enabled the patrons a drastically eyepleasing overview of the hall. Since our 50th anniversary celebrations last year at William Tell, it felt like we had a homecoming to our old and comfortable enclosure. After a wonderful dinner, the Paloma Band helped those ready to dance to unload a few calories. Our patrons were truly thrilled to have Paloma with us this year, after many attempts to hire them in the past. President Harald Pitz introduced our
DANK National President, Mr. Bill Fuchs, along with other dignitaries: Hon. President Siegfried Endlichhofer of our chapter, Cobi Stein of DANK Lake County, Hermann Pigors, President of the Elmhurst Männerchor, Ursula Kundmann, VDAC Chicago; Heinrich Janssen of the Schleswig Holsteiner Männerchor, as well as Karl-Heinz Bauer, President of the Egerländer Tanzgruppe. Our committee promoted a raffle where four individuals won a $100 cash prize, a reward appreciated by many. With the bar well-stocked with Spaten, Warsteiner and Jaegermeister, the evening went by in no time at all. We wish to thank ALL those who supported us again this year.
National President Bill Fuchs with Chicago West President Harald Pitz
Sign Up For Membership Online @ www.DANK.org
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
German Fest 2010... Thirty Years of Music, Food and Gemütlichkeit By: Robert Miske
Celebrating its 20th anniversary as a chapter of DANK in 1980, the Milwaukee chapter was honored to have as a special guest, the Mayor of Milwaukee, Henry Maier. In his speech he challenged the German-American community to host an ethnic festival at the Summerfest grounds. He spoke directly to DANK, believing that if anything would happen, DANK would be a leader in this endeavor. Even though there were skeptics out there, who insisted that such a festival would never occur, a small group of individuals -lead by Milwaukee
Chapter President Walter Geissler- forged ahead with plans. With the help of a handful of other individuals the idea of a festival for German-Americans began to take shape to a point where, in January, 1981, German Fest, Inc. was issued a charter. The original board members were Kaspar Peters, serving as President, Walter Geissler, serving as Vice President, Marianne Trivalos, Rolf Hoffmann and Anton Siladi. Through their efforts the first German Fest took place on August 14-16, 1981. Out of the 30 GermanAmerican Societies in the Milwaukee area, 20 participated and supplied volunteers at this first festival. Volunteers were needed to prepare and serve food, work backstage at all of the entertainment venues, provide security for the festival guests, and man the admission and information booths. DANK members have held key positions with German Fest during the 30 years of its existence. As we prepare for the upcoming festival to celebrate 30 years of serving ethnic foods, entertaining guests, tracing genealogical backgrounds and simply enjoying time spent with family and friends, we pause for a moment to look back at where we came from and what lies ahead for the festival. New this year: A German Fest salute to the counties that surround the greater Milwaukee area. This year we begin with honoring Walworth County. The area includes Lake Geneva and several other communities. The honor county has been given a complete exhibition area to tell the story of life in Walworth County. Entertainment: To further celebrate the 30th anniversary of German Fest, a special
showcase of performers from Germany will perform on the various stages during the fest. Labeled as the “German Fest Showcase Performers,” these artists come from across the entire country of Germany. Then there are the Wiener Dog Races on Sunday afternoon. Dachshunds from across the country come into the fest to race with each other and win prizes. Dachshund Races are an event where anything can happen. The long bodied, short legged, lovable wiener dogs are faster than most people imagine. The wiener dogs may head straight for the finish line, or they may make a detour or turn around and go backwards. There will be a Protestant church service on Sunday morning beginning at 10:30 AM. A German chorus and a 35 piece brass band will lead the music. Those attending
the church service will be admitted free to the festival grounds following the service. Because this is the 30th anniversary, admission prices on Friday, July 23rd, will be reduced to the 1981 level of $3 between the hours of 4:30 - 6:00 PM The entire story of German Fest including the lineup of entertainment, admission prices and driving directions can be found on their website at: www.germanfest.com. On your visit to the Fest, come and see the Milwaukee DANK exhibit located in the Culture Tent. Your second stop will be the DANK National Booth, located on the fairway near the Main Gate. Stop by, give us your thoughts, renew old friendships and bring yourself up to date with happenings in the organization. See you there!
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
153
15
Berlin is home to 153 different museums
The Study of a World Language – German By: Christa Garcia
Although Germany is faced with financial deficits and is forced to cut budgets, including reducing the years of government-financed KITAs (Kindertagesstaette – nurseries/3-6 years of age), Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly insisted on no cut-backs for education. “To cut any aspect of education is cutting the future of a nation!” Unfortunately German programs in this country have been cut back severely. A recent survey revealed that Illinois has no world language requirement for high school graduation, the Chicago public schools do, however, require that students take and pass two years of foreign language in order to be able to graduate from high school. Only the state of New Jersey requires the study of world languages at the elementary level in grades K-8. The recommended instructional time and levels achieved are based on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners. New Jersey is also one of the few states which recognizes and gives credit for the study of a foreign language in Saturday Schools! The German government – Zentralstelle fuer Auslandsschulwesen – ZfA (Central Agency for Schools Abroad - has made an extraordinary effort to promote German programs (Deutschprogramme), part-time and Saturday Schools (Teilzeitschulen), as well as full-time German Schools (Auslandsschulen) in this country and around the world. The very recent establishment of the ‘Embassy Award’ for outstanding German teachers in cooperation with the AATG (American Association of Teachers of German) is but one example of those efforts. (Thomas Meindl-Auswaertiges Amt – Federal Foreign Office in Washington DC.) The EU Open House Day is another: German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth cordially invited everybody to visit the German Embassy in Washington DC on the EU Open House Day on Saturday, May 8, 2010. This year, all the Embassies jointly promoted the common theme, “Green Europe: Good for the Economy, Good for the Environment.” Another very important initiative to promote German started last year: the PASCH initiative – to which both DANK Schools, DSS Chicago and DSS Arlington were inducted last May.The then Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier started this initiative last year and Foreign Minister Westerwelle is continuing and supporting it as he states the importance of this endeavor. “Schools: Partners for the Future” its mission is to establish a worldwide network of at least 1000 partner schools in order to awaken young people’s interest and enthusiasm for modern Germany and its society.” The latest example of engaging individual students of PASCH schools is the Contest: PASCH mit! The competition “with PASCH” is a class competition. All students at PASCH schools can participate. There are four steps to solve the class tasks that become more difficult with each step. So that all can participate, this competition
AATG Junior Awards Ceremony - Northwestern University (l to r: Virginia Apel, School Director DSS Chicago, students [listed in the article], Teacher Francy McNamara)
is offered on three different language levels, see: www. pasch-net.de There are now 1400 partner schools-PASCH schools which are being coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented jointly by the Central Office for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe-Institut, the Pedagogical Exchange Service of the Conference of State Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and the German Academic Exchange Service. The network of German schools abroad and here that offer the German Language Diploma (Deutsches Sprachdiploma - DSD I level (A2/B1) and DSD II, (B2/C1) is constantly being reinforced and extended. Not only on the local level has the number of students increased but the numbers have also doubled nationwide from last year. On the local level we had a total of nine students who took the DSDI and DSDII tests March 20 and March 21, 2010. Those students are anxiously awaiting their test results which will be evaluated and sent from Germany sometime this summer. In addition sixteen students took and passed! the Zentrale Deutschpruefung Niveau A2 (Central German Test level A2) which certifies that each student can read and understand simple texts in German, can write simple and somewhat more advanced essays on previously unknown topics, and speak and give short descriptions of people, every day occurrences, likes and dislikes and present oral topics of interest in front of a testing committee. All students were tested on April 10 (written examination) and April 17 (oral examination). Each test lasted several hours and certifies that the student possesses basic German language requirements. Special congratulations go to the following successful candidates: Maximilian Boettcher, Allegra Ehrfeld, Miro Ehrfeld, Felix Hecht, Kersten Rieg, Nigel Schilling, Hannah Yoder, Julia Galassi (DSS Chicago – Teacher: Francy McNamara), Cassandra Bacher, Tara Bayer, William D’Angelo, Eric Fischer, Hannah Stamer, Jeremy Sue, Jessica Weber, Bastian Winings, (DSS Arlington - Teachers: Sabine Woerner, Terry Smejkal, Marge Plank). Congratulations are also in order to the following students who achieved 90% and higher on the AATG National High to r: Astrid Herod, School Test. These students competed
AATG Junior Awards Ceremony - Northwestern University (l School Director DANK School Palatine, students listed in the article)
with about 25,000 high school students nationwide and were honored at the annual AATG Junior Award Ceremony held on May 2, 2010 at Northwestern University. They received a Certificate “Ehrenurkunde” and a Medal of Honor donated by the German American Education Fund – GAEF. Herzlichen Glueckwunsch - Congratulations to all students and their teachers:Melissa Herzog, Jonathan Crank, Elke Granata, Margrit Struckmann (level 3) (DANK School Columbus, OH) Allegra Ehrfeld, Nina Jaeger (level 2), Jannick Stamer, (level 3) Andrew D’Angelo, (level 4) (DSS Arlington) Felix Hecht, Maximilian Boettcher, Miro Ehrfeld, Jaimie Meyer, Stephanie Meyer (level 2) and Charlie Bauer (level 3) (DSS Chicago) The ZfA (Central Agency for Schools Abroad) is also encouraging the cooperation between PASCH schools everywhere and has opened a special website: http://www. pasch-net.de/deindex.htm in order to continue to consolidate German as a foreign language in the national education systems around the world. All PASCH Schools can now pursue active and lasting connections with other PASCH schools around the world and with Germany and inspire each other, their teaching staff and students to engage in an open exchange of ideas and cooperate with one another. Because of this initiative and support many schools will benefit from a broad range of services available to them. This is indeed an attractive opportunity for students at partner schools to learn the German language at an early age and become familiar with the culture of German-speaking countries. The fact is, learning German means learning a foreign language with a clear perspective: anyone who can speak German can not only communicate with 119 million people worldwide in their native language, but is also laying the foundations for university studies in Germany and a subsequent international career. Particularly committed students are helped even more – by being invited to regional workshops or three-week youth courses in Germany. The initiative has additional training programs with which it contributes to the long-term qualification of both students and staff, thereby expanding the skills of young people for university studies in Germany and in their subsequent professional career. For students who have completed their education at German schools abroad and partner schools the number of fully-funded grants for studying in Germany has doubled. The International Scholarship Program enables even more foreign students to experience Germany personally for several weeks.
16
German-American Journal
August / September 2010
“The Adventures of Oskar and Atticus” now has over 165 Fans on Facebook! Adults and children can be part of the fun and send in poems, jokes, story ideas, or Oskar and Atticus illustrations to: Oskar@dank.org or Atticus@dank.org. Thanks to Michael Randall for continuing to illustrate the series!
Oskar and Atticus Fly to Germany! (Part 2)
Oskar und Atticus Fliegen nach Deutschland! (Teil 1)
Oskar survived the flight after all. He and Dani landed in Heidelberg and searched for Gretchen right away. Heidelberg is a city in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Gretchen was staying in a small guest house on the Philosopher’s Way [a famous street that winds up a steep slope, with a great view of the city]. Her relatives lived in the house nearby. “Gretchen, that’s not a guest house, that’s the shed of a Schrebergarten [a small piece of land with a garden that has a tiny storage unit, cabin, or area for grilling that is popular in Germany],” Dani explained. “Huh?” asked Gretchen and looked around. “I think it’s lovely here among the flowers. And my relatives are so nice!” Dani shook her head. “Alright then. Where is Atticus?” “I tried to talk him into staying here but he said something about Lübeck and then slithered off quickly.” “Lübeck! But that’s a city in SchleswigHolstein! All the way in northern Germany! We don’t have enough money to fly that far.” “Then you two can take the train!” said Gretchen and she gave Dani and Oskar each a ticket for the S-Bahn. [“S-Bahn” is short for “Straβenbahn,” or streetcar, and is the local train system running through each city.] “Ohhh, the S-Bahn. That’s gonna’ take forever and we have to change trains a thousand times,” Dani complained. “But thanks Gretchen, it was good to see you again!” “As long as we don’t have to fly in another plane I’m happy!” Oskar said very quietly. The entire experience was overwhelming for him— so much to sniff! But he was very brave. Dani and Oskar boarded the train and traveled through Germany… In southern Germany they saw the Black Forest and the Alps. Then they traveled further north through the Rhine Land where they saw all the beautiful vineyards. Then they had to travel further to NorthrhineWestphalia, the state that Dani comes from and the state with the highest population in Germany! They took a brief break at Dani’s house in Lippstadt. Everyone was excited to meet Oskar. Oskar was excited about all the big meadows. They traveled further through eastern Germany and saw the Krämerbrücke [a famous bridge] in Thuringia. Oskar had read an article about it in the German-American Journal. In the east there are big forests and the Elbe River, and other types of beautiful landscapes. Everywhere in Germany they saw big castles and churches. Oskar couldn’t believe how
Oskar hat den Flug doch überlebt. Er und Dani landeten in Heidelberg und suchten sofort nach Gretchen. Heidelberg ist in dem Staat Baden-Württemberg, in Süddeutschland. Baden-Württemberg ist einer von 16 Staaten Deutschlands. Gretchen blieb in einem sehr kleinen Gasthaus auf dem Philosophenweg. Ihre Verwandten wohnten im Haus nebenan. „Gretchen, das ist kein Gasthaus, das ist die Hütte eines Schrebergartens“, erzählte Dani. „Wie?“, fragte Gretchen und guckte sich um. „Ich finde es schön hier, unter den Blumen. Und die Verwandten sind so nett!“ Dani schüttelte den Kopf. „Naja. Wo ist Atticus?“ „Ich habe versucht ihn zu überreden hier zu bleiben aber er sagte was von Lübeck und ist schnell weggeschlittert.“ „Lübeck! Aber das ist eine Stadt in SchleswigHolstein, ganz im Norden von Deutschland! Das Geld, so weit zu fliegen, haben wir nicht.“ „Dann nimmt mal den Zug!“ sagte Gretchen und gab Dani und Oskar je eine S-Bahnkarte. „Ohhh, die S-Bahn. Das dauert ja ewig und wir müssen tausendmal umsteigen“, beklagte sich Dani. „Aber danke Gretchen, war gut, dich wiederzusehen!“ „Solange wir mit keinem Flugzeug mehr fliegen müssen bin ich froh!“ sagte Oskar ganz leise. Die ganze Erfahrung war für ihn überwältigend—so viel zu schnüffeln! Aber er war sehr mutig. Dani und Oskar stiegen in den Zug ein und fuhren durch Deutschland… In Süddeutschland sahen sie den Schwarzwald und die Alpen. Danach fuhren sie weiter nördlich durch das Rheinland, wo sie die schönen Weinberge sahen. Sie mussten dann weiter durch NordrheinWestphalen fahren, der Staat wo Dani herkommt und der Staat mit der größten Bevölkerung Deutschlands! Sie machten eine kleine Pause zu Hause bei Dani in Lippstadt. Alle haben sich gefreut, Oskar kennenzulernen. Oskar freute sich auf die großen Wiesen. Sie fuhren weiter durch Ostdeutschland und sahen die Krämerbrücke in Thüringen. Oskar hat einen Artikel in dem German-American Journal darüber gelesen. Im Osten gibt’s große Wälder und die Elbe, ein Fluss, und andere schöne Landschaften. Überall in Deutschland sahen sie große Burgen und Kirchen. Oskar konnte nicht glauben, wie alt diese Gebäude waren! Deutschland war eine interessante Mischung aus Neu und Alt, Modernes und Traditionelles. Sie fuhren auch durch Berlin, die große und moderne Hauptstadt von Deutschland. Dann sahen sie Norddeutschland. Das war Danis Lieblingslandschaft. Viel Platz, frische
By: Amelia Cotter
old these buildings were! Germany was an interesting mix of new and old, of modern and traditional. They drove through Berlin, the big and modern capital of Germany. Then they saw northern Germany. That was Dani’s favorite landscape. Lots of room, fresh air, and on the Baltic Sea or the North Sea there are many beaches. In the very north one can also see special houses with thatched straw roofs. Then they traveled to Hamburg, a big city with many ports. Hamburg is a city that’s also a state, just like Berlin and Bremen. In Hamburg one can find the best Döner. Döner are tasty sandwiches that mix typical ingredients from food in Turkey with German influence. Oskar ate three Döner in one sitting and almost forgot that he was supposed to be sad about Atticus. About a thousand years later, the two finally ended up in Lübeck. Oskar asked all the dogs about Atticus. A particularly handsome German shepherd told Oskar that the “Von Snake Estate” was not that far from the city. The “Von Snake Estate” was a very small version of a bigger estate, sitting in its yard. “It’s almost like Gretchen’s Schrebergarten house, “Oskar laughed. Dani and Oskar ran to the little Villa and knocked on the door. Oskar sniffed all around and made big wet spots on the windows with his nose. Tiny screams came from inside. “What is that!?!” cried different voices and finally there was the voice of Atticus. “That can only be the nose of Oskar! And that’s Dani!” Atticus slithered out fast and gave Dani and Oskar a big hug. “Did you all not find my note?” he asked. “We came all this way and saw almost everything in Germany!” Oskar explained happily. “We were happy to do it, Atticus. We found you, you’re safe, and I got to see my home again,” said Dani. Atticus introduced his family proudly. They were: the Count Hans Heinrich von Snake (his uncle), the Countess Anne Marie von Snake (his aunt), and their son, Bob von Snake (his cousin). They invited Dani and Oskar to stay for lunch— the full program so to say—with tea, cake, and deep-frozen mice. They had to sit in the yard because Dani and Oskar couldn’t fit inside the little Villa. “Very nice,” Dani said thankfully. “But please no rodents for me today.” Oskar and Atticus were very happy to be together again. Dani made a funny face all of a sudden. “What is it, Ms. Daniela?” asked the Countess. “Oh my,” Dani answered softly. “I just realized that we have to travel all the way back… Oktoberfest is taking place soon in Munich!”
By: Amelia Cotter
Luft, und an der Ostsee oder an der Nordsee gibt’s viele Strände. Ganz nördlich sieht man die Reetdachhäuser. Danach fuhren sie nach Hamburg, eine große Stadt mit vielen Häfen. Hamburg ist auch ein Staat, wie Berlin und Bremen. In Hamburg gibt’s die besten Döner. Döner sind leckere Sandwiches, die die typische Küche von der Türkei mit deutschem Einfluss mischen. Oskar aß drei Döner in einer Sitzung und vergaß fast, dass er eigentlich traurig über Atticus sein müsste. Irgendwie tausend Jahre später kamen sie endlich an in Lübeck. Oskar fragte alle Hunde nach Atticus. Ein besonderer hübscher Schäferhund erzählte Oskar, dass das „Von Schlange Eigentum“ nicht so weit von der Stadt war. Das „Von Schlange Eigentum“ war eine sehr kleine Version im Garten eines größeren Grundstücks. „Das ist fast wie das Schrebergartenhaus von Gretchen“, lachte Oskar. Dani und Oskar rannten zu der kleinen Villa und klopften an der Tür. Oskar schnüffelte überall und seine kleine Nase machte große feuchte Flecken auf die Fenster. Von den Zimmern kamen kleine Schreie. „Was ist das!?!“ kam von verschiedenen Stimmen, und endlich hörte man auch die Stimme von Atticus. „Das kann nur die Nase von Oskar sein! Und das ist Dani!“ Atticus schlitterte schnell aus dem Haus und gab Dani und Oskar eine große Umarmung. „Habt ihr meinen Zettel nicht gefunden?“ fragte er. „Wir sind so weit gekommen und haben fast alles in Deutschland gesehen!“, erklärte Oskar ganz glücklich. „Das haben wir gern gemacht, Atticus. Wir haben dich gefunden, du bist sicher, und ich habe auch meine Heimat wiedergesehen“, sagte Dani. Atticus stellte seine Familie stolz vor. Sie waren der Graf Hans Heinrich von Schlange (sein Onkel), die Gräfin Anna Marie von Schlange (seine Tante), und ihr Sohn, Bob von Schlange (sein Cousin). Sie laden Dani und Oskar zum Mittagstisch ein, das volle Programm sozusagen, mit Tee, Kuchen, und tiefgefrorenen Mäusen. Sie mussten im Garten sitzen, weil Dani und Oskar nicht in der Villa passten. „Sehr schön“, sagte Dani dankbar. „Aber bitte keine Nagetiere für mich heute.“ Oskar und Atticus waren sehr glücklich, wieder zusammen zu sein. Dani machte plötzlich einen komischen Gesichtsausdruck. „Was ist denn, Frau Daniela?“ fragte die Gräfin. „Oh weh“, antworte Dani ganz leise. „Mir ist eingefallen, dass wir jetzt den ganzen Weg zurückfahren müssen…Bald findet das Oktoberfest in München statt!“
This story is all about the geography of Germany, with some special highlights on fun places and things. Germany is a country in central Europe that bridges Eastern and Western Europe. Germany has all kinds of landscapes, from mountains to forests to wetlands to beaches. They have just about everything except for a desert! Oskar and Dani wind through the country in their slow S-Bahn trains and see many of Germany’s 16 states. They also get to see how Germany is both historic and modern, a unique and wonderful place with influences from many cultures from all over the world.
In the next installment: Oskar and Atticus Celebrate German-American Day! /// In der nächsten Folge: Oskar und Atticus feiern Deutsch-Amerikanischen Tag
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
512.9 Sweet Taste of Success
Two German students have combined their love of chocolate with a new way of doing business on the Internet to create a globally successful company.
Interview By: Lisa Ellis Originally published in June 2010 Atlantic Times Few chocolate manufacturers have more than ten billion different types of chocolate bars on offer, but then chocri. de is no ordinary company. Even the way the firm chose its name was unusual. It held a debate on its blog then asked contributors to vote for the best one. The winning suggestion, “chocri.de” sums up the firm’s business: it allows people to create their own chocolate bars on the Web, and then delivers them by mail. The brainchild of two 22-year-old students from Berlin – Franz Duge and Michael Bruck – chocri.de was set up in August 2008. Since then, it has gone from being an experimental idea hatched in Duge’s kitchen to a company with a turnover of more than €1 million ($1.25 million) operating out of a factory in Berlin. Describing itself as the “world’s first and largest producer of personalized chocolate bars,” it now sells its products in nine European countries and the United States. Chocri.de is one of a growing number of companies which are changing the face of the business world by offering personalized, design-your-own products over the Internet. In business jargon this concept is known as ‘mass customization.’ Over the past few years, mass customization firms have begun to provide everything from personalized breakfast cereals and t-shirts to perfumes and furniture. “Whereas many managers regard the customer’s individuality as a threat or challenge to be overcome, mass customization start-ups profit from the fact that all people are different,” said Frank Piller, professor of management at Aachen University. “They want to give customers what they want when they want it.” Chocri co-founder Franz Duge, for his part, believes that giving the customer control over the product opens up unprecedented opportunities. “By putting the customer in charge you allow them to fulfill themselves and have an experience, even if all they are doing is creating a bar of chocolate.” German business weekly Wirtschaftswoche which named chocri “best start-up” in 2009 likened the experience customers have on the chocri website to that of a “child in a candy store in the digital age.” With the click of a mouse, customers are able to create an almost infinite number of different chocolate bars by combining various bases and toppings. They can also personalize the wrapping. Yet the customer’s input does not stop there. Another
Comparing Markets DOW
part of chocri’s strategy is to interact with customers on social networking sites such as Facebook. Such forums are used not only to answer questions on practical issues such as delivery times but also to draw consumers into decisionmaking processes. Chocri’s English-language slogan, for example, was produced by a competition on microblogging site Twitter. “This gives us ideas that we wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Duge. The jury at Wirtschaftswoche said such innovative techniques “captured the Zeitgeist” and looked set to ensure the company’s success both inside and outside of Germany. Bavaria’s Economics Minister Martin Zeil said such ideas were destined to “help shape the economy of the future.” Yet there are still unanswered questions regarding the sustainability of this way of doing business. Customized products tend to be more expensive and, in some cases, use up more resources. There is also the issue of whether customers are prepared to buy such goods more than once when the novelty has worn off. Piller, for one, points out that “people, for the most part, are satisfied with standard models. However, he adds, this does not mean mass customization cannot grow “in double digits every year for the next two or three decades.” For chocri, the future could be interesting. Piller believes established brands such as Milka and Lindt could enter the market in the long term and take away some customers. “In general, though, the potential is huge and the market is untapped.”
Franz Duge and Michael Bruck, founders of Chocri
Chocri can now be ordered for shipment to the United States. Visit the companies American website, createmychocolate.com to create your own custom chocolate bar.
in 2002, Germany was Europe’s largest consumer of electricity, totaling 512.9 terawatt-hours
Secure E-mail Coming to Germany
By: Stephen Fuchs By the end of this year, Germany is expected to have a highly secure e-mail system, DE-Mail, fully up and running for public, businesses, and government use. This new service will allow individuals to send encrypted e-mail and digital signatures that are essentially impossible to be opened by anyone but the authorized recipient. Messages sent through the DE-Mail service will be regarded as a legally binding document, which will be useful for sending legal forms in which an original signature is required. German residents have recently been allowed to register for their own account, but in order to use the service they will need to stop by a public office, or have someone come by their home, to prove their identity. Once they complete the ID check, users will be able to send and receive secure e-mail with other users of the DE-Mail service. So how much will something like this cost? The price isn’t official yet, but it is estimated that sending a secure message will cost between 10 and 20 euro cents ($0.12 to $0.25). Receiving secure e-mails will be free. While this is more expensive than a free e-mail address from Google or Yahoo!, it is more secure and the price is significantly lower than sending a message by regular mail. Setting up a DE-Mail account is free during the initial rollout this year and it is unknown whether the service will start charging for new accounts in the future. For now it is crucial to get as many individuals signed up with the service in order for it to be an effective tool since both the sender and receiver will need to have an account. The DE-Mail service is currently being offered by some of Germany’s largest e-mail and internet providers including, GMX, Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Post, and Web.de.
iTunes Top 10 Song Downloads United States
DAX
Data Taken July 14, 2010
Germany
5/17/10:
$10,625.83
5/17/10:
€6,066.92
1 Dynamite • Taio Cruz
1 Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) • Shakira
7/14/10:
$10,366.72
7/14/10:
€6,209.76
2 California Gurls • Katy Perry
2 California Gurls • Katy Perry
$ Change:
- $259.11
€ Change:
+ €142.84
3 I Like It • Enrique Iglesias
3 Glow • Madcon
% Change:
- 2.44%
% Change:
+ 2.35%
4 Cooler Than Me • Mike Posner
4 Stereo Love • Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
5 Ridin’ Solo • Jason Derülo
5 Alejandro • Lady GaGa
EUR/USD
17
6 OMG • Usher
6 Marchin On • OneRepublic
5/17/10:
$1.2393
7 Impossible • Shontelle
7 We No Speak Americano • Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup
7/14/10:
$1.2723
8 Find Your Love • Drake
8 Helele (Safri Duo Single Mix) • Velile & Safri Duo
$ Change:
+ $0.033
9 Bulletproof • La Roux
9 Wavin’ Flag • K’naan
% Change:
+ 2.66%
10 My First Kiss • 3OH!3
10 Break Your Heart • Taio Cruz & Ludacris
Source: Yahoo! Finance
Shaded Row: Song found on both lists
Source: iTunes
18
German-American Journal
20
August / September 2010
Annually, 20 million Germans go to theatres and operas
The Cannstatter Volksfest
By: Jörg Klopfer in.stuttgart.de In the course of the period of political upheaval and economic weakness, in 1817 King Wilhelm I. of Württemberg, with the formation of the “Centralstelle des landwirtschaftlichen Vereins” (“Central Point of the Agricultural Association”), laid the foundation for what is known today as the Cannstatter Volksfest. An agricultural festival with horse races, the awarding of prizes for extraordinary performance in livestock breeding together with a general festival was expected to rebuild the Württemberg economy, which was heavily damaged after the Napoleonic wars. The following year, on September 28, 1818, one day after the King’s 36th birthday, it happened: The Cannstatter Volksfest was held for the first time, 192 years ago as seen from today. And since 1818 the Cannstatter Wasen has been the site of the huge festivity. At that time it was an idyllic, somewhat watery Neckar floodplain with no surrounding development, between meadows and vineyards, situated along the Neckar which was not yet dammed up. Within sight there was also the royal Villa Bellevue at the Wilhelma, which are today the only zoological-botanical gardens in Germany. Therefore it was a short ride by coach for the founder of the festival, who insisted on opening it ceremonially and to be witness of a successful start. The original idea of the “king among farmers and farmer among kings”, as Wilhelm I. was called by his contemporaries, still lives on today in the form of the “Agricultural Main Festival” taking place parallel to the actual festival, which is now an extensive exhibition on state-of-the-art agricultural technology in Baden-Württemberg.
There were almost always festival parades. For the year 1841 a festival parade with more than 10,000 participants and far more than 100,000 spectators along the streets of Stuttgart was reported. On that day not only the festival itself, but also the anniversary of the 25 years’ government of the founder, King Wilhelm I., was celebrated. As of 1882, upon the direction of King Karl, the son and successor of Wilhelm I., the Cannstatter Volksfest or – as it was called in those days – the “Agricultural Main Festival” was no longer organized yearly, but only every two years. This rule stayed effective until the death of the king in 1891. By reason of this rule and a number of years without festivals during and after the two world wars in the 20th century, today “only” the 164th Cannstatter Volksfest is celebrated – because 28 years in total stayed without any festival. Over the decades the Cannstatter Volksfest has developed constantly. At the same time it managed in a likable and unique way to combine tradition and modern spirit. About four million people visit the „Festival of the Swabians“ every year. According to contemporary records, in 1818 already more than 30,000 participants and guests were enthusiastically celebrating. Some of them had, as it is mentioned, endured a journey of several days from all parts of the kingdom. At that time the number of participants was noticeably higher than the number of the residents of Stuttgart and Cannstatt put together. And if one considers that the first Cannstatter Volksfest took just one single day, which was just this day of September 28, 1818, then the “daily average of visitors” can definitely stand comparison with today’s numbers. Even in its early days, then, the festival was no small event, but immediately started as a very real hit with the public,
which it still is to this day. Seldom did the Cannstatter Volksfest last as long as it does today. In the 19th century it lasted one single day, a little later it was three, then four, as of the late 1920s of the 20th century it was finally five festival days. After World War II the festival, which by now was very traditional, finally grew to its familiar size: at the start of the 1950s it was ten days, then twelve and since 1972 sixteen days, and since 2007 for the first time it is seventeen festival days. The Fruit Column is the emblem of the Cannstatter Volksfest. Right from the festival’s beginning in 1818 there was a towering column which was decorated with lots of fruits, corn and vegetables. So this symbol still recalls the origin of the Cannstatter Volksfest as an agricultural festival. The first Fruit Column was founded by King Wilhelm I. and designed and built by the Württembergian architect to the imperial court Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret. With the start of the first German republic after World War I, the Fruit Column, which by then was more than 100 years old, was banned from the Cannstatter Wasen as a “monarchistic” relic. Since 1935, the 100th anniversary, it has stood in its traditional position. Today’s Fruit Column originates from the year 1972 and, regarding its diameter, hight and coloring, it is built after the historical model. It is 26 meters high, stands on a five meter base and weighs about three tons. The paring right on top of the column is decorated with fruits and plants and weighs another 600 kilograms. The outer part is made from wood, a steel construction is inside. Due to its diverse offers from entertainers, innkeepers and open-air market traders, more then four million people are attracted to come to the festival in Stuttgart, the capital of the federal state Baden-Württemberg, every year. Thereby the Cannstatter Wasen, a 37 hectare big fairground alongside the river Neckar, becomes a cross-cultural venue. For people of mixed parentage and of different generations laugh, sing and celebrate together 17 days long in a friendly atmosphere until far into the night. The latest fairground rides for the young and the young at heart, but also cherished classics like chairoplane, Ferris wheel or ringthe-bell; lottery booths, flea market, musical fireworks, the festival parade, brightly decorated marquees with music, beer mug and roast chicken: The Cannstatter Volksfest combines tradition with modern spirit in an incomparable, wonderful heartfelt way.
7th Annual Mud Olympics By: Darlene Fuchs Over 500 contestants, from all over Europe, gathered in Brunsbüttel on the River Elbe, near Hamburg, Germany, for the 7th Mud Olympics, on June 6th, 2010. Teams come to Brunsbüttel from all over Europe to throw themselves around and fling mud in each other’s faces in pursuit of various sports. Participants often further heighten the hilarity by wearing fancy dress. The event even includes an opening ceremony in which the ‘Watthletes’ march by and a flame is lit in a barbecue. If you’re in your element just rolling around in some good, honest mud, you are sure to feel right at home. The event is unique on the North Sea
coast, and features different mock Olympic Games, like mud football, mud volleyball, tug of war, or the eel relay race, all of which involved getting covered in a thick coastal mud, of course. And since playing in the mud is apparently one of the most fun activities known to man, the 2010 European Mud Olympics drew in contestants from Italy, Switzerland, Belgium or Denmark, all looking to have a good time. Prizes were awarded for winning the sporting performances, as well as for the funniest team name, best team fans, or the craziest competing team. The good thing is participants to the Mud Olympics weren’t only fighting for themselves, but were participating for a good cause: the proceedings, over 100,000 euro, will be donated to
Photo Courtesy: Jörg Jahnke
the Schleswig-Holstein Cancer Society. If you want to compete next year, then get in touch with the organizers early to get registered. Then all you have to do is find a funny costume that you don’t mind getting covered in mud! Spectators are more than welcome, so if you’d prefer not to be removing mud from underneath your fingernails, this might be the best option for you. www.wattoluempia.de
Photo Courtesy: Jen Rusch
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
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Cruise On MSC This Fall By: Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Euro Lloyd Travel Group/Chicago
There is always the obvious when considering a fall cruise as a vacation option. Who does not think about the numerous cruises and ship companies throughout the Caribbean including Mexican ports. And, not to slight them, this is one of the very best times to consider the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America due to the deep discounts being offered by all cruise lines. Typical rates for 7 day Caribbean cruises have been starting at around $599 per person excluding airfare, while 3, 12 and 14 nights are comparably priced to sell. At this time, though, close to your own back yard, I would like to introduce you to an exciting brand new first-season program now being offered from the multidestinational deluxe cruise company, ‘MSC Cruises’. One of the most elegant and luxurious is their new ship, MSC Poesia, built in 2008. With each port, she will sail into a landscape of dazzling crimson and gold on their first-ever Canada/New England Fall Foliage Cruises. You will have the advantage of not flying long distances while being offered competitively low airfares when you depart from the ports of New York City or Quebec City in Canada. Follow the St Lawrence River as you discover the colonial history of the New England coast, exquisite mansions and lighthouses, experience the French
charm and seafaring heritage of Quebec, and enjoy the opportunities to explore the quaint shops and beauty of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Boston and Newport Island, to name a few ports. Stepping into the foyer of MSC Poisia, you will be greeted by a spectacular waterfall with bridges. This elegant ship has it all with spacious staterooms and suites including 80% ocean-view and 827 with a private balcony. The Aurea Spa offers Balinese massage, thalassotherapy, Turkish baths, fitness center, and yoga. Rejuvenate in one of the 12 bars and lounges each offering continuous live musical entertainment, or in the casino, cinema, internet café, espresso bar or in front of their giant outdoor movie screen. Attend one of the many demonstration classes from dancing, to cooking. Nightly live theatre performances include some of the best talent on the four seas. Four main dining venues offer special creations from talented chefs. Traveling with children? The complimentary supervised Kids Clubs
8 days Eastern Fall cruise – from $699 10 days Quebec to Fort Lauderdale, Florida – from $849 11 days Eastern Fall cruise – from $999 14 days Eastern Fall cruise – from $1149 14 days New York to Mexico, Central and South America – from $999 15 days Autumn Leaves & Eastern Lighthouses – from $1349 17 days New York to Fort Lauderdale, Florida – from $1399 19 days Transatlantic crossing from Kiel, Germany via Copenhagen, Southampton, Le Harve, Portugal, Bermuda to New York – from $1199 (only September 04) 20 days Quebec to Florida, Mexico, Central & South America, Caribbean – from $1499 activities for children and teens, will round off keeping everyone happy. All Fall MSC Poisia cruise programs start September 05 and continue through to October 29 with specific itineraries and lengths. And, while they offer 7 day cruises through Canada and New England ports as mentioned above, there are also some spectacular itineraries for longer voyages and tremendously great prices. Rates below are per person cruise rates only, excluding
airfares. And – the best part is that kids 17 and under sail for free! Call soon. As for myself – I will meet you on the last one listed above! For any of the above, or to any destination that your heart may lead you, by land, sea, train, or air, call us at Euro Lloyd Travel 800-572-3149 – your official D.A.N.K. travel service.
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 Fall airfares (sales can occur at any time) for travel to and from Germany, plus taxes and fuel surcharges, start from:
Ottmar Hörl introducing his “Luther messengers”, plastic multiple (98 x 43 x 43 cm) on Wittenberg market square in April 2010 (Photo by Judy Schmidt Kanka)
Martin Luther: Here I Stand
The installation “ Martin Luther: Here I Stand” by Ottmar Hörl will be presented on the market square of Wittenberg, the “City of Luther”, from 14 August to 12 September 2010. The opening will take place on 14 August 2010 at 3 pm. Since April 2010 the statue of Luther, dating from 1821, which was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow and is a distinctive feature of Wittenberg’s market square has been absent from its usual place. It has been removed for conservation and restoration purposes. A year ago it was suggested that the artist Ottmar Hörl, well known for producing communicative installations with a strong popular appeal, might be invited to create an art project on this site. Ottmar Hörl gained worldwide fame in 2003 with his installation of seven thousand Dürer hares on the main market square in Nuremberg. The ten thousand owls which he took to Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games, or his Wagner dogs attached to the park benches in the town of Bayreuth in the same year, are
as well-known as his praying gnome or his gnome holding up his middle finger. “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise.” This is said to have been the closing sentence of the speech made by Martin Luther in 1521 after he had been ordered by the Imperial Diet in Worms to retract what he had written. “Here I stand...” is symbolically transposed by the artist Ottmar Hörl to the installation with 800 figures of Luther which he has devised for the Wittenberg market square. “The figures of Luther developed for the artistic installation are based on the sculptural concept of Gottfried Schadow. His statue of Martin Luther was the first public monument in Germany to a person of non-aristocratic background. For the Wittenberg work I did not want to invent a new Luther figure, but respectfully to refer back to something that already existed. In my opinion neither Schadow’s figure nor Luther’s Theses require a new artistic interpretation. Martin Luther was aware of human fallibility. To see himself in the
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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.
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light of a saint or a monument would have been unthinkable for him. “Through the serial multiplication of the Luther statue I am emphasizing his role as a translator who, in his day, could not have been effective without the invention of printing. When his translation of the New Testament from Latin into German was published in 1522, three thousand copies were sold in that year, and over 200,000 within fifteen years. Truly a bestseller. “My installation aims to make it possible once again to understand and experience the unqualified relevance and significance of the person of Martin Luther. Very much in his own spirit, as a message for all people.”
The project will be organized wholly by Ottmar Hörl. The costs will be recouped by the sale of the installed works of art at a price of 250 Euros per Luther messenger. The city of Wittenberg supports this art installation, which was initiated by the agency “Luther 2017 der EKD.” More Info: www.ottmar-hoerl.de Orders: www.h2sf-editions.com
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
Green Fashion:
From the Alternative Scene to the Mainstream
Green fashion today combines eco with lifestyle, ethics and business to create a successful, trendy overall concept. German clothing companies are international leaders in the development of eco-friendly and socially ethical fashions. By: Joachim Schirrmacher www.magazine-deutschland.de
Green is in fashion. Not so much the colour, more the trend towards producing fashionable textiles in a more environmentally compatible and ethical way in future. All over the world, clothing companies are trying to make the manufacturing process more environmentally friendly and to enforce minimum social standards in production. And in fact it’s more a matter of business success than complying with international regulations – because consumers welcome this development. Among the internationally successful pioneers in this field are three German companies: hessnatur (a mail-order company for natural fabrics), Klaus Steilmann (once the biggest manufacturers of women’s off-the-peg clothing in Europe) and the Otto Group (the world’s largest mail-order business). In each case the personal convictions of the company’s owner were the deciding factor for this commitment. They were pioneers in the development of knowhow, collaborations and standards, both in Germany and in the countries where the relevant crops are grown and the garments are made. For example, hessnatur initiated the world’s first organic cotton-growing project in Sekem (Egypt) in 1991. Other projects followed in Peru, Senegal, Turkey and Burkina Faso. Hess was also involved in the development of organic linen, virgin wool and silk. Klaus Steilmann contributed to the development and enforcement of ecological quality standards, compostable clothing, chlorine-free viscose, ecologically optimized polyester, environmental management concepts and eco-audits. His daughter’s collection, called “Britta Steilmann – It’s one world”, brought eco-friendly fashion to the attention of a wide audience. In 1986, Otto introduced a new corporate goal: a “clear environmental orientation”. Michael Otto’s aim was to reconcile economic targets with ecological and social goals. This led to the implementation of extensive environmental and social management systems. In the company’s own words, 99% of the textile and clothing range today has been tested for harmful substances – and the clothes cost no more than conventional products. The “Cotton Made in Africa” project – in which 130,000 small farmers produce 85,000 tones of cotton a year – aims to help fight poverty and protect the environment in Africa. Otto has also built a factory in Bangladesh in cooperation with the foundation of Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and father of the microcredit. The aim is not
profit maximization, but finding solutions to social and environmental problems. Grameen Otto is the first company of its kind in the world and seeks to be a flagship project for socially and ecologically sustainable business activity. All three companies have a holistic attitude to their commitment which also incorporates issues such as the life cycles of products and processes, traffic flows, buildings, paper and sometimes even the meals served in the canteen. For example, Otto has built a logistics centre in the immediate vicinity of Germany’s Mittelland Canal, so that imports from the manufacturing countries can be transported from the port of Hamburg not by truck, but by barge. These projects have – and will continue to – set standards that have a great influence on the mass market. For example, carcinogenic AZO dyes have been banned, and
today hardly any companies sell clothes that do not meet the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Even major corporations like Wal-Mart, C&A and H&M have followed suit. There are also numerous small businesses and independent designers who have declared a 100% commitment to “fair fashion”. Although they are often limited to simple cotton products, they play a decisive role in increasing the popularity of green fashions. Kirsten Brodde, author of a book called Saubere Sachen (Clean Clothes), estimates that there are 150 small eco-labels in Germany alone. Whether it’s elegant couture by Inka Koffke or casual wear from such labels as Vilde Svaner or Slowmo, longevity is the key criterion. Kirsten Brodde goes even further: “The really avant-garde thing to do is to ask yourself ‘Do I really need it?’ every time you go out to buy new clothes.”
How Do Others Finance Health Care? By: Wolf D. Fuhrig
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 46.3 million or 15.4 percent of all Americans were without health insurance coverage in 2008; and another sizable segment was seriously underinsured. While the number of people with private and employer-based health insurance has been decreasing, the number of people covered by government-underwritten health care has been climbing. More people are struggling to pay higher premiums, deductibles, and co-payments, provided they can afford health insurance at all. Employers are responding to growing cost pressures by shifting health care costs onto workers. Yet, Americans are spending more money per person on health care than any other society in the world. In view of this dire situation, one wonders how other societies are financing health care and how their systems compare with ours. Among the larger economically advanced countries, both Britain and Germany offer a quality of medicine roughly similar to
what we have in the United States. Since 1948, health care under Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has been financed from general taxation and run by the government. Ideally, every citizen is to have equal access to all necessary medical services, and practically everybody is insured. Medical services by physicians are free. Copayments are now being charged for dental and optical services. Patients have to pay for a portion of their prescription drugs, but children and pensioners can easily get exempted. At least 15 percent of the British people buy private insurance, mainly for the purpose of getting preferential treatment from physicians and hospitals. The cost of private insurance, however, is not taxdeductible. Compared to the NHS in Britain, health care finance in Germany allows for more options. With the exception of about 2 million civil servants and the selfemployed, Germans earning a monthly gross salary of less than 3,862 Euros ($5,400) are required by law to be in one
of some 300 statutory insurance funds. People above the mandatory insurance threshold may opt out of the public system and buy private insurance, but many Germans choose to remain with a statutory insurance provider. The premiums of the German health insurance funds are set as a percentage of personal or family income. Employer and employee each pay half of the cost of the premiums which vary from fund to fund, with a national average of 13 per cent of the insured’s income. Since the early 1990s, German governments have been trying to increase competition between the insurance funds. Their fees can easily be compared on the Internet or in published rankings by independent consumer organizations. While both the British and the German system of health care finance are frequently criticized for too much bureaucracy, they do not leave millions of their citizens without care or with medical bills beyond their means, as in the United States. Yet, during the health care summit at the White House on February 27, House minority
leader John Boehner nonchalantly assured Americans that “we have the best health care system in the world by far.” To make this statement, he did not need to offer any proof because, as a patriot, he simply cannot believe that other societies could perform more efficiently or socially responsible on anything. Mr. Boehner apparently never heard that we pay twice as much for health care than other wealthy societies. He never heard that we presently lag behind most of them on such measures as infant mortality and life expectancy. During the ongoing health care debate on Capitol Hill, Boehner proposed that insurance firms sell policies across state lines, that small businesses pool together to bring down costs, that changes be made to curb medical malpractice law suits, and that state governments be given more flexibility to pursue rule changes in their states. These measures would be valuable improvements, but they would not end the plight of millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans.
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
21
Wired: Why The Auto Industry Is Betting On The Electric Car
German carmakers need electric cars to help them meet the European Union’s carbon dioxide emissions limits. But the new love of electro-mobility is more about politics than the environment.
Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS electric car
By: Ulrike Fokken The Atlantic Times June 2010 Powerful interests require powerful allies. And in this media age, they need powerful images too. So the bosses of Germany’s auto industry and the four dominant electricity companies were keen to present their “National Platform for Electro-mobility” at the German Chancellery on May 3. Chancellor Angela Merkel issued the invitation to auto bosses and the heads of Germany’s chemicals and electroengineering industries to promote a sense of can-do enthusiasm for the future of electric mobility – and indeed for the country’s auto industry overall. German auto manufacturers – particularly those who make vehicles with powerful engines – have been competing for about a year and a half to announce that they have developed the technology for a viable electric car of the future. “Every manufacturer in the world is working on electro-mobility,” said a Daimler executive. “And we have to come up with something new too.” The leaders in the hybrid car market to date are Japanese manufacturers Toyota and Honda. France’s PSA and Renault have also announced they will launch their own electric cars. At auto shows from Detroit to Geneva, companies have been presenting new electrically-powered prototypes with a weary regularity while there are monthly reports of breakthroughs in battery technology from the US or China which are touted as solving the main problem that must be overcome in every electro-mobility vision. The batteries that are currently used in electric cars combine all the problems drivers don’t want with the problems that have made electric cars virtually unmarketable up to now. The batteries hike the price of even the smallest cars by €15,000 ($18,000) to €20,000; they take at least 3.5 hours to charge; and even in perfect conditions, they allow a car to drive a maximum of 80 miles. They are also heavy and take up a lot of space. Even lithium ion batteries – the favorites worldwide – fill the entire trunk and back seat of BMW’s Mini prototype. The Boston Consulting Group has estimated that manufacturing costs for electric car batteries could fall to between €8,000 and €10,000 by 2020. Such prices would still make electric cars uncompetitive. So industry bosses make no attempt to hide the fact that these vehicles – which will still be too expensive in 10 years time – are being sold as “second or third cars.” The visions of future electric cars brought out by auto-
makers’ public relations departments have nevertheless had an effect – some 40 percent of Germans say they would like to buy an electric car next year. Showrooms report that customers are coming in and wanting to look at electric models. The euphoria surrounding electric vehicles is big, especially considering that there are only 1,600 electric cars currently registered in Germany. Merkel has “made the subject of electro-mobility her own,” as a member of the government put it. According to that source, Merkel has in recent months discovered that the issue is a sexy one. This sexiness of this issue, however, does not necessarily refer to the fun of driving one of the electric Minis that are currently zipping about Berlin in a public relations exercise but instead to the image that Germany, a land of motorists, is conjuring for itself with electric cars. This is an image it certainly wants to achieve. Industry and the government never tire of stressing that electric cars are good for the environment, solve environmental problems and help to make Germany less dependent on oil. But one simple statistic contradicts all this: the government plans to help put one million electric cars on German roads by 2020, but that would make up just 2 percent of the 48 million vehicles expected to be driving in the country by then. With 42 million cars currently on the road, the land of Gottlieb Daimler and Ferdinand Porsche is already one of the world’s most motorized. In order to truly cut carbon dioxide emissions produced by traffic, as well as reduce stress on the environment and solve traffic problems, these millions of cars must be made more efficient and environmentally friendly. It would certainly be better for the environment, landscapes, the climate and the population if there were fewer cars. The country is on the verge of a traffic collapse; many towns and areas of the countryside are incapable of supporting further roads. But the auto industry cannot earn money from fewer cars – nor does it make much profit from more efficient, compact cars. Germany’s premium-brand automakers make their profits on powerful cars whose price ensures the costs are more than covered. But to continue profitable sales of limousines and SUVs, the companies need zero-emissions vehicles. An EU rule demands that the average carbon dioxide emissions of a manufacturer’s fleet must fall to 5.4 ounces per mile by 2020. It is currently meant to be 7.4 ounces but
it is in fact closer to 9.3 ounces of carbon dioxide emitted per mile driven. This means German manufacturers have to speed up their attempts to lower the average. They have to pay for every infringement – and that could cost them millions of euros. The strategic interest in electric cars is “the carbon dioxide emissions limits,” according to one Daimler executive. Starting in 2012, cars emitting less than 2.8 ounces of carbon dioxide per mile will be calculated at a factor of 3.5 in the carbon dioxide evaluation of a fleet; this will fall to a factor of 1.5 by 2015 and will expire in 2016. “The special bonus for vehicles that emit less than 2.8 ounces of carbon dioxide per mile applies primarily to electric cars – although it is possible that in the 2012 to 2015 period there will be cars with other drive technologies that will also reach this value,” according to a response from the Environmental Ministry to the EU rule. But German manufacturers have been asleep at the wheel in the race for alternative engines such as the hybrid and high-efficiency combustion engine, which uses 0.85 gallons of gas per 100 miles. Propped up by German tax law and policy, they have spent the past 15 years focusing on big autos of 250 horsepower and more. The hype surrounding the electric vehicles offers German automakers two advantages: it allows them to distract attention away from their bad decisions and it provides them with the optimal conditions to get state subsidies to develop batteries and electric cars. The German government has already distributed €500 million in subsidies to the industry for research and development. Chancellor Merkel had planned to pledge a further €2 billion for research into battery technology on May 3, but ended up promising a large amount of German taxpayer money to help avert the Greek debt crisis one week before. So the fiscal support for the auto industry was postponed for a year. Because electric cars hold the lure of both getting subsidies and allowing continued sales of powerful conventional vehicles, manufacturers are going all out to stretch the EU rule beyond 2016. They want electric cars to continue to be calculated on a factor of three in the carbon dioxide emissions sum of the entire fleet. Every electric car made by Daimler, BMW and all other car companies would therefore reduce the overall emissions numbers and cut the size of fines due. And if the euphoria surrounding electric cars keeps going, automakers may even be able to use it to buff up their image.
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German-American Journal
August / September 2010
*** Calendar Of Events ***
This area is designated for DANK chapters and Associate Members to inform their members and the public of events they are having. We rely on the submissions of each chapter or organization, therefor all events may not be included. Please contact our National Office at 773-275-1100 or visit www.DANK.org for the most recent listing of events or for information on how to make sure your event is listed in the next issue. (Associate Member Events Listed In Italics) 20
Chicago: Stammtisch, 7:30pm. No cover, food and drink available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, 1pm. $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
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Chicago: Treffpunkt DANK, 7:30pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago South: Oktoberfest. 25249 Center Road, Frankfort, IL. Call Nancy at 708-448-8731 for info
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: German Cinema Now, 7pm. Free admission and popcorn, refreshments available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Bach & Beyond, 3pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For advance tickets, go to www.BachandBeyond.org
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South Bend: Annual Picnic, 1pm. Potluck. Kison’s Farm, 63620 Maple Rd., South Bend, IN. For info call Christine: 574-272-8163 or Trudy: 574-271-6922
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Pascack Valley, NJ: Regular meeting. Planning meeting. For more info, please call 201-391-2185
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Chicago: Treffpunkt DANK, 7:30pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Erie: Oktoberfest, 7pm. Guests welcome. The Erie Männerchor Club, 1617 State St. Call 835-1939 for more information. Reservations appreciated.
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Chicago: Treffpunkt DANK, 7:30pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
Chicago: German Cinema Now, 7pm. Free admission and popcorn, refreshments available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com.
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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South Bend: End of Summer Party at Sonja Wilson’s, 1pm. Potluck. 11361 Brundydge Dr., Osceola, IN. For more information, call Christine at 574-272-8163 or Trudy at 574-271-6922
Chicago: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, 1pm. $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
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Chicago: Membership Meeting, 7pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com.
Chicago: DANKtoberfest, 8pm. $10 per person. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Lake County: Kemper-Harmonia Octoberfest in Kenosha, WI. Contact Ludwina Homer, 847-2490073 or Cobi Stein, 847-234-3920 for more info.
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American/Schlwesig-Holstein Heritage Society: Oktoberfest, Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport, Iowa. For more information, call Mary Ann Muller 563-284-6640, or email meemarmul@ aol.com
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Benton Harbor: Fish Fry, 6-8pm. Doors open 5:30pm, band plays 7-10pm. $8.00 all you can eat. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information. Chicago: Kulturkueche, 7:30pm. Cooking demo and tasting, limited to 22 attendees and cost is $12. RSVP required. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
Chicago: Treffpunkt DANK, 7:30pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-5619181 or visit www.dankhaus.com Chicago: Sportsklub DANK, 7:30pm. No cover, cash bar. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For info call 773-561-9181 or visit dankhaus.com Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com Lake County: Day trip to Blueberry Festival in South Haven, MI. Contact Ludwina Homer, 847249-0073 or Cobi Stein, 847-234-3920 for info.
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Benton Harbor: Membership Meeting, 4pm. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information.
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Chicago South: Picnic. 25249 Center Road, Frankfort, IL. Call Nancy at 708-448-8731 for info
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American/Schlwesig-Holstein Heritage Society: Quarterly Meeting, 1:30pm. Walcott American Legion, 121 Bryant St., Walcott, Iowa. For more info, call Mary Ann Muller 563-284-6640, or email meemarmul@aol.com Erie: Festival Volunteer Meeting and Sign-Up, 7pm. The Erie Brewing Company, West 12th St. Call 835-1939 for planning purposes.
Welcome New Members National Members Beyer, Elfriede Beyer, Wolfgang Seyffert, M. Gordon
Chicago-South , IL Antonovits, Michael Botenstein, John A. Dobrez, Debra M. Hadley, Virginia Orozeo, Jesus Schab, Lorin L. Schab, Renate D. Wanda, Jane Wanda, Nick
Chicago, IL
Boehm, John M. Decker, Audrey Decker, Emma Decker, Stacey Derosa, Steven Derosa, Veronica Dunbar, Eleazar Faron, Lucas A.
Felgemacher, Kurt J. Frank, Bianca Frank, Jan Charles Frank, Katrina Maloney, Kerry L. Neumann, Anton Neumann, Crystal Neumann, Joerg Rudolph, Elizabeth
Springfield, IL Nickell, Sandra
Benton Harbor, MI
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition Celebration, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
SEPTEMBER 2010 3
Benton Harbor: Fish Fry ,6-8pm. Doors open 5:30pm, band plays 7-10pm. $8.00 all you can eat. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information.
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Chicago: Stammtisch, 7:30pm. No cover, food and drink available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com Benton Harbor: Early Oktoberfest featuring Squeezebox Band, 6pm. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. For Info: 269-926-6652
4/21/10 to 6/24/10 Milwaukee, WI Pulkinen, William Swenson, Valerie
Chicago-Northern Suburbs, IL Smejkal, Theresa M.
Cleveland, OH Freiberg, Kurt
South Bend, IN Brzycki, Diane
Hanika, Elisa Ann Holubar, Debbie Kruger, Richard P. Kruger, Sue Ann
Uniontown, PA
Indianapolis, IN
Schmitz, Max
Hannemann, Konstantin Kling, Erika M.
Beloit-Janesville, WI Merino, Rodrigo
Crawford, Larry Walker, Amanda
Pittsburgh, PA Associate Member
German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest
Independent Advertising Sales Professional Growing company with German ownership seeks a talented individual with the great German-American work ethic to sell display and online advertising for our print and interactive publications. Commissions are paid weekly. Contact lists are provided to limit cold sales. German language skills are not required. Our firm is a three time Future 50 award recipient from the MMAC. We have seven European sister companies as well as our parent company in Germany. If you are an active, self motivated professional that enjoys working independently and is not opposed to limited regional travel, please e-mail us your career and contact information to info@novoprint.com.
August / September 2010
German-American Journal
23
Merchandise For Sale Die Handarbeitsgruppe
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By: Rita Golter
Die Handarbeitsgruppe von Fox Valley besteht schon seit ueber drei Jahrzehnten. Diese Gruppe von 6-8 Damen dekoriert jaehrlich den Weihnachtsbaum in der Library West, Aurora, IL. Diese Handarbeits-gruppe kommt waehrend des Jahres monatlich bei einem Glas Wein zusammen um Strohsterne nach alten Mustern zu basteln. Dabei wird viel gelacht, auf Deutsch erzaehlt, und alle Translation By: Christa Garcia The handicraft group of Fox Valley has been in operation for over thirty years. It is a group of 6-8 ladies who decorate the Christmas tree at the West Aurora Library each year. This group of ladies meets monthly during the year over a glass of wine to prepare straw stars according to the old patterns. It is an atmosphere of real “Gemuetlichkeit” – much laughter and
DANK Polo Shirt with Blue Trim
Sudoku Challenge Sudoku 9x9 - Puzzle 3 of 5 - Hard
$31
Difficulty Level: HARD
8 Moon Landing Coin
50th Anniversary Pin
Silver - Sold Out
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Bronze - $19
good stories in German. They produce the straw stars from 7-9 p.m., then there is coffee and cake. These ladies have met for the past 34 years and each year decorate the German tree in the West Aurora Library. Rita Golter writes: “It is our great pleasure to beautify our community!” Hats off to your dedication and continued efforts to keep the German traditions alive, Fox Valley Handarbeitsgruppe!
German-American Journal
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haben Spass. Von 19.00 h bis 21.00 h wird tuechtig gebastelt, danach gibt es Kaffee und Kuchen. Seit 34 Jahren schmuecken diese unermuedlichen Damen den „Deutschen Baum“ in der Aurora Buecherei. Rita Golter schreibt: „Viel Lob haben wir auch in diesem Jahr bekommen. Es ist unsere Freude, unsere Gemeinde damit zu verschoenern!“Herzlichst, die Handarbeitsgruppe Fox Valley, IL.
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August / September 2010
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