Volume 60, Number 1
February / March 2012
St. Nikolaus Project Challenge Re-issued By: Beverly Pochatko
Three Crazy Days Karneval celebrations throughout Germany are steeped in legend that originate in various parts of the country. Once a year the reputation of Germans as orderly, obedient, and rational is questioned. It is the ‘fifth season’ of the year, and people everywhere become a bit eccentric. But, these days of exuberance and celebration, divides Germans into those who absolutely hate it, and those who eagerly make fools out of themselves. Opponents do not understand the humor and they see no point in all the rules which are strictly followed. The division that divides Germany is related to geography: as a rule of thumb, fanatics can be found wherever wine is grown. On a whole, there are some 4000 clubs which are dispersed all over Germany. Regional differences are most obvious when one looks at the different names for Karneval. Fasenacht, Fosenocht, Fasteleer, Fastelovvend, Fastelabend and Fastnacht refer to the night/evening before lent. Fasching in Austria and Bavaria comes from vastschank, roughly translatable as pouring out the casks or the last serving (alcoholic beverages) before lent. If you look in the dictionary you will find the words Fastnacht and Karneval as elements of proper German. A very important regional distinction is the Karneval Salutation. Around Cologne this is “Alaaf,” and almost everywhere else it is “Helau.” Never shout “Helau” in Cologne, or “Alaaf” in Mainz! Weiberfastnacht (women’s carnival night) is celebrated the Thursday before Rosenmontag, signaling the beginning of the five days of Karneval and the first of the three crazy days. Men are well advised to wear an old tie, since women are allowed to cut off the tie, of any man within reach, and complaining will not be tolerated.
In 1824 it all started in Beuel, a suburb in Bonn, as the ladies decided to take a day off of working in the Beueler laundries, in order to participate in the Karneval celebrations, which were considered a man’s affair. Weiberfastnacht has become a pre-celebration elsewhere, but it remains the main event during Karneval in Beuel, Germany. In cities all along the Rhine it is normal to start partying from this Thursday on, through to midnight on Lent Tuesday. Karneval celebrations, the second crazy day, one will find outlandish costumes an essential part of German parades, processions, and balls. Many balls are theme based, which can mean anything from striped underwear and painted faces, to formal evening gowns, black ties, and tuxedos. Clown costumes are a favorite at the Karneval celebrations in Cologne, German. People also wear fools’ caps, or kappen. During the costume balls in Munich, masqueraders often wear costumes that were typical of the elaborate balls held in Venice, Italy, during the 1500s and 1600s. Favorites in Mainz, in the Rhineland, are costumes portraying political mockery of all kinds. Rosenmontag is the climax of the drei tolle Tage (three crazy days). The largest parades are the Rosenmontagzug in Mainz, Düsseldorf and Köln. Starting at 11:11am, the parades are four to five miles long, and wind through the cities with floats, horses, bands, jesters, and the Fools Guild in traditional uniforms. Dense crowds on the sidewalks laugh, drink, sing, and try to catch candy raining down around them. The cities are turned upside down, and business comes to a stop. Ash Wednesday is the day for all to return back to normal mode, marking the end of Karneval and the beginning of the Lenten season. Many songs, such as “Am Aschermittworch,” center around this abrupt ending, expressing deep regret for the conclusion of another Karneval season.
The collection for the 2011 St. Nikolaus Project was very disappointing. In 2011 the numbers dropped greatly to…14,690 lbs. and $1,464.50 in cash donations between three organizations. Perhaps it was not stressed enough that the project was meant to be on-going and not just for one year. In 2010, first year of the St. Nikolaus Project, sixteen organizations collected 40,692 lbs of canned goods and $1,435 in cash donations. Did your chapter collect donations but forget to let us know ? I hope that is the reason our numbers are so low. We often forget that many people need help throughout the entire year and not just during the holidays. Hunger is not just seasonal, but ongoing. We chose to name our sharing program after St. Nikolaus, who was known for his generosity to the underprivileged. The Food Pantry, that receives your donations, will send a letter thanking you for your support and we ask that you forward a copy to Eve at the National Office. The Erie Chapter received the Second Harvest Food Bank’s “Bread Box Award” for their support for the second year in a row. A big thank you to the following for their donations to the St. Nikolaus Project in 2011: Germanfest Milwaukee (12,300 lbs & $1,464.50 cash donations); DANK Erie and the German Heritage Fest (2,320 lbs) and DANK Chicago South (70 lbs). If you collected and didn’t record it, let Eve know and we will give you credit in the next Journal. THE CHALLENGE: Our goal is to of collect a minimum of 40,000 lbs for 2012. Start working on your St. Nikolaus Project now. While many do not want the task of collecting canned goods, etc., why not ask members at a meeting or event to make a cash donation to be given to a local food bank. That money can enable them to purchase even more items for the food pantry. Give a discount to an event with the donation of canned goods. To get started again, call the office (1-888-USA-DANK) or send a note to the national office (office@dank.org) and Eve will forward the St. Nikolaus info to you. Everyone asks “What’s in it for us?” A personal feeling of being thankful that we can share. No matter how little, because every little bit counts, of helping others who have come on hard times. Pride in the fact that we, as Americans of German heritage, do care about our neighbors. So when you go shopping and there is ‘BOGO Free’, put that one aside, or buy an extra item or two when you do your weekly shopping and put them in a bag /box to donate. The success of this project is up to you, both individually and as an organization.
TidBits
Associate Members
Education
Auf Deutsch
Insider
Business & Tech
Pages 3-4 Page 5
Page 6
Pages 7-13
Page 14 Page 15
Lifestyle
Pages 16-17
Calendar Page 18
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German-American Journal
February / March 2012
CHECK OUT THE NEW DANK.ORG German Radio & T V Official DANK Blog Newspaper Archives
Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde! Dear Members and Friends, Our work as a Board to serve your interests began with our election in Pittsburgh. We met on the 10th of December in Chicago to lay the ground work for the coming year. One thing is certain: we are united in our effort to keep our German heritage strong. If you have been following Erik Wittmann’s Membership reports in the Journal, you cannot help but realize that there is a real concern about declining membership. Realistically, we expect a certain amount of decline due to the age of our membership and the passing of those members who helped build DANK. What is difficult to understand is the ‘failure’ (for lack of a better word) of family members to enroll even one member of their own family, to let their pride in their heritage slip by with seemingly no one to care. My sisters and I were raised during WWII, a time when it was not good to be known as having a German background. Our roots in America began in 1772 on my father’s side and in 1862 for my mother’s family. They had fully become Americanized by the time of our generation. There were a few traditions – but we didn’t know it was from our German heritage; the foods we ate, we thought were made a certain way to ‘stretch’ a meal. It wasn’t until I married into a Slovak family, which had many traditions, that I became determined to learn more about my family’s German heritage. That and the TV mini-series “Roots”, by Alex Haley My desire to learn more about my ‘roots’ led to the formation of the DANK Chapter in Erie. Over the past 22 years I have learned much of the richness of the German culture; the many contributions to science, education and health by Germans and German Americans, not to mention politics and military contributions. Ten years ago, the Board discussed having to make the transition from an organization of immigrants to an organization of Americans of German descent. When the immigrants came over, the focus was on what they left behind, with an emphasis on becoming an American citizen. DANK encouraged learning the English language, to seek citizenship and to become responsible citizens of their adopted homeland. Now we must change our focus to their descendants and encourage them to learn the German language of their ancestors; to learn about the many contributions of Germans and German Americans; to preserve even the simplest of traditions for their children. In other words, to be proud of who they are and where their roots began. In this time of mixed ethnic marriages, it is important that we don’t allow our German traditions to be lost along the way. Where is this leading? I want to encourage every member, young and old, to rise up and meet the challenge of “Just Add One” new member. A membership for the head of household is $30; just 8 cents per day or 11 cents per day for a couple ($40). Think about it! That is about 77 cents per week – less than a cup of coffee and this is something that will keep on giving back to you…not just a five minute pleasure. With that membership you may be able to fan that spark of inquisitiveness to bring our rich heritage back into their lives, traditions back into their homes – whether it is through specific foods, how you celebrate the holidays or encouraging them to research the family tree. Are you willing to meet the “Just Add One” challenge? Give a gift of membership today! Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Beverly A. Pochatko National President
DIE BRUECKE ZUR ALTEN HEIMAT “Building Bridges to Germany” Listen to LIVE radio from Germany on our website! Find ‘Radio Heimatmelodie’ along with a list of other live German radio stations that you can listen to for FREE.
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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 Beverly Pochatko 1. Vice President Alfred Mueller
2. Vice President James Dombrowski
Treasurer Bob Miske
Secretary Linda Voit
Editorial Staff
New Years Wishes Instead of Resolutions
Editor-in-Chief Darlene Fuchs darlene@dank.org
The tradition of the New Year’s Resolution goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome with two faces, to look back on past events and forward to the future, became the symbol for resolutions. The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, who was also the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar in 46 B.C. And at midnight, on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year’s Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1. With New Year’s upon us, here’s a look at some of the New Year symbols and traditions associated with German-Americans. AUSTRIA - The suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the New Year. DUTCH – They believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes “coming full circle,” and thus, eating donuts on New Year’s Day will bring good fortune. Germany - People may give each other four-leaf clovers or a little marzipan pig with a coin in its back, as a symbol of good luck and wealth for the new year. Cabbage is also eaten to bring in financial stability, herring for good luck and carp to bring one wealth. A popular custom is Bleigiessen, in which small bits of molten lead are quickly dropped into cold water, and one tries to tell the future from the shape it makes. A heart or ring shape meant a wedding, a ship meant a journey, and a pig meant plenty of food in the year ahead. UNITED STATES - Father Time and Baby New Year serve as metaphors for the death of one calendar year and the birth of a new one. A traditional southern New Year’s dish is Hoppin’ John— black eyed peas and ham hocks. An old saying goes, “Eat peas on New Year’s day to have plenty of everything the rest of the year.”
Correspondents Corinna Bienger Amelia Cotter Stephen Fuchs Christa Garcia Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Matthias Knobloch
Here are a few of my New Year’s wishes for this year. That’s right—New Year’s wishes, not New Year’s resolutions. • May New Year’s Eve find you seated around the table, together with your family and cherished friends. • May we all enjoy good health, happiness, and prosperity. • May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. • May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner. • May we take some time to appreciate all the wonderful things that we have and remember to say “I love you” at least once a day to our spouse, child, parent, siblings, or friends. • May we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of God’s love in every sunset, every flower’s unfolding petals, every baby’s smile, and every friend’s embrace.
Editorial Staff Margita Mandel Amanda Pedersen Chapter News Editor Darlene Fuchs darlene@dank.org Membership Erik Wittmann erik25@comcast.net Layout & Design Stephen Fuchs Stephen@FoxTaleEdit.com Advertising & Classifieds Eve Timmerhaus eve@dank.org
Office Staff DANK National Executive Office
4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, Il 60625-2013 Call (773) 275-1100 Toll Free (866) 926-1109 Fax (773) 275-4010 Office Hours:
9am - 4pm / Monday, Wednesday-Friday Executive Secretary Eva Timmerhaus Office@dank.org
Office Manager Eve Timmerhaus Eve@dank.org
General Information German-American Journal - ISSN 1086-8070 - is published bi-monthly and is the official publication of the German American National Congress. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: German-American Journal 4740 N. Western Ave., Suite 206 Chicago, IL 60625-2013
Annual Subscription - Rate: $15.00 Darlene Fuchs Editor-in-Chief
Submission Deadline For The April / May 2012 Issue:
February 25, 2012
www.dank.org/news.html
DANK does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information published herein. DANK reserves the right to change or amend submissions for any reason without prior notice. ©2012 DANK. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
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Martin Luther King Jr. - The German Connection By: John Bareither
Germans and non-Germans are familiar with the German religious reformer Martin Luther of the 16th century. He is remembered for nailing 95 theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany, stating that you are saved by Faith Alone, standing up to the Catholic Church in Rome. His most famous phrase is when he spoke at the Diet of Worms: “ Here I stand and do no other”. Martin Luther King Jr. was as Civil Rights leader in the United States during the 1950’s and 1960’s and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Many people will look at these two men’s names and think that there is distinct
similarity between the two names. Well, this similarity between the two names is no accident. Martin Luther King Jrs. Father was actually born Michael King in 1899. During the 1930’s he became a successful minister in the Atlanta area. In 1934, he changed his name to Martin Luther King after the German religious reformer Martin Luther. Martin Luther King Jr. actually put up his own demands (theses) on a door like his namesake. He did this during the summer of 1966 in Chicago. After a rally he attached his demands to the LaSalle St. door of City Hall. Unlike his namesake, Martin Luther King Jr. used Scotch Tape instead of a nail and hammer to put up his theses. He knew
that damaging the door of City Hall would really upset Mayor Richard J. Daley. Martin Luther King Jr. also made mention of his namesake in his speech: “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968-a day before he was assassinated. “I would even go by the way that the man for whom I’m named had his habitat, and I would watch Martin Luther as he tacks his ninety-five theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg.” The next time that you meet an AfricanAmerican and they ask what did Germans have to do with the Civil Rights movement? You can proudly tell them that our biggest contribution was all in one man’s name!
Bass Museum Of Art Attracts International Art World With Reception For “Erwin Wurm: Beauty Business” By: Stephanie Perna, TARA, Ink
Miami Beach cultural landmark kicks off Art Basel Miami Beach with more than 4,000 guests at opening reception On Nov. 30, 2011, the Bass Museum of Art opened its latest exhibition “Erwin Wurm: Beauty Business.” While enjoying wine by Rex Goliath, tequila by Alacrán, complimentary Perrier and beats by DJ Kolkoz, local and international art enthusiasts explored the institution’s latest exhibit, “Erwin Wurm: Beauty Business.” Erwin Wurm’s work
combines sculpture, photography and performance into a unique personal view of the everyday world. Drawing on history, humor and philosophy, Wurm creates lighthearted artworks with at times serious messages. His new sculptural works, which have a grand theatrical scale and were created specifically for this exhibition, invite the viewer to interact and participate. Wurm’s smaller-scale “Drinking Sculpture” series set up the possibility for visitors to engage with the spirits located in each work. These artworks hark to cliché scenarios of hiding alcohol bottles in furniture for private
Thaddaeus Ropac, Sam Keller, Tonja Jones, Elise Wurm, Erwin Wurm, Linda Silverman, Ron Glickman. (Photo by J.Sobel)
consumption. This exhibition is produced in collaboration with Dallas Contemporary and curated by Peter Doroshenko, the
Eldon’s Clock Told by: Guenter Kison Written by: William R. Troutman In 1969 Guenter and Erika Kison bought a dilapidated house and barn sitting on 80 acres of farm land just south of South Bend. They purchased it from a gentleman named Eldon who also owned another 80 acres just to the north. With the money from the sale, Eldon would attend auctions and buy things in disrepair like an antique clock or piano and try to fix them. In the fall of 1977 it was discovered that Eldon was sick in which his Doctor gave him two weeks to live. The Kison’s graciously took Eldon into their home and cared for him. In return for their kindness, Eldon gave the antique clock to them as a Christmas present. The clock kept time but never chimed on the right hour. Eldon said to Guenter” I am here now for two months and I have not heard that clock
Director of Dallas Contemporary. It will be presented at Dallas Contemporary and be on view April 14 through August 19, 2012. For more info, visit www.bassmuseum.org chime right once; but I promise you that Christmas morning, I will put the clock under your tree and it will chime right”. A few days later Eldon died and was buried one day before Christmas. It was almost eight o’clock on Christmas morning when the Kison’s sat down for breakfast. The clock chimed eight. “Did I count right?” Guenter asked his wife. She just nodded. They waited another hour and sure enough, it chimed right again and continued correctly for days. Guenter never wound the clock and after a few days it was silent. Few will think that it’s just a coincidence. But think again. In 10 weeks the clock chimed 1680 times; as there are only 12 numbers on its face. That means that every hour there are the chances 1 to 12 and the clock should have chimed right 140 times. After the clock chimed wrong 1680 times, it chimed right at 8 o’clock on Christmas morning. In April of 1980, someone had broken into the Kison’s house and the clock was stolen, never to be heard again.
German Ambassador Peter Ammon Hosts Ceremony to Honor World Bank President Robert Zoellick as “Distinguished German-American of the Year 2011” By: www.germany.info
The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA is an independent nonprofit organization representing German-American clubs and organizations across the United States. Its mission is to inform and educate people in America about the many achievements GermanAmericans made to the development and growth of the United States and to preserve the rich heritage and history of GermanAmericans. This year’s award for the distinguished German-American of the year of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA will be bestowed on Mr. Robert Zoellick, the President of the World Bank
Group, for his decades long contributions to fostering relations between the United States and Germany and his achievements as an international leader in bringing prosperity and stability to the less developed countries. The awards gala will be held at the Residence of the German Ambassador, Dr. Peter Ammon, on December 21. The Deputy Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Werner Hoyer will give a keynote speech in honor of Mr. Robert Zoellick. The event is not open to the public but photographs and quotes will be available after the event online and and sent out by email. Ruediger Lentz, Executive Director
of the German-American Heritage Foundation: “Bob Zoellick is one of the most competent and inspiring leaders of the world today.” His German heritage and his commitment to fostering the relations between the United States and Germany, especially during the time of reunification, which he was seeing through as a close aid and a legal council to President Bush, senior and Secretary of States, James Baker, makes Bob Zoellick an outstanding person really deserving of the Distinguished GermanAmerican of the Year Award.” Former recipients of the GermanAmerican of the Year Award have been Paul Volcker (2010), Tim Timken (2009) and General Schwarzkopf (2003)
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German-American Journal
February / March 2012
Why Dusty Old History? Warum diese alten Geschichten?
German Apprenticeships By: Anne Marie Fuhrig Tscherwenka--today called Crvenka in the “Batschka” region of Yugoslavia was once home for 4,000 German speaking citizens whose ancestors had come largely from the Saar, the Alsace (Elsass) and Franconia (Franken). Some of these areas had also been home to German immigrants to this country who are today known as “Pennsylvania Dutch.” It is interesting to note that post-war immigrants from the Batschka region to the US had no trouble communicating with the Pennsylvania “Dutch” in their dialect. After the devastation of what later became Germany during the 30-Years-War (1618-1648) and 40% reduction of its population, it had taken until the early 18th century to make up for the losses and to see the population grow. Soon, some young people lacked opportunities and were forced to either become farm laborers or look for their fortunes elsewhere. Most of the people who migrated to the Batschka had this background. Of course, as always, some were also driven by personal reasons, such as independent thinking or the inability to receive permission to marry. At the same time, the Austrian monarchy had secured its reign over Hungary and Serbia from the Turks and needed German speaking settlers to populate the new areas and make them productive. Systematic recruiting began and assistance for settlers of the new areas became Austrian policy. Most travel was by wooden flatboats on the Danube River, so Vienna became the mandatory central registration point where settlers stopped to be recorded and be given their destination. Some of the time, care was taken to bring people from a particular home area to the same destination. The proper distribution of needed artisans was also handled by Vienna-based bureaucrats and so was the effort to bring pastors and priests for the faiths represented to each of the planned settlements. (Efforts to convert settlers were not tolerated by the “enlightened” Emperor Joseph.) The stop in Vienna thus became the major opportunity for the settlers to lay in supplies for the new start and for Vienna to profit. It actually profited twice, first by selling the supplies and—after the beginning years— by their taxes. Tscherwenka, was settled in this way between 1780 and 1810, largely during the reign of Empress Maria Theresia and her son Joseph II. This was done for the entire area, soon to be called “Batschka.” Austria planned settlements meticulously, down to the distances between the streets in the layout, the sighting of craftsmen’s shops and churches (three different confessions, the majority being Calvinist, also called “Reformed”) and gradually also of public buildings. Luckily, during the expulsion at the end of World War II (there in 1944), enough documents were preserved and collected so that Roland Vetter and Hans Keiper could write a detailed history of “Unser Tscherwenka.” The authors put collected personal memories together with records preserved in the Vienna archives, the latter mostly lists of immigrants (in most cases along with their faith and place of origin), however in the busiest years not always reliably. The 1980 publication begins with these archival lists and the general historical situation and continues with histories of many of the local institutions from a large cross section of the German residents’ personal recollections and, most remarkably, of their photographs. Its over 600 pages contain a treasure trove of facts so you end up feeling as if you had seen Tscherwenka with your own eyes.
Why should anybody bother with these old stories? 1. History allows the people, who study it to put their personal experiences into a larger context, comparing the people in the story to their personal identity and thereby making it more distinct. As a reader, your imagination makes the lives of the people who lived it real. Thus, you develop the ability to compare these people and events to your own experiences and somewhere along the way your life feels as if it is also part of a larger story stretched out over the centuries. That makes you feel good, less lonely and more in control. 2. As you learn about the circumstances of everyday life and work, you find styles and artifacts that may be particular to the one area of the country or even quite common during the entire time period. In the case of Tscherwenka, there were interesting ways of preparing simple dwellings which served them well in the beginning. Such examples of what is practical for lives and work in one particular area, can be compared to the items and practices in another. So, you have a sample of human ingenuity that is helpful in your circumstances also——you can profit from them and don’t have to experiment all over again. 3. You may also learn about different ways of organizing a community socially. By the middle of the 20th century, the German speaking people in the “Batschka” and elsewhere had a great many groups for activities, such as singing, folk dancing, hiking, hunting—or organized around their professions—that often crossed social and religious boundaries where people got along and respected each other. They even carried these practices with them to the places where they resettled after the expulsion of World War II which helped them to remain a more cohesive community than other immigrants to this country. To this day, you can tell the groups with the experience of living their own way in another country from those without it and who melt in readily. Regarding the buildings, in Tscherwenka the first houses were built from unburned air-dried loam bricks. A mixture of clay was pressed into pre-shaped forms, left to settle and then stacked in drying huts until the bricks were hard enough to use. All early houses were of the same three-room size plus workshop or stable and the amazing aspect is that the dry clay walls of these early buildings are still in place after 200 years of wind and weather. This was possible because they were whitewashed, just one story and had straw roofs that hung over far enough to ward off all but a few drops of rain. This was necessary because there was very little wood in the area. Later, when time and resources allowed the Tscherwanka citizens to use bricks burned in the customary way, homes where enlarged, but the old walls were not usually replaced. If you travel to Crvenka in Yugoslavia today, this brief preparation will probably allow you to recognize by the lay out of the town that you are in a former German settlement. You will find the protestant churches missing and the row of vine cellars in the cliffs above town decaying, but some of the original settings are still there.
The system of education after school is very unique in Germany – or so we feel. Over a period of thee years, our young people join companies for a dual education, meaning learning on the job mixed with terms in vocational schools. But Germany also has a string of technical universities, whose main role is to equip the country’s future labor force. Such apprenticeship schemes have their roots in the country’s medieval guilds. They play a major part in the continuing success of today’s Germany - in spite of the continuing troubles besetting the euro zone. The German economy is quite export-oriented and one of its strengths is high-quality, hi-tech products, but you do need a plentiful supply of medium and high-qualified labor to deliver these products. That is why Germany has what’s known as a ‘dual system’. The apprentices must be given structured training by their employer, alongside the general and vocational education they receive. It all ensures Germany has enough labor to do the jobs. However, what is abundantly clear is that there’s little point in other European countries to be creating tens of thousands more apprenticeships, if there’s no commercial demand for the precise skills the young people are to be taught. For apprenticeships to work for young people, for industries, and for taxpayers, the trainees need to be fed into long-term successful businesses, committed to planning future products and investing in the workforce, which will be equipped to produce them. You need a school system which supports this work system. We have this tradition in Germany of being loyal to the company. We also have a technology focus here in Germany. For that you need very skilled people. It’s a system supported by politicians and society and needed by the companies. And for countries that have all but lost their industrial base, that’s a tall order indeed. There is a down side to this kind of apprenticeship education, though. Jobs are based on this education, and a cross-over is difficult to accomplish. You can’t work in a hotel, for example, if you haven’t been educated for it for three years. That requires people to stay in their line of work, but then it also makes Germans highly qualified in their jobs.
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
Tatort – die Deutschen lieben ihre Kommissare Wisst ihr schon, was ihr kommenden Sonntag machen werdet? Meine Frau und ich werden über die Feiertage nach Deutschland fahren und den Tatort live auf einer Großbildleinwand in einer der vielen Tatort-Fan-Bars bei einem gepflegten Glas Wein und gleichgesinnten Tatortfans sehen. Seit mehr als 41 Jahren Matthias Knobloch gehört der Tatort nun schon zum rituellen Sonntagabendprogramm der Deutschen. Verglichen mit Amerikas ältester Krimireihe “Law and Order” ist der Tatort fast doppelt so alt. In der zuerst 1970 ausgestrahlten Kriminalreihe stehen die ermittelnden Kommissare im Mittelpunkt welche um die Auflösung der durchaus sehr deutschen Kriminalfälle bemüht sind. Anders als in Fernsehserien aus amerikanischer Produktion findet man in den Tatortreihen keine mit Blei durchsiebten Leichen. Mit Gewalt werden die Tatortzuschauer nicht unterhalten. Die erzählten Geschichten sollen realitätsnah und vorstellbar sein. Dies bildet neben der gemeinsamen Gestaltung von Vor- und Abspann eines der wichtigen Klammerelemente, die die Tatort-Filmreihe definieren. Im Jahr 2005 gab es in Deutschland 794 Morde. Die Zahl vereinundzwanzigt sich in den USA bei einer Bevölkerungszahl, welche gerade mal vier mal so hoch wie die Deutsche ist. Wie gesagt –
der Tatort soll realitätsnah sein. Man könnte sagen, dass der Tatort eine Art Mischung aus CSI und Law and Order ist – nur ohne diese übertriebenen Leuchteffekte und dem ganzen amerikanischen Klimbim. Der Tatort ist definitiv deutscher und für Leute, welche einen großen Wert auf eine würzige Handlung legen. Seit über 40 Jahren beginnt der Tatort mit dem gleichen Vorspann: Ein Auge im Fadenkreuz. Ich bin mir sicher, dass fast jeder Deutsche diesen Vorspann kennt. Genauso wie fast jeder Amerikaner den Vorspann von den Simspons im Kopf hat. Der Tatort hat sich zu einem deutschen TV-Urgestein etabliert. Ein großer Teil des Erfolges hat der Tatort seinem regionalen Fokus zu verdanken. Die Krimireihe gibt es in 15 verschiedenen Varianten. Jedes “Dritte”, das sind die
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regionalen Unterprogramme der ARD, hat seine eigene Version mit eigenen Ermittlern und den typischen Fällen aus der Region. Jeder Tatort bekommt dadurch seine persönliche regionale Note: Ermittler sprechen im Dialekt miteinander, lösen zum Teil verfilzte Fälle und trinken nach Feierabend ihr Lieblingsbier aus der Region während sie ein Spiel ihres Lieblingsfußballteams genießen. Tatortfans haben ihre Lieblingskommissare und sprechen über diese wie manch einer über Fußball. Jeder Ermittler hat seine eigenen Charakteristika. Charlotte Lindholm vom LKA Hannover ist eine alleinerziehende Mutter welche sowohl privat wie auch beruflich vor immer neue Herausforderungen gestellt wird. Sie verliert aber nie ihr Gespür für das Wesentliche. Ihre Fälle zieht sie manchmal in die unendlichen Weiten der Heiden in Niedersachsen. In ihrem letzten Fall kam sie einem perversen Kinderschänder auf die Spur, welcher minderjährige Mädchen ähnlich wie im Fall der Natascha Kampusch über Jahre hinweg in einem Verließ festhielt. Andere Kommissare wie Thiel und Boerne zum Beispiel arbeiten Hand in Hand wenn es um die Bekämpfung von Kriminalfällen geht. Karl-Friedrich Boerne ist Professor am Gerichtsmedizinischen Institut und versorgt Kriminalhauptkommissar Frank Thiel mit neuesten Erkenntnissen aus seinen Untersuchungen. Beide sind Solo und verfolgen im Privatleben völlig verschiedene Interessen welche dann auch im Berufsleben zu manch interessanten und amüsanten Kollisionen führen. Tatortkommissare sind wie du und ich: single, verheiratet, vergeben, sie weinen, flippen aus und können manchmal auch sozial unbeholfen wirken. Ganz gewöhnliche Leute eben. So wie ein Land seine Stars am liebsten hat. Man kann den Tatort auch als Mikrokosmos Deutschlands sehen. Falls ihr mal die Gelegenheit haben solltet, einen Tatort zu sehen, dann kann ich nur empfehlen einzuschalten. Es lohnt sich auf jeden Fall.
Tatort – A Notably German TV Series By: Matthias Knobloch
Do you already know where you will be next Sunday? Well, I do. My wife and I are traveling to Germany for the holidays and will be watching Germany’s long-running TV Series “Tatort” on a screen in a “Tatort” fan bar where watchers can vividly investigate the cases with likeminded people over a glass of wine or beer. On average, eight to nine million watchers tune in each Sunday at 8:15pm to watch this TV crime drama. My wife and I are two of them. When not in Germany at a fan bar, streaming the latest episode from the ARD website in the U.S. has become a ritual for us. When German TV Station ARD kicks of its 822nd episode of “Tatort” (translated “crime scene”) on New Year’s Day, the long-running investigation series will have been around for more than 41 years. This is almost twice as long as America’s longest-running prime-time drama “Law and Order”. The show, first aired in 1970, adopts the classic but solid formula of one or two determined detectives solving a murder – a markedly German murder.
“Tatort” watchers won’t see any bad dudes pumping lead into one another. Violence is rare in the show and the detectives are visibly shaken each time that a gun is fired. Germany had 794 homicides in 2005, compared with 21 times as many in the United States, where the population is not quite four times as large. This may be one reason that “Tatort” downplays graphic violence in favor of character development and crime solving. You could say it’s a “CSI - Law and Order” hybrid, only with less blood, no over-illuminated crime labs, and all of the additional American fuss. The plot – instead of flashy camera work – is the focus of the show. The opening credits begin with a pair of eyes caught in crosshairs and haven’t changed since the first broadcast. I’m sure that these credits are burned into the German psyche in the same way that Maggie Simpson’s cashier scan scene is anchored in young American minds. The “Tatort” is a German television institution and part of its success is the regional focus of each episode. There are 15 different versions of “Tatort” which are produced by various regional divisions of ARD, the German public broadcasting system. This means that there are “Tatort” episodes from Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Berlin, Ludwigshafen and many more – each with its -let’s say- personal touch. Investigators speak in local dialects and solve crimes based on local embroilments. Of course, after work they enjoy their local beer with a game of their favorite soccer team. Germans have favorite “Tatort Kommissare” (Tatort Detectives) and talk about them in the same way that they would talk about
their favorite sports team. The investigator characters are each unique. For instance, Charlotte Lindholm from the Hannover “Landeskriminalamt” (the State Investigation Bureau) is an ambitious single parent detective with an eye for facts who investigates murders in the wide open spaces of Lower Saxony. Her latest case unveiled a tragic and perverted crime of a murder victim in which the victim held young girls in a secret cellar for years, inspired by the kidnapping scandal of Natascha Kampusch. Other investigators, Thiel and Boerne in Muenster for example, work hand-in-hand in order to solve crimes. Karl-Friedrich Boerne is a professor and a medical examiner and Frank Thiel is the chief detective working on cases together with Boerne. Both are single and have totally different interests. One likes soccer and the other, the science of medical examination. These two unique examples are part of what makes watching the investigators interesting. “Tatort” investigators are either alone or in bad relationships, have crushes on colleagues, cry, and can be overweight or nerdy – in the end; the point is that “Tatort” investigators are ordinary people and this says something important about how Germany prefers its television stars. If you ever have the chance to watch a “Tatort” episode online or on TV, do it. If you like crime shows, I’m sure you won’t regret it.
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German-American Journal
Romantic Rhine River Cruise
Have you ever taken a cruise that included everything? That gave you sweeping views of awe-inspiring landscapes every moment of the day? That brought you to the heart of small towns and big cities to experience unique destinations like a local, not like a tourist? Take a Rhine river cruise on one of Europe’s most legendary rivers. With more than 80 years of travel expertise to design the best river cruise experience possible, Avalon has taken everything special about river cruising and made it even better – down to the last detail. It’s all about you and designed for your cruising pleasure. Cruises come complete with ever-changing, epic views from inviting Staterooms and Suites. Handpicked Local Guides introduce you to the genuine people and places along your cruise. Dining becomes personalized as you enjoy regional cuisines inspired by local ingredients and created by highly skilled
chefs. The newest fleet on the European waterways offers more space and bigger views for an unparalleled experience. The Avalon Visionary delivers an intimate setting, along with the rare opportunity to wake each morning to the enchanting scenery and fresh breezes. Onboard amenities include an Internet corner, complimentary Wi-Fi access, an expanded fitness center, and a spacious Sky Deck with premium lounge chairs, shade system, whirlpool, and the delightful openair bistro. Join the GAPA Group and sail the Romantic Rhine aboard the Avalon Visionary fleet, August 5-12, 2012. This luxurious cruise will take your breath away. You will visit quaint villages and world class cities, enjoy delicious food, sip local wines and be pampered. Contact “Trip Meister” Tom Moritz now for further details at 815464-4665.
GAHS Weihnachtsparty at Webster University was Wunderbar St. Louis – The German American Heritage Society of Saint Louis (GAHS) celebrated its 21st Weihnachtsparty hosted by Webster University’s Dean of Students and GAHS Board Member, David Carl Wilson, at the university’s Love Foundation Alumni House located on its Webster Groves campus. German Christmas carols could be heard coming from the festively decorated living room led in song by GAHS accordionist and Board Member, Hermann Eisele. More than 60 GAHS members and guests gathered on an unseasonably mild Sunday December 11, 2011 afternoon to share the Weihnachtsfest spirit. Thanks to the generous variety of special Weihnachtsparty culinary treats brought by members, no one was left wanting for fine food and friendly spirits during this annual Christmas event.
Hermann, Margaret and Inga (Photo by Margaret Rambo)
Donations were collected this year for the German School Association of Greater St.Louis.
February / March 2012
German Holiday Season Tree in Pappas’ Office Photo caption: Irene Rotter (left), of United German American Societies of Greater Chicago, shows Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas a holiday tree decorated to reflect the culture of Germany.
The tree was part of “Holiday Trees from Around the World,” an annual exhibit in Pappas’ office. Some 80 Christmas trees and religious displays reflecting different cultures were part of the exhibit.
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
7
DANK Database Update By: Bob Miske
This is our first edition of 2012. We hope the year will be successful for DANK and all members and friends. At the end of 2011 the National Office mailed the dues notices. I am sure everyone has received theirs by now, and if not, please contact the office Toll Free: (866-926-110 or office@dank.org). We appreciate all our members prompt renewals. If you have not paid your dues yet, please mail in your check as soon as possible. Special thanks go out to Al Schafer and Erwin Lichtmann for helping to collate, stuff, lick, and stamp the dues statement envelopes. Erwin, we hope all those paper cuts have healed! Al Schafer noticed what a labor intensive job this has been, and more
assistance would be welcomed. Volunteers are sometimes hard to come by, and always appreciated. Do we have your email address? Often our chapters send out announcements of special programs or an event taking place and email is a desirable and economical way to reach as many members in a quick, efficient and cost-effective way. If you have not shared your email address with us and would care to do so, please send a quick email to the office (office@dank.org). Remember, DANK will never sell, rent or share your personal information, including your email address, with any third parties. I hope this issue of the Journal finds all our members happy, healthy, and gearing up for Fasching Season!
Fort Custer Michigan Volkstrauertag Commemoration
Contributions continued to trickle in throughout the year 2011. The total for both years of the appeal stands at $4,930.00. Several chapters did an outstanding job of convincing their members that an update of the antiquated office system was needed. These chapters include: Cleveland, Quad Cities, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis. Similarly, a donation from DANK Region 2 also bolstered the fund. A large number of members have come forward individually to contribute a total of $1,730.00. We thank the chapters and the individuals for their generosity in providing funds allowing us to be able to update the system. Now the work of the conversion of the database file begins. The database would be web based and accessible via username and password to chapter officers at any time.
This would free up the office staff for other necessary duties in the Main Office. Bear in mind that the utmost in security and privacy of the membership files will be maintained throughout the conversion. Decisions will also have to be made on the format of information displayed, the type of membership cards to use, and other details that relate to everyday use of the files. Further improvements will also automatically correct mailing addresses should there be discrepancy with the address files of the Postal System. The system would also automatically change the status of children, who upon reaching age 18, would be moved to an adult membership. As you can readily see, the work of the conversion is far from finished. The funds are now on hand and we can begin our changeover. A big thank you goes out once more to all those that contributed.
Check Us Out Online Head on over to our National Website to get the latest updates and information on DANK and the Germanic-American community.
www.dank.org dank.org/blog
By: Donna Lippert On November 13th, 2011, Fort Custer in Augusta, Michigan hosted a Volkstrauertag remembrance, where twenty-six (26) German soldiers, who had been prisoners of war, are buried. It is one of many events held within the USA and in other cities, as well as other countries. Present at the ceremony were Consul Evita Diasilua, who gave the memorial address and spoke about the bravery of the soldiers: “They should never be forgotten and it is the duty of all world citizens to stand up against the tyranny and genocide that was rampant in World War II and to fight for liberty and justice.” The national anthem was sung by the Schwaebische Maennerchor of Michigan and the invocation was by Pastor Gary Siefert. Many wreaths were presented by various clubs attending the event, which included the St. Joe Kickers Sports Club Inc. of St. Joseph, MI. Reinhard E. Lippert presented a wreath on behalf of DANK National from Chicago, IL; and Donna J. Lippert presented a wreath in honor of the William Fuchs Family from Illinois, for their hard work efforts for DANK National. German Consul Evita Diasilua presented a wreath on behalf of the German Consul in
Chicago, Illinois. Taps were played by Lt. Col Nicholas Batch and John R. Edwards. After the ceremony, those attending traveled to the Air Force Sergeant’s Association Club, located at Falcon Hall in Battle Creek, MI. There desserts and coffee were provided by the ladies of the German-American Community and Continental Pastries. I’d like to thank all of those that made this event so very special. The next ceremony will be held November 18th, 2012; so please keep this date open. Donna J. Lippert and Rosemarie O’Neill will cochair this event next year. This is a very “heart-warming” ceremony, so I would like to encourage all other German clubs in the area to consider making a wreath, to present to the fallen soldiers. These wreaths are always welcomed by the families of the deceased.Please keep in mind that they still have loved ones, either here in the USA or in Germany. If you have any questions regarding the event for next year, please contact me via e-mail at ladybug3656@yahoo. com or by phone 269 926 1929 or 269 930 3656. Additional information can also be found on the www.dank.org website. Stories from this year’s event can be seen on the www. germanpulse.com website and also on the Chicago Embassy website.
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German-American Journal
February / March 2012
Illinois Volkstrauertag Commemoration and Wreath-Laying Ceremony
L-R: Heinrich Janssen, Onno Hückmann, Karl Schmidt, Greg Hoeft, Victor Kordas.
By: Ursula Hoeft On November 13, DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois once again observed Volkstrauertag at the Fort Sheridan Military Cemetery where nine German prisoners of war are buried. For more than three decades the Chapter has invited the public to join them in this annual memorial event. And for 28 of those years, Chapter member Anni Kordas and Honorary Chapter President Victor Kordas have lovingly made the wreaths for the graves. Chapter members Bernd Krämer and Werner Stein, carrying the American and German flags, led the procession to the gravesite. Chapter member Willi Boschat assisted Onno Hückmann, Consul General, with placing the official wreath provided by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chicago.
In his address, Mr. Hückmann spoke about the history of Volkstrauertag, the German National Day of Mourning, which was founded in 1919 to commemorate those who died in World War One. He stated that the day was intended to serve as a “visible indication of the bond between those who did not suffer losses and the dependents of the fallen.” Mr. Hückmann added that “the National Day of Mourning has also become a day of warning to remind us of the need for reconciliation, understanding and peace.” Robert Miske, DANK National Treasurer, spoke about the suffering of military personnel as well as civilians, and expressed hope for peace and understanding, values that, he said, parents should pass on to their children. As his name was read, a wreath was placed at each soldier’s grave by Victor Kordas
Erie Chapter Honors the Volkstrauertag Tradition
By: Margaret Potocki
On Sunday, November 13th, members of the Chapter and friends came together at the Asbury Methodist Cemetery to honor and mourn those who died, regardless of their nationality. Everyone understood the individual hardships and pains that are caused for all those who still experience the consequences of the still active wars, of terrorist acts, conflicts and sufferings in all parts of the world, and on all sides. It was fitting to meet at the grave site
of Frederick Huttel, Sr., German by birth, who was a member of the Luftwaffe, and consequently was taken as a POW, and therefore suffered the hardships of war as a young man. At the war’s end, he immigrated to the United States and as he proudly stated: “became a U.S. citizen by choice”. A statement was read by Nat’l President Pochatko, followed with a reading of “Ich hatt’ einen Kameraden”, and a moment of silence, which was then followed by the Lord’s Prayer.
L-R: Margaret Potocki, Beverly Huttel, Margaret Potocki, George Stefanovski, Christel Caldwell, Fred Huttel, Jr., Charlotte Chase, Beverly Pochatko, National President. Seated: Hilde Huttel, widow of Fred Huttel Sr.
Bernd Krämer (left) and Werner Stein
(DANK Lake County, IL), Ernst Weber (Schwäbischer Sängerbund), Rudolph Golsch (DANK Northern Suburbs), Evert Schmidt (Rheinischer Gesang Verein), Heinrich Janssen (DANK Chicago West), Christa Garcia (DANK German Language Schools), Maria Thompson (DANK Fox Valley), Helmut Appelt (DANK Lake County, IL), James Sullivan (Highwood, IL VFW Post). Master of Ceremonies and Chapter Vice President Karl Schmidt read the poem Heldenfriedhof. Mr. Schmidt also asked that a moment of silence be observed in memory of Helmut Lenz and Walter Spahn. Mr. Spahn had been a prisoner of war at Fort Sheridan. The day was memorialized in prayer by the Reverend Richard Käske, a Chapter
Board member, and in song by members of the combined Schwäbischer Sängerbund and Rheinischer Gesang Verein, directed by Glen Sorgatz. A coffee and cake get-together at the Lake Forest American Legion Hall allowed time to socialize and reflect on the day’s significance. During this social time, Chapter President Greg Hoeft thanked Chapter member Ernst Weber for obtaining historic photos of the nine POWs buried at the cemetery and compiling information about them as well as for the time and effort he dedicated to organizing past Volkstrauertag observances. Mr. Hoeft also thanked the members of the Schwäbischer Sängerbund and Rheinischer Gesang Verein for participating in the Volkstrauertag commemoration.
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
9
DANK Haus Announces 2012 Board of Directors Chicago, IL December 14, 2011 - DANK Haus German American Cultural Center is pleased to announce the results of its 2012 election for the Board of Directors. DANK Haus German American Cultural Center members elected Eric Bentsen, Lucas Faron, Matthew Hoppe and Kurt Potthast each to a 3 year term on the Board of Directors. They will assume their role beginning January 1, 2012. They join Andreas Hecht, Sarah Miller, Yvonne Frazier, Steven Erbach, Erich Freiberger, Scott Will, Daniel Reichart and Kimberly Duncan. Eric Bentsen is a long-time student in the adult language program, as well as an attendee and volunteer at DANK Haus. After a short career as a civil engineer, Eric returned to school to earn a law degree. He currently works at a small firm that primarily defends German and other European equipment manufacturers against personal injury lawsuits brought in the United States. As a board member, he will work toward expanding event offerings and increasing participation by current members and friends, in addition to attracting new people. Of course none of these things can
capabilities of our organization through good governance. Matthew Hoppe graduated from Augustana College with a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and German and earned an MBA in Finance and Economics from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business. Matt has spent his entire career working in international finance. Currently, Matt is employed by Fifth Third Bank in foreign happen without continuing maintenance and improvements exchange sales and trading. Basically, he work with firms to the building itself, all while keeping the organization on engaged in international business to hedge their currency exposures. Also, Matt is a member of the German American a sound financial footing. Lucas Faron traces his German ancestry back to his Chamber of Commerce. As a member of the DANK board, great-great grandfather, Chicago Fire Department captain he would look to use the relationships that he has developed Henry F. Huhn, who served on one of Chicago’s first fire in the international business community to benefit the boats and battled the legendary Cold Storage building fire DANK Haus. Kurt Potthast is second generation American born of at the Columbian Exhibition. Luke spent 2 years living in Germany, working as an English teacher in Augsburg. German decent. His grandfather Carl Butzen was a member For the past four years, he has written about German of the Rheinischer Verein and a Prinz of the 1962 Karneval soccer, first as part of the staff at TheOffside.com and in Chicago. With his mother as a role model, he has been currently at his own site BayernReport.com Deutsche active in many of the local Germanic clubs including the Welle declared him an expert on Germany’s leading club, DANK, Turners, Niedersachsen Club and the Rheinischer FC Bayern Munich and his reports have been published Verein, with the goal of keeping his daughter Mikayla by Munich-based newspapers tz and Münchner Merkur. involved with German culture in Chicago. Currently he Through service on the board, Luke hopes to enhance the is President of the Lincoln Turners, board member of general public’s awareness of the positive contributions of the Illinois Turner district and past board member of the Germans and German Americans to our society, continue Niedersachsen Club. our organization’s efforts to make contemporary German culture accessible to our membership and expand the overall
Lake County Elects New Board Region 2 Election By: Ursula Hoeft
From Left: Walter Veile, Brigitte Kaeske, Richard Kaeske, Ludwina Homer, Ursula Hoeft, Tom Love, Helmut Appelt, Greg Hoeft, Fini Schmidt, Karl Schmidt
DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois held an election meeting on November 6. Board members for the coming year include Greg Hoeft, President; Karl Schmidt, VicePresident, Membership Chair andArchivist; Richard Kaeske, Recording Secretary; Ludwina Homer, Corresponding Secretary; Ursula Hoeft, Publicity Secretary; Walter Veile, Treasurer; Helmut Appelt, Auditor and Advisor; Brigitte Kaeske, Auditor and Advisor; Tom Love, Auditor and Advisor; Fini Schmidt, Advisor; Judy Kanka, Advisor. New President Greg Hoeft addressed the newly elected Board, stating “working together we will keep DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois alive and vibrant.”
DANK Benton Harbor Bar Christmas Party
By: Donna J. Lippert A bar potluck party was held Friday, December 9th, 2011 at the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph DANK. Those in attendance brought an item to be raffled off with “pretend” monies. It was fun seeing who would spend all of their
Raffle Wrap-Up By: Bob Miske
As the new year begins, we look back at the results of the raffle of last year. The annual national raffle for 2011, wrapped up recently as the winning tickets were drawn and winners announced at the DANK National Convention held in Pittsburgh. The list of winners includes: 1st Place – Anton Winkhardt, Chicago, IL 2nd Place – Julie Reichert, Germantown, WI 3rd Place – Evelyn Reitz, Saint Joseph, MI 4th Place – Harry Reinhardt, Bridgman, MI 5th Place – Trudy Webb, Sandwich, IL We thank all of the members who participated in the raffle. A total of $9275.00 was brought in through ticket
money or some of their money on a wrapped gift that they had no clue what they were bidding on. One man used all of his money to purchase a box which he thought held a bottle of wine and it ended up being a pumpkin squash! Boy, what a surprise that was. The Benton Harbor/St. Joseph Chapter has had a busy year with parties and dances. This chapter has been very lucky in securing new members. They most recently went on a bus trip to the Christmas Market in Chicago. The schedule for 2012 is being worked on and many dances and other events are planned. I’d like to take the time to thank all of those that “volunteer” for the dances and the fish fries, as well as those who do the “fixing” up around the club. All of you are “most appreciated!” Don’t forget about our monthly fish fries, an event that is always well attended. Stop on by if you are ever in our area and we will make sure that you will not go home hungry! Wishing all of our DANK members a blessed year 2012 and a healthy one! sales. Chapters who went above and beyond in tickets sales includes: Benton Harbor, Pittsburgh, Chicago South, Erie, and Milwaukee. We also thank these chapters for stepping up. The 20% raffle rebate has been sent to the chapters as a Christmas present. Reinhard Lippert, our leader in The raffle committee raffle ticket sales has already begun with the details of the 2012 raffle. Several committee members have suggested changes. We will keep you posted as these changes develop.
of Officers
(Photo by Rudy Schloesser)
Region Two held their election in October 2011 and officers for 2012-2014 were elected: Donna J. Lippert, President; Reinhard Lippert, 1st Vice President; Christine Weiss, Secretary; Hilde Schloesser, Treasurer. Regional Reps are Hilde Schloesser and Reinhard Lippert. Photo left to right: Reinhard Lippert, Hilde Schloesser, Donna J. Lippert, Phil Nice, Christine Weiss, and back is Walter Patzer, DANK Benton Harbor President. Dave Hinz not pictured will continue to serve as Regional Representative. We congratulate these individuals for their dedication to DANK and will look forward to assisting the newly elected DANK National Officers elected at the Pittsburgh PA convention in October 2011.
New DANK National Board of Directors President - Beverly A. Pochatko beverlypochatko.president@dank.org
1st Vice President - Alfred M. Mueller, Sr. alfredmueller@sbcglobal.net 2nd Vice President - James Dombrowski aspenjames@gmail.com National Secretary - Linda Voit lhvoit@roadrunner.com
National Treasurer - Robert Miske bobm19886@att.net Region 1
Edwin Gunther, President - edwingunther@inbox.com Representatives: Fred Leinweber - manglersoftball@yahoo.com Anita Walthier - awalthier@sbcglobal.net Maria Thompson - acmetax@hotmail.com
Region 2
Donna Lippert, President - ladybug3656@yahoo.com Representatives: Reinhard Lippert Dave Hinz - DCMAHinz64@yahoo.com Hilde Schloesser - schloesser@combast.net
Region 3
Erik Wittmann, President - erik25@comcast.net Representative: Margaret Potocki
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German-American Journal
February / March 2012
Phoenix Celebrates German-American Day and Volkstrauertag
DANK members Hans (left) and Kathy Metternich (3rd from left) with LtCol and Mrs. Manfred Orth.
By: Jerry T. Wood On Sunday, November 6, 2011, DANK 48, Phoenix, AZ held its German-American Day/Unification Day Celebration at the Elks’ Club in Sun City, Arizona. The most sagacious reader has undoubtedly noticed that our date for celebration was about a month late for this very important day in the American calendar. It seems that the Phoenix area has so many Oktoberfest celebrations in October that we simply grew weary of competing with all of those events and decided to postpone our celebration for a month. Our Celebration was very well attended by many DANK members as well as by many members of our local Schützenverein and several from the general public. It was a gratifying experience to have so many people there to share our enthusiasm. Not only did our Conférencier Walter Weber keep the crowd entertained, but also there
were some serious presentations, which took place: DANK 48 Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Williams received a framed certificate to acknowledge the chapter’s appreciation for all the extra work she does for us. On the certificate it reads “…we couldn’t do it without you…” and that is most certainly true. Honorary Consul of Germany in Arizona Dr. Bernard O. Otremba-Blanc and his wife Roswitha received acknowledgement for all the support they have shown our Club in the past several years since their arrival in Phoenix by receiving Honorary Memberships in DANK. Dr. OtrembaBlanc has been extremely supportive of our German Language School. He has arranged visits from the Education Specialists at the Consulate in Los Angeles, Heinz Kohlmeier and Frank Müller, who lent us their expertise in teacher training on several occasions. Dr. Kohlmeier observed classes and gave critiques to our teachers as well.
We hope to maintain our close relationship history of the military in Arizona in every war with Dr. Otremba-Blanc for a long time. from the days of the Spanish conquistadors Anni Schmidt brought her German Folk to the current war in Afghanistan. A corner Dancers to entertain us. She deserves in the museum is devoted to the German special recognition for all the work she submariners who were prisoners of war at does as well. Everyone in the area is nearby Papago Park, where during WWII, familiar with Anni and her Dancers because there was a POW Camp. In this corner of they appear at just about every German the museum, Oberstleutnant Orth conducted oriented event. They never fail to keep us a wreath-laying ceremony. His theme for entertained and sometimes amazed at the the event was to show that the German and number of German, Austrian, and Swiss American military have evolved from being enemies in two world wars to becoming folk dances that they can perform. One week later, on November 13, Jerry brothers-in-arms in Afghanistan. Pastor Wood and DANK 48 Chaplain, Pastor Vogel delivered the benediction. Although our membership numbers have Traugott Vogel, attended a Volkstrauertag event, organized locally by Deutsche become smaller, DANK 48 in Phoenix Bundeswehr Oberstleutnant Manfred continues to celebrate the German culture Orth. Oberstleutnant Orth is the German and history out here in the desert. liaison officer at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Volkstrauertag is the German equivalent of the American Memorial Day and is celebrated two Sundays before Advent. Germans place flowers on the graves of fallen German soldiers. At the Arizona National Guard Training Center in Phoenix, there is a very impressive military museum, Roswitha and the Honorable Dr. Bernard Otremba-Blanc, Honorary which chronicles the Consul of Germany in Arizona with DANK 48 President Jerry Wood.
From the Pennsylvania Shore of Lake Erie By: Margaret Potocki
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Our chapter closed out 2011 with a terrific Christmas party, hosted by Ursel Altsman, with a winter theme and a program centered on the ‘Reason for the Season’. A Nativity tableau was complemented with the reading of the story from Luke and songs by the Männerchor Gesangverein. Of course, Santa was there for the children and everyone left with some holiday spirit. Members brought donations for the Women’s Shelter and the St. Nikolaus Food Program. A new Board was elected at our January meeting. Our new President is Margaret Potocki; Jeffrey Chase is Vice President, Margaret Carter is Secretary, Charlotte Chase is Treasurer and Directors are Richard Hartman, Diana Healy, Ursel Altsman, Tammy Altsman, Heidi Cowey and James von Loewe. Someone recently asked just what do we contribute to the Erie community? We have donated $250 to purchase two additional volumes of “Germans to America” for the Heritage Room of our Public Library, and we sponsor five subscriptions to German Life Magazine for circulation. In addition to artifacts, we contributed $250 to the Erie Historical Society and Museum for the preservation of items relating to our German heritage. The Erie Society for Genealogical Research, receives money for the purchase of books and necessary supplies for researching our German heritage. The German language teachers in Erie County also receive a subscription to German Life Magazine. Once a year, we also make a donation to the Erie Männerchor Gesangverein, the DANK based chorus, to keep traditional German music alive. We collect needed warm items for our homeless shelters in the winter, as well as collect canned goods for the St. Nikolaus Project that ben-
Jeffrey Chase, Vice President, Margaret Carter Secretary, Charlotte Chase Treasurer, Margaret Potocki President
efits the Second Harvest Food Pantry. I would have to say that the most important contribution that DANK makes to our community, is to put a positive look on our German heritage. Not only have we given a great deal since the early days of the city, but we continue to put our German heritage in a positive light. Our events for this year include, our 3rd annual Fasching Party on February 18th, in the Männerchor Club Ballroom. We are also planning a two-day Genealogy course that will deal with finding records on our German ancestors that includes a membership to the Erie Society for Genealogy Research (and DANK, for non members). As always, DANK members receive a discounted cost for social events and special programs. August will find us at the Uht Ball Park where we will be the center of attention at German Day, along with the Seawolves Baseball team. (More about this next time.) Labor Day weekend, we will be sharing our heritage at the 16th Annual German Heritage Fest, an event that draws over 6,000 visitors at St. Nicholas Picnic Grove. Throughout the year, we have speakers at our meetings who share information from German Royalty to German traditions, always followed with Kaffee und Kuchen!
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
11
A Mix Of Traditional And Contemporary By: Ursula Hoeft
It Is Time For Me to Say Goodbye By: Stephen Fuchs
After three great years as DANK National’s webmaster, it is come time for me to make my exit. I am proud of what I was able to create for DANK over the last several years and as a result this decision wasn’t made lightly. There are exciting things I am after and new challenges for me to take on. When I took on the DANK National website, it was a place for people to learn about DANK as an organization. My challenge was to make it into a place for people to connect with and grow their German heritage, which I feel was successfully accomplished. After two complete redesigns, I am leaving DANK with a very complete and useful website that I hope can last for many years. The website has gone from a basic site, to what I believe is one the greatest ethnic organization websites on the web. While I depart from working on the website, I will be continuing with the German-American Journal, and I will still be very present in the German American
community in exciting new ways. I am ready to find the next beginning where I can grow and explore the evolving German American culture. I don’t know what the future of DANK looks like, but I hope that as the new leadership settles in, they can continue to see the value in the website as it is and that they continue to grow the site to satisfy the needs of the membership and German-American community. As with most changes in leadership, DANK will be taking new directions and I wish them the best. The email address website@dank.org will be going to the new webmaster, so if you have been using that address to contact me directly you can now reach me at stephen@ germanpulse.com. And with that, it is time for me to step away and hand the site over to the next generation. It has been a pleasure serving DANK and I hope to be able to connect with many of you again as I take on the next adventure. Until we meet again‌
Chapter members and friends gathered at the Lake Forest American Legion Hall on December 4 to usher in the Christmas season. Party planner extraordinaire and Chapter Board member Ludwina Homer once again arranged a wonderful Weihnachtsfeier. The tree was artificial - who has a live tree these days? - but the candles were the real thing, just like in Germany, at least in the old days. The tree brought back fond memories of Christmases past to many of those who were there. Lunch was buffet style, abundant and delicious, and offered traditional German dishes and some not so traditional fare. (It was good, but lasagna isn’t German, is
it?). Lunch was followed by a traditional Christmas carol sing-along to music played on his button box accordion by the talented Musicanter Chapter member Erwin Goering. A few contemporary songs also “snuckâ€? in. The music was infectious – folks didn’t want to stop singing! Some even danced. Chapter members welcomed two guests who had learned about the Weihnachtsfeier thanks to information in the Chapter Events section of the DANK website. They easily joined in the comradeship and fun. One even brought a cake decorated with the colors of the German flag. While the party included both traditional and contemporary elements, the holiday spirit and gemĂźtlichkeit enjoyed throughout the afternoon was timeless.
Ludwina Homer lighting candles
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12
German-American Journal
February / March 2012
Where is the Christmas Tree?
A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of Christmas at the DANK School Chicago Northern Suburbs
Children enjoying celebrating the spirit of Christmas
By: Silvia Schmid, Ph.D Have you ever walked into a room and it looked naked to you because something you expected was missing? My family and I arrive at 1:30pm at the Palatine High School where our annual Christmas Program is taking place. As I step into the auditorium, something is missing. I glance at the empty spot where usually the Christmas tree is lighting up the area. Where is it? The Christmas tree and the manger with baby Jesus have always had a shining and peaceful presence. With my eyes I scan the stage inch by inch until they notice a big box. Could it be? Is the Christmas tree hiding in it? Volltreffer! Bingo! With other volunteers, my family unpacks it, assembles it, decorates it with ornaments, and lights it. We prepare the manger with the baby Jesus. Now, the stage is ready for our program which starts at 3pm. For the first time in eight years I realize that my assumption is totally wrong. No, Palatine High School is not providing the Christmas tree. Dank Chapter 26 is renting the auditorium for our festivities. I learn that the co-director of the school and her husband, Herr und Frau Herod, are hauling the Christmas tree year after year. Hmmm! This makes me think. What about the cafeteria? I take a walk over there and discover more big boxes. Co-director Frau Golsch and her husband are responsible for the big coffee maker, the lemonade container, coffee, tablecloths, decorations. Many volunteers busy themselves to beautify the tables and the “Kaffee and Kuchen” area. It looks inviting and festive.
How much preparation, then, goes into our Christmas program, one may ask? Good question. In late September at the teachers’ conference, plans are formed and initialized. Classes are teamed up two by two. Then the teachers choose a song, a poem or another special contribution. As early as October, time is set apart on a weekly basis to start with regular practice. Students will study vocabulary, pronunciation, memorize for a song, a play or a poem over a period of a few weeks. Then finally, rehearsal day arrives, and the excitement is building. Each group goes over the script one more time. The whole school assembles to sing German Christmas songs - from the little preschooler to the adult. Are we ready? Finally, it is Sunday, December 4, the big day. As the volunteers keep their hands busy to make the place bright, the students with their parents, families, and friends arrive at 2:30pm. The students huddle one more time with their teacher and classmates. This is the last opportunity to rehearse the part, and the very last polish. At 3pm, all the students line up according to class level. We all then walk into the auditorium. I see many smiling faces with expectations and joy. Students search for their parents in the crowd with their eyes. Parents are looking for their children. A big wave here, and a big wave there! The Christmas tree, the manger with the baby Jesus, and the big star all of a sudden appear to me in a different light. It makes the Christmas celebration complete. And it is looking beautiful. The perfect setting! All students and teachers stand on the
stage, ready to start the program. The codirectors warmly greet families, friends and guests. Before we start with our Christmas songs, we have a surprise this year. Mr. Golsch, the president of the school, tells us about the hard work of the students in level 7 and 8. The students had to research a German topic for a poster presentation competition “Deutschland: Seine Regionen, seine Vielfalt – Germany: Its regions, its diversity”, sponsored by the Bundesverwaltungsamt in Cologne and our Fachberater for the Midwest, Mr. Gert Wilhelm. “Oberschlesien” and “Essen in und um Hamburg” are only two of the creative and interesting topics presented to a jury. Now is the time to honor the students for their effort. Everyone receives a prize. Most of all, we applaud heartily and are proud of their achievement. Then, we enjoy the varied performances, a Christmas song, a Christmas story, a Christmas poem, a Christmas play. Every class is happy to present their contribution. As a highlight, we hear the melody “Trullalla, trullalla, Kasperle ist wieder da!” Yes, Kasperle comes every year for a story. This year it is about the crocodile that eats too much candy – easy to relate in a household with kids. The dentist needs to extract a tooth. Poor Kasperle! The fear of dentists! But Kasperle is brave. He faces the challenge. The students listen attentively with big eyes and ears. One more guest is awaiting us. Santa Claus! He skips down the steps and up the stage with his long white beard. It makes me wonder if people on the North Pole ever age. He carries his sack. Of course, he
brings a bag of candy to the delight of all the students. They are pleased. Then, we head over to the cafeteria. We mingle and chat over Kaffee und Kuchen. We enjoy the fellowship and catch up with friends we haven’t seen for a while. Everyone seems to have a wonderful time. As I look around, I ask myself, what makes this group so special? It is the roots, the appreciation, the love for the German heritage and culture! It enriches our lives. We appreciate it. We embrace it. We preserve it. It is time for my family to leave. We are one of the last ones. As we walk back to the auditorium to grab our things, I see the Christmas tree, still bright and shining. It needs to go back into the box. We unplug the lights, take down the decorations and ornaments, disassemble the tree, and put it back into the box where it will stay until next year. The co-directors will have to haul all these boxes again. Cheers to you and thank you! Faschingfest is next. Hmm, any more insider tricks for me to learn? (Historical Note: In the 8th century, the English born Boniface and missionary to the Germans helped shape the tradition of the Christmas tree. Once he came upon a group of pagans who were about to sacrifice a young prince while worshipping an oak tree. The angry Boniface intervened and chopped the tree down. In its place a fir tree was shooting up, a symbol of the “ever” lasting love of God. It was not until the 16th century that fir trees are in the home, decorated with candles, surrounded with gift, a symbol of love and kindness.
Christmas tree and musicians on stage
Milwaukee Chapter Has a New Board By: Edward Mueller
The business part of the meeting was conducted by Secretary Ed Mueller in the absence of President EdwinGunther, with Bob Miske recording the notes. The meeting was rather fast in anticipation of the election. It was the time for awarding certificates and pins for all those years of membership in DANK Milwaukee. Siegfried Goerke received his 50-year pin.Many others received
their pins, representing 5 to 40 year memberships. Many of the members were present to receive the awards. All were photographed and pictures were sent out within two days. The election was conducted under the guidance of DANK National Treasurer Bob Miske. Changes were evident from the start. Former president Edwin Gunther, recuperating from major heart surgery, was not present. He sent a note stating that he would like to remain on our Chapter Board
as a Vice-President. Ron Kabitzke was elected President. The outgoing President, Edwin Gunther, was elected 1st Vice President and Irene Brunner is the new 2nd Vice president. Sally Shearer replaced Edward Mueller as Secretary; with Vicki Ohde as our new Treasurer. Ursula Gunther remains our Membership Chair. Elected to our DANK Milwaukee Chapter Advisory Board are Bill Bessa, Gene Brunner, Kathleen Kabitzke, Christel Miske, Bob Miske, Doris Mueller, Ed Mueller, Jane Nacker and Deanna Sommerfeld. Following the elections a typical “Bunzel’s Buffet” was served. It was an extremely well attended membership meeting. The Milwaukee DANK Chor held elections, with Kathleen Kabitzke replacing her husband Ron as the Chor President. Jill Shearer remains Vice President and Jill’s mother, Sally is the new Secretary. The Chor spent the Advent season singing for the Milwaukee United German Chorus Christmas Concert, the School Sisters of
Notre Dame and at the German Church service at Benediction Lutheran Church. On December 11, 2011, we held our annual DANK Milwaukee Christmas Party at the Sacred Heart Gym. President Ron Kabitzke welcomed the members and guests, among them former President Edwin Gunther, recovering from heart surgery. The DANK Chor, under the direction of Dr. James Norden, sang a number of favorite German Christmas carols. The audience was given song sheets as they became an integral part of the program. The Weihnactsmann came and presented the children with a bag of goodies. A vast array of home baked Stollen and Christmas cookies were served with coffee and milk after the singing. The Christmas raffle followed, with lots of prizes available. Vicki Ohde, Kathleen Kabitzke and Ursula Gunther were at their best selling tickets and giving out prizes. Another fine Christmas program with greetings of Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein Gutes Neues Jahr in conclusion.
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
13
DANK Haus German American Cultural Center Announces Official Unveiling of $370,000 Façade Renovation Chicago, IL — The DANK Haus in Lincoln Square will hold an official opening celebration of its $370,000 first floor façade renovation on Saturday January 21, 2012 between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The festivities will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, Alderman Ameya Pawar, invited, refreshments provided by local Lincoln Square merchants, unveiling of the donor recognition wall (rendering), live music and an exclusive first look at the newly refreshed “Lost German Chicago” exhibit in the Museum. This event is free and open to the public. Donations for this outstanding contribution to the local and German American communities are still being accepted.
Donations received before February 28, 2012 will be included on the donor recognition wall to be placed in the main lobby. The DANK Haus is a registered 501(c)3 with the mission of preserving and promoting German and German American culture, heritage, language, and the fine arts. DANK Haus is located in the heart of Lincoln Square in Chicago at 4740 N. Western Avenue. The Museum is open to the public every Saturday, from 11 am - 3pm and is available during the week by appointment only. For more information about DANK Haus, visit www.dankhaus. com or call (773) 561-9181.
DANK Haus Façade Restoration is Complete!
The DANK Haus German American Cultural Center is proud to announce that our new façade was completed on January 10, just in time for the New Year! What a wonderful holiday gift to the organization, the community, and our members and generous donors. The DANK Haus is excited to continue its long history as a unique cultural and architectural center. Our six-story masonry constructed commercial building, built in 1927, was designed by German-American
architect Paul Gerhardt, who also designed the original Cook County Hospital as well as Lane Technical High School, Von Steuben High School and countless municipal and mercantile buildings throughout Chicago. The DANK Haus was originally used as a temple and lodge for the Three Links Association, an altruistic and fraternal organization, whose logo can be seen on the cornerstone and the doorknobs of the Marunde Ballroom on the fifth floor. Additionally, the building was once used as
a men’s dormitory. The DANK Haus would like to thank its 90 donors and 10 sponsors, as of December 23, for being part of its legacy and ensuring that we can preserve and promote German language and heritage in our newly modernized and beautified facility. We have raised $40,000 so far, but our fundraising efforts are far from over! We still want to raise $150,000. All donors who submit their fully tax-deductible donation before February 28, 2012 will be feature on
a donor wall to be placed in the lobby of the DANK Haus in March. Please mail or bring your tax-deductible contribution to:
Friend Of The Dank Haus Sponsors ($1500-$9,999)
Margareth Schubert $500 Theresa Gajdos, $500 Sara Hartig $500 Ed Ott & Kamilla Vokounova $500 Transylvania Saxons $500 Isabella Stadler $500 Linda & Rory Trausch $450 Anonymous $340 Bach & Beyond $300 Anonymous $280 Christine Clark $250 Adam Coleman $250 Donation Box $236 Elizabeth and Floyd Miller $200 German American Senior Citizens Club $200 Mary Jane Rickert $200 Hildegard Haenisch $200 August Pfeifer $200 Katharina Drotleff $200 Guenther Boeger $125 Randi & Sofia Bauer $100 Hidai Bregu $100 Laurie Davidson $100 Wambach Roofing $100 Walter Kirchherr $100 Hans & Elfriede Lohr $100 Anonymous $100 John E. Owens $100
Ludwig Interiors $100 Rosemary Reiner Kaye $100 Gertrud Noedl $100 Erhard & Dora Totzke $100 Christa M. Antonaitis $100 German American Children’s Chorus $100 Anton & Karin Winkhardt $100 Joseph Fields $100 Marie Sauser $100 Trish V. Berry $100 Jacqueline Methling $100 Birgit Kobayashi $100 Pauline Zultner $100 Mina Marien $100 The Kaput D’Angelo Family $100 Patricia Jones $50 Dr. William A. Pelz $50 Ryan Dargis $50 Amanda Cohen $50 Horst & Anna Wagener $50 Otto Perlenfein $50 Mark & Mary Bookman $50 Kahntact USA, Inc. $50 Deidre Baumann $50 Hedwig Mayrens $50 Adalbert Bielski $50 Keith Moderson $50 Hedwig Beer $50
Ogden International School of Chicago $50 Werner Juretzko $50 Frank J. Pesce $50 John L. Phillips $50 Portage Park Animal Hospital $50 Ida Gantner $30 Eva K. Timmerhaus $30 Margaret Loris $25 Patrizia Acerra $25 Jerry Smiley $25 Markus & Maria Wimmer $25 Kristina Schramm $25 Richard & Margot Ertman $25 Johann & Rosemarie Morgen $25 Michael Wolkov $25 Katharina Kipka $25 George & Anna Hessberger $25 Anonymous $25 Michael Wolkov $25 Scott Will $20 Yvonne Frazier $20 Roger Haas $20 Lynda Maxwell $20 Beth L. Casey $20 Hans & Inge Behrens $10 Cynthia Sanders $10
Illinois Tool Works Foundation & Dombrowski Family $4000 Margareta Gataric $3000 Anonymous $2500 Martin Hartig $2000 Anonymous $2000 Rosa & Alfred Lengfelder $2000 Hans & Christina Boden $1500 GAPA Chicago $1600 Glunz Beer $1500 The Huettenbar $1500
Private Donors Steve Erbach $1000 St. Hubertus Club $1000 Hans & Christa Scheel $1000 Kim Duncan $1000 Gerald Streib $1000 Anne Wegener $900 Peter Contos $600 Daniel Reichart $520
DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60625 773.561.9181 development@dankhaus.com
14
German-American Journal
February / March 2012
German Language & Culture in Chicago
In a previous issue of the German American Journal I reported on an important conference that took place in July of 2010 at Waldsee, the Concordia German Language Summer Camp in Bemidji, MN, during which major important national and international figures discussed strategies for the promotion of German in the USA. Christa Garcia A follow-up conference convened on September 17, 2011 in New York. Representatives of major German organizations including the German Embassy to the United States, as well as the Goethe Institute and the German Academic Exchange Service, representatives of the Central German Agency for Schools abroad, the AATG – American Association of Teachers of German -, the MLA-Modern Language Association of America, the President of the German Studies Association as well as the head of German Immersion Schools, the International Engineering Program at the University of Rhode Island and the German American Chamber of Commerce came together to discuss strategies. The findings were astounding: German continues to be the third most popular language in the USA, however, since so many public schools and colleges are cutting language programs, German is beginning to take a back seat to languages like Japanese and Chinese and above all Spanish. It therefore becomes clear that the more languages exist in a public school the smaller the allocation will be for each language, especially those with fewer students enrolled. It was stated that the Waldsee conference this summer and the New York conference this fall were of utmost importance to encourage the cooperation among the various leaders to develop partnerships and networking. Especially the American government on the local, state and federal level needs to realize the importance of language study in general if our students will be able to survive in the future global society. Young Americans still seem to want to see Germany as the fairy tale land of the Grimm’s Brothers or the colorful Lederhosen and Dirndl celebrations at traditional Oktoberfests. The Deutsche Welle (a GermanTV station, only available in some parts of the USA) has long tried to disperse those notions for it has portrayed the modern Germany as a very multi-ethnic country and a very diverse multicultural society. Germany is a tolerant, open democratic and very prosperous society which has not lost its efficiency and hard work ethic. Young Americans and their parents should realize the advantages and benefits of learning German which will most likely result in a good, well-paying job in the future. An article from January 19, 2011, which appeared in a Columbus, Ohio newspaper written by Chris Welch (CNN) reported on China-sponsored language programs in U.S. which raised concerns and hopes. Here are the story highlights:
China’s government is sponsoring the Confucius Classroom program. (Chinese Culture: Confucius classroom spread worldwide) The Confucius Classroom program is an extension of the government-affiliated Hanban Chinese Language Council International’s Confucius Institute program. This program sends teachers and money to U.S. Schools to teach Chinese language and culture. The article went on to say: a suburban Ohio Classroom for example is set to receive $30,000 from China to help fund the program. A school district outside Columbus, Ohio is on track to receive more than $1 million in US federal grant money for its Chinese arts and language program and $30,000 from the government of China – and this in a state that harbors more German companies than any other state in the US! And what is happening to the study of the German language in Illinois and in Chicago public schools? After all, very important European German-speaking companies are located in the greater Chicago area which have brought jobs to many Americans. While there is still a German language newspaper in Chicago, the Eintracht, which serves more than 800,000 German Americans, Chicago has all but lost German language programs in public schools. The final curtain on the last German language elementary program in Chicago fell this spring: the La Salle Language Academy (K-8) will no longer offer German even though several German students from that school achieved the German Language Diploma and were looking forward to continue their study of the German language and culture in their corresponding high school. The only public schools in Chicago which still offer German are: Lincoln Park High School, Mather High School, Lane Tech High School and Northside College Prep High School. One wonders for how much longer German will
be offered given the latest school consolidation considerations under way! Students should at least be permitted to acquire the basics of one foreign language, preferably that of a Germanic language, namely German, in order to be able to compete with students from other countries who are required to master at least two other languages before graduating from high school! Perhaps there is a small ray of hope in sight – the only German immersion school in Chicago. The establishment of the German School Chicago www.germanschoolchicago.org took place four years ago. Founded as a private German Immersion School it has grown to almost 50 fulltime students in pre-school, Kindergarten, first and second grade. The school offers all instruction in German and follows the Chicago school calendar. A Typical Day’s Activities The school day is divided into activity segments that are defined by group size (whole class, small group of 2 to 4 children, and individual) and learning content (Practical Life, Language Development, Reading and Writing, Mathematics, Geography, Biology, General Life Sciences, History, Music, Visual Arts, Performance Arts, Sports). And there are time segments allocated to snack, lunch, Quiet Time after lunch, student arrival and dismissal. The German School Chicago had their last day before the holiday vacation last Friday. This was a big day for students, parents and teachers alike – they all had practiced several German Christmas songs and poems which they all performed and recited by heart and with great gusto in the school’s gym. When watching these children perform a question comes to mind: Will these children be able to continue the study of the German language and culture in Chicago in the future?
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
Deutschmarks Still Accepted By German Merchants After 10 Years of the Euro
By: Stephen Fuchs | GermanPulse.com It’s been 10 years now since the euro replaced Germany’s deutschmarks as the official currency of Germany, but that hasn’t stopped German merchants from accepting the old money. The Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, states that there are still over 13.3 billion deutschmarks that have not yet been converted into euros. With numbers like this, smaller German businesses see it as an opportunity to boost sales by accepting the old money that people don’t want to bother going through the hassle of exchanging. “A lot of people still have deutschmarks lying around at home and don’t know what to do with them,” stated the haberdashery stand owner, Willy Winzig, in Berlin. His customers usually pay in a combination of deutschmarks and euros since most of the old currency is pocket change found when cleaning around the house. Winzig accepts the deutschmarks at a slightly higher exchange rate of 2.1
Comparing Markets DOW
AT&T Pulls Out of T-Mobile Merger Plan By: Stephen Fuchs | GermanPulse.com AT&T has officially announced that they are dropping their plan to merge with T-Mobile USA for $39 billion and has agreed to pay a breakup fee of $4 billion to the German parent company Deutsche Telekom. AT&T has been pushing the merger for most of the year and had faced tough opposition from the FCC, DOJ, and the other major cell carriers. In addition to the $4 billion fee, AT&T will be entering into “a mutually beneficial roaming agreement with Deutsche Telekom”. AT&T’s released statement announcing their decision took aim at the FCC and DOJ… “The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry. It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage. In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.” While this marks the end of a possible AT&T – T-Mobile merger, Deutsche Telekom will more than likely still be looking for a way to sell of its US business. This was made very clear by the company before the proposed AT&T acquisition, and it appears that Dish Network has its sights set on a possible takeover.
per euro (the official rate is 1.95583) since he eventually has to make a trip to the bank to make the exchange. His customers don’t seem to mind the slight increase though since it is often not worth the time or effort to exchange the small amounts on their own. It isn’t just the small businesses that are accepting the deutschmarks though. Deutsche Telekom will still accept the old currency on all of its remaining coin-operated payphones and the C&A clothing chain accepts roughly 150,000 deutschmarks every month. As long as people are still holding on to the deutschmarks, businesses will gladly take them off their customer’s hands. Germany is one of the few remaining eurozone countries to still allow the exchange of their old currency, and the Bundesbank has promised to keep exchanging the deutschmarks indefinitely. With 13.3 billion deutschmarks still in existence, it may be a while before Willy Winzig and other German businesses stop taking the old money.
iTunes Top 10 Song Downloads United States
DAX
15
Data Taken Jan. 14, 2012
Germany
11/21/11:
$11,547.31
11/21/11:
€5,606.00
1 Set Fire to the Rain • ADELE
1 Somebody That I Used to Know • Gotye feat. Kimbra
01/13/12:
$12,422.06
01/13/12:
€6,143.08
2 Good Feeling • Flo Rida
2 Ai se eu te pego • Michel Teló
$ Change:
+ $874.75
€ Change:
+ €537.08
3 Turn Me On • David Guetta & Nicki Minaj
3 Heart Skips a Beat • Olly Murs feat. Rizzle Kicks
% Change:
+ 7.58%
% Change:
+ 9.58%
4 Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO
4 Video Games • Lana Del Rey
5 We Found Love • Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
5 Good Feeling • Flo Rida
EUR/USD
6 It Will Rain • Bruno Mars
6 Troublemaker • Taio Cruz
11/21/11:
$1.3486
7 I Won’t Give Up • Jason Mraz
7 Someone Like You • ADELE
01/13/12:
$1.268
8 What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) • Kelly Clarkson
8 Jar of Hearts • Christina Perri
$ Change:
- $0.0806
9 Domino • Jessie J
9 We Found Love • Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
% Change:
- 5.98%
10 Party Rock Anthem • LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
10 Bridge of Light • P!nk & Happy Feet Two Chorus
Source: Yahoo! Finance
Shaded Row: Song found on both lists
Source: iTunes
16
German-American Journal
February / March 2012
Alaska - Mother Nature’s Last Frontier By: Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Euro Lloyd Travel Group/Chicago As the largest state in our union, Alaska’s scenic beauty is just as awe-inspiring as its size. Covering nearly 600,000 square miles, she is laced with crystal-clear lakes, towering mountains, mammoth glaciers and dense forests. As America’s 49th state, she is a nature-lover’s dream-cometrue. But how does one approach so magnificent a land of untouched grandeur - of national parks, native cultures and wildlife, of coastal cities developed during the Klondike Gold Rush and fur trapping days? Your ways of getting to Alaska are as varied as means by which you can explore this pristine masterpiece. Whether you travel one way or roundtrip by rail from where you live, or fly to jumping off points such as Seattle or Vancouver (passport required) for cruises or directly to Anchorage or Fairbanks, you will have time to acclimate before you arrive at one of our last frontiers. Land of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Midnight Sun, Alaska offers every form of exploration from the independent- backpacking adventures (registration is usually required for backcountry hiking and camping) hot air ballooning, or escorted overland motor coach or rail trips with tour companies, to luxurious cruise ships offering elaborate multi-day land extensions to the interior. Consider what is important to you…whether you are a pure ‘land lubber’ or a ‘sea creature’ of pure comfort, or have one foot straddling both options, and just how much time you wish to spend. While some lines offer as little as 3 and 4 day cruises, (most popular is the 7-day cruise), you can extend a vacation by taking a cruise plus an escorted land tour that can stretch to 20 days – all options neatly packaged by
the cruise lines. Some larger cruise lines have their own network of hotels and lodges, and almost always include an excursion in their special domed railroad cars from different rail lines offering spectacular views and first-class service. Smaller cruise lines also give you a variety of land extension tours, but depend more on local transportation and accommodations while providing an intimate look at the state. Cruising permits you to enter into the world of nature in a comfortable way while viewing Glaciers and the Inside Passage. Watch whales, penguins, seals and birds from your verandah as you quietly slip by. In deciding your preference of small, midsize or large ships, consider the variables of on-board experience - the kinds of itineraries and ports of call offered by each, and the cost. Big ships are busy places with activities, entertainment each night and possibly a casino and pool, plus multiple dinning options to occupy your on-board time - all ideal added bonuses for families. Royal Caribbean, NCL, Princess, and Carnival are top choices. Holland America Line has the greatest variety of itinerary packages, from 3 day to 20 day explorations. Looking for a slightly refined version of the same experience? Ship lines such as Crystal and Radisson are more costly but also offer more refinement in luxury and enhanced service. More on the other end, small ships offer exactly the opposite kind of experience with onboard dinning, activities and entertainment that takes a backseat to the natural world outside. Passengers spend more time out on deck with binoculars looking for whales, bears, sea otters and other wildlife which they are more likely to see since small vessels are less obtrusive and can sail closer to shore. The range of accommodations on these vessels is limited, tending toward cozy outside cabins with few amenities.
EURO LLOYD TRAVEL Announcing AIR FARE SPECIALS for members of DANK If you have not traveled to Germany lately, or just thought you might skip the trip to Europe this year, you can not afford to pass up the low discounted travel airfares being offered by all airlines. Please identify yourselves as DANK members when calling our office.
Current Winter airfares (special sales can occur at any time) for travel to and from Germany, including taxes and fuel surcharges, start from: Chicago Indianapolis Milwaukee Madison Cleveland Detroit
$863 $863 $863 $866 $866 $863
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.
Call now for information: 1-800-572-3149 or 1-312-362-0218 email: chi@eurolloyd.com Visit us at: www.eurolloyd.com
Rates are subject to availability for your date of travel, with various airline non stop or connection options. Friday, Saturday, Sunday Weekend surcharges apply for each direction.
But while cruising has become so popular, not to be forgotten are the reasons you are in Alaska – unspoiled parklands like Kachemak Bay and Wood-Tikchi, or Denali National Park where you can tour by helicopter, tour bus , self-driven jeep or rail all the while Mt McKinley, America’s tallest mountain at 18,000 feet, looms as a back drop. Going inland offers you wildlife viewing of grizzles and wolves, caribou and moose, bald and golden eagles amongst just a few. Glaciers fed by ice fields, majestic mountains, centuries-old coastal forests, and summer fields set ablaze with color – Alaska stuns us. Be certain to include towns and cities as well. Juneau, the capital, offers the Alaska State Museum which has such displays as natural history, Native artifacts and totem carvings, plus gold-rush memorabilia. She is an outdoor type of city, offering a variety of hiking trails that are easily reached from the city center. Anchorage has everything, from museums, art galleries, a zoo, to lively nightlife and ski slops near by, plus more than 120 miles of paved bikepaths. The saying goes of Fairbanks that “this is where the road ends and the wilderness begins”. From gold to Native Handicrafts and museums - a welcomed stop. Redefine your dreams of passion with an Alaskan adventure pushing your senses. Let us help you discover your world! Prices start at $599 per person Call today for more information, on this and other cruises or tours, various destinations. Identify yourselves as a DANK member. Ask for Audrey or Tiffany. Phone: 312-362-0218 /// Toll Free: 800-572-3149 Email: chi@eurolloyd.com
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February / March 2012
German-American Journal
17
The Forgotten Genocide
The Suffering of Ethnic Germans Behind the Iron Curtain By: Julius Loisch
Ann Morrison is mother, student and movie producer. Her film about immigrated Germans to the USA expelled from their home land caused somewhat of a sensation. In Missouri they are called the Survivors, staying alive during flight and expulsion from East-Middle Europe. Homeless Germans who survived and managed to save themselves after WWII, immigrated in the 1950s into the USA and became immersed in this society. In the USA it is known that Germany is talking about the Germans expelled from their homes. Only since 2010 it is also known to the public in the USA that German expellees are living there. It is student, Ann Morrison, who presented
on several TV stations the documentary film “The Forgotten Genocide“giving the victims of the genocide of the Donauschwaben a face again. When she suggested to her teacher to conduct a study about the living German expellees the Donauschwaben living in St. Louis, she encountered even with her, a descendent of German immigrants and fellow students an immense ignorance. She had to demonstrate by presenting four books about the existence of the fate of the German/American expellees. What started as a small study grew quickly to an encompassing research project supported among others by Alfred de Zayas. After traveling through Europe, Canada and the United States, self organized conferences and panel discussions, Morrison collected over 180 interviews on film, innumerable artifacts-material for a series of films she’s
producing at this time. When evaluating the film interviews she sometimes has to pause to be able to process the pain of the story teller and “all the horror of it.” I receive
neither money nor title she says. Ann Morrison is not Guido Knopp, her first film was created with the lack of a million dollar budget, however, it has a high degree of authenticity and objectivity. In fact, with iron determination she pursues this project which cost time and money not knowing if it advances her profession. She does not even concern herself to document the German guilt. A descendant of Polish immigrants marrying into a Jewish family being a film producer is in search of untold drama, hidden trauma and the truth behind the façade of silence. During a conference in Crestwood/Missouri she claims everyone thinks all Germans were Nazis even now. This group of Germans never even touched Germanys soil.
From German POW to American Psychiatrist: Internationally Renowned Penn Psychopharmacologist Releases Memoirs In his newly published memoirs, A Serendipitous Life: From German POW to American Psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Rickels provides a first-hand account of the birth and development of the field of psychopharmacology which revolutionized the treatment of mental health patients around the world. Founder of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Section at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, Dr. Rickels is the world’s leading expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders with medication. After growing up in Berlin and serving in Rommel’s Africa Corps in World War II, Karl Rickels became a prisoner of war in May 1943. His experiences as a POW in America awakened his desire to return someday as an immigrant. After the war he completed medical school and post graduate training in Germany. When a psychiatric residency position opened at a mental hospital in Cherokee, Iowa, Dr. Rickels accepted the opportunity and emigrated to the United States. As a psychiatric resident in the mid1950s, Dr. Rickels shares how he
soon “became keenly aware of the ineffectiveness of psychiatric treatment at the time. Here, violent schizophrenic patients sat in restraints consisting of large leather contraptions. It was still a time
Kosmische Katastrophen Cosmic Catastrophes
Review By: Darlene Fuchs
World sunsets, cosmic disasters, asteroid strikes, the Earth’s magnetic field collapses, solar storms destroy power grids ... What dangers threaten us from outer space? How likely are asteroids or Kometeneinstürze? Can you predict this? Are massive solar flares predicted, paralyzing our high-tech world? What threatens your neighborhood, a supernova explosion? Is there a good possibility that the planetary constellations could cause a major earthquake? What impact does the moon have on the earth and its inhabitants? All these dangers are there, but how likely are they? What threatens us in the foreseeable future, a cosmic catastrophe? What do the scientists say? In December 2012, will we see the completion of a cycle and the beginning of a new front as forecasted by earlier Latin American civilizations, such as the Maya or the Aztecs? For many, these questions have resulted in the adoption of a “doomsday” mentality.
These questions are just some of the items, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arnold Hansel Meier, an astrophysicist at the University of Graz, located in Graz, Austria, tries to clarify in a clear and comprehensible manner.. The evolution of life on earth during the last 4,000,000,000 years was not uniform. Several different periods of mass extinction are known, the last led to the extinction of the dinosaurs some 60 million years old. The reasons for this mass extinction, at least in some cases is due to cosmic catastrophes, including the impact of asteroid sized bodies, near supernova explosions, etc. It is known, to scientists, that the ice ages resulted from the variations of the earths orbit around the sun. Cosmic catastrophes must therefore be considered when one discusses the evolution of life on planets, especially the question of the habitability of them. Will 2012 bring cosmic catastrophes and the beginning of a new cycle here on Earth? The book “Cosmic Catastrophes” is published by Verlag Vehling Graz, through Amazon - only available in German.
in psychiatry when straightjackets, cold water baths, electroshock therapy, insulin shock, and transorbital lobotomy were the treatments used to control violent, aggressive patients.” Within six months large amounts of samples of the first two antipsychotic drugs ever developed, chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and reserpine (Serpasil), became available. “Suddenly, patients who had been violent and aggressive for many years were quiet and controllable,” said Dr. Rickels. “They could dress themselves, eat on their own, and no longer soiled themselves. The stench that had been pervasive on the wards where these violent patients lived disappeared. It was truly a wonder.” In the next few years these and other drugs of the same class would revolutionize the treatment of psychotic patients all over the world, replacing transorbital lobotomy, insulin shock, and, to a large extent, electroshock therapy. Dr. Rickels suddenly found himself at the forefront of an exciting new science, psychopharmacology, or the treatment of mental disorders with medication.
Dr. Rickels was closely involved in the research and development of many anti-anxiety medications, including meprobamate, the benzodiazepines, and buspirone. This was followed by his discovery that antidepressant medications also had anti-anxiety properties, a finding which led to the current widespread use of antidepressants as anxiolytics. Dr. Rickels also pioneered the scientific study of the benzodiazepines and their risks. Through his prolific research over the past 50 years Dr. Rickels has made so many contributions to the field that he is recognized the world over as the Dean of Psychopharmacology of anxiety disorders. As a testament to his extraordinary intellect, in his 80s he remains an active researcher, clinician and teacher at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine. First written as a legacy for his grandchildren, A Serendipitous Life offers an intimate and inspiring glimpse into the life story of one of the century’s foremost psychiatrists.
Basic German For Travelers If you’re going to be traveling to a German-speaking country, you’ll need to know some basic German. Often travelers or tourists going for a brief visit forget one of the most important elements in planning their trip: Deutsch. If I’m going to Mexico, I want to know at least “un pocito del español.” If I’m headed for Paris, “un peu de français” would be nice. Germany-bound travelers need “ein bisschen Deutsch” (a little German). So what are the basics for a traveler bound for Austria, Germany, or German Switzerland? Well, courtesy and politeness are a valuable asset in any language. The basics should include “please,” “excuse me,” “sorry,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome.” But that’s not all. Below are the most important basic German phrases for a traveler or tourist.
yes / no ja / nein (yah/nine) please/thanks bitte/danke (BIT-tuh/DAHN-kuh) You’re welcome. Bitte. (BIT-tuh) You’re welcome. (for a favor) Gern geschehen. (ghern guh-SHAY-un) Excuse me! Entschuldigen Sie! (ent-SHOOL-de-gen zee) Where’s the restroom/toilet? Wo ist die Toilette? (vo ist dee toy-LET-uh) left / right links / rechts (linx/rechts) downstairs / upstairs unten / oben (oonten/oben)
18
German-American Journal
February / March 2012
*** Calendar Of Events *** This area is designated for DANK chapters and Associate Members to inform their members and the public of events they are having. We rely on the submissions of each chapter or organization, therefor all events may not be included. Please contact our National Office at 773-275-1100 or visit www.DANK.org for the most recent listing of events or for information on how to make sure your event is listed in the next issue.
February 2012 1
Milwaukee, WI: Board Meeting, 6pm at German Fest Hall
1
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
3
Chicago, IL: Weiberfastnacht, DANK has paired up with The Prinzengarde for a night of bad girl behavior and crossdressing fun. Entrance cost: $5.00. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago. For more information: 773-5619181 or www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
10
Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
19
Frankfort, IL: Chapter Business Meeting, 2pm on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Sunday Social Hour, follows the Business Meeting. Open to all members and the public who are interested in our organization for possible membership. DANK Chicago South , 25249 S Center Rd, Frankfort, IL. For more info: (815) 464-1514 or www.danksouth.org
12
Chicago, IL: Membership Meeting. Learn about Chapter activities, hear committee reports. Get involved! DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
14
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Dancers, 6pm at German Fest Hall
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Erie, PA: 7pm Chapter Meeting – Program: German Royalty by Leo Gruber
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Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
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Chicago, IL: German Cinema Now. Contemporary German films with English subtitles. Free. 7:30 p.m. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: Stammtisch, 7:30pm. Monthly Open Haus. No cover, food and drink available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
24
Chicago, IL: Kabaret. Western Goes Weimar – Marlene Dietrich Lives. Fine Arts fundraiser. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
17
Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
17
Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
18
Milwaukee, WI: General Membership Meeting, 1:30pm at German Fest Hall
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Frankfort, IL: Chapter Business Meeting, 2pm on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Sunday Social Hour, follows the Business Meeting. Open to all members and the public who are interested in our organization for possible membership. DANK Chicago South , 25249 S Center Rd, Frankfort, IL. For more info: (815) 464-1514 or www.danksouth.org
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Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
3
Chicago, IL: Kulturkueche, Make Oma Proud – demonstration, recipes, tasting and drink. Featured recipe: Krapfen. 7:30 p.m., DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL. 773-561-9181
4
Chicago, IL: Kinderfasching. Children’s Mardi Gras, games, prizes, visit by Prinz und Prinzessen, Homemade Krapfen. 12 p.m., DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Children under 13 free. Adults $4.
4
Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
4
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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4
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Dancers, 6pm at German Fest Hall
8
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
11
Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Milwaukee, WI: DANK Dancers, 6pm at German Fest Hall
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Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
March 2012 3
Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: German Cinema Now. Contemporary German films with English subtitles. Free. 7:30 p.m. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
24
Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
28
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Dancers, 6pm at German Fest Hall
28
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
11
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
11
Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
3
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
15
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
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Erie, PA: Chapter meeting and “Beat the Winter Blues” Night – 7 p.m. at the Männerchor Club
Chicago, IL: Pilates Klasse 9:15 a.m., Banish the bratwurst bulge. $10 per class. Please bring mat. . For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
7
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Dancers, 6pm at German Fest Hall
7
Milwaukee, WI: DANK Singers, 7pm at German Fest Hall
9
Chicago, IL: Kulturkueche, Make Oma Proud – demonstration, recipes, tasting and drink. Featured recipe: Krapfen. 7:30 p.m., DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL. 773-561-9181
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Chicago, IL: Stammtisch, 7:30pm. Monthly Open Haus. No cover, food and drink available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
18
Erie, PA: Fasching Party at the Männerchor Club Ballroom. 7 p.m. - Reservations needed. Tel: 814-456-9599
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Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
10
Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago, IL: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, Doors open at Noon. Vorfilm at 1pm Feature at 2pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
18
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
10
Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
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Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com
Welcome New Members National Members
Wilfred Kittner Bernhard & Joan Deichmann
Chicago-South , IL Cornielia Baum Mary Gudeman James & Gisela Lindsay
Chicago, IL
Ethan Rusin Wiebke Russomanno
Sandy Tsao Dr. Steven Ostojic
Chicago-West, IL Peter Leinweber Jean Leinweber
Fox Valley, IL
Lee & Mary Fritz Marilyn Rizzato-Reines William & Mary Beth Müllenholz
October 20, 2011 - December 25, 2011 Peoria, IL
Ruth Dowell
Springfield, IL
Manfred & Jackie Walgram Johanna & Steve Wandel Ute & Roger Vilmont
Nicole & William Palmisano Carol West Gertrude Koehler
Indianapolis, IL
Benton Harbor, MI
Chicago Northern Suburbs, IL
William Althouse Bri Cuss Mike & Jill Schmidtke
Beate Westerhouse Sonja Simpson
Torsten & Jennifer Fiebig
Pittsburgh, PA
Ronald Miller Audra Sarver Mary & Neil Wagner
Erie, PA
Alexandra & Jason Laser Kara Gladney Barbara & Michael Schmidt
LIFE MEMBERS
Edward Leddin, Chicago, IL
February / March 2012
German-American Journal
19
Can you spot the 10 differences between these two pictures?
German: Winter Sports M B Q W X J H U L P U C N E P D E K V U G L N D I B F W W Z
Z B F H N K L Y N E R E I L R E V Y D N P M E W C L S G B M
U G J Z U L I U L Y J Y M L J N M G C L I N I U X K G V G E
S H W Q H F E G X S N O W B O A R D E N C V J K I G N V V D
C H Q C M V Y B X F G N U Z T E L R E V B N U S S E G L L A
H X N I S C H L I T T S C H U H L A U F E N T E G N K E W I
EISHOCKEY LANGLAUFEN CHLITTSCHUHLAUFEN SKISPRINGEN TOR
A U E R X Y B W Q P P Y B T O E L
U V N N G P C W D Y Z M J B O I N Z H Z Y B L
F U A L T S N U K S I E C S I M X Z P P U L
V V D Q N I U I W D K H R Z Z U J D N H E
K W R Z C
L I M N U F
U C B D U
C E L D N K J U D D N W Q X O P X K W G G P G M N
P C I C S V E U U F Y N E Q G
K K K I Z X Y H E E N N J
J E K P L N
C D U Y J
W U N H Q
K V B K Q
Z P M H B
U W P W H W
Q U X L Z D
H E I G G
V
V Y S U H W
M W Z C V C V N
P X N B K P Z E L M M N B U J S C H Y H U H C D E W M L L U M T F
EISKUNSTLAUF MANNSCHAFT SCHLITTSCHUH
SKISTOCK Otto J. Perlenfein VERLETZUNG
Z U J
L
Y I I S X A
L I G E T D H
W J I D D T F C
F L D F F S I W S
U V F L V I P C Q N E B V V C E H U B L V X Z V G X Z M X D U X
Y F G A M Z M R L U N
Q Q P J N C I H I H I N
C B V P J G N Q L C C L A
F C Z C Y K I Y J Z G N N I M N H Q E C E R I Z H L V A T L F R F I O K P S S H G C P Q X H Y J N N Z C M C E P Z Y V E V L F L A U X J D W B W W E N H T E S W Z I N V M B L
W K F V W E G Z V C D V U M K Y F P N M Q F F Y G I R Z W L
X X J M E V N Z W P K W B I M H C V Z C X Y E H V M D Z V C
Z Z L L G V G B Z W K G V Y E Q J Y B H X L N K N B P B Y C
WORD SEARCH Winter Sports
EISHOCKEY EISKUNSTLAUF GEWINNEN HELM LANGLAUFEN MANNSCHAFT MEDAILLE SCHIEDSRICHTER SCHLITTSCHUHLAUFEN SCHLITTSCHUH SKI SKIFAHREN SKISPRINGEN SKISTOCK SNOWBOARDEN SPORTLICH TOR VERLETZUNG VERLIEREN ZUSCHAUER
Obituaries
GEWINNEN MEDAILLE SKI
HELM SCHIEDSRICHTER SKIFAHREN
SNOWBOARDEN SPORTLICH and his lawn, and helping others with their building and remodeling projects. Joe also VERLIEREN enjoyed fishing the ZUSCHAUER small lakes in and around the Jackson area, and on Lake Michigan
after moving back to Benton Harbor. Joe is survived by his wife, Selma; his son, Robert Abel of Jackson, MI; two daughters, Barbara Vainner and her husband, Larry Parks of Coldwater, Denise (Bob) Gilmour of Lakewood, CO; six grandchildren, Kelli Abel, Peter (Nikki) Vainner, Lyndsay Vainner, Benjamin (Lindsey) Vainner, Kelsey Gilmour and Kendra Gilmour; two great-grandchildre, Lorraine Hessling and Sophia Vainner; two sisters, Kathryn Hawn and Ruth (Don) Hettig, both of Eau Claire; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son-in-law, Michael Vainner and six brothers, Jack, John, Louis, Sam, Frank and Herb Abel. Joseph Abel User-created with abctools® for home and classroom use only. www.abcteach.com Graphics and format ©2000-2008 abcteach® German: Winter Spo ... May not be sold/redistributed without permission Joseph Abel - 96, of Benton Harbor, passed away Friday, December 16, 2011 at Lydia S. Sarich Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph. Joseph was born August 27, 1915 in Regina, Saskatchewan to Samuel and Zita (Schwengler) Abel. On September 4, 1943, he Lydia S. Sarich, loving mother of Marietta “Mary” (the late Peter) Rodriguez, Monica married the former Selma E. Dettmann in Eau Claire. Joe was employed as a machinist by Clark Equipment Co., beginning in Benton Harbor and then transferred to the plant (William) Ryder, Frank (Christine), Barbara (the late James) Sarich and Ralph Sarich; in Jackson, working on the assembly lines. While working for Clark Equipment, Joe dear grandmother of Timothy Rodriguez, Christopher Ryder, Kathryn (James) Kirby, also worked part-time at McLaughlin & Ward in Jackson. He retired in 1977 after 34 Stacey Ryder, Nicolene Sarich; fond great-grandmother fo Allison Kirby and Sophia years with Clark, and moved back to Benton Harbor in 1986. Joe was a member of St. Rodriguez. “Lydia was a long-time member and dear friend of the DANK Chicago Matthew’s Ev. Lutheran Church, the D.A.N.K. and The Independent Order of Foresters. chapter. She will be greatly missed.” In his spare time, he enjoyed woodworking, tending to his flower and vegetable gardens Otto J. Perlenfein, Died December 18, 2011. Otto J. Perlenfein, Air Force, dear son of the late Otto and Margaret.Otto was an employee for the Chicago Park District for many years. He was a dear friend of the DANK Haus, a member for over 45 years who sent German greeting cards to the office on every holiday, bringing a bright spot to the day. He was also a generous donor to the organization.
20
German-American Journal
February / March 2012
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