SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI SUMMER 2012 VOL. 12.2

Transcription

1 SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI SUMMER 2012 VOL. 12.2

2 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Website If you enjoy reading this newsletter, you can also find it on our website, Share this link with your friends, or see the latest newsletter before it appears in your mailbox. There are also links to past issues and selected articles. On the Cover: Linderhof Palace in Ettal, Bavaria. This is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It is the only one which he lived to see completed (1886). Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde, Dear Members and Friends I am pleased to report to you that our recent Maifest at the Donaupark has to be considered an unqualified success including attendance and financial results. For the most part the weather was excellent with the exception of a shower towards the end of the festival. This year we introduced a short opening ceremony involving the erection of the Maipole with participation by our youthgroup and the Deutschmeister Brass Band. The erection of a Maipole is a long standing tradition in the Germanic countries of Europe. It takes a great amount of commitment, effort, cooperation and team work to make our cultural events events a success. Other times it simply takes some old fashioned elbow grease to achieve results. Thanks to all volunteers that contributed with time and talent. Special recognition to our newly constituted Festival Committee under the leadership of Pete Heddell. Plans are on-going for the Annual Tag Der Donauschwaben as sponsored by the Danube Swabian Association USA. This year the event is being held in Kitchener, Canada over the Labor Day Weekend. The Society has contracted with a bus company for travel to this destination. Bus departure is targeted for Thursday, August 30 See John Unterreiner for further details. Our facility on Jefferson Avenue will be thirty years old at the end of this year (Phase I Main Hall, kitchen and rest-rooms). Over the past few years we have upgraded the heating and cooling units and replaced other equipment items that have reached the end of their useful lives. This year we are re-landscaping the front of the building. This to make our facility attractive looking not only for our own use but also for rental by other German/ American organizations as well as individuals for weddings and other cultural celebrations. Further work will also include the painting of the metal fascia panels at the roof line of the main hall building. At the Society s Annual Meeting this past January, the membership approved the further expansion of facilities at the Donaupark. This to make the Park more user friendly and attractive through the installation of a free standing building on the west side of the pavilion to house restrooms, a meeting room, small office, mechanical equipment room and related storage. Formal documents are being submitted to the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Department in July to seek approval to proceed with the project. The work will be staged over 2-3 years. Our youth organization is continuing with various events to raise funds for the planned cultural trip in Please support this effort. Looking forward to your continuing support in the interest of the organization, I wish you a most enjoyable and safe summer vacation season. John Pappert, President PAGE 2

3 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 THE STORY OF DISPLACED ETHNIC GERMANS FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR As a follow-up to her earlier film (video) which depicted the plight of the Donauschwaben in Europe following the Second World War, Ann Morrison has completed a second series of videos which is more broadly based and in addition to the Donauschwaben story, also includes the events impacting other ethnic Germans during these troubled times. These videos, having duration of several hours, are based on extensive travel and interviews in Europe. Ralph Hoffarth assisted Ann in this effort. Ann received financial backing from the Danube Swabian Foundation-USA to defray the cost of her work. The videos will be available soon. As we view the contents of Ann s videos I offer these comments: As many of you know, our organization was founded by Danube Swabians and was essentially an aid organization for the displaced people in Europe. Many of these refugees ultimately found their way to the United States and St Louis as well as other parts of the world. The story of the Danube Swabians has a history of some 260 years. While originally practiced in several countries in Eastern Europe, it is now evolving in many parts of the world. In the United States, a multi-cultural country, Donauschwaben tradition is evolving alongside the many ethnic groups in this land of immigrants. Each year in early November, our organization holds a memorial service at our monument in Sunset Burial Park commemorating the tragic years following the Second World War. During the year we celebrate the joyous parts of the German/Donauschwaben tradition. The German Cultural Society is a non-sectarian, non-profit and non-political organization. We are incorporated in the State of Missouri. Our purpose is the promotion of German/Donauschwaben heritage and tradition. We are an American organization first and a German/Donauschwaben organization second. In addition, I believe, we also have an obligation to build bridges of understanding with other ethnic groups. We live in the greater St Louis area with a great diversity of ethnic groups. Among these are Serbians, Bosnians, Slovenians, Croatians, Bulgarians, Polish, Hungarians, Czechs and many others. Our organization has a good relationship with these Eastern Europeans immigrants and their American born descendants based on the concept of let bygones be bygones. Some six decades have now passed since the end of the World War II calamity. In the spirit of fairness and balance we must say that in the fog and turmoil of war, man s inhumanity to man manifests itself in the most cruel of ways. Combatants on both sides of these conflicts inflict upon each other pain and wounds, which require decades to heal. We must be mindful of what we teach our children and grand-children regarding the events of World War II. We know they will grow up and intermingle and form relationships with others from the many ethnic groups in our country. We can discuss, and remember the events of this bygone era but we cannot change what happened. We must let the healing process continue. PAGE 3 John Pappert How to reach us Hall Rental Newsletter To order tickets or germanstl@yahoo.com President Executive Committee Vice president Treasurer Record Administrator Correspondence Membership Co-Controller Co-Controller Members at Large John Pappert Monika Lorenz Ian Romvari Amanda Tate Gaye McMullen Kathy Stark John VanderPluym Website Matt Stark Michael Wendl Jessica Romvari Terry Ficken If you have website changes, send them to Bill Wolz, Webmaster, wolz256@gmail.com Newsletter Bill Wolz, Newsletter Editor wolz256@gmail.com Please submit articles no later than: March 7 for the spring issue June 5th for the summer issue October 25 for the autumn issue

4 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Upcoming Events See page 39 for the full Kalender Sunday, August 19 Kirchweihfest beginning at 11am with Mass See page 15 for details August 31-September 2 Landestreffen der Donauschwaben Kitchener, Canada See page 39 for tdetails September Deutscher Kulturverein Oktoberfest Donau Park See page 33 for details For Information call or A Listing of Our Groups Performing Groups Damenchor Ladies Chorus Coordinator: Käthe Tullmann Music Director: Peggy Pancella Choir Practice: 7:30 p.m. at DKV Hall Deutschmeister Blaskapelle Deutschmeister Brass Band President: Helmuth Glatt Vice-President: John Ampleman johnampleman@att.net Secretary/Treasurer: Mary Weber Members at large: Becky Fischer, Teri Gudowicz Band Practice: 8:00 p.m. at DKV Hall Tanzgruppen Dance Groups Kindertanzgruppe Children s Dance Group (ages 3-9) Practice: generally 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month Call Birgit for practice and performance schedules Practice: DKV Hall Coordinator: Birgit Sterzl McMullen Mittlere Tanzgruppe Middle Dance Group (ages 10-14) Coordinator: Ruth Vanderpluym See website/call Ruth for practice schedule. Jugendgruppe Youth Group Coordinator: Rosemarie Ficken Instructors: Jessica Romvari, Jennifer Taylor See website/call Rosemarie for practice schedules. Practice: DKV Hall Volkstanzgruppe Coordinator: Monika Lorenz For practice & performance schedules contact: Monika Lorenz PAGE 4

5 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 Kindergarten Other Groups Chair: Susan Gallagher Assistant: Kathy Vollman Instructor: Susi Goebel Classes: 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month 9:30-11:00 a.m. at DKV Hall Please call Susan Gallagher for information & schedule. Bastelgruppe Arts & Crafts Group Coordinator: Käthe Tullmann Ktullmann@charter.net Please call for information and schedule. Upcoming Events See page 39 for the full Kalender Everybody is welcome. Totengedenkfeier Memorial Tribute Sunset Burial Park Sunday, November 4, 2012 starting at 2:00 p.m. Lesekreis Reading Circle (German Literature) Coordinator: Käthe Tullmann Meetings: Please call for the next scheduled meeting. Natur- und Wandergruppe Outdoors Group Coordinator: Susi Goebel Call Susi Goebel for the next scheduled event. Seniorengruppe Seniors Group Coordinators: Rose Lengenfelder Becky Haas Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of each month weather permitting, 1-4 pm, DKV Hall. Please call for information. A thank you to all! Named and unnamed--we appreciate all who help throughout the year to make the German Cultural Society the success that it is today. Saturday, December 1 Tag des Deutschen Kulturvereins Day of the German Cultural Society DKV Hall Saturday, December 6 Christmas Show 2012 German performers come to us!! DKV Hall, see Page 19 PAGE 5

6 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / A Listing of Our Groups cont. HEAT PUMPS AIR CONDITIONING GAS HEATING RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL A.W. Heating & Air Conditioning Corp. ALFONS WEIGL, JR. PRESIDENT LIN VALLE DR. SUITE B ST. LOUIS, MO Join us with your children for a little German! u Kindergarten u 2-6 years old Most 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 9:30 am 3652 South Jefferson Ave. St. Louis, Park & enter in rear of building u u u u u u u u u * Frau Susi presents basic circle games, hand and finger games, and stories, snack and craft. * Weihnachtsfeier (Christmas party) happens every year with Santa Claus and his goodies. As well as Springo/ Kaffeeklatsch, Easter Egg Hunt & other events Kindergarten meetings: Call for 2012 start dates Bar Committee Groups that tend bar at events at our Hall and at Donau-Park; the Bar Manager plans, orders and takes delivery of bar supplies for all events. Bar Manager: Hans Lengenfelder Bar Co-Manager: Frank Rohatsch Members of each group are listed in alphabetical order. Bartenders - Group 1: Dan Stock, John Lasinski, Brian Schaeffer, Matthew De La Hunt Group 2: John Haas, Franz Heitzmann, Lorenz Kaiser, Sepp Neulinger, Group 3: Hans Lengenfelder, Steve Meinberg, John Mueller, Herbert Fritz Group 4: Eberhard Pfitzner, Matt Potje, Steve Potje, Joe Vaughan Group 5: Liz Young, Marilyn Heidbrink, Susan Bauer, Shannon O Boyle, Steve Ballew, Group 6: Joe Borasuk, James Provo, Rudi Sterzl Reserves: Walt Busch, Ralph Hoffarth, Ann Mathes, Ian Romvari, Earl Spohr, Charles Tate, Helga Thalheimer Donau Park Development Group - The Wednesday Group - Meets every Wednesday to develop and maintain our Donau Park in Jefferson County on a year-round basis. Members: Herbert Fritz, Ralph Hoffarth, Frank Irovic, Hans Lengenfelder, Sepp Messmer, Wally Meyer, John Mueller, Sepp Neulinger, John Pappert, Matt Potje, Frank Rohatsch, George Ruppe, Rudi Sterzl, Willy Tullmann, Emmet Wuertz, Marvin Young. PAGE 6

7 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 Service Groups Bob and Gerhard Wanninger Festkomitee Responsible for the planning and executing of all menus for DKV-sponsored events, including ordering and receiving of the required supplies, the preparing and serving of food, and the workman-like maintenance of our kitchen facilities and related equipment. Coordinator: Pete Heddell Members: Lou Eder, Anna Eder, Ruthie Vanderplum, Chuck Jackels, Monica Lorenz, Matt Potje, Barb Potje, Steve Potje The Festkomitee could not function without the numerous helpers who volunteer every time either in the preparation or the serving of food. We need your help! To help the Festkomitee, please call Pete. Gartenverein Meets as required to plant and maintain flowers in both locations. Coordinator: Becky Haas Intermediary for Jugendgruppe helpers: Anna Eder Members: Sarah Birtwistle, Kathy Heitzmann, Rose Lengenfelder, Gaye McMullen, Caroline Messmer, Barb Potje, Anni Ruppe, Lucille Schweiss, Kathy Stark, Irma Wittendorfer M a r k e r s Mo n u m e n t s Va s e s G a r d e n Sp a c e s La w n Cr y p t s Ma u s o l e u m s C r e m a i n Ni c h e s Hall Maintenance Organization - The Thursday Group - Meets every Thursday to maintain our hall on Jefferson Avenue year-round. Coordinator: Thomas Kaiser Members: Henry Erk, Hans Fischer, Peter Freiling, Nick Glasz, Frank Irovic Affton Monument Co. We Service All Cemeteries Gravois St. Louis, MO Lynn Stevenson Jim Leininger Family Service Counselors PAGE 7

8 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Welttreffen Donauschwäbischer Kulturgruppen 2011 Zukunft gestalten, Tradition bewahren, Weltweit zuhause By Birgit Sterzl-McMullen The waft of fresh strawberries from Oma McMullen s kitchen as she stirs the fruit to make her coveted homemade jam takes me back to Ungarn. I am reminded of the stories told by witnesses of times gone by. Zukunft gestalten, Tradition bewahren, Weltweit zuhause (Shaping the Future, Preserving tradition, Worldwide at home). It s hard to believe that a year has passed since that Donnerstag, 16, Juni 2011 unforgettable, once in a lifetime adventure began. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, St. Louis we have lift off! Then, hours later, finally, Budapest we have touchdown. Anxious to start the two week journey, I gathered niece Laura, bolted off the plane and found our luggage only to be caught in an unbearably long line (long wait) to get through customs. On the other side we looked for a sign displaying the Donauschwäbischer Wappen and were welcomed to the Weltreffen by Manfred Mayrhofer and Suzanne with open arms. Taking a moment to stretch legs, exchange money into the Ungarn currency (Forint) and have a cup of coffee, I couldn t help but notice the china used to serve food/drink. Fast food on china, in the airport? Do you think the Hungarians know something about recycling? I pondered that question while waiting for the last of the group before we boarded the bus for the last leg of our journey; final destination, Hotel Plantan in Harkany. With the hot sun beating in the windows of the bus we were all convinced that there was no air conditioning. The bus driver appeared cool as a cucumber. Was it just that we needed to get acclimated? With camera in hand, my finger on the shutter and my head practically glued to the bus window I tried to take in every detail of the countryside. The most prevalent vegetation seen were the immaculately groomed, perfect rows of the vineyards in the hillside, not to be over shadowed by the beauty of the sunflower fields. Arrival to Harkany was heard by all as we whooped and hollered at the sight of our hotel. Stefan Ihas awaited our arrival with the obligatory Palinka welcome. And so began our journey. The 12 day schedule was ambitious! PAGE 8 The icebreaker: Standing in a circle with ball of yarn in hand you say a few words about yourself then toss the ball of yarn to the other side of the circle; the person that catches the ball of yarn follows suit until everyone has had a turn. Result: a labyrinth to symbolize that we are all connected. A film crew was on hand to interview and shoot footage that later became a documentary of the Welttreffen Donauschwäbischer Kulturgruppen. St. Louis had the opportunity to make their debut in this film. The representation of groups from various countries around the world was awesome; ranging from Brazil to Canada to Germany to USA, etc. Ah yes, the dancing! Dance instruction/practice by Peter Schweininger, Judit Mausz, Eva Treitz on different days for most of the day; more dancing at the Baranya (evening of fun, eating dancing, camaraderie)multiple times; dancing at the Schwabenball in Görcsöndoboka, 30 Jahre Feier in Babarc, Schwowische Hochzeit aus Wemend;etc. You get the picture. Sometimes tripping over our feet while attempting to learn yet another new dance, one could still tell that we all had the rhythm. The dance moves came easy. Was it the Palinka, the camaraderie or our own experience? It was invigorating! I was left wanting to learn more, dance more. The focus: Zukunft gestalten, Tradition bewahren. Peter Schweininger passionately talked about the importance of community and Junge Schwaben (young

9 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 Schwabiens) in Ungarn. Imagine teaching the German traditions, language and customs to the Hungarian youth who would rather speak Hungarian and be hip with new music and dance style. Now, where you see Hungarian replace the word with American/ English. Is it beginning to sound familiar? Weltweit zuhause Peter was able to build a dance group starting with 28 to the current 141 without going modern. What s interesting is in his town of Saar there are a mere 1000 inhabitants of which 600 are Deutsch, 23.5% are dancers. Wow! Judit Mausz was able to incorporate traditional German Schwabien dance into the school curriculum. Dance became part of what we in the states call P.E. Children are now required to take dance three times per week. Select children that have the honor to participate in the Kinder-Tanzgruppe must take an additional two hours of dance instruction after school weekly. Eva Treitz from Babarc took her town to new heights through encouragement, enthusiasm and perseverance. Her dance troop has traveled the world, including the USA, showcasing their award winning performances. We had the pleasure of a day with Eva. Dancing was just part of the 12 day curriculum. Many other venues rounded out our experience. Singing like angels the Vanderpluym girls, Ruthie and Veronica joined the Wemender Quartett in song. The rest of the group followed suit. I m not sure that the Quartet knew the impact the songs had on all of us. We brought them back to the states, made song sheets Zukunft gestalten, Tradition bewahren. Most recently at the Landesverband meeting the song sheets came in quite handy at the Saturday night party Weltweit zuhause. History lessons were interspersed between dancing and singing instruction. The test of knowledge came with the Donauschwäbischer Wissenslauf. This scavenger hunt was set up so that we would have clues that would lead us to a question which we would then have to answer correctly. Using all of our resources, like Herbert Lorenz s parents, to answer questions proved to be helpful for the St. Louis group. One group took it a step further using the internet to get the PAGE 9 answers. They beat us out, but not by much. Although most days were filled with laughter there were some very somber moments like the trip to the WWII prisoner camp in Gakowo, Serbia. Stories of the atrocities were told as we made our way to the immense memorial cross and viewed the Massenfriedhof (mass graves). On a different day all of us had the opportunity to take a walk in Mohacs an die Donau. To symbolize greetings to the alte Heimatland (old homestead), two representatives laid a wreath into the waters of the Donau. Tradition bewahren: The soon to be lost art of fabric dying by a special method was demonstrated by the 90 plus year old Blaufärber of Großnarad. The method: amazing and quite complicated. Some of us tried to buy a piece of this handcrafted fabric, but to no avail. The Blaufärber would not sell any of it, due to what he considered imperfections. I was surprised not only by the intricate details of his work but also by his home. Later I was told that his home was very typical to the region. From the street not much is visible but a very tall wall or fence, two windows and an almost camouflaged entrance door. Once invited inside the door/gate, beauty unfolds before your very eyes. The flowers aroma fills the senses. Vegetables are in abundance. A gravel path leads to the uncluttered barn. Directly behind the barn the tantalizing fruit trees lead the way to the fields in various states of cultivation. The limestone house that parallels the flower and vegetable garden is built so as to stay out of the sun s reach after 11:30a.m. A summer kitchen keeps the heat out of the house. I have heard the stories of growing up with a summer kitchen not only from my Mutti, Maria, and Vati, Rudy, but also my motherin-law, Shirley. I can t help but wonder if building a kitchen in our basement or on our deck isn t really our summer kitchen. Zukunft gestalten, Tradition bewahren, Weltweit zuhause Whether it was a summer kitchen or otherwise, the food was absolutely amazing! Every day was a new experience for the palate; from Goulash to Gurken Salat to an endless list of delight. One of the days Continued on page 10

10 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Continued from page 9 was spent Schlachten (butchering) und Strudelbacken (making strudel) in Liptod. We learned how to make sausage, sarma (stuffed cabbage) and strudel and of course ate it too. Whoever wanted in on the action had an opportunity to participate. Uwe, fellow traveler from Germany, and I thought we d try our hand beating the strudel dough. Hunched over the large silver bowl, chair height, we went to work. Holding the bowl with one hand and beating, beating, beating with the other, Uwe and I found a rhythm. Beads of sweat forming on our brows, our rhythm slowed as we raised our heads as if to ask, Is it ready yet? The Omas just shook their head; no the dough isn t ready keep beating. With no one wanting to step in as relief we kept at it until we were finally given the signal to stop. Hurray!! Ahhhh, we found the secret; blood sweat and tears love, the secret ingredient for all wonderful food. Handwork is what our ancestors lived on a daily basis. They are old world masters of their craft, combining time, and experience to produce art. Working with the Omas on the strudel, it is as if I could see my beloved Mutti standing in front of me say, Using this bowl you take 2 large handfuls of flour, 1 egg and some warm water, a little salt and some oil.you beat the dough by hand until it comes away from the sides of the bowl, then divide it in portions. This is the same way the recipe was relayed when we were in Liptod. Schlachten und Strudelbacken is not something new to me. As a child I remember the family including aunts, uncles and cousins getting together for schlachten. Mutti made strudel just because she loved us. Tradition bewahren, Weltweit zuhause In Liptod, while the Strudel was baking, some went on a walk about climbing steep hills to view the vineyards; each family has their own. Entering the private wine cellar of Herr Markesz we were all given a wine glass; the wine drawn directly from the barrels was then poured into our glass. There is a special technique and tool required to draw the wine from the barrels, some tried mastering it. I m not sure as to how successful they were. Walking back into the village we stopped at a warehouse. The doors opened revealing an art gallery. Hard to imagine a large art gallery in a town of 200. The tour of the town ended just in time for Kaffee and Kuchen.nothing like fresh baked strudel hot from the oven. A couple of drinks later, time to eat the Sarma and any leftover strudel. Satisfied with all we had accomplished and seen in Liptod we left behind our newly made friends as the town came out to wave goodbye. There were so many experiences; some yet not mentioned. Sixty-five participants came, each with their own story, all developing a bond with each other. Als Freunde kamen wir, Als Freunde gehen wir. (We came as friends. We leave as friends.) Weltweit zuhause. The trip was an awesome experience! It will never be forgotten. I was given the opportunity to hear and see just a glimpse of some of my Mutti s spoken and unspoken childhood stories.my biggest regret is not being able to share the experiences of my Mutti, Maria Sterzl s, Heimatland with her. She died several years ago. I take solace in the fact that my Vati, Rudy Sterzl, can continue to tell the stories. I have shared my experiences with many. I am proud of my ancestry and feel privileged to have been a part of the Welttreffen Donauschwäbischer Kulturgruppen 2011, Zukunft gestalten, Tradition bewahren, Weltweit zuhause (Shaping the Future, Preserving tradition, Worldwide at home). Many thanks to the DKV for their financial support as well as the financial support of the Stiftung and the encouragement of the Donauschwaben Weltdachverband. The second World Conference was a huge success! PAGE 10

11 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 CITY CHAPEL 2906 Gravois St. Louis, MO G SOUTH COUNTY CHAPEL 5255 Lemay Ferry Road St. Louis, MO G AFFTON CHAPEL Gravois St. Louis, MO PAGE 11

12 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Kenrick s Meats & Catering 4324 Weber Road, St. Louis, MO Phone: (314) Fax: (314) Wir sind Ihre Party-Leute We re your Party People Full Service Catering for All Occasions Weddings n Rehearsals n Showers Anniversaries n Family n Gatherings Inquire about our Abundant Selection of Fine Foods n Catering Pick-Up n Delivery Available n Box Lunches n Gourmet Platters n Hors D oeuvres Kenrick is a proud affiliate of the German Cultural Society 4324 Weber Road, St. Louis, MO Phone: (314) Fax: (314) Kenrick s Meats & Catering PAGE 12

13 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 Another poem read at the Welttreffen 2011 Unverlierbare Heimat Frank Rohatsch, Consultant H. Joseph Rohatsch, Owner Joseph M. Rohatsch, Manager Wer die Heimat kannte, die ich Heimat nannte, der verlor sie nicht; tief ins Herz geschrieben ist sie ihm geblieben, wie ein Seelenlicht. Nichts hab ich besessen, doch auch nichts vergessen; alles blieb bestehn. All der Blumen Düfte, Vogelsang der Lüfte können nicht vergehn. Warum soll ich trauern um zerfallene Mauern, die mir nie gehört? Heimat ist im Innern, mehr als nur erinnern, bleibt drum unzerstört. Wer die Heimat kannte, die ich Heimat nannte, der verliert sie nie; tief ins Her geschrieben ist sie ihm geblieben eine Herzensmelodie. FRANK S AUTO BODY, INC. 3rd Generation of Collision Repair We specialize in unibody car repair with bench frame system and complete refinishing 1701 Lemay Ferry Road St. Louis, MO (314) (314) Fax: (314) PAGE 13

14 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Spotlight on Unsung Heroes In this issue of our Newsletter we want to recognize the contributions of two young ladies for their commitment in furthering the cultural traditions of our Society. They have been active in the youth organizations since their teen years as dancers and Instructors. We are of course talking about the Taylor twins, Jennifer and Jessica. Jessica is married to Ian Romvari, our Treasurer. In their professional life they are both involved in the healthcare field in physical and music therapy. In addition to the contributions of these two ladies to the Otherwise known as Mess and Yenna. German Cultural Society, their grandparents Ray and Ann Vonderhaar were active for many years in our kitchen staff and contributed greatly in the preparation of our tasty German-style food. Many thanks to such a committed family for their volunteerism, and the sacrifice of their quality time. PAGE 14

15 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 Deutscher Kulturverein K i r c h w e i h f e s t Our Traditional German Church Consecration Festival Sunday, August 19, 2012 Starting at A.M. DKV Hall The Ladies Choir will sing at a German mass accompanied by the Deutschmeister Brass Band At 11:00 a.m. In our hall. Deutschmeister Brass Band, Kinder Tanzgruppe, Mittlere Tanzgruppe, Jugendgruppe, Volkstanzgruppe Articles exhibited by our Arts & Crafts group Continuous entertainment Traditional German food & drink served after mass and throughout the afternoon See you there! PAGE 15

16 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Especially for Seniors: Free Access to German Language Newspapers, Radio and TV Courtesy of the German School Association When the first telephones became available, only a few very forward-thinking individuals, who could foresee the benefits, bought them and had them installed in their homes. But most people rejected them as a passing fad. People didn t want them in their homes because they were big, clunky, noisy and not very easy to operate. Can you imagine being without a telephone today? Telephones are now not just in our homes, they are in our pockets! While the computer, or PC, is widely accepted and used, in business and by the younger generation, it is not so easily accepted by seniors. Why? Because the first ones were big, clunky, noisy and not very easy to operate. The PCs have evolved so much that they are now small and, with a little practice, easy to use, but for many they still seem not very easy to operate. You don t need a PC and don t need to know how to use one for FREE access to daily German-language newspapers from almost every city in the Germanspeaking countries of Europe Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The same holds true for German language radio and TV broadcasts. So you are thinking, How can I get any of those if I don t have a computer? The answer: Very easy at any St. Louis City or County Public Library. They have PCs you can use for FREE. You may reserve and use St. Louis Public Library s public computers for up to two hours each day at any one of the branches. Now you make a face and say: I don t know how to use a computer. The answer: Not a problem the Librarian will help you find anything you need. So now it seems like this might be something you d like to try but then you think: I don t know what to look for. The answer: Simply show the following to the Librarian and ask the Librarian if he/she would find this page for you: the_web This information can also be found by going to the German School website at and clicking on German on the Web at the top of the page. Once the Librarian finds the page for you, you will be able to select Newspapers, Radio or TV. If you select Newspapers, you can then select which newspaper you d like to read from a long list of newspapers, or you can select a city and read the newspaper(s) from that city. Radio or TV, you can also select from a long list of stations. Most libraries will also provide you with headphones so you will not disturb others. For TV you can select a country and a station to watch. For Radio you can select a city and then a radio station you d like to hear. Want to know more about how to use a PC? The St. Louis City and County Libraries offer FREE 2-hour classes on how to use a computer. Contact your nearest branch for dates and times of the classes. PAGE 16

17 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 Deutschmeister Brass Band Reported by John Ampleman New web site photo Back row, left to right: Gerhard Glassl, Dago Glassl, Erik Glassl, Nick Baur, Howard Schuette, Teri Gudowicz, John Corradini Middle row: John Ampleman, Adam Glassl, John Seipp, Helmuth Glatt, Mike Major, Pete Krege, Monika Schiro, Frank Schiro Front row: Becky Fischer, Ralph Ullrich, Mary Weber, Pete Glatt, Cassie Behrmann, Nellie Eddleman New facebook photo. PAGE 17

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19 / Deutscher Kulturverein / July Volume 12.2 CHRISTMAS SHOW 2012 Alle Jahre Wieder!!! Where: German Cultural Society Hall When: December 6, : 30 PM Featuring: Seven singers and musicians from various parts of Germany performing traditional favorite songs and tunes of the holiday season. For further information call: John Pappert PAGE 19

20 July Volume 12.2 / Deutscher Kulturverein / Maifest May 20, 2012 The Maibaum tradition: Mein Verein, der die Tradition in Ehren hällt, hat mich mit vereinten Kräften hier erstellt. Nun betrachte mich genau und denke stets daran, das einer alleine nichts erreichen kann. PAGE 20