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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2005
BOOK NOTES:
By Don Heinrich Tolzmann
Buchnotizen/Book Notes provides brief comments on recent books relating to German and German-American topics. Information as to price and ordering can be found at various
Internet book sites, or at the nearest bookstore.
Explore the beginnings of German history with The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions: Discovering the Varus Battlefield (Savas Beatie, 2005), which not only illuminates the
triumphant battle of Arminius and his Germanic forces over the three Roman legions of Quinctilius Varus in 9 A.D., but also tells the story of how Major Clunn discovered the actual site of the Varus battlefield
in northern Germany. Oscillating back and forth from the history of the battle to the search for where the battle took place, Clunn’s book makes for a fascinating introduction to German history.
One of the areas in the U.S. for which a German-related travel guide is available is Fodor’s Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Dutch Country (Fodor’s, 2005). This contains all
the usual travel book kinds of information, including best hotels, restaurants, etc. Since Germantown, now a suburb of Philadelphia, was the “cradle” of German-America, this guide offers a good point of
departure for those interested in visiting the “City of Brotherly Love” as a prelude to an excursion into the Pennsylvania German Heimat.
Russell D. and Corinne P. Earnest’s Flying Leaves and One-Sheets: Pennsylvania German Broadsides, Fraktur and their Printers (Oak Knoll Press, 2005) provides a beautifully
illustrated survey of Pennsylvania German broadsides, including more than one hundred thirty color and black & white illustrations, with detailed information on the printers and their works. Many of their
printings are quite colorful, highly prized and collected today.
Tomas Jaehn’s Germans in the Southwest, 1850-1920 (University of New Mexico Press, 2005) ventures into an area not usually thought of for German heritage, but which nonetheless
was the destination of many German immigrants before World War I. Jaehn draws from German authors, such as Karl May and Balduin Möllhausen to present the German image of the southwest, and to elaborate on how
Germans acclimated to the area. The work also demonstrates that the Hispanic residents of the area were more than hospitable to the arrival of their new German compatriots. Jaehn also describes the societies,
churches, and temples of Germans in the southwest, which clearly evidences the depth of the German dimension there….
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PROFILE:
Benedikt Dorsch – Serving Up Winners
By Keith Loria
When he was just five years old, Benedikt Dorsch first picked up a tennis racquet and the Garmisch, Germany-native, now twenty-five, has been playing ever since. Yet, before he was
recruited by Baylor University three years ago, he never thought that he would be preparing for a life as one of the world’s most promising tennis stars.
“When I was younger, I played soccer, tennis and handball,” he says. “I was not ranked in junior tennis until I was eighteen and had only made it to the finals twice in tournaments
while in Germany.”
He began college in Germany and since there wasn’t a “college scene” for tennis, he would practice against the professional players, which truly helped his game come along.
When friend and fellow tennis-star Benjamin Becker headed to the U.S. to play for Baylor, he informed his coach of the competitive court battles he had with Dorsch and soon he was being
asked to come to Baylor as well.
“I think the thing that jumps out at you about Benedikt first is just his intensity and his work ethic and a lot of the intangible things that he brings to his tennis,” says Matt Knoll,
head coach of the Baylor tennis team. “As a tennis player, he’s an aggressive baseliner. He tries to use his forehand a lot and be aggressive out of his forehand corner and he’s really done some good things to
develop his serve and his net game and has really turned himself into a very good doubles player in the last couple of years.”
Dorsch spent his college years winning match after match for Baylor and became one of their top tennis players ever. This year he ended his illustrious three-year career at the school
as a six-time All-American (three in singles and three in doubles) and compiled a 36-2 record in his final season with a career singles mark of 119-15. He is Baylor’s all-time leader in winning percentage in
both singles and doubles with an .880 singles mark and a .790 doubles mark.
“I was glad I was able to end my career on such a high note,” he says. “I had a wonderful time at the school and am very grateful for the opportunity that was given to me.”
Although he had the raw talent, Dorsch knew that he needed some seasoning to get his game to the elite level. He credits Coach Knoll and his teammates with helping him reach his goals.
“I think teaching him how to pace himself helped him improve his flexibility which helped him,” Knoll says. “We gave him ideas on how to win points quicker so he didn’t have to be out
there hitting five thousand balls on every point.”
“I learned a lot,” Dorsch adds. “The team was made up of really good guys.”
Academically, Dorsch majored in entrepreneurship and international business and did very well. He was required to take a foreign language when he was in grade school and he chose
English, so he was very familiar with the language when he came to the states.
“He grew as a person in this academic environment,” Knoll says. “He learned how to manage people and manage himself and all that is going to help him when he gets out there.”
In late August, Dorsch was honored at a ceremony by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for winning their player of the year award. Dorsch basically accomplished just about all
anyone could in college tennis and was ready for the challenges ahead….
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GALLERY:
From Mansion to Museum—the Unique Neue Galerie in New York
by Ruth Rovner
The building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 86th Street in New York City is stately and elegant, as befits a former mansion that was once the residence of the socialite Mrs.
Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Completed in 1914, it has been designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Commission. Now, it is home to a unique art museum – the Neue Galerie devoted exclusively to German and
Austrian art of the early twentieth century. With this specialized focus, it is the only museum of its kind in the United States.
Marking its fourth anniversary this November, the Neue Galerie has taken its place as one of New York’s important cultural assets. It attracts an estimated one hundred fifty thousand
visitors per year, according to deputy director Scott Gutterman.
Visitors are delighted and often surprised when they enter this former mansion with its domed ceiling, winding staircase, fireplaces, and polished wood paneling. In these elegant
surroundings, visitors view a wide range of art works, including paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts.
The small size of the museum – just four thousand three hundred square feet holding a maximum of three hundred seventy-five people – is part of the charm. As a New York Times article
noted when it opened: "Not all museums are so clearly founded on the belief that smaller is still best."
Even though its size is small, its art collection is impressive. For instance, it has more works by prominent Austrian artists Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele than any other United States
museum and is especially strong in the works of German artists Max Beckman and Otto Dix. One prized piece is a recent acquisition, Beckman’s Self Portrait with Horn, which an art critic described as "hauntingly beautiful."
Then, too, there is the wide-ranging decorative arts collection. Objects such as clocks, ceiling fixtures, and chairs – all with distinctive designs – are displayed together with
paintings. On the second floor, devoted to Austrian art, three Viennese clocks are displayed along with paintings by Klimt and Schiele. No ordinary clocks, there is a mantelpiece clock by Joseph Urban made of
mother of pearl, brass, onyx, and marble, with a yellow face and bright green dial. Another mantelpiece clock, designed by architect Adolf Loos, is made of brass, copper, and cut glass.
In another exhibit room, the decorative art objects include chairs of varied sizes and shapes, each identified by artist, date, and materials used. A display case in the center of the
room is filled with gleaming silver and china – and even a stylish black and white place mat reading "Cabaret Fledermaus, l907."
The third floor is devoted to German art of the early twentieth century, with artists representing various art movements of the era, including Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, August
Macke, Erich Heckel, Oskar Schlemmer, George Grosz, and others. Here, too, decorative arts are exhibited, including works by Bauhaus artists Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Marianne Brandt, and Wilhelm
Wagenfeld…
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Memories of Marburg an der Lahn
by Rebecca Rodgers
A saint, the Grimms, and Martin Luther add to the appeal of this beautiful university town.
As the train winds northward from Frankfurt, travelers see fields of wheat and rapeseed plants, gently rolling tree-covered hills and the occasional red-roofed village. However, about
an hour into the journey, about twenty miles from Giessen when the train takes a slight turn, those fortunate enough to be seated on the north side of the train are greeted with the sight of Marburg. Its
university buildings stand to the left, the gothic Elisabethskirche to the right and a hill of half-timbered houses leads up to the ninth century castle as the focal point on the top of the hill.
A person does not need to spend more than a week in Marburg to become familiar with its skyline. In the north of town the twin stone spires of the Elisabethskirche stand as memorials to
patron saint Elisabeth. She devoted her life and wealth to the area’s sick after the early death of her husband, Ludwig IV of Thuringia. Many of the countless hospitals she founded in the early thirteenth
century still run in some form today. She died early at the age of twenty-four, probably a result of her hard work in her hospitals.
Since two days after her death in 1231, some form of church has stood on the site of her passing, but the cathedral that stands today was begun in 1235 – the year she was canonized –
and its towers were finished one hundred five years later. Locals take pride in its history, as well they should: it is Germany’s oldest pure gothic church. It is open free to visitors daily, and a tour,
including St. Elisabeth’s shrine, is only two Euro. Services are still held Sunday mornings and Saturday and Sunday evenings, but the switch from Catholic to Protestant worship took place about four hundred
seventy-five years ago when Philipp of Hesse decided to take an eager interest in the Reformation.
When Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Philipp of Hesse was one of the first to join his ranks. He declared Marburg officially Protestant
and, in 1527, removed the Dominican monks from their monastery, establishing a Protestant university. Today, after four hundred seventy-eight years, Philipps Universität is the world’s oldest of its kind, and
the original building still stands. Dubbed the Alte Uni to distinguish it from the newer university complexes scattered all over town, it still offers classes for the theology department.
The Alte Uni could also be called the gateway to the Altstadt, standing on the corner of Schlossberg where the blacktop gives way to cobblestones. Suddenly, the bustling streets
and crosswalks below are forgotten, and pedestrians rule the Altstadt. Because of the geography, the Altstadt is also called the Oberstadt, literally putting it over the rest of town. Half-timbered houses of
four and five stories wedge together around the middle of the mountain, leaning precariously over the narrow alleys.
Among the clothing and tea shops all through the Altstadt, cafés full of chatting students and couples spill outside, drinking their beers and coffees in the outdoor weather. Especially
on weekends there is an accordion, guitar, or harp player around each corner. Toy stores put their displays of discounted puzzles outside for browsing. Between late February and October, the pedestrian zones –
some of the first in Germany – are full of people carrying ice cream cones from Eiscafé Venezia.
In the middle of the shops and cafés lies the Marktplatz, an open area with a fountain and the town Rathaus. The Rathaus even has a Glockenspiel, if a little less elaborate than the one
in Munich. On each hour the bells chime the time, the Justice moves her scales and the copper chicken on the peak of the roof flaps its wings and squawks. This little display is just enough to bring a smile in
the middle of a long workday…
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Hemingway in Austria
by Leah Larkin
Two consecutive winters enjoying life in Austria’s Montafon touched both Hemingway’s life and writings.
For Ernest Hemingway, Austria’s Montafon Valley was “paradise,” says author Günther J. Wolf. Yet Wolf feels too few people know about the important influence the Montafon had on the
famous author.
Hemingway spent two winters in the Montafon town of Schruns, 1924 to 1925 and 1925 to 1926. What happened during those winters had a significant impact on the author and his writing,
maintains Wolf, who has written a book on the subject, Paradies ohne Wiederkehr/No Return to Paradise. The book is in two languages, German in the front, English in the back.
Hemingway was living in Paris at the time he took off to the Austrian mountains for the winter. According to Wolf, Hemingway had had an affair with an Englishwoman. His wife at the
time, Hadley, found out about it. For forgiveness, he promised her a winter vacation.
“We loved the Vorarlberg (the Montafon is in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg) and we loved Schruns,” Hemingway wrote in the last chapter of A Moveable Feast. The author was an avid outdoorsman and an excellent skier. With backpack, he, Hadley, and friends would climb on skis to the Bielerhöhe at six thousand six hundred feet and stay in the Madlener-Haus, a mountain hut that is still there. They would spend the night or longer at the hut before skiing back down the mountain.
Wolf quotes Hemingway: “But the climbing was fun and no one minded it in those days. You set a certain pace well under the speed at which you could climb, and it was easy and your heart
felt good and you were proud of the weight of your rucksack. Part of the climb to the Madlener-Haus was steep and very tough.”
When not climbing and skiing down the mountains, Hemingway held up in the Taube Hotel in Schruns and wrote short stories. The first winter in Austria, he also rewrote his first draft
for The Sun Also Rises. While in the Montafon, the author is also noted to have partied hard and played poker – all while drinking plenty of booze…
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In Hemingway’s Tracks
by Leah Larkin
Get a taste for the skiing that captured Hemingway’s adventurous heart.
Ernest Hemingway was skiing in Austria’s Montafon Valley back in 1925, way before ski lifts were ever built, but that is another story.
Hemingway loved the beauty of this mountainous area near both the Swiss and Italian borders. Today’ skiers follow in his ski tracks, but they have it much easier thanks to some
sixty-four lifts for easy access to the slopes.
Eleven resorts, some with interconnecting slopes, are spread out along the twenty-five-mile long Montafon Valley, which is about one hundred miles from both Zurich and Innsbruck.
While its one hundred twenty-two miles of marked slopes might not rank next to those of neighboring big-name resorts, Lech and St. Anton, and its nightlife cannot compare with that of
nearby Ischgl, the Montafon has much to offer. My husband and I spent a three-day weekend in Gaschurn, one of its eleven resorts, and we loved it.
We spent two days downhill skiing the slopes of the Silvretta Nova, which are also accessible from the villages of Gortipohl and St. Gallenkirch. One glorious day we cross-country skied
around a frozen lake high up in the mountains.
We had superb snow conditions, thanks in part to Mother Nature and in part to man-made snow. A gondola whisked us from the lift station in Gaschurn to the Nova Stoba restaurant complex
and access to the upper slopes. It was intermediate paradise with lots of long runs. Our favorites were numbers 22 and 28. There are many easier runs, too, and, when snow permits, off-piste possibilities on
ample non-groomed terrain. My only criticism is that there is too much boring trail skiing to get from one slope to another. However, the slopes – wide open and crowd free – are a delight.
Although the restaurants and parking lots were full, lift lines were rare. There are several six-passenger chairlifts – fast and efficient people movers. A Dutch family we spoke to said
they specifically chose to ski the Montafon due to its number of lifts which mean more time on skis and less in lines…
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Something for Under the Tree
When it comes to the celebration of the holidays, few cultures do so with the same fervor as Germans. Advent calendars help the day-to-day anticipation build and seemingly every town
square fills with vendors for month-long Christkindlmärkte. This holiday season is the perfect time to incorporate your love of Germany into your gift giving. Thanks to today’s shopping environment of internet
storefronts and worldwide shipping, it is easier than ever to bring a little bit of the Old World into your home. So grab your wish list, a pen, and give this holiday season a German flair for your family and
friends!
Pewter Figures (Zinnfiguren) – These delightful little works of art can capture the holiday spirit and far more. Crafted in pewter, the highly detailed and colorful decorations
traditionally capture memorable periods in life. Their small size makes them perfect additions to the tree or wonderful holiday decorations to add a festive touch to smaller spaces.
Feather Trees – In the latter part of the nineteenth century, Christmas trees had become so popular that fears of depleting the German forests led to the creation of artificial trees,
including trees made of goose feathers. The wide spacing between branches made them ideal for showcasing ornaments and their convenient size made their transport to America possible with their immigrant
families. Today, antique feather trees can still be found and a number of manufacturers produce reproduction feather trees in a variety of colors.
Glass Ornaments from Lauscha –Since the twelfth century in the wooded hills of Thuringia, quartz, potash, and limestone have combined with fire to create glass. The craft of making
hand-blown ornaments centered around the town of Lauscha, where skilled artisans still breathe life into the holiday decorations. Their colors have brightened Christmas trees for generations and they still add
an air of nostalgia.
Nutcrackers – What could be more symbolic of a German Christmas than a traditional nutcracker! These colorful wooden characters were intended to scare away nasty spirits with their
grimacing teeth but the look has helped make them one of Germany’s definitive symbols. Available in an ever-growing variety of styles and sizes, a Nussknacker or nutcracker, is a perfect permanent addition that
brings a touch of Christmas to every day.
Model Trains have been an integral part of holiday decorating for many generations. For many young boys, the first train set that circled beneath the Christmas tree planted the hobbyist
seed and soon the ever-growing quest for the perfect model train layout was born. Although American manufacturers may be the first to come to mind, German model trains have long been recognized for their quality
and detail.
Pyramids – Be it six inches or six feet in height, a handcrafted Christmas pyramid is a magical addition to any home for the holidays. These beautiful wooden creations come to life with
candles and the movement of warm rising air they generate. The “poor man’s Christmas tree” has become one of the most treasured of holiday decorations with their gently twirling Nativity and traditional holiday
scenes.
Rauchermanner or Smokers are a feast for the senses. From their abbreviated height to their somewhat chubby proportions and the ringlet shape of their mouths, these little wooden
figures are more than meets the eye. Just remove their top and add a cone of incense and soon the scent of the holidays will be wafting throughout your home. And the smoldering incense cones fill the home with
the scent of Christmas while light wisps of smoke bring a bit of life to these wonderful little characters.
Food – Whether it is a traditional slice of Stollen or a Bunte Teller of holiday cookies, food is always a perfect gift and one size truly fits all. Why not stock up on a few food gifts
for special hostess gifts when attending holiday parties or so you will not be caught empty-handed when an unexpected gift comes your way. Stollen, Marzipan, cinnamon roasted nuts, Lebkuchen, sausages – the list
goes on and on.
Sausage – Although it should technically fall under our mention of “food,” we deemed German-style sausages and meats worthy of a mention all of their own. There are a number of
producers in the United States that adhere to the Old World recipes and methods and many offer wonderful gift assortments that can be shipped nationwide.
Advent Calendars – When the first of December rolls around, the familiar Advent Calendar makes its annual return. As each day passes, a new window is opened and a bit of candy sweetens
the day as the anticipation builds for the coming of Christmas Day.
Cuckoo Clocks – The familiar “cuckoo, cuckoo” and the “snap” of the tiny door mark the hour and bring a bit of the Schwarzwald into your home. Styles range from simple to elaborate and
each timepiece captures the wonderful woodworking skills of the Black Forest’s artisans. These enduring timepieces are a delight to people of all ages.
Candle Arches or Schwiboggen add a warm, welcoming addition to the window of any home. Schwiboggen are available with traditional candles or electric bulbs. Designs range from simple
arches to beautifully intricate and complex dimensional wooden cutouts destined to become treasured family heirlooms.
Angels are not just symbols of the holidays – they have become a wonderful collectible on their own and have found their way into the homes and hearts of many. Be they pewter, wooden,
porcelain, or dried fruit – each evokes the spirit of the holidays in a form that adds to a home throughout the year.
So why not get a jump on the crowds and start your holiday shopping early. Sit back with your favorite catalogs or login to your favorite German product website, and treat those you
love with something from Deutschland. Frölich Weihnachten!
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Preparing the Oktoberfest
by Peter Wilson
Each year, Munich hosts the greatest festival in the world. Look behind the scenes at what it takes to pull off this monumental event.
Here is a deceptively simple but tricky question for you – when does the Oktoberfest begin? A number of you certainly know that it ends in October but, due to the unpredictability of
the late-summer weather in Germany, it actually starts the last week of September. And for the general, beer-drinking, chicken-eating public, the last week of September would indeed be the correct answer. Zehn
Punkte and treat yourself to a Bratwurst! However, for Mr. Hanns Spindler and his team of six co-workers (the Munich magnificent seven!) who are responsible for the smooth planning and running of the world’s
largest folk festival, it begins as soon as the last beer stand or fairground ride is dismantled and driven off the Theresienwiese. In other words, for Mr. Spindler and his small team, the Oktoberfest begins in
October, which allows them exactly eleven months to get the next one up and running!
This coming one, which starts on Saturday, September 17th, 2005, will be yet another link in a unique chain of tradition stretching back one hundred and ninety-five years to
1810. This was when, on the twelfth of October, crown prince Ludwig von Bayern married the Princess Therese Charlotte Louise von Saxon-Hildburghausen (try saying that after a Maas or two!) in whose honor the
Theresienwiese is named.
The official wedding celebrations lasted three days, which obviously only the well connected, blue-blooded, privileged, and powerful attended. Then something quite unexpected happened;
King Maximilian opened the “doors” and invited the whole city, whatever their social class, to the party, which suddenly had over forty thousand guests and continued for another two days. Food and drink,
financed by the treasury, were freely distributed from four “open-to-all” stations within the city. What a peculiar idea for that time or for any time when one stops to think about it – the excessively rich and
powerful considering the poor and weak.
Maybe King Maximillian was not simply acting out of a generous heart. He was, after all, a professional statesman and most certainly a shrewd one, sensitive to the then winds of change
blowing through Europe and, more specifically, through Germany. One such wind had seen Bavaria, only four years previously, being elevated to a kingdom. Another change saw a person’s sense of identity focusing
less with a worker’s guild or town and more with the state. Whatever the reasons behind the king’s philanthropic invitation, I am sure he would be overwhelmed at how important the Oktoberfest has become, not
only for Bavarians and not only for Germany (which would only become a unified nation sixty-one years after the first Oktoberfest) but important, as hyperbolic as it may seem, for the world. The continuing
success of this folk festival can easily be measured against the six million who annually visit it and the scores to be found at any one of the two thousand spin-off Oktoberfests worldwide. The largest, aside
from the original in Munich, take place in Kitchener (Ontario, Canada) and Blumenau (Brazil) which each attract a million visitors. In America, both Frankenmuth (Michigan) and La Crosse (Wisconsin) vie for the
number one slot (any comments from our readers on this?).
I met with Mr. Spindler, a genial Bavarian who has been directly involved with the Oktoberfest preparations since 1989. Since 1991, he has been in the “driver’s seat” at the wonderfully
designed new Service Center which literally squats at the foot of the proud statue of “Bavaria” which, with her arm held high clutching a laurel leaf crown, keeps watch over the Theresienwiese…
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Martin Luther Came This Way
by Betty Lowry
His theological views changed religion forever. Travel in the footsteps of the Father of the Reformation – Martin Luther.
Martin Luther did not know his call for papal reform would become the Reformation; that his protest would become Protestantism.
For him it all began on All Saints Eve, 1517, when he indignantly posted ninety-five points for religious argument on the wooden door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This was no
more than the conventional way of signaling academic debate, but it blew Europe apart.
The door and its successors have burned; the points raised for discussion (now literally cast in bronze) remain in place. Since they were directed to other theologians, the language is
Latin. Had they not been translated into German and distributed by some sixteenth century journalist, they might have gone unnoticed.
For more than forty years, most of the dozen cities and towns associated with Luther’s life and work lay behind the Iron Curtain. Yet, despite official suppression of religion and even
where Russian soldiers were garrisoned nearby, the sites were maintained. Celebration of “Martin’s Day,” his November 10 birthday, was, of course, prohibited, but held in secret.
The Thuringian village of Eisleben where he was born to Margarethe and Hans Luder in 1483 and where he died in 1546, is a place of pilgrimage today. His birth house at 16 Lange Gasse
(now Lutherstrasse) was restored in 1694 as a memorial and opened as a museum in 1917. Famous portraits by Lucas Cranach hang on the wall. He is said to have used the swan-shaped lectern and was surely familiar
with the pre-Reformation bibles. He was baptized in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Petri-Pauli Kirche) the day after his birth – the font is still in use – and named Martin for his patron saint.
He spent his childhood in nearby Mansfeld, a copper mining town, where he was a choirboy in the Church of St. George. Mansfeld Castle is said to have inspired his hymn “A Mighty
Fortress is Our God.”
In Eisenach, where teenage Luther went to Latin School and sang door-to-door to earn his supper, his boarding house (Lutherhaus, Lutherplatz 8) has become the Bible Museum. Overlooking
the town is the castle of Wartburg where he later came in disguise hiding from papal inquisitors. Here he is said to have thrown his inkpot at the devil, and visitors are shown the stain on the wall.
He was, at the time, translating the New Testament into German. The Latin Bible he used, missing for two hundred years, was discovered in Stuttgart’s Württemberg State Library only a
decade ago. His notes are in the margins.
Erfurt, the city of towers and flowers where he first studied law and received his Masters degree in philosophy before joining the Augustinians, is a major center of Luther memorials.
His cell in the monastery has been reproduced in all its starkness. Here you will find the cathedral where he was ordained and the simple barefoot church where he preached…
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Polishing a Gem – Swarovski Kristallwelten
by Robert E. Tevis
Sparkling crystals take many forms and envelop visitors in a magical museum experience.
Close by the Austrian Autobahn, near the city of Innsbruck, the face of a primeval alpine “Giant” peeks up from the hillside. Eyes made of crystalline spotlights stare at you
expressionless. A cascading waterfall flows from the mouth of the face into a reflecting pool.
This is not some overgrown ancient monument, but a portal to one of the most modern and unique museums ever created. The Swarovski Kristallwelten or "Crystal Worlds" is
modern-art homage to the art of the crystal. It has become a “must-see” attraction for visitors to the Austrian Tyrol.
Over five million people have exited off the Autobahn at the town of Wattens to see this subterranean wonder since it opened in 1995. Crystal Worlds was created by D. Swarovski &
Co. to commemorate their one hundredth anniversary.
In 1895, Daniel Swarovski and his partners founded his company in this small town in the Alpine valley. The nearness of the Alps provided the fledgling company with both water and
energy in the form of waterpower.
Earlier in 1892, Daniel had invented a machine to industrially cut crystal jewelry stones. His invention became the basis for his company. From jewelry, Swarovski explored other
applications in crystal. For example, the company produced the first reflective rear lights for automobiles in 1925.
In 1948, they created Swarovski Optik, developing their crystal technology into the field of precision optical instruments. Today, Swarovski is recognized for creating some of the
finest telescopes and binoculars in the world. There are few applications of crystal, if any, that the company did not uncover, explore, or pioneer. To this day, the company is still privately owned by the
Swarovski family.
To celebrate their first century in business, the Swarovski family commissioned multi-media artist, André Heller, to create a unique exhibition center as a gift to its employees, its
customers, and the town of Wattens.
“It was my intention to create a type of ‘walk-in kaleidoscope,’” explains André Heller. “I believe that Crystal Worlds point out the direction to be taken by a theater of the future,
where the audience may choose between activities, bewildering games, and adventures of different kinds…”
Indeed, Crystal Worlds takes the concept of museum to a whole new level. This is not a museum to simply visit, but to experience in light, sight, and sound. You enter by walking around
the reflecting pool to the “Giant’s” face where you discover a passage behind the waterfall. Once inside, you encounter a huge crystal wall eleven meters high and forty-two meters long, which is filled with over
twelve tons of semi-precious stones. On the floor you encounter the largest cut crystal in the world – approximately three hundred thousand carats. This is one of most simplistic concepts of crystal you will
encounter in your journey…
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The Rebirth of Chemnitz
by Victor Tigron
Formerly Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chemnitz was an industrial powerhouse. Today, the Saxon city is reinvented and rejuvenated with hopes of returning to its former stature.
The Saxon town of Chemnitz, taken from the Slavic word Kemanica meaning Steinbach or “Stony Brook,” was a flourishing industrial city specializing in fabrics and textiles, capital
goods manufacturing, and motors when the town was obliterated in massive bombing raids at the end of World War II. With the exception of the town hall and a single medieval defensive tower, virtually nothing was
left of the entire inner city.
During the course of the next forty-four years, the rubble was removed, and Chemnitz rose again – not under its ancient name but rather that of Karl Marx. And so, for forty years,
Karl-Marx-Stadt was the city’s name until Chemnitz’s population overwhelmingly voted to return to its original designation, just after reunification. Although the city name had changed, its Socialist trademark,
an enormous bronze statue of Marx’s head, stays on and remains in place today. A huge wall above and behind the sculpture forms a backdrop. Inscribed thereon, in several languages, is his dictum, “Workers of the
world unite!”
As difficult as the rule of the SED-governed land was, Chemnitz had some advantages. It was, after Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden, the fourth largest city in the German Democratic
Republic. Some three hundred thirty thousand people lived there, and there was full employment, though a good deal of this was “make work.” Following Reunification, some fifty thousand workers lost their jobs
and left the city. Today, Chemnitz ranks only thirtieth among Germany’s major cities. Its population is about two hundred twenty thousand, thus making it a medium metropolis.
By carefully restoring and renovating what was left and attacking ecological problems head-on, Chemnitz has become what it once was, an extremely livable town with pleasant
neighbors. It also fixed-up and repaired those fairly dreadful “socialist realism” remnants of the Ulbricht-Honneker years, which could not be eliminated.
Of course, enormous amounts of money were pumped in by the Bonn government. However, these were well invested. Today, spacious green areas in the heart of the city buffer the
blocks of apartments. An inner green belt cuts close to the very heart of the city.
Gardens and woods envelop the large castle monastery atop the hill where the town was actually founded. Industry, too, has been forced to clean up its act. Today, Chemnitz’s air
quality is good. Streams and rivers are alive and people can swim and fish where everything was once totally contaminated.
Rather than tearing down relics of the past, Chemnitz folk maintain the old façades and modernize the interiors. The Opera House is now a multi-purpose theater where productions
of Wagner’s and Puccini’s most demanding works and the rest of the classical repertory can be viewed in the seven hundred thirty-six-seat theater. However, the Opera House is not just for the classical set.
Lighter popular fare such as the musical Fame pulls in the younger crowd…
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“A New Epoch of World History Begins”
by Robert A. Selig
Two hundred years ago, Napoleonic change was in store for Charlemagne’s antiquated political and social system, as Bavaria and Württemberg became kingdoms.
From the February 1801, Peace Treaty of Lunéville between the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by Francis II, and the Republic of France, under First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte, to the
European-wide Congress of Vienna in 1815, the map of Central Europe underwent profound political changes. In the concurrent wave of modernization and consolidation that swept across the Empire between the
Cannonade of Valmy in 1792 and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation, with its myriad of ecclesiastical and secular principalities, disappeared. One of the crucial
milestones in the replacement of the moribund empire with modern states was the proclamation two hundred years ago on 1 January 1806, of the Electorate of Bavaria and the Duchy of Württemberg as the Kingdoms of
Bavaria and of Württemberg. This bestowal of the royal dignity was neither accidental nor could it have occurred without the approval and support of Napoleon.
The storming of the Bastille by the mob of Paris on 14 July 1789, and the subsequent changes in France were greatly welcomed by the educated bourgeoisie in Germany. From Königsberg
(today's Kaliningrad) in Prussia, the philosopher Immanuel Kant hailed the revolution as the "dawn of civilization." At Tübingen University, Johann Gottlieb Fichte proclaimed that "the dark ages
are over" while his colleague, Friedrich von Schelling, planted a Tree of Liberty. The rulers in Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Dresden, Stuttgart, and dozens of other capitals blithely ignored the possibility
of internal unrest in their states – or the need for political, social, and military reforms within the Empire as a whole. Ideologically, they regarded events in France as semi-sacrilegious attacks on the sacred
person of the king and his – and their! – God-given right to rule. Politically they saw them within the context of the European balance of powers, and it was for these reasons that they fought no fewer than four
Wars of the Coalition with France between 1792 and 1806 to 1807. By the time the cannons fell silent, Charlemagne's empire was no more and most of them had lost their thrones – not to Napoleon but to fellow
rulers.
Reacting to Austro-Prussian rapprochement and the alliance of the two eastern powers in February 1792, against revolutionary France, the government in Paris declared pre-emptive war on
Austria on 20 April 1792. The ostentatious coronation of Francis II of Habsburg, nephew of French Queen Marie Antoinette, as emperor on 14 July 1792, the third anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, was
followed by the Duke of Brunswick's manifesto of 25 July 1792. In it he threatened to "extract a vengeance that will live in memory forever by delivering the city of Paris to military execution and complete
destruction" if the royal family were harmed. Sensing that this “vengeance” was more likely to fall on the capitals of France’s enemies than on Paris, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, an eyewitness, prophesied
after the indecisive cannonade of Valmy on 20 September 1792, "From here and today a new epoch of world history begins." The next day, 21 September, the government in Paris proclaimed the French
Republic and made 1792 the Year 1 of the new calendar. Jacobins around Maximilien de Robespierre went on the offensive and declared the Alps and the Rhine to be France's "Natural Frontiers." Lazare
Carnot mobilized France's human resources through the levée en masse, a general conscription, against her internal and external enemies…
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LANGUAGE:
Ein seltenes deutschamerikanisches Jubiläum:
Zion Baltimore 250 Jahre alt
Von Gert Niers
Obwohl kein Teil Amerikas jemals deutscher Kolonialbesitz war, lassen sich zahlreiche Spuren deutscher Präsenz lange vor der Entstehung der USA nachweisen. Eine der ältesten und
bemerkenswertesten deutschen Institutionen in Amerika ist die Evangelisch-Lutherische Zionsgemeinde in Baltimore, die in diesen Tagen auf die stattliche Existenz von 250 Jahren zurückblicken kann.
Die 1755 ins Leben gerufene und heute von Dr.
Holger Roggelin seelsorgerisch betreute Gemeinde begeht am Sonntag, dem 16. Oktober, das große Jubiläum mit einem feierlichen zweisprachigen Gedenkgottesdienst. Weitere Jubiläumsveranstaltungen sind vorgesehen, darunter ein Kammermusikabend am 22. Dezember mit der berühmten Violinistin Hilary Hahn
, die in dieser Gemeinde aufgewachsen ist. Der Erlös der hochkarätigen musikalischen Veranstaltung (Eintrittskarten $50 – $125) dient der Reparatur der Kirchenorgel.
Die Geschichte der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Zionsgemeinde von Baltimore ist bunt und bewegt und beginnt ohne Kirche: ein Gotteshaus konnte sich die Schar der Gläubigen erst später
leisten, und zwar im Jahre 1762. Gottesdienste fanden zunächst in den Häusern der Gemeindemitglieder statt. Als Maryland noch englische Kolonie war, gehörten – juristisch gesehen – die Lutheraner zur
Anglikanischen Kirche. Ab ungefähr 1750 trafen sich Lutheraner und Refomierte zum Gottesdienst in der Anglikanischen Sankt-Pauls-Kirche.
Auch festangestellte Geistliche gab’s damals noch nicht. Der Gottesdienst wurde von Wanderpredigern bestritten, darunter bisweilen zweilichtigen Gestalten, die schnell davongejagt
wurden. Die eigentliche Geschichte der Zionsgemeinde von Baltimore beginnt mit Johann Georg Bager (Baugher), der 1755 als besuchsweise auftretender Pfarrer angestellt wurde. Johann Caspar Kirchner
war ab 1769 der erste ortsansässige Pastor und entwarf auch die erste Verfassung der Gemeinde, die sich dem Augsburger Bekenntnis verbunden erklärte.
ENGLISH:
A Rare German-American Anniversary:
Zion Baltimore 250 Years Old
by Gert Niers
Although no part of America has ever been a German colony, numerous traces of a German presence can be found dating back to a period long before the birth of the United States. One of
the oldest and most remarkable German institutions in America is the Lutheran Zion Congregation in Baltimore, which can look back on an impressive existence of two hundred fifty years.
The congregation – founded in 1755 and guided today by Dr.
Holger Roggelin – celebrates the important anniversary on Sunday, October 16 with a commemorative service in both languages. Additional events regarding the anniversary have been scheduled, among them an evening of chamber music with the famous violinist Hilary
Hahn on December 22 (Miss Hahn grew up in this congregation). The proceeds of the first-class musical performance (tickets: $50 to $125) will benefit the restoration of the church’s pipe organ.
The history of the Evangelical-Lutheran Congregation at Baltimore Town had its colorful ups and downs and begins without a church: it was not until later that the flock of the
faithful could afford a House of the Lord – not until 1762. At the beginning, services were held in the homes of members of the congregation. When Maryland was still an English colony, the Lutherans belonged –
in a legal sense – to the Anglican Church. From about 1750, Lutherans and Reformed met for religious service in the Anglican St. Paul’s Church.
In those days, there were no full-time ministers either. Service was held by migrant preachers, among them some dubious characters who were soon sent on the road again. The real
history of Zion Baltimore begins with Johann Georg Bager (Baugher) who was hired in 1755 as a visiting minister. Johann Caspar Kirchner became, in 1769, the first pastor who lived in town and who drew
up the congregation’s first constitution based on the Augsburg Confession…
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Magnificent Marzipan:
Sweet Almond-Paste Confections for Christmas
by Sharon Hudgins
Ever since I was a child, I've been a nut for marzipan. (Pardon the pun.)
I first tasted this sweet almond-paste confection when I was eight years old, at the house of a German woman who lived on a ranch near my hometown in Texas. Her family in Germany
had sent her a box of chocolate-covered marzipan for Christmas, which she graciously shared with my parents and me at a holiday dinner that year.
I was hooked. One bite was enough to convince me to forsake all other candies and live on marzipan alone.
However, elation soon turned to disappointment when I discovered that marzipan couldn't be purchased locally. In our small Texas town during the 1950s, marzipan was an exotic
sweet that no one but a few European immigrants had ever even heard of.
I was delighted a few years later, in the early 1960s, when I found beautiful marzipan "fruits" in the fine-candies section of Neiman-Marcus' flagship store in Dallas.
The pliable almond paste had been molded into the shapes of various fruits – miniature versions of apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, and strawberries – each delicately tinted in pastel colors. However, the
price was shockingly high – fifty cents for each tiny fruit – particularly for someone like me who couldn't afford to buy anything at Neiman's and who was just there to "window shop."
I bit the bullet anyway, and made the first "luxury purchase" of my life: three little marzipan fruits for a total of $1.50 plus tax. I could have eaten three meals at a
good barbecue joint in Dallas for the same price.
So you can imagine how happy I was when I first went to Germany in 1969 and discovered that marzipan was almost as common (and as inexpensive) as Mars Bars back home. On that
short vacation in the Rhineland, I pigged out on more marzipan than I care to admit.
I moved to Germany the following year and lived there from the 1970s to the 1990s, but even though marzipan was readily available in Germany, I never took it for granted. A
psychologist would say that I was over-compensating for a marzipan-deprived childhood. I don't care. I reveled in eating marzipan in its many forms – fruit-flavored, liquor-spiked, drenched in dark chocolate, or
just pure and plain, pristine and unadorned. I've never met a marzipan I didn't like…
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No Curse They Can’t Reverse
by Kim Carpenter
A fantasy-filled (and loosely based) reworking of the Grimm Brothers’ lives finds its way to the big screen.
Once upon a time there were two brothers who traveled throughout Germany gathering fairy tales, folk yarns, and age-old stories. They compiled these tales into a collection called Children’s and Household Tales,
which included characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. It was the early nineteenth century, a time when Germany consisted of
city-states and small principalities, and little other than the German language unified the far-flung population. This factor did not hinder the brothers, who remained steadfastly dedicated to helping create a cohesive body of German literature and, thereby, a solid sense of German identity. These brothers were, of course, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, linguists, scholar, and champions of German unity.
Today, Mirimax is retelling the story of these famous German siblings in a new film that leaves behind factual reality in favor of fanciful fantasy. Directed by Terry Gilliam (The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys),
the film depicts the Brothers Grimm as con artists wandering the countryside in search of quick profit. Jacob, “Jake,” (Heath Ledger) is the cynical realist, while Wilhelm, “Will,” (Matt Damon) is a romantic
dreamer. At the outset of the film, the duo defeats “monsters” and “demons” in exchange for a mercenary fee, but when the authorities discover their scheme, the Grimms are forced to contend with a real magical
curse far grimmer than either could have invented. Beautiful young maidens are disappearing in an enchanted forest, and it is left to the adventurous brothers to solve the mystery. During their journey, the
brothers battle fantasy and reality as they confront the darkest creations of their own imaginations. In this regard, the film is part quest, part comedy, with bits of horror and romance added to the wild
adventure.
For those who might find the departure from the Grimms’ real biographies sacrilege, Gilliam states: “We owe the real Brothers Grimm a lot of thanks for the film but the story isn’t
about their historical lives. We’ve basically created a fairy tale about them, in which they, at first, appear to be hip and heroic guys traveling from village to village ridding them of trolls, witches, and all
kinds of fantastical nightmares – but we quickly learn it is all a clever con. But soon they are all caught in a world that is exactly like the tales the Grimms have been collecting. In the end, the fairy tales
have become real and reality has become entwined with fantasy.” Matt Damon, who steps into the role of rakish brother Will, agrees with the director’s take. Acknowledges Damon: “The real Grimm Brothers were amazing German scholars and incredible patriots who collected these stories so that the German people could be proud of their folk history and not
believe that it was as barbaric as they were being told. They were pretty incredible people who were quite influential in many different ways – and they worked together until the end of their lives. But
obviously, their autobiography is an entirely different story than this adventure. This movie takes a much more fun and lighthearted angle on who they were to get deeper inside the essence of fairy tales they
made so famous.”
Indeed, this is part of the film’s appeal. Characters such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel all make their appearances. And no film about the
Brothers Grimm would be complete without goblins, ogres, and very wicked witches. In this regard, Gilliam delights in highlighting what Mirimax calls the “grandness and ghoulishness of the Grimm legacy.”
Elaborates the director: “Fairy tales are my kind of world – the world of fantasy and extraordinary things.” And no one can deny that the Grimms recorded some of the most extraordinary stories in western
literature…
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FAMILY RESEARCH:
German Enclaves
by James M. Beidler
Some years ago I came across a map of Europe that showed how it was divided by language around the year 1900.
Predominant linguistic groups were given separate colors and a capital letter or letters as a code, and the capital “G” was centered over the areas that today are Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, and the western portions of Poland and the Czech Republic.
More striking to me, however, were the multitude of lower case “g’s” – denoting German-speaking minorities – that dotted many portions of what today are nations including Hungary,
Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia.
It was then that I realized how many ethnic Germans lived outside of Germany – even during the time its borders were at their zenith, between 1871 and 1918.
These German ethnic enclaves in central and eastern Europe are mostly history now. In many cases, they were casualties of the Russian advance during the final years of World War II that
was ratified with redrawn boundary lines and a sense of animosity toward anything and anyone German. Many of the towns’ named have even changed.
While each of these groups has its own history (German Life contributor Robert Selig has written a number of good articles on some of these groups), the short version of how many of
the enclaves began rests upon two German-speaking empresses in the eighteenth century – Maria Theresa of Austria and Catherine the Great of Russia.
Maria Theresa used her influence as the Hapsburg Holy Roman Empress to seek German-speaking imperial subjects as colonists of the new eastern provinces that she was winning back from
the Ottoman Empire.
Catherine, a German princess who married a czar of Russia and then succeeded him, encouraged several waves of Germans to migrate into areas such as the Ukraine, Crimea, and Volga River
valley to help “seed” those areas with industrious German craftsmen and farmers.
Some examples of these enclaves – both big and small:
- Donauschwaben or “Danube-Swabians” refers to a number of these enclaves that were set up along the Danube River in what are now parts of Hungary and Romania. Many of these colonies were
established in the 1700s and the people still spoke a dialect of German when they fled during or were expelled after World War II. They are so-called because many of them originated in the ancient Suebi (or
Swabian) region centered around Stuttgart, Württemberg.
- Transylvania Saxons or Siebenburgen settled in what is now the northern part of Romania (which also goes by Transylvania) starting in the 1100s. Many of these folks immigrated to America
beginning in 1870, clustering around Ohio and Pennsylvania steel factories. The Siebenburgen Historical and Genealogical Research Page has a website at: http://softcafe.net/7CastleSaxons/7CastleSaxons.html
- Gottschee was a German-speaking county in Slovenia that was established in the 1300s. During World War II, the Gottscheer were relocated nearby but then expelled after the war. Fortunately,
before the initial move, Gottschee Catholic Church records (dating to the 1700s) were microfilmed and copies of these films are now available through the Mormon Family History Library. Some twenty thousand
to thirty thousand Gottscheers and descendants live in America – mostly in large cities such as New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, and Milwaukee (as well as Toronto, Kitchener, and Vancouver in Canada) but
also in Pennsylvania’s Upper St. Clair Township in Allegheny County and Hawley in Wayne County. The Gottscheer Heritage and Genealogy Association’s website is at: www.gottschee.org .
- The Volga German colonies were founded beginning in 1763 by thirty thousand colonists who were located on the unsettled Russian steppe near the Volga River and founded “closed cities” that
remained until Communist Russia banished them. Today, those born on the Volga and their descendants are scattered in many parts of the world including Canada, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Brazil,
as well as those who remain in European Russia, Kazakhstan, and Siberia. A good history can be found at: www.volgagermans.net …
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CALENDAR:
September
Helen, GA
September 15-November 5: Oktoberfest. Call 706-878-2181 or 706-878-1619 or visit www.helenga.org or www.helenchamber.com .
Pittsburgh, PA
September 16-18 and 23-25. Oktoberfest. Penn Brewery. Call 412-237-9402 or visit www.pennbrew.com .
Big Bear Lake, CA
September 17-October 29: Oktoberfest. Call 909-585-3000 or visit www.bigbearevents.com .
Danbury, NH
September 24-25: 2nd Annual Oktoberfest at The Inn at Danbury. Visit www.oktoberfestnh.com .
Coral Gables, FL
September 29-October 9: Oktoberfest at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus. Call 305-774-1883 or visit www.bierhaus.cc .
Cincinnati, OH
September 30–October 2: 13th Annual Donauschwaben Oktoberfest. On the grounds of the Verein der Donauschwaben of Cincinnati. Call 513-385-2098 or visit www.donauschwaben.com .
Savannah, GA
September 30–October 2: Oktoberfest. Call 912-234-0295 or visit www.savriverstreet.com .
St. Charles, MN
September 30–October 2: Oktoberfest. Visit www.stcharlesoktoberfest.com .
Wolf Creek, OR
September 30–October 2: Oktoberfest. Call 541-866-2474 or visit www.rogueweb.com/oktoberfestinwolffcreek .
Leavenworth, WA
September 30–October 1 and 7-8: Oktoberfest. Leavenworth Bavarian Village. Visit www.leavenworth.org .
San Antonio, TX
September 30–October 1 and 7-8: Oktoberfest. Beethoven Hall and Garden. Call 210-222-1521.
October:
Frederick, MD
October 1-2: 4th Annual Frederick’s Oktoberfest. Frederick Fairgrounds. Call 301-663-8811 ext. 204, email martyy@communitylivinginc.org , or visit www.frederickoktoberfest.com .
Rayne, LA
October 1-2: 11th Annual Roberts Cove Germanfest. Call 337-334-8354 or visit www.robertscovegermanfest.com .
Anaheim, CA
October 1-30: Oktoberfest at the Phoenix Club - Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Call 714-563-4166 ext. 100 or 105 or visit www.thephoenixclub.com .
Frederick, MD
October 7: Der Stammtisch monthly social gathering at Brewer’s Alley, 124 N. Market Street. Call 301-631-0127.
Kitchner-Waterloo, Canada
October 7-15: Oktoberfest. Call 888-294-4267 or visit www.Oktoberfest.ca .
Ocean City, MD
October 7–9: Oktoberfest. Ocean City Convention Center. Call 410-524-7020 or visit www.oceanpromotions.info .
Rhinelander, WI
October 7-9: Oktoberfest. Call 800-236-4386 or visit www.rhinelanderchamber.com .
Sarasota, FL
October 7-9 and 14-16: Oktoberfest. Call 941-708-3456 or visit www.oktoberfestsuncoast.com .
Arlington, VA
October 8: Mid-Atlantic Brewers’ Association Oktoberfest. Call 202-310-4691, e-mail caroltraxler@yahoo.com , or visit www.saengerbund.org .
Frohna, MO
October 8: 25th Annual Fall Festival. Saxon Lutheran Memorial. Call 573-824-5404.
New York, NY
October 8: Annual Conference and Teacher Development Forum of the German Language School Conference. Call 203-792-2795 or visit www.germanschools.org .
Baltimore, MD
October 8-9: 36th Annual Maryland Oktoberfest. Howard and 29th Division Streets. Call 410-522-4144.
Newport, RI
October 8-10: 13th Annual NBC-10 International Oktoberfest. Newport Yachting Center. Call 401-846-1600 or visit www.newportfestivals.com .
Belleville, IL
October 9: Belleville/Paderborn Sister Cities “A Taste of Germany” at the Jubilee Room of Fischer’s Restaurant. Call 618-234-2331 or e-mail richardb827@sbcglobal.net .
Washington, DC
October 9: Festgottedienst to celebrate German-American Day. United Church, 20th & G Streets, NW. Call 202-310-4691, e-mail caroltraxler@yahoo.com , or visit www.saengerbund.org .
San Francisco, CA
October 13-16. “Oktoberfest by the Bay” at Fort Mason. Visit www.oktoberfestbythebay.com .
Lake Worth, FL
October 14-16 and 21-23: Oktoberfest. Call 561-967-6464 or visit www.americangermanclub.org .
Wilmington, NC
October 14-15: 4th Annual Wilmington Oktoberfest at Mayfaire Towne Center. Call 910-762-4744 or visit www.capefearhabitat.org .
Fresno, CA
October 15: 29th Annual “Original” Oktoberfest. Edison Social Club. Call 559-229-8287 or e-mail ahsgrfr@mindspring.com .
Jackson, MO
October 15: Oktoberfest. Call 573-243-6999 or 573-243-8131.
Marthasville, MO
October 15-16: Deutsch Country Days Living History Weekend. Call 636-433-5669 or visit www.deutschcountrydays.org .
Miami, FL
October 15-16 and 22-23: Oktoberfest. German American Social Club of Greater Miami. Call 305-553-8587.
Oregon, OH
October 16: Annual German Roast Pork Dinner at Oak Shade Grove, 3624 Seaman Road. Call 419-691-3537 or 419-475-4712.
Tulsa, OK
October 20-23: Oktoberfest. Call 918-744-9700 or visit www.tulsaoktoberfest.org .
Cape Coral, FL
October 21-23 and 28-30: 20th Annual Oktoberfest. Call 239-283-1400 or visit www.gasc-capecoral.com .
Dearwood, MN
October 21-23: Ruttger’s Bay 20th Annual Oktoberfest. Call 800-450-4545 or visit www.ruttgers.com .
Walhalla, SC
October 21-23: 27th Annual Oktoberfest. Call 864-638-2727 or visit www.walhallasc.com .
Highmount, NY
October 22: 6th Annual Oktoberfest at Belleayre Mountain Ski Center. Call 845-586-2246 or visit www.gacnc.org .
New Holland, PA
October 22: Fall Meeting, Palatines to America Pennsylvania Chapter – presentation: “Artifacts and Ancestry.” Call 717-507-7273 or write PO Box 280, Strasburg, PA 17579-0280.
Washington, DC
October 28-29: Hallowed Eves – Hauntings at the Brewmaster’s Castle. Call 202-429-1894, email jgruffner@heurichhouse.org , or visit www.brewmasterscastle.com .
Ann Arbor, MI
October 29: Oktoberfest GBU #630. Call 734-954-0057 or 734-878-5363.
November:
Frederick, MD
November 4: Der Stammtisch monthly social gathering at Brewer’s Alley, 124 N. Market Street. Call 301-631-0127.
New Braunfels, TX
November 4-13: Wurstfest. Call 800-221-4369 or visit www.wurstfest.com .
Kohler, WI
November 11-13: Wisconsin Holiday Market at The American Club. Call 800-344-2838.
Jessup, MD
November 13: 6th Annual German Heritage Fest. Blob’s Park. Call 202-554-2664 or visit www.geocities.com/agas_dc/ .
Tampa, FL
November 17: Lecture: Swiss Ambassador H.E. Christian Blickenstorfer on Swiss-American relations at the University of Tampa. Call Prof. Richard Piper at 813-253-3333 ext. 3570.
Kohler, WI
November 22–January 1, 2006: Christmas Kohler. Visit www.Sheboygan.org .
Leavenworth, WA
November 25-27: Christkindlmarkt. Leavenworth Bavarian Village. Visit www.leavenworth.org .
Bethlehem, PA
November 25-December 31: Christmas in Bethlehem. Call 1-800-360-TOUR.
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