German-American Journal | April/May 2011

Volume 59, Number 2 April / May 2011

By: Darlene Fuchs

What is America’s greatest source of strength and inspiration? According to the U.S. Congress, it’s American mothers. Stay-at-home moms, Congress declared, are “doing so much for the home . . . and [for] religion,” which leads to “good government and humanity.”

Congress used these facts in 1914 when it created Mother’s Day. The words prove the widespread belief that full-time mothers were performing a vitally important task.

Many of us may have great plans to celebrate Mother’s Day. You may be planning to give this special woman in your life chocolates, flowers, light conversation at a fancy restaurant, or phone calls filled with little substance, etc. The whole idea behind all these elaborate celebrations is to make your mother happy and reassure her that you care for her. We should all cherish the very person who deserves every bit of our gratitude.

If you take a moment, you will find that you are very generous with what your mother needs least; gifts of material items, or even a quick phone call. However you might be extremely lacking with what she needs most; love and time. These are more difficult to part with; especially in the fast moving competitive world we all live in, where every minute is so precious in our pursuit for success and happiness that we forget the little things.

Our mothers brought us up to be what we are today, hoping that one day we would be successful and happy in the lives we made for ourselves, with good health, prosperity and peace. It is this happiness in our lives that bring them their own joy and a sense of satisfaction in knowing they brought us up right.

Our mother may be advancing in age, frail and unable to do the things she once loved to do, but nevertheless they

remain a symbol of moral support, strength and solace for us in times of trials and tribulations. It is not until they leave us for good that we realize our mother’s important source of inspiration and strength. At this moment, regrets are too late.

On this Mother’s Day, amidst all our celebrations, let us consciously take time to make our mother happy by doing what pleases her. Let us repay our gratitude to this special woman who sacrificed her life for the love of us, her children. Let us include her and make her an important part of our lives, like we used to do when we were helpless children. Our mother is a wonderful creation of God who loves her children unconditionally and takes pleasure in each of the sacrifices she made for us.

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” ~Washington Irving

TidBitsPages 3-5

Auf DeutschPage 6

Associate MembersPage 7

InsiderPages 8-12

Education3

Oskar & AtticusPage 14

Business & TechPage 15

LifestylePages 16-17

DANK Ambassador Membership Gifting ProgramBy: Bill & Darlene Fuchs

Gifting is just exactly what the name implies... the giving of unconditional gifts to another. “Giving” comes from those people who have the ability and desire to help others.

Please consider giving DANK memberships to friends and family members this year. Your recipient will enjoy membership benefits, discounts on many travel packages throughout the world, reduced fees in many of our German Language classes and they will receive the German-American Journal throughout the year, which will be a constant reminder of the wonderful gift you gave them.

Searching for a gift for your children, friend, or brother? I am sure it must be a difficult task! Gift cards are impersonal and there are no conventional gifts that you can buy without thinking twice; Will it fit, is it the right color, how long will it last?

Here’s a gift idea in your price range that’s sure to be appreciated, and it’s the perfect way to help someone learn about German heritage, customs and current events. By giving the gift of DANK membership, you will join one of the following exclusive groups. Here are some of the gift options:

Ambassador Club - gift 1 new membership for just $30/year or $40 including a spouse

Your name will be published on the front page of the German-American Journal

Ambassador Elite - gift 5 new memberships

Your name and photo will be published on the front page of the Journal

Ambassador Diamond Elite - gift 1 new Life Membership for $500

Your name, photo and small article will be published on the front page of the Journal

Your recipient will enjoy a lifetime of DANK membership benefits

There will also be a special page on the dank.org website listing those individuals that have gifted a DANK membership.

Not only are you helping to preserve the German heritage by giving the gift of a DANK membership, but it’s also one less present you have to wrap!

2 German-American Journal April / May 2011

DANK seeks to bring together Americans of German descent in the pursuit of cultivating and presenting their heritage and interests on local, regional and national levels. These were the primary reasons that the German American National Congress was founded in 1959, and they are still among the organization’s primary objectives today.

Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde!Dear Members and Friends,

Fall is usually the busy season for us German-Americans but I am quickly finding out that busy seasons run year round. I just returned from Spring Break Vacation with my family, which now includes a precious grand-daughter, to immediately jump into the Karneval Festivities in Germany. Before we know it, Easter and Mothers Day will be behind us and the Mayfest Season will propel us right into summer. And so seasons and life continue their constant rhythm and changes.

Over the past few months, we have also had some changes on our national leadership levels and in our national office. Since the beginning of the year, Bob Miske is our new national treasurer and he has already been busy streamlining our bookkeeping and finding ways to trim our budget, along with looking for additional revenue streams without increasing our membership dues. We have also had a change in our office staff. Amelia Cotter, who helped streamline and develop up-to-date office standards for our national office has moved on to a new position with our Chicago-North chapter as their new Development Director, which is a promotion within the organization for her. We wish her the best of luck in her new job, which is only down the hall from her old office. I know that her charm, motivation, efficiency and professionalism will be a great benefit in her new position. We were very fortunate that at the same time Eve Timmerhaus was available to fill the position as our new office manager. You might remember Eve from working in our office during the 1980’ and 90’s, when she worked with Eva Timmerhaus as a mother and daughter team. Well they are somewhat reunited now since Eva still works for us one day a week. We hope that you will join me in welcoming Eve back to the DANK office. Feel free to give her a call or send her an email.

After a long and hard winter, I am sure that you are looking forward to the warmth of spring, and the upcoming Easter Season as much as I am. I will be enjoying the arrival of the birds of spring time singing “Alle Vöglein sind schon da” and be looking for the first Maiglöckchen (lilies of the valley) to come out. Until our next edition I wish you Happy Spring and Frohe Ostern (Happy Easter)!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

William FuchsNational President

We Would Love To Hear From YouDon’t just read our editorials. Talk back and let us know your

views on the important stories of the day.Over the past three years I have only received 4 “letter to the

editor” which all ran in the Journal. If you feel strongly about something - could be DANK membership, German event, or any number of things, we want to hear from you.

Of course, you don’t have to write about something that’s bothering you. Perhaps you read something that deserves a shout out. Write a letter, make a difference.

The following “letter to the editor” prompted this editorial.

Dear Editor: I have read with interest your editorial, “Struggle for

Survival” in DANK’s Fall 2010 edition. Younger members may very well prefer to read from a computer screen rather than a newspaper. The Internet boom, as you call it, is taking over everywhere. I doubt, however, that it will be “the only version in the future”.

Looking back in history, we know that the local town crier was replaced by the newspaper. When the radio appeared, paper subscriptions shrunk, but it did not, as many may have feared, eliminate newspapers or magazines. Likewise, television did not make the radio disappear, nor did the Internet wipe out television. They all shrunk and had to share, but they did not completely replace their predecessors!

While each method may have found its niche, it is unfortunate that reading a book or paper has become subordinate to the more exciting high tech gadgetry. Starring into a computer screen, or worse some cell phone imagery, may be expedient but it is shallow and superficial. Pushing the right buttons does not allow for much time of reflection and thoughtful contemplation.

Nevertheless, times are changing. Although “the trend is unmistakable”, as you wrote, please don’t leave us hanging with just an online version of the Journal. Bookcases and paper libraries will never become obsolete. You may have to figure an economic way to do both: paper and email.

By the way, the DANK Journal itself has much improved since you revised the look and expanded the content. But, if you don’t mind a bit of constructive criticism, one section, “ letters to the editor,” is still missing. With some proper (and often necessary) editing, they would give members a chance to participate by expressing their own thoughts and/or realize that they are not alone in what they may be thinking.

Don’t give up! Very truly yours, Gunther Greulich

The German-American Journal welcomes letters to the editor from all readers. Please e-mail letters to [email protected] and include your full name, address and daytime phone number for verification. We will not publish anonymous letters. We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and content. Writing guidelines will be put on the website in the future. We want to hear your views.

Darlene FuchsEditor-in-Chief

Der Deutsch-Amerikaner

PresidentWilliam Fuchs

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-ChiefDarlene [email protected]

CorrespondentsCorinna Bienger

Amelia CotterStephen FuchsChrista Garcia

Audrey L. Hess-EberleMatthias Knobloch

Editorial StaffMargita Mandel

Amanda PedersenBeth L. Casey

Chapter News EditorBeverly [email protected]

MembershipErik Wittmann

[email protected]

Layout & DesignStephen Fuchs

[email protected]

Advertising & Classifieds Eve Timmerhaus

[email protected]

Office Staff

DANK National Executive Office4740 N. Western Ave

Chicago, Il 60625-2013Call (773) 275-1100

Toll Free (866) 926-1109Fax (773) 275-4010

Office Hours:9am - 4pm / Monday, Wednesday-Friday

General Information

German-American Journal - ISSN 1086-8070 - is published bi-monthly and is the official publication of the German American National Congress. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois and additional mailing offices.

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DANK does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use-fulness of any information published herein. DANK reserves the right to change or amend submissions for any reason without prior notice.

©2011 DANK. All rights reserved. No part of this pub-lication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

C h e c k U s O u t O n l i n e !WWW.DANK .ORG

D A N K D i s c u s s i o n F o r u m

O f f i c i a l D A N K B l o g

N e w s p a p e r A r c h i v e s

A n d M o r e . . .

Executive SecretaryEva Timmerhaus

[email protected]

Office ManagerEve Timmerhaus

[email protected]

DANK National Executive Board

Submission Deadline For The June/July 2011 Issue:

April 25, 2011

DANK National Executive Board

Visit www.DANK.org

Listen to LIVE radio from Germany on our website!

“Building Bridges to Germany”

DIE BRUECKE ZUR ALTEN HEIMAT

Find ‘Radio Heimatmelodie’ along with a list of other live German radio stations that you can listen to for FREE.

1. Vice PresidentErich Wittmann

TreasurerBob Miske

2. Vice PresidentDonna Lippert

SecretaryBeverly Pochatko

April / May 2011 German-American Journal 3

Young Members of Local Group Donate $3,000 to DesPlaines Food Pantry

The perfume brand “Irish Mist” was introduced to the german market. Unfortunately, in german language “Mist” means nothing else but “Bullsh*t”. Because nobody wanted to buy bullsh*t to spread it over his face, now it is called “Irish Moos” which means moss

By: Maria Toth - TribLocal DesPlaines

Traditionally, December is a month when the young members of the Society of the Danube Swabians meet to practice singing German Christmas carols and brush up on the folkdances that they will perform at various functions throughout the upcoming year. This year, the Society of the Danube Swabians invited Debra Walusiak, Executive Di-rector of the Des Plaines Food Pantry and Self-Help Closet to join them for their annual Christmas party, held on De-cember 10 at the group’s facility at 625 Seegers Road, Des Plaines. Walusiak was presented with a check in the amount of $3,000 at the get-together. In addition to the monetary donation given to the Food Pantry, each child and teen from the Society’s children and youth folkdance groups brought non-perishable food items and wrapped gifts for families

who are experiencing a time of need this holiday season.This is the seventh year that the Society of the Danube

Swabians has sent sizeable donations to the Des Plaines Food Pantry and Self-Help Closet. Close to 700 pieces of non-perishable food was collected at the Christmas party, along with a dozen family gifts and more than 81 wrapped presents that many of the children chose themselves to give to boys and girls their own age who may not otherwise re-ceive a gift this holiday. The Board of Directors of the So-ciety are very proud of its children and teens, because they understand that many families are having a difficult time putting food on the table this year.

Although the Christmas season brings in the greatest quantities of food items, the Society of the Danube Swa-bians has large red bins set out in its vestibule year-round to collect non-perishable food items for the Des Plaines

Food Pantry. Volunteers transport the donations to the Food Pantry on a regular basis. The next push for the on-going collection effort will happen in February. The Society has found that non-perishable supplies at the Food Pantry fall to a very low level during this month.

The Society of the Danube Swabians is principally or-ganized for charitable purposes. Being that the founding members of the Society were poor German immigrants who had been given an opportunity to come to the United States for a better life, it became the mission of the Soci-ety to provide supervised program activities for the chil-dren, youth, and senior citizens of the community, as well as reaching out to the community at large. Children from the ages of 3 to 13 can become members of the children’s folkdance group; young adults from 13 until 22 are able to join the youth folkdance group.

A New Style of SoccerTechnical brilliance, successful integration – no other player embodies Germany’s new football culture like midfield star Mesut Özil

By: Johannes Göbelmagazine-deutschland.de

From Bulmke to Bernabéu – Mesut Özil has completed an amazing journey. As a young boy the 22-year-old midfielder used to kick around in an enclosed football area in Gelsenkirchen-Bulmke, the city district in the Ruhr District where he grew up.

Local people call the hard pitch the Monkey Cage because of the high steel railings that surround it. Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is in a totally different league: it is the football temple of the legendary club Real Madrid – and since the beginning of this season the stage for Germany’s interna tionally celebrated midfield star.

Quite a few Germans footballers have

played for Real Madrid over the years. Turkish German Mesut Özil, however, represents a new generation that reflects the diversity of German society. Forty years ago his grandfather came from the village of Hisiroglu in northern Turkey to the Ruhr District, where Mesut was born in 1988. He already became acquainted with Germany’s diversity at the Monkey Cage. Lebanese, Tunisians, Turks and Germans all play together there. Mesut found a place in society through sport. He enjoyed a rapid rise: he played in the Bundesliga for Schalke 04 at the age of 17, was a member of the youth team that won the U-21 European Championship in 2009 and only a few weeks later appeared in his first official match for the German eleven. Mesut Özil was one of the outstanding players at the World Cup in South Africa.

National coach Joachim Löw is full of praise for the highly skilled technician and credits him with “moves of the highest standard”, which he also demonstrated in the European Championship qualifier on 8 October 2010, when Germany played Turkey in Berlin. Özil contributed a goal to Germany’s 3:0 win. He was booed by Turkish fans for the entire 90 minutes. Many Turks still resent his decision to play for Germany: after all, until his first official national game Özil could also have chosen to wear the Turkish jersey. Nevertheless, Turkey’s President Abdullah Gül gave him his support and called his career “a very successful example of integration”. Özil has calmly and collectedly accepted his

place in Germany – and helped his national team develop a new style: “We want to play a convincing game; we want to shine. For me that is now also typically German and that makes me proud.” Players of the most diverse origins are contributing to the German team’s new football culture. At the World Cup in South Africa the German team included eleven players with international roots – from ace defender Jérôme Boateng, son of German-Ghanaian parents, to star striker Cacau, who came to Germany ten years ago from Brazil. And the midfield is under the control of Mesut Özil, who quite naturally sees Germany as his home: “I was born here, I have my friends here. And that’s what I want to pass on to other young people with foreign roots, especially to my Turkish fellow countrymen: every one of you can make it.”

Away from the football pitch, Mesut Özil plans to set up a foundation with his name that will support integration projects. Özil, who always appears calm and relaxed during interviews, is thinking, for example, about student exchanges between German families and immigrant families inside Germany. These are very down-to-earth ideas for someone who has made it into world-class football at such lightning speed. At Real Madrid Özil is moving and scoring not only in La Liga, but also in the Champions League. He has already been nominated for the title of World Player of the Year 2010. It would seem that the rise of the boy from Gelsenkirchen-Bulmke will continue for some time yet.

Children and members from the Society of the Danube Swabians pose with Des Plaines Food Pantry Executive Director Debra Walusiak (back row, 4th from right, holding envelope) after having presented her with a $3,000 donation


German American Songwriter Wins BigGus Seyffert, Son of DANK Member Gordon Seyffert, Writes Winning Song for Lena and Eurovision Song Contest 2011Written in collaboration with Amelia Cotter

The Eurovision Song Contest is a long-established competition for popular music composers from 43 nations of Europe (broadly defined). This is the 56th annual competition, with each country having the right to one entry per year. Whichever country wins then hosts the next year’s competition. Last year, German artist-songwriter Lena Meyer-Landrut, known by her stage name Lena, won for Germany with her performance in Norway, so this year the competition will be held in Düsseldorf. The semi-finals will be held May 10 and 12, with the finals set for May 14.

How big was this for Germany? It was their first win since 1982, and their first as a unified nation. And Lena has been breaking the chart records with her various song performances. So this year it was decided beforehand that, whatever song won the right to represent Germany, Lena would again sing it. The competition within Germany to narrow the candidates down to one winner is called “Unser Song für Deutschland 2011,” and it is televised in stages.

This year, the song Taken by a Stranger was chosen on February 18th from among twelve songs that had then been

narrowed down to six songs in the final. The winning song is particularly special because it was co-written by Gus Seyffert, the son of DANK member Gordon Seyffert, and two female collaborators. It made its way to the Eurovision Song Contest with the help of a U.S. music publisher.

Even before Taken by a Stranger won, it received a lot of attention. Some 2.5 million viewers watch the German selection process, and Gus (alone) was interviewed and filmed by a Eurovision film crew at his home & studio in Los Angeles for the first segment of the German competition. All twelve songs sung by Lena will be released in her second studio album, reportedly titled Good News.

The individual Eurovision contest winners from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the U.K. are automatically entered in the finals, as they are the largest nations contributing to the European Broadcasting Union. They will compete against twenty other nations advancing from two semi-finals held on May 10-12. It is expected that semi-finalists will be selected by a combination of tele-votes and jury votes from each voting country. No decision has been announced for the voting system to be used in the final.

About Gus SeyffertGus Seyffert

has been proudly identified as a German-American since birth; his full name, William Gustavus Seyffert, comes from a blending of his two-generation paternal immigrants’ given names (Wilhelm having chosen to be known as “William”

once he arrived). The parents had married in Zwenkau, south of Leipzig, in 1832. Half of their thirteen children were born there, and the other half in Zwickau where the family lived from 1842 through 1854. In the latter year the family came first to St. Louis and then to a rural

German settlement in central Missouri not far west of the state capital. Three of the sons, including Gustavus, brought their violins with them, which they played as street musicians to earn the family’s passage from New York to St. Louis. Gus now owns his namesake’s violin, and uses it from time to time for recordings.

Young Gus developed his musical interest beginning in the third grade, and when the time came to choose a “magnet” middle school he selected the one for the performing arts. This school was exceptionally well-equipped, even to the point of having a recording studio. Here he developed not only his knowledge of performance skills, but also of composition and production. His identity today is largely that of being a “tone guy,” one who knows how to get just the desired effect out of any selection of musical instruments and recording equipment. Much of his analog equipment is of the kind that utilizes vacuum tubes, and he’s currently recording with an 8-track system that went out of style sometime around the time of his birth.

Gus spent most of the last year touring with Norah Jones, and this included an extensive European schedule

and a South American tour as well. He has previously toured overseas with the artists Sia and Priscilla Ahn, but his first musical venture to take him to Europe was his participation (as a high school student) with a college jazz group playing by invitation in Poland. Gus has been a “professional” since the age of fifteen, when he was the bass player in a band acting & performing in a local dinner theatre production in Kansas City. He attended the California Institute of the Arts, studying under Charlie Haden, and he has now lived in Los Angeles for a number of years.

Currently he’s finishing his second CD for his band, Willoughby. He also is touring off-and-on this year with The Black Keys, a rock band popular with the collegiate set. But mostly he’s just looking to find some time to continue to compose while also promoting his band. That’s where finding new “fans” in Germany becomes important—the broader his base, the better to spread the word. His first CD sold through both the American and British iTunes Stores. He’s not sure where this year will take him, but so far, “All is well!”

More information about the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 can be found at www.eurovision.tv, with information about Lena and Taken by a Stranger under the “Germany” section. More information about Gus Seyffert can be found at gusseyffert.com/gusseyffert/Gus_Seyffert.html

Autor Thomas Müller spendet für das St. Nick ProjektBy: Thomas Müller

“Von Natur aus helfen wir doch gerne!” schreibt Autor Thomas Edmund Müller in seinem Buch “Kanada Erlebnisse eines (Aus-) Wanderers”. Ja, es stimmt...Allerdings, sind unsere “Kleinen” nicht schon erwachsen und bedürfen unserer Hilfe gar nicht mehr? Doch hier können wir helfen. Es gibt ja unser Sankt Nikolausprojekt! Dieses nun schon seit einem Jahren laufende Hilfsprojekt war auch letztes Jahr äußerst erfolgreich. Es versteht sich von selbst, dass eine solche Aktion uns allen Deutsch-Amerikanern nur zugute kommt!

Doch damit nicht genug. Wir haben unser Spendenziel für dieses Jahr erhöht. Auch Autor Thomas Edmund Müller hat sich für das St. Nikolausprojekt begeistert und bereit erklärt, für jedes verkaufte Buch drei Dollar für das Projekt zu spenden. So hofft er, und so hofft auch unser St. Nikolausprojekt, auf reges Interesse an seinem Buch!

Zum Beispiel als ein schönes Geschenk für die Eltern, zum Versenden an liebe Verwandte und Bekannte hier oder in

Deutschland, an Eltern zum Vorlesen für ihre Kinder...Und zusätzlich, da deutschsprachig, trägt das Buch so auch zum Erhalt bzw. zur Förderung der deutschen Sprache bei!

Autor Müller meint, hier kann jeder nur gewinnen. Natürlich würde es ihm selbst helfen, obwohl, reich wird man dadurch nicht!! Aber die Käufer erhalten ein wunderschönes, besonderes und

aussergewöhnliches Buch. Und unser St. Nikolausprojekt wächst weiter und kann mit verstärkter Kraft den Hunger, vor allem auch von Kindern, bekämpfen.

Doch das wichtigste, wir alle können uns doch einem gewissen Gefühl der “Grösse” kaum erwehren, nämlich geholfen zu haben, wo es not tut!

Und so hofft Thomas Müller, dass sich mehr und mehr Menschen am St. Nikolausprojekt beteiligen, und im weiteren Sinne ein ganz anderes Gesicht, das neue Gesicht Deutschlands, noch stärker zum Vorschein kommt, nämlich dasjenige der Hilfsbereitschaft und Grosszügigkeit!

Author Thomas Mueller, in the spirit of giving and stewardship, has decided to get involved with the St. Nick project by generously donating $3 from every sale of his book, “Kanada: Erlebnisse eines (Aus-) Wanderers” to the project throughout 2011 to help feed the hungry. His amazing book, which is 182 pages with over 100 full-color photographs, can be ordered on Amazon.de or through his website, www.kanada-erlebnisse.de


Now that the air is becoming milder, the open air concert season is about to start again. Learning from my teenage daughter, I know now that young people today define themselves through the music they listen to. Since it also dictates what to wear, the kid’s first opinion of who might be interesting enough to talk to is based on what one might be wearing. Although this did seem strange to me in the beginning, I remember vaguely that in my own youth we had the same experiences. The only difference we had was between the ”rockers“ and “poppers“. Nowadays, there are so many subtle definitions; I for one can’t keep up with them.

When attending a concert, the kids painstakingly make sure they wear the correct clothes. It is even more important when they go to festivals, which we have about 350 this year. The biggest three open air festivals in Germany are Rock am Ring / Rock im Park, Hurricane and Wacken. These three festivals, each lasting 3 days, attract around 24,000 young people every year. There is live music on several stages. The kids sleep in tents - rain or shine - and many, for the first time in their lives, cook their own meals on camp stoves. This all occurs while listening to the music coming across the festival grounds, which only pauses between about 3 am and 12 noon to give everyone the slightest chance of some sleep.

The festivals lure their visitors with different kinds of music so when you stroll around the grounds, you will notice that,– depending upon which concert you are at, the kids have made sure that you will immediately recognize which festival you’re attending.

I’m amazed at how the young people adhere to this practice. When I talked to my daughter about this, we came to the conclusion that this “uniformity” gives them a kind of feeling of “togetherness”, something they have in common with many others. I guess everyone wants this and just expresses it in different ways and in different communities. I’m glad our children have music as their kind of community, as long as they accept and respect their friends who listen to a different kind of music. I believe this variety is beautiful. It is through these festivals that our young people make it clear that they stand for friendship, solidarity and tolerance, and that they have become an important part of young Germany’s culture.

By: Darlene Fuchs

The Cologne-Bonn superhighway was not the world’s, or Europe’s, first superhighway. The credit for that goes to Benito Mussolini not to Hitler. The 130 km (80-mile) autostrada from Milan (Mailand) to Varese, designed by Piero Puricelli, was the world’s first limited-access motorway. The Italian autostrada opened to traffic in 1924 as a toll road and did not have divided lanes until years later.

Construction of the AVUS (Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungsstraße) began in Berlin in 1912, an early precursor of the autobahn. Not fully completed until 1921, because of World War I, the AVUS was a closed race and test track. The industrialist Hugo Stinnes, later purchased the roadway and expanded it to four lanes running a distance of just 20 km (12 mi).

While it is true that about a quarter of Germany’s current 11,000 km (6830 mi) autobahn network was originally built during the Third Reich, the early planning and design work was done by others. In 1924, the Studiengesellschaft für den Automobilstraßenbau (Stufa) was founded to design a German highway network. In 1926, Stufa published an ambitious plan for a 22,500 km German superhighway network.

The first section of what would later become the legendary German autobahn network, was constructed and built before Hitler came to power. Construction of the Köln-Bonn Autobahn began in October, 1929, using mostly human labor and very few machines, in an effort to create jobs in a period of high unemployment. Hitler promoted building the autobahn for the jobs it would create, but in reality autobahn construction never employed more than a small fraction of the millions of Germans unemployed.

During opening ceremonies on August 6,

1932,Konrad Adenauer inaugurated the 20 km (12 mi) section of autobahn running between Cologne and Bonn. Adenauer, then the Oberbürgermeister (mayor) of Cologne, proclaimed: “So werden die Straßen der Zukunft aussehen.” (“This is how the roads of the future will look.”)

On the 4th of July, 1930, the Reichstag, with the National Socialist party in the majority, voted down HaFraBa’s proposal for a German autobahn network. Ironically, in 1933, it was the work of HaFraBa that allowed Hitler and his chief civil engineer, Dr. Fritz Todt, to proceed with the autobahn construction. Hitler quickly realized the propaganda value he could get from promoting the autobahn, of which the official name was Reichsautobahn (Imperial Motorway). He found it easy to take credit for the earlier work of others and made it seem that it was all his own idea.

Hitler believed the road connection between various regions within Germany, could make military defense and logistics much more efficient. Unfortunately, tanks and trucks were very hard on highway surfaces and the bulk of German military traffic, men and material went by rail, which was much quicker. Areas of the autobahn were resurfaced and used as airstrips.

After the war, numerous sections of the autobahn were severely damaged by heavy Allied bombing and military demolition. Thousands of kilometers remained unfinished, their construction brought to a halt in 1943, due to the increasing demands of the war effort.

During World War II, Gen. Eisenhower saw the advantages of the autobahn network. He also noted the enhanced mobility of the Allies when they fought their way into Germany. Eisenhower, elected President in November 1952, made highways a matter of emphasis after the Korean War had ended when he signed a bill creating the U.S. interstate highway system in 1956.

World’s First Autobahn

Open Air Festival Season in Germany

The Autobahn between Cologne and Bonn was built between 1929 and 1932

The Autobahn winds itself through the mountains, tunnels, valleys and viaducts, and as a monument it was admired throughout the world

Autobahn Travel Tips

German and Austrian autobahns are restricted to motor vehicles that can obtain

a speed of at least 60 km/h (37 mph)

Swiss autobahns are restricted to motor vehicles that can obtain a speed of at least

80 km/h (50 mph)

The advisory speed limit (Richtgeschwindigkeit) of the German

autobahn is 130 km/h (80 mph), but there is no general speed limit

Austrian and Swiss autobahns have general speed limits of 130 km/h (80 mph) and

120 km/h (75 mph), respectively


American StandardDa geht es dahin - wertvolles, kostbares

und lebensnotwendiges Wasser. Eine Gal-lone oder fast vier Liter pro Spülung. Bei meinem Gang ins stille Örtchen in Las Vegas in 2007 habe gelesen, dass mein Geschäft der Umwelt viel Wasser kostet. Und das in einer Stadt, die ironischer Weise mitten in die Wüste gesetzt wurde. Einem Ort der Wasserknappheit schlechthin. Der Marktführer für Badezimmerausstattungen in den USA ist American Standard was für mich in erster Linie für vier Liter pro Spül-gang steht. Heute lebe und arbeite ich in Chicago und der American Standard folgt mir auf Schritt und Tritt. Meine Lieblings-

bar um die Ecke

hat ihn, das Eishockeystadion hat ihn und auch der internationale Flughafen O’Hare hält ebenfalls am American Standard fest. Es tut mir in der Seele weh, wenn ich an die Mengen an Wasser denke die welweit die Toiletten hinuntergespült werden. Keine Frage, ein Toiletten-gang ohne den Einsatz von sauberem Wasser ist nahezu unmöglich aber müssen es wirklich vier Liter sein? Es geht auch anders. Für die Deutschen gehört der spar-same Umgang mit dem kost-baren Nass zum Alltag. Spü-lungen, die dem Gänger die Wahl zwischen dem großen und dem kleinen Geschäft geben sind seit den Neunziger Jahren Stan-dard. Ironischerweise heißt der Marktfüh-rer für Badezimmerzubehör in Deutschland Ideal Standard – idealer Standard also.

Vor rund drei Jahren habe ich das erste Mal ein komplett Wasser- und Chemie-loses Becken fuer Erleichterungen in ei-

ner McDonalds Filiale in Thueringen gesehen. Erstaunt von die-ser Innovation im Männer-WC beg-ab ich mich auf die

Recherche und konn-te feststellen, dass ein

einziges Trockenurinal um die 100.000 Liter Wasser pro Jahr einsparen kann. In ei-ner Lokalität mit zehn dieser neuartigen Trockenurinale könnten gut 1.000.000 Li-ter an frischem Trinkwasser eingespart werden. Millionen von Gallonen wären es allein

im Flughafen O’Hare in Chicago. Schließ-lich sollte der Schutz natürlicher Ressour-cen zum Standard gehören. Ein Muss, wie das Beispiel des Lake Mead bei Las Ve-

gas beweißt. Der größte Stausee der USA trock-net allmählich aus. Kein Wunder, saugt doch die Kasinostadt Wasser aus dem See, wie eine Mücke Blut aus unseren Venen. Es muss wohl nicht näher darauf eingangen werden, wie verheerend das für die Stadt und die Regionen an der Westküste sein kann bzw. sein wird. Studien belegen meine Angst: Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass

Lake Mead im Jahr 2021 kein natürlicher Lebensraum für Lebewesen im See sein könnte liegt bei 50%. Mehr noch: ab 2017 – so die Vorhersagen – wird der Wasserdruck nicht mehr ausreichen, um genügend Elek-trizitaet produzieren zu können. Der Hoover Staudamm wäre dann nur noch eine trau-rige Touristenattraktion ohne weitere Zwe-cke. Wieviel Liter spült ein American Stan-dard Urinal nochmal die Leitung runter? Natürlich wäre es jetzt falsch anzunehmen, dass wir alle auf Wasser verzichten sollen. Früchte reifen langsam und so sollten wir einfach versuchen mit mehr Köpfchen ins Badezimmer zu gehen. Jeder von uns kann helfen und gemeinsam können wir alle un-seren American Standard verändern. Steigt die Nachfrage nach sparsameren Applikati-onen, stellt die Wirtschaft diese auch bereit. Ein einfaches Theorem der Wirtschaftswis-senschaften was keiner weiteren Erklärung bedarf. Wasser sparen fängt schließlich zu Hause an: Spültaste – wo vorhanden – ver-wenden. Oder einfacher: ein Backstein im

Spülkasten reduziert die Menge an Wasser, die bei jedem Gang ins Nirvana gespült wird. Daneben sollten wir den Geschirrspü-ler nur verwenden, wenn er auch wirklich voll ist. Wasser ist aber nicht die einzige Ressource, mit der wir alle sparsamer um-gehen sollten. Viele Liter an Benzin und Kohlendyoxidausstoß lassen sich einspa-ren bzw. vermeiden, wenn wir kurze Wege ablaufen und auf unser Auto verzichten. Von Recycling bis zum Fahrradfahren, die Liste an umweltschonenden Maßnahmen, die wir alle ergreifen könnten, geht ins Un-endliche. Aber wie schon gesagt – wenn wir alle mit mehr Köpfchen unsere Zeit auf dem Planeten Erde verbringen, können wir wesentlich mehr Rohstoffe und Ressourcen einsparen und für unsere Kinder konservie-ren. Gemeinsam können wir es schaffen, den American Standard zu einem idealen Standard werden zu lassen.

By: Matthias Knobloch

There it goes: valuable, precious and vital Water. Every man’s visit to the bathroom uses one gallon per flush, and almost four liters. I saw this fact imprinted on the American Standard urinals while in Las Vegas in 2007. Las Vegas, the artificial city in the middle of nowhere, is a city in the middle of a desert. And there I was, reading that my business would cause one gallon of clean water to run down the urinal and splash away whatever used to be a soda or a beer. “So, that’s the American standard” I thought and didn’t really think about it much further afterwards. Now that I live in Chicago, I still can see the American Standard flush in every male bathroom. It doesn’t matter where in this country that I go—the United Center, in my neighborhood bar, or at O’Hare Airport—the American Standard always wastes one Gallon of H2O with its standard flush. It hurts to think about the amount of water wasted in this and other nations due to poor waste management. Hands down, bathroom business requires water, but does it really have to be the American Standard gallon? Think about the amount of water we could save if a urinal wouldn’t need

water anymore. A clean urinal without the use of water? For some that may sound like science fiction. For me, it sounds like something the American Standard should actually become. Growing up in Germany, I am used to prioritizing stewardship of resources, and water certainly is one of the most valuable and vital resources. Germany’s bathroom bowls give male and female visitors the option to flush. German urinals usually use less than half the amount of the American Standard. Ironically, the market leader for bathroom accessories in Germany is called Ideal Standard. Think about it.

The newest invention in urinals is the waterless urinal that doesn’t require a drop of H20 or chemicals in order to provide a clean and refreshing experience. The first waterless urinals were installed during the EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. Ever since, the number of waterless urinals has grown to more than 100,000 in Germany and usage continues to grow. The annual average usage of one urinal is approximately 100,000 liters, so a bathroom with 10 urinals would use about 1,000,000 liters of water. Consider O’Hare Airport and its tremendous number of bathrooms. Millions of gallons are

used there every year. Think about Lake Mead—the largest water reservoir in the United States that provides precious water for fabulous Las Vegas. The water levels there continue to set record lows year after year. Sadly, projections and studies show that there is a 50% chance that live storage in Lake Mead will be gone by 2021 and that the reservoir could drop below minimum power pool elevation as early as 2017. If this occurs, the Hoover Damn would become a sad tourist attraction without a purpose. How many liters of water does an American Standard urinal use per flush again? I’m not saying that we all should stop flushing the toilet bowl. What I am trying to say is that each one of us can have a little impact by being more conscious about our way of living. We can save water by using water efficient toilet tanks or even better, put one or two bricks in the toilet bowl. This measure reduces the amount of water in the tank each time that you flush. Further, we should use our dishwashers only when full, to reduce the amount of cycles overall, and stop leaving the faucet running while brushing our teeth. We can collect rainwater to water plants in the summer during dry periods. And, open our eyes and look closer the next time that we visit Germany, to gain insight and ideas for additional resource preservation techniques.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about water. The overall mentality needs to change in order to save and protect the resources of our planet. We should try to avoid driving the car distances that could be walked, and refrain from remote starting our engine when temperatures are bearable. A car with a 2.0l engine easily burns through one fourth of a gallon of gasoline while its drivers are waiting for it to warm the inside. Recycle! My wife and I don’t yet have blue recycling bins in our neighborhood, but we collect recyclable trash and bring it to a collecting point. Every one of us can help to make the American Standard the ideal standard. Thank you!

American Standard

Matthias Knobloch

A german producer of satellite antennas, brand name “Sat-An” tried to sell its products internationally. Unfortunately, consumers refused to buy Satan for their roofs


By: Hans Wolf, PR & Webmeister Karnevals Gesellschaft Rheinischer Verein

After a hiatus of 7 years, the Rheinischer Verein returned to Mainz am Rhein for their Karneval celebrations.

80 club members strong, including 20 Fanfaren, 6 Amazonen dancers, Elferrat and Prinzenpaar, ST Prinz Manfred II and IL Prinzessin Jennifer I made up our group.

We all arrived Friday morning in Frank-furt and proceeded to our base, the Hotel Ibis in Mainz. The temperature forecast was 40° and sunny. Upon arrival, you could im-mediately tell the whole town was already in a Karneval party mood. People were stroll-ing through downtown in costume or for-mal Karneval club attire. There were food stands everywhere, live music and carnival rides for kids were in full action.

We kicked off the evening in Joe Matuschkas’s hometown, Lörzweiler, for an introductory dinner. The theme for the season was: Lörzweiler Air

The Lörzweiler Carnival Club was ready for us, 400 strong (pop. 2200) as they put on an almost professional Karneval show of dancers, including an excellent Männerbal-let (Mens) ballet.

The band (Vis a Vis) had everyone danc-ing and schunkeln to the time tested tra-ditional songs like… ‘Ooop There It Is!’. The Lörzweiler Carneval Club (LCC) MC ”Sascha”, managed the evening as all of their groups, including the Fanfaren and Amazonen, performed.

Saturday, we slept in to have a late break-fast and we were already surrounded by ev-eryone in costume. For the novice eye, this looked like a giant Halloween festival!

Our hotel housed several clubs, including a 35 piece Fasching band from Switzerland, that just came to Mainz to play in the street anywhere there was an audience.

In the evening, we headed again to Lörz-weiler for their Masquerade Ball, where once again the LCC put on a show worthy of a TV appearance. The Stimmung was bombastic and everyone was dancing. This is where I also noticed the simple Karneval battle cry…‘Helau’ (No alaaf).

Sunday, our club returned to Lörweiler to participate in their town (Umzug) parade. I did not join them. Upon their return, the Fanfaren and Swiss Fasching Club had a jam session in the hotel lobby. It was at this time the Karneval Stimmung in the streets of Mainz, which were packed with people, became hyper.

Later in the evening our friends, Bill and Darlene Fuchs, invited their friend Helmut to our hotel. Helmut showed up dressed as a monk with his accordion. Reinhart, our President, joined him with his accordion for a 2 hour jam session. The whole bar area joined in to sing with us… what a blast!!!

Rosenmontag (Monday) came too soon. Through connections, Joe Matuschka, knows the Bürgermeister of Mainz, we had our own float in the Rosenmontag Parade. The Fanfaren, Amazonen and LCC club, with our float, made up our group. Our float

was number 25 out of 150 groups. It was manned by 17 members, most wearing USA jackets. For the next 2 hours, we proceeded 7 kilometers, through a dense crowd of half a million people.

Helau, Helau, Helau, was the joyful cry for the next 2 hours!

We tossed beads, candy, packs of candy, and towards the end full boxes of candy to the fervent crowd. Besides candy throwing, I was also busy picture-taking and finally noticed everyone on board of the float. Our Prinzenpaar was elevated in the rear of the float and Joe, our Ehren President, had even found a higher perch on the float as…” Cae-sar (Seppl) waved to his disciples.

I was in heaven. Overhead, TV cameras were by the main stage broadcasting live throughout Europe. At the end of the pa-rade, we had to struggle our way back to the hotel as float number 150 had barely left the starting point. Yes, we saw every type of costume, float and musical group one could imagine. This was a day when you stand

out from the crowd if you’re not wearing some type of costume.

All of Mainz was on the move and the Deutsche (Germans) were the friendli-est people in this Karneval euphoria. As evening approached, we realized the 4 story stage next to our hotel was part of a giant street fest. Not your normal street fest,however, because many were in cos-tume and had little inhibitions.

There was a major mob scene of party revelers dancing to heavy bass music that you could feel in your bones. We joined them outside the hotel only to be driven back by the frenzied craziness, including thousands of broken bottles that jugendli-che (youth) were tossing and dancing on!

The party stopped at 11:11 p.m. sharp.Tuesday was almost sobering. We walked

through a busy town with only a few people left in costume. As we sat in a cafe begging for service, another parade of 50 convert-ible cars passed us with Karneval dignitar-ies looking for attention.

All attention went to the Lörzweiler wom-en dancing group, which were dressed as flight attendants, since they made the front page of the prominent BILD zeitung… they were stunning!

That evening, we bussed to Lörzweiler again for the traditional Lumpenball (Beg-gars Ball) and burial of Karneval at noon. Upon our arrival, we were joined by 3 couples,, Karnevalisten from Mainz that we had met at the Steuben Parade in New York. YEAH… there is an immediate bond among Karnevalisten. Schunkeln, dancing and hugging took place, all in a blur, be-fore the evening bus took us back way too soon.

The echo of music in my head… im-mer wieder, immer wieder… einmal am Rhein… am Aschermittwoch ist alles vor-bei ,,,left me with a Karneval buzz. Exhila-ration is the only word that can describe the last 5 days. I love Karneval.

Meenzer Karneval

Rheinischer Verein float with RV members, The Fanfaren and Amazonen

Lörzweiler women dancing group dressed as flight attendants Eleanor Fenske, Karin Huebner, Maria Pappas, and ST Prinz Manfred II

The Fanfaren playing at The Lörzweiler Carnival Club

The Germans can be credited for the discovery of insulin, the invention of the clarinet, the pocket watch, the automated calculator, the light bulb, paraffin, petrol/gasoline & Diesel engines, the modern automobile, the motorcycle, the jet engine, the LCD screen and the Walkman.


Hi everyone! It is with a mix of sadness and joy that I’m announcing that I am no longer the National Office Manager, but have accepted the brand new position of Development Director at the DANK Haus German Cultural Center. This means I’ve picked up and moved just one door down. I still get to enjoy being here every day and working for the organization, but more specifically now for one of its chapters.

Working in the National Office for over two years was an extremely rewarding, positive, and challenging experience. The opportunity to work at DANK came at the perfect time in my life, and has opened so many doors for me! I had a wonderful time in the National Office, and am looking forward to taking what I learned there and applying it now to my new challenges and responsibilities.

I will still be supporting the organization nationally by contributing to the journal, the forum, and our social media. My new job involves increasing and developing

the financial and human resources of the DANK Haus, which includes volunteer and intern coordination, special events management, grant writing, and general public relations. This will undoubtedly ripple out to positively affect the national organization as well.

Personally, I will also continue on my parallel career path as a writer, and will start on my second book this year. I also plan to continue traveling, practicing my German, learning Spanish, taking up new sports, spending time with my friends and “famous” pets, and having lots of fun around Chicago.

If you need me, or have any questions at all, feel free to contact me at my new email address: [email protected]. On that note, I’d like to welcome Eve Timmerhaus back to the office. She has worked with National before and will be taking over the position of office manager from here. Please make sure to give her a very warm welcome!

Have you received your dues renewal form and thought to yourself: “Is it time already for membership renewal, I thought I just paid my membership?” Well that situation is a sign of a busy life as well as getting older and time feeling like it is just flying by.

One way of solving that problem is taking out a Life Membership. Then at least the dues statements are behind you. No matter what your age, 25 or 65, the cost of a Life Membership is very reasonable - currently only $500.

For our younger members it actually pays to join the Life Membership Program, to save yourself the hassle of renewal as well money down the road. For the more senior members, it is a way of not having to deal with all that mail, plus providing long term support; a legacy in honor of your Germanic heritage.

Having been a member of DANK for over 25 years, two years ago I decided to bite

the bullet and take out a life membership. I felt a commitment to the organization and wanted to show pride in my ethnic roots, plus frankly just got tired of trying to stay on top of annual dues.

Some of our members have purchased a Life Membership for loved ones, perhaps as a means of assuring that newly born children or grandchildren have an organizational legacy to identify their ancestry. Life Membership is one way of assuring that your children/grandchildren do not forget their Germanic roots even if Oma and Opa are no longer with them. It is a sound investment in DANK, as well as assuring that American assimilation - a positive thing - still recognizes that Germans are a part of the fabric of American multi-culture.

Finally, an added bonus will be the newly designed Life Membership pins, that will be given to all of our Life Members, as a recognition for their support and as a means of showing pride in their ancestry.

Have You Thought About A Life Membership In DANK?

Welcome Back, EveBest of Luck, AmeliaBy: Beverly Pochatko, National Secretary & Darlene Fuchs

The National Ex-ecutive Board would like to recognize the many positive chang-es that have occurred in the National office over the past three years. Amelia has

worked with Eve to assure a smooth tran-sition and we appreciate the professional-ism of both these young women.

Many of you will remember Eve, who was a familiar face in the office for 12 years during the leadership of Elsbeth See-wald, Ernst Ott, Jerry Michaud and Christa Garcia. She worked side-by-side with her mother, Eva, during that time period. We were fortunate to learn that she was avail-able when Amelia accepted the position at the DANK Haus Cultural Center.

Eve remarked, after two days, about how quickly the names and Chapter num-bers came back to her. Her experience within the organization is a great benefit to all. Eve has said that she is happy to be back and looks forward to being a help-ful resource for the Chapters once again. “I’ve received many calls and emails from members welcoming me back. It is nice to know people remember me and the work I did. After being away 12 years, it is nice to be back in the renovated DANK Nation-al Office. National President Bill Fuchs, along with other volunteers, did a great job updating and improving the office space.”

Her pleasant voice and light-hearted laugh is her familiar trademark. When not working, Eve enjoys spending time with her family and visiting friends. “I am a cozy mystery reader for the most part. I like cooking German recipes, and always

appreciate the friends who agree to be my guinea pigs when it comes to tasting my culinary creations. During the summer months, most weekends you’ll find me on trips to the shores of South West Michi-gan, Wisconsin and surrounding areas. My furry companion and faithful friend Brooklynn, a Border Collie mix, is never far from my side.”

If you have questions, or just want to say welcome back Eve, you can call the office at 1-888-USA-DANK

Please note our new office hours:Monday, Wednesday-Friday 9am-4pm The office will be closed Tuesdays

On a sad note, we will miss Amelia Cot-ter as she moves to an office at DANK Chicago North, just 25 feet down the hall

Many of us were positively effected by Amelia’s organizational skills, motivation and responsiveness in making the National Office a professional environment. Her desire to make a difference in the German/American community has gained DANK positive recognition.

The many changes Amelia implement-ed, such as reduced office and inventory costs, concentrating on increasing associ-ate memberships and advertising, gaining visibility on social networks and a DANK internship program are sure to continue.

We would like to wish both of these young ladies much luck in their new en-deavors as they promote the goals of DANK.

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an un-relenting pursuit of your goal -- a commit-ment to excellence -- that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

--Mario Andretti

Eve Timmerhaus

Germany was the first country in the world to adopt Daylight saving time (DST, a.k.a. summer time) in 1916, in the midst of WWI.


Sign Up For MeMberShip online @ www.DAnK.org

Why I Joined DANK?By: Ed Heinlein

My name is Ed Heinlein, and I am a retired German teacher with 30 years of teaching experience. For the most part, I taught 22 years in the Colonial School District (Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School) in Plymouth Meeting, PA and 8 years as a substitute German teacher for sabbatical and maternity leaves at six school districts in the Pittsburgh area. I was familiar with DANK during my teaching career, but I didn’t have time to get involved in its activities or explore its cultural and linguistic benefits.

“You don’t know your own language till you learn the language of another.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 to 1832) German writer, scientist, and statesman

I also believe you could substitute “culture” in the above

statement. My teaching philosophy consisted of two basic goals:

to provide students with the opportunity to have fun • while learning Deutsch;

to teach students how the people live their daily • lives, as well as “eins, zwei, drei.”

The Pittsburgh DANK School will provide me with an

opportunity to get excited again about teaching. I consider it fun to teach interested people how to speak Deutsch, to make them culturally aware of how the people live, and to help people trace their family history back to German-speaking Europe. To achieve these goals, I have developed my own teaching program (“Fun Fest German”), have created my own teaching and genealogy materials from my career on a website, and have studied in and traveled many times to the German-speaking countries. As a result, I have contacts in Bavaria and Germany to assist me with my classroom instruction and genealogical research.

I am also a member of AATG (American Association of Teachers of German). This allows me to keep in contact with current teachers and their students. The future of German cultural organizations is to contact today’s youth and teach them the German language and encourage them to become involved in its cultural activities. Youth must find an answer to the question “Why study German?”

Note: Ed Heinlein, a new member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of DANK. Ed is becoming active within the chapter by taking on our Genealogy efforts and assist the teaching of German to both our members and other Western Pennsylvania residents interested in learning German.

Weekly German Conversation Classes

By: William Russell

Pittsburgh’s Laurel Highland’s sub-chapter initiated weekly German conversational classes, starting in September 2009. The classes were held continuously through 2010, with Bill Russell conducting the classes. Plans are to initiate classes again towards the end of March. Emphasis will be on pronunciation and learning useful phrases.

During 2010, five members attended on a regular basis. The conversational

classes were very successful, as attested by the enthusiasm of the participants. One member, with a previous knowledge of German, reported that the classes were very beneficial for him when he participated in a tour of Germany during the summer of 2010.

Plans are to meet with the Pittsburgh Chapter Leadership to expand both the language classes and to undertake a membership drive within the Laurel Highlands Region of Western Pennsylvania.

Ed Heinlein

William Russell

Discounted Rates Available to Chapters & Associate Members

Business HereAdvertise Your

Eve TimmerhausNational Office Manager

(888) USA-DANKFax: (773) 275-4010

[email protected]

Contact

If you are gifting a membership:

Your Name Your Phone #

CHeCK Us OUT OnLineHead on over to our National Website to get the latest updates and information on DANK

and the Germanic-American community.www.dank.org

dank.org/forum dank.org/blog


By: Jane Nacker

The Milwaukee Chapter, in conjunction with the Bavarian Soccer Club of Milwaukee, held its annual Mardi Gras Fasching Costume Ball on Saturday, Feb. 5. The Bavarian Inn, Milwaukee, was the site for the festivities. Chapter President Edwin Gunther and his wife, Ursula, coordinated a fun-filled evening.

Dance music was provided by Johnny Hoffmann and the Herzbuben. In addition, the Spielmannszug Milwaukee Drum and Bugle Corps and Tanzsterne performed. Guests were also graced by Spielmannszug Prinz Gregory I and Prinzessin Jeannie I and Rheinischer Verein Grün-Weiß Prinz Hansi I and Prinzessin Peggy Ann I.

Costumed guests provided additional entertainment, with prizes awarded to those voted the best. As the dance was held on the eve of the Super Bowl, multiple costumes reflected the Green Bay Packer pride.

An appearance by the Milwaukee Mullers put the finishing touches on a splendid Mardi Gras celebration.

DANK Milwaukee offers “special thanks” to all of our guests.

DANK Milwaukee Mardi GrasFasching Costume Ball

Pittsburgh Congratulates Green Bay!

By: Erik Wittmann

DANK Pittsburgh congratulates our members from Wisconsin on the Packers winning the Super Bowl!

While we wish Pittsburgh could have won its seventh Super Bowl championship, we could think of no wor-thier winner than Green Bay, allowing for their strong Pittsburgh connection from their coach, who hails from Pittsburgh, to several players who have connections ei-ther to Pittsburgh or the Steelers.

While we tried having an official bet with our Milwau-kee chapter on the outcome, Edwin Gunther, Milwaukee Chapter President, would not take the bet. However Bob Miske, National Treasurer, who hails from Wisconsin came to the rescue and bet on behalf of the Wisconsin group.

Thus, for the next Leadership meeting in Chicago, the Pittsburgh Chapter will provide treats from Iron City Beer Pretzels to Sarris and Hershey Chocolates, as well as other goodies associated with Pittsburgh.

Despite the loss, Pittsburgh is still the “City of Cham-pions,” having won more Super Bowls than any other team.

Bob & Christel Miske , Doris Mueller and our new Secretary Edward MuellerChapter President Edwin Gunther wth Wife Ursula

Our Newest DANK Member Jane Nacker With Bill Bessa DANK Member Holger and Deanna Sommerfeld

By: Beverly A. Pochatko

This year marks the 2nd annual Fasching Party that our Chapter has hosted. Last year was a success and this year was not different. With a determined “we can do it again and better”, Ursel Altsman chaired the event assisted by Tammy Altsman, Lori Hirtel, and Brigitte Chase. They transformed the Gold Room of the Männerchor Club festively decorating it in the royal colors of green, gold and purple, flags, jesters, and garlands.

As our nearly fifty costumed guests arrived, they were ‘decorated’ with bead necklaces. Later, everyone was asked to take a necklace (found on the tables) and present it to someone they had never met to introduce themselves…great ice-breaker with non-members. Everyone enjoyed the light supper buffet of bratwurst, hot dogs, sauerkraut, potato salad and light beverages. We kept our waitress Kim busy bringing pitchers of beer and mixed drinks to our tables. Thanks to Margaret Potocki, Ursel Altsman and Beverly Pochatko, everyone was able to enjoy those delicious homemade Fastnacht keuchles everyone looks forward to before the onset of Lent.

We were fortunate to have young people visiting from Germany: Sandrina Bumm and Matthias Röger, teacher candidates visiting from Bavaria, and Pauline Lötzsch from

Berlin, who is staying with Becky Travis. Matthias was hosted by the Statman Family. Sandrina was so surprised to find that the (Krappen) made by Margaret Potocki was exactly like those made by her Großmütter! James von Loewe was the winner of the best costume award. Some of the costumes were a “Pippi Long-Stockings, a Medieval Knight, an M & M, “Santa Baby”, a chef, the Purse Lady of the 30’s, a sheriff, clown, a dancer in a Review, Referee, Kitchen Witch”, “Mama” – of TV fame, and more.

Music provided by Don Cowey had everyone up and dancing – polkas, waltzes, the ‘hokey-pokey’, a ‘Zug Parade’ and more throughout the evening. Our German visitors had a great time singing along with some of the pop Fasching music played. Thanks to Don’s wife, Heidi, we had song sheets with their translations to follow along. Music really helps get everyone involved – especially singing all those old familiar tunes. All too soon, the final song was played and the lights – no longer dim – brought us back to reality and heading home.

Overall, everyone had a great time with a lot of fun stories to tell about the evening. Plans are already in the works for 2012 and an even bigger event in the Männerchor’s Ballroom!

Our German visitors: Sandrina Bumm, Matthias Röger, teacher candidates visiting from Bavaria, and Pauline Lötzsch of Berlin. Sandrina and Matthias are sponsored by the PA State Education Assoc. While here, they are observing classes in public schools in order to become more familiar with American schools and compare them with German schools. They have done presentations about themselves and Germany in schools where they have done observations. Pauline is visiting as with a personal family friend as her parents wanted her to be immersed in American English and culture. She quickly learned that while textbook English is ‘black and white’, the usage within the culture has many ‘shades of gray’. They will all be traveling to Harrisburg, Hershey, Lititz, Lancaster, Gettysburg and Philadelphia as well as Washington DC and Florida.

Erie’s German Heritage Society Celebrates Fasching


By: William R. Troutman

It’s been a cold winter here in Northern Indiana. Lots of snow too. By the middle of February, most of us are ready for spring. Winter can be confining and some folks are suffering from “cabin fever”.

There’s nothing better to fight the wintertime blues than a

D.A.N.K. get-together! This time we gathered at Guenther and Erika Kison’s farm for “Winterfest” and Christine Weiss’s home for a “Valentine’s Party”. We love to share a meal and talk about the past and laugh. Laughter makes us all feel better about being in the dead of winter.

Being a musician, I love to listen and people have wonderful stories to tell. This time I’d like to talk about a long-time and devoted member: Inge Bradburn. She was born Inge Saage in 1934 and was raised on a farm outside of Berlin. She had four brothers and three sisters and Inge was the eldest girl. Her father worked for the Bundesbahn and was tragically killed in1942 by a train. Inge moved to Berlin where she worked as an Apprentice in Tailoring for eight years. She met an American Serviceman, fell in love and was married in Germany in 1957. Soon after, in 1958, they came to settle in America where Inge began a small cleaning business, which she still runs.

Inge is the mother of four boys and has two granddaughters, one grandson, and one great grandson. Inge has been a member of D.A.N.K. since 1985. She keeps active by going to seminars at the Forever Learning Institute and participating in medical research. She also is quite fond of classic Russian music. Thank you Inge for inviting me into your home and allowing me to write your story.

Winterfest In South Bend

By: Erik WittmannChapter President/National Vice President

The Pittsburgh Chapter, in conjunction with the other Region 3 chapters, has chosen the Crowne Plaza South Hills, a Holiday Inn property, as the site for the forthcoming October 29-30, 2011 Convention. This hotel is situated in the heart of the beautiful South Hills area of Pittsburgh and is just seven miles from downtown Pittsburgh.

In addition to a great location, the Crowne Plaza® Pittsburgh South hotel offers guests the opportunity to earn points toward their Priority Club Rewards and enjoy convenient amenities like a Fitness Center and Health Club complete with pool, sauna, and whirlpool.

An amazing rate of $99 per room has been negotiated for this convention. Reservations can be made starting March 1, 2011 by either going on line at Crown Plaza reservations and putting in the code of GAM or by calling (412) 833-5300 and indicating that the reservation is for the German American National Congress Convention –Oct. 28-30. We urge you to make reservations now especially if you’re planning on bringing a group from your Chapter. The rate is also good for persons wishing to come in early or stay beyond the convention.

This Convention hotel is located just minutes from sport complexes like Mellon Arena, Consol Center, PNC Park and Heinz Field. The Rivers and Meadows casinos are nearby if attendees want to try their luck. You can also shop at Tanger Outlets and South Hills Mall (across the street). In addition, this hotel is close to the Light Rail, making it easy to visit Station Square and downtown Pittsburgh.

DANK Convention guests will receive, as part of their

attendance, two separate gaming coupons for both the Meadows and Rivers Casino, thus reducing the already discounted convention rate. In addition, convention guests will enjoy such perks as free Wi-Fi access and the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage® Program amenities. Convention guests will have numerous dining options in the immediate area, in addition to excellent on-site dining and bar facilities at the hotel.

While the quality and reasonable cost of the hotel is important, the Chapter already has initiated numerous plans to make this not only a successful convention but also has numerous plans for social opportunities. From visiting the Pittsburgh Hofbrau and University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms, to partaking in numerous social events, there is bound to be something for everyone.

We urge Chapters to consider not only sending official delegates to assure the interest of the broad membership is addressed, but to also consider bringing larger groups of members for a fun filled weekend in Americas Most Livable City.

Just this past week, Pittsburgh

was again rated “most livable city “ in the United States by the London –based Economist Intelligence Unit. This is the fourth rating for Pittsburgh as the most livable by various rating groups, more than any other city in the country. Come meet your DANK family and enjoy the hospitality of Pittsburgh!

Pittsburgh’s South Hills Crown Plaza To Serve As National Convention Hotel

Happy Valentine from L to R: Rudolf, Hilde, Rudy, Hedi, Guenter, Sonja, John, Baerbel, Annemarie, Trudy, in front Inge & Bill

DANK members and friends enjoying the winterparty at Kison’s

Chapter Growth Is All

Around!Region Two News & ViewsBy: Donna J Lippert, Region Two President

I am very proud to report that the chapters within Region Two are doing a most wonderful job of se-curing new members. There was a large increase in 2010 for new members and more are coming in for this year, 2011. Even though we have some smaller chapters, they are having new members join left and right, and I’m proud of these chapters as they are getting the word out about DANK National. How-ever we need to keep them as members! This means inviting potential new members to your special events, like dances, parties and picnics, during the year. If you have your own chapter, encourage new and current members to help out at your functions. Invite these people to your next membership meet-ing or consider hosting an open house. You could even make it a contest to see how many new mem-bers your current members at your chapter can get to sign up. Encourage new growth on your chapter level along with trying to increase our membership within the organization itself. Remember we are still going strong after fifty-one (51) years!

The only way DANK National will survive, is by increasing membership growth within your own chapter. Joining DANK National has wonderful benefits and besides where else can you read such a wonderful paper as the German American Jour-nal? Encourage a life membership or consider pur-chasing a membership for a loved one for a birth-day, anniversary or any other type of special event. Remember to share you activities at your chapter with other DANK Chapters. There are many “free” web-sites where you can post your events including sending then in to DANK National. Also, those that most recently donated to help pay for the computer system at DANK National, I say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart!


From Pennsylvania’s Frozen Shore of Lake ErieBy: Beverly Pochatko

A tradition that began in Germany with 16th century farmers who believed that when the sun shone on Candlemas day, the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, badgers are fright-ened by their shadows and return to their burrows to sleep through six more weeks of winter. In the 19th century, Germans in Punxsutawney, a small western Pennsylva-nia town, couldn’t find any badgers, so they chose the groundhog- a close cousin - to be their furry American prognosticator.

That grizzled, gray-brown marmot named “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognos-ticators and Weather Prophet Extraordi-nary, predicted spring will arrive early this year. He even gave us a taste of what was to come during the second week of Febru-ary, with spring-like temps in the 50s. But it was short-lived, as the arctic air dropped

and plunged us back to the 20’s – below our norms for this time of the year. The big snow is all but gone and we expect linger-ing snow showers and perhaps what has been known as the traditional St Paddy’s Day snow storm. But we were wrong, as just two days later, we were hit with an-other 12” of snow. Overall, we are just glad that we weren’t hit as hard as areas such as Chicago and the East Coast. My snow-drops are up and there is a myriad of birds back at the feeder- my favorites being the cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, spar-rows, the gold finches and the small downy woodpeckers. I was pleasantly surprised with a full size red-headed woodpecker at the suet holder this week. They are a lot of fun to watch as they take turns, in waves, to get at the feeder.

At our January board meeting, we planned our calendar of events for 2011. With new and younger members coming on the board, we have a diverse variety of

activities planned, including a game night, videos, speakers and more. In April we plan to hold an “Open House” and a ” Kaffee Klatsch” with traditional German desserts in the hope to build up our membership. This year marks our 15th annual German Heritage Festival and we look forward to it each year. We still have some events that we are considering for this year and have details to work out. Unfortunately we have decided not to sponsor the German Essay Contest this year, for lack of support from our German teachers. Our DANK lan-guage classes continue, but soon our Con-versational German class will be taking a break, with plans to perhaps restart in late spring.

Our January meeting as well as our Feb-ruary meeting were well attended, since we had a nice break in the weather. Heidi Cowey, one of our language teachers, has started to teach members a simple phrase in German at the beginning of our meetings –

a really great ice-breaker – and getting our non-German speaking members a chance to learn German. Following the meeting, a video on “Hirrlinger Bützenzunft” with masked groups from the Alt Neckar area in Hirrlingen, Tübingen County, depicts their Swabian-Alemanic origin on this “Foolish Weekend”. This was planned to get every-one in the mood for our Fasching Party on March 4th. At our March meeting, we plan to shake off those ‘winter blues’ at our Fun and Games Night! Board games: “Mensch ärgere Dich nicht” (Don’t get upset,) Po-keno, Cards: Euchre, Skat and more! (Copied this idea from the Lake County IL Chapter!) Overall, it is great to have a new board with a lot of ideas and willing to put them into action.

Our thanks to other chapters who send us their newsletters from which we also learn new ideas to implement in our ‘corner of the world’! Be sure to visit our web-site www.DANK-Erie.org

DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois Bowling PartyBy: Ursula Hoeft

Not everyone bowled, but without a doubt, everyone had a good time!

On January 16, DANK Chapter Lake County, Illinois members and friends met at Bertrand Lanes in Waukegan, Illinois for an afternoon of bowling and camaraderie. Whether the game is bowling or Kegeln, the challenge of trying to knock down a bunch of obstinate pins is always fun – fun for those bowling, or kegeln, as well as for those who are watching and cheering them on.

Having a good time was the order of the day for most of us, but there also were a few serious bowlers in the group (we won’t name names – they know who they are). As far as I’m concerned, anyone who owns his own bowling shoes and bowling ball qualifies as a serious bowler; when someone shows up with custom bowling balls, each tuned for a specific alley surface, it means a professional has arrived.

But most of us were there just to have a good time with no thought of bowling a 300 game. All it took to make me happy was seeing my (borrowed) bowling ball roll swiftly down the alley and knock at least a few pins down instead of curving to the left or to the right and going into the gutter, which it did far too often.

Chapter Board members Mrs. Brigitte and the Rev. Richard Käske, party planners extraordinaire, organized the event. In addition to making sure there were enough alleys for those who wanted to bowl they also arranged for a private room where everyone gathered after bowling to enjoy a pizza feast – it can’t always be bratwurst! There were delicious desserts, too, and plenty of coffee, of course.

Chapter Vice President Werner Stein announced the winners in various categories. But winning wasn’t what the party was about – it was about enjoying an afternoon of fun and fellowship with good friends. And since that was the goal,

you might say that we all were winners!Editor’s Note: Did you know that

bowling is related to the Kegeln that originated in Germany? Kegeln belongs to one of the oldest and most popular leisure sports. The first official mention of Kegeln is in the chronicle of the German city of Rothenburg from the year 1157. In 1265, the citizens of the towns of Xanten and the monks of the monastery St. Victor formed a “Kegelorum,” the first Kegel club.

The Kegel game lost its bad reputation (gambling, violence and fraud) at the end of the 16th Century and the “Game of luck” was played purely as a “spare time activity.” The reason for this was that the “high society” of the day discovered and liked to play the game – it no longer was played only by the ordinary folks. Martin Luther (1483-1546), the reformist who started the protestant movement within the Catholic Church, wrote the first rules and also settled on the amount of pins. Some of the rules and games have survived to date. He liked the game so much, that he built two lanes in the cellar of his church to teach his children mathematics. (Many of the German churches in America had their own lanes for their congregations and lanes could be founds in the Turnvereins and Männerchor clubs as well.) The start of the 19th Century saw the registration of the first official Kegel clubs in Germany.

Some German migrants introduced the game to the USA in 1840, but because of the possibility of potential side effects (gambling, drinking and cheating), it was outlawed by the Governor of New York. To get around this law, the American version of bowling (10-pin) was invented in 1868. Kegeln uses 9 pins and a smaller ball with no holes for the fingers whereas bowling uses 10 pins and a larger ball with holes for the fingers.

A number of Kegel clubs united in Krefeld, Germany on September 11, 1884 to establish the first Kegel association. This union was the beginning of the sport of Kegeln and bowling Mention this ad when ordering for a 10% discount on your order. Not valid on life documentary.

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Database Donations still neededChapters and individuals alike have sent in donations for which we are deeply grateful. While we appreciate every donation, the fund drive for the database upgrade is an ongoing effort. If you have not yet made a donation, please consider doing so. Donations for this cause are still being accepted at: DANK National Executive Office, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60625-2013


Aufbruch zu verantwortlicher FreiheitBesinnung auf Wegbereiter der Demokratie seit 1848By: Dr. Joachim Reppmann

Das Buch des Ex-Finanzsenators Thilo Sarrazin fachte nicht nur die Integrationsdebatte neu an, sondern machte auch den bedrohlichen Werteverlust deutlich, unter dem nicht nur Europa, sondern darüber die gesamte westliche Welt zu leiden hat. Freiheit wird heute in demokratisch verfassten Staaten als Freibrief für hemmungslose Ausnutzung egoistischer Interessen missverstanden. Der übersteigerte Kapitalismus, die „freie Marktwirtschaft“, die dem Allgemeinwohl dienen sollte, hat am Beispiel skrupelloser Bankmanager allen klar gemacht, dass bloßer Eigennutz die westliche Welt in die schwere Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise geführt hat. Sie brachte durch Korruption und verantwortungslose Spekulation auf Kosten des gutgläubigen, aber ohnmächtigen Steuerzahlers nur einer kleinen Minderheit riesige Gewinne. Die weltweite Krise ist erst dann überwunden, wenn sich im Bewusstsein der ganzen westlichen Welt eine radikale Umkehr vollzieht. Nur eine Rückkehr zum ursprünglichen Freiheitsverständnis, das mit Verantwortung für alle untrennbar verbunden ist, kann die bleibende Angst vor einer totalen existenzbedrohenden Krise überwinden!

Politikverdrossenheit und die damit verbundene Wahlmüdigkeit müssten jeden verantwortungsbewussten Menschen zur Suche nach echten Lösungen, nach einem großen „Wir-Ziel“ auffordern. Es geht nicht darum, dass das Individuum seine kulturelle

Identität aufgeben oder gar seine Herkunft verleugnen muss. Vielmehr müssen die Regeln, die Gesetze des Zusammenlebens in der jeweiligen Gesellschaft neu durchdacht und ernst genommen werden. Dazu gehören die demokratischen Grundwerte: Menschenwürde, freie Meinungsäußerung, Solidarität mit hilfsbedürftigen Menschen, Respektierung Andersdenkender im gewaltfreien Dialog, Gleichberechtigung von Mann und Frau und der religiös und weltanschaulich neutrale Staat.

Vor diesem Hintergrund wäre eine gemeinsame europäische Verfassung mit globalem Zielein wichtiger Schritt. Als Grundlage für das praktische Verhalten und Handeln in Politik und Gesellschaft bietet sich die europäische Aufklärung des 18. Jahrhunderts an, der sowohl die Verfassung der USA als auch das Grundgesetz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland verpflichtet sind.

Den Kampf um politische Freiheit führten viele der rund 500 000 Männer und Frauen, die in den Jahren zwischen 1848 und 1850 Deutschland und Europa verließen und in die USA auswanderten. Nach den misslungenen demokratischen Revolutionen in der alten Heimat traten die so genannten „Forty-Eighters“ in Amerika gegen Sklaverei und für Gerechtigkeit und Freiheit ein. Insofern können sie heute als Vorbilder dienen, denen wir auf neuen Wegen nacheifern sollten. Ihre Überzeugung, dass jeder von uns moralische Werte in sich trägt, die er auch öffentlich vertreten muss, kann uns dabei behilflich sein.

The Folly of Freedom Without Social ResponsibilityBy: Dr. Joachim Reppmann

Deutschland schafft sich ab, a recent book by former German politician and Deutsche Bundesbank board member, Thilo Sarrazin, has fanned the flames of an ongoing national debate in Germany about immigration and integration policies. The book also revealed the dangerous loss of moral values afflicting not only Europe, but the entire western world. In democracies, freedom is often viewed as a license for carte blanche pursuit of egoistic interests.

Nowhere was this demonstrated more forcefully than in the financial arena where unscrupulous members of banks, investment houses, and insurance companies engaged in behavior so egregiously self-serving and shortsighted as to precipitate a worldwide financial crisis. Through naked corruption and irresponsible speculation, a small group of individuals amassed huge profits at the expense of clients that had placed their trust in them. In essence, free market capitalism benefitting society as a whole was replaced by a rigged market enriching only a few.

The financial crisis resulted from a widespread cancer of moral irresponsibility. This cancer will continue to grow until there is a radical awakening of the world’s conscience and a collective understanding that freedom is unsustainable if we are only responsible to our selves.

Conscientious, civic-minded people should consider

the prevailing aversion to constructive politics and the resulting apathy as a call to arms to search for lasting solutions that benefit all. Enduring solutions do not require the individual to give up his cultural identity. They do require an acknowledgement that the concept of freedom is meaningless without social responsibility.

These two basic tenets are the yin and yang of any civilized society. One without the other is meaningless and unsustainable. Laws must reflect the democratic values of human dignity, free speech, help to those in need, respectful and civil dialog among people of diverse backgrounds, gender equality, and a government that is neutral in religious and philosophical matters, as long as these do not undermine its very existence.

With the foregoing in mind, a common European constitution with a global vision would be an important first step. The guiding principles on which to base this constitution are not new. They can be found in the ideas of the European Enlightenment of the 18th century, concepts which form the bedrock of America’s Constitution and the Basic Law of the German Republic.

The fight for political freedom was a powerful motive for many of the almost 500,000 men and women who left Germany and Europe between 1848 and 1850 to immigrate to America.

Following the failed democratic revolutions in their home country, these “Forty Eighters” took a stand in their new country for freedom from unjustified

and unwarranted governmental intrusion and state-sanctioned discrimination. These courageous individuals can serve as role models as we seek a new path. In our search for new answers, we can draw inspiration from their conviction that each of us is imbued with inherent moral values that we must exemplify in both our public and private lives.

Editors Note: Work continues on the “Legacy of 1848,” our conference held November 2009 in Denison, Iowa. The effects of this conference continue to be felt. It inspired Klaus Lemke to finish his brilliant dissertation. It is about the Civil Servant as a Democratic Revolutionary — the Church in Schleswig-Holstein and the Forty-eighters. Scott Christiansen from Iowa City has begun writing what may be the first biography about the common man as a Forty-Eighter, focusing on his great-great grandfather (Jürgen Peter Ankerson, a native of Rantrum, Schleswig-Holstein) who settled in Davenport, Iowa. Scott previously wrote The Soul of Schleswig-Holstein (www.Lulu.com), a very informative Coffee Table Book of his search for his ancestral roots. Dr. Wolfgang Plenio, 81, philosopher in Flensburg, told us his thoughts which led to a four paragraph “Call for Action.” We might all agree that the recent financial crisis is only the tip of the iceberg. Could not the value system advocated by the Forty-eighters be a blueprint for how to deal with the many pressing challenges facing us all today?

Christa Garcia and Dr. Yogi Reppmann at the opening of the Turner 50th Anniversary in Davenport, Iowa

The University of Marburg (Philipps-Universität Marburg ), in Hesse, was founded in 1527 as the world’s first Protestant university.


By: Amelia Cotter

Oskar and Atticus love springtime and are very excited about Easter. Easter means for them a big Easter bonfire—because all boys love a good fire—and an Easter egg hunt.

Dani and her little men, along with Elmar, went out to big green meadow. Dani and Elmar hid a few eggs that they had dyed together at home. Oskar and Atticus had to wait in their travel carriers. Oskar wagged his tail.

“I’m so excited about the egg hunt!” he said to Atticus.

“But don’t eat all the eggs at one time!” Atticus answered.

“Do snakes also eat eggs?” Oskar asked.“Yeah, some relatives of mine, but not all

snakes,” Atticus said, as he looked at Oskar disapprovingly.

“Okay, go!” said Dani and Elmar, and they released the boys from their travel carriers.

First Oskar ran like crazy in all directions and turned around in little circles. He lay on his back and danced around with his feet high in the air.

Atticus put on his glasses and waited patiently for Oskar. “I believe we need to find six eggs,” he said scientifically.

When Oskar was all done, they began to look for the eggs. Oskar found a blue colored egg. Then Atticus found a purple and a pink egg. There were still the yellow, green, and orange eggs.

Together they found all the eggs and met by a rock. They counted the eggs. But they had more than six. There was another little mysterious white egg in the group.

‘What is that?” asked Atticus.“No idea…it’s an egg, though, right?”“Yes, but not one of ours.”“I just found it in the grass, like the others.

Maybe an alien came and shrunk a normal egg to confuse us.”

“Mmm hmm, most likely. Let’s take the egg with us anyway, we don’t what’s inside. Maybe the poor thing lost its mom.”

Oskar hid the egg in his big ear and they went back to Dai and Elmar with their eggs.

“Well done!” said Dani. The prize for each of them was a big chocolate bunny.

Later, after they had been to the Easter bonfire and had eaten their fill of chocolate,

Oskar and Atticus sat by the little egg.The egg was only as big as Atticus’ head.

Atticus sat the egg on a nest he built out of toilet paper.

“It’s lovely,” said Oskar.“Atticus rolled himself into a ball to warm

the egg. The two fell asleep…In the middle of the night, Atticus woke up because he had a strange feeling. He opened one eye and saw that the egg was shaking.

It shook and shook until a little face broke through. “Guten Tag,” said a small snake with an even smaller little girl’s voice.

Atticus blinked. “Guten Tag.”“Guten Tag,” the snake said again and

smiled. She crawled out of the egg and next to Atticus. Atticus saw that she was not a snake at all. She was a green lizard with red spots on her head!

She smiled at him and looked all around the room.

“Guten Tag?” she asked Atticus and pointed toward Oskar with her tiny finger.

Oskar woke up. He sniffed around with his nose high in the air. “Someone’s there,” he murmured to himself.

“Guten Tag,” the lizard said softly and hid behind Atticus.

“Atticus, is that you?” Oskar asked.“No, that’s the egg…which is now a little

lizard.”Oskar came closer and squinted. He

gasped. “Oh, how adorable! Hello, little girl.”

The somewhat shy lizard gradually became curious again and smiled. “Guten Tag.”

“What’s your name?” asked Oskar.“Guten Tag,” the lizard answered.“Ya’ hear that, Atticus? Her name is

‘Guten Tag.’ What kind of name is that?”Atticus rolled his eyes and kept the girl

warm in the toilet paper nest. The next morning Oskar and Atticus

introduced the little “Guten Tag” to Dani and Elmar. They were super excited, and Dani bought a terrarium and some yummy crickets for their new little friend right away. But Guten Tag wanted to spend all her time with Oskar and Atticus.

“A real Easter present!” Oskar cried with joy.

“True,” Atticus said as the girl laughed and played with the glasses on his face. “But first, we need to teach the little one some words other than her own name!”

By: Amelia Cotter

Oskar und Atticus lieben die Frühlingszeit und freuen sich daher sehr auf Ostern. Ostern heißt für die Beiden ein großes Osterfeuer—weil alle Jungs ein gutes Feuer lieben—und eine Eiersuche.

Dani und ihre kleinen Männer gingen zusammen mit Elmar auf eine grüne Wiese. Dani und Elmar versteckten ein paar Eier, die sie vorher gemeinsam zu Hause gefärbt hatten. Oskar und Atticus mussten in ihren Reisetaschen warten. Oskar wackelte mit dem Schwanz.

„Ich freue mich so sehr auf die Eiersuche!“ sagte er zu Atticus.

„Aber die Eier nicht sofort aufessen!“, antwortete Atticus.

„Essen Schlangen auch Eier?“ fragte Oskar.

„Ja, ein paar Verwandte von mir, aber nicht alle Schlangen“, meinte Atticus, während er Oskar ein wenig reserviert ansah.

„Okay, los!“ sagten Dani und Elmar und ließen die Jungs aus ihren Reisetaschen.

Oskar rannte erst mal ganz verrückt in alle Richtungen und drehte sich in kleinen Kreisen. Er lag auf seinem Rücken und tanzte dabei mit den Füßen hoch in der Luft.

Atticus setzte seine Brille auf und wartete geduldig auf Oskar. „Ich glaube, dass wir sechs Eier finden müssen“, sagte Atticus wissenschaftlich.

Als Oskar mit der Rennerei fertig war, begannen sie, die Eier zu suchen. Oskar fand ein blau gefärbtes Ei. Dann fand Atticus ein purpurn und ein pink gefärbtes Ei. Es gab noch gelb, grün, und orange gefärbte Eier.

Sie fanden zusammen alle Eier und trafen sich bei einem Stein. Sie zählten die Eier. Aber sie hatten sieben und nicht sechs Eier. Es gab ein sehr kleines mysteriöses weißes Ei in der Gruppe.

„Was ist das?“ fragte Atticus.„Keine Ahnung…ist doch ein Ei, oder?“„Doch. Aber nicht ein Ei von uns.“„Ich habe es einfach im Gras gefunden,

wie die anderen. Vielleicht hat ein Außerirdischer ein normales Ei schrumpften lassen, um uns zu verwirren.“

„Mmm hmm, bestimmt. Wir nehmen das Ei sowieso mit, wir wissen nicht was drin ist. Vielleicht hat das arme Ding seine Mama verloren.“

Oskar versteckte das Ei in seinem großen Ohr und sie liefen zurück zu Dani und Elmar mit den Eiern.

„Gut gemacht!“ sagte Dani. Der Preis für die Beiden war ein großer Schokoladenhase.

Später, nachdem sie beim Osterfeuer waren und Unmengen von Schokolade

verputzt hatten, saßen Oskar und Atticus bei dem kleinen Ei.

Das Ei war nur so groß wie der Kopf von Atticus. Atticus setzte das Ei auf ein Nest, welches er zuvor aus Klopapier gebastelt hatte.

„Schön“, sagte Oskar.Atticus rollte sich zusammen, um das

Ei zu wärmen. Die Beiden schliefen ein…Mitten in der Nacht wachte Atticus auf, weil er ein komisches Gefühl hatte. Er öffnete ein Auge und sah, dass das Ei wackelte.

Es wackelte und drehte sich ein wenig und zwar so lange, bis ein kleines Gesicht durchbrach. „Guten Tag“, sagte eine kleine Schlange mit ebenso kleiner Mädchenstimme.

Atticus blinkte. „Guten Tag.“ „Guten Tag“, sagte die Schlange noch

mal und lächelte. Sie kroch aus dem Ei und saß ganz nah neben Atticus. Atticus sah, dass Sie keine Schlange war. Sie war eine grüne Eidechse mit roten Flecken auf dem Kopf!

Sie lächelte ihn an und guckte überall im Zimmer herum.

„Guten Tag?“ fragte sie Atticus und deutete mit winzig kleinem Finger auf Oskar.

Oskar wach auf. Er schnüffelte mit der Nase hoch in die Luft. „Jemand ist da“, murmelte er.

„Guten Tag“, sagte die Eidechse leise und versteckte sich hinter Atticus.

„Atticus, bist du das?“ fragte Oskar.„Nein, das ist das Ei…was jetzt eine

kleine Eidechse geworden ist.“Oskar kam näher und blinzelte. Er

keuchte. „Ach, wie süß! Hallo, kleines Mädchen.“

Die etwas eingeschüchterte Eidechse wurde langsam wieder neugierig und lächelte. „Guten Tag.“

„Wie heißt du?“ fragte Oskar.„Guten Tag“, antworte die Eidechse.„Hörst du, Atticus? Sie heißt ‚Guten Tag‘.

Was für ein Name ist das denn?“ Atticus rollte seine Augen und hielt das

Mädchen warm in dem Klopapiernest. Am nächsten Morgen stellten Oskar und

Atticus der kleinen „Guten Tag“ Dani und Elmar vor. Die Beiden freuten sich, und Dani kauften sofort ein kleines Terrarium mit vielen köstlichen Grillen für die neue Freundin. Guten Tag wollte aber die ganze Zeit mit Oskar und Atticus sein.

„Ein echtes Ostergeschenk!“ schrie Oskar vor Freude.

„Stimmt“, sagte Atticus als das Mädchen lachte und mit seiner Brille auf seinem Gesicht spielte. „Aber, wir müssen der Kleinen erst mal ein paar mehr Wörter außer ihren eigenen Namen beibringen!“

Oskar & Atticus finden ein Osterei!

There is just ONE story left in the series before Oskar and Atticus retire from their wild adventuring to be a normal dog and snake again. They will miss you all! Thanks to Micheal Randall, their illustrator, and Matthias Knobloch, their editor. Like “The Adventures of Oskar and Atticus” on Facebook to learn the German word of the day and receive fun updates on the real Oskar and Atticus!

This story is all about Easter, changes, and new friends! In Germany, Easter is celebrated much like it is here. The fest lasts from Good Friday to Easter Sunday and children decorate Easter eggs, eat chocolate bunnies, go to church with their families, and enjoy a big Easter feast. One tradition that is unique in Ger-many is the community bonfire. Often, old Christmas trees (and other things) are burnt to say goodbye to winter, and welcome spring and new growth. Eas-ter is a symbolic time of rebirth and rejuvenation. Not long ago, Dani, Oskar and Atticus added Elmar to their family. Now they are welcoming an even newer family member, the baby lizard Guten Tag. She will bring them a lot of joy but will also be a big responsibility! But change and growth are part of everyone’s lives, and the new “parents” look forward to watching Guten Tag grow!

Oskar & Atticus Find an Easter Egg!


Solar Energy from the DesertSomething impressive is happening in the Mojave Desert in California under the leadership of a German company. The Blythe Solar Power Project is expected to provide up to 1,000 megawatts of eco-power

Source: magazin-deutschland.de

At the end of October, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar granted final planning approval for the Blythe solar power plant in the Californian Mojave Desert. The world’s largest solar power plant is to be built there on an area of 2,800 hectares. The Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. agency that administers public lands, will then lease the rights of land use and access to Solar Millennium LLC, the American project development unit within the German Solar Millennium Group. It is the first approval granted by the U.S. Department of the Interior for a parabolic trough power plant on government land. The approximately six billion euro project is to be financed mainly by private investors.

“The Blythe Solar Power Project is a major milestone in our nation’s renewable energy economy,” Salazar explained while signing the approval. “This project shows in a real way how harnessing our own renewable resources can create good jobs here at home.” At Blythe four solar thermal power plants are to be constructed with an overall output of 1,000 megawatts. The combined solar facility will thus reach the level of output achieved by nuclear power plants. Together, the four power plants should produce sufficient electricity for more than 300,000 American households and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost a million tonnes. Solar Millennium estimates that the project will create 1,000 jobs during the construction

phase at the Blythe site and more than 220 permanent jobs once all four power plants begin operation. “Approval for Blythe shows the determination of the U.S. government to give higher priority to solar power plants in the future energy mix,” Josef Eichhammer, CEO of Solar Millennium LLC, emphasizes. The first 242-megawatt power station unit should come on stream in 2013.

In a parabolic trough power plant, trough-shaped mirrors focus the sun’s rays onto a tube at the focal point of the solar collector. A heat transfer fluid is heated inside the tube and produces steam in the power plant unit where it turns a turbine to generate electri city. By integrating a thermal store, the electricity can be made available when required, even at night. The same technology is to be used in Desertec, the major international project in which Solar Millennium is also involved. Power plants are to be constructed in the Sahara Desert to supply Europe with electricity.

Germany and the United States are involved in numerous joint solar energy projects. In the coming months, for example, Solar Millennium is expecting approval for three more power plant sites in Nevada and California. Whereas Germany’s installed solar energy capacities, roughly 10,000 megawatts, put it at the very top of the international solar ranking, so far the United States is in fourth place with just over 2,000 megawatts. U.S. companies are among the most important investors in the Solar Valley photovoltaic cluster in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, which has the largest concentration of solar companies worldwide.

Shaded Row: Song found on both lists Source: iTunes

1 E.T. • Katy Perry feat. Kanye West

2 Just Can’t Get Enough • The Black Eyed Peas

3 S&M • Rihanna

4 Born This Way • Lady GaGa

5 On the Floor • Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull

6 Next 2 You • Chris Brown feat. Justin Bieber

7 Blow • Ke$ha

8 Rolling In the Deep • ADELE

9 Best Love Song • T-Pain feat. Chris Brown

10 Down On Me • Jeremih & 50 Cent

United states

1 Grenade • Bruno Mars

2 You and Me (In My Pocket) • Milow

3 Rolling In the Deep • ADELE

4 S&M • Rihanna

5 Born This Way • Lady GaGa

6 Hollywood Hills • Sunrise Avenue

7 On the Floor • Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull

8 Stay • Hurts

9 More • Usher

10 Strobo Pop (Atzen Musik Mix) • Die Atzen & Nena

Germany

iTunes Top 10 song Downloads Data Taken Mar. 26, 2011Comparing Markets

Source: Yahoo! Finance

1/21/11: $11,871.84

3/25/11: $12,220.59

$ Change: + $348.75

% Change: + 2.94%

1/21/11: €7,062.42

3/25/11: €6,946.36

€ Change: - €116.06

% Change: - 1.64%

DOW DAX

1/21/11: $1.3622

3/25/11: $1.4075

$ Change: + $0.0453

% Change: + 3.33%

eUR/UsD

Source: magazin-deutschland.de

Extending the cycle path network, furthering the urban railway project, promoting electro-mobiles, refurbishing houses for energy efficiency, designat-ing new biotopes and separating and recycling waste more efficiently: These are some of the green ideas with which Hamburg, the second largest German city with about 1.7 million inhabitants, aims to distinguish itself in 2011 as Europe’s Green Capital. The northern German metropolis received the award from the Euro-pean Commission, thereby beating 35 other European candidates. The first city to receive the title, which is awarded for exemplary dedication on the part of large cities to environmental protection and nature conser-vation, was Sweden’s capital in 2010.

Hamburg’s First Mayor, Christoph Ahlhaus, regards the award as an opportunity for the city. Anja Hajduk, senator for urban development and the environment, says that cities like Hamburg also have several propo-sals for environmental solutions aimed at a better har-monization of ecology and economy. Hamburg, as Europe’s Green Metropolis, aims to show this in 2011 by means of more than 200 events and projects. These will address themes such as mobility, climate and en-ergy, nature and urban greenery, urban development and living, resource protection and economic activity, or sustainable consumption. Furthermore, the Han-seatic city will launch a Train of Ideas. This “mobile exhibition” will go on tour during the coming months through several European cities and present ideas for metropolises that are worth living in and environmen-tally-friendly.

Hamburg, which is famous for its many parks and green areas, wants to set a good example. One of its ambitious aims is to reduce the emission of noxious carbon dioxide by 40% by the year 2020, and by 80% by 2050. By which stage the city hopes to be in a posi-tion to do without fossil fuels.

Hamburg: Europe’s Green Capital in 2011

It is said that Germany´s tax system is so complex 80% of worldwide literature about taxes are published in German language.


EURO LLOYD TRAVELAnnouncing AIR FARE SPECIALS for members of DANK

If you have not traveled to Germany lately, or just thought you might skip the trip to Europe this year, you can not afford to pass up the low discounted travel airfares being offered by all airlines. Please identify yourselves as DANK members when calling our office.

Current Spring airfares (special early-bird-sales can occur at any time) for travel to and from Germany, including taxes and fuel surcharges, start from:

Chicago $976Indianapolis $1045Milwaukee $1045Madison $1045Cleveland $1033Detroit $1042

*Call for special airfares to other European cities and beyond.*Low discounted Domestic and international airfares.*European Rail passes and single tickets.*Car rentals with special low dollar rates in most European countries.*Cruises world-wide.*Worldwide tours – independent, hosted and fully escorted.

Rates are subject to availability for your date of travel, with various airline non stop or connection options. Friday, Saturday, Sunday Weekend surcharges apply for each direction.

Call now for information:1-800-572-3149 or

1-312-362-0218email: [email protected]

Visit us at:www.eurolloyd.com

Audrey L. Hess-Eberle or Tiffany NedwedEURO LLOYD TRAVEL GROUPPartner of Lufthansa City Center

The Monadnock Building53 W. Jackson Blvd. - Suite 863

Chicago, Illinois 60604

By: Audrey L. Hess-Eberle Euro Lloyd Travel Group/Chicago

There is an indescribable magnificence in their grandeur – a vision of untamed wilderness that will take your breath away and bring you deeper into the secrets of time. Have you ever wanted to experience travel by rail? A classic journey through one of the most spectacular mountain ranges through the western Canadian Rocky Mountains is the one of your dreams!

The passion of famous explorers, a strong fur trade, and the maddening gold rush of the 1800’s brought fortune seekers and immigrants who came to claim land, and at the same time, develop a culture for great cities. Cutting their way through the Rockies to the Pacific by laying down rail tracks in 1885, tie by tie, access was opened up to a spectacular wilderness that you can now

explore in the comfort offered by ROCKY MOUNTAINEER RAILTOURS.

RMR takes pride in their ‘Signature Service’, where you will be pampered by attendants speaking your language, whether English, French, German, Japanese or Mandarin. Averaging about 450 km (275 miles) each day, travel is only by day, with included overnight hotel stays offering opportunities to explore western Canadian hospitality and some pretty fantastic national parks and cities. Gourmet meals are served at your seat along with complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages throughout your ride so you won’t miss the snowy peaks, glittering glacial lakes, rainforests, roaring waterfalls and wildlife outside your spacious picture windows.

Their most popular two-day GoldLeaf tours (their very best service with gourmet menu selections) offers dazzling vistas in

bi-level glass-domed windows upstairs, and delightful meal service downstairs. Their less expensive, RedLeaf Service lets you relax in your reclining chair to enjoy the commentary and impeccable service, while scrumptious meals are served at your seat as you take in the breathtaking scenery.

Four different rail journeys will whisk you into a single or combination of multiple 4 or more day travel options. All journeys can be reversed as well.

‘The First Passage to the West’ - begins in Vancouver, travels through Kamloops to Banff, including the Columbia and Rocky Mountain ranges, and ends in Calgary. (Rates start at $999)

‘Rainforest to Gold Rush’ - begins in the famous Whistler Resort area, travels through British Columbia’s Coastal Rainforest, the largest temperate rainforest in the world, to the Gold Pan City of Quesnay, through pastoral ranchlands of the historic Caribou Plateau, ending in the picturesque Canadian Rockies town of Jasper, Alberta. (Rates start at $1299)

‘Journey Through the Clouds’- travels across British Columbia via Kamloops and the Yellowhead Pass, viewing Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at almost 13,000 feet, plus breathtaking Pyramid Falls before your journey ends in Jasper. (Rates start at $999)

And lastly, ‘Whistler Sea to Sky Climb’- is a three and a half hour train trip that travels along the Sea to Sky corridor between Vancouver and Whistler, along Howe Sound, past cascading waterfalls, old-growth forests and snow-capped mountains. (Rates start at $135)

Want to do it all? Grand Circle Rail packages will allow you to experience two or three of these famous rail routes in one unforgettable vacation, including overnight stays, plus motor coach travel between Jasper, the Columbia Ice Field, an overnight at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and Banff sightseeing with Summit or Glacier Helicopter Tours. Extended city stays can

also be added onto the front or end of your rail package, including car rentals, whether you travel on a single rail trip, or combine them.

Have you always dreamt of a 16-day Coast to Coast, Trans-Canada Rail Adventure? RMR has combined their routes with VIA Rail Canada for packages that start in Vancouver and end in Toronto, Montreal, or Halifax in Nova Scotia, or vice versa. Packages include guided and independent sightseeing with over-night stays. (Rates start at $3849)

But there is more - Rocky Mountaineer and Alaskan Cruise Vacation Packages. RMR has joined their signature rail and land tours with Holland America Line, a renowned cruise company offering you world-class amenities and more of what your heart desires. Seven night cruises from Vancouver of the Inside Passage Glacier Bay Alaskan Cruise onboard the MS Zuiderdam, or 7 nights from Seattle or Glacier Bay Alaskan Cruise onboard the MS Oosterdam can be added to several rail tours offering 12 to 19-day itineraries. (Rates start at $2599).

Every season offers unique advantages for traveling. June is springtime in the Rockies, with snow on mountaintops and flowers beginning to bloom. April, May and October offer tremendous savings. The brilliant palate of September’s fall colors offers a mosaic only nature can create while summer months are a pure delight.

So, why not experience ‘The Most Spectacular Train Trip in the World’ an authentic Canadian experience – with ‘Rocky Mountaineer Railtours’? It’s what you have been waiting for.

Call today for more information, varied itineraries and lengths of stay, all travel destinations. Identify yourselves as a D.A.N.K. member. Ask for Audrey or Tiffany.

Phone: 312-362-0218 /// Toll Free: 800-572-3149 /// Email: [email protected]

Rocky Mountaineer Rail Tours

The world’s oldest savings bank was established in Oldenburg (Lower Saxony) in 1786.


The Best of Two WorldsOne of the oldest and largest German Schools in the U.S., the German School Washington, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2011

By: Christiane Fellermagazine-deutschland.de

The German School is located in the woodlands outside the gates of Washington, D.C. Inside the school, the principal Waldemar Gries hangs the jacket of his dark suit on the back of a chair and rolls up the sleeves of his snow-white shirt. He has a big project ahead of him. Next year the German School will be 50 years old. The festivities are scheduled to last for three whole days. “We are expecting guests from all over the world,” the 57-year-old proudly explains. Already numerous acceptances have been received from former students, who are meantime scattered around the four corners of the globe and who will be arriving from Russia, China, Canada, Latin America and Africa especially for the anniversary celebrations. And naturally from Germany too.

The school festival will begin on Friday, September 30, 2011. A lot of people are already looking forward to seeing Biermösl Blosn, the Bavarian cult band who will be traveling to the event in the company of cabaret artist Gerhard Polt. A fair match is anticipated on the soccer pitch for a classic encounter between pupils and teachers. The Alumni Bistro will act as a meeting point and contact office for former students. It will also be possible to have virtual reunions there: guests can chat via Twitter and Facebook with everyone who could not come in person. The seven founders of the initially tiny teaching institution will focus once again on the 50-year-old German School Washington. Things were certainly not easy back then, just a few years after the Second World War. For many German immigrants at the time it seemed more pertinent to learn English and become integrated as quickly as possible. On September 11, 1961, the situation was just right. In a private villa

on MacArthur Boulevard in the Palisades district of Washington, D.C. a real school had been “put together” with space for 33 students. About one year prior to that, the seven initiators had laid the legal foundation for the school by founding the Deutscher Schul verein Washington, D.C. The funding for the school came from private donations fom parents and subsidies from the German Foreign Office, which is still subsidizing the school.

Back to the present: an electronic gong resounds, marking the end of the break. The students slowly return to their classrooms. Today, 610 students attend the German School. It is now a huge complex of buildings in the sober architectural style of the 1970s, and includes a preschool, an elementary school and an upper school. It is located in Potomac in the state of Maryland, a 30-minute drive from the White House. The working language is mainly German. The German language was also what Beate Ziener mainly had in mind when she moved to Washington with husband Markus and daughter Lara. “When we came here four years ago, it was clear to me that Lara would go to the German School.” Beate Ziener pauses for a second, then adds: “For me personally, the German School is still a bit like home.” Feeling at home – this includes preserving German traditions. For example, the “Schultüte” (literally, school cone) which each school beginner is given to sweeten his or her first day at school. Most Americans are not familiar with this custom. One of the main tasks of German schools abroad is to promote cultural exchange between Germany and the respective host countries. These schools are also part of the German Foreign Office’s Partner School Initiative (PASCH). The German School Washington is also open to American students and prepares children both for the German higher education entrance qualification and for the High School Diploma. The associated language school, German Language Courses, is by far the lar gest German language school in the United States. Every week about 500 children and adults learn here at different levels and can sit for the German Language Diploma.

Many of the students and parents involved with the German School Washington would like there to be even closer links betweenthings German and American. Antje Sina, mother of another student and member of the Board of the German School, hopes thatin future there will be “a lot more exchanges between students from German and American schools.” All in keeping with the motto of the German School: The Best of Two Worlds.

Book Review: StretchComing of Age in Post-War Germany /// by Gunter NitschBook By: Gunter NitschReview By: Amelia Cotter

Gunter Nitsch’s much anticipated sequel to the autobiography of his childhood,

Weeds Like Us, delivers the same action, wit, and memorable reading experience as its predecessor.

Whereas Weeds Like Us describes his boyhood as a German refugee during World

War II, Stretch picks up where Weeds leaves off, with Nitsch, his brother, and his mother being reunited with his father in Cologne in 1950. It then takes us through the next thirteen years of Nitsch’s life and ends with his decision to move to the United States, with much in between.

The story recounts in a fluid, engaging manner the struggles he faces in school, work, the army, and relationships, and his desire to be independent from his parents as well as find opportunities for success in spite of having faced so many hardships both during the war and after.

Aside from the strong discord in West Germany between the Catholics and Lutherans at the time, as well as between refugees and non-refugees, and the continuing political struggles happening in the country and abroad, Nitsch’s story of growing up and finding himself reflects the difficulties

and hopes that most anyone can relate to. It also provides a refreshing, and even educational, perspective on life in Germany after World War II.

Stretch is often funny as well as touching, and even though it is 430 pages long, it nevertheless makes for a quick read. It

can be ordered on Amazon as a hardcover ($30.99), paperback ($20.49), or for Kindle ($5.95). It is also available at AuthorHouse.com as a hardback ($21.00) and paperback ($15.00). It’s worth every penny.


Welcome New Members December 16, 2010 - February 25, 2011

national MembersThomas MuellerDennis Kaskamp

Chicago-south , iLReinhard Dietz

Linda DietzPatrick ZarnowskiRose Zarnowski

Maria CalisBeth Johanson

James Johanson

Chicago, iLFrances Pukala

Dzenan VojnikovicAmila Vojnikovic

Peter SeifertHugh Borst

Bill FloydVirginia LombardDaniel Lombard

F. Jeffery Chariton, Jr. George Hessberger

Helga SandquistWilli Klein

Chicago West, iLAndrea Leinweber

Wili Klein

Fox Valley, iLEster MarkwartEvan Ferguson

springfield, iLVictor Trautmann

Hannelore Trautmann

Susan BeckerDaniel Becker

Benton Harbor, MiGene RudelJoann RudelJoshua Rose

Colene WolshlagerShelby Pruett

Jack FisherDeniece Fisher

Ilse ChildersJohn Childers

Beloit-Janesville, WiTordis Gehrlein

Manfred GehrleinSiegfried GehrleinThomas Gehrlein

Milwaukee, WiAngelika Speckhard

Laurie TriceJane NackerRudy Willis

Steve Nagel

Chicago northern suburbs, iLDan Behr

south Bend, inHelga Crawford

Phoenix, AZKathleen Konzen

Dan Konzen

Pittsburgh, PAEva Braun

Angela BraunJames KuemmerleEdward Heinlein

Eric TrainerClaudia Trainer

erie, PAJeffrey ChaseBrigitte ChaseRenate Gaiser

Steven Kodrzycki

Associate MemberGerman American Heritage

Museum

*** Calendar Of Events ***This area is designated for DANK chapters and Associate Members to inform their members and the public of events they are having. We rely on the submissions of each chapter or organization, therefor all events may not be included. Please contact our National Office at 773-275-1100 or visit www.DANK.org for the most recent listing of events or for information on how to make sure your event is listed in the next issue. (Associate Member Events Listed In Italics)

APRIL 20111 Benton Harbor, MI: Fish Fry, 6-8pm. Doors open 5:30pm,

band plays 7-10pm. $8.00 all you can eat. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for info

1 Chicago: Kulturkueche. Nominal class fee includes recipes, demonstration, tasting and drink. Admission $18. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

2 Chicago: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, 1pm. $4 members, $6 non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

2 Chicago: Lost German Chicago Exhibition open to public, 11am. Free. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

2 Chicago: Pilates Klasse, 9:15am. $10 per class, bring mat. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

8 Chicago: Sportsklub DANK, 7:30pm. No cover, cash bar. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com




10 Benton Harbor, MI: Membership Meeting, 4:00 p.m. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information

13 Chicago: Treffpunkt DANK, 7:30pm. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

15 Chicago: Stammtisch, 7:30pm. No cover, food and drink available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

16 South Bend, IN: Sing-a-long at Wise Guys. 5:00 p.m., 3421 W. Sample St. South Bend, IN. Please call 272-8163 or 271-6922 for more information

16 Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Maennerchor, 4515 State Rd, Cleveland, Ohio 44109. 5:00 pm. Movie Night, Double Feature. Titles to be announced




20 Erie, PA: Founding Anniversary and Open House. A real “Kaffee Klatsch” with German pastries. Bring a friend! Held at Erie Männerchor Club, 1617 State St.

23 Pittsburgh, PA: Board Meeting 10:00am General Membership Meeting 11:00am. Please confirm time and location on Pittsburgh Chapter website: www.germaninpittsburgh.org

23 Benton Harbor, MI: Easter Egg Hunt (Members Only), 2 p.m. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information

23 Frankfort, IL: DANK Chicago-South Easter Music Show. German Entertainer Katharina Herz performs. German American Heritage Center, 25249 Center Road, Frankfort, IL. For more info: 708-403-9693 or dankchicagosouth.org


30 Benton Harbor, MI: Dancing with DJ Sandy. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information




MAY 20116 Benton Harbor, MI: Fish Fry, 6-8pm. Doors open 5:30pm,

band plays 7-10pm. $8.00 all you can eat. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for info

6 Chicago: Kulturkueche. Nominal class fee includes recipes, demonstration, tasting and drink. Admission $18. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

7 Frankfort, IL: Celebrate with the traditions of German Heritage. Live music, authentic German food! 12PM – 9PM. Founders Center, 140 Oak Street Frankfort, IL 60423

7 Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Maennerchor, 4515 State Rd, Cleveland, Ohio 44109. 6:00 pm. 50’s Dance “Schlager der 50er Jahre” Live Band

7 Chicago: Kino, Kaffee, und Kuchen, 1pm. $4 for members, $6 for non-members. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For info call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com




13 Chicago: Sportsklub DANK, 7:30pm. No cover, cash bar. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

14 Benton Harbor, MI: Peace Officers & Firefighters Appreciation Dinner & Dance. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information




20 Chicago: Stammtisch, 7:30pm. No cover, food and drink available. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com

20 Benton Harbor, MI: Blood Drive, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Call 269-926-6652 for more information

20-21 Benton Harbor, MI: Rummage Sale. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 2561 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor, MI. Call 269-926-6652 for more information

21 Chicago: Schule Graduation. 10 a.m. 4740 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL



22 Hillside, IL. Chapter Chicago-West May Dance, Alpine Banquet Haus in Hillside, IL. Live music by Paloma

22 South Bend, IN: Meet at Fernwood. 12:00 p.m. Picnic. Call for transportation: 272-8163 or 271-6922

22 Bach and Beyond Presents:”Romantische deutsche Meister des 19. Jahrhunderts”. 3:00 p.m. . DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. For more information call 773-561-9181 or visit www.dankhaus.com



Merchandise For Sale

50th Anniversary Pin

$7.50DANK Flag Pin

$7.50

Bumper Sticker

$2.00

Moon Landing Coin

Silver - Sold OutBronze - $19

Cookbook

$17.00

Bicentennial Poster

$12.70

All Prices IncludeShipping And Tax!

Call Our Office To PurchaseToll Free: 866-926-1109

Bulk Discounts Available With Purchases Of More Than 5 And

Sent To The Same Address

DANK T-Shirt

$16.0

0

NEW

DANK Polo Shirt with Blue Trim$32

DANK Polo Shirt

CLASSIFIEDFree kittens to adopt. 4 ready for adoption in 6-8 weeks - short hair grey and gold. Two 6 month old males and a 6 month old female all short hair. They are friendly and playful and have been well taken care of. Shelters are full and they really need a good home. Call Kathy at 847-652-7851

Sudoku ChallengeDifficulty Level: Very HARD

German-American Journal

Sudoku 9x9 - Puzzle 1 of 5 - Very Hard

9 5 4

3 8 9

9 8 7

4 1 7 2

8 9

2 1 3 5

1 6 7

7 8 2

3 4 6www.sudoku-puzzles.net

German-American Journal

Sudoku 9x9 - Solution 1 of 5 - Very Hard

8 7 9 2 5 4 3 1 6

4 1 3 8 7 6 9 2 5

6 2 5 9 3 1 4 8 7

5 3 4 1 8 9 7 6 2

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2 9 1 7 6 3 5 4 8

1 6 2 5 9 7 8 3 4

3 4 7 6 1 8 2 5 9

9 5 8 3 4 2 6 7 1www.sudoku-puzzles.net

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German-American Journal | April/May 2011

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