The Steuben News
A Newspaper by German-Americans for All Americans
VOL. 87 NO. 2
DUTY • JUSTICE • CHARITY • TOLERANCE
MARCH/APRIL 2014
Tenth Anniversary of
Steuben Monument
Unveiling at Monmouth
Battlefield Will be
Celebrated as Part of
Founders’ Day Weekend
on May 17, 2014
Please Reserve Sunday, May 18, 2014 for
Our 95th Founders’ Day Banquet
PERMIT #12
STONY BROOK, NY 11790
PAID
US POSTAGE
THIRD CLASS
BULK RATE
Greetings and thanks for all your support in years past. This is a banner year
for us as our Society will celebrate the 95th year of its founding. Following tradition,
we will gather on May 18, 2014 at 1 p.m. at the Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in
Franklin Square, NY, for a festive banquet enhanced by the musical entertainment of
the Norbert Ludewig Orchestra. We will honor our Founders, our Patron, and the Men
and Women who serve in our Armed Forces. We will also bestow Honorary Life
Membership on our current Third Vice Chairman, the renowned Historian Dr. Don
Heinrich Tolzmann from Cincinnati.
Brother Tolzmann’s latest achievement is the publication of the Stoltenberg
Yearbook for German-American Forty-Eighter Studies focusing on Germans who
came to the U.S. after the 1848 European revolutions, according to its Executive
Director, Dr. Joachim Reppmann. As President of the Society for German-American
Studies, Brother Tolzmann spearheaded the celebration of the German-American
Tricentennial in 1983, marking the establishment of the first German settlement in
America at Germantown, Pennsylvania. In 1987, he led the national campaign to
establish October 6th as National German-American Day, earning him the title of
“Father of German-American Day.” Two years later, he organized the first GermanAmerican Heritage Month in Cincinnati, and since that time, has actively promoted
the national celebration during the month of October. More recently, he initiated the
plans for the 2008 celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first
Germans in America at Jamestown, Virginia.
Banquet tickets at $100 per person which include Cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres
and a three course dinner with dessert and coffee may be obtained from Banquet Chair
Elyse Land who may be contacted by phone: 516-567-6565 or by e-mail:
[email protected]. Please lend us your generous
support by attending the banquet and bringing
your friends along.
Please also also show your pride of heritage and of our Armed Forces in messages and
ads for our souvenir journal.The Steuben Society
is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization so that
your contribution is tax deductible. If you cannot
attend, then please consider the journal messages
as valuable contributions by themselves. You can
take booster and sponsor ads out at very reasonable rates.
The souvenir program journal will serve
as a keepsake and as a fundraiser for our National
Council programs. Our rates for full page, halfpage and quarter page inserts are $125, $75, and
$40. Kindly submit camera-ready advertising
copy and payment to Barbara DeOliveira, Senator
Wagner Unit, Steuben Society of America, PO
BOX 15, Medford NY 11763-0015. You can also
e-mail your ad copy to [email protected]
Barbara DeOliveira or call 631-776-7756
ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED
The Steuben Society of America is dedicated to unite men and
women of Germanic origin who share a common interest in the
positive and continued growth of our nation as well as the
preservation of our rich heritage.
For more info: www.steubensociety.org
Plattduetsche Park Restaurantʼs New Beer Garden, Franklin Square, NY. The
Founders Day Banquet will be held in the main building in May.
Steuben Society of America
One South Ocean Ave. Suite 217
Patchogue, NY 11772
Come and join the NY and
NJ Steuben Society Units as we celebrate Founder's Day and the “10th
Anniversary of the Unveiling of the
Steuben Monument at Monmouth
Battlefield State Park,” in
Manalapan, NJ, with a wreath-laying and a few special salutes on
Saturday morning, May 17th.
Steuben Monument at Monmouth Battlefield, New The festivities will begin promptly
at 11:00 AM. Speakers will represent
Jersey
the key organizations that made the
project possible: The National Council of the Steuben Society of America, The Peter
Muehlenberg Unit of Clark New Jersey, The Molly Pitcher Unit of Yardville New Jersey
and The Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, Inc.
Participants are encouraged to arrive early to take advantage of visiting the brand
new visitor's center, which features a documentary film where our patron General von
Steuben
is
highlighted
numerous
times.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/monbat.html
The park is located approximately 12 miles east of exit 8 of the NJ Turnpike on
Business Route 33. Or, you can take the NJ Garden State Parkway, exit 123 to Route 9
south for 15 miles to business Route 33 west. Park is located 1.5 miles on the right.
Immediately following the ceremony, a German Buffet luncheon is planned at the
German American Society of Trenton, http://www.gakclub.org/ This club is located about
half an hour’s drive from Monmouth Battlefield State Park at 215 Uncle Pete's Road,
Trenton (Yardville), NJ 08691.
The Founders’ Day Steuben Monument 10th Anniversary Buffet will consist of
Bratwurst, Leberkaese, Roast Chicken, Wiener Schnitzel, Tossed Salad, German Potato
Siegfried Bette with the monument as it was being Salad, Sauerkraut, Coffee, Tea and bevcrafted (photo courtesy of Lakewood Maennerchor)
erages for only $25 per person.
Beverages will be offered courtesy of
the Molly Pitcher Unit. Reservations for
the luncheon need to be made by May
1, 2014. Please mail checks payable to
"Steuben Society of America" to the
Molly Pitcher Unit, c/o Siegfried Bette,
22 Mulberry Lane, Freehold, NJ 07728
There will be no tickets issued for the
luncheon and no entry/tickets will be
sold at the door. Please include an email address on your checks so that
confirmation can be provided to all
luncheon guests. Directions from the
Battlefield to the German American
Society of Trenton will be provided to
all those who come to the unveiling ceremony. The address of the German
American Society is 215 Uncle Pete's
Road, Trenton (Yardville), NJ 08691.
MARCH/APRIL 2014
THE NATIONAL
GERMAN-AMERICAN ALLIANCE:
A MODEL FOR GERMAN-AMERICAN
UNITY: PART I1
By Charles T. Johnson, Department of History,
Valdosta State University
The following was a speech given by Dr.
Johnson at the Forum on German-American issues
sponsored by the Steuben Society of America in
Alexandria, VA, in October 2000. This may serve
to illustrate why the Steuben Society of America
was founded on many of the principals of the
National German-American Alliance following
World War I. Also see the following article by our
Historian, Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann that will
focus on the Anti-German Hysteria of World War I,
which marked a turning-point in the annals of
German-American history. 2014 marks the centennial of the outbreak of that war and this presents an
opportunity for us to re-examine that era and its
implications for German-Americans.
The outbreak of war in Europe in August
1914 began to place a strain on the organization
that even Hexamer’s dynamic leadership could not
overcome. Early on in the conflict the NGAA came
out in favor of complete American neutrality and
fair play for Germany. In its efforts, the Alliance
hoped to counter British propaganda that was succeeding in fostering the belief that imperial
Germany was a threat to the civilized world.
Standing against the efforts of the Alliance was
increasing popular sentiment in favor of the Allies
and an American government that, while neutral on
paper, was anything but neutral in action.
By openly supporting the German cause
and involving itself in the neutrality debate, the
Alliance once again involved itself in an issue that
was not in keeping with its original mission. The
goal of uniting Americans of German descent and
preserving German culture in America took a backseat to the preservation of Germany itself. Given
the national mood that was calling for “100%
Americanism” this was a misguided and fatal move
on the part of the Alliance. Sadly, even before the
United States entry into the conflict in April 1917
many national leaders, including former president
Theodore Roosevelt, perceived the Alliance as a
divisive element bent on promoting Kultur rather
than culture.
When the group met in San Francisco in
August of 1915 for what would prove to be its last
convention, the Alliance was a divided organization. Many of its members called upon the officers
to not only desist from involving the group in the
national debate over neutrality, but also to end the
Alliance’s open promotion of German culture in
America. This faction looked to the Catholic
Central Verein and its example of “laying low”
until the storm passed over.
Those supporting the current agenda,
including Hexamer himself managed to maintain
control of the organization but it was at a high cost.
One year later the group was further divided by the
debate over the election of 1916. Some officers
demanded that the group come out in support of
Republican candidate Charles Evans Hughes
against the anglophile Woodrow Wilson. As with
the debates during the San Francisco convention,
this group carried the day. While the organization’s
Congressional charter prohibited taking part directly in national politics, it said nothing about the
actions of state and local chapters which threw their
weight behind the Republican candidate. In the
end, the Alliance backed the wrong horse and succeeded only in drawing the ire and contempt of
many in the federal government including the president himself.
When Woodrow Wilson asked Congress
to declare war on Germany in April 1917, the
THE STEUBEN NEWS
NGAA was quick to state its patriotism and support for the
American cause. This affirmation, however, fell upon deaf
ears in a nation that had come to view the Alliance as a
tool of the Kaiser and a danger to the American way of
life. Unfortunately, the leadership, most notable being
Charles Hexamer, was unable to steer the Alliance through
these dangerous waters.
One by one, many of the officers turned against
Hexamer and called for a new leader. In November 1917,
Hexamer resigned his presidency, the published reason
being heart problems, which indeed Hexamer suffered
from. In reality however, he left his office because he
could no longer maintain the support of his fellow officers.
Charles Hexamer had forgotten his father’s advice, at a
time when it was best to remain merely an American.
Just six short months after his resignation, the
NGAA found itself under investigation by the Senate
Judiciary Committee. Rather than waiting for the
inevitable outcome, the executive committee of the organization voted to disband the Alliance in April 1918. In its
last official act, the officers voted to give the remaining
$30,000 of the organizations funds to the American Red
Cross to help those U. S. soldiers wounded on the Western
front.
What lessons can the German-American community of today learn from the eighteen year history of the
NGAA? First, despite its demise, the Alliance was indeed
an attempt to unify the nation’s German-American organizations. If the leadership would have maintained that
focus and stayed away from political issues of the times,
the organization’s history might have been different.
The fatal error of the NGAA was to create public perception that it was an organization that was more
German than American. Attempts at influencing national
policy before the war collided with its overt support of the
German cause during the period of American neutrality.
This volatile mixture doomed the group when America
entered the war on the side of the allies in April 1917.
During a time when sauerkraut become liberty cabbage
there was little hope of the nation tolerating the existence
of such an organization as the National German-American
Alliance.
Second, we must not let the political agenda of
the Alliance and the circumstances surrounding the organization’s demise tarnish our memory of the group. This
was an organization of Americans who believed passionately in the principles of freedom and democracy outlined
in the Constitution. In fact, one of the criteria of membership was American citizenship or being in the process of
obtaining it. The group fought hard to bring to an end to
the restrictive immigration laws of the period. It also conPlease email the office your Unit News!
[email protected]. Or snail mail to the
Executive Offices. We donʼt know you have
news unless you notify us!
President Woodrow Wilson and his cabinet waged a propaganda campaign against the German people in order to sway the
American public to enter WWI even though he ran on an antiwar campaign ticket.
Page 2
tributed large amounts of money to support public education and the arts in
communities around the country. It was
also in the forefront of the debate over
national values, morals and the importance of the family long before these topics became the vague cliché’s that they
are in our modern political culture.
One final lesson can be drawn
from the experience of the Alliance. The
United States of today is certainly not the
same nation that called for the purging of
all things German during the years 19171918. Today, America prides itself on its
multiculturalism and diversity. Yet, the
intolerance that helped bring about the
demise of German culture in America
still exists within our society. Visit the
worldwide web and type in words such An old newsclipping of Dr. Charles
Hexamer, one of the founders of the
as “Ku Klux Klan,” “White Power,” or National German American Alliance,
“American Nazi Party” and you will gar- a precursor to the Steuben Society
ner over a million hits that contain pages of America. Part of the aims of the
promoting hate and intolerance in our NGAA was to counter the propaganda machine that painted
nation. German-Americans can best Germans and hence German
serve themselves and the country in gen- Americans as bloodthirsty
eral by working to end this disease that barbarians.
has been a part of the United States even before its founding in July of 1776.
The German-American community of today must always keep the words of
Ernst Hexamer in our minds: “We should be proud of our German heritage, but
we should be first and foremost Americans. In helping to end hate and intolerance Americans of Germanic heritage can best preserve the ideals of men like
Charles Hexamer and those revolutionaries of 1848 before him who came to
the United States seeking a land in which freedom and democracy could flourish.
(Thanks to Peter Hoffmann for transcribing the Steuben News 2001 articles).
Remembering World War I
by Don Heinrich Tolzmann
This year marks the centennial of the outbreak of World War I. It lasted four years, from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918, costing a total of nine
million lives. What caused it?
Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, the War Guilt Clause, gave the
answer of the victors. It stipulated that the war had been "imposed upon them
by the aggression of Germany and her allies." However, rather than actually
revealing the cause of the war, Article 231 only documented the vengefulness
of a treaty dictated to the losers.
H.L. Mencken wrote: "The appearance of a new nation in the first
rank causes painful concern among those already there, and history shows that
efforts are always made to put it down." He saw the arrival of Germany on the
world's stage as "the principal cause of World War I."
For Europe, the status quo had been a Germany consisting of countless states, which had been the case since the Thirty Years War (1618-48).
Central Europe, which means the German states, often became the battlefield
for wars, especially in the Napoleonic era. Alliances could conveniently be
made with one or the other German state against the other, usually against
Prussia or Austria.
Everything changed in 1870 with the unification of Germany under
the leadership of Otto von Bismarck. Now there was a united nation-state in
central Europe, a factor that clearly upset a century-old status quo of a weak and
divided Germany. At the outbreak of World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm prophetiContʼd next page
BELOW: (standing) National Chairman Robert Land installs the officers of
the Robert F. Wagner Unit, Islip, NY
MARCH/APRIL 2014
THE STEUBEN NEWS
Remembering WWI Cont’d from previous page
German-Americans and World War I
ally said: "The world will be engulfed in the most terrible of wars, the ultimate aim Chile, Clifton James. The GermanAmericans in Politics, 1914-1917.
of which is the ruin of Germany."
Each member of the Triple Entente had something to gain by war. France (Madison, Wisconsin: University of
wanted the ethnic German province of Alsace-Lorraine, which Germany had Wisconsin Press, 1939).
annexed in 1870. Since the Thirty Years War, French foreign policy aimed at a border on the Rhine, which meant acquisition of the province, something it gradually Johnson, Charles Thomas. Culture at
acquired and maintained until Germany was united. Not surprisingly, its military Twilight: The National GermanAmerican Alliance, 1901-1918. (New
plan called for marching through Alsace-Lorraine on the way to Berlin.
Britain could not accept the possibility of Germany as the major power on York: Peter Lang, 1999).
the continent, something that has held true up to the recent unification of Germany,
when Margaret Thatcher's objections became known. Beyond Europe it could not Luebke, Frederick. Bonds of Loyalty:
accept Germany becoming a world power with a world-class navy as well. Since the German-Americans and World War I.
18th century, the popular song "Rule Brittania" echoed Great Britain's view of itself (DeKalb, Ill.: Northern Illinois University
as reigning supreme above all on the ocean. It was unthinkable that an upstart like Press, 1974).
Germany should seek its "Place under the sun."
Russia for its part considered itself the guardian of Slavic peoples, some- Tolzmann, Don Heinrich, ed., Germanthing that brought it to loggerheads with Austria-Hungary, a multi-ethnic state with Americans in the World Wars. 8 Vols.
Slavic populations. In the ensuing conflict, it sought to ensure its pan-Slavic vision. (München: K.G. Saur, 1995), vols. 1-3.
The opportunity came on June 28, 1914, when a Serbian radical assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. This would Wittke, Carl. German-Americans and the
be comparable today to the assassination of the U.S. Vice-President. This didn't pro- World War. (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society,
vide the spark that ignited the war, but rather the pretext for war.
The assassination caused Austria-Hungary to issue an ultimatum to Serbia, 1936).
which it refused to fully accept. Germany of course supported its ally. Russia, goaded on by France, proceeded to mobilize its army against Austria-Hungary, setting the “Get the Rope!” Anti-German
machinery in motion for the European powers to become engaged by means of treaty Violence in World War I-era
obligations.
Wisconsin
Regarding Austria-Hungary's ultimatum it might be recalled that Woodrow
In the early 20th century,
Wilson ordered U.S. troops into Mexico (1914-17) as a result of the depredations of
German
Americans were the nation’s
the revolutionary Pancho Villa. Other nations in North and South America did not
immediately line up against the U.S. because of this. It remained a local affair. But largest immigrant group. Although they
the assassination of the Archduke was different: it provided the opportunity for the were regarded as a model of successful
assimilation, they faced vicious—and
Triple Entente to proceed with war.
In the end, the Triple Entente got what it wanted: the downfall of the empires sometimes violent —attacks on their loyof Germany and Austria-Hungary, but their joy was short-lived, considering what alty when the United States went to war
followed in the ensuing years. Historian Niall Ferguson recently called the British against Germany in 1917. The most notodecision to go to war "the biggest error in modern history". The same could be said rious incident was the lynching of
German-born Robert Prager in
for France and Russia.
Many events will be taking place in the next few years relating to the cen- Colinsville, Illinois, in April 1918. Other
tennial of World War I. Hopefully, they will not be in the spirit of Article 231 of the incidents stopped just short of murder. In
Treaty of Versailles, but more on the order of Memorial Day and will give pause for a statement made on October 22, 1918,
reflection as to the underlying cause of the Great War, the so-called "war to end all John Deml, a farmer in Outagamie
County, a heavily German and
wars," which was supposed to make the world "safe for democracy."
Scandinavian area of Wisconsin,
described the nativist mob that had visitAnti-German sentiment was fomented
ed him two days earlier. Suspected of not
by both British and American
World War I:
governments in a vicious campaign
strongly enough supporting the war
A Suggested
often depicting Germans as
effort, he was narrowly saved from lynchmurderous barbarians, rapists and
Reading List
ing.
spearing babies with bayonets. This
of course got the nativist population
fervent with revenge against GermanAmericans in the US
Origins of World War I
Clark, Christopher. The Sleepwalkers: How
Europe Went to War in 1914 (New York:
Harper, 2013).
Fay, Sidney Bradshaw. The Origins of the
World War, 2 Vols. 2d ed., rev. (New York:
Free Press, 1966).
Propaganda
Ponsonby, Arthur. Falsehood in War-Time:
Propaganda Lies of the First World War.
(London: Allen & Unwin, 1928).
Ross, Stewart Halsey. Propaganda for War:
How the United States was Conditioned to
Fight the Great War of 1914-1918. (San
Diego, CA: Progressive Press, 2009).
Viereck, George Sylvester. Spreading
Germs of Hate. (New York: Horace
Liveright, 1930).
A Statement Made by John Deml of
Outagamie County, Wisconsin, at
Madison, Wisconsin, Tuesday,
October 22, 1918.
About half-past twelve (continuing for more than an hour) Sunday morning October 20th, my wife awaked me,
saying that there were a large number of
men on the front porch, pounding and
rapping on the door, besides talking in a
loud tone of voice. I was upstairs; then I
came downstairs and went to the front
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Page 3
door, where they were, and I asked them,
who was there!
Several answered at once, “The
Council of Defense.” I then asked them,
“What do you want?” and they replied,
“We want you to sign up.” I replied, “I
have done my share.”And they asked me
when, and I replied, “I did my share in the
spring.”(That is, I meant to say I had done
my share in the third loan, when I subscribed for $450 in bonds.) To make it
plain, on the 28th of September, at the
opening of the fourth drive, I was notified
by letter that my bond assessment would
be $800.
When Henry Baumann came to
see me, I told him I could not possibly
take $500 now but would take some,
meaning a substantial amount, that is all I
could afford; and he replied, “My orders
are you must take $500 or nothing.”
After I had replied that I had
done my share in the spring, they
demanded that I open the door and let
them in. I told them I didn’t have to open
the door; then they undertook to force the
door open, and went so far as to tear the
screen door open; then they threatened to
break down the door, and I said, “Come
on then, boys.” Then they appeared to be
planning, and while they were doing that,
I took the time to put my shoes on.
By that time, they were at the
kitchen door, and they made a demand
that I let them in through that door; then I
went to the kitchen door and opened it
and found a crowd of men (much larger
than I expected) around the door, and
then reaching out two by two around
towards the front of the house.
I left the door and walked to the
front porch to see if they had done any
painting (as they had previously painted a
neighbor’s mail-box); I walked to the
road to see if they had painted my "Get
the Rope!" on my mail-box. And then I
turned around to return to the house when
they all at one time closed in on me like a
vise; some grabbing my fingers or wrist,
others my legs, and several of them were
shouting, holding a paper before me,
“Sign up.” I said, “I will not sign up at
this time of night.”
Then a man shouted, “Get the
rope!” The first I knew was when the
rope was about my neck and around my
body under my arms. Someone then gave
a sharp jerk at the rope and forced me to
my knees and hands; at the same time
some of them jumped on my back, and
while bent over someone struck me in the
face, making me bleed; then a man
(whom I recognized) said, “Boys, you are
going too far;” and then, as they got me
away from them a little, I heard a man
say, “You can’t scare him.” I answered,“I
am not afraid of the entire city of
Appleton.” Then a man (whom I knew)
got me to one side, and he said, “Let’s go
into the house and talk between ourselves.” Then two men (whom I knew)
Contʼd next page
MARCH/APRIL 2014
Contʼd from previous page
went with me into the house, and we sat
or stood around the table, and they still
demanded that I sign up. I said, “I will not
sign up for any man after being abused
like this.”
Then a man (whom I knew) told
me I would have to go with them, or, if I
didn’t go with them, would have to come
to town that Sunday morning at 10
o’clock to see Mr. Keller. I told them that
I would be there; they left; as they left, I
noticed, and so did my family and neighbors, that they rode away in seven automobiles. I did not go to see Mr. Keller.
Signed, JOHN DEML.
Source:
“Prussianizing
Wisconsin,” Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 11,
January 1919, No.1 pp. 101–102.
Reprinted from: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/1/
Johannes Brahms 1833-1897
by Charlotte Arndt
Johannes Brahms was one of the
greatest German composers of the 19th
century. Although he believed in traditional formats and continued to compose
symphonies in the style of Beethoven, his
work also enriched the romantic repertoire.
At the age of nineteen, Johannes’
Father, Johann Jacob, moved from the
village of Dithmarschen to Hamburg on
the river Elbe. He was seeking a steady
job in a respectable orchestra. However,
the only jobs he could find were in waterfront taverns, theatres, and the ritzy Alster
Pavilion during coffee hours. His earnings were meager. After a short courtship
he married Christiane Nissen, a seamstress who was seventeen years his senior.
Johannes was the second of three children
of that marriage.
A musician of moderate ability,
Johann Jakob worked long hours, and
earned a precarious living for this family
of five. Despite their pitiful existence,
both parents, especially Christiane, did
their best to make their dwelling a loving,
peaceful and serene home.
Johannes seemed to have inherited more than love for music from his
father. He had the gift of “perfect pitch”,
and created his own versions of musical
notations to write down the songs he
invented. His father began teaching him
to play the violin and cello when he was
four, but he longed to play the piano.
Piano players were not in high demand
but his father was determined to give him
every chance to develop his talent. He
took his son to Otto Cossel who taught
piano to the wealthier children of
Hamburg. For two years he trained
Johannes in the complexities of the piano
which influenced his techniques for the
rest of his life.
Johannes gave his first recital at
age ten playing pieces by Beethoven and
Mozart. Everyone in attendance was
impressed. He played the piano with the
skill of an adult. An American producer
approached his father and commented
THE STEUBEN NEWS
that Johannes would be a popular
“Wunderkind” across the ocean and make
a lot of money. While his father mulled
over this offer, Otto Cossel intervened and
arranged for Johannes to continue his
studies with Eduard Marxsen, Hamburg’s
most famous music teacher. He had been
Cossel’s piano teacher, and had decades
of experience in the professional music
world. He was intrigued by Johannes’ natural talent and inborn gift of music. He
agreed to take him on as a student and
honored him by offering the lessons at no
charge.
At age eleven, Johannes wrote
his first piano concerto. When Felix
Mendelson died in 1847, Marxsen said to
a friend “A great master of music art has
gone, but an even greater one will blossom for us.” By the time Johannes
Brahms was a teenager, he was an accomplished musician. But he had to use his
talents to earn money at local bars in
Hamburg’s rough dock areas to help the
family’s finances. The demanding schedule was hard on him. He essentially lived
two lives: during the day, he took lessons
and played the finest music ever written.
At night, he spent endless hours in smokefilled brothels at the docks of St. Pauli. He
played popular songs on old beat-up
pianos to drunken customers until late at
night.
Johannes felt increasing frustration. He had received the finest music
instruction but had little to show for it as a
competent piano player. Unexpected luck
came his way when he met Eduart
Remenyia, a violin virtuoso who had to
leave his native Hungary in 1848 because
of political activities. The two became
acquainted in Hamburg in 1850. It was a
great privilege for the shy Johannes to join
Eduart on concert tours. Eduart introduced Johannes to the rich tradition of
gypsy dance tunes with their intoxicating
rhythms and exotic melodies. Brahms
wrote several piano sonatas the following
years and used gypsy melodies in mature
compositions.
Remenyia and Brahms embarked
on several successful concert tours. In
1853 they met the great German violinist
Joseph Joachim who arranged for them to
play before King George V of Hanover.
The king was so impressed by Brahms
that he dubbed him “Little Beethoven”.
The big turning point for Brahms
came when Joseph Joachim, who had recognized his talent, wrote an impassioned
letter to Robert Schumann expressing his
enthusiasm for the young composer.
When Johannes was introduced
to the Schumann family at age twenty, the
famous composer and influential music
critic praised his compositions. In 1853,
Schumann published an article entitled
“Neue Bahnen” (New Paths) in a popular
German music magazine. He thereby
alerted the public to the young Brahms
who was destined to give ideal expression
to the spirit of his time. Robert Schumann
declared him a “young eagle” and a
genius. The article caused a sensation. It
brought Brahms fame overnight but also
jealousy from other musicians. It created
great expectations for his compositions.
Schumann liked Brahms so
much that he asked him to take up residence in his house. His enthusiasm for the
20-year old composer knew no bounds.
Young and unattached, Johannes became
an intimate member of his large family,
including Schumann’s wife Clara Wiek,
an accomplished pianist, and seven unbridled children. Johannes was extremely
happy during his stay with the Schumanns
which lasted for several years. He worked
diligently on his compositions, and
Schumann’s public endorsement encouraged publishers to solicit his works.
Schumann saw in this young composer
friend great hope for the future of music.
When Schumann died in 1856,
Brahms became the virtual head of the
household. He assisted Clara in any way
possible. After the death of his benefactor,
a temporary passionate relationship
evolved between the two. However, this
gradually changed to a friendly relationship with great respect and admiration for
each other for the rest of their lives.
Behind him lay interdependence
with Clara Schumann, the wife of his
mentor, and in front of him lay many
years in Vienna, and the beginning of his
actual career. Brahms moved to Vienna,
Austria, permanently in 1863. This city
was the most cosmopolitan place in central Europe. Brahms enjoyed for the most
part the steady success in Vienna, and
became the leader of the musical scene.
As his fame and popularity grew, composing became his main source of
income.
Following the death of his mother, the year 1868 witnessed the completion of his famous choral work “A
German Requiem”. It was cited as one of
the most important pieces of choral music
created in the 19th century. This led many
to accept that he had fulfilled Schumann’s
prophesy. It confirmed Brahms’ European
reputation and gave him the confidence to
complete a number of works and, most
notably, his first symphony. He would
have been elated knowing that he would
be placed among the three great B’s of
German composers, Bach, Beethoven and
Brahms.
Brahms wrote 144 German Folk
Songs. A lullaby called “Ein Wiegenlied”
(A Cradle Song) is the best known lullaby
ever written. His Hungarian Dances are
among his most popular compositions.
Johannes Brahms died in 1897,
and is buried in the Central Cemetery in
Vienna next to Beethoven and Franz
Schubert. He was honored by the German
Hall of Fame, the Walhalla Memorial, in
September 2000, as the 126th distinguished German, and the 13th composer.
*************
How do you show your GermanAmerican pride? By wearing a GermanAmerican Fan scarf at sporting events,
Oktoberfest, the Steuben Parade and
watching America and Germany compete
Page 4
Johannes Brahms, German Composer
in the Olympics and World Cup. A limited number of fan scarves are available for
purchase at only $20 plus shipping. The
scarves have the American Flag on half
of it and the German Flag on the other
side. They make great gifts for family and
friends. Let these beautiful double-sided
scarves keep you warm this winter! Get
yours
today
at
http://germanparade.com/store.html
under tickets and souvenirs.
****************
BOOK REVIEW:
A Tramp in Berlin: New Mark
Twain Stories & an Account of
his Adventures in the German
Capital During the Belle
Époque of 1891-1892
by Andreas Austilat
Andreas Austilat, a twenty-six
year veteran newspaperman for Berlin's
largest daily paper, knows his city and is
clearly a devoted Twainian, and presents
his narrative in an easy readable style. Kevin Mac Donnell, The Mark Twain
Forum. Read more at:
http://www.twainweb.net/reviews/Tramp
InBerlin.html
Mark Twain was born 1835 in
Missouri.
After as stint
on
the
Mississippi,
he became
one
of
America's
most famous
journalist,
humorist,
travel writer
and fiction
author. He
traveled to
Palestine, Italy, France, and twice to
Germany. Andreas Austilat is the deputy
editor of the Sunday supplement at
Tagesspiegel, Berlin's leading daily.
In the fall of 1891, Mark Twain headed
for Berlin, the "newest city I have ever
seen," as America's foremost humorist
wrote; accompanied by his wife, Olivia,
and their three daughters. Twain, a
"Yankee from head to toe," according to
the local press, conspired with diplomats,
frequented the famed salons, had break-
Contʼd on Next Page
MARCH/APRIL 2014
THE STEUBEN NEWS
Chairman’s Message:
Dear Steuben Brothers and Sisters and Friends.
While winter still has a grip on much of the country I am
eagerly awaiting the warmer seasons and exciting events and
challenges that are awaiting us. Some of these are detailed in
this issue of Steuben News. The year 2014 marks the 100th
anniversary of the outbreak of WWI, a painful remembrance
for many reasons, but for German Americans also a time to
recall the subsequent Anti-German Hysteria, that was in large
part the reason for the founding of the Steuben Society of
America in 1919. The contribution Dr. Johnson had made in our year 2000 forum
regarding the history of the German American Alliance (and its collapse toward the
end of WWI) is reprinted in this and the previous issue of Steuben News. This is
offered to lead to a better understanding of the need for a national organization post
WWI, and the reasons for structuring it from the grassroots up to regional and
national representation. The emphasis was on being “Americans first” but forever
proud of our cultural heritage.
Only five years hence we will be celebrating the centennial of the Steuben
Society of America and we like to begin the work of an anniversary program committee that creates a vision for the role the Society can play in its next stages and
for an appropriate celebration. Our current program has its focus on learning and
teaching the history of Germans in America while we endeavor to remain a bridge
builder to the German-language-nations in Europe from whence our forebears
came. It is encouraging to witness increasing interest in that history as is evident
from new publications and from inquiries we receive. Lately, descendants are fond
of exploring their pedigrees by means of new technologies in genealogical
research. We have a wealth of information to share in a world that has drawn so
much closer geographically, and through instant communications via social media.
One of the ways in which our Society has always expressed its pride of
heritage is through the historic sites work and protection of monuments. The Valley
Forge Annual Steuben recognition program of the Pastorius Unit is a case in point.
This year we are proud to join our New Jersey Steuben Units in celebrating the
tenth anniversary of the unveiling of the Steuben Monument at Monmouth Historic
Park in Manalapan, NJ. This project was conceived by members of the
Muehlenberg Unit and the Molly Pitcher Unit and was then executed with the considerable help of The Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, Inc., and the National
Council, as well as individual donors. Molly Pitcher Unit Chairman Paul Bette has
been the driving force in seeing it come to fruition and he and his committee continue to provide the annual care. Please see Brother Bette’s invitation to the
anniversary program on May 17, 2014, on the front cover of this issue. Make it a
point to celebrate Founders’ Day weekend and Armed Forces Recognition by also
attending our 95th Founder’s Day Banquet on Sunday May 18th on Long Island in
New York. Our committee has laid the groundwork and invites you to support the
event in various ways as is explained in their invitation.
I would like to renew our appeal to get more members and friends to march
with our banners in the Steuben Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York, and for that
matter in Philadelphia too. I have appointed Sister Barbara DeOliveira as our new
Parade Committee Delegate in New York. Barbara is a member of the National
Council. She chairs the NYS Council as well as the Robert F. Wagner Unit 165 in
Islip. Sister Barbara is willing to attend meetings and to report back to us and I
thank her on behalf of us all for her commitment. The date for this year’s parade in
New York is September 20th.
More immediate important dates are March 15th for the NY State Council
Election Meeting at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Hicksville, NY. March 31st
is the last date for submission of the essays for the Erick Kurz Memorial Awards;
April 20th Easter. April 26th National Council Election Meeting in Westchester
County (exact location to be announced). May 11th is Mother’s Day and May 17th18th is Founders Day Weekend in New Jersey and New York as outlined in this
issue of Steuben News.
Page 5
The purpose of the Steuben Society of America is to educate the public about matters of interest to
American citizens of German descent and their families, to encourage their participation in civic
affairs and to perpetuate and enhance the understanding of the contributions made by such
citizens to the development of the United States
The Steuben News
VOL. 87 NO. 2 MARCH/APRIL 2014
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES:
One South Ocean Avenue, Suite 217, Patchogue, NY 11772 PHONE: 631-730-5111
EDITOR & ART DIRECTOR: Christine Lynn Harvey
STEUBEN NEWS COMMITTEE: Ilse Hoffmann, Peter Hoffmann, Marilyn Harvey, Elyse Land, Robert Land E.O., Barbara DeOliveira
STEUBEN NEWS CONTRIBUTORS:
Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Siegfried Bette, George L. Glotzbach,
Richie Odorfer, Mary Helen Jones, Charlotte & Hans Arndt, Dr. Ann Marie Fuhrig
Subscriptions are $25 per year and are fulfilled by third class mail. The Steuben News is the official publication of The Steuben
Society of America. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Steuben News or the Steuben Society of
America.We reserve the right to refuse, edit or excerpt submissions; we do not guarantee the return of manuscripts or photos unless
provided a SASE.
Attention Steuben News Readers & Unit Members:
We apologize for recent problems in e-mail communications with the screen
name [email protected]. That email is no longer active. Please be
advised that our office can now be reached by emailing:
[email protected]
Or snail mail us at:
Steuben Society of America
1 S Ocean Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772
Tel 631-730-5111
THANK YOU!
a local German American Month proclamation for September/October 2014. This
may perhaps stimulate a flag raising or other local celebration of German American
history and friendship.
The text length of essays may depend on the harvest of data but should be no
more than 1000 words. Please submit photos (in jpg format) and other support material electronically to [email protected] with a snail mail postcard alert to the
Steuben Society office confirming that an e-mail has been sent. (We like to avoid
overlooking any submission). The postal address of the Steuben Society of America
is 1 South Ocean Avenue, Suite 217, Patchogue, NY, 11772
***********************
The Plight of Hessian Soldiers During the American Revolution
Please join us for an exploration of German Prisoners of the Revolutionary
War, Thursday, March 6, 2014, 7 PM St. Paul's Church National Historic Site
897 S. Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon, New York, 914-667-4116
The talk will explore the experiences of the Hessian prisoners of the
Revolutionary War, by distinguished scholar Professor Daniel Krebs of the
University of Louisville, author of “A Generous and Merciful Enemy: Life for
German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution.” Drawn from different
German principalities, these soldiers, commonly called Hessians, since HessenCassel supplied the majority of the troops, fought as auxiliaries, or hired allies, of the
British Redcoats in the Revolutionary War. Their experiences as soldiers and captives
form a fascinating and often overlooked chapter of the story of the American
Revolution. Free admission and parking; light refreshments served.
*********************
Stoltenberg Yearbook of Forty-Eighter Studies
The Stoltenberg Institute of Forty-eighter Studies, a forum for GermanAmerican discourse, will be publishing a yearbook focusing on Germans who came
to the U.S. after the 1848 European revolutions, according to its Executive Director,
Dr. Joachim Reppmann, Northfield, MN/Flensburg, Germany www.moin-moin.us.
The new institute is named in honor of Dr. Gerhard Stoltenberg (1929-2001),
who served as Minister-President of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The institute’s
first volume will contain the papers presented at a German-American History
Conference (“The Legacy of 1848”) held at Wartburg College in late October. The
conference was organized by Reppmann and Dr. Daniel Walther, Wartburg College’s
Gerald Kleinfeld Distinguished Professor in German History. An advisory board for
Thank you for your continued support.
the new institute has also been formed. Chaired by Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann,
Cincinnati, Ohio (www.donheinrichtolzmann.net), its members include Henry
Elyse and I wish you all the blessings of Easter!
Kissinger, Eric Braeden, Walter Pfaeffle, and others prominent in the fields of
German-American Studies and U.S.-German relations.
Fraternally yours, Bob Land
The Stoltenberg Institute’s goal is to “preserve the history of European democratic republican Forty-eighter immigrants by actively collecting, preserving, interReminder! Deadline for Submission is March 31, 2014
preting, and presenting documents, artifacts and scholarly research and by promoting
public involvement in and appreciation of this heritage through educational proA German-American Day Project
gramming and community outreach.” The Stoltenberg Institute aims to be “a transatFor the Attention of HS Students and their Teachers
The Steuben Society's National Council announces that its Education lantic institute, heritage center espousing the Forty-eighters’ conviction that we all
Committee will offer the Erick Kurz Memorial Award for 2014 as a German embody moral values that should be publicly expressed, thereby making a meaningAmerican History Project. The idea is to get students to do research and write on ful contribution towards solving the myriad of challenges confronting the Western
world.”
the theme "Tracing German-American life in my community."
TWAIN IN BERLIN BOOK cont’d from previous page
This will require observation of the names of local streets, landmarks,
schools, businesses, parks, etc. It should not be a mere listing of the findings, but -fast with duchesses, and dined with the emperor. He suffered an "organized dogshow originality in researching a bit deeper in gathering, interpreting, and present- choir club," at his first address, which he deemed a "rag-picker's paradise," picked a
ing the information. The student can work with teachers, local librarians, histori- fight with the police, who made him look under his maid’s petticoats, was abused by
ans, politicians, civic or social groups, or elders in their community and get as a porter, got lost on streetcars, was nearly struck down by pneumonia, and witnessed
much information as they can compile in the time allotted till submission on Mar a proletarian uprising in front of his hotel Unter den Linden. Twain penned articles
31, 2014. We will also consider awarding team work. The submission will ideally on his everyday life and he also began a novel about Wilhelmina von Preussen, the
lonely Prussian princess, unpublished until now, as are most of his Berlin short stobe accompanied by a teacher's or mentor's recommendation.
The winner(s) of the $1,000 Erick Kurz Memorial Award will be
Contʼd next page
announced in late April 2014. The results can and hopefully will be used to request
MARCH/APRIL 2014
Twain in Berlin book
Contʼd from page 4
ries. They are assembled for the first time
here in this book, together with a riveting
account of Twain's foray in the German
capital, by Andreas Austilat.
For more info www.berlinica.com,
w w w. z a z z l e . c o m / B e r l i n i c a ,
http://www.cafepress.com/Berlinica. To
read excerpts, go to: www.amazon.com
‘German-Americans and the
Civil War’ Symposium
Held September 7, 2013
at the German Society of
Pennsylvania
by Andy Waskie, Ph.D.
Temple University
This unique symposium, chaired
by Tony Michels, a Director of the
Society featured the story of GermanAmericans in the Civil War at the 150th
Anniversary saw sixty plus attendees
gather at the German Society of
Pennsylvania on Spring Garden Street to
hear three noteworthy speakers address
various aspects of the role of Germans
and German-Americans in the Civil War.
In addition, Jim Schmick and his wife of
Civil War and More, once again featured
their traveling inventory of books, magazines, flags, and prints of the Civil War
with a special emphasis on the German
role. A delight was the German style
Lunch served in the Ratskeller to add to
the festivities. A tour of the 1888 historic
German Society building completed a
special day
Dr. Randall Miller, Professor at
St. Joseph’s University spoke about the
often neglected—from our Yankee perspective!—subject of the Germans in the
South, as part of his work in progress
about the effect of the Civil War on immigrants. Professor Miller points out that
some believe that service in the war made
Germans into Americans, while it turned
others more German. He pointed out that
the Chancellorsville debacle impugned
German honor and manliness.
There were larger German communities in the North, while those in the
South were smaller and had little
Southern identity. There were, however,
large German communities in Richmond,
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New
Orleans. What brought the Germans in
the South to those cities? They were port
arrivals from the revolutions of 1848—
many were ‘48ers against slavery, and
when the Nativists arose, the Germans
were chased away; the Civil War forced
them to show their hand.
Prof. Miller offered an informative array of statistics about the population of Germans in the South to shed light
on his talk. (He pointed out the Texan
German experience is often used to generalize about Germans in the South, but
this is not accurate, since Texas had
fewer slaves and the Germans there were
Pietists and Mennonites (Germans elsewhere were Protestants, Catholics and
Jewish). They were often pacifists and
opposed to slavery—not a popular stance
with Southerners—which Miller contends reinforced their German national
identity.
THE STEUBEN NEWS
In addition, the Civil War prevented additional Germans from entering the United States. The hardships in
certain
Confederate
cities,
e.g.
Richmond and Charleston, led the
Germans to oppose Reconstruction after
the war.
Dr. Christian Keller, Professor
of History at the U.S. Army War College
in Carlisle, gave as his talk “German
Americans in the Civil War; A Military
and Social Overview.”
Prof. Keller concurred that the
Germans smarted from their reputation
gathered
at
Union
losses
at
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville,
where they were unfairly derided as the
“The Flying Dutchmen” for their cowardice and unsoldierly behavior, in part
due no doubt to the nativism and general prejudice and the Germans voting
Democratic.
Keller pointed out that
Germans enlisted to fight—despite voting Democratic—and that in 1861 ethnic regiments were formed, with 25 percent fighting exclusively in German regiments where German only was spoken.
He added that there were other exclusive German companies within other
regiments. (In Pennsylvania there were
five German regiments; from New York
seven; with none from Massachusetts.)
Keller cites the proportions of
soldiers fighting as 12 percent USCT
(United States Colored Troops), 25 percent Germans, and the remainder as
Irish, Scandinavians, and those of other
nationalities that settled in the United
States.
Keller believes that the prejudice towards the Germans as a minority
showed
up
especially
after
Chancellorsville. He stated that
Germans were looked down on for their
marauding, with non-Germans not used
to those tactics that came to be known as
“hard war”. In addition, 40 percent were
killed or wounded in the battle, with
German leader Carl Schurz being
blamed. (The New York papers reported
that they “ran like sheep before
wolves.” These newspaper reports were
repeated all over the country.)
This contributed to a rebirth of
nativism. The German press rose to protect the Germans who fought. Professor
Miller asserted that the Germans were
not as “Americanized” as the Irish by
the Civil War. He believes that the
“melting pot” and assimilation is a
myth.
Dr. Andy Waskie, Professor at
Temple University, explained that
Germans came to America in waves of
immigration, many before Germany was
united, i.e. after the wars that ended in
1813, the revolutions of 1830 and especially after 1848.
They came to America to
Philadelphia, which was becoming an
industrial engine for the country. These
Germans shared a common language,
culture and ethnic characteristics, moving to the areas of Philadelphia known
now as Spring Garden, Kensington,
Northern Liberties, and Fishtown.
They were known for their singing societies, shooting, sports, such as gymnastics, beer halls, and formed fire compa-
Page 6
nies.
The
98th
Pennsylvania
under
John Ballier was predominately comprised
of
men
from
Philadelphia and included German regiments.
(The Germans were
excellent band musicians!)
Dr.
Waskie
pointed out that the first
Philadelphia casualty of
the war was a German,
George
Leisenring,
stabbed to death in the
riots in Baltimore at the
outset of secession.
Waskie added that the
Germans were particularly skilled at artillery
and that the German
NYS Council Dinner at the Oak Chalet in February; Above NYS
Council Chairlady Barbara DeOliveira who stated: “The NY State
Council held it's fundraiser at the Oak Chalet in Bellmore on the
16th of February. Attendees enjoyed a delicious choice of
entrees. I want to thank all those who showed their support for
the council.”
BELOW: Dinner Guests at the Oak Chalet (in foreground)
National Chairman Robert Land and First Lady Elyse Land
women’s societies helped in the war
effort. They were involved in the USO
and the Sanitary Commission of 1864 at
Logan Circle. He named many Germans
who served honorably and notably in the
Civil War to illustrate their influence. To
name a couple:
• General Louis Wagner came to
America in 1849 and fought and was
wounded in the Second Battle of Bull Run
and once again at Chancellorsville.
Though incapacitated, he took over the
command of the African-American troops
at Camp William Penn.
• Elizabeth Hutter, who formed
the Northern Home for Friendless
Children, was a homefront heroine who
worked tirelessly as a nurse during the
Civil War and later for other causes and
who was counted a personal friend of
Abraham Lincoln.
The day ended with a question
and answer period, another visit to Jim
Schmick’s cornucopia of books and sundries at Civil War & More and a tour of
the German Society of Pennsylvania, followed by a delicious German style luncheon provided by the Ladies Auxiliary of
the German Society. The Symposium was
co-sponsored by the German Society, the
General Meade Society, the G.A.R.
Museum & Library, and the Union
League of Philadelphia. The event raised
money for the German Society. It was a
wonderfully informative day for all!
Thanks to Ken Garson
Legacy of Forty Eighters
Conference Report
by Peter Mathews, Berlin
When I first heard the name
“Carl Schurz,” I was only in kindergarten. My dear aunt Käthe worked in the
PX of the American barracks in
Bremerhaven, Germany — the Carl
Schurz barracks — and supplied my family with the good things associated with
the “American way of life” like
Hershey’s Kisses and ice cream. Fifty
years later and nearly five thousand
miles from my homeland, I have met my
“American uncle” again at Wartburg
College in Waverly, Iowa. The occasion
was a German-American history conference (“Legacy of 1848”) organized by
Wartburg history professor Dan Walther
and Forty-eighter historian Dr. Joachim
“Yogi” Reppmann (www.moin-moin.us),
who divides his time between Flensburg,
Schleswig-Holstein, and Northfield,
Minnesota.
After immigrating to America in
1852, Carl Schurz served his adopted
country as a Union Civil War general, a
United States senator, and as the
Secretary of the Interior. His immigration
philosophy - assimilation with the retention of each newcomer’s ethnic heritage is as valid today as it was during his lifetime. But the forty historians at the
Legacy of 1848 Conference explored a
wide range of topics besides Carl Schurz,
including the fascinating lives of Walt
Contʼd Next page
MARCH/APRIL 2014
48er Conference
Contʼd from previous page
Whitman, Harro Harring, and Fortyeighters Theodor Olshausen and Wilhelm
von Schirach; the “Schleswig-Holstein
Question” (1848-1864); the Panic of
1857’s impact on Davenport, Iowa; and
the
eavesdropping
practiced
by
Metternich’s minions.
Sadly, many in Germany superficially view the democratic German revolution of 1848 as a failure. They fail to
grasp the significance of the republican
democrats who emigrated to the United
States not as group whose revolutionary
zeal had been extinguished, but as a
group that continued to fight for freedom,
education, and well-being for all.
They excelled in the fields of
journalism, business, culture, and politics, leaving an indelible mark on
American society. When the Civil War
broke out, these Forty-eighters enlisted in
droves to fight against slavery and for liberty, showing they were ready, willing,
and able to do more than “talk the talk.”
Having fled reactionary repressiveness, they were extremely sensitive to
any curtailments of an individual’s freedom and liberty. Their legacy is a beacon
highlighting the slippery slope of impinging on freedoms to ostensibly maintain
those freedoms, and is just as important
to remember today when evaluating the
NSA’s actions as it was then in objecting
to Metternich-like eavesdropping practices.
Although these Forty-eighter
immigrants failed in achieving their goals
in their homeland, they contributed
mightily to securing and maintaining
freedom and liberty in their adopted
home. Ironically, the seeds they helped
nurture in America would be replanted in
their homeland several generations later
following the conclusion of World War II.
Is it an exaggeration to say that
America as we know it today would not
exist but for the contributions of the
German immigrant? Perhaps, but there is
no denying the key role he played in the
development of the United States. In turn,
there can be no argument that fascism in
Europe would not have been defeated and
that there would be no Federal Republic
of Germany were it nor for the efforts of
the United States. This “circle of life” —
German immigrants fighting for the val48er Conference Historian-Attendees
THE STEUBEN NEWS
ues of America’s founding fathers and
their descendants joining their fellow
Americans in transplanting those sacred
beliefs back to Germany — is in a very
real sense, the real “legacy of 1848.” The
freedoms our forebears fought and died
for so that we may today enjoy their benefits are as sweet to me as those Hershey
kisses from Aunt Käthe and Uncle Carl I
enjoyed so many years ago.
The conference papers will be
produced as a book, videos and a 30
minute tv documentary, “Forty-eigthers
and
Friends”
available
via
www.moin-moin.us
through
The
Stoltenberg Institute for GermanAmerican Forty-eighter Studies’.
40 historians discussed the legacy of the democratic Revolution in
Germany and the USA at Wartburg
College, Waverly, IA.
For more information, contact:
[email protected] or visit:
www.moin-moin.us
The Soul of Germany
by Richie Odorfer
Cont’d from Last Month
The Thirty Years War –
The Swedish Phase – 1630-1635
In June 1630, King Gustavus
Adolphus of Sweden invaded Germany.
The Swedish king dreamed of one day
becoming the Protestant German emperor, but proclaimed publicly that he
attacked Germany to “restore liberty to
the oppressed Protestant princes.” Yet no
Protestant prince ever requested a
Swedish presence. Cardinal Richelieu,
the Catholic chief minister of France,
helped finance Sweden’s war against
Germany as he had for Denmark.
Germany suffered greatly during the 1631-1632 Swedish campaign. At
Magdeburg, once the capitol of Germany
during the reign of Otto the Great, only
300 townspeople survived Tilly’s siege
out of a population of 30,000.
Magdeburg’s women and girls threw
themselves into the Elbe River, or into
the flames of burning buildings to escape
the brutality of the soldiers.
The generals in charge of the
mercenaries could not control their men.
In September of 1631, the Swedes had
defeated Tilly’s army at Breitenfeld, and
by November, Gustavus had conquered
Prague. Sweden’s early military successes motivated some traitorous German
princes into siding with the enemy,
boosting the number of fighters in the
king’s army to almost 70,000 men. In
the spring of 1632 the Swedes conquered Munich and Lake Constance,
thus securing a grip on southern
Germany, the springboard to seize
Vienna, the Habsburg capitol. Few picturesque German towns survived the
Swedish bombardments, and those that
did all have a chivalrous story to tell
how they managed it. German poet,
Martin Opitz lived during that pitiful
time, and related his observations on
how the evil ones were destroying
every fabric of German society:
The gray hair of the old, the
young folks’ tribulation,
The mourning and the groans
of every age and station,
The outcries of the rich, the
poor man’s misery,
Have touched these savage
brutes not in the least degree.
No merit now avails; all ranks,
conditions, classes,
Are driven from their homes
and done to death in masses;
As when a ravening wolf
breaks in among the fold,
And falls upon the sheep, nor
recks of young and old.
In 1632, Commander Tilly
was killed in battle at Rain, near the
Lech River. Emperor Ferdinand II then
chose Wallenstein again to lead the
Catholic armies, an assignment he performed brilliantly – swiftly maneuvering the Swedes out of southern
Germany. At the Battle of Luetzen that
same year, King Gustavus Adophus
met his death.
Sweden’s chancellor directed
the war from then on, persuaded in part
to continue by French offers of more
generous
financial
assistance.
Meanwhile, Wallenstein kept up his
offensive, defeating the Swedes at
Steinau, in Silesia. But then, upon
opening private talks with the
Protestants, Wallenstein was branded a
traitor and executed, 1634.
As Sweden’s military position
weakened, its German allies defected,
and at the Peace of Prague in 1635,
they reconciled their differences with
the emperor, and Ferdinand II in
return, made a major concession to the
Protestants. He changed the year when
Catholic lands must be returned from
1552 to 1627. Moreover, the war aims
of the foreigners were finally recognized by the German princes for what
they truly were: ethnic genocide, coveting German lands, property and
trade. United at last under their emperor, the German princes prepared to
expel the foreigners from the
Fatherland. But right when victory
seemed possible in 1635, France invaded Germany
The Thirty Years War – The
French and Swedish Phase –
1635-1648
The entry of thousands of
French soldiers into the war crippled
Germany’s effort to rout the foreigners,
for the imperial army was already outnumbered two-to-one by the enemy.
Page 7
Ferdinand II
Count Matthias Gallas, an Italian, had
replaced Wallenstein as commander, but
he lacked the military skills of his predecessor. Gallas led the imperial army ineptly, making bad decisions that caused the
total annihilation of several German units,
and for that he was dubbed: “The destroyer of armies.” The last eighteen years of
the war proved devastating for Germany.
Mercenaries hired by Sweden and France
from all over Europe marauded almost
every part of Germany.
Their ranks were filled with outlaws, released prisoners and deranged
troublemakers. They were assigned no
clear objective but to prolong the war and
bleed Germany and her people. In winter,
the fighting halted and the contracted
armies settled into German towns and
cities for months, where they terrorized its
citizens: robbing, raping and destroying.
There was a saying among the mercenaries
then: “Every soldier needs three peasants one to give up his lodgings, one to provide
his wife, and one to take his place in hell.”
In 1637, Emperor Ferdinand II
died “like an aged hyena, amid moldering
bones and ruins” of a war that he provoked. The imperial crown was passed to
his son, Ferdinand III, who had been influential in bringing Catholics and Lutherans
together at the Peace of Prague two year
prior. Four more years of the war passed,
reducing
Wuerttemberg’s population to
48,000 from a prewar figure of 500,000.
The “Winter King’s” Rhineland-Palatinate
lost 80% of its citizens, Chemnitz also,
Munich alone lost 10,000 people to the
plague, and in Bohemia, where three million souls had lived in flourishing towns in
1619, only 780,000 were left in 1641.
Cardinal Richelieu died in 1642, and was
replaced as chief minister of France by
another Catholic cardinal, Mazarin – yet
the war continued six more years, until
1648.
By then Hesse and Silesia lay
utterly waste; half of Berlin’s population
was gone; Bavaria and Franconia were
unrecognizable; and three-fourths of the
Augsburgers exterminated. Poet Andreas
Gryphius voiced his nation’s despair:
We are now wholly, yea! More
than wholly devastated.
The band of presumptuous
nations, the raving trumpets,
The sword oily with blood, the
thundering cannon-royal
Have consumed the fruits of all
Contʼd Next page
Page 8
THE STEUBEN NEWS
SOUL OF GERMANY
Contʼd from previous page
our sweat and travail.
The towers stand in
flames, the church is overturned,
The town hall lies in
ruins, the stalwart are hacked to
bits,
The maidens are deflowered, and everywhere we look
Fire, plague and death
oppress the heart and soul.
In 1648, The Thirty Years
War ended. The proclamation of
peace roused the wild soldiery to
fury at the news, since the
strangers thirst for blood, lust and
loot had not been satiated. Forty
foreign representatives met with
the Germans in the Westphalian
towns of Muenster and Osnabruck,
coming from France, Sweden,
Rome and other European states.
Germany was treated as the
aggressor nation, when just the
opposite was the truth, and they
made Germany pay a terrible price
for the peace.
The 1648 Treaty of
Westphalia
1)
Five strategic fortifications along the Franco-German
border were forced to be razed,
leaving Germany vulnerable to
any future French invasion, thus
giving France an “invitation” to
seize the German provinces of
Alsace and Lorraine.
2)
Sweden demanded and
received an immense financial
indemnity from Germany, plus the
state of Pommerania, part of
Mecklenberg, Stettin, and some
other northern lands.
3)
The treaty prohibited the
ancient
German
states
of
Switzerland and Holland from
ever becoming a part of Germany
again.
4)
Germany itself was cut up
into 1800 provinces, and 300 of
them were given full sovereignty,
including the authority to make
foreign treaties and engage in war.
Henceforth, the German emperor
became a mere figurehead, just a
shadow of his once glorious past.
5)
The most damaging punishment dealt Germany at Westphalia
was the crippling of German commerce and trade. Her jealous neighbors accomplished this by cunningly
depriving the Germans of access to
the open seas from the mouths of her
rivers, by giving sole control of the
German port cities to the Swedes,
Danes, Dutch and the Poles. Once the
mightiest naval power on the northern
ocean, Germany was made landlocked, and just when her trading
competitors were building colonial
empires around the world.
The only good that came out
of the treaty, besides of course the end
of all the killing and pillage, was that
the German princes finally settled
their religious disputes. An equality of
rights between Protestants and
Catholics was established, and the old
law which imposed the religion professed by the prince on his subjects
was abolished. Also settled amicably
was the dispute over church owned
lands, the year 1624 agreed to be
when whoever possessed the land was
entitled to retain or repossess it.
The pope published a condemnation of the German religious
peace agreement, criticizing the
Catholic princes for secularizing
church lands. Rome was ignored,
however, as the religious zeal of the
German Catholics had cooled. In
Franconia, where depopulation had
reached a critical point Catholic
priests were allowed to marry, and
Catholic men were permitted to take
two wives.
About two centuries later, a
patriotic poem was written that had its
roots in the soul of 1648 Germany. It
became the lyrics of the German
national anthem: Germany, Germany
above all else, above everything in the
world. If in matters of defense it will
forever stick together, From the Mass
to the Memel, from the Etsch to the
Belt – Germany, Germany above all
else.
Contʼd Next Month
A Tale of Three Cities
by George L. Glotzbach
Ivo Goenner, Lord Mayor
of Ulm, and Gerold Noerenberg,
Lord Mayor of Neu-Ulm, have
sponsored a book titled "City and
Fortress, a short history of the
Federal Fortress" in Ulm and NeuUlm, Germany. Following the
Napoleonic Wars, this huge
Fortress encompassing both cities
was begun in 1842, then expanded
and modified for over 100 years.
The book follows the social, economic, and cultural history of the
Fortress to the present day.
During World War II, on
December 17, 1944, British
bombers flew the first heavy air
raids against the Fortress and these
two cities on the two sides of the
Danube River. American bombers
followed with heavy raids in
January and March 1945. Over
2,000 people died in these air raids,
and 80% of the central city of Ulm
was destroyed. Germany signed
the unconditional surrender May 8,
1945. Following the war, over
450,000 returnees and refugees
flowed through these two cities
from 1945 to 1954.
Dr.
Theodore
(Ted)
Fritsche was Mayor of New Ulm,
Minnesota from 1954 to 1958. His
father, Dr. Louis Fritsche, had been
Mayor of New Ulm just before
World War I from 1912 to 1917,
and again 1920 to 1924. Both were
descendants of Wilhelm Pfaender,
who had left Ulm after the abortive
1848 Revolution in Germany, emigrated to the United States, and cofounded New Ulm, Minnesota.
Both had taken their medical training in Germany. Dr. Louis
had initiated aid from New Ulm,
MN to the two cities on the Danube
following WWI. Dr. Ted was aware
that post WWII Germany was
starving. Dr. Ted organized ongoing
shipments of food, clothing, and
medical supplies to the two German
cities. Thousands of CARE packages were sent from New Ulm, MN
MARCH/APRIL 2014
calendar of events
Thur. 3/13 7:00 pm Islip Unit Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, American
Legion Hall, Islip, $25 pp, NY 631-776-7756
3/22 7:00 pm Bremervoeder Chorus Schlachtplatte Dinner, cash prizes
and raffle, Plattduetsche Park Restaurant, Franklin Square, LI $45 pp,
718-746-8862
4/5 7:00 pm 83rd Gemuetlichen Enzianer Bauernball, Plattduetsche
Park Restaurant, Franklin Square, LI $50 pp 516-488-6551
Sat. 4/26 National Council Election Meeting; To be confirmed as to site.
Units may bid to host in conjunction with a dinner or other program,
or Council will select Westchester, NY site for a business meeting.
Sun. 5/18 1:00-6:00 pm Founders Day Banquet $100 pp, Plattduetsche
Park Restaurant, Franklin Square, NY
Sat. 9/20 12 Noon German American Steuben Parade, Fifth Avenue,
68th Street to 86th Street, Grand Stand at 79th Street, NYC. Enjoy the
colorful music and dance groups, the groups in Karneval costumes
and historic Tracht. Celebrate our Grand Marshals, see the many magnificent floats celebrating over three centuries of German-American
friendship. For more info www.germanparadenyc.org
Please email your calendar items to: [email protected]
1-2 months prior to your event.
to the sister cities in Germany, 185 packages in 1953
alone.
The subject book documents these shipments.
As reported in the Ulmer Nachrichten (Ulm News) #125,
June 2, 1953, and in the Schwabische Donau Zeitung
(Swabian Danube Newspaper) #191, August 18, 1953:
"Clothing also came from the American city of New
Ulm". Thus these Minnesotans showed solidarity with
their namesakes in Germany. And, these donations supplemented the United States' European Recovery Plan
(Marshall Plan), the American rescue plan to give economic support to rebuild war-devastated regions.
***************
In Memoriam:
Hedwig M. Reichert, a 54-year resident of
Yorktown Heights, died on December 23, 2013. She was
87. Mrs. Reichert worked as a partner for the family
owned construction business Wotan Building Corp., until
her retirement in 1989. Mrs. Reichert was born in
Sulzheim, Germany, on April 4, 1926 to the late George
and Elizabeth Heim. She was a member of the Steuben
Society and is survived by her daughter Anita of
Rochester, MN, and her son Bernard of Stockton, NJ.
She was buried at Old Saint Patrick's Stone Church in
Yorktown Heights.
Steuben Society of America Membership Application
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Place______________________________Date_______________________
APPLICATION To The Steuben Society of America Membership:
“I hereby apply for membership in your Society, and if accepted, will give my best efforts
to further its aims and purposes.”
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EXPLAIN_____________________________________________________________________
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ones)_________________________________________________________________
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PLEASE MAIL THIS FORM TO: Steuben Society of America
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[email protected]
NAME:__________________________________DOB_______________
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We will accept you as a Member at Large (MAL) if there are currently no Units located
near you. Current Units include: New Braunfels TX, St. Louis MO, Philadelphia PA,
Trenton NJ, Clark NJ, Albany NY, Buffalo NY, Kingston NY, Poughkeepsie NY,
Westchester County NY, Patchogue NY, Islip NY, Hicksville NY, Huntington NY
For information about local Units please contact
the National Council in Patchogue, NY.
QUESTIONS? PLEASE CALL (631) 730-5111