| Deutsches Haus
Monatsblatt September
Deutsche Gesellschaft estab. 1847 -- Deutsches Haus inc. 1928
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September 11: We Remember by Lisa Hollis "Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1941 State of the Union Address |
| This month our nation marks an anniversary we never thought we would: the unprovoked terrorist attacks in our which took 3,324 innocent lives on September 11, 2001. It has been proposed that this day be remembered as "Patriots Day," an unfortunate but worthy label for those who perished on 9/11. This past May, my husband Andy and I traveled to Washington, DC by train for a friend’s wedding and vacation. We toured much of the Capitol, as much as can be seen now with the tightened security measures. We visited the museums and the monuments, and saw the scarred Pentagon from the beltway. We saw the original Star Spangled Banner, Betsy Ross’ creation, being carefully restored at the Smithsonian. We scanned the Vietnam War Memorial for Hollises and Larkins and Fisks, young men and women who lost their lives and may have been our distant cousins and whom we’ll never know. Among the most breathtaking of the monuments in our nation’s Capitol was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the newest of the monuments and unique in its open-air design with bronze schilpture and granite walls carved with well-known quotes by Roosevelt during his presidency. Each "room" of the monument depicts a different period in FDR’S twelve-year administration, including the Depression, recovery in the late 1930s and the looming war in Europe, and finally, World War II. As we wound our way through the granite walls and gardens, I thought of my grandparents, growing up and marrying during the Depression, the families losing what little money they may have had, and how fortunate both my family and Andy’s were to always have work. When we saw the bronze sculpture of a sharecropper couple, thin and dejected outside their tiny home, I thought of Andy’s grandparents holding onto their Alabama farm those many years ago. The haggard men on the bread lines, also done in bronze, reminded me of my grandmother explaining how desperate many men were for work, for food, and how some simply gave up and committed suicide. We progressed through the monument to the rooms depicting the war years, and I must admit that the sight of the "Four Freedoms" from Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address on that huge granite slab took my breath away. For so many years, we have taken for granted the ordinary rights and privileges of American life, but now few of us can remain complacent. In the last room of the monument, a quote from Roosevelt pointedly sums up what action must be taken as the war ended: "Unless the peace that follows recognizes that the whole world is one neighborhood and does justice to the whole human race, the germs of another world war will remain as a constant threat to mankind." One of the lessons I have learned in talking with older Americans about September 11th and their experiences of living through the Great Depression, World War II and personal tragedies and triumphs is that Americans have a strong determination to prevail. Although our country has endured some terrible days in the past 12 months, we continue to go to work every day, we continue to worship, we continue to love our nation, families and friends, and we continue to cherish our freedom. I wish you a Patriots Day filled with meaning and peace. May we all be grateful for the many freedoms we enjoy in the United States of America, at the cost of the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for so many since our nation was founded 226 years ago.
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| August 23rd / 4th Friday Social Photos | |
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GHFA Oktoberfest Parade October 6th The German Heritage Festival Association celebrates Oktoberfest with their annual parade on Sunday, October 6th beginning at 1:00 p.m. Some spaces are still available for those wishing to ride on floats, so contact the GHFA at P. O. Box 791042, New Orleans, LA 70119-1042. |
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will hold it's September 8th. meeting Sunday afternoon at La Cuisine restaurant beginning at 1:00 p.m. the price for this event is $27.13 per person. The dinner choices include: chicken marsala, stuffed shrimp, veal bryan and trout meuniere all served with vegie and potato du jour, coffee or iced tea, soup or salad, chocolate mousse parfait. Last years meeting and meal was very successful and enjoyable, all Verein as well as Haus members are invited to attend. Verein membership is open to all, dues are only $15.00 per couple and $10.00 for singles. Contact Joe and Caorl Stephany at 985-641-0112 after 5:00pm or contact the Haus Steward. see you at La Cuisine |
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Vom Historiker des Hauses OUR PAST PRESIDENTS The annual general membership meeting for the elections of the officers and members of the Board of Directions was held Tuesday, 26 January 1932 at the Deutsches Haus at 8:00 P.M. The nominating committee recommended that the present officers and board members be reelected for another year. A motion by F. Lang that the entire slate of officers and board members be elected by acclamation and an amendment by Otto Abele that the secretary cast the vote on behalf of the entire membership was adopted. The newly elected officers selected included Bruno Prager-President, Joseph Reuther, 1st Vice President, Charles Mauthe-2nd Vice President, Paul J. Sendker- Secretary, Frank Milton Longbehn - treasurer. Directors reelected were Paul Abele, Fritz Baldenhoefer, Bernhard Gerhardt, Henry Karrk, Frank Molitor, Adam Muhleisen, K.M. Rahm, Peter Rothschmitt, M.F. Senton and Fritz Weber. German Consul Dr. Ralf Jaeger after congratulating the newly elected Officers and Directors addressed the membership in German on the current state of affairs in German.
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| After-Parade Party The GHFA annual after-parade party will be held on Sunday, October 6th, at 3 p.m. The event will feature the popular band, Rocky’s Hot Fox Trot Orchestra, and this year’s princess, prince and grand marshal. Tickets are $20 per person and $10 for children age 12 and under. To purchase tickets, please see the Haus steward. Tickets MUST be purchased in advance and are NOT available the day of the parade or at the door. |
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Thanks to all of the Volunteers that came out for the Thanks to the Volunteers that made our BBQ a success.
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Herzlich Willkommen ! (Welcome Our New Members) Ellen H. Hall
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WHAT’S THE STORY?
In May we asked the question WHAT'S THE STORY? about a sturdy piece of rope hangs high on a plaque in the entryway across from the Ladies’ room and above the office. Here is a the story about Frederick Von Steuben. |
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We all remember from schooldays the image of Baron Von Steuben, the Prussian officer, drilling Washington’s troops at Valley Forge into an army that won the Revolution. But few of us ever hear anything more about him. Was he a children’s tale, like Washington and the cherry tree? What was the real story? Was he a real Revolutionary hero? Was he a Baron? Was he a General? Was he Prussian? Was he a clergyman? The short answer is, he was all of those things; but, not as one might imagine. First, and the reason we should care about the other questions, is that yes, he was a real hero of the Revolutionary War. Arriving at a time when the American army was ill trained, demoralized, and repeatedly defeated, he turned that army into an effective fighting force. He literally wrote the book on drill and training for the army: Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, which was used for a generation. He is regarded as the father of several aspects of the American military, including the office of Inspector General, the position of First Sergeant, and of the drill at boot camp. Further, he showed excellent generalship in the field in the battle of Monmouth and the battle of Petersburg. He also was a commander of a wing at the final victory at Yorktown.Although few dispute his role in the Revolution, Von Steuben is controversial in other ways. This may be because, as a school subject, his story is often simplified beyond recognition. This fame and simplification makes him an easy target for persons with their own agenda to promote. So, to the first of the other questions: was he a Baron? Yes, in two ways; but, he was hardly the hereditary aristocrat one normally associates with the title. Freidrich Von Steuben’s grandfather first claimed the title, on the basis of very doubtful amateur genealogy. Von Steuben’s father used the title; but, there were many petty aristocrats in Europe and when Freidrich enlisted in the Prussian army it was as lance corporal, not some high appointment. In his letters, Von Steuben shows a strong dislike for the pampered and lazy hereditary aristocrats who dominated Europe in his day. Von Steuben was also a Baron in a second way. After leaving the Prussian army in 1763, he served as chamberlain or Grand Marshall to the minor Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen in south west Germany. He was awarded titles including Knight and Baron in 1769 while serving this prince. Was he a General? He was not a Prussian General: he was an American General. He joined the Prussian army as a lance corporal and worked his way up, over seven campaigns, to the rank of either Captain or Major, depending upon how his rank is translated. When he arrived in America in December of 1777 he brought letters of introduction to the Continental Congress. One letter, probably written by Benjamin Franklin, claimed for him the rank of Lieutenant General in the Prussian Army. That impressed Congress, but what the army needed was an up-through-the-ranks professional soldier of great experience. That is what Washington got in Von Steuben and would not have gotten in a real Prussian Lieutenant General. A number of French and other European aristocratic soldiers came and went without doing much good. Von Steuben’s real talent was quickly realized and Washington appointed him Inspector General, and then also Major General. Congress duly approved both ranks. Was Von Steuben Prussian? He was born in Magdeburg, in Prussia, in 1730 and served in the Prussian Army. But he was what we would now call an army brat when young, and a soldier of fortune as an adult. Most of his childhood years were in Russia, at the time a Prussian ally. His military service included an independent mercenary company, small principalities, and even France and Austria before he came to America. In his own letters he like to refer to his family’s estate in southwest Germany, near Baden, as his original homeland. Was he a clergyman? He was only in the most minor sense. Although he went to a Jesuit school, and was a member of the German Reformed Church, he seems to have had no unusual enthusiasm for religion. He did receive appointment as Canon in Havelberg Cathedral when he left the Prussian Army, but this was a sinecure, a type of retirement pension rather than a real church position. His letters show a particular dislike for the prelates who held considerable wealth and power in Europe. He was, however, an active Freemason. He became an Mason in Germany and joined Trinity Lodge #10 and later Holland Lodge #8, a Masonic lodge of Dutch American heritage. Both lodges are still active in New York City. Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, German American hero of the Revolutionary War, deserves to be remembered by both schoolchildren and all patriotic Americans. Countless memorial items preserve his memory, but that is another story. He was no caricature, but a very rugged, unique, and talented individual, the kind of person that we Americans take great pride in.
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The 2002 Oktoberfest season for the Deutsches Haus opens on Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 28th. Oktoberfest continues into the month of October, each Friday and Saturday through October 26th. Make plans now to attend!
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| German Heritage Festival Association 2002 Goulash Party at the Deutsches Haus Photos |
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| German-American Cultural Center News
The GACC has a number of activities scheduled for the coming months, as well as volunteer opportunities for those able to give a few hours of their time each month. The Center is located at 519 Huey P. Long Avenue, Gretna, La. For details, call the Center at (504) 363-4202.
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Monatsblatt Submissions Invited The Monatsblatt staff would like to offer an invitation to all of our readers to submit articles for upcoming issues. Just drop it off at the Haus attention Monatsblatt, e-Mail to deutscheshaus@home.com or contact a staff member. Photos are welcome and will be returned. |
The Haus Calendar Haus members, especially club officers, are invited to submit items for the calendar by writing them in the calendar kept by the Haus steward behind the bar, by giving them to a member of the Monatsblatt staff, or by e-mailing it to monatsblatt@cox.net. Please note that the Monatsblatt staff is always eager to promote events but we do need your information in order to do so, particularly if a date is changed or rescheduled. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND OUR DEADLINES FOR ADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS WHEN SUBMITTING ITEMS FOR THE CALENDAR. |
Unser Kalender für den Monat September Deutsches Haus opens at 4 p.m. Wed., Thurs., Fri.Unless otherwise noted, all events are after noon and in the Haus.
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| Deutsches Haus
Monatsblatt 200 South Galvez Street
Directors Janice Daughdrill, William "Bill" Gunn, Charles Hadley, Hans-Georg Heinemann, Ursula Jackson, Anna Whitely, Col. Richard A. Kuntz, AUS (Ret.), George Lesage, Joe Stephany, Gerhard Sigle Haus Steward: James Copeland |
Monatsblatt Issued monthly except July by Deutsches Haus Claus Sadlier, Editor Emeritus
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The
Bayou Stein Verein 
