Deutsche Gesellschaft estab. 1847 -- Deutsches Haus inc. 1928

Usinger’s German Cold Cut Night

         One of our most popular summer attractions has been the Usinger’s German Cold Cut Night scheduled this summer for Friday, July 23^rd. The cold cut selection was determined by Haus members at the Quarterly Meeting on June 25^th (the final choices are not available at press time but all selections are superior Usinger quality and authentic German varieties not easily obtainable in this area). The menu also includes Havarti & Bavarian Swiss cheeses, sauerkraut, cole slaw, and assorted breads. The menu is $10.00 per person and well worth it!

         The Ira Milan Polka Band will play in the Bierstube. Join us at the Haus for a delicious meal and an enjoyable listening and dancing experience with Ira and his group.

Big Band Saturday Night & Haus 5^th Annual Summer BBQ

           Hey, Pardners!  The grill is ready to be fired up, the chuck wagon is stocked, & those range-roving cowpoke/chefs, Joe “Kentuck” Stephanie, Jr., Tom “Tennessee” Shinn and James “Tex” Tregler, have returned from the roundup with our vittles slung over their saddles & a hearty sauce ready for ladling. How do BBQ ribs, grilled chicken in orange sauce, grilled smoked sausage, cole slaw, campfire beans and seasoned rice sound to you? Yep, it’s a BBQ Dream Menu. Don’t miss it!

Saturday, August 21^st  Doors open at 4:00 p.m.

Food served at 7:00 p.m.

Only $12.00 per person for the eats

Featuring Rocky’s Hot Fox Trot Orchestra,

Plus Good Beer and Good Company.

$5.00 for all non-members at the door

Children 12 and under admitted free. Members & 1 guest admitted free.

German New Orleans, A WYES Documentary Premiere

                In 1721, ships filled with German settlers sailed for New Orleans from Lorient and Port-Louis in France. Scottish financier John Law recruited colonists for the territory, luring this first wave of hard-working Germans with false promises of Louisiana riches. The treasure trove may not have materialized, but the settlers found a fertile milieu for their services, as they adapted and set down their roots firmly into this rich semi-tropical region, so different from their homeland. As the largest group of foreign-speaking people in New Orleans from 1848 to 1900, Germans entered almost every trade and profession here. German New Orleans, WYES-TV/Channel 12’s latest cultural documentary, spotlights many of the German success stories in the community’s history and points out evidence of German influence on the evolution of New Orleans even today.

            Acting as an informal liaison for WYES and producer/writer Terri Landry to the German community in New Orleans, Colonel Richard Kuntz, Deutsches Haus historian, secretary, and past president, played an integral part in helping to provide the kind of access and knowledge critical to the production of a successful and insightful film. Over the past 2 years, the WYES film crew came to the Haus several times to film Oktoberfest and the hard work behind the scenes, the German Heritage Festival Association Oktoberfest parade, and to film the historical artifacts of the Haus. 

The premiere of German New Orleans is scheduled on WYES/Channel 12 Monday, August 9^th, at 7 and 10 p.m. and August 10^th at 1 a.m. All members and friends of Deutsches Haus should take advantage of the opportunity to view this celebration of German influence on the diverse fabric of the New Orleans we love. WWL-TV anchor/reporter Eric Paulsen is the narrator. Funding was provided by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the Producers Circle.

GHFA Summer Activities

         It’s Christmas in July and once more GHFA rewards the early shopper with a selection of German merchandise guaranteed to be imaginative, unusual and reasonably priced. All Haus members and friends are welcome to browse and buy after our brief business meeting at 7:30 p.m. on July 21^st.

         Our July outing is a champagne brunch at Begue’s in the Royal Sonesta Hotel on July 25^th. Plan to start arriving at around 11 a.m. The cost is $36 per person and advance reservations are required.

         The much anticipated annual GHFA Goulash Supper will be on Saturday, August 7^th, at the Haus. The Haus opens at 7 p.m. and the cost of the full meal including wine will be $20. Advance reservations required.

Vom Historiker des Hauses

Our Past Presidents

                     In spite of the difficult financial conditions that persisted nationally in 1934, the Haus continued to push ahead aggressively to increase its revenues. The successful Sunday Garden Parties of the previous year were started once again in June. The Haus Sängerchor responded to the enthusiasm of the crowds with encore appearances.

         Contributing in no small measure to the success of the garden parties was the momentum gained from the previous month’s Volksfest chaired by Julius Prager. This ‘peoples’ festival’ exceeded all expectations.  With the large profits achieved, the Haus paid a significant installment on its mortgage note to Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co., to the City of New Orleans paving lien for paving and subsurface drainage to South Galvez Street and on a personal loan to Sigmund Odenheimer, founding president of the Deutsches Haus.

         As an acknowledgement of their splendid performances at these fundraisers, the Board of Directors of the Haus donated a half-barrel of beer to the singers to take with them on their journey to St. Louis for the gathering of the Nord Amerika Sängerbund.

The Deutsches Haus Auxiliary

         Although the Auxiliary is on its summer break (no meeting in July or August) preparation is being made for cake sales at Usinger’s German Cold Cut Night July 23^rd and Big Band Saturday Night & BBQ Aug 21st.  Donations of cakes for the sales are urgently requested and will be gratefully accepted. Your help is also needed as a volunteer to sell cakes during these events. For further information or to volunteer, please call Trudy Burkart at 943-1588.

Photos of The Haus at Ease & Play by Stewart Eastman

NECROLOGY

George Lesage, Sr.

Husband of Lucille, Father of George, Father-in-law of Phyllis

Beloved Grandfather and Great-Grandfather

Suddenly, Wednesday, June 17th

Rest im Frieden

The Summer German Film Festival Continues at the Haus

            Thanks to the extensive German film libraries of members Anne Farmer and Ralph Mipro, Deutsches Haus is presenting a Summer Festival of German language films in the Heidelberg Halle on Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m. (with two exceptions*). All films have English subtitles and all showings are free and open to the general public.

            The audience for the films has grown steadily, bringing in movie lovers new to Deutsches Haus, thanks to the distribution of flyers at the WYES Beer Tasting, coffee houses and neighborhood businesses (by Joy Seeger and Joan Hughes), listings in Gambit and The Times-Picayune calendars and mention on WYES-TV by Peggy Scott LaBorde. And the films have been impressive, all fully restored and often mind-blowing in their genius and originality, particularly the awesome pioneering silent films.

            On July 1^st, Mephisto (1981), which received the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, is scheduled, directed by Istvan Szabo and starring Oscar nominated Klaus Maria-Brandauer, as an actor whose great success relies on collaboration with the Nazis. *There will be no film on July 8^th, because of a schedule conflict. On July 15^th, gather your courage, have some popcorn, and watch a horror double feature, the creepy silent film classic, Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari (1920) with Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt about a trip to a fair which ends in terror, along with Nosferatu: Phantom Des Nacht (1979) directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski as Bram Stoker's most feared vampire.  On July 22^nd, in director Wim Wenders' follow-up to Wings of Desire, shown in June, In Weiter Ferne, So Nah! (Faraway, So Close!) (1993), the angels return, still watching over human frailty in the confusion of post-war Berlin. On July 29^th, the movie is Hanussen (1988) director Istvan Szabo's biography of the famous mentalist starring the great actor Klaus-Maria Brandauer. On Aug. 5^th, Schlafes Bruder (Brother of Sleep) (1993) the best-selling Robert Schneider story of a 19th century musical Wunderkind directed by Joseph Vilsmaier and set in the Austrian Alps is scheduled.

*On Friday, Aug. 13^th, Der Unhold (The Ogre) (1996) starring John Malkovich in one of his finest performances as director Volker Schlöndorff’s falsely accused simple-minded man innocently sucked into a fascist maelstrom will be our only Friday night film. Our film on August 19^th will be the musical celebration Comedian Harmonists (1997), director Joseph Vilsmaier's superb story of the success and life-threatening challenges of the famous German vocal sextet of the Thirties which proves "eine legend kehrt zuruck" (the voice is mightier than the sword). The Summer German Film Festival will conclude on August 26^th with Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) (1979) novelist Gunter Grass's eerie, visionary anti-war tale directed by Volker Schlöndorff about a precocious 3-year old, who refuses to grow up in the madness of a world on the eve of WWII. 

There will be a short hiatus before beginning the autumn/winter series, until the fall semester at the Universities is in full swing in late September or October. Watch Monatsblatt and your E-mails for the schedule and be sure to let Anne Farmer (inthink@bellsouth.net) and/or Ralph Mipro (rcmip@earthlink.net) know if you have a favorite German film you want to see or if you have copies of restored films in good condition, which could be included in the upcoming series. No E-mail? Leave a note for them with the Haus Steward.

Up to Date with Damenchor and Sängerchor

Gail Perry, President-elect, Ellen Hall, Vice-President elect, Juanita Landau, Secretary-elect of Damenchor and Archivar of the national group, Eva Sadlier, acting President in the absence of Florence Jones, Marietta Herr, Virgene Biggers, Anke Tonn, Ruth Raith, Dorothea Dell, Wilma Brock, Ursula Jackson, Treasurer-elect, and Monica Belcher attended the 58th National Sängerfest of the North American Singers' Association May 21 and 22 in Peoria, Ill. Members of the Deutsches Haus Sängerchor also participated.

Friday night, Damenchor took part in a concert with the Southern District (Damenchor plus 12 groups from Texas) under the direction of Richard McGinty and scored a big hit with "Sierra Madre." On Saturday night, Damenchor & Sängerchor participated in a mass choir of over 1700 men and women singing lieder and ending with patriotic songs.  Ursula Jackson and Anke Tonn proudly placed the Deutsches Haus Damenchor banner with the great array of flags and banners decorating the stage. A post-fest picnic at Hickory Grove Park on Sunday brought the celebration to a close. Socializing with singers from all over the mid-West was rewarding, fun and worth all the months of rehearsals with Damenchor’s dedicated New Orleans director, Lyndell Rossbach, and pianist, Gini Allen.

The new officers were inducted officially on June 4^th and have begun to formulate plans for future summer and autumn activities, including a picnic and a Deutsches Haus concert open to the public. Watch Monatsblatt and your E-mails for more information.  

Damenchor rehearses the first and third Friday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Haus and welcomes new members. Membership in the Deutsches Haus is not required to participate in Damenchor. Call or E-mail Gail Perry at 985-845-9749 gwperry36@cs.com or Ellen Hall at 504-737-4262 ellenhhall@aol.com.

The Sängerchor rehearses on the first and third Friday of the month at 8:30 p.m. at the Haus [there are occasional Gemischter (Mixed) Chor rehearsals starting at 7:00 p.m] If you have any questions about activities or scheduling or wish to find out about participating call James Copeland, President of the Sängerchor,  at 504-522-8014 or E-mail him at junglejc@aol.com.

First Pre-Oktoberfest Work Party on August 14^th 

          It’s that time of year again! The Haus opens at 9:00 a.m. on August 14^th to enable us to begin the annual maintenance tasks that keep it looking good and running smoothly throughout Oktoberfest and the rest of the year. Not only do we have to prepare the Haus for Big Band Saturday Night on August 21^st but, unlikely as it seems in the heat of summer, Oktoberfest is almost upon us. The first weekend of Oktoberfest is September 24^th and 25^th!  We have only this work party and that on September 11^th to get the Haus in shape for visitors. Put on comfortable old clothes and give us a hand. If you can’t climb ladders and have “klutzitis” when faced with simple repairs, we still need your help with bookwork and organizational tasks and other sit-down jobs that are equally critical to our functioning.

          We’ll greet you with coffee, donuts, and bananas courtesy of the Deutsches Haus Auxiliary, which also provides our delicious lunches. Call Tom or Michon Shinn at 865-7101 for more information.

Volunteer Your Cooking Skills Starting in August

          Cooking for Oktoberfest begins in August on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Rotkohl, sauerkraut, sauerbraten, krautwickel, and rouladen are just a few of the favorite Oktoberfest dishes, which require advance preparation. Join us and hone your German culinary skills. Call Brigitte Gunn at

504-394-5600 or E-mail her at wgunn2@bellsouth.net or call Tom or Michon Shinn at 865-7101 or Ursula Jackson at 341-4809 to volunteer your skills.

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 deutscheshaus@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 der Monat August 2004*

Deutsches Haus opens at 4 p.m. Wed, Thurs, Fri

Unless otherwise noted, all events are after noon and in the Haus

Monatsblatt

 

Issued monthly  & bi-monthly by
Deutsches Haus

Claus Sadlier, Editor Emeritus
Barbara Fineberg, Executive Editor
medwriter@bellsouth.net
Tom Mertz, Assistant Editor
deutscheshaus@cox.net
Laura Querens, Contributing Editor
Col. Richard A. Kuntz, AUS (Ret), Contributor
Stewart K. Eastman, Photographer
Tommy Mertz, Webmeister, Mailing List
Anna Whitely, Mailing Coordinator

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