page 1:page 1 - Steuben Society of America

The Steuben News
A Newspaper by German-Americans for All Americans
DUTY • JUSTICE • CHARITY • TOLERANCE
PERMIT #12
STONY BROOK, NY 11790
ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED
CONTʼD ON PAGE 2
PAID
On May 18, 2014 Steubenites, friends and family met at the Plattduetsche
Park Restaurant in Franklin Square, NY, for a festive banquet highlighted by honoree
and German-American historian, Brother Tolzmann. Brother Tolzmann gave a wonderful presentation on Rudolf Cronau, a fellow German-American historian and cofounder of the Steuben Society of America. Don Heinrich Tolzmann has served the
Steuben Society as a Steuben brother and history advisor. He is considered the founder
of German-American Day in America. He was the co-organizer of the German
American Forum in Alexandria, VA, in 2000. Since 2004, he has served as Historian
and member of the Executive Committee of the National Council, and Co-Chair of the
Education Committee. During this time, he participated in the planning and execution
of the centennial celebration of the Steuben Monument in Washington, D.C. We are
proud to induct him into the ranks of Honorary Lifetime Members of the National
Council, joining Brother Bill Muschler and Sister Ilse Hoffmann.
In attendance was the great grandson of Rudolf Cronau, Gerold Wunderlich
and his wife, Peggy. Also recognized at the banquet were Steuben Society of America
members traveling from far and wide: Dr. Hans A. Pohlsander, Retired University
Professor, Carol Ann Fischer, Unit 50 Chair, Frank Krotschinsky, Unit 66 Chair,
Phyllis Kurz, Unit 212 Chair, Barbara DeOliveira, Unit 165 Chair, Ilse Hoffmann, Unit
985 Chair. Past NYS Council Chairlady Marcella Baumann travelled up from Florida
to attend the banquet. Supporters included Bern E. Deichmann, President Emeritus and
Board Member of the German-American Heritage Foundation as well as Helga
Minderjahn, President, and Glenn Meyran, 1st Vice President of The Plattdütsche
Volksfest Verein. Current NYS Chairlady Barbara DeOliveira took many of the banquet photos featured in this issue.
Sister Ilse Hoffmann gave the following invocation:
“Heavenly Father: As we gather here today in the celebration of our heritage
and our fraternal bonds, we give you thanks and praise for leading us to a four-fold
salute on this weekend in May of 2014. We salute our patron General von Steuben and
give thanks for all those men and women in our Armed Forces who serve to maintain
our liberties for which our patron had fought in the Revolution. We salute the Founders
of the Steuben Society of America whose clear vision and determination in 1919 established our organization to enable full participation in the governance of our nation and
the exercise of our freedoms
We salute a group of special members of our Society who marked a tenth
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
anniversary of the dedication of a Steuben Monument at the Monmouth Battlefield
Historic Park in New Jersey just yesterday, and we salute a brother among us who
has been blessed with the special ability to research, record, and teach our German
American history. He has been a member for more than 40 years and has served for
10 years in the Office of Historian on the National Council.
We remember in gratitude the many who have contributed so much to our
Society and now rest in heavenly peace, especially our Brother and Sister George and
Elisabeth Hartleb.
Lord, we ask that you continue to bless all of them along with our newly
elected National Council. Give the sisters and brothers on this Council the vision and
determination to chart the course for the coming years as we are headed for a centennial celebration. We ask for your blessings also for the Founders’ Day Committee
who labored diligently to make this banquet enjoyable and special. Please bless the
food we are about to partake and guide the coming and going of each of us in a safe
way. And most importantly, Heavenly Father, bless America! We ask this in the name
of your son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN!”
Sisters and brothers enjoyed a sumptuous banquet accompanied by wonderful entertainment provided by the Fred Huber Orchestra. Then, brother Dr. Don
Heinrich Tolzmann, the honoree of the day, gave an inspiring and interesting speech
on Steuben Society of America co-founder Rudolf Cronau, someone who he said was
his inspiration as fellow German-American historian:
“One of my favorite persons in the annals of German-American history is
Rudolf Cronau whose work I have long appreciated. He was a writer, historian, and
artist who led a multifaceted life and contributed greatly to an appreciation of the
American West, as well as to an understanding of the German heritage. It is altogether appropriate that we remember him on the 95th anniversary of the Founder’s Day
of the Steuben Society of America, since he was one of its founders. I would, therefore, like to briefly sketch the outlines of his life
and work.
He was born Rudolf Daniel Ludwig
Cronau on January 21, 1855 in Solingen in what
is now the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen.
After attending school, he moved to Düsseldorf to
attend the Art Academy, a well-known center for
the German Romantic tradition. He soon left for
military service in the Franco-Prussian War and
participated in the siege of Metz in Lorraine. After
the war, he returned to Düsseldorf to continue his
studies (with Karl Müller and Andreas
Achenbach). Two other German-American artists
are also associated with the Düsseldorf school of
painting: Emanuel Leutze and Albert Bierstadt,
the latter of whom was also born in Solingen.
Aside from his studies, Cronau began
writing, first for the local press and then for the
US POSTAGE
Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann receives
Honorary Life Membership at
95th Founders’ Day Banquet, Sunday, May 18, 2014
Past National Chairman Randall J. Ratje presents Honary Life Membership from
the National Council to Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Honoree of Foundersʼ Day
THIRD CLASS
BULK RATE
10th Anniversary of Steuben Monument at Monmouth Battlefield (L-R) Augie Daesener, Past
National Chairman, Randall J. Ratje, Siegfried Bette, Paul Bette, Rainer Kraft, John Merklin,
Reggie Bland, Tom Pfeiffer, son of deceased committee member Hans Pfeiffer.
SEE STORY PAGE 3
JULY/AUGUST 2014
Steuben Society of America
One South Ocean Ave. Suite 217
Patchogue, NY 11772
VOL. 87 NO. 5
JULY/AUGUST 2014
THE STEUBEN NEWS
Page 2
By now, he had collected a storehouse of expe- Berlin, it, like many of Cronau’s works, has
HONOREE DR. TOLZMANN’s SPEECH
rience
and
information. His first major publication been reprinted many times and is still in print,
on Rudolf Cronau
appeared
in
1885-86:
Von Wunderland zu Wunderland testifying to its importance as a Germancont’d from previous page
Gartenlaube, one of the major journals in Germany,
which was published in Leipzig. In 1877, he
moved to Leipzig to be closer to it. The journal
must have liked his work, as it sent him to the U.S.
as a correspondent in 1881; a half-brother and halfsister already lived there. He also wanted to go
because he had met an American, Agnes Fast, in
Düsseldorf and two months after his arrival, they
were married.
He wrote articles on cities in the east and
met interesting and influential persons, including
Carl Schurz, the well known Forty-Eighter who
was Secretary of the Interior. After writing about
the east, he explored the American heartland, from
the Upper Midwest across the Northern Plains. He
wrote that he was drawn to the West by “the captivating charm” and “the irresistible magic” of its
beautiful landscapes. His illustrated travel narratives were written in a lively, but literary style reminiscent of German travel authors and novelists,
such as Friedrich Gerstaecker and Charles
Sealsfield.
Schurz granted him permission to go to
Indian reservations in the west, so he spent six
months at Fort Randall in South Dakota, visiting
the nearby Sioux reservation at Standing Rock. He
met Sitting Bull (1831-91) and wrote an article
about him entitled “Der rothe Napoleon” (The Red
Napoleon). It contained his life portrait of the legendary Sioux chief, the first one ever done. This
was only five years after Custer’s Last Stand, so he
probably portrayed other participants in this battle
as well. Known as “Iron Eyes” to the Sioux
because of his wire-rimmed spectacles, Cronau
was well liked and he displayed his works at the
fort, which Indians and soldiers admired alike.
Today, a great value is placed on
Cronau’s drawings, sketches, and paintings, as they
document an important chapter in the vanishing
American West and fetch high prices on the art
market today. His great-grandson Gerold
Wunderlich has published two catalogs of his work
(Rudolf Cronau. Topographical Views of America,
1993, and Rudolf Cronau, 1855-1939 in “Wildem
Westen”: Views of the American West, 1996) and
writes:
Cronau drew in an unusual, German
Romantic style. His work exhibited extraordinary
draftsmanship, a product of having been trained at
the Düsseldorf Art Academy, as well as an indelible accuracy, and a masterful use of light and shade
that added mystery to his compositions.
He returned to the east in the winter of
1881/82 and then headed south to Florida and
Louisiana, following up with excursions that covered territory from Texas to Oregon. In late 1882,
he returned to Germany due to ill health. For whatever reason, but most likely because he was often
on the road, his marriage had also come to an end.
Please email the office your Unit News!
charvey@newliving.com. Or snail mail to the
Executive Offices. We donʼt know you have news
unless you notify us!
BELOW: Cronauʼs gravemarker located in Sleepy
Hollow Cemetary in Sleepy Hollow, NY
(From Wonderland to Wonderland), a beautifully illustrated two-volume work focusing on the American West. A
new edition of this was published in 1887 under the title:
Unter dem Sternenbanner (Under the Stars and Stripes). In
1886, he published: Fahrten im Lande der Sioux (Travels
in the Land of the Sioux) and in the same year organized
shows on the American West featuring Sioux Indians he
had brought to Germany.
He followed these publications and shows up in
1887 with a book entitled: Absonderliche Fahrten:
Episoden aus einem Wanderleben (Unusual Travels:
Episodes from a Wanderer’s Life). In 1890, he published
Im Wilden Westen (In the Wild West), describing his travels as a German artist on the Northern Plains and the
Rocky Mountains. Cronau’s works on America dealt with
topics that were of great interest in Germany: the frontier,
the Wild West, and the American Indian. Further evidence
of German interest in the West were the popular novels of
Karl May and the Wild West Shows of Buffalo Bill in
Germany.
His next publication was a two-volume work on
the discovery of America, which appeared in 1890 and
1892, just in time for the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus. Like other works of his, it
was profusely illustrated (volume one contained 230 illustrations and volume two had 270). In 1893, he reported on
the Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago
World Fair, for the Kölnische Zeitung, and it sent him
back to the U.S. as a correspondent in the following year.
By this time, he had a growing family: In 1888,
he married the soprano singer Margarete Tänzler and they
had three children, two girls and a boy, the latter two of
whom were born in the U.S. The family lived in
Washington, D.C., but then moved to New York in 1896,
with Cronau publishing his works as a freelance author in
German and German-American publications. In 1900, he
obtained U.S. citizenship and had become active in
German-American community life.
As a delegate of the United German Societies of
New York, he attended the organizational meeting that led
to the founding of the National German-American
Alliance. At this meeting, held in Philadelphia on October
6, 1901, he suggested that a monument be erected in honor
of Franz Daniel Pastorius and the German immigrant families who founded the first permanent German settlement
in America at Germantown, Pennsylvania on October 6,
1683. The Alliance endorsed his proposal and Cronau was
appointed Chairman of its German Memorial Monument
Commission.
After reviewing proposals, the Commission
chose the design presented by the German-American artist
Alfred Jaegers, who had already been commissioned to
create the Steuben Monument in Washington, D.C. The
Pastorius Monument was erected in Germantown, which
is now part of Philadelphia, with funds from the Alliance
and the U.S. Congress. It was completed in 1917, but due
to the anti-German hysteria and sentiment of World War I,
was not dedicated until 1920. As a result, it is not as well
known as the Steuben Monument, but should be as it has
national significance as a monument dedicated to the
German heritage.
Cronau’s love of the American landscape was
reflected in a book he published in 1908, his first in the
English language: Our Wasteful Nation: The story of
American Prodigality and the Abuse of our Natural
Resources. It was a pioneering work regarding the preservation of America’s natural resources. He wrote passionately about the destruction of forests; the waste of water,
soil and other mineral resources; the declining population
of birds, fish, game, fur and marine animals; the waste of
public lands, money and property. In retrospect, how
prophetic and relevant his words seem today.
In 1909, he published: Drei Jahrhunderte
deutschen Lebens in Amerika (Three Centuries of
German Life in America). This is a work of more than six
hundred pages, reflecting extensive research and is filled
with numerous illustrations. Originally published in
American history.
According to a biographical entry in
Otto Spengler’s Das deutsche Element der
Stadt New York (The German Element of the
City of New York), published in 1913,
Cronau’s place of residence was at 340 East
198th St. in New York. His occupation is listed as Schriftsteller und Maler, or writer and
painter, but writer, historian and artist might
have been a more accurate listing. His publications are listed, as are his memberships in
various organizations, including reference to The German-American artist
his having been a co-founder of the German- and historian Rudolf Cronau as
a young man.
American Alliance.
The outbreak of World War I stirred Cronau to take action against the
rising tide of anti-German propaganda, much of which flowed from the British
Bureau of Information, the British propaganda agency in the U.S. Early on in
the war, the British cut the Atlantic cable, so that all news regarding the war
came from British sources. Such news was taken as gospel truth and published
in the American press. Cronau felt compelled to counter this one-sided news
reporting by means of several works focusing on the role Britain was playing
in the propaganda war for the hearts and minds of the American people.
So he published three books on the topic: Do We Need a Third War
of Independence (1914), The British Black Book (1915), and: England, a
Destroyer of Nations (1915). At least one of these, The British Black Book, was
a translation from German of a series of articles he had written for the New
Yorker Staats-Zeitung. As German-Americans came under attack as hyphenates, he published a work defending their patriotism entitled: Our Hyphenated
Citizens: Are They Right or Wrong? (1916).
He followed up with a work that might never have been published had
it not been for the war. Cronau felt it was needed to highlight the role GermanAmericans had played in the making of America. So in 1916, he published
German Achievements in America. This was not a translation of his 1909 history, but rather an abridged version of it in English. In 1995, I edited a reprint
edition of it to make it accessible again.
He described this work as: “A tribute to the memory of the men and
women, who worked, fought and died for the welfare of this country and a
recognition of the living who with equal enterprise, genius and patriotism
helped in the making of our United States.” This work aimed to inform readers
“of the glorious past of the German element in America, of its well-nigh endless record of achievements and sacrifices on behalf of the nation, of its enduring patriotism when others failed of their duty or knew not where to turn.” In a
Contʼd on page 6
BELOW: Two of Cronauʼs etchings. TOP: Pioneerʼs Cabin. BOTTOM “Die
Gartenlaube” the building of the Brooklyn Bridge 1881 and
JULY/AUGUST 2014
THE STEUBEN NEWS
TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF STEUBEN
MONUMENT AT MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD, NJ
May 17, 2014
Address by Paul Bette:
Good Morning Everyone! On behalf of the Steuben Society of America and
the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, welcome everyone today to our celebration of
the 10th Anniversary of the unveiling of the von Steuben Statue and Monument we
see here before us at Monmouth Battlefield, the site of one of the most significant
battles of the American Revolution. We’d like to thank everyone for making the trip
today to our anniversary ceremony. Some are here from far away as New York,
Pennsylvania and Ohio.
My name is Paul Bette. I am a proud member of both of the organizations
who came together 18 years ago to embark on a project to bring this statue to
Monmouth Battlefield State Park. I am currentIy serving as the Chairman of the
Molly Pitcher Unit #54 of New Jersey and I was the Chairman of the SteubenMonmouth Monument Committee during the eight years it took to complete the
project. Today, I will be acting as your master of ceremonies.
We have handed out some material this morning, a booklet produced by the Steuben
Society of America and also a one page flyer which contains the order of speakers
for today, along with directions to the German Buffet which will be held immediately after our ceremony concludes today in Yardville, NJ.
We have a number of great speakers for you today to mark this great
achievement which occurred 10 years ago on May 15th, 2004. It was Armed Forces
Day and we were privileged to have many excellent speakers with us including representatives from the Inspector General’s Office of the US Army, Deputy Inspector
General’s Office, The German Consulate, various political figures, representatives
from the German American community and most importantly many citizens who
came out that day who would benefit from the historical and aesthetic enrichment
this statue has to offer for generations to come.
Without further ado, I have the pleasure of introducing and welcoming Dr.
Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Member of the Executive Committee of the Steuben
Society of America, who came here today all the way from Ohio. Dr. Tolzmann
whose family roots trace back to Pomerania, Germany, is the author and editor of
numerous books on German American history and culture. Among many awards, Dr.
Tolzmann has received the Bundesverdienstkreuz of the Federal Republic of
Germany, the Distinguished German American of the Year Award from the German
American Heritage Foundation, and the SGAS Outstanding Achievement Award
from the Society for German-American Studies.
Until his retirement, Dr. Tolzmann served as the curator of the German
Americana collection and as a Director of German American Studies Program at the
University of Cincinnati. As President of the Society for German American Studies,
he called for 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. In 1989 he organized the first German American
Heritage month, and since that time has actively promoted the national celebration
during the month of October. He also initiated plans for the 400th anniversary of the
arrival of the first Germans in America at Jamestown, Virginia.
He has served on the boards of many National and International organizations and
institutions, including the Deutsches Auswandererhaus in Bremerhaven and the
Friends of the German Historical institute in Washington DC. Currently, he serves as
the President of the German American Citizens League of Greater Cincinnati and as
the Curator of the German Heritage Museum there. Please join me in giving a warm
welcome to Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann!!!
ADDRESS OF DR. DON HEINRICH TOLZMANN:
Ladies and gentlemen, officers, members, and friends of the Steuben Society
of America: Guten Morgen / Moin Moin / Grüss Gott / Servus / Good Morning!
We gather today to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the dedication and
unveiling of the Steuben Monument here at the Monmouth Battlefield Park. I would
like to thank the National Council of the Steuben Society for inviting me to speak on
their behalf.
Only a few years ago, on December 4, 2010, we celebrated the centennial
of the Steuben Monument in Washington, D.C. At the lecture program held in conjunction with that celebration I spoke on the topic of “Baron von Steuben: From
Prussian Soldier of Fortune to Inspector General.” I would like to reiterate my concluding remarks:
“Then as now, the Steuben Monument provides us with the opportunity to
not only honor Baron von Steuben for his contributions to the American Revolution,
but also to learn more about him and how this Prussian soldier of fortune became
the Inspector General of the Continental Army. Von Steuben symbolizes German
contributions to America, and also the opportunities that America has offered to
German immigrants since they first arrived in 1608. His truly is a German-
Page 3
American success
story.”
These comments equally apply
to the Steuben
Monument that was
dedicated here ten
years ago on May
15, 2004. Pointing
out German contributions to America
as exemplified by
the Revolutionary
War service of von
Steuben, this monument focuses more
specifically on the
important
role
played by the Battle Brother Paul Bette introduces Dr. Don H. Tolzmann at the 10th
Anniversary of Steuben Monument at Monmouth Battlefield, NJ
of Monmouth and
the impact von Steuben had on it. The Continental troops, the “Blue Book,”
plaque on the monument highlights his which became the United States Army
training manual. In 1784, von Steuben
importance:
“On June 28, 1778, at the Battle was discharged from the military with
of Monmouth, the benefits of von honor and turned his energies to preparSteuben’s training were evidenced by the ing for the defense of New York Harbor
American troops opposing the British and designing the plans for a military
Army. The heroic American performance, academy that were later realized at West
a turn in the tide of the war, is attributed Point.”
While a monument is representain large part to the work of von Steuben.
tive
of
its
theme, it also reflects those who
Colonel Alexander Hamilton, an eyewitconceived
of it and then followed through
ness, declared that von Steuben’s system of
drilling, reviews and inspection moved the on its creation and dedication. A monuofficers and soldiers with the confidence ment therefore has a twofold meaning:
that from now on, they were on equal First, it represents a particular purpose;
secondly, it demonstrates that there was a
ground with the armies of the enemy.”
The plaque also illuminates von driving force behind its creation.
In the case of this monument we
Steuben’s contributions to the American
wish
to
recognize the members of the
Revolution by further stating:
“Von Steuben was instrumental Steuben Monument Committee: Paul
in further American victories, including Bette (Initiator and Chairman), Siegfried
the defeat of the British at Yorktown in Bette and Rainer Kraft who were joined
1781, where the Baron received the over- by Rich Walling, President of Friends of
ture of capitulation at Yorktown in 1781 Monmouth Battlefield, and, later, by
from the British General Cornwallis. August Daesener, John Merklin, Reggie
During 1778-79, von Steuben prepared a Bland, Michael Weisz, Hans Pfeiffer, and
complete set of regulations for
Contʼd next page
NEWLY ELECTED NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS (L to R) Elyse Land, 2nd
Trustee, Randall J. Ratje, 1st Trustee, Barbara DeOliveira, Financial Secretary
Robert Land, National Chairman, Ilse Hoffmann, Secretary, Thomas W. Cornell, 1st
Vice Chair, Mary Ostaseski, Treasurer, Charlotte Arndt, 3rd Vice Chair
Absent: Don Heinrich Tolzmann, 2nd Vice Chair
JULY/AUGUST 2014
Contʼd from previous page
Randall Ratje. The Steuben Society
Committee included members of the
Peter Muehlenberg Unit in Clark, New
Jersey; the Molly Pitcher Unit in
Freehold, New Jersey; and the National
Council.
Commenting on their service
during the dedication in 2004 Paul Bette
observed that “not only was the unveiling
of the monument being celebrated, but,
importantly:
…the efforts of 10 concerned citizens who
have devoted a good part of their lives
over the past 8 years to ensure von
Steuben would be permanently looking
over the fields where the troops he trained
earned their first victory on the battlefield
under his watchful eye. Historians may
debate whether or not the victory at
Monmouth was indeed a victory, but I
think the mere fact that an American flag
flies here at Monmouth rather than a
British one is good enough for this amateur historian.”
Paul also made the following
important points. First: “many
Americans to this day do not know of the
important role von Steuben played in
American history, and for that matter, the
history of the world as we know it.”
Second: “I think it is extremely important
that the past be remembered, especially
those who have made significant contributions to our nation and our heritage.”
The
Steuben
Monument
Committee’s goals were: *to build awareness for a great hero of the American
Revolution, *to beautify the Monmouth
Historic Park and enhance its historical
interpretation; and, *to promote membership in the Steuben Society of America
and the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield,
Inc. All of these goals have been achieved
by the creation of the Steuben Monument.
And, these goals fully reflect the purpose
of the Steuben Society, which 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.”
We are very thankful that the
Steuben Monument Committee had the
vision to take on this project and see it
through to completion. Additionally, gratitude is due to all of the principal donors
whose names are listed on the monument
and to members and friends of the Society
from near and far who remained committed to the support of the project over the
years.
Several historians have tried to
define what a monument is. In the 1750s
Johann Martin Chaldenius described a
monument as “a thing which leads children to ask their parents about origins
and significance.” Writing a century later
in the 1850s Johann Gustav Droysen
called them “remnants of a past age,
bearing witness for future generations to
a specific event and the associated
THE STEUBEN NEWS
ideas.” More recently, Ulrich Schlie has
written that they “offer traces of history in
the present and constitute part of the
national memory, recalling our legacy
and confronting us with an ongoing past.”
And Pierre Nora refers to them as “places
of memory,” describing them as “the ultimate embodiments of a commemorative
consciousness that survives in a history,
which, having renounced memory, cries
out for it.”
These comments help us to
understand the significance of a monument with regard to the past, present and
future. They also relate more closely to the
German word for a monument:
“Denkmal.” This is a word consisting of
two parts: “Denk” and “Mal.” The former comes from the German verb
“denken,” which means to think, while
the latter means monument. The German
word therefore means a memorial monument, a place to think about the purpose
of the monument.
Since the Steuben Monument
aims “to build awareness of a great
American hero of the American
Revolution” and since the Steuben
Society aims to educate the public about
German contributions to America, mention should be made of two noteworthy
biographies of von Steuben.
The first of these appeared before
the American Civil War, almost six
decades after von Steuben’s death in
1794.This biography was written by
Friedrich Kapp, editor of the New Yorker
Abend-Zeitung, who arrived in New York
in 1850 after participating in the
Revolution of 1848. Fortunately, the sixteen volumes of Steuben’s papers were
located nearby at the New York Historical
Society and Kapp made extensive use of
them. In 1858 Kapp’s work appeared in
German in Philadelphia under the title:
Leben des Amerikanischen Generals
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. In the following year, an English-language edition
was published in New York as: The Life of
Frederick William von Steuben, MajorGeneral in the Revolutionary Army. A
classic work on the topic, consisting of
more than seven hundred pages, it still is
in print today. Like the statue we celebrate
here, it is a monumental work.
A less voluminous biography of
von Steuben was written by one of the
founding fathers of the Steuben Society,
Rudolf Cronau. He was the author of two
histories of the German element in the
U.S.: Drei Jahrhunderte deutschen
Lebens in Amerika (1909) and German
Achievements in America (1916). Both of
these works contained a chapter on von
Steuben, which became the basis for his
biography entitled The Army of the
American Revolution and its Organizer
(1923). In a mere one hundred and fifty
pages he concisely told the story of the life
and work of von Steuben. He described
him as “one of the most heroic figures in
American history.” To make Cronau’s
work available again, I edited reprints of
his 1916 German-American history
Page 4
(reprinted in 1995
and 2012) and of
the 1923 biography
of
von
Steuben (reprinted in 1998 and
2004). For the
introduction of the
latter I wrote:
“This
biography
of
Baron
von
Steuben was published
shortly
after the First
World War, in
1923, which certainly was a low (L-R) Founderʼs Day Banquet: Ilse Hoffmann, Bern E.
point
in
the Deichmann, Dr. Hans Pohlsander (seated)
German-American
Martin. Dr. Martin is a long time member
experience. Cronau saw it as his task to of the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield,
make known the role German-Americans and is currently serving as their President.
had played in the history of the U.S., and He has written the most detailed scholarin this particular case, the role that Baron ly study of Molly Pitcher in print, “A
von Steuben had played in the American Molly Pitcher Sourcebook,” in addition
Revolution. Written in a popular style for to writing brochures and tour guides for
the general public, this work provides the Monmouth battlefield. All together he
basic facts with regard to the contribu- has written over 25 books on the
tions made by Baron von Steuben. Revolution and Civil War. His book
Moreover, it also provides information on “New Jersey at Gettysburg Guidebook”
German-American life after World War was recently named New Jersey referOne, and on the newly formed Steuben ence book of the year by the New Jersey
Society of America.”
Studies Academic Alliance. He has
Perhaps the best summation of served on New Jersey’s Abraham Lincoln
his accomplishments can be found in the Bicentennial Commission and Civil War
inscription on his gravesite in Remsen, Sesquicentennial Committee. He is head
New York: “Indispensable to the editor of Longstreet House Publishers
Achievement
of
the
American and is a teacher and administrator at the
Revolution.” I might add that von Peddie School in Hightstown, New
Steuben’s contributions are emblematic of Jersey. Please welcome Dr. David
those that German-Americans have made Martin!
and which have been indispensable for
the making of the United States of MARTIN SPEECH (Will be published
America. The Steuben Monument at the next issue due to lack of space availabiliMonmouth Battlefield Park reminds us of ty)
them both.
The anniversary of this Steuben
Our next speaker is also from the
Monument should also compel us to Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, Vice
inspire further initiatives like the one we President and Treasurer of the Friends
see here. It is the first one built in this cen- Mr. George Dawson. Mr. Dawson began
tury. In our day, we have the great gift of his career as a journalist and writer both
communicating even electronically, so we here in New Jersey and Massachusetts for
can spread words and pictures in cele- over 20 years. He also worked as a writer
brating our legacy. But there is no substi- and public information officer in the New
tute for walking in a park like this, sitting Jersey state government at the Board of
near a sculpture, and feeling the majestic Public utilities and the Department of
impact of its message that is to be appre- Environmental Protection and Energy
ciated by generations to come.
from 1980 – 1994. He currently serves as
On behalf of our National the City historian in New Brunswick,
Council, sincere thanks and congratula- New Jersey. He has been active in various
tions to our New Jersey stewards of this history and community organizations in
Steuben Monument. The National New Brunswick and environs in the 20
Council and the author are indebted to years since. Everyone please welcome
Siegfried Bette for quotations from the Mr. George Dawson!
dedication speeches in 2004.
A list of statues and monuments DAWSON SPEECH (not available for
is based on Steubenite Hans A. reprint at this time of publication)
Pohlsander’s German Monuments in the
Americas: Bonds across the Atlantic. Our next speaker is my good friend Mr.
(Oxford: Peter Lang, 2010), which also Rainer Kraft, representing the Peter
discusses busts and historic plaques ded- Muehlenberg Unit #398 of Clark New
icated to von Steuben.”
Jersey. As you may already be aware, the
Our next speaker is Dr. David Contʼd on page 6
(Right Column)
JULY/AUGUST 2014
THE STEUBEN NEWS
Chairman’s Message:
Dear Steuben Brothers and Sisters, Thank you for your
support in re-electing me to continue as your chairman. I
pledge to continue to seek new ways to keep the society's programs moving forward. One of the most pressing goals is the
need for a membership drive for all of the units and the support of our educational and historic sites activities, Also, we
will need to update office equipment and find a new home for
some archival materials.
The month of May was a very busy time. We observed
Armed Forces Day by celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Steuben Monument
in New Jersey and also the 95th Founders Day on Long Island N.Y. Thanks go to
Brother Paul Bette for creating an uplifting and informative program of speeches at
the statue in the beautiful historic park. Thanks also go to all past and present members who gave their time and money to make this monument a reality. I was honored to participate in the wreath-laying and later at a luncheon to congratulate
Brother Paul Bette on 25 years of membership in our society.
The National Council brought Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann from
Cincinnati, OH, to New York to be a speaker at both, the 10th Anniversary in New
Jersey and at the 95th Founders Day Banquet in New York. The focus of his presentation in New Jersey was on our members who initiated the monument and on the
members who are faithfully maintaining and supporting it. At the banquet, Dr.
Tolzmann focused on one of our founders Rudolf Cronau, a remarkable historian
and painter.We were especially pleased to welcome Rudolf Cronau's great grandson Mr. Gerold Wunderlich and his wife Peggy as our guests. I would like to give
special thanks to Sister Elyse Land, Sister Barbara DeOliveira and Sister Ilse
Hoffmann for devoting much time and effort into making Founders Day a success.
I also want to thank all the units, members and friends who placed ads in
the souvenir journal and those who sponsored a veteran to attend Founders Day.
Sister Phyllis Kurz has retired from her position as National Treasurer to give more
time to her grandchildren. We thank her for her many years of service and we will
continue to work with her on the State Council level. I have called an executive
meeting on June 21 to address matters not resolved in the April meeting. I will also
discuss the Steuben Parade which is on Sept 20. Wishing you all a wonderful summer season.
Fraternally yours, Bob Land
95th FOUNDERS DAY BANQUET PHOTOS
TOP CLOCKWISE: 1. Val Engesser and Margo Collins, 2. Poughkeepsie Chairlady
Carol Anne Fischer with her husband Eberhard, 3. Islip Unit members Bob and
Bernadette Shaw and Tom and Gerda Cornell 4. National Secretary Ilse Hoffmann
and First Lady Elyse Land receive flowers 5. Frank, Angelina and Alexandria
Ferrara
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. 4 JULY/AUGUST 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 steubensociety@aol.com. That email is no longer active. Please be
advised that our office can now be reached by emailing:
SteubenSocietyNatl@yahoo.com
Or snail mail us at:
Steuben Society of America
1 S Ocean Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772
Tel 631-730-5111
THANK YOU!
JULY/AUGUST 2014
CRONAU contʼd from page 2
concluding chapter he writes: “Now is
the time, when every citizen should take
to heart the admonition of Carl Schurz:
“My country! When right, keep it right;
when wrong, set it right!” which far surpasses the saying: “My country, right or
wrong!”
In addition to his publications,
Cronau devoted time to charitable activities on behalf of Germany before the
American entrance into the First World
War. He and his wife organized the
Quarter Collection, requesting contributions of a quarter for widows and children
of Germany. As a result of their charitable efforts, six orphanages were established in Germany.
In 1923, Cronau published a
biography of von Steuben: The Army of
the American Revolution and its
Organizer. It not only provides a concise
and well-illustrated biography of von
Steuben, but also sheds light on the
founding of the Steuben Society of
America. It was another work that I
thought should be made available again,
so I edited a reprint edition of it in 1998.
Cronau writes of the demise of the
German-American Alliance, noting that
the chairman of the Judiciary Committee
of the U.S. Senate, William H. King of
Utah, had become obsessed with bringing
about its end and had submitted a bill to
repeal its charter. Cronau writes: “As
there was no hope for justice from such
prejudiced enemies the board of directors
of the German-American Alliance decided to dissolve voluntarily.”
At the time, Cronau was president of the Bronx County branch of the
Alliance, so he urged its members not to
dissolve the organization, but change its
name to something like the George
Washington League or the Steuben
Society. According to him, most were
“discouraged by the hostile attitude of the
government toward everything German”
and therefore voted for postponement of
the matter. The situation remained so
until the spring of 1919, when Cronau
brought the question up again, this time
causing a group to gather, which led to
ABOVE Cronauʼs drawing of Sitting Bull,
made soon after the Battle of the Little
Bighorn. RIGHT: Dr. Tolzmann with Gerold
Wunderlich, the great grandson of Rudolf
Cronau at 95th Founderʼs Day Banquet
THE STEUBEN NEWS
the founding of the Steuben Society of
America.
He therefore was not only one
of its founding fathers, but also the
instigator of the meeting that led to its
formation. Additionally, he made the
motion that September 17th, the day of
Steuben’s birth, be celebrated as
Steuben Day, and the first such celebration took place at Morris High School in
the Bronx in 1922. This celebration of
course has now evolved into the annual
Steuben Parades held in New York,
Philadelphia, and Chicago, but the idea
for celebrating Steuben’s birthday goes
back to Cronau.
In 1919, he published another
pioneering work, this one on women’s
history entitled: Woman Triumphant:
The Story of Her Struggles for Freedom,
Education and Rights. Here we might
note that women in the U.S. obtained
the right to vote in the 1920 election and
that German-Americans in particular
were looking to German-American
women to double their vote against the
party of Woodrow Wilson for the
wrongs and injustices they had endured
during the war.
For the 300th anniversary of the
city of New York in 1926, he published
a work on the role Germans played in
the founding of New Amsterdam, showing that it was not exclusively a Dutch
foundation, but that Germans were also
involved. In the same year, he published
The Destruction of the American
Brewing Industry, showing how disastrous Prohibition had been for the
American economy.
In the 1920s, Cronau also published two works dealing with
Columbus: The Discovery of America
and the Landfall of Columbus (1921)
and: The Last Resting Place of
Columbus: A Monograph Based on
Personal Investigations (1926). These
were no doubt based on his two-volume
German-language work on the topic,
which appeared in the 1890s.
In 1931, he and his wife visited
Germany, stopping at his hometown,
where he deposited a collection of his
works at the City Archive; a collection
of his works can also be found at the
German Society of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia.
In 1934, Cronau published a
history of the German Society of New
York on the occasion of its 150th
anniversary, with this work appearing as
a German/English edition. In addition to
the works discussed here, Cronau also
Page 6
published several
other
fascinating
works on a variety
of topics, such as
the history of the
cutlery industry in
his hometown, a history of advertising,
and even one on the
topic of cloud formations. In gratitude for his research
and publications on
Columbus, Cronau
was invited by the
Dominican Republic
to spend the winter
of 1936/37 in Santo
Domingo,
which
awarded him an
honorary doctorate.
Shortly
before his death at
age eighty-four on
October 27, 1939,
he completed his
autobiography entitled Auf des Lebens
Wellen und Wogen:
Fahrten, Kämpfe,
Abenteuer
und
Leistungen
eines
stets wanderfrohen
Ű berseedeutschen
(On the Surging
Waves of Life: On Wednesday, June 4, 2014, the Henry E. Steinway Unit, No 66, of
Travels, Struggles, Patchogue, New York held its annual Strawberry Fest and Awards
Adventures,
and Night. This year the Unit gave out $150.00 cash awards to six graduating high school seniors who are going on to college. The Unit also
Achievements of a took time to honor its longtime Education Committee Chairlady
Happy
German Louise Planck Terry with a bouquet of flowers.
Wanderer Abroad).
This work remains Pictured TOP: Unit Chairman Frank Krotschinsky presenting flowers
to Sr. Louise Planck Terry also pictured is Sr. Terry's daughter and
unpublished and on grandson.
file with his collection in Solingen, and Also Pictured Below from Left to Right: Unit Chairman Frank
is definitely worthy Krotschinsky with award recipients Alexander Miller, Adele RatjeMundell, Jake Kramer, Kerrianne Engesser and Anna Israelian (Not
of translation and Pictured: Haley Lampione).
publication.
understanding of American history by
Cronau is buried at the family
means of his artistic portrayals of the
plot in Tarrytown, New York at the Sleepy
American West and his numerous publiHollow Cemetery, near the burial site of
cations documenting German contribuCarl Schurz who he admired and often
tions to the making of America. His
cited. In German Achievements in
books and works of art still sell today, the
America, Cronau quotes him as follows:
monument he proposed still stands in
Our ideals resemble the stars,
Philadelphia, Steuben’s birthday is celewhich illuminate the night. No one will
brated in September as he suggested, and
ever be able to touch them. But the men,
the society he urged be founded now
who like sailors on the ocean take them
looks forward to its centennial.
for guides, will undoubtedly reach their
goal.
STEUBEN
MONUMENT
10TH
Cronau was such an idealist and
ANNIVERSARY SPEECHES
the journey he took during his long and
Cont’d from page 3
productive life resulted in enriching our
Steuben Monument project and Rainer
Kraft was one of the original SteubenMonmouth
Monument
Committee
Members and also officer of the Peter
Muehlenberg Unit. Rainer was responsible for formulating and delivering on the
Business Plan which was used in order to
obtain financial backing of the Steuben
Society America. The business plan gave
us immediate credibility, and it spelled
out how the money would be raised for
the necessary funds to erect the statue.
Rainer and I are actually switching roles
today – 10 years ago Rainer acted as
Master of Ceremonies during the unveil-
Contʼd Next page
JULY/AUGUST 2014
THE STEUBEN NEWS
Page 7
STEUBEN Monument Speches Committee, it was quite a struggle to spirit so well. He could have easily inspire you to fight the good fight and conContʼd from previous page
ing of the Steuben Monument at
Monmouth Battlefield State Park and I
was the speaker…Glad to see you again
Rainer after many years – the podium is
yours…
RAINER KRAFT’S SPEECH:
“Purpose and Inspiration”
Allow me to echo those before me
in welcoming you all here today and
thanking you for your attention and interest.
My thanks to you are meant very
sincerely. By coming to this anniversary
celebration today, you are choosing to
give some of your limited time to honor
and reflect on the contributions of a hero,
of a great German- American, of a man
who set an example for all.
And in spending your time here
today, you are also setting an example
yourself. You are acknowledging and validating what this man did, what he stood
for. And beyond that, you are paying
respects to millions of others who came to
the United States and helped make this
country a success through their hard
work, sacrifice and commitment to a better future, because that is part of what
this statue represents.
In short, you are here, taking
time out of your lives to celebrate von
Steuben and, in doing so, are celebrating
the contributions of millions of immigrants, German and otherwise, who lived
purposeful lives and helped make this
country what it is today.
Indeed, I hope you leave here
today with an invigorated sense of purpose to your own lives because that was
what von Steuben was all about and that
is the primary subject of my speech
today: purpose and inspiration.
But first, let me briefly reflect on
10 years ago, when the Steuben
Monmouth Monument Committee realized a dream and erected this graceful
statue here on Monmouth battlefield to
commemorate von Steuben and his critical contributions to the events of June 28,
1778:
Like
everybody
on
the
Steuben Monument, Monmouth
Battlefield, NJ
balance life’s many responsibilities,
including in my case a young family, job,
etc., with the goal of trying to bring this
project to completion. Yet complete it we
all did, together, at significant personal
sacrifice, and with the essential help of
many gracious donors. It is something
for which everybody can rightly be proud
as we, to borrow from Dr. Tolzmann’s
speech, contributed to the “commemorative consciousness that survives in a history”.
And that explains why, even
though life seems even busier today than
10 years ago, we have come together
again to reminisce and celebrate all the
hard work that culminated in this majestic statue for all the public to enjoy.
But, 10 years ago, was it all
about just this historical man, this battlefield, those events in the distant past,
this hunk of metal? What really led us to
bother? And why do others who had
nothing to do with this statue come here
to look and learn? And having done so,
why do so many walk away with something positive about von Steuben and his
story that we have memorialized here?
Allow me to give you my personal hypothesis. I believe that the reason
we are here and why we and many others
care about General von Steuben and
what he did is less because it was historically significant, though it certainly
was, but because 1) Deep inside us, we
admire the sense of purpose von Steuben
embodied, his dedication to achieving
something meaningful, and, further, 2)
This sense of purpose inspires us, it
motivates us to get up and do meaningful
things in our lives, to invest in a better
world, to sacrifice as he did for the
greater good.
And that, my friends, is one of
the secrets to success for every family,
sports team, company, community and
country in the world. Von Steuben carried this sense of purpose, this desire to
contribute to a better future, in his heart.
So did millions of Germans and others
who came to this country and passed
these values on to the next generations.
Without the spirit, commitment and contributions of people like Friedrich
Wilhelm von Steuben, we would not be
where we are today and we know it. And
the world would be a worse place for all.
But von Steuben did exist and he
was
indispensable
to America’s
Revolution and it all had a happy ending. And his sense of purpose provides
inspiration and emboldens us to march
forward ourselves, it gives us the
courage and energy to face life’s challenges, new and old, every day, as he did.
And while a sense of purpose
and willingness to sacrifice is not exclusive to either von Steuben nor the many
other German- Americans that preceded
and followed him, this stereotype that so
many do associate with the German
immigrants is not unjustified.
All my youth, I grew up with
comments about German - Americans’
work ethic, tenacity, thoroughness and
penchant for getting things done, from
Jamestown to the sports field all the way
to helping America land on the moon.
And von Steuben embodies this
given up in the face of what seemed
like an impossible task, facing the
greatest military power on earth,
instructing groups of largely untrained
irregulars at Valley Forge with no
existing, standardized manuals and
barely any supplies, in winter conditions so harsh they made our last winter seems like a Caribbean vacation.
But he did not give up.
He persevered, soldiered on
tirelessly from Valley Forge to
Monmouth to the Southern campaign
to the very end when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.
And it was here, on June 28,
1778, at the Battle of Monmouth, during that great fight for freedom, that
von Steuben’s intense training at Valley
Forge led to what some call an “indecisive victory”, others an America victory (since the British retreated and
left the battlefield first). But either
way, this victory demonstrated that the
American colonists were able to withstand the British army. This boosted
morale, improved
Washington's reputation as the
Commander- in- Chief and imbued into
the soldiers a strong will to persevere,
endure, triumph over obstacles and
bring independence to the United
States.
When I come here and look
upon this monument, and then think
about what it means to me personally,
how it relates to my own hopes and
dreams, I draw inspiration for the
future. Inspiration to follow in the footsteps of von Steuben and the millions of
others who lived purposeful lives to
help build a better society.
And that relates to the point
made by Dr. Tolzmann when he discussed that the whole point of monuments is to make people think, to cause
society to recall important people and
their contributions, to "bear witness
for future generations to a specific
event and the associated ideas". This
monument passes an important message to future generations about following von Steuben’s example, working
hard, persevering and fighting for a
better future.
In that vein, I hope my own
and thousands of other children will,
over many years, see this statue, read
the inscriptions and be inspired by von
Steuben and his example of purposeful
living, of sacrifice for the greater
good, of working towards the betterment of mankind.
And if we reach just a few of
those next generations, having preserved for them with this monument the
story of the contributions of General
von Steuben, then we all - the Steuben
Society of America, the Friends of
Monmouth Battlefield and all those of
donated, we will all have contributed
to a better community, a better country
and a more hopeful world.
With that, pat yourselves on
the back as you leave here today,
remember why we did this, why you
helped and cared, and carry forward
every day the spirit of von Steuben into
your purposeful lives. Let von Steuben
tribute to a better tomorrow every day!
Thank you very much!
Ten years have gone by fairly
quickly. Our statue and monument have
withstood many bad storms, hurricanes,
even an earthquake a few years back. The
foundation of this project was a strong one
(both literally and figuratively)– to educate the public regarding the resolve,
strength and courage of this great man,
General von Steuben. I would say that
hundreds of thousands if not millions have
passed by and read the inscriptions on this
statue in ten years and have learned something about a hero who is unfortunately
still overlooked in today’s history classes.
When we undertook this program,
we had some tremendous backing of many
of you here today – and I thank you all
once again for all the work you did to
make this happen. I see some you like
Christa Wimmer who helped publicize this
project via the German newspapers, Ted
and Mathilde Hierl who helped spread the
word through their German American
Radio Program, members of the Steuben
Society of America and the Friends of
Monmouth Battlefield who chipped in one
way or another to make this project happen.
Most importantly, for my closing
remarks today, I also want to recognize
those people who were huge supporters of
the project who are no longer with us.
Many of these names appear on the statue
as Principal Donors, forever documenting
their participation and support of our
noble project but unfortunately have
passed away since the statue was unveiled:
First and foremost, Hans Pfeiffer,
past President of the Lakewood
Maennerchor, Officer of the Molly Pitcher
Unit and member of the SteubenMonmouth Monument Committee. His
inspiration and enthusiasm helped to
ensure our project would be successful.
Hans told me once that “this was the greatest achievement in my lifetime”. We really miss you Hans and wish you were here
with us today. Your energy and enthusiasm
made this project happen. You gave the
project a kick start when it needed it. And
thanks to the organization that you led, the
membership
of
the
Lakewood
Maennerchor who donated more than any
other organization towards this statue.
Next is Mr. Ted Hierl. Although
his name does not appear on the statue, the
German Heritage Council of New Jersey
which he chaired for many years does. Ten
years ago Ted was one of our guest speakers
at
the
unveiling.
A
Bundesverdiestkreuz winner, this great
German American Radio personality is
greatly missed. Ted often promoted this
project on his German American radio
program free of charge so that our project
would get much needed publicity and
financial backing. His wife and son Ralf
continue his German Language radio program still to this day.
Anyone who is a senior member
of the Steuben Society will know George
and Bette Hartleb. George was the first
person I met from the Steuben Society 26
years ago this past summer at the Garden
State Arts Center at the German Heritage
Contʼd Next page
Page 8
Steuben Monument
Contʼd from previous page
Festival which Ted Hierl organized and chaired for many years.
George was a true Steubenite till
the day he died. Both he and his
wife were very proud of their heritage and of the Society they were
members of for over 50 years!
Very skeptical at first, George
became one of the biggest supporters of our project and was present
at the 5th anniversary commemoration. The Hartlebs were principal
donors to the Steuben-Monmouth
Monument Fund.
Eugene Schwedt of the
Peter Muehlenberg Unit of the
Steuben Society. Eugene was
always a positive influence on the
project. As secretary of the Peter
Muehlenberg Unit, Gene helped
out with many of the tasks notifying organizations of our fundraising events and other critical tasks.
Gene and his wife Bernice were
Principal Donors to the SteubenMonmouth Monument Fund.
Robert Diedolf, Esq.
Former National Chairman of the
Steuben Society of America and
Principal Donor to the fund. Mr.
Diedolf provided the necessary
legal counsel to us before we
added Randy Ratje as Committee
member and legal counsel.
Dietrich Hoffmann, who
was Chairman of the General
Louis
Blenker
Unit
(New
Rochelle) before it merged with
White Plains and Dieter was a
Delegate to the National Council
and member of the NC Public
Affairs Committee. Dietrich was a
huge supporter and he let be
known in many National Council
meetings I attended in Ridgewood
Queens. His wife Ilse, another
huge supporter of the project and
our National Secretary, is here
with us today.
Erika Schumacher was a
devoted Steuben member from the
Pastorius Unit, who helped the
Society survive at a critical point
with her generosity. She passed
away several years ago as did
another principal donor Sister
Mary Finke.
Finally, I would like to
mention Mr. James Raleigh, former President of the Friend of
Monmouth Battlefield. We lost a
great partner last year with the
passing of Jim Raleigh. Jim provided enthusiasm and support for
our project and helped us along
with former Friends President
Rich Walling in ensuring that the
THE STEUBEN NEWS
State of New Jersey would allow us to
place this beautiful statue here at
Monmouth Battlefield. Jim conducted
tours of the battlefield for Steuben
Society members to educate us on
von Steuben’s role here at the Battle
of Monmouth. He will be greatly
missed.
If I have missed anyone, it
was not done intentionally. Many
things happen in ten years and it’s
impossible to keep track of everyone
who was involved in this huge undertaking.
I would like to conclude the
speaking part of today’s ceremony by
introducing the original Steuben
Monmouth Monument Committee
members who are here with me today.
Please come up and stand with me
here once more as we conclude our
ceremonies for today.
My father, Siegfried Bette,
Rainer Kraft, Randall J. Ratje, John
Merklin, Reggie Bland, August
Daesener, and representing his father
Hans Pfeiffer, Thomas Pfeiffer.
Thanks once again to all of
you for everything you did to make
this statue a reality. And also thanks
for helping to maintain it year after
year. I am also very happy to
announce that in recent years my
sons, Christopher and Michael Bette
who unveiled the statue 10 years ago,
and Johny Merklin, son of Committee
member John Merklin, are now also
helping out with the yearly maintenance of the statue.
We will conclude our program today with a wreath laying,
which will be carried out by the representatives of the two organizations
who made this project a reality: the
National Chairman of the Steuben
Society of America Mr. Robert Land
and Dr. David Martin, President of
the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield.
This concludes our program
for today, thanks again to everyone
for coming. Thanks again everyone
and enjoy your day.
Steubenite and Brother
The Honorable
Royden A. Letsen
Passes Away
Brother Letsen, a former
New York State Senator from
Yonkers, died May 26. He was 95.
Lesten attended the University of
Pennsylvania where he received his
B.S. in Economics from the Wharton
School of Finance & Commerce. He
“Soul of Germany” to
be continued next
month
FOR MEMBERSHIP INFO: Steuben Society of America
One South Ocean Avenue, Suite 217, Patchogue, NY 11772
email: SteubenSocietyNatl@yahoo.com or call 631-730-5111
received his M.B.A. in Personnel
Administration from New York
University. He received his doctorate in Jurisprudence from New
York Law School.
He was a former Partner
in the law firm of Griffen, Letsen,
Coogan & Veneruso, of Bronxville
and worked currently in the
General Practice of Law and of
counsel to Robert I. Eber, Esq.,
Tarrytown. He was a member of
the Yonkers Lawyer's Association;
Westchester
County
Bar
Association and N.Y. State Bar
Association; admitted to practice
before the N.Y. State Bar, The
Supreme Court, U.S.A.; the
Eastern and Southern Districts of
the Federal Court in the State of
NY; and the U.S. Court of Military
Appeals.
His
civic
activities
include; communicant of the
Roman Catholic Church of the
Immaculate
Conception
in
Tuckahoe; Fourth Degree Knight
and member of LaRabida Council,
Knights of Columbus; past commander, Alan F. Waite Post #299,
American Legion; past chairman
Central Committee of War
Veterans Organization, City of
Yonkers; colonel, U.S. Army
Reserve, (Ret.); past president of
the Rotary Club of East Yonkers;
past president Advisory Board,
Catholic Youth Organization; past
president Yonkers Chapter, United
Nations Association
Lesten is survived by his
children, James R. Letsen (Maria)
and Joyce A. Lynch (Dorsey); and
four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Agnes Letsen.
Services were held May
29-30, 2014 at the Flynn Memorial
Home. A Funeral Mass was celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May
30 at the Immaculate Conception
Church, Tuckahoe. Burial followed at the Gate of Heaven
Cemetery,
Hawthorne,
NY.
Donations may be made to St.
John's Riverside Hospital.
Reprinted
from
the
yonkers.dailyvoice.com
BELOW RIGHT: An ad
that advertised Brother Letsen’s
run for public office
ABOVE RIGHT: More
photos from the Steuben
M o n u m e n t
Ceremony
at
M o n m o u t h
Battlefield
State
Park, NJ.
JULY/AUGUST 2014
calendar of events
7/4 Henry Steinway Unit Patchogue July 4th Parade
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. Grandstand tickets must be purchased in advanced. For
more info www.germanparadenyc.org
Please email your calendar items to: SteubenNewsEditor@gmail.com
1-2 months prior to your event.