D A N K

DANK
Deutsch ∙ Amerikanischer ∙ National ∙ Kongress
Juni 2012
Präsident
Jeff Engel
jeffchuck1@aol.com
217/744-8148
Erster Vizepräsident
Bonnie Matheis
bmatheis463958@yahoo.com
Co-Phone Committee
Zweiter Vizepräsident
Chuck Martin
jeffchuck1@aol.com
Co-Editor Newsletter
Schatzmeister • Treasurer
Bob Gobel
RGobelCPA@sbcglobal.net
Sekretärin • Secretary
Lynne Wright
frauleinale@aol.com
Co-Editor Newsletter
Vorstandsmitglieder •
Board of Directors
Edith Baumhardt
e.baumhardt@comcast.net
217/793-2315
Robin Fuchs
RobinLFuchs@aol.com
Paul Herche
upward@warpnet.net
Educational Programs
Pat Milner
pjmilner1359@yahoo.com
217/585-0387
Gisela Motzkus
g. motzkus @comcast.net
217/787-9575
Historian/Membership
William Ryan
blry@sbcglobal.net
217/793-2549
Co-Phone Committee
Cathy Sweitzer
Cats4613@aol.com
Springfield DANK
P.O. Box 2085
Springfield, IL 62705
:
A MUST READ FROM DANK NATIONAL!
DANK National is now promoting a Summer Membership Drive
which runs from June 1st to October 30th. DANK is offering a special
pro-rated membership fee to new members who join during this time
period only. The fee, $30 per single/head of household will be reduced
to $15; spouses from $10 to $5. ($20/couple). This will cover membership
dues for the balance of 2012. Please Note: For 2013, the renewal rate is
$40/head of household.
Brief vom Präsidenten
This is a perfect reason to invite all of your friends to join our club! We are an
extremely fast growing and fun club! We have many fun and informative events
throughout the year. Guess what? Do We of German Heritage really need a reason to
throw a party, have great guest speakers, enjoy a bus trip, experience fascinating tours,
have an event to eat great food, let alone shop for it, sample a little beer or wine, German of
course, and the most mind blowing and unbelievable Gemütlichkeit! Probably not! We
have a lot to offer!
We are blasting off to the second half of a great new year. Membership is cheap!
Less than a tank of gas! Give it as a gift! I know your family, children, and friends would
enjoy what we have to offer! There are events for every one! In each newsletter there is a
membership application. It is not decoration, honestly! You really can use it! Give it a try!
Remember our mission, "Our goal is to promote our German heritage"! It just can't be
more simple! Enough said!
I am happy to see 25 students and two teachers who are leaving for Ingolstadt,
Bavaria, Germany on July 7th with GAP (German-American Program) program.
Springfield DANK has helped with many of their fundraisers to make this possible. We
wish them a safe, educational, and cultural trip of a lifetime! These wonderful exchange
programs create friendships of a lifetime! It also proves that we are really pretty much the
same! Enjoy your classes, new families, and your incredible new surroundings! Have A
Blast!
God! Last month's events were great! The SMBC outdid itself serving some of the
best German food at the 3rd Wednesday German meal. The food, desserts from our club
members was outrageous! Really, really, sorry if you missed it! We celebrated birthdays,
anniversaries, and paid tribute to All of the Veterans who attended, and said prayers and
gave thanks to All of the men and woman of the armed forces who keep us safe! God bless
each and every one of you!
Thanks again to Fred and Monica Stachowiak for all you have done for DANK!
Enjoy your retirement! We will miss you!
Are you ready for one of our fabulous bus trips?! The first bus trip is to The Peoria
Hofbrau Restaurant. They have the best food, beer, and wine! Make your paid reservation
as soon as possible. The bus has limited seating. We had a ball the last time we were
there! For a mere $25.00 you can sit back and enjoy the ride (to & from). We leave from
Fairhills Shopping Center at 2:45pm, Saturday June 16th. Make your reservation and
prepayment is due by Saturday June 9th. Contact Pat Milner 217/585-0387. Are you're
ready to party and eat great food? Make your reservation now!
All of our events are a great way for you to introduce our club to
every one! Use those applications!
Jeff
Allgemeine Mitgliedsnachrichten — Membership Information
Gibt's im Juni
Donnerwetter,
wird auch das
Getreide fetter.
Glückwünsche zum Geburtstag
Happy Birthday
Juni
Esther Allen – 1st
Gisela Martin – 5th
Christina Milbrandt – 5th
Edith Baumhardt – 20th
Doris Gobel – 20th
Rick Dunham – 22nd
John Rodenburg – 22nd
Don Moser -24th
Gisela Motzkus – 27th
As of June, we have
4 new members
toward our goal of 10!
Ein guter Tau
ist so viel wert
wie ein schlechter
Regen.
Happy Anniversary
Juni
Sending Special Thoughts u. Prayers to:
Pat Milner
Carol Norton
Bob Norton
Irene Schippel
Lou Szabo
Watch for information on:
Hofbräuhaus - Chicago
Opening 2012 Rosemont, IL
Reift das Rebholz
richtig aus,
so wird's übers
Jahr viel Wein
geben.
If the grapevine
ripens properly,
there'll be a lot
of wine all year.
Glückwünsche zum Hochzeitstag
Bob u. Doris Gobel – 20th
Carl u. Irene Schippel – 20th
Bob u. Helga Seelbach -24th
Thunderstorms
in June mean
the grain will
not be lean
A good dew is
worth as much
as a bad rain.
Peoria Hofbrau Restaurant Bus Trip
Saturday * June 16 * $25/person
Reservations and prepayment required
and due by Saturday, June 9, 2012
Contact Pat Milner 217/585-0387
We recommend that you make your reservations early as there is limited
seating available. We will leave from Fairhills Shopping Center at 2:45 pm
with an ETA for the Peoria Hofbrau Restaurant at 4:30 pm. Just think; all
you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride (to & from) with the anticipation
of an evening filled with good food, good drink and good times! There is a
wide selection of biers/wein and a menu offering many German Specialties
and American dishes. To view a sample of the Peoria Hofbrau Menu online
(prices not included) go to: www.peoriahofbrau.com. Danke!
Support your local businesses!
Think Globally
For the best of the Wurst!
Check out: Jones Boys Market in
Ashland, IL. or The Thursday Night
Farmer’s Market on the Illinois
State Fairgrounds or The Saturday Farmer’s Market at
Richland Community College in
Decatur, IL.
For the best “home-brew”
Bier around! Check out:
Obed and Isaac’s Microbrewery
& Eatery at 500 S. 6th Street
in Springfield, Illinois.
Act Locally!
2012 Membership Dues
are still being accepted, so please
send renewal payments to: the
Springfield DANK
P. O. Box 2085
Springfield, IL 62705.
A $5 (per person) late fee is due for a
late renewal (due annually by March
30). If you have already renewed then
think about encouraging your family
and friends to join and as always a
membership form is provided in your
monthly newsletter.
If you wish to make a
financial contribution to
your local DANK club;
please send
donation to:
Springfield DANK,
P.O. Box 2085
Springfield, IL 62705
Fred u.
Monica
Stachowiak
"Last Supper"
Chuck Martin
u. Robin
Fuchs
SMBC Picknick
Picknick @ SMBC - Dank members
Vatertag * Father’s Day
In Germany, Father's Day (Vatertag) is celebrated differently from other parts of the world.
It is always celebrated on Ascension Day (the Thursday forty days after Easter), which is a federal
holiday. Regionally, it is called men's day, Männertag (gentlemen's day) or Herrentag. It is tradition,
especially in the north and east of the country but much less so in the south and west, for groups of
males (young and old but usually excluding pre-teenage boys) to do a hiking tour with one or more
smaller wagons, Bollerwagen, pulled by manpower. In the wagons is wine or beer (according to
region) and traditional regional food, Hausmannskost. Many men use this holiday as an opportunity
to get drunk. These traditions are probably rooted in Christian Ascension Day's processions to the
farmlands, some of which reportedly took on the character of drinking sprees as early as in the 17 th
century. Similar "gentlemen parties" have also taken place in the streets of urban areas, especially Berlin, since the 19th
century. However, many fathers opt to spend the day with their families instead and refrain from getting drunk. Many people will
take the following Friday off at work and some schools are closed on that Friday as well; many people then use the resulting fourday long weekend for a short vacation.
In the Roman Catholic tradition, Fathers are celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day, commonly called Feast of Saint Joseph,
March 19; though in certain countries Father's Day has become a secular celebration. It is also common for Catholics to honor
their "spiritual father," their parish priest, on Father's Day.
In the United States, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June
The first modern celebration of a "Father's Day" was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia,
in the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist
Church. Clayton was mourning the loss of her father when, on December 1907, the Monongah Mining
Disaster in nearby Monongah killed 361 men, 250 of them fathers, leaving around a thousand
fatherless children. Clayton suggested to her pastor Robert Thomas Webb to honor all those fathers.
Grace Golden Clayton chose the Sunday nearest to the birthday of her father, Methodist
minister Fletcher Golden. The event did not have repercussions outside of Fairmont for several
reasons, among them: the city was overwhelmed by other events as the celebration was never promoted outside of the town itself
and no proclamation was made in the City Council. Also two events overshadowed this event: the celebration of Independence
Day July 4, 1908, with 12,000 attendants and several shows including a hot air balloon event, which took over the headlines in the
following days, and the death of a 16-year-old girl on July 4. The local church and Council were overwhelmed and they didn't even
think of promoting the event, and it wasn't celebrated again for many years. The original sermon was not reproduced in press and
it was lost. Finally, Clayton was a quiet person, who never promoted the event or even talked to other persons about it. Clayton
also might have been inspired by Anna Jarvis' crusade to establish Mother's Day; two months prior, Jarvis had held a celebration
for her dead mother in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles (24 km) away from Fairmont.
Its first true celebration was in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. The modern Father's Day
was invented by Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Arkansas, and was the driving force behind its establishment.
Her father, the Civil War Veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who reared his six children in
Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she
initially suggested June 5, her father's birthday, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to
make arrangements and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.
Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread.
President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national
holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June.
The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.
In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting greeting cards and traditionally maleoriented gifts such as electronics and tools. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day
gifts. More phone calls are made in the United States during Mother's Day than during Father's Day, but the percentage of collect
calls on Father's Day is much higher, making it the busiest day of the year for collect calls. Also, calls during both Mother's Day
and Father's Day tend to last longer. Father's Day is accompanied by a smaller total number of phone calls, greeting cards and
gifts than Mother's Day. It is speculated that this is due to the greater number of households with a single mother than households
with a father and to the greater role of mothers in unpaid household labor and to different personal or societal expectations.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father's_Day)
Area: 21.100 km2 (8.100 sq. mi)
Capital: Wiesbaden
Hesse
th
7 of 16 Länder
Population: (31.21.2010)
Total: 6,067,021
Density: 290 km2 &740/sq. mi)
Minister President:
Volker Bouffier (CDU)
Governing Parties: CDU/FDP
Coordinates: 50°39’58”N 8°35’28”E
Website: hessen.de
Wappen des Landes Hessen
Coat of Arms - Hesse
Flag of Hesse
Hesse is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state. The Cultural region of
Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate state. The
oldest and second largest Hessian city, Mainz, is in Rhenish Hesse. The State of Hesse (German: Land Hessen, literally "Country
of Hesse") is part of the larger cultural region. It has an area of 21,110 km2 (8,150 sq. mi) and just over six million inhabitants. The
state capital is Wiesbaden and its largest city is Frankfurt am Main.
The English name "Hesse" comes from French or the Hessian dialect. The variant "Hessia" comes from the Medieval
Latin: Hassia. The German term Hessen is used by the European Commission, not because it is English, but because their
general policy is to leave regional names untranslated. The term "Hesse" ultimately derives from a Germanic tribe called
the Chatti, who settled in the region in the first century B.C. An inhabitant of Hesse is called a Hessian (Hesse (masculine)
or Hessin (feminine)) and there is also Hessian (18th-century German soldiers hired through their rulers by the British Empire.
They were hired in units not as individual mercenaries and about half were from Hesse while the others came from similar small
German states.
Geography: Situated in west-central Germany, Hesse state borders the
German states of (starting in the north and proceeding clockwise) Lower Saxony, Thuringia,
Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hesse principal cities are: Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Offenbach, Hanau,
Gießen, Wetzlar, and Limburg in the greater Rhine Main Area, Fulda in the east, and
Kassel and Marburg an der Lahn in the north. The most important rivers in Hesse
in the north; Fulda and Eder rivers, in the central part; the Lahn and in the south; the Main
and Rhine. The countryside is hilly and there are numerous mountain ranges, including the
Rhön, the Westerwald, the Taunus, the Vogelsberg, the Knüll and the Spessart.
The Population of Hesse is mostly in the Rhine Main Area (southern part). The Rhine
borders Hesse on the southwest without running through the state, only one old arm – the
so-called Alt-Rhein– runs through Hesse. The mountain range between the Main and the
Frankfurt am Main
Neckar River is called the Odenwald. The plain in between the rivers Main, Rhine and
Neckar and the Odenwald mountains are called the Ried. It is the greenest state in Germany as forest covers 42% of the state.
History: As early as the Paleolithic period, the Central Hessian region was inhabited. Due to the favorable climate of the
location, people lived there about 50,000 years ago during the last glacial period, as burial sites show from this era. Finds of
paleolitical tools in southern Hesse in Rüsselsheim suggest Pleistocene hunters about 13,000 years ago. The Steinkammergrab
von Züschen (Züschen tomb sometimes also Lohne-Züschen) is a prehistoric burial monument located between Lohne and
Züschen near Fritzlar, Hesse, Germany. Hessisch-Westfälische Steinkiste (Hessian-Westphalian stone cist) is classified as a
gallery grave and it is one of the most important megalithic monuments in Central Europe. Dating to the late 4th millennium BC
(and possibly remaining in use until the early 3rd), it belongs to the Late Neolithic Wartberg culture. An early Celtic presence in
what is now Hesse is indicated by a mid-5th century BC La Tène style burial uncovered at Glauberg. The region was later settled
by the Germanic Chatti tribe in the 1st century BC and the name Hesse is a continuation of that tribal name.
The Romans had a military camp in Dorlar and in Waldgirmes directly on the eastern outskirts of Wetzlar was a civil
settlement under construction. Presumably, the provincial government for the occupied territories of the right bank of Germania
was planned at this location. It is likely that the governor of Germania had temporarily resided there. The settlement appear s to
have been abandoned by the Romans after the devastating Battle of the Teutoburg Forest failed in the year 9 AD .The Chatti were
also involved in the Revolt of the Batavi in the year 69 AD.
In the early Middle Ages, a Frankish gau (a region within a country, often a former or actual province) comprising an area
around Fritzlar and Kassel and a Saxon one further north were known as Hessengau. In the 9th century the Saxon Hessengau
also came under the rule of the Franconians. In the 12th century it was passed to Thuringia.
In the War of the Thuringian Succession (1247–64), Hesse gained its independence and
became a Landgraviate within the Holy Roman Empire. It shortly rose to primary importance under
Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous, one of the most important leaders of German Protestantism.
After Philip's death in 1567, the territory was divided up among his four sons from his first marriage
(Philip was a bigamist) into four lines: Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), Hesse-Darmstadt,
Hesse-Rheinfels and the previously existing Hesse-Marburg. As the latter two lines died out quite
soon (1583 and 1605, respectively), Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt were the two core
States within the Hessian lands. Several collateral lines split off during the centuries: in 1622,
Hesse-Homburg split off from Hesse-Darmstadt. In the late 16th century, Kassel adopted Calvinism,
while Darmstadt remained Lutheran and subsequently the two lines often found themselves on
different sides of a conflict, most notably in the disputes over Hesse-Marburg and in the Thirty Years'
War, when Darmstadt fought on the side of the Emperor and Kassel sided with Sweden and France.
The Landgrave Frederick II (1720–1785) ruled as a benevolent despot from 1760-1785. He combined
Enlightenment ideas with Christian values, cameralist (a German science of administration) plans for
Philip I l Landgrave of Hesse
central control of the economy, and a militaristic approach toward diplomacy. He funded the depleted
treasury of the poor nation by renting out 19,000 soldiers in complete military formations to Great Britain to fight in North America
during the American Revolutionary War, 1776-1783. These soldiers, commonly known as Hessians, fought under the British flag.
For further revenue the soldiers were rented out elsewhere as well. Most were conscripted, with their pay going to the Landgrave.
19th Century: Hesse-Kassel was elevated to the rank of an Electorate in 1803, but this remained without effect as the
Holy Roman Empire was disbanded in 1806. The territory was annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia in 1806, but restored to the
Elector in 1813. While other Electors had gained other titles, becoming either Kings or Grand-dukes, the Elector of Hesse-Kassel
alone retained the anachronistic dignity. The name survived in the term Kurhessen, denoting
the region around Kassel. In 1866 it was annexed by Prussia, together with the Free City of
Frankfurt, Hesse-Homburg and the duchy of Nassau, which established the province of
Hesse-Nassau. Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to the rank of a Grand Duchy in 1806. In the
War of 1866, it fought on the side of Austria against Prussia, but retained its autonomy in defeat,
because a greater part of the country was situated south of the Main river and Prussia did not
dare to expand beyond the Main line as this might have provoked France. But the parts of
Hesse-Darmstadt north of the Main River (the region around the town of Gießen (Oberhessen)
were incorporated in the Norddeutscher Bund, a tight federation of German states established by
Prussia in 1867 and in 1871, the rest of the Grand Duchy joined the German Empire. Around the
turn of the century, Darmstadt was one of the centers of the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau: an
international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative
arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910 and in Germany called Jugendstil (youth style)
named after the magazine Jugend). Until 1907, the Grand Duchy of Hesse used only the
Arms of Grand Duchy Hesse-Darmstadt
Hessian red and white lion as its coat-of-arms
20th Century: The revolution of 1918 transformed Hesse-Darmstadt from a monarchy to a republic, which officially
renamed itself to "Volksstaat Hessen" (People's State of Hesse). The parts of Hesse-Darmstadt on the western banks of the Rhine
(province Rheinhessen) were occupied by French troops until 1930 under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty that officially
ended WWI in 1919. After World War II, the Hessian territory left of the Rhine was again occupied by France whereas the rest of
the country was part of the US occupation zone. The French separated their part of Hesse from the rest of the country and
incorporated it into the newly founded state of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate). On the other side, The US proclaimed the
state of Groß-Hessen (Greater Hesse) on 19 September 1945, out of Hesse-Darmstadt and most of the former Prussian province
of Hesse-Nassau. On December 4, 1946 Groß-Hessen was officially renamed Hessen.
The State of Hesse: is divided into 21 districts: Bergstrasse (Heppenheim- HP), Darmstadt-Dieburg (Darmstadt –DA),
Gross-Gerau (Gross-Gerau (GG), Hochtaunuskreis (Bad Homburg – HG), Main-Kinzig-Kreis (Gelnhausen – MKK) Main-TaunusKreis (Hofheim am Taunus - MTK),Oldenwaldkreis (Erbach – ERB), Offenbach (Dietzenbach – OF) Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis (Bad
Schwalbach - RŰD), Wetteraukreis (Friedberg – FB), Giessen (Giessen – GI), Lahn-Dill-Kreis (Wetzlar - LDK), Limburg-Weilburg
(Limburg – LM), Marburg-Biedenkopf (Marburg – MR), Vogelsbergkreis (Lauterbach – VB), Fulda (Fulda – DF), HersfeldRotenburg (Bad Hersfeld- HEF), Kassel (Kassel – KS), Schwalm-Eder-Kreis (Homberg/Efze- HR), Werra-Meissner-Kreis
(Eschwege – ESW), Waldeck-Frankenberg (Korbach- KB) and 5 independent cities Darmstadt (DA), Frankfurt am Main (F),
Kassel (KS), Offenbach am Main (OF) and Wiesbaden (WI) The abbreviations are used on vehicle number plates.
The politics: is within a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the Federal
Government of Germany exercises sovereign rights with certain powers reserved to the German States. Hesse has a multi-party
system where the two main parties were long the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the leftist Social Democratic
Party of Germany (SPD). However, this changed in 2009, when support for the SPD collapsed after a political crisis in 2008 (the
government under Minister-President, Roland Koch (CDU) lost their majority in the state diet Landtag of Hesse following
the 2008 Landtag election when the rival parties were unable to form a government. A snap election was held in 2009, which
enabled the CDU again to form a government with the FDP. In May 2010, Koch announced his resignation as Minister-President
and his retirement from politics. His successor is Volker Bouffier). There are now five parties in the Hesse Landtag.
The Religion: the most recent data states, 40.8% of the population belongs to the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau
which is a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany while 25.4% adheres to the Roman Catholic Church. One-third of the state's
population belongs to other faiths (includes Islam and Buddhism) or is unaffiliated.
The Economy: is one of the largest & healthiest economies and is the wealthiest German State. Its 2010 GDP exceeded 225
billion Euros (about 296 bn US$) which makes Hesse itself one of the largest economies in Europe and the 31st largest in the world.
Some large companies headquarter in Hesse include Opel, Merck, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Fraport, Fresenius, Sanofi
Aventis, Procter & Gamble, B. Braun and Deutsche Börse.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesse)
Cities in Hesse
Darmstadt is located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area. In 2011, the population of Darmstadt was 147.150 and the
Darmstadt Larger Urban Zone has 430.993 inhabitants. The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area are ill-suited for agriculture in times before
industrial fertilization and prevented any larger settlement from developing until the city became the seat of the Landgraves of HessenDarmstadt in the 16th century. As the administrative center of an increasingly prosperous duchy, the city gained in prominence during the
following centuries. In the 20th century, industry (especially chemicals) as well as large science and electronics (later information
technology) sectors became increasingly important and are still a major part of the city's economy. Darmstadt also has a large tertiary
education sector with three major universities and numerous associated institutions.
Darmstadt is one of few cities (as opposed to smaller towns) in Germany which does not lie close
to a river, lake or coast. It is the sunniest city in the state of Hesse. The chemical element darmstadtium
(atomic number 110) is named after it having been synthesized in the GSI Centre for Heavy Ion Research
in Darmstadt-Wixhausen. This makes Darmstadt one of only eight cities with an element named after it
(the other cities being Ytterby in Sweden (four elements); Stockholm in Sweden (Holmium); Strontian in
Scotland; Copenhagenin Denmark (whose Latin name gives Hafnium); Paris (whose Latin name gives
Lutetium); Berkeley, California; and Dubna in Russia). Various other elements synthesized in the Darmstadt
facility include Meitnerium (atomic number: 109 - 1982), Hassium (atomic number: 108 - 1984),
Roentgenium (atomic number: 111 - 1994) and Copernicium (atomic number: 112 - 1996).
Surviving examples of the Jugendstil period include the Rosenhöhe, landscaped Englishstyle rose garden from the 19th century (recently renovated and replanted) the Mathildenhöhe, with
the Hochzeitsturm ('Wedding tower', also commonly known as the 'Five-Finger-Tower') by Joseph
Maria Olbrich and the Russian Chapel and large exhibition halls as well as many private villas built by
Jugendstil architects who had settled in Darmstadt. The Russian Chapel was built as a private chapel
by the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, whose wife Alexandra was born in Darmstadt.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darmstadt)
Mathildenhöhe - Hochzeitsturm
Kassel is a northern town located on the Fulda River. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis
(district) of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants. The city's name is derived from the ancient Castellum
Cattorum, a castle of the Chatti, a German tribe that had lived in the area since Roman times. Kassel was first mentioned in 913
AD as the place where two deeds were signed by King Conrad I. The place was called Chasella and was a fortification at a bridge
crossing the Fulda River. A deed from 1189 certifies that Kassel had city rights, but the date when they were granted is not known.
In 1779 Europe's first public museum opened and named the Museum Fridericianum after its
founder. By the end of the 19th century the museum held one of the largest collections in the
world of watches & clocks. The Fridericianum was designed by Simon Louis du Ry and
originally housed the state library of Hesse, the Hessian landgraves art collections, collections
of antiques, weaponry, natural history, astronomy and physics, cork models of antique
buildings, and wax historic Hessian landgraves. However, the exhibits were moved into other
museums in the late19th and early 20th centuries, and the library was heavily damaged in
World War II after which the surviving books were moved into the Kassel University Library.
Today the Fridericianum hosts temporary art exhibitions put on by the city of Kassel, the
Kunsthalle Fridericianum and the Kunstverein (art association of local collectors and artists)
of Kassel, as well as documenta -an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes
place every five years in Kassel. In the early 19th century, the Brothers Grimm lived in Kassel,
Museum Fridericianum
collected and wrote most of their fairy tales there. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassel)
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and is the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 276,000 inhabitants, plus
approximately 10,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). Wiesbaden, together with the cities
of Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined
population of about 5.8 million people.
Wiesbaden (Meadow baths) is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. At one time, Wiesbaden
boasted 27 hot springs while 15 springs are still flowing today. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden are
first mentioned in Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia. Famous for their recreation pools for Roman army
horses and as the source of a mineral used for red hair dye (which was very fashionable around the
turn of BC/AD among women in Rome). Spring bathing business became important for Wiesbaden
near the end of the Middle Ages. By 1370, sixteen bath houses were in operation. By 1800, the city
had 2,239 inhabitants and 23 bath houses. By 1900, Wiesbaden (population of 86,100) hosted
126,000 visitors annually. Famous visitors to the springs included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Wagner, and Johannes Brahms. In those years there were more
millionaires living in Wiesbaden than in any other city in Germany. Gambling followed bathing en
suite and in the 19th century Wiesbaden was famous for both. Its casino (Spielbank) rivaled those
of Bad Homburg, Baden-Baden and Monaco. In 1872, the Prussian-dominated Imperial government
closed down all German gambling houses. The Wiesbaden casino was reopened in 1949.
Notable residents: American tennis star John McEnroe -born on a U.S. military base, Günther
Lütjens, commander of the World War II battleship Bismarck, Henry Schwarzschild, founder of
NCADP, LCDC, and head of ACLU's Capital Punishment project in America, Reese Witherspoon
lived with her parents (father worked for the U.S. military) and Priscilla Presley (Beaulieu) lived with
Heidenmauer (Heathen Wall) –
last remnants of the Roman
her parents (father was an Air Force Officer stationed there). It was here that she met Elvis Presley –
walls of Aquae Mattiacorum.
she was 14 years old at the time and Elvis was 24. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiesbaden)
Hessische Küche
Writer Rudolf Krämer-Badoni (native of Hesse) is said to have said “The people of Hesse, as a tribe, do not exist.” This statement
contains more than a grain of truth as the state of Hesse was pieced together in 1946 from land that had formerly belonged to the
ruling princes, the Church and the free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. The people of northern Hesse were accustomed to
poor soil and poverty and had little in common with the people of southern Hesse who had been spoiled by the sun and fer tile
Rhine valley. As the northerners tried to make the best of potatoes, the southerners were forever following trends introduced by
the merchants traveling in the area. Therefore two specialties have put Hesse firmly on the culinary map – “Green Sauce” and
Frankfurter sausages. (Culinaria Germany – Hesse page 244)
Frankfurter Würstchen (Frankfurt sausage) is a long, thin smoked sausage (Brühwurst) made with pork
contained in a natural sheepskin casing and scalded. To cook it, bring pot of water to boil, remove pot
from heat and add the sausage and let sit for about 8 minutes and it must never be boiled. Serve with
mustard, bread, horseradish and Apfelwein (apple wine). The Frankfurter Würstchen has been around
since the 13th Century and since 1860, it is geographically protected so that only sausages made in the
Frankfurt area may be called Frankfurter Würstchen. (www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/hesse.cfm)
There are two stories behind the Frankfurter Würstchen. First story- The Germans claim to have
first created the Frankfurter Würstchen in 1562 for the coronation feast of Maximilians II where an ox was stuffed with sausages
for additional flavoring. This sausage was called "Bratwerscht," and its popularity spread to other countries. It was actually outside
of Germany where the name "Frankfurter" came from. In 1749, the first recipe for the Frankfurter Bratwurst was set in print. The
second story gives credit to the Austrians. In 1805, Austrian butcher Johann Georg Lahner, who learned to be a butcher in
Frankfurt, created a sausage out of pork and beef and named it "Frankfurter." (www.germanfoodguide.com/wurstdetail.cfm?wurst_number=11)
Frankfurter Rindswurst is made from 100% beef. It was invented in 1894 by a Frankfurt butcher and became very
popular with the Jewish population at the time since it didn’t contain any pork. Today, the butcher’s shop where it was invented is
still in business. The Frankfurter Rindswurst is a Brühwurst meaning the sausage is scalded not boiled. It is usually cooked in a
Wasserbad (Bain Marie) but can also be grilled or fried. It is also used a base for the popular Currywurst – sliced sausage
covered in curry flavored ketchup. (www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/hesse.cfm)
Frankfurter Grie Soss
mit Kartoffeln
Frankfurter Grüne Sauce (Frankfurt Green Sauce) is a cold sauce made with herbs that
Traditionally accompanies fish and meat dishes, boiled eggs and potatoes. While green herb
sauces are present in many different cuisines including Salsa Verde (Italian) and Sauce Verte
(French), the Frankfurter Grüne Sauce and Kassel Grüne Sauce are very regional specialties
in Hessen. The Frankfurt version is made from 7 herbs: borage, chervil, cress, parsley, burnet,
sorrel and chives sometimes dill, spinach and lovage are also added. The herbs are minced and
blended with hard-boiled egg yolk and sour cream and then passed through a sieve and beaten
together with oil, vinegar, salt/pepper to create a mayonnaise type consistency. This sauce is
traditionally served with boiled potatoes or Pellkartoffel (potatoes boiled in their skins) and also
typically eaten as a topping for hard-boiled eggs. Kassel Grüne Sauce differs from the
Frankfurter sauce as different herbs are used: borage, parsley, burnet, sorrel, chives, dill and
lemon balm instead of chervil, cress and lovage. It is eaten with boiled, salted, baked or potatoes
boiled in the their skins. (www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/hesse.cfm)
Handkäse mit Musik – popular in Apfelweinlokalen (Apple Wine Pubs) refers to Sauermilchkäse cheese
made from sour milk quark cheese. The word Handkäse is derived from the fact that the cheese is made
and formed by hand and so the cheeses are small in size. The dish - Handkäse mit Musik is traditionally
prepared by marinating the ripe cheese in oil, vinegar, caraway seeds, pepper, salt and onions and
served with bread and a glass of Apfelwein (Frankfurt Apple Wine). The Musik is apparently the
intestinal noise generated by the consumption of onion. (www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/hesse.cfm)
Handkäse mit Musik
Apfelwein (Apple Wine) considered to be Hessen’s state drink and is an alcoholic beverage made from
apples. Depending on the region it is also known as Ebbelwoi, äppler, Stöffche, Apfelmost or Viez.
While it is mostly consumed in the federal state of Hessen, in particular the Frankfurt region it is also popular in Moselfranken,
lower Saar area and regions bordering Luxemburg. The Sachsenhausen area of Frankfurt is the most famous area of consuming
Apfelwein and it is known as the Apfelweinviertel (Apple Wine Quarter) where you will find
numerous Apfelweinlokale (Apple wine pubs). As it is rather cloudy, Apfelwein is traditionally
poured into Geripptes (a diamond-shaped raised pattern on the surface of the glass so that if
refracts the light). A Bembel is a large stone-glazed gray jog with a blue pattern and is used to
pour the wine into the glasses. While traditionalist would frown on drinking anything but pure
Apfelwein, may Germans mix it with various other beverages particularly outside the Frankfurt
region. Sauergespritzte or Apfelweinschorle is when you mix Apfelwein mit Mineralwasser
(Mineral water). Süssgespritzte is when you mix Apfelwein with a clear soda like 7-Up or Sprite.
Bembelschlabber (less common Apfelwein with bier) and mixed with Cola you would get
Panzersprit, Covie (Cola and Viez) or KE (Kola-Eppler / Korea).
(www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/hesse.cfm)
Veranstaltungskalender ↔ Calendar of Events
Montag  12.Juni.2012
Board Meeting – 6:30 pm
Engels on Edwards – 552 S. MacArthur Blvd
Saturday  16.Juni.2012
Peoria Hofbrau Restaurant Bus Trip
$25/per person
Reservations and prepayment required
and due by Saturday, June 9
Contact Pat Milner @ 217/585-0387
Montag  9.Juli.2012
Board Meeting – 6:30 pm
Engels on Edwards – 552 S. MacArthur Blvd
Springfield D.A.N.K.
P.O. B ox 2085
Springfield, IL
62705
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