oldenburg-l - Nachricht 2008-01 00185

[JWR184 <JWR184(a)aol.com>]

Hi Fred,

I have the highest respect for you and your information.

But I am in the Kolping Saengerchor, I know the facts. More than half of our 
70 choir members are fluent in German (and some in Plattdeutsch, Polish and 
Russian.) About 40% were born in Germany. Here are some first names: Otger, 
Hans, Ferdinand, Klaus, Ingrid, Konrad, Klara, Maria, Werner, Gerda, Hartmut, 
Marcus, Gottfried, Josie. Surnames: Allgeyer, Bertke, Eismann, Geisselbracht, 
Kappen, Metzger, Schantz, Schlembach, Tepe, Wilke, and many more. 

Before we begin to practice any song, one of our fluent German speakers 
translates the song for the few of us who are not entirely fluent. So we know what 
we sing. Our director sings with the  Cinti Opera. Our pianist also works for 
the opera. We have toured Germany three times. You are completely out of line 
here. 

We frequently have families from Germany as visitors to our practices and 
concerts. And they feel right at home. 

In our Clubhouse (really Klubhaus) you are as likely to hear a greeting or 
conversation in German as in English. 

The Donauschwaben group here in Cincinnati has kids as young as 5-6 active in 
their group. And the teens and parents and G-parents are active. Not likely 
to die out soon. Again you are out of line.

The Cincinnati Germans are alive and thriving. 

I invite you to our Klubhaus for a conversation and a beer, Prost. 

Jim Rettig
Cincinnati

> Folks,
> you need to keep things in perspective. The German element in the USA
> is dying day by day as no new immigrants are coming in to keep it
> alive with new blood. What you are seeing are nostalgic festivals of a
> partial commercial nature to bring people to downtown or revive an
> area. The Donauschwaben will be gone as their grandchildren will have
> forgotten what it was all about. The occasional remaining singing
> group will no longer be speaking German or be able to sing all the old
> folk songs as they woný have any meaning to them.




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