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GERMERICANA
Amana: The Real Story
By Alma Gaul
Mention the Amana Colonies, and most people will tell you it’s a tourist destination west of the Quad-Cities that is famous for its sauerkraut-and-sausage food, woolen shops and clock showrooms. They also might say it’s where people of the Amish Mennonite faith live, even though that isn’t true.
DER BLOGGER
The Hoax of the Century
By Patrick J. Buchanan
Though America endured one of the worst winters ever, while the 2009 hurricane season was among the mildest, the warmers say this proves nothing. But when our winters were mild and the 2005 hurricane season brought four major storms to the U.S. coast, Katrina among them, the warmers said this validated their theory. You can’t have it both ways.
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German-Americans to Celebrate Hermann's Victory 2000 Years ago
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 18:01 —
Hermann, a Cheruscan chieftan known as "Arminius" to the Romans, spearheaded the struggle to defend Germanic tribes against the Roman imperial army. In the autumn of the year A.D. 9 Hermann assembled a coalition of tribes and annihilated three Roman Legions (about 20,000 men) commanded by Quinctilius Varus in the Teutoburg Forest.
By George L. Glotzbach
The defeat, known as "die Varusschlacht" (Varus Battle) established early Germanic freedom and unity.

The 2000th anniversary of Hermann's triumph is being commemorated jointly in Deutschland and here in America in New Ulm, Minnesota, the most German city in America, the home of the magnificent Hermann Monument.


Invited guests include the Bürgermeisters of the German cities of Bramsche-Kalkriese nearby where the battle was fought, Haltern where Varus had his winter camp, and Detmold where the colossal statue of Hermann stands. Also included are the Bürgermeisters of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, New Ulm's Sister Cities.

Events begin with a Reception September 17 for invited dignitaries. The Grand Banquet opens the fest Friday, the 18th, at Turner Hall. Saturday's festivities include an Academic Symposium hosted by Martin Luther College, an educational presentation by New Ulm's combined public, Catholic, and Lutheran high school systems, a German Car Show, a Roman Legion encampment, a Diorama presentation of the battle, an afternoon of traditional New Ulm German food and beer and music, an evening of contemporary regional entertainment, and a huge Fireworks display over the Monument at dusk. Sunday a Parade of over 100 units will conclude the celebration.

Anti-immigrant sentiment
In the 1840's German-speaking peoples from Central Europe were immigrating in droves to the United States. But in many places anti-immigration resentment resulted in street riots. In response, the new immigrants sought a symbol to unite them. They chose Hermann, a legendary folk-hero, and formed the Order of the Sons of Hermann as a rallying point throughout the United States.


The New Ulm chapter was led by Julius Berndt, the National Secretary of the Sons of Hermann. The Hermann Monument was dedicated in New Ulm in 1897. It was patterned after the massive
 Hermannsdenkmal in Detmold, Germany.

When the local chapter of the Sons of Hermann disbanded after World War I, the city of New Ulm took over the ownership and care of the monument.
In 1973, the Hermann Monument was
 placed on the National Register of Historic Places. And in 2000, the monument received national and international recognition: The 106th Congress of the United States designated the Hermann
-Monument to be an official symbol for the contributions of Americans of German heritage.


The Hermann Monument is second in size only to the Statue of Liberty in America. Hermann, with sword uplifted, reveals a simple truth of democracy "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."


This is an open invitation for everyone interested in German-Americana to attend. For more information contact: Bürgermeister Joel Albrecht, P.O. Box 636, New Ulm, MN 56073, U.S.A.,
Phone: (507) 359-8233, Email: joel.albrecht@ci.new-ulm.mn.us
Website: hermannmonument.com 

Tolzmann's Stammtisch
The “Dutch Devils”
German-Americans acquired a reputation for their tenacity in battle during the Civil War. The Confederates called them the “Dutch devils” and Robert E. Lee is said to have remarked: ““Take the Dutch out of the Union Army and we could whip the Yankees easily.” Now that the 150th anniversary of the Civil War will soon be here, it might be well to recall the role played by German-Americans in the War Between the States.
Kultur
The Iceman Cometh
German designer Karl Lagerfeld set his new Chanel collection in the Arctic. The fashion icon often arranges elaborate scenes to display his creations: This time Paris Fashion Week was transformed into a winter paradise.
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