Not too many are aware of the important role German-Americans played in the Civil War. For example, when I first saw Ken Burns’ PBS film on the Civil War I was surprised that no mention was made of German-Americans in the Union Army, especially the many German regiments that they had formed. Photo: Carl Schurz statue in New York

The oldest Bockfest in the U.S. takes place Friday-Sunday, 5-7 March, in Cincinnati in the old German district known as Over-the-Rhine.

There was a canal around the district with bridges leading over the canal, so that when crossing the bridge, it was said that you were going “Over-the-Rhine.”

Our Pennsylvania German Groundhog promises six more weeks of winter, but there are a couple of events on the calendar that point the way towards springtime.

First, there is Fat Tuesday – Fastnacht, which takes places on this year on Tuesday, 16 February. This is the last day before the beginning of Lent and is also another sign that winter is slowly coming to an end.

Interesting how many customs and traditions celebrated in America are of German origin and one of the best examples is Groundhog Day. The second of February was celebrated in the Old Country with a Lichtmesse, or candle-lit mass.
This brightened up the dark and dreary days of winter as it was almost at the mid-point of winter.

Nominations are being sought for candidates for the statue in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Each state is represented there with two statues and one is now being sought for Ohio.

The German-American Citizens League of Greater Cincinnati (GACL) has endorsed the nomination of Jacob Mueller (1822-1905) to represent Ohio in the National Statuary Hall.

2010 marks the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Palatines in America, an event that led to the creation of the German element in colonial America.
Why did the Palatines suddenly uproot themselves and come in such great numbers to America in the early 18th century?

Gemerica.net has come a long way since its beginning and has done a great job in bringing news to its readers everywhere.

This past year has also marked the first full year of this Stammtisch column. Altogether, a total of thirty-four columns have appeared thus far, covering a wide range of topics.

Much like the German-American press of history, Germerica.net brings news and information from the German-speaking countries of Europe, as well as from German-American communities across the U.S.

Many thanks to all of our readers, wherever you are. Also, I would like to thank all friends of this Stammtisch. And, I enjoyed meeting several of you at the recent German heritage conference in Denison, Iowa.

Aside from conducting the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and appearing on PBS for many years, Erich Kunzel conducted many other orchestras, including the Boston Pops.

The home of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in Cincinnati was Music Hall, which is located in the old German district known as Over-the-Rhine.

In recent years, another German contribution to the celebration of Christmas has emerged – the Christkindlmarkt.

We often hear about the wrongs and injustices suffered by various ethnic groups in American history, especially during the time of war. But we do not often hear about what German-Americans had to endure.

We honor the contributions made by millions of German-Americans to the building and making of America, especially those of famous individuals throughout American history. (Photo: Braeden, center, with Tolzmann in Denison, IA)

Having met, dined with and heard the Candy Bomber speak, I soon found out that this is a man with a message and one this country needs today. Photo: Col Halvorsen, flankd by his wife, Lorraine (to his right), Dr Andrea Fieler of NKU who organized the Candy Bomber's visit, and Dr. Don Tolzmann.

Yes, it is not only possible, it apparently is true – two of the most recognizable names in French history are those of Frenchmen of German descent. Their names are known on both sides of the Atlantic, because they created two of the most famous landmarks in the world.

Who are they?

A recent example of the German tradition of thrift comes from New Ulm, Minnesota. At Martin Luther College, trays have been done away with in the student cafeteria as a cost-saving strategy that will save not only on labor costs, but other related items, such as dish soap, etc.

The Washington Historical Society in Washington, Missouri has put together a great new exhibit on the history of the Washington Turnverein. This highlights the history of the Turners in Washington, but is of interest to all those interested in learning about the history of the Turners in America.

Who was America's most remarkable and unique immigrant group?   Surprisingly, many historians feel it may have been a small group of a few thousand revolutionary refugees from Europe who arrived in the United States between 1847 and 1856.

One of the most widely used items used everyday and everywhere on the globe is cologne! Even its name is taken from the German city of Cologne, or Kőln.

Goethe’s Faust belongs to world literature and has been translated into numerous languages. Today German culture is represented world-wide by means of an institution bearing his name, the Goethe Institute.

By Don Heinrich Tolzmann

The 90th anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles takes place on June 28, 2009. In addition to the commemoration of D-Day, this Treaty should take front and center stage, as without this vengeful Treaty there most likely would not have been a Second World War.

By Don Heinrich Tolzmann

Supporters of the German program at Florida State University have established an online petition site “Protect the German Program at FSU.”

Harry Houdini (1874-1926), like many in show business then and now, took on a stage name early on in his career, in his case, basing his professional name on that of the well--known magician Robert-Houdin.

According to Norse legend, a German named Tyrkir, photo, accompanied Leif Ericson (ca. 975-1020) on his voyage to the New World that resulted in the Viking settlement of Newfoundland.

The recent hard times made me think of the German inflation of the 1920s. I have several hundred million German Marks that my grandfather had – it was part of his inheritance from his family.

In celebration of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cincinnati, I participated in a keg tapping of Friend of an Irishman, a new beer produced by the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company. The new brew honors Irish-Americans and came out just in time for the celebration of St. Pat's Day.

This past year, the Naked Cowboy was again at Oktoberfest in Cincinnati and was accompanied by his father, Kenny Burck, a well known German-American genealogist, who has researched German genealogy for more than forty years and published numerous works on the topic, especially relating to the Greater Cincinnati area.