The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-16
GERMAN HOUSE OPENING
FIRST NIGHT OF A SERIES OF PLEAS
ANT CELEBRATIONS.
President Herman Lieber, in His Adj
dress, Refers to Position of Ger
mans in This Country.

Hundreds of guests were entertained last
evening at the dedication of the new part
of Das Deutsche Haus and paid tribute to
the good offices which the club has rendered
to the city in many words of praise and
congra tulation. The building was brilliant
ly Illuminated with hundreds of electric
lights and the large auditorium and the cor
rldors were decorated with foliage plants
and vines. The views down the corridors
were extremely picturesque with the green
o.. the plants against the delicate colorS of
the walls, and with the gay gowns of the
women and the dark suits of the men. Moth
ing was spared IN the decoration. There
were palms in all available positions and
tiny wreath gardens about the great pillars
and vine asparagus from them to the tops
of the columns. At either side of the stage
were masses of palms giving a gala touch
for the festive occasion.
When the curtain was lifted there was
the mixed chorus and the orchestra of the
Musk Verein seated on the stage. Mr..
Ernestinoff the director of both, was
warmly greeted as he stepped out to the
platform. The dedicatory opening was the
overture to "Oberon by Won Weber, and
this was followed by the Tannhauser
march, sung by the mixed chorus. The two
numbers introduced the society to the men,
bcrs and their friends, who comprised the
audience. The music was well given and the
whole showed good training.
Perhaps a better effect might have been
gained in the hall if some floor space had
been sacrificed to the orchestra and in
stead of having it on the stage to have it
on the floor and thus allowed the voices to
be nearer the front in order that the sound
above the stage, but thrown forward Mr..
Ernestinoff has good material for a fine
choral society and one which will be a
credit not only to the city but to the State.
Mr.. Herman Lieber, president of the Ger
man House, was introduced by Mr.. George
Kothe, president of the Musk Verein, and
master of ceremonies. and made an address
in German, which, translated, follows:
AMERICANIZED GERMANS.
I'm looking about this hall we are not sur
prised that wherever the glance rests it is
met by happy faces, for we are ourselves
under the same spell of pleasurable emotion,
and we all feel that rare and extraordi-
nary occasion has brought us together The
celebration marking the completion of the
Deutsche Haus is the cause of satisfaction
to all who have helped further the under
taking. We who for fifty years have spoken
and written for it, we who finally were en-
abled to remove the difficulties which OPP
posed our work, we who now see an ideal
of our youth grander and more beautiful in
its realization than we ever dared hope, find
ourselves in a particularly festive mood
Our pleasure can be the more sincere be-
cause it is free from self-interest and we
feel that what has been accomplished is not
alone for us, not alone for those who think
and feel with u.s. not alone for the German
n oil nor oil fnV- fhncn rhn
may be said to Sympathize with German
life, but this building shall stand for the
adjournment and the use of our beautiful city
of Indianapolis.
THE German House was built by men.
who have learned to love their second
fatherland and who in thankfulness to the
latter wish to preserve upon it's free soil
some of great nations desirable qualities
which cling to their flesh and blood. To
SO commendable of course pieases US much.
And we are glad, too, to tell you now in
confidence of having really possessed a sort
OF grant or permit from one high in au-
thority, from, in fact, the highest. We went
to Columbia herself with our plans and our
ideas about German House in America,
and the unprecedented great and just god
dess said: - $500 $500
oak grow side by side, and in the garden
the rose blooms beside the daisy. so shall
there be room in Indianapolis for a German
House as we'll as the, American club
My friends, Columbia domain has drawn
its population from the various civilized
countries of Europe, and of these Germany
has furnished neither the smallest nor mean
est part. Nobody can more easily accustom
himself to new conditions than the German.
This has been proved particularly by the
plain people mostly from the country,
whom the at that time penniless and torn-up
Germany refused the simpest living. Ac-
customed to hard work and economy they
were classed among the best pioneers of
the prairies and forest. In short time.
although with difficulties and hardships of
various kind they founded for themselves
and their children a hopeful future. We
can easily see that such people were bound
in short time to become AmericaniZed. and
they became so in most thorough man
ner. Some even went so far as to change
second generation it is difficult to distin-
guish their German descent, Thus the name
Schmidt was changed to Smith. Freund to
Friend, and Schumacher became Shoe
maker, and even Himmelreich found it
neither senseless nor inelegant to change his
beautiful malodious name to HeaVenrich.
"A different and larger representation was
sent by Germany at the end of the fifth
and the beginning of the sixth decade The
many and started the buds on the tree of
liberty Black, red and gold, the banner of
German liberty and union, waved on high.
The songs of Herwig, Hoffman Won Fail
lersleben and Freilichrath stirred the youth
of the land to action. But OH the bud was
crushed before it came to bloom. The po-
iitical immaturity of the German people, the
inefficiency of the leaders and the perddy
of the German mobiles restored the previous
revengeful reaction drove thousands to the
shores of America. They were people of all
classes, from the country we'll as from
the cities, working men and merchants
physicians and teachers writer's and
Scholars This multitude of intelligent emf
grants naturally could not be induced so
easily to throw aside those personal pc
culiarites normal in them. In addition the
political and social conditions here were by
no means such not to call for some re-
form, and the forty-eighters soon found it |
out And so they criticised in true old
fashioned German manner to their hearts
content In contrast with that of the earlier
emigrants this independent behavior, their
very energetic attacks on the institution of
slavery and on the social order caused the
native patriots considerable uneasiness and
was the occasion, too, of a political party
which intended to direct characterization
Fifty years have since elapsed The fear
that the Republic was in danger, owing to
such emigration has long been dssipated,
War or peace. the citizens of German de-
scent have discharged their duties in full
AS in the war they furnished their full
quota so, too they are found in equal pro-
portion1 in the ranks of those who at the
ballot box. furnish a self-thinking and often
a decisive vote.
THE PROCESS OF MIXING.
However, the intelligence Of this coun-