Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-13


enough to enter tAsl contest. The young
society suffered from internal strife, and
In the winter OF 1851 WAS filsrupted but
reerganized two days after the dlshand-
ment. The original members assembled at
the residence OF Otto Won Sackersdorf, on
the west side OF 10Th street between e and
F, and two doors south Of the Lincoln house,
and there recognized, assuming the name
Washington Saengerbund" The name of
Society. 9IT
Otto Won saekersdJff. whe was employed
as clerk In the coast and geodetic sur
vey, had been major in the Prussian
army. He removed from Washington I'm
1852 and went to New York city, where for
| ten years he was president OF the Deutsch
Lfederkranz
opera troupe was playing at the old Ma
tional Theater. A majority of the chorus
OF the troupe were Germans from Phila-
delph!a, and they spent their leisure with
the local Saengerbund. The professional
singers persuaded the local amateurs to
| rehearse a song for rendition at the next
saengerfest, to be held at New York In
1852, and several of the professionals
agreed to assist the Washington Saenger-
bund at that performance, and 1t Is re-
corded that this agreement was kept. Az
the New York saengerfest the Washington
Saengerbund sang .'Hahnemann geh du
Voran,' or Get There, Hahnemann," q
comic song. This was greeted with great
applause. The Washington society being
festival was given the post of honor. and
marched at the head of the parade.
A few weeks before the departure of the
Saengerbund for New York three young la
dies presented to 1t silk banner, and the
occasion of the presentation was celebrate
with a brilliant ball at Carusis Hall, where
! later the Theater Comique stood and where
the Lyceum now stands, The donors of the
banner were Miss Johanna Kahlert, who
was later married to Mr.. Adolf Kiesecker,
one of the organizers of the Saengerbund,
and who still lives; Mrs. Margaret Eberly
and Miss Schlegel. The banner is still in
possession of the society. Since then the
society has been presented with three ban
| ners one, a saenger banner. received on
July 3, 1866, an American silk ensign pre-
scented In 1873, and German silk standard,
presented on March 4, 1888.
Serenaded Kossuth.
In January, 1852, the Hungarian patriot
Kossuth came to Washington. He was ser
enaded by the Saengerbund at Browns
Hotel, now the Metropolitan. 1t is narrat-
ed by the veteran members of the Saenger-
! bund that Kossuth asked whether he
should make his speech in English or in
German and was told to speak In English.
He delivered his address from the balcony
of the hotel while two members of the
Saeneerbund stood beside him holding
lighted candles that the crowd which had
gathered in the avenue might see him.
There was then no Illuminating gas In
Washington.
OF the original members of the Saenger-
bund six survive: These are Adolf kie-
| seeker. Frederick Schmidt, A Streb, J. Bar
thel, A. e Eberly and J. Emmner. All of
these continue residents of Washington.
The names of the presidents of the Saen-
gerbund from its organization to date fol-
low:
Julius Viedt, Geo. Bremen, A. Meiners
who served four terms; J. Emmner F.
Fisher, H Rosenberg, L. Waldecker, who
| y TOW, 1p~r 4 II
Abr. Hart, f. Schnid, P. Schulze Fred
Claudy (first term, September 6, 1885, till
September 4, 1880: John Waldmann (Sep-
tember g. 1891, till September 8, 1889 Fred.
Claudy Second term, September 8. 1895. up
to date.
The list of the names of those who have
served the society as directors. follows:
Squire Charles Waiter. Jos c. Foertsch.
F. kleg, who serted two terms; DR.. Chas
Ranterbers, Carl Richter, who served two
terms; Carl Bergman, E. Holer, who
served four terms; Max Muller. ". Wal
decker, Henry Xander, who has served
since August Is. 1896.
Ladies' Auxiliary.
During the leadership Of Mr.. C. Richter
in 1873 and during the third term of Mr.
f. Holer in 1888 female chorus was at
tached to the society. the women singers
being under direction of Mr.. Emil Mort
There Is at present womans auxiliary to
the Saengerbund. The ladies perform many
offices of value to the Saengerbund the
| decoration of the club house and prepara-
! ton of minor banftfets being committed TO
| their care. The ladies of the society are
making a jubilee banner for presentation
| to the Saengerbund during its festival
! Mrs. William Lutz is president Of the
| womans auxiliary.
| The regular meeting places of the Saen-
| gerbund have been German Hall, 18th be-
| tween f and G streets; Irish Hall, q he
| tween 9th and 7th streets; Finkmann's
| Hall. D between 18th and 18th streets !:
| Becks Hall. d between 9th and 9TH streets:
| Harmony Hall Cater Marinis HalD, Il
| near 9Th street; J. Sch1nitt's Hall, 9Th be-
! tween street and Louisiana avenue: ]
! Emrich's Hall, 18th street and Louisiana
| avenue; Zabn's Qater BehrensD Hall, 18th
| near u street; Wangemanns Hall, Penn
Sylvania avenue between 9th and AZ
streets; Hockemeyer's Trades Union Hail.
| Sth and f streets: Chas. Dismer's Hall
| 10S X street northwest.
At Dismers Hail the Saengerbund re-
| manned nineteen years, from September II
1874, to. December 10. 1893, when the So
| ciety moved to its present club house 314
G street northwest
The Washington .Saengerbund has at
| tended all the singing festivals of the
| Northeastern Saengerbund, except the first
| in 1880. In the Northeastern Saengerbund
| are included the societies of the middle
and New England states, and it's member
| ship is between seven and eight thousa nd
| singers. In these musical contests the
| Washington Saengerbund has won three
! prizes in the second class, the first class
| being composed of societies with a strength
| of one hundred or more and the second
| class being composed of societies having a
membership of from fifty to one hundred
| The Washington Saengerhund is therefore
| in the second class. In this class the local
singers won first prize, a piano, at BaIti-
| more, in July, 1869. They took the third
| prize, bust OF Rheinberger, composer of
| the prize song, at Newark, n. j., in JULY
| 1891, and the sixth prize, silver goblet. at
| New York, in June 1894.
| The Washington Saepgerbund sang at the
| funeral of President Lincoln in the rotunda
| OF the Capitol; at the memorial services Of
! EDperors Wilhelm l and Frederick III in
1883; at the first schuetzenfest in the
| Schuetzen Park, May % and %, 1865 and
| all the following schuetzenfests; at the un-
yelling of the Gen. Steuben bust in Schuetz-
| en- Park, October, 1870
The distinguished guests who in one