The Village Group of the Swabian-German Cultural
Association
by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
Translated by Brad Schwebler
The foundation of the land's
association
on the
20th of
June
1920 in
Novi Sad
is the
most
important
marking
stone in
the new
history
of the
Germans
in
Yugoslavia.
The association sets itself goals to unite all Germans with our fatherland
and
encourage
our
German
folk-ways
and our
mother
tongue.
Then in September 1923 the Germans
of Feketitsch established their local group when they were already almost the
last in the Batschka to join the cultural association.
The public awareness - of which one believed it must be kept hidden -
without infringing on the sensitivity of fellow citizens - it grew anew.
Dr. Georg Graßl was appointed association secretary for the foundation.
He was received with a triumphant bow and a music band and enthusiasm
broke out during his speech with elementary force.
The union of our Germans of Feketitsch was seldom so great as on this
day.
It seemed like the poet's words: "We will be a united people of brothers"
comes true.
Gutwein's large stage hall could not hold all of the comrades.
In the evening members of Old and New Werbaß (Vrbas) and Sekitsch
performed to an overfilled house.
The local group numbered over 300 members.
A youth division, glee club, and library could be established.
The foreman, Martin Göttel, and the active secretary and choir leader J.
Dietrich (B.) were to be thanked for the founding and opening.
In the winter months two lectures and theater evenings could be
organized.
The books of the library were always out of print.
With the dissolution of the land's association on the 11th of April, 1924
the activity had to be stopped by us.
On the 26th of February 1928 the association's foreman, Johann Keks, could first
carry out the reorganization of the local group and after that the confiscated
fortunes were taken into possession intact.
The local group numbered 236 members.
The foremen were: 1. Dr. Viktor Pratscher, 2. Johann Röhrig, 3. Heinrich
Brückner.
Secretary: Nikolaus Gutwein.
Treasurer: Jakob Kloß. - The activity is feverish.
In the home: Schmidt's large hall in which talks took place on a high
level each Sunday and were extremely well attended.
Lectures held: Johann Keks, association foreman from Novi Sad; Johann
Steinmetz from the Agraria, Novi Sad; Dr. Viktor Pratscher; teacher J. Dietrich;
deputy S. Schumacher.
Theme: "The Ways in Which to Guide to the Goals".
Senior Jakob Kahn. Theme: "The Possibility of World Peace".
Rev. H. Berger of Feketitsch; Rev. H. Lebherz of Sekitsch; deputy Dr.
Georg Graßl.
Besides that four events took place on stage.
Guest performances took place here of the "Liederkranz" (song circle)
"Cheerfulness" from Novi Sad; the "Mood Singer" from Bavaria with lute and
guitar; the "Liederhain" (song grove) from Sekitsch and the Migratory Birds from
Wohlbach (Germany). - At the school graduation celebration the best students
were presented with books and an investment book with 100 Dinar.
For 40 traveling German season workers from Germany the pass could be
obtained for about 40 to 50 Dinar less, as in the neighboring places.
It made it possible for two students to attend the German grammar school
in Novi Vrbas.
For this purpose the association's leaders placed 2,500 Dinar at their
disposal.
The comrades from Werbaß gave free meals (midday and evening meal) so
that both students could finish elementary school.
Christian Brauchler continued his studies with the help of school
donations and was to emerge in a year as a young teacher.
In the fall H. Dietz from
Novivrbas and Dr. A. Maurus from Novisad held lectures.
At Christmas time 8 children could be presented with clothes.
It was a bustling activity that could hardly be seen in any other local group.
On the 6th of January 1929 all the unions of the land were dissolved and
our local group was affected by it.
New Establishment of the Local Group of the Swabian-German
Cultural Association.
~
drafted by Jakob Wolf
Almost in all surrounding villages
the cultural association already existed for some time, thanks again to the
erection of a local group which emerged.
Starting in November 1933 the founding assembly took place.
One likes to search for the reason
for the delayed establishment where one wants and they generally lose interest,
or even care to write so they still stand as one, that the church singing group
supposedly fulfilled all jointly formed and German cultural problems so that
where a uniform public organization existed no more problems appeared to remain.
On the 26th of November 1933 the
first proper main assembly convened at which the following leadership was
elected: foreman Filipp Bensinger, deputy foreman Johann Röhrig, secretary
Filipp Seibert, treasurer Jakob Kloß, and "Bücherwart" (librarian) Andreas Ries.
As the only possible activity for
the time being came from the present leadership for the preparation of the
lecture evenings and the loan for the library.
In this report year there were four lectures with the following themes:
1. "Luther's No" by Rev. Peter Scherer; 2. "Luther and the German Bible" by Rev.
Wilhelm Müller; "Something from Our Homeland History" by Dr. Viktor Pratscher;
4. "A Travel Experience" by Friedrich Weber.
In this year the youth did not come to a performance because they were not
approached.
The Reformed singing group performed a traditional costume festival which
did not exactly happen in honor of the ancestors.
Already in just the same way the cultural association had neglected its
problem here.
Still in the same year, towards
winter, a youth division was founded.
The youthful Fritz Weber, Filipp Peter, and Jakob Wolf were suggested.
The first leaders consisted of the following people: youth leader Fritz
Weber, deputy-youth leader Filipp Peter, "Schriftwart" (secretary) Jakob Wolf, "Säckelwart"
(treasurer) Wilhelm Bellmann, "Bücherwart" (librarians): Filipp Zuschlag and
Johann Fiege.
The youth began now at the same time with the preparation of the celebration of
Union Day (1 December) and performed this celebration on the advise of the
committee with both church choirs together.
Just as the youth had to give up on their work on it the youth home was
closed because it still was not approved.
It was established once again on the 9th of December 1934.
The same leaders were elected again with the exception that youth leader
Fritz Weber and secretary Jakob Wolf exchanged places.
Although already from all the beginnings over 50 members were admitted
into the youth group and with them the membership climbed to over 80 members,
which was still a disappointment because they thought of the group as something
sociable and therefore they did not take the efforts of the group's leadership
seriously. It was also no wonder that fewer and fewer appeared, what a
very lax group it was.
First folksongs should be cared
for and stage pieces should be performed.
From it one could hear musical film hits everywhere instead of folksongs
and even in the cultural association they could only be sung a little.
Two performances were now performed again with both church choirs where
the standard German folksong was still always missing and were replaced with
quadraphonic songs.
All in all three lectures were
held in the years 1934-1935. 1. "Friedrich Schiller" by Rev. Wilhelm Müller, 2.
"Upbringing and Work for the Youth" by Jakob Wolf, 3. "A Walk through the German
History" by Rev. Wilhelm Müller.
With the plight of the local
Germans especially doubtful, the collective action "Brothers in Need" was
carried out, through which the need was at least to some extent, relieved.
At the main assembly of 1935 the
following leaders were elected: foreman Filipp Bensinger, deputy foreman Jakob
Juhn, secretary Friedrich Weber, treasurer Filipp Gutwein, and librarian Filipp
Zuschlag.
The youth group leadership remained the same. Here the members could be represented who will strive for
something new, but still did not come to completely the same conclusion as the
platform of the association.
The first upswing in the youth
group was first carried out in February 1935, as the well-schooled youth group
from Torscha carried out a training course.
Through the comaraderie this group stimulated, they concluded to collect
a small elite for a strong camaraderie.
A girls' group of 25 members could be sought through the preparations of the
establishment. The first female
youth leader was Elise Wagner. From
this training the folk songs could be cared for much more and the right mind
could be found for it sooner. Also
the old-fashioned folk dances are being introduced again in place of the exotic
modern dances. Besides that various
games were introduced for the purpose of physical fitness.
The main working area of the cultural association now happened to be with
the youth.
At a meeting the idea could be
supported that the youth group could now present an independent event which can
be viewed as a first attempt of a union of folk problems by unified influences.
It formed a group which gradually understood that one has to place an
organization that is no longer seasonal, like all the other associations,
blossomed and again died out, but it applied to erect an association which
oversees everything and is simply only German.
In the report year 1935-36 there
were six lectures: 1. "A People at their Work" by Vicar Heinrich Weitmann (Schidski
Banovci), 2. "A Piece on Homeland History" by Dr. Viktor Pratscher; 3. and 4.
"Technical Information about Animal Illnesses" by Matthias Jochum, veterinarian;
5. "Historical Development of the Architecture" by Kristian Schwindt; and 6.
"Josef the German" by Rev. Ludwig Poth.
At performances two are listed
which are both concerned about their definite and accurate tendencies.
Already the attitude of the youth appears, it is realized, in a new era of
public interests.
The time of powerfulness and the heroic understanding of life has begun.
The folksong, just as the overall
songs of fighters' attitudes and the companionship of belonging together are
again heard much more often than earlier.
That is proof that the folksong, no matter how pleasing the round is,
it rises up again, lives, and follows in folks' footsteps.
Winter aid work was not done in
this year in both congregations.
Each in their realm have carried out a collective work.
When one notices the small
achievements besides that, that in this time a fight raged about world view and
attitude. So it is the position of
the people so far to conclude that it has been only a one-sided battle with the
cultural association with its broad class of people among its members, almost
without missing a statement.
Also an inside renovation and
adjustment to the future of a large people's community failed to materialize.
Through the acquisition of a new
library far more clarification could be achieved than through the previous
lectures, which touched on most anyone's field, but the least in the service of
the people's community and its advertising.
Through the active youth leader
Karl Häußer another area of work was introduced for the youth: gymnastic
exercises which also applied to physical exercises and gymnastics.
It was finally eliminated by the one-sided football game and through the useful
fitness for the most part replaced young craftsmen.
Close
camaraderie
of the youth in the Cultural Association
(From left to right:) Jakob Fetzer, Karl Ries, Filipp Bohr,
Filipp Wagner, Johann Röhrig, Karl Schwebler, Georg Roß, Adam Moser, Georg
Krebs, Michael Bohr, Karl Spangus, Johann Baschawerk, Adam Lehr, Jakob Kern,
Filipp Fetzer, Hans Häußer, Jakob Wolf, Hans Weißmann, Hans Wagner, Jakob Kloß,
Karl Häußer, Nikolaus Morell, Nikolaus Schmidt, Josef Karbiner, Margarethe
Morell, Rosina Schübler, Margarethe Leibesberger, Katharina Ortag, foreman
Filipp Wagner, Susanna Karbiner, Maria Schwebler, Margaretha Becker, Johann Ries,
Georg Gutwein, Filipp Krebs, Leonhardt Krebs.
At the main assembly of 1936 a
completely new leadership was elected: foreman Filipp Wagner, deputy-foreman
Kristian Welker, secretary Kristian Schwindt, treasurer Filipp Gutwein.
The
youth work now dwindled since being unified without an elected leadership
anymore.
The foundation of the youth work is already laid.
Now it still asks itself if a way of reflecting is achieved or not
through education and enlightenment.
From this whole development emerged that a correct inside renovation needed to
be done and that it was preached not only by some and used to set an example,
but that the constant call to all was also heard and must have been understood.
If there are still no ways of reflecting in the smallest villages, it all
weighs together on the conscience, if it is to last long until they realize the
will for self-preservation, and the true folk community will assert itself.
One only needs to go through the history of our ancestors so one will see
that at first we showed very little fulfillment towards such an obligation.
