Newsletter September 2003   
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 41  

HELP NEEDED - PLEASE RESPOND
 Our Society, and the Maryland German-American community need your help.

 1. Society fundraiser. The low interest rates and negligible return on our investments forces us to raise money elsewhere to fund our educational and other projects. The major method now is through advertising revenue for the program at our annual awards banquet. The more ads and sponsors, the more successful will be the fundraiser. Please sign up as a sponsor and help us get ads. More on page 2.

 2.  3-day housing for German student choir  
A group of 22 youth (17-22) from Halle, Germany is coming for a singing tour. The group will arrive on Saturday, Sept. 27 and needs lodging for 3 nights. They need to be picked up at Zion church in the evening and returned in the morning. During the day they will be away on activities. Host families should provide breakfast. The group will sing at our ecumenical service on Sunday. More on page 6.

 3.  Martin Luther exhibit from Germany at Zion.

The German state of Sachsen-Anhalt and the Luther Memorial Foundation is sending to America an exhibit of original documents and artifacts showing Luther's influence on Western culture. It is a display of immense importance, which will travel throughout the USA and Canada. The exhibit will be shown in the Adlersaal of Zion Church from November 14-23. Volunteers are needed to assist with visitors to the exhibit. More on Page 3.

 4.  Mencken House  A team led by the Baltimore Sun paper meets monthly to plan for the future use of the home of H. L. Mencken. Join the team. See page 2.

 ECUMENICAL SERVICE SEPT. 28 

 The ecumenical service initiated by our Society, Zion Church and The Society for the History of Germans in MD upon the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, will again be held at Zion at 5 pm, Sunday, Sept. 28, followed by a reception with food and drink. A special feature for this year's event is a performance by a youth choral group from Halle , Germany . The Society's ecumenical service was instituted in November, 1989, three weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the communist East German state, to give thanks that our German brethren were free at last and able to practice religion once again without persecution. The entire German American community is invited to attend and to socialize in the Adlersaal after the ceremonies.

 AWARDS BANQUET NOVEMBER 8

 Announcements of our annual banquet have already been mailed to our members. It will again be held at Towson University , which proved to be a great venue last year, well worth repeating. Make sure you get your tickets early, since seating is limited and we expect a sell-out crowd. Our honoree is Catherine Eggerl Peters, the well-known proprietress of Blob's Park.

            The Society's banquet dates back to the early 1800's when it also served as our annual meeting. The banquet was suspended during World War II, although the annual meeting was held at the Zion Church , attended by the Mayor of Baltimore and the Governor of Maryland, to show support for the loyal German Americans who were occasionally persecuted for their German heritage.

  SUMMER GERMAN FESTIVAL

Baltimore's German Festival, held in mid-August, was first held 103 years ago and is the oldest German festival in the United States. 
_________________________________________________________________________________

Page 2

                     KALENDER

Sept. 27-28 - Oktoberfest, Frederick, MD

Sept 28 Ecumenical Service Feast of St. Michael

Oct. 11-12 - Oktoberfest at 5th Regiment Armory

Oct. 22-22 Sour Beef Event at Zion

Nov.8 - (Saturday) Annual Awards Banquet Towson Un

Nov.9 - AGAS 4th Annual German Heritage Fest-Blob's

Nov. 14-25 Luther Exhibit at Zion

Nov. 16 - German Renaissance concert at Zion
 

Visit the German Society's website: www.germansociety-md.com
 
Tune in to the Sunday German Radio hour Edelweiss: Radio 730 AM Sunday 9 am

 For more local German-American happenings, check the web site of the Deutschamerikanischer Bürgerverein von Maryland:   www.md-germans.org

 GERMAN RADIO KLUB CEASES BROADCASTS; KURT SCHULZE ILL

The German Radio Hour, broadcast for many years over station 730 AM on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, recently went off the air. Our Society supported the radio program with annual contributions for advertising our events. The Klub's long-time president, Kurt Schulze, is suffering with health problems. Kurt has been a well-known fixture in the Baltimore German American community for 60 years, highly respected for his business acumen and loved for his devotion to the community and for his efforts in preserving the MD German heritage. The Radio Klub still continues in existence and will hold on to its social programs, bus trips, dances and membership activities. Perhaps it may one day resume its popular radio broadcasts.

 OKTOBERFEST IN FREDERICK, MD

 The Oktoberfest at the Frederick Fairgrounds takes place Saturday, Sept. 27 (12-9 PM) and Sunday, Sept. 28 (1-6 PM). German food, wine and beer, oompah bands, German exhibitors and vendors and children's activities. Continentals Band and Alpine dancers. Admission is $5, kids 11 and under free. Ample parking at the fairgrounds on a donation basis. Check the website:  www.frederickoktoberfest.org

 SAUERBRATEN  For information on Zion's Oct. 22-23 sour beef event, call its office at 410-727-3939

or check its website: www.zionbaltimore.org

 MENCKEN HOUSE TEAM WANTS GERMAN REPRESENTATIVE

 We have been asked to provide a representative of the German community to serve on a team to plan for the future use of the home of H. L. Mencken  on Hollins Street. The team meets at the offices of the Sun on Calvert Street in the morning for two hours once per month, usually on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Because of Mencken's German background, the group wants a representative of the Maryland German community to serve on the team. Mencken was proud of his German heritage and was a member of our sister society, The Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland. If you would like to serve on the team, call our office and leave a message, or call Ted Potthast at 410-832-2900.

 ADS SOLICITED NOW FOR AWARDS BANQUET PROGRAM

 In recent years our Society has not held any fundraisers, but our dues and the current low interest rates which we receive on our investments does not generate enough to support our educational and cultural activities. We believe we can raise significant funds through the sale of ads for the program at our annual awards banquet. (Ticket sales do not generate income, since the cost of the banquet is fixed at a break-even price.) For this reason, we ask our members to give a hand at promoting sales of ads in the program. We welcome ads from businesses. We also welcome ads placed by individuals to commemorate the German traditions of their own families, or to honor their ancestors who emigrated to America from a German speaking country. Information on ads was mailed to every member. You may also call our office for assistance on placing ads. Please also consider being a patron by making a $10 contribution to the program.

 APOLOGIES FROM THE EDITOR

I am very sorry for the 20 typographical errors in the last issue of this newsletter. It was the result of a poor typist (myself), worsening eyesight and a rush to make a deadline for the printer. In the future, we plan to have the text ready earlier to meet the printing deadline, and to recruit a staff of proofreaders. If you have access to a fax machine and would kindly volunteer to be a proof-reader, the Society would be most grateful. Contact Ted Potthast by phone or by fax (410-832-2903). The more proof-readers we have, the better the chance of perfection.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Page 3  

LUTHER EXHIBIT HEADED FOR BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON

 The German state of Sachsen Anhalt and the council of Lutheran churches are sending an exhibit of over 300 artifacts linked to Martin Luther to America. The exhibit will appear in Washington and thence to Baltimore where it will be on exhibit from November 13 to Nov. 25 at the Zion Lutheran Church, City Hall Plaza. It is an historical event with ecumenical implications and will highlight the many contributions of Martin Luther to the world of learning, religion and civilization. Of Luther's many accomplishments, one of the most significant is that he was the first to translate the bible from Latin into a modern language and putting it into print, thus making it available to the masses of people. Zion Church is seeking assistance from the larger community to publicize the event and help bring groups to come to see and study the exhibit. The fact that Luther is a central German historic figure will stir the interest of the German-American community as well as persons interested in the history of religion.

            The City of Baltimore has honored Martin Luther's achievements with a large bronze statue of him, which is prominently placed at Lake Montebello.

            Pastor Eric Gritsch, a member of our Society, will deliver the keynote address for the opening of the exhibit at 7 pm, November 14.

            On Nov. 20 there will be a lecture on Melanchthon at the Walters Art Gallery, with a reception sponsored by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.

            On Saturday, Nov. 22, there will be a workshop seminar at Walters on Lukas Cranach, the painter.

            A German Renaissance Music Ensemble known as the Wittensberger Hofkapelle will present a concert on Nov. 16 at 3 pm at Zion Church, City Hall Plaza.

            The entire program will be a high-level showcase of German culture. Our Society hopes our members will support and attend the various functions and help publicize the program and the exhibits.

 KATHERINE EGGERL PETERS SOCIETY'S 2003 HONOREE

 Katherine Mary Eggerl Peters, who has operated Blob's Park since the death of her uncle, Max Blob, was picked by our executive committee to be honored by the Society at its annual awards banquet Nov. 8. The honoree has met the requirement of "a Marylander of Germanic ancestry who has made a significant contribution to our State or Nation." Katherine has seen Blob's Park this year mark its 75th anniversary as a seat of Bavarian culture and a meeting place for the German-American communities of Maryland, Northern Virginia. and Washington, DC. She welcomes diplomats and visitors from German speaking countries and makes them feel at home away from home. She helps the descendants of German immigrants to preserve the heritage of their ancestors. Katherine is popular and loved by all who meet her. Our Society is proud to be able to honor her for her spirit and her achievements.

 MEMBERS RUB ELBOWS, EAT AND CELEBRATE AT ANNUAL PICNIC 

  The sun broke through and shone for a while on our picnic on June 1, after 6 straight rainy weekends. Red, black and gold balloons hovered over yellow picnic tables as our members and their families dined at a German smorgasbord, with German beer, American soda and a lavish dessert table. Children played croquet on the grounds of Blob's Park, and the aged 7-14 children tore around in "The Great Scavenger Hunt". The prizes went to James Schafer, Clara Stine and Josh Stine. Ben Huther went home with the crystal and pewter stein for winning the 4th annual horse-shoe tossing contest, edging runner-up Bruce Schmidt.

 Our new exhibit of the Society's history and programs made its debut to the membership. It was set up by President Jim Schaub, with the help of his wife Abbie and daughter Eileen. The members were awestruck by the professional presentation of the exhibit.

 Elaine Nieberding, lovely wife of chairman Arthur, led the singing of the Schnitzelbank song, aided by small and medium children holding posters of Schnitzelbank items. The crowd, supplied with charts of the song, were in high spirits as they loudly sung the verses in gay and happy voices.

 A  highlight of the picnic was the presentation to Katherine Eggerl Peters, of a citation from Governor Ehrlich for her long years of managing Blob's Park, founded by her uncle Max Blob 75 years ago. Katherine, a long-time member of our Society, has been proprietress of the park since the 1950's. Past president and current treasurer Mike Nieberding, who arranged the citation, presented the award on behalf of the governor.

 A few of our regular attendees were absent due to illness and family conflicts, but the picnic still drew a near record crowd of 200.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Page 4
 
WHO WAS EDWARD BANKA?

 The identity of the mysterious German soldier who left his estate to our Society begins to take shape as we pour through his effects and talk to the people who lived around him and to our members who knew him. As a boy who was drafted into Hitler's army, became a disciplined solder who fought in the Afrika Korps under General Rommel and was captured and brought to America. He brought with him whatever of the culture of the fatherland that could be absorbed during a boyhood in a rural village. One such element was a love of music. More than a hundred tapes were found among his possessions, mostly German music of all kinds: folk music, marches, classics, but also some American songs of the forties and fifties - songs he learned as an American soldier during and after the war while still a young man. Ed Banka (the new identity given him when he was recruited by the American army and sent to fight the Japanese) never forgot his birth name of Dieter Langsdorf, a name he used from time to time even later in life. A 1985 book about WWII, among his possessions, was inscribed "To Dieter F. Langsdorf, from Willie." Although he loved his adopted country, he never forgot his origins: he had a framed photograph of General Rommel and two other officers, one of them possibly his own commander. Our Society has also inherited his Afrika Korps hat which he wore one year at the Baltimore German Festival when he helped out at our beer stand, as well as his lederhosen which he frequently wore to local German ethnic events.

            Ed Banka's Last Will and Testament is being probated. It is expected to result in the largest gift to the Society in its history.

GERMANY WANTS TO RECONCILE AND IMPROVE USA RELATIONS
 Chancellor Schröder's anti-American election tactics and his opposition to the war in Iraq have caused a rift with America which Germany is now anxious to repair. Schröder is said to have tried to meet with President Bush at the meeting on May 31 for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of St. Petersburg. However, even German commentators conceded that the Bush-Schröder relationship is "kaput" since Schröder did not fire the justice minister who compared Bush to Hitler, but merely shuffled her to a new job. On Aug. 8 President Bush praised the German aid in Iraq, which may signal a change in attitude. Poland seems to have taken the role of mediator between the U.S. and Europe, formerly held by Germany, and Germany wants that role back.  Meanwhile, the dollar recently dropped to an all-time low of $1.15 against the Euro.

 YOUNG GERMAN WORKERS EMIGRATING OVERSEAS

Due to high unemployment in Germany, young, well-educated professionals are emigrating to Canada, the USA, Australia and other European Union countries. The unemployment rate for persons under 25 stands at about 20%. Some young Germans simply don't see a future there, according to a report in a national American newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor. 

 CORRECTIONS ...to errors in recent issues of our newsletter:  Ed Banka was born in Hesse, not Heswe, Ted Potthast has been a director since 1965, not 1985.. To volunteer to help at the Mount Claire Mansion, the number to call is 410-823-4848. The museum number is 410-837-3262. The first public reading of the poem "The Immigrants" by our member Ingebord Carsten-Mill was in 1994, not 1944. In our newsletter for the past several years, we referred to Dutch Ruppersberger, former Baltimore County Executive and currently congressman from Maryland's second district, as a member of our Society. One of our members, upon meeting him recently, mentioned that she was also a member, with him, of our Society. She said that he replied that he is not a member of the German Society. Upon checking our records, we found that he once had been a member, referred by Judge Wittstadt, but that he has not paid dues or responded to our communications in recent years. Our member reported that she thought he did not want to be associated with our Society. We have therefore removed him from our list of members.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Page 5

DIANE GEPPI-AIKENS, 40

            One of most highly publicized members, Diane Geppi-Aikens, died of brain cancer June 29th at age 40. She is survived by 4 children, Shannon, 9, Melissa,12, Jessica, 16 and Michael, 18, and her parents, members John and Katherine Geppi. Diane achieved national recognition in her role as coach of the Loyola College women's lacrosse team. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) selected her from among over 4,000 college coaches to receive its "Inspiration Award" for her example as a role model to the students under her charge. Diane was also the subject of a TV special, an article in Sports Illustrated, a magazine with a circulation of millions, an appearance on the Today Show, and more than 1,000 articles in newspapers through out the USA .

            When she learned in December, 2002 that her brain cancer was terminal, she set three goals: to take her lacrosse team to the national finals, to see her team perform on TV and to see her son, Michael graduate from Calvert Hall high school. She accomplished all three goals. In the last six months of her life, her home was deluged by so many phone calls of inquiries and greetings that she could not take them; so her friends set up a web site which gave daily status reports and allowed well-wishers to place messages to her on the internet. The web-site had more than 50,000 "hits".

            Her funeral was moved from the Loyola College Chapel to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen to accommodate more than 1,500 attendees at the Mass. Over 1,000 came to the graveside ceremonies and to a reception afterwards at Loyola College . Police blocked part of the Baltimore Beltway and I-83 for the funeral procession of 500 cars.

            Diane attended several of the Society's annual picnics with her children and was proud of her German (and Italian) heritage. One of her ancestors was Vincent Potthast, who emigrated from Westphalia and helped found the family's Baltimore furniture company.

  CLAIRE STIEFF, OLDEST MEMBER, DIES AT AGE 102; SOCIAL LEADER
 Marie von Marees Stieff, our Society's oldest member, died on May 4 of pneumonia. She is survived by her son, Charles C. Stieff, II, a member of the Society, and two other sons, Rodney G. Stieff and Gideon N. Stieff, Jr. Born Claire von Marees, she was the daughter of a German toy importer and grew up in Roland Park. She was a 1917 graduate of Friends School and attended Goucher College and served on its board for 30 years. She also was a member of the board of many charitable organizations, including the women's board of the Johns Hopkins Hospital . She served as vice-president of the Stieff Co., a manufacturer of silver and pewter, founded by her father-in-law in 1882. She was active in the American Red Cross and was chairman of its blood donor drives in the 1950's. She selected the site of the Stieff headquarters on Wyman Park Drive , which became a Baltimore landmark. Her wide interests and activities ranged from the Baltimore Flower Mart, the Women's Club of Roland Park and being an avid fan of the Baltimore Colts, whose games she seldom missed. She was a long-time member of our Society.

            Stieff silverware, a favorite of Baltimore brides for generations, graces the tables of thousands of Maryland homes. The Lady Claire pattern was named for Mrs. Stieff.

 ELEANOR MINNICK, OPERATED FAMILY RESTAURANT IN DUNDALK
 Eleanor Minnick died at age 72 on June 6. She and her husband, Daniel Minnick, Jr., operated the family "ma and pa" restaurant in Dundalk , which was the meeting place for politicians and community groups. Daniel has promised to carry on Eleanor's decades-old tradition of collecting toys at Christmas for distribution by the police athletic league. Last year she collected over 4,000 toys. Her signature dish at the restaurant was sour beef and dumplings. She is also survived by 2  daughters, Debbie and Cindy, 3 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. The Minnick family has been very active in the German-American community.

 OUR PERIPATETIC PRESIDENT
Our president, Dr. James Schaub, while handling the day to day business of the Society and motiving our directors and members, has recently traveled to Germany , England , Holland and South Africa on missions for the U. S. Government.

____________________________________________
Page 6

   WHY JOIN THE GERMAN SOCIETY?

If any of your ancestors came from Germany and you live in Maryland, consider these points:

 1.         Honor the memory of your ancestors by preserving their heritage.

2.         The Society will help you learn something about your roots - how and why you ended up as a German American.

3.         The Society will help you to pass on to your children the culture and virtues of your heritage.

4.         In parts of Maryland there is an unspoken hostility against Germans. Some German Americans hide their ancestry. Membership in the Society is a way to express pride and respect for your forefathers.

5.         The study of German language (and culture) was once taught in most Maryland high schools. Most public schools no longer teach German. Our Society supports those schools which do so, hoping the study of German will spread and resume its former prominence. As a member, your dues help foster this.

6.         Most Americans have multi-ethnic backgrounds. The German part of you deserves to be cultivated, just as you do for the other ethnicities which you cherish.

7.         Society membership is a way to express pride in the accomplishments of all German  Americans.

8.         If you do not promote your German heritage to your children and to other young people, the culture which was once prominent in Maryland will soon be lost and buried.

9.         "Black" studies and "minority" cultures are supported by public funds. Not so for German or other European ethnics. Only with private support from  groups like our Society will our culture stay alive.

10.       Germans make the best beer; Germans sing a lot and have more fun--it's called Gemütlichkeit !

 150 YEARS FOR ST. MARY'S

 St. Mary's Church on Duke of Gloucester Street in Annapolis, a church founded by the German Redemptorist priests, is preparing for a September celebration of its 150th anniversary. The cornerstone was laid in 1853 by St. John Neuman, its new pastor. The next pastor was Bavarian-born Fr. Francis Seelos, whose cause for canonization moved forward last year when Pope John Paul approved the veneration of his memory. Six pastors of St. Mary's served as chaplains to the U.S. Naval Academy.

 YOUTH CHOIR FROM HALLE, GERMANY, REQUEST HOUSING WHILE IN BALTIMORE FOR 3 DAYS

 A choir of teenagers will come to Baltimore from Halle, Germany to present choral concerts. They will perform at the ecumenical service sponsored by our Society, The German Historical Society and Zion Church on Sunday, September 28. The 22 students from St. Peter's Church in Halle need to be housed during their stay in Baltimore. Pastor Dr. Holger Roggelin of Zion has asked our Society to assist in providing the students with a place to sleep and a morning breakfast. If you volunteer, you will need to pick up the student(s) at Zion on Saturday, Sunday and Monday  evenings (September 27, 28 and 29) and return them to Zion the following morning. Zion has arranged for lunch and dinner for the students and for daytime activities for them. They are ages 17-22.

            Halle is an east German city in which religion was nearly stamped out under 50 years of atheistic communism. Since very few Christian congregations remain active in Halle, such a group of youth is rare and remarkable.

             If you are able to take a young man or woman during this time, please contact Pastor Roggelin at 410-727-3939.

 JOSEPH B. SCHEPERS. 68
 Joe Schepers, one of our members who was proud of his German ancestry, died in late June of cancer. Joe. a retired steelworker, was an avid hunter and shared his bounty of venison and wild turkey with his friends.

He is survived by three sons, Joseph, Jr., Daniel and Stephen who carry on his hunting tradition.

 GERMANS WELCOME IN MD.
One of our members reported that her relatives in Germany have canceled their scheduled visit to the USA because they heard that Germans were not welcome here. We have canvassed our membership and others about this subject and found that such an attitude is simply not true, at least in Maryland where we did our questioning. The anti-French emotions which have led to the closing of many French restaurants, has not carried over to the German people. Perhaps it is because so many Americans have lived in Germany, in the military and otherwise, and have made friends and developed warm relationships with German people. So tell your friends and relatives in Germany that is safe for them to come and visit us.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Page 7

 HESSIAN SOLDIERS AS SLAVES

 Maryland's ongoing relationship with the German State of Hesse is reflected by the continued existence of the "Hessian Barracks" in Frederick,MD where Hessian prisoners were held during the Revolutionary War. How they came here and their status is described in a pamphlet circulated among the Hessians by one of their own who urged them to abandon their role as British allies and join America in its fight for freedom.

            In a translation of the pamphlet by Christopher E. Schweitzer for the Society for German American Studies, Karl Friedrich Führer, in 1783, called the Hessians slaves. They were seized from their homes, marched to the North Sea, put on boats, "sold" to the British and sent to America. Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse, was paid rent and received a bonus for each soldier wounded or killed

                TEXT FROM 1783 PAMPHLET

One of many shocking charges made by Führer to persuade the Hessian troops to desert reads:

" I believe that if the devil were to come out of  hell and wanted to go to war with God and demanded for this purpose 15,000 Hessians for a good price, the Prince would, without the slightest hesitation, sell them to him, and even if the devil wanted to throw all of them into hell so that the Prince would not see a single one of them again, that would be very much to the Prince's liking.  Especially if there had been an agreement with the devil, as there has been one now with England, that the devil would have to pay the Prince for each missing Hessian 150 to 200 Reich Thaler. That this would accord to the liking of the Prince is shown by the present American war in which more than 5,000 innocent Hessians have been sacrificed, for which  the tyrants pulled in the precious blood money. ...You Hessians! be ashamed of your disgraceful, despicable situation which is most unbecoming human beings, no longer be the absolute slaves of your fellow human beings, tear yourself out of darkness and slavery into which your ancestors, because of their timidity and fear plunged you, come to this land of freedom where you, even if you arrived naked, can become within a short time again human beings, indeed free and happy ones."

                      SGAS MEMBERSHIP

The SGAS pamphlet is a supplement to its annual Yearbook which each member of SGAS receives as part of the modest membership dues. This alone is encouragement to join SGAS. For SGAS membership information, call our office (410-685-9450) and leave a message on our answering machine.

 CONGRATULATIONS to our office manager, Bärbel Otto and our director, Pastor Siegfried Otto on the baptism of their grandson, Elliott, on August 17. Elliott was brought to Maryland for the occasion by his parents who live in Munich. Pastor Otto baptized his grandson at St. John's Church in Baldwin, MD. where he is an assistant pastor.

 KING GAMBRINUS RULES AGAIN

 The 124-year-old, 10 1/2 foot statue of King Gambrinus, which stood holding aloft a goblet of beer before the Weissner brewery (later American Brewery) in the 1700 block of N  Gay Street in Baltimore, has been restored and will link the Maryland Historical Society's present building and its new addition. The "king" will be visible to pedestrians and motorists from Park Avenue and from Howard Street . The brewery, built by Frederick Weissner, a Bavarian immigrant, still stands as a city landmark, although in a sad state of disrepair. It was a stop on our Society's bus tour of German American Baltimore on April 26. In the late 1800's, the king was a common decoration on beer steins, parade floats and popular sculpture. The architecture of the brewery building has been called "German-American gothic."

            Tradition is that Jan Gambrinus, a 13th century Belgian duke and president of the Brussels guild of brewers, inspired the legend of Gambrinus as "the patron saint of beer".

            The statue will be installed when construction on the Historical Society's new addition is complete, in November.

 SAUERBRATEN, BALTIMORE
 
The German-Americans in Baltimore have their own way of making sauerbraten, usually marinating one-inch cubes of chuck-roast beef in a vinegar and wine concoction similar to that made by Mrs. Minnick. The company makes marinade marketed as "A German Tradition in a Bottle." Available at most local supermarkets, or stop by at Mrs. Minnick's Salads, 2222 Aisquith Street, Baltimore, 21218. For recipes check the company's website: www.minnicks.com

            Of course, every German American grandmother in Maryland has her own way of making sauerbraten and will share it with you, if you ask humbly and with an awe-struck look on your face.

            Sauerbraten season starts in October, and you should keep a sharp look-out for church suppers in many of the city neighborhoods. Let us know of any such dates and places and we will publish them.