Keeping up with the Brulljesmachers
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20 The German Times – Life March 2019 Keeping up with the Brulljesmachers The people of Kallstadt are known for their hospitality and open-mindedness, yet they are skeptical about a visit by the US president to his grandfather’s hometown Friedrich did not completely people stationed at the Ramstein ancestors of both Donald Trump whole thing: “If he wants to come, visit to the troops in Iraq, Trump BY DAGMAR cut ties with Kallstadt. He came airbase come to the region to and the Heinz family came from he should come.” surprised everyone by also visit- SCHINDLER-NICKEL back several times, and in 1902, get to know the local Pfälzer Kallstadt. Wendel, herself a Kall- Cornelia Seidl also attended the ing the airbase in Ramstein, 60 he even married the girl next wine culture. They often bring stadt native, even gained admis- Steuben Parade in 2012. She is kilometers from Kallstadt. Still, if hen Karin Speckert is door, Elisabeth, and brought her their whole family with them on sion to Trump Tower and inter- head of the local women's asso- the president officially comes to out sweeping in front to New York. Two years later, their excursions,” she says. The viewed the real estate tycoon, ciation and a trainer at the local Kallstadt, it will probably be as Wof her home and gets when his wife became homesick, Wurstmarkt, actually a big wine who had not yet announced his gymnastics center. “He wouldn’t part of a formal state visit to Ger- asked by tourists where they the couple moved back to Kall- festival in the neighboring Bad candidacy for US president. be doing himself or Kallstadt any many, which has yet to take place, can find the Trump house, she stadt. But Friedrich was denied Dürkheim, is a popular destina- Wendel managed to get Trump favors if he comes,” she says with even two years after taking office. pretends she doesn’t know. “It repatriation due to the fact that tion in the fall as well. to say “Ich bin ein Kallstadter” a view to 2005, when George W. Chancellor Angela Merkel drives me crazy,” says the 76-year- Bush visited Mainz and the city has already met Trump twice in old. She lives across from the was completely sealed off. Still, Washington. During her last visit house where Friedrich Trump, Seidl is convinced that if Trump in April 2018, she met him in the the grandfather of US Presi- actually comes, Kallstadt will take Oval Office and presented him dent Donald Trump, was born great effort to show its best side. with a 1705 copper engraving fea- in 1869. Speckert explains that Already a year ago, there were turing a map of the Pfalz region, the current owners of the house rumors among the members of on which Kallstadt is also marked. have had enough problems with the Kallstadt men’s choir that On this occasion, Merkel is said to annoying reporters and people they were going to be asked to have invited the president to visit stopping to take selfies in front of serenade Trump at some point Kallstadt together with her. their home. soon. They didn’t take the idea too As state visits have such a long And Speckert understands why seriously; however, at the end of lead-up time, the honorary mayor her neighbors have completely last year, US Ambassador Richard of Kallstadt, Thomas Jaworek, is withdrawn themselves from Grenell tweeted that Trump was still rather relaxed. In the past two all the fuss. They even hung up interested in a visit to Kallstadt. years, the 50-year-old has already a sign on their gate announcing “I don’t know when, but he told answered countless press inqui- they wanted to sell their house me he wanted to come and see his ries about Trump. “We treat the due to the siege-like conditions family’s hometown,” Grenell said. topic with typical Pfalzian com- they now find themselves in. The ambassador actually intended posure,” says Jaworek, who comes “If Trump actually shows up, it to make the trip himself to prepare from Bavaria but is married to a would probably be best to just for the president’s visit. This was woman from Kallstadt. Like many put the trash cans out and lower announced by US Consul General residents not active in the wine the shutters,” says Speckert. James Herman during his own business, he works at a chemical She is particularly concerned visit to Kallstadt in January 2018. site 25 kilometers away in Ludwig- about the severe safety measures An inquiry from the embassy is shafen. Of course, Jaworek still involved in such a visit. Still, if still pending. “We’d almost prefer thinks about the impact a Trump Trump shows up in Kallstadt, it if he doesn’t come,” says singer visit may have. “We will showcase she might have the opportunity A long way from Queens: Kallstadt in Rhineland-Palatinate in southwest Germany. Leo Möckel, who’s quite happy our town as a lovely winegrowing to get the autograph of a second village that can also handle some- US president; she already has he was considered a draft dodger. (2) DPA thing as big as a president’s visit,” the autograph of the recently On July 1, 1905, the couple he says confidently. deceased President George H.W. boarded the steamboat "Pennsyl- The Christian Democrat politi- Bush. She even has the signatures vania" in Hamburg on their way cian sees a potential Trump visit of former German Chancellor back to the US. Three months as having a personal and a private Helmut Kohl and Mikhail Gor- later, the father of the future US component. Jaworek also thinks bachev, the last Soviet head of president was born in New York – of the earlier trips by the late state, on a bottle of Speckert wine not in Kallstadt. Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who from Kallstadt. The bottle of In Kallstadt, nobody takes regularly invited state guests to Burgundy – grown for the family advantage of this famous émigré Deidesheim, 15 kilometers away, winery by Speckert’s deceased family for publicity or advertis- to establish a personal relation- husband – was served in October ing purposes. On the other hand, ship with them over Saumagen 1999 at a banquet attended by the Heinz dynasty – the other (stuffed pig’s stomach) and Ries- the three statesmen in Berlin cel- expat family that went on from ling. These conversations were ebrating the 10th anniversary of Kallstadt to make history in thereafter referred to as “Sauma- the fall of the Berlin Wall. “That’s America – is immortalized by a gen diplomacy.” history, a long time ago,” says ketchup bottle in the showcase of Saumagen also exists in Kall- Speckert. the Heinz winery. In contrast to stadt, too, even in the form of Even further back in history the Heinz’s, Donald Trump is a wine. Indeed, Kallstadt is known is that moment in 1885 when a more provocative subject in this for its affinity to the “Saumagen” young 16-year-old man named village of 1,200 inhabitants on Family business: Donald Trump’s relatives are buried in Kallstadt. wine fields. This makes it possible Friedrich Trump, a trained hair- the famous German Weinstraße for local restaurants and cafés, dresser, turned his back on his (wine route). People in the neigh- Bühler cannot imagine that the and “I love Kallstadt” directly that there are no concrete plans which range from small street- homeland and embarked on a boring villages have been known US president would actually pay a into the camera, even though he as of yet. Still, it’s hard to say “no” side shops to Michelin star eater- journey to try his luck in Amer- to refer to Trump as a real Kall- visit to Kallstadt. “He has so many had upheld his father's version of when it seems the plans for a Kall- ies, to serve Saumagen as a dish ica. By doing so, he also avoided stadt Brulljesmacher, or show-off. things to take care of at home,” their story – which claimed Swed- stadt trip become more and more and as a drink. There’s only one compulsory military service In return, the people of Kallstadt she says skeptically. Six years ago, ish, not German ancestry – for feasible. “If he actually comes, we catch: Trump doesn’t drink wine. duty in Germany, something take a playful approach to their 29-year-old Bühler was Kallstadt’s decades prior. will be the best hosts we can be,” “We’ll be able to accommodate that would later come back to blowhard reputation, with the official wine princess and vis- This is something Kallstadt has says the 79-year-old, with an air that too,” says Jaworek. haunt him. Having made it to local youth calling themselves the ited the Steuben Parade in New never forgotten. “There are many of determination. After all, media the West Coast in the middle Brulljesmachers. York with about 30 other villag- people who would prefer it if he interest will be very high, and if of the gold rush, Friedrich man- Sarah Bühler has been work- ers to promote their hometown just forgets about making a visit the men’s choir is actually needed aged to make money by building ing in Kallstadt for many years. together. The reason for the visit here. They are afraid that the to perform on a certain day, Dagmar Schindler-Nickel is a metro editor for the local hotels, brothels and restaurants. Together with her brother, she was the filming of a documentary manhole covers will have to be you can count them in.