Volume 21 No 3 • Fall 2012 Grottos of the Midwest: Religion and Patriotism in Stone Peyton Smith All photos for this article by Peyton Smith. this articlePeyton by for All photos The front of the Grotto of Christ, the King, and Mary, His Mother, in Dickeyville, Wisconsin, extols religion and patriotism and greets visitors to the grotto. he Midwest is home to a which are considered to be among fascinating array of religious the most important folk or “outsider” INSIDE structures created primarily art works in the United States. Deri- Tby German immigrants. Throughout vations of a European tradition that • In Memoriam: Henry Geitz this part of the country one finds priests, primarily German Catholics, • Immigrant Memorial Marker cemeteries with elaborate headstones brought with them to the new coun- in Wausau and crucifixes, small roadside chapels try, grottos reflect the times in which • “A German Osage Chief” and shrines, bathtub Virgin Marys, they were first built: times when • Teaching the U. S. Civil War and spectacular tall-spired Catholic disease swept the world and wiped in Germany and Lutheran churches with detailed out huge segments of the population. • Book Review: Pennsylvania stained-glass windows and ornately The first major grotto in America, for German in the American carved wooden altars. example, was built by a priest who Midwest But the real architectural gems had promised to erect a shrine if he • In Memoriam: Fritz Albert created by these immigrants may be the religious grottos of the Midwest, Continued on page 8 In Memoriam: Henry Geitz (1931-2012), Former MKI Director Director of the UW’s Junior Year in honors often came his way, including Freiburg in 1967–1968, and then as the silver medal of the University of Chair of German in the UW Exten- Freiburg (1984), the Outstanding sion and the UW Center System. German Educator Award presented From 1983 to 1989 he was Associ- by the Wisconsin Chapter of the ate Director of the UW’s Academic AATG (1989), and the Cross of Merit Programs Abroad; in 1989–1990 he from the Federal Republic of Germa- was Resident Director of the UW’s ny (1991). Those of us who knew him Program Abroad in Budapest; and personally remember him as a warm thereafter, until his retirement in and generous Friend, colleague, and 1997, he served as Director of the supporter-and as our former direc- Max Kade Institute. tor. We will miss him! Hank’s parents were immigrants from German-speaking areas of Europe, his father from Hesse and his mother from the Banat; and Hank had a lifelong, solid, and enthusi- astic interest in German-American studies. He was among those who rofessor Henry Geitz, Jr., had long dreamed of establishing an whom we knew as Hank, died institute at the UW to promote work in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, on in this area, and he devoted consider- POctober 27, 2012, at the age of 81. A able energy to the founding of the native of Philadelphia, he first came MKI. As MKI Director, he organized to Madison in 1956 as a graduate special conferences on the German- student and teaching assistant in the American press, German influences Department of German. After com- on education in the United States, pleting his doctorate at the UW in and the land ethic of Aldo Leopold. 1961, he taught a year at the Univer- He was the editor of The German- sity of Richmond before returning to American Press (1992) and co-editor Madison in 1962, where he became of both the first English edition of a dedicated and award-winning Hans Bahlow’s Dictionary of German teacher of German language and Names (1993) and German Influences literature, cultural history, and peda- on Education in the United States to gogy. In addition, he held a variety of 1917 (1995). In addition, he oversaw administrative positions that brought the publication of a number of other him into contact with colleagues and volumes in the Max Kade Institute acquaintances around the world. He series, of which he was the general worked as Associate Director and editor. then Director of the UW’s NDEA In- Hank’s contributions and achieve- stitutes in 1964 and 1965, as Resident ments were recognized, and high 2 DIRECTORS’ CORNER Greetings, Friends 5th. Antje Petty has been active, too, eager for news about our renova- working with a fourth-grade teacher tion project, which will convert the and Readers! at Elm Lawn Elementary School fourth floor of the University Club in Middleton to develop teaching on the UW Library Mall into the new he fall semester is more than materials on Mecklenburg-German home of the MKI. Things are moving halfway over, and frost was immigrants who settled in the area, along—slowly—but we have reached on the pumpkins in time which will use the new Pope Farm the very final planning stages. Stay Tfor Hallowe’en. The MKI continues Conservancy as their focal point. tuned especially for information to forge ahead, and since our last In addition, she and Lori Bessler of about the schedule. We realize that Newsletter our presence has been the Wisconsin Historical Society your generosity has made you stake- felt in many corners of the state and have continued the series of geneal- holders in this undertaking, and we beyond. In July, for example, Kevin ogy workshops that was so popular are deeply grateful. And we are all Kurdylo joined the Pommerscher last spring, holding two more—on very pleased that things are progress- Verein of Marathon County in a cer- October 20 and 27. Cora Lee Kluge ing. emony to unveil a memorial marker has also been occupied, giving a pre- Meanwhile, we are now looking honoring early Pomeranian settlers sentation on the Milwaukee German forward to the end of the year—and of the area; and he met with mem- Theater at the German Studies As- the beginning of the new one. We bers of the Sauk City Freethinkers to sociation conference in Milwaukee, wish you all the best and hope you discuss their history and to explore another concerning the work of the will work hard, be successful, and possibilities of their collaborating MKI to the Board of the Wisconsin stay in touch! with the MKI. In July the MKI also Humanities Council, a third one on put in an appearance at the German the role of the Forty-eighters in the -Cora Lee and Mark Fest of Milwaukee, thanks to the Civil War to a group at the Waunakee assistance of a number of Friends Public Library, and a fourth one on who volunteered their time to take aspects of German immigration to on a shift or two; and we extend our the Pommerscher Verein of Mara- appreciation to them and especially thon County. We are delighted to be to Ed Langer, who was responsible part of the UW’s outreach mission, for making the arrangements. and we thank all of the groups we Meanwhile, Mark Louden was in have visited for their warm welcome. Germany for several months during Meanwhile, we know you are the summer, teaching three courses on German-American topics at the University of Freiburg. So far this fall, Mark has given a Board of Directors, Friends of the Max Kade Institute presentation on the topic of “The Hans Bernet Monroe Gary Gisselman Wausau German Presence in Wisconsin” Elizabeth Greene Treasurer, Madison at the Trinity Historical Society in Charles James Vice President, Madison Freistadt, sharing highlights from the James Kleinschmidt President, Fitchburg UW course he taught last spring on Cora Lee Kluge ex officio, Madison Edward Langer Hales Corners the same subject, and he will present Mark Louden, ex officio, Sun Prairie a second talk on this topic later in Antje Petty ex officio, Fitchburg November in Lebanon. In addition, John Pustejovsky Secretary, Whitefish Bay Mark will speak about Amish music Karyl Rommelfanger Manitowoc Johannes Strohschänk Eau Claire at a meeting of the German Interest Luanne von Schneidemesser Madison Group in Janesville on November Pamela Tesch Oconomowoc 3 Pommerscher Verein Unveils Immigrant Memorial Marker Kevin Kurdylo Photos courtesy of the Pommerscher Verein Central Wisconsin. Verein the Pommerscher of courtesy Photos n July 15, 2012, a ceremony marker features a narrative about the of original immigrant settlers and was held in the Town of Pomeranian settlement of central nearly 400 commemorative bricks Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin; the other shows a map financed by descendant families. The OWisconsin, to unveil a granite marker of the Kingdom of Prussia, identify- Verein plans to compile a collec- commemorating the Pomeranian ing the provinces from which large tion of stories about the immigrants immigrants who settled in the area groups of the immigrants originated, whose names adorn the site. starting in 1855. Organized by the as well as a map of Wisconsin, high- In a time of rapid change and Pommerscher Verein Central Wis- lighting the counties of Marathon concern for the future, we are grati- consin, a heritage group that studies and Lincoln where so many Pomera- fied to know that local organizations the history, culture, and Low German nian immigrants settled—often in such as the Pommerscher Verein of (or Platt) language known to their towns with names like Stettin, Ham- Central Wisconsin are committed ancestors, the celebration included burg, and Berlin. Here, in a land- to the important task of keeping our singing, dancing, speeches, and even scape reminiscent of their homeland, history alive. a release of pigeons as the monument they established communities that was unveiled. The songs included a were predominantly German—their version of “On Wisconsin” and “You neighbors spoke German, newspa- Are My Sunshine” in Platt, as well as pers were printed in German, and “Das Pommernlied,” which was writ- church services were held in Ger- ten in 1850.