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Verein Geschichten-3

North Bergen, NJ

Verein Geschichten - 3

German Club Histories - 3

The German-American Club

          Albany, New York


The following information was compiled and written by Ulrich
Fellehner, 1995; and edited by Christopher White, 2007.

The present German-American Club is a direct successor to the German Gun
club, which was founded on March 2, 1895 as
DeutscheSchuetzengesellschaft #1. The founding took place at the
establishment of Johann Stapf, a tavern at the corner of Quail and First Streets
in Albany. We shall endeavor to give you a brief history and some
interesting facts about our ancestral organization:

The “Gun Club” was one the last of the many German Verein or societies to
come on the scene before the end of the century. Membership was restricted
to 40 men, all of whom had to be born in Germany. Apparently, many were of
modest means. We find frequent records of expulsion for non-payment of
dues, which were .15 cents per month. Another indicator is the passing of a
rule that forbade any member to buy another a drink. We assume that this was
meant to spare those who could not afford to buy one in turn, the
embarrassment. The club also kept several rifles for common use although
members were permitted their own guns so long as they were of the same
caliber.

From the beginning, shooting was the club’s main purpose. The first
Schuetzenfest was held on August 15, 1895 and we are fortunate to have a
photo of this event. Practice and family outings took place at a variety of
locations during the summer. We find mention of Settler’s Hall and Garden,
Lagoon Island, Collins Grove, Schaefer’s Grove, Wilkin’s Grove, and Hinkel’s
Farm.

The many German groups in Albany cooperated in a variety of ways,
especially through the common ownership of German Hall on Beaver Street.
The year 1905 is an excellent example. During this year, the Gun Club bought
10 shares of German Hall stock for $50.00. They rented Liederkranz Hall on
Sherman Street for a ball. They took part in the 40th anniversary celebration of
the Maenner Quartett, accepted an invitation from the German Veteran’s
Society to attend their function at Dobler Park, accepted another
invitation of the Brewery Worker’s Union to a picnic at Schaefer’s Grove, and
joined the German Aid Society in an excursion to Schaefer’s. It was further
agreed to take part in the German Day celebration and have a Schuetzenfest
on September 3rd with a practice shooting the day prior.

By 1907, the Gun club was strong enough to purchase a lot at the site of the
present German-American Club for $180.00. Earlier, all meetings were held at
local taverns, mainly at Stapf’s but also at Strempel’s Hall at 253 Central
Avenue, and Pikard’s Hall at 241 Central Avenue. Now, plans were made to
immediately build a clubhouse in Colonie, and to purchase additional land. To
accomplish this, with the same number of members, initiation fees were raised
to $5.00 and each candidate was required to buy $5.00 in shares in the
German Gun Club, as it was to be known.

In 1910, all summer meetings, from April to October, were held at
“Schuetzenpark,” membership was increased to 50 members and work began
on a bowling alley. The club was on its way!

The first World War had less adverse effect on the “Gun Club” than on other
German societies in Albany. It should be mentioned here, that Adolf Meyer, a
most outstanding President, led the club during that period. While the majority
of German clubs folded after succumbing to the intense anti-German
propaganda and consequent actions, the,“Gun Club” was one of the few
survivors. The reason can only be speculated on, but, it was probably
because of the outside location in Colonie. Fairly inaccessible, the club
was not subject to the harassment suffered by other city clubs. 1918, marked
the end of the German influence in Albany. In the census of 1869, 4744 citizens
gave their birthplace as “Germany” and the estimate of German speakers in
1890 was 20,000. One could belong to any one of over 40 German societies. In
1918, few very Verein or societies remained. These included the “Gun Club,”
the German Hospital Association, and the Albany Maennerchor.

The German Gun Club continued to change, if ever so slowly. In 1922, a
resolution was passed to permit English spoken at meetings and in 1924
minutes of meetings were kept in English also. 1922, was the year in which the
dance hall was constructed and membership was increased to 150. There was
a definite upward movement in the organization.

In 1925, an event took place that had great significance for the club; the
Ladies Auxiliary was founded! The Ladies would become a very important and
indispensable part of the club and their role has ever increased as the years
go by. From preparing and serving food, raising funds, helping the needy and
serving as chairpersons of events, the Ladies are always ready to help. More
recently they have also take their place on the Board of Directors and we are
all richer because of it. The history of club would not be complete however,
without mentioning and honoring some of the outstanding Ladies whose
contribution will not be and should not be forgotten. We honor: Mrs.
Borrmann, Mrs. Paulsen, Mrs. Krueger, Mrs. Schweikert, Mrs. Hoffmann, Mrs.
Traegler, Mrs. Zewe, Mrs. Betzweiser, Mrs. Kopp, Mrs. Schwikard, Mrs. Blau,
Mrs. Meyer, Mrs. Schwarz, Mrs.Sieler, Mrs. Meister, Mrs. Jaeger, Mrs.
Verstandig, Mrs. Drautz, Mrs. Hafner, Mrs. Munninger; one could go on and on.

Increased immigration brought another element to the German-American
scene and that was an interest in sports, namely soccer. In 1026, the “German
Albany Sport Club Armenia” was founded and among its founders were a
number of members of the “Gun Club” and or the Maennerchor. Cooperation
the three organizations proved to be agreat benefit to all of them.

In 1927, the “old” part of our present clubhouse was built and soon after, all
meetings, summer and winter, were held there. The economic outlook was
much improved by this investment. Small events could be held on premises
year round. The hall could be rented out and with park rentals, the future of
the club was more secure.

In 1923, Adolf Meyer had first called for unity of all German groups in the area.
In 1938, the voice were raised once again and this time with success. On
March 6th, 1938, the “German Gun Club” and the “Albany Sport Club” merged
and became the “Albany Gun and Sport Club.” It was to be another two years
of deliberations the Maennerchor decided on its course. The outbreak of
World War II swayed the last doubters as memories of 1914 came to the
surface. On May 14, 1940, the Maennerchor joined the
other two and the “Albany Gun and Sport Club and Maennerchor” came into
existence. With its new strength, and the dedicated leadership of Joseph
Bauhofer, the club survived the war years (1941-1945) despite many
adversities and some losses.

The decade immediately following the war were memorable. Again, new
immigrants invigorated the club. A Ladies Chorus was added to the singing
section and the sports section was able to field several teams. Leadership
was steady and devoted. For the first 20 years, after 1945, with the exception
of two years, the club had only two Presidents: Arthur Borrmann and Karl
Paulsen. This continuity of leadership made possible long-range planning.
The result was an expansion of the clubhouse to its present size. Large
events could now take place on the premises. The stage offered the
singers new opportunities such as performing with the Delmar Orchestra. The
basement was built high enough to permit soccer practice in bad weather. In
1953, something happened that threatened to impede the advances made
since the war. Through an article in the Times Union, an attempt was made to
thoroughly denigrate the German organizations, especially “Schuetzenpark.”
It was alleged that the club had been a “hotbed” of “Bund” activity. Honorary
President Bauhofer and President Paulsen confronted the writer and the
paper about this slander and forced an immediate public retraction of the
allegations. 1954 was therefore very significant. In this year the club
held, or took part in 16 different events.

The most important day was the “German Day” at Bleeker Stadium. Large
crowds were on hand when President Paulsen, Congressman O’Brien, and
Joseph Munninger stood side by side at the ceremonies and marched
together. This event was very well received by the public and the press alike.

Meanwhile, the Sport Club made its mark in soccer. Karl Zwicklbauer, who had
been ASC coach and manager, took a number of players and formed the
Albany Athletic Club. Competition between these two clubs was intense and
for many years they split success in league play throughout upstate New
York. In 1965, the teams reunited and continued to be the top area soccer team
for years. Play ended in 1975 because of a lack of young players.

It was now time to bring the name of the organization up to date. The “Gun
Club” had not been active for many years and the Sport Club had stopped
playing soccer. The name “German-American Club of Albany” was chosen; a
name the club proudly bears today.

The singers of the Maennerchor and Ladies Chorus competed and performed
throughout upstate New York and brought home many awards. Their
proudest however, were the events the club sponsored in Albany. Many
remember the Fests and Concerts in 1947, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1965, and 1977.
These events rivaled any in the area. In the 1980s, starting with the Presidency
of Jakob Jaeger and continuing with Edward Genhofer and Gunther Hamel
and to some degree today, the German-American Club became very active
outside the club. We sponsored many “German Days” at the Empire
State Plaza, took part in International Days, Vietnam Day, Statue of Liberty
Day, Christmas Festivals, Food Festivals, and many other occasions. We are
especially proud of our part in Albany’s Tri-Centennial where we had an award
winning float and held a tree planting ceremony in Washington Park.

Today, we are mostly a social club. Membership is open to all, regardless of
sex, nationality, or religion. We endeavor to maintain as much of our German
heritage as possible under present circumstances. We continue to speak
German, play German music, and serve our German food. Above all, we try to
maintain that, which all who went before, considered most important, i.e.,
being hard-working, honest, and loyal citizens of our country, the United
States of America.

                            The Albany Maennerchor

Between 1820 and 1900, 5.2 million Germans immigrated to the United States
and in just the last two decades of that century, 100,000 arrived from Germany
each year. It was only natural that the traditional love of music should come to
the fore. The first singing societies emerged in large cities such as
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York, which led to the founding of the first
German-American Singing Federation in 1849. During this year, the Albany
Germans formed the first Literary Society and the first singing society,
the Albany Liederkranz. The society lasted only six years, but in 1865 a new
group, “the Albany Maenner Quartett” was founded and from that day on,
Albany was never again to be without a German Singing Society until 1990
when the voices of the mixed chorus of the German-American Club fell silent.

The time-period of 1870-1910 was a high point of German cultural and
economic activity in Albany. During that epoch, Albany had five different
German Singing Societies and at times had as many as seven had. In 1897,
representatives of 22 upstate societies met in Albany and signed the
constitution of the Central New York Saengerbund. In 1911, Albany was host
to the Sixth Saengerfest. All five Albany clubs cooperated to make it a
brilliant success. Soon afterwards, all of the clubs felt a lessening of interest
and competition between the clubs increased. As the clouds of the European
“Great War” cast its shadow over the land more and more, farsighted
members advocated unity among the clubs. On September 24, 1914, the
“Albany Maenner Quartett” (founded in 1865) and the Eintracht Singing
Society (established in 1868) met in the music hall of German Hall on Beaver
Street and the Albany Maennerchor was born.

The new club counted 235 members, 75 of whom were active singers. The first
officers of the new organization were: President: Dr. George Lempe, First Vice
President: Adolf Fraser, Second Vice President: Henry O. Sturm, Recording
Secretary: Alfons Bachmeier, Correspondence Secretary: Franz Franke,
Financial Secretary: August Mitzenheim, Treasurer: August Weber, Archivist:
William Berben and Fred Phillips, Trustees: George Kreuger, Henry Fischer,
and Dr. George W. Papen. The first musical director was Frederick W. Kerner.

The Maennerchor emerged from the dark days of World War I, very diminished
in numbers, especially, in the ranks of the non-active members. A good
number of singers remained true to their club however, in large part due to the
inspiring leadership of such officers as Dr. Lempe, Adolf Fraser, and Henry O.
Strum. After 1918, a new wave of immigrants rejuvenated the Maennerchor but
it also became a wandering club. German Hall was sold and singing was
moved to Liederkranz Hall on Sherman Street, to Strempel’s Hall on Central
Avenue, to Washington Hall at 206 Washington Avenue, and then from 1926 to
1934 to 69 South Pearl Street and back to Washington Hall. Concerts,
plays, and other social affairs took place at several different locations. Odd
Fellow Hall (former German Hall) was used for large gatherings until 1952. Our
Lady of Angels Hall was frequently used for concerts as was Chancellors Hall
in the New York State Education Building. In 1936, Professor Laabs led the
Maennerchor and the WGY Orchestra in a Spring Concert at this location.

In 1925, the Maennerchor became stronger with the addition of a Ladies
Auxiliary, which proved to be invaluable as the club struggled to maintain its
integrity. The feelings of the singers about their uncertain state of affairs is
best expressed by a little poem written by Honorary President Christian Martin
on its Twentieth Anniversary in 1934.

                          Maennerchor braucht ein Plaetzchen

                                   Und waer es noch so klein,

                                   Von dem er koennte sagen:

                                        Das ist unser Heim

                               Hier singen wir, hier feiern wir,;

                                        Hier ruhen wir uns aus;

                                           Es ist unsere Heimat;

                                              Es ist unser Haus!

Friendly relations between the Albany Gun Club and the Maennerchor date
back to the very founding of the latter. As early as 1915, members of both
groups would join in sponsoring balls, picnics, and plays. Henry O. Sturm,
who was President of the “Gun Club” in 1912-1913 was also President of the
Maennerchor in 1916-1918. AS the years went by, more and more men were
involved in both organizations and by 1934 prominent in “Gun Club” affairs

              We like to mention a few: Meyer, Martin, Schilling,
             Bauhofer, Drautz, Forkel, Mitzenheim, Barth, and Erb.

It was another six years before the poetic dream of Christian Martin came true.
On May 14, 1940, the Maennerchor found a home, and the Albany Gun and
Sport Club andMaennerchor, a dream for unity became a reality.

The singing section of the Gun and Sport Club and Maennerchor now had a
Ladies Chorus that was almost as strong as the Men’s Chorus and with new
immigration became even stronger. Under the baton of the very able
Professor Arthur Laabs, the Albany singers competed in every city belonging
to the Central New York Saengerbund and brought home many honors.

In 1947, the Albany Club was honored to host the 50th Anniversary of the
Central New York Saengerbund. The three-day event took place in Odd
Fellows Hall, formerly German Hall, and culminated with a picnic at
Schuetzenpark. Other memorable events in Albany included the five City
Concert in 1958, the 62nd convention in 1959, the 19th Song Festival in 1962,
and the 20th Saengerfest in 1965. The size of the mass-chorus at
this affair rivaled the 800 voice chorus that was heard in Rochester in 1959.
The last major event in Albany was the 24th Saengerfest in 1977.

By this time the Albany Chorus had shrunk considerably. It was only through
the dedication of such stalwarts as Adam and Eva Schweikert, Mildred
Blizinsky, and the talent of John Tanis that singing continued for several more
years. We remember fondly the mass chorus (with Troy and Schenectady) at
the German Days at the Empire State Plaza, the club singing at the mall at
Christmas or at the Tri-Centennial in Washington Park.

Above all, we remember the untold hours of pleasure derived from their
singing at the club. In 1990, the voices of the Albany Maenner and Ladies
Chorus were forever stilled. The void in our midst is felt deeply. May the
memory live on!

                            The Albany Sport Club

The Albany Sport Club was founded in 1926 under the original name of
“Albany Sport Club Armenia.” On June 19, 1926, a group of 27 sportsmen
gathered at the club room of the Albany Maennerchor at 69 South Pearl Street
in Albany to elect a slate of officers to direct the club’s affairs. Elected were:
President, Karl Gross; Vice President, Heinrich Allmendinger; Recording
Secretary, William Barth; Financial Secretary, Robert Kopp, and
Trustees for quarter-year terms, Hermann Gminder and Karl Heilig. Henry
Schwarz and Joseph Eid were responsible for the gymnastic section of the
club. Joseph Bauhofer was appointed liaison to the Maennerchor and work
out details about use of that club’s facilities.

In July 1926, the name, which had caused some confusion, was changed to
Deutscher Sport-Club Albany’26 (German Sport Club Albany 26). Almost
immediately a second team was formed in order to have an opportunity for
training.

The next few months were filled with straightening out details of a growing
club with questions such as; Who will pay for laundry? Who shall pay for
trips? How much to pay the player for doctor bills? How to train referees and
first aid personnel? There were also some games against the Arrow Soccer
Club Troy, Caledonia Schenectady, Clan Mac Gray Schenectady, and
Amsterdam.

In Spring 1927, the club changed its headquarters to 39 Quail Street in Albany,
and paid $37.50 monthly in rent. These premises had a bar, clubroom, hall,
and almost immediately the club began to have social functions. At this time it
was decided to accept ladies as members with the same rights and duties as
the men. Wives of male members were dues free. The result was that quite a
few ladies joined the club and separate gymnastic hours, for men and women
had to be established.

By 1928, the club was in full swing! League play was steady; the first members
were suspended for attacks upon the referee! Sunday dances and outing filled
the social calendar. Non-Germans were accepted into the club after two years
of debate over the issue; but a restriction was added to prevent non-Germans
from becoming a majority. Also in the same year, the first discussions were
held about uniting all German Clubs in Albany into one club, but without
success. This did not deter cooperation between the clubs in other matters. In
1928, the Sport Club arranged a large Sport-fest with participation of Troy and
Schenectady. The event was held at Schuetzenpark and all clubs pulled
together to change a common field into a soccer field for this event and
made it a success. This year also saw the final change-of-name. On October 2,
1928, the club became the “Albany Sport Club,” a name under which it was to
have many successes through the coming years.

As in other clubs, economic considerations occupied much of the club’s
leadership. Dances had to be held, rooms to be rented, and things to be
raffled off in order to pay the bills. The players were very active and in 1930
participated in nine Cup-Games beside numerous friendly games. Later that
year the financial situation turned so bad that the club could no longer afford
its clubhouse. A decision was made to sell the equipment and rent a room for
occasional use only. Talks with the Albany Maennerchor about a merger went
nowhere.

Records after 1932 are not available, but numerous trophies, won in cup play
show that the soccer section of the Albany Sport Club was very active and
competitive. For many years, charter members and members of the Sport
Club, advocated merger of the two. It was a proud day for J. Bauhofer, R.
Kopp, H. Gminder, W. Meister, A. Verstandig, H. Schwarz, J. Eid, P. Miller, A.
Mueller, and many others when on March 6, 1938 the “Albany Gun and sport
Club” was founded.

Under the new association, soccer continued vigorously. By 1940, Franz
Zwicklbauer was manager of the ASC and in 1941 he was able to report an
unbeaten season. The war put an end to further advances. Many young
players entered into the Armed Services and some lost their lives. Soccer in
New York State was so depressed that the Albany Club joined the New Jersey
Soccer League. When the war ended, in 1945, the players returned and
resumed training. In 1946, Franz was able to report his team ready for
league play- and so they did. In 1948, the reserve team was able to win the
Central New York League Championship.

Unfortunately, there was friction between the main club and the sports section
(ASC) which came to a head in 1948. Franz Zwicklbauer took a group of
players out of the club and formed the Albany Athletic Club (AAC). This was a
start of a great rivalry. The two teams were always competing for dominance
in area soccer; some year one would win and the next year the other. In all
fairness it must be said that the AAC was the stronger team, but it was the
ASC which survived. In 1965, the two teams re-united under the banner of the
Albany Sport Club. This was one of the best, if not the best team the area
had ever seen. With different players it campaigned with great success until
1975 when the ASC “took down its goals.” The lack of new, young players
was the deciding factor.

Fortunately the tradition continues. Some of the excellent players became
active in area soccer as coaches, advisers, referees, and managers. Youth
soccer has been the great benefactor of their dedication. Any time one of the
area’s young teams wins a game, or even a championship, somewhere in its
history is certain to be someone who either played for or against the Albany
Sport Club.

Past Presidents of the German-American Club of Albany, 1895-1998:

1895 Johann Stapf
1899 Peter Yoekel
1902 Max Bader
1907 Josef Bolte
1909 Adolf Meyer
1913 Heinrich Sturm
1914 Adolf Meyer (2nd time)
1924 Georg Hammer
1926 Adolf Meyer (3rd time)
1932 Emil Meister
1938 Adolf Meyer (4th time)
1939 Josef Bauhofer
1946 Arthur Borrmann
1949 Ernst Buschmann
1951 Karl Paulsen
1956 Arthur Borrmann (2nd time)
1964 Karl Paulsen (2nd time)
1966 Albert Meister
1970 Jakob Jaeger
1974 Adam Schweikert
1977 Horst Schuster
1979 Jakob Jaeger (2nd time)
1981 Edward Genhofer
1985 Gunther Hamel
1989 Ulrich Fellehner & Gunther Hamel
1990 Gunther Hamel
1991 Horst Wimmers
1994 Egon Reichmann
1995 Richard Loesch
1998 Horst Wimmers (2nd time).

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German Club Histories 1:

Legend

1 - The German-American Club / Albany, New York
2 - Albany Saenger Verein / 3- Albany Sport Club