THE GERMAN SOCIETY OF WINNIPEG
THE
GERMAN SOCIETY OF WINNIPEG:
A
PROFILE
After
the first German settlers had arrived some 150 years ago, there had been several
attempts to establish German societies in Winnipeg. Most of them were short-lived,
as many transient German settlers used Winnipeg only as a staging point to establish
their homesteads elsewhere.
However,
one such society must be mentioned here as its members were able to maintain
and foster German culture and customs in their adopted land for more than 107
years–in good as well turbulent times, including two clubhouse closures during
the two Word Wars.
The German Society of Winnipeg (as it is known today) was founded by nine German immigrants on 9. January 1892. The first by–laws of the Society lists the following significant ‘Purposes and Aims’:
§ 1. to support its members in emergencies;
§ 2. to grant loans to new immigrants in need;
§ 3. to organize legal protection for impoverished Germans;
§
4. to provide social events to cultivate German culture, customs,
and language.
The by-laws
proved invaluable for the well-being of the Society.
The Society
grew steadily through annual social events such as Sommerfest (Summer festival),
Stiftungsfest (foundation festival), and monthly dances during the winter months.
In 1884 the Society was able to increase the weekly sick pay from $3.- to $4.-,
in 1885 a burial fund for members and their wives was established and soon after
the Society paid for doctor’s visits. From 1893 to 1902, the membership had
increased from 61 to 118, and the Society’s bank account from $130 to $2,200.
In 1904
the Society was incorporated, land was bought on Heaton Ave. and Argyle St.,
and in October the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Daniel H. McMillan and the German
Consul Wilhelm Hespeler laid the cornerstone for the Society’s first own building.
In his address, the Lieutenant–Governor remarked, that every German who comes
to Winnipeg is welcomed, as every German immigrant is a good citizen of this
country.
During
W.W.I the authorities severely restricted the used of the club, and the Society
was forced to rent out the building to cover the ingoing costs. It was not until
1925 when the Society held its firs meeting in its clubhouse.- During W.W.II
the clubhouse was closed by order of the police, and the Society was forced
to sell the building.- It was not until 1952 when the Society purchased the
building of the Hebrew Free School on Charles Street and Flora Ave. and converted
it to the facilities as we know them today.
On 9.
January 1992, the German Society celebrated its Centennial, exactly 100 years
to the day. It was a four – day, dignified bash, where every politician, from
Germany to Ottawa, to the Manitoba Legislative and City Hall congratulated the
membership on their accomplishments, and their valuable contributions to Manitoba’s
community.
The celebrations
commenced in the clubhouse of the Society on 9. January. They continued on 10.
April with a great concert at the Winnipeg Concert Hall, followed on 11. April
by a gala dinner in the Hespeler Centre (formerly the Marlborough Inn, now the
Ramada Marlborough Inn). The centennial wind-up took place at the clubhouse
of the Society the following day, where the countless volunteers were honoured
for their unselfish efforts at a volunteer appreciation party.
To mark this occasion, a 110-page hardcover Centennial Book was prepared by a volunteer committee, financed entirely by private funds from members and friends of the Society. It is definitely the best and probably the only source of the Society’s 100-year history. Unfortunately, no funds were available to have this excellent piece of work translated into English, as the general public as well as students of German-Canadian history would undoubtedly want to know about the 100-year history of the Society.
Three
characteristics of the Society kept it alive and growing despite many setbacks
namely, wise board members who undauntedly kept looking toward the future, thousands
of volunteers who preferred to be the silent majority, and the ability of members
to form subgroups,” to do their own thing” in furthering German customs and
supporting the Society.
Today these nine subgroups are:
q The Ladies’ Auxiliary, the only independent group whose sole purpose is to support the Society financially through its activities. Its origins traces back to the beginning of the Society, when sick and destitute members needed care and a helping hand. The Ladies’ Auxiliary was the originator and driving force for a German–Canadian seniors home, and “Villa Heidelberg” on Edmonton St. was opened in 1976.
q The Bowlers
q The Brass Band
q The Chess Club
q The German Choir
q The Mardi Gras Association (Carnival)
q St.Hubertus Game and Fish Association, whose other activities include the support of wildlife federations and natural resources
q The Theatre Group
q The Winnipeg Skat Club (Skat:= internationally acclaimed game of cards)
q
The German Saturday School with a Grade XII accreditation in German
is also operated by the Society.
In the summer of 1996, the Society was blessed with a stroke of good fortune, when the former vice-president of the Society crossed paths with the manager of the Ukrainian-Canadian ‘Sadok Veselka Day-care Centre’ who was looking for a home for their little charges. The manager inspected the potential facilities of the Society, and found them to be almost ideal (air conditioned, and with adjacent kitchen facilities and washrooms). The vice-president – never to miss an opportunity for the well-being of his society- informed the board, and quickly drew up a contract for 18 months, which was unanimously approved by the board of the Society. Both parties signed the contract, and today, almost six yeas later, both parties still reap the benefits of the original contract: Sadok Velska has a permanent home, and the Society receives a fixed income from an excellent tenant. That’s multiculturalism under one roof.
(This
text was researched, compiled and donated by Mr. Egon Stanik, P.Eng.)