4.2.1.1 German Day 1928. The public celebration of German culture

4.2.1.1 German Day 1928. The public celebration of German culture in Canada, and specifically in
Alberta, began in June 1928 when upon the initiative of the Edelweiss Club and several community
leaders—Alfred Rehwinkel (professor at Concordia College), Gustav Koermann (founder of the “old”
Alberta Herold) and Bernhard Bott (editor-in-chief of the Courier in Regina, who also wrote “Das Lied
der Deutschkanadier” to be sung to the tune of the „Deutschlandlied;” see 4.3.4)—assisted by the German
language press, in particular the Herold, initiated a Deutsch-Canadisches Sommerfest, later to be called
Deutsch-Canadische Zusammenkunft and finally Deutscher Tag. The purpose of this event was to bring
German-speaking Albertans together and to promote a Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl—a feeling of ethnic
connectedness—as was found, according to the Herold, among the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians were often
said to be more united than the Germans. But it should not matter where they came from in Germany,
Russia, Austria, Switzerland or elsewhere—they were all Germans even if they did not belong to the same
church or the same club.
Because the Herold felt that uniting the Germans was one of its tasks it took the lead in suggesting to hold
an all-German picnic at the end of June or early July 1928. The German-Americans had been doing this
for a long time, the Herold said, and these events were always a big success.1 A few weeks later, the Herold
chided some members of the German-speaking community for their attitudes: apparently many
Reichsdeutsche (Germans from Germany) showed a lack of respect for the Volksdeutsche (ethnic
Germans from eastern Europe) as well as a lack of respect for the Austrians, and called for solidarity
among all Germans: There were no second-rate Germans [Deutsche zweiter Güte]! No matter where they
were from, they were all Germans, the Herold said.2
The reaction from the readers and the clubs to the idea of an all-Alberta picnic was enthusiastic and
broadly based. A few weeks later, a meeting took place regarding the organization of a German picnic.
Many personalities from Edmonton’s German community were present,3 and everyone was enthusiastic
about having such a picnic. At another meeting the following week representatives from all German clubs
and associations in the city were invited to participate in the planning of what would hopefully become a
German Day to which all Germans in Alberta would be invited. 4
In subsequent numbers, the Herold kept repeating the message: Why are there no German
representatives in provincial and local government, why is it so hard for Germans to get positions in
government? Alberta’s 50,000 Germans have to take pride in their heritage and stand together to show
the other groups what they have accomplished. Equal rights for the Germans must be attained! The
Herold called on its readers to bring the whole family and especially the children to the German Day so
that they could hear the German language and German music and songs and could grow up with it.5
The festival held on August 12, 1928 consisted of speeches, music, songs, sports and games. It took place
on the Victoria Park golf links in Edmonton. At least 500 cars were counted and an estimated 2,500
people participated, according to the Edmonton Journal. Speeches were given by dignitaries from the City
of Edmonton (Mayor Bury), the Province (MLA Rudolf Hennig, MLA Prevey) and the Federal government
(Senator Lessard) as well as by numerous representatives from the German-Canadian community, such as
Pastor Boettcher and Pastor Jüttner. Mayor Bury acknowledged the contributions that the “German race”
had made in science, music and literature and lauded the German virtues of diligence, persistence and
thoroughness as well as the Germans’ love of family and home. He said what happened between 1914 and
1918 was past and one had to look to the future; he hoped that the Germans would contribute to the
flourishing of Canadian society, and a national organization of German-Canadians would surely assist in
this effort. Senator Lessard described the achievements that German-Albertans had made in settling
Alberta, adding that the province would do everything possible to make the Germans feel at home. MLA
Rudolf Henning, a German member of the Legislature, pointed out how proud German-Albertans could
be. The speeches were followed by German music and a singing of “O Canada” as translated into German
by Concordia College’s Professor Rehwinkel.6
O Canada, mein Heim und Vaterland,
Wie glücklich der, dem hier die Wiege stand.
Das Herz erglüht, wenn wir dich seh’n,
Du Nordland, stark und frei.
Wir halten Wacht, o Canada,
Wir halten Wacht dir treu.
O Canada, o Canada, o Canada,
Wir halten Wacht dir treu,
O Canada, wir halten Wacht dir treu.
O Canada, so weit die Wolken geh’n,
Manch’ braves Kind mag dir zum Schutz ersteh’n,
Zum Schutz, so lang’ die Sonne währt,
In Ost und West dir treu,
Du Vaterland, du Mutterland,
Du Nordland, stark und frei,
O Canada, o Canada, o Canada,
Wir halten Wacht dir treu,
O Canada, wir halten Wacht dir treu.
O Canada, wo Ficht’ und Ahorn blüh’n,
Die Prärie breit, die Flüsse schäumend sprüh’n,
Dein weit Gebiet von Meer zu Meer
Uns lieb und teu’r stets sei.
Wo Segen lohnt den treuen Fleiß,
Du Nordland stark und frei.
O Canada, o Canada, o Canada,
Wir halten Wacht dir treu,
O Canada, wir halten Wacht dir treu.
(Translation by Prof. Rehwinkel)
Source: Der Herold, February, 2, 1928, 1.
DH, June 7, 1928, 4.
DH, July 19, 1928, 4.
3 Mr. and Mrs. Springer, Dr. and Mrs. Karrer, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Rumpf and the gentlemen
Jüttner, Süss, Rühl, Hack, Stubbe, Drab, Ritter, Stürmer, Besler, Wiese, Kuhn, Hoffman and Theumer.
4 DH, June 28, 1928, 8.
5 DH, July 5, 1928, 4.
6 DH, Aug. 16, 1928, 1, 8.
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