German Fest brings Milwaukee’s Teutonic origins front and center

Every Friday, my high school German class used to celebrate the end of the week by singing a round of German beer-drinking songs. The other week, I was at a tavern on Fratney Street in Riverwest, when a large group seated near me burst into a rendition of one of these songs, “Ein Prosit,” one of the more popular numbers. Perhaps following tradition a little too closely, this group proceeded to sing this song every 10 to 15 minutes.

Living in Milwaukee, it’s surprisingly easy to forget that you live in one of the most German cities in America. Elements of German culture permeate almost every aspect of the city, from its architecture and urban planning, to its demographics (slightly over half of Milwaukee County residents claim German ancestry). And yet, perhaps due to this ubiquity, the uniqueness of Milwaukee’s German legacy can sometimes be overlooked, and unappreciated.

I haven’t sang “Ein Prosit” since high school, but hearing it now, I had an epiphany: the street on which this tavern exists bears the name of one of Milwaukee’s German-American forefathers. This was followed by the realization that those conducting the sing-a-long were under the influence of a beverage produced by Miller—which, okay, is now owned by a South African company, but you see what I’m saying.

Even with the street signs all around us, even with historically German institutions like Turner Hall Ballroom, Mader’s Restaurant, Ernie Von Schledorn, and the Klement’s Racing Sausages in day-to-day life, it’s only natural to disassociate these establishments from their shared history, to think of them in terms of the services they provide, as opposed to the ethnic and cultural traditions they represent.

Which, I suppose, is why we have German Fest.

Running under the tagline “Milwaukee’s Original Haus Party,” German Fest kicks off this Thursday and runs through Sunday at Henry Maier Festival Park. It is the largest celebration of German culture in Southeastern Wisconsin, and the only justifiable reason for any one person to be wearing Lederhosen in July.

German Fest is about celebrating culture and history—but another thing a lot of  it’s about is food.

Every year, festival attendees consume over 30,000 pounds of brats and sauerkraut, but if you think the menu at this year’s German Fest is limited to just beer and bratwurst, think again. Not only will this year’s fest feature both a beer and schnapps garden, there will also be countless traditional and non-traditional items. If you’ve ever wondered what “German Pizza” tastes like, this might be your only chance to satisfy that curiosity.

Of course, there will also be a healthy German portion of song and dance. Musical headliners include the Biba and die Butzemänner, a German-American “Party Rock” group, Die Lauser, a traditional Austrian pop group that, for some reason, dons Scottish kilts, and Spitze!, America’s premier Oktoberfest band. Historic local dance groups like D’Holzhacker, D’Oberlander, and D’Wendlstoana (founded in 1925, 1927, and 1928 respectively) will also make appearances throughout all three days of the fest.

In conclusion, I think, when living in a city, it’s important not only to know your surroundings, but also the history of those surroundings. Aside from all the food, fun and celebration, German Fest 2013 also offers ample opportunity for this kind of education. The theme of this year’s Culture Tent (located on the South end of the park) is “German Influence in Milwaukee,” and I’ll be making my first stop there.

GermanFest runs from July 25^th through July 28^th at Henry Maier Festival Park. Admission is $15 for Adults, $8 for Seniors and free for children under 12.