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    LANDESVERBAND  

  NEWSLETTER AND MAGAZINE 

LITERATURE AND POETRY

02/24/13

October November December   2008    Volume 3 Number 4

VISITING AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE

DECEMBER  2008

CHRISTMAS 2008

Forwarded From Los Angeles Donauschwaben

by Karl Seitz

Christmas 2008

 

    Christmas would not be Christmas had it not been for a poem written many years ago.  Interestingly, the poem wasn’t written by a poet at all but by the son of a Revolutionary War Loyalist Episcopal Bishop who officiated at both the inauguration of George Washington and the funeral of Alexander Hamilton. The unlikely author was actually a New York clergyman and a professor of Oriental and Greek literature who considered his life’s work editing his Hebrew lexicon; not a likely source for a Christmas poem.

 

    Regardless, the author read “the mere trifle” as a Christmas present to his wife and six children the night he wrote it on Christmas Eve 1822. Had it not been for a relative who sent the poem to the New York Sentinel, where it was published anonymously, this great poem and the traditions with spawned may have lain in easy obscurity.  It was first published on December 23, 1823 and it was an immediate success. The author never copyrighted his poem, and only claimed it as his own over a decade later.

 

    Despite his personal scholarship, it was this simple but magical poem about a mysterious Christmas Eve visitor and his eight tiny reindeer that has kept the memory of the author alive. Although he was embarrassed for most of his life that his scholarly works were overshadowed by what he publicly considered a frivolous poem, the author will forever be remembered as the person who truly gave St. Nicholas to the world. The poet of the Christmas Eve poem lived a long and productive life and died in Newport, Rhode Island, his summer home, on July 10, 1863, just a few days short of his eighty-fourth birthday. Along with members of his family, he is buried in New York’s Trinity Cemetery at the Church of the Intercession. An annual New York Christmas tradition since 1911 commemorates the author with a candlelight procession the Sunday before Christmas at the Church.

 

    This Christmas, we invite you to gather your children, grandchildren, family, friends and loved loves to read the author’s poem. If  you’re fortunate, some of the author’s Christmas memories may rub off on you and those around you.

 

    Oh, the Hebrew Lexicon that the author labored so long on … it never really caught on.

A Visit From Saint Nicholas

By Clement Clarke Moore

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled our brains, for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, gave a luster of midday to objects below.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a minute it must be Saint Nick!

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled and shouted and called them by name.

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On,Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner, and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall, now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So, up to the housetop the coursers they flew, with a sleigh full of toys -- and Saint Nicholas, too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head and was turning around, down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes, how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump -- a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye, and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying a finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere they drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

 

 

“May Your Days Be Merry And Bright And May All Your Christmas’ Be White”

 

Karl & Lisa Seitz

 

VISITING AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE

NOVEMBER  2008

Die Lehrerinnen für das neue Schuljahr, 2008-2009

Forwarded from Carpathia Club, Sterling Heights

Elke Becker, Ingrid Wasserbaech und Irene Dietz.

       

Die Aushilfslehrerinnen sind Kirsten Renaud, Kathi Steinerund Georgeta Lemeni.

VISITING AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE

OCTOBER  2008

Dennis Bauer

Trentoner Donauschwaben

http://www.dvhh.org/web1/contact.php?cuser=dbauer

A Collection of Genealogical Information of Palankaer-

Americans and Related Families –1899 to 2008 (includes a

history of the Donauschwaben in Palanka, Batschka,

Austria-Hungary and the Trenton, NJ Area)

This publication contains; a history of Backa Palanka, maps,

photos, Palankaer-American obituaries, immigration list, military

list, passport list, residents in the U.S. and other Palanka related

genealogical information. Spiral soft-bound. Over 200 pages and

750 names with dates and supporting genealogical information.

* * * *

VISIT A SAMPLE PAGE ADDITION TO THIS BOOK

ON THIS WEBSITE AT:

http://donauschwaben-usa.org/palankaer_american_book_sample.htm

* * * *

Return order and $ 25 (plus $3 s/h in USA) to:

Dennis J. Bauer, 49 Conifer Road, Levittown PA 19057-1718

Donauschwaben@mail.com

* * * *

Send my order for the book to (shipping date by December 2008):

NAME :______________________________________________

ADDRESS:___________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

EMAIL:______________________________________________

VISITING AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE

NOVEMBER 2008

Schuler der Deutschen Sprachschule, Cleveland 

Hat eine Hauptpreise Gewonnen!

 

von John Gombar

 

 

    John Gombar, a student in the German Language School in Cleveland, won one of the top five prizes with his poem "Umweltschutz" at an international writing contest.

 

 

Umweltschutz

 

von John Gombar

 

Die Umwelt geht uns alle an,

weil ohne sie Nichts leben kann.

 

Wir denken wir sind ganz allein,

Um die Umwelt kummert sich kein Schwein.

 

Kümmern muss sich jedes Kind,

weil wir sonst wie Venus sind.

 

Autos fahren immer mehr,

Busse und Bahnen haben es schwer.

 

Öl und Kohle gibts zwar noch,

vergrössern aber das Ozonloch.

 

Dann ist es hier wie eine Sauna,

ganz ohne alle Flora und Fauna.

 

Wir müssen was dagegen tun,

und nicht nur auf den Sofa ruh’n.

 

Bäume pflanzen könnte man,

dass man besser atmen kann.

 

Wind- und Sonnenenergie

brauchen wir jetzt wie noch nie.

 

Recyceln kann man ganz schön viel

aus Alt mach Neu es kost’t nicht viel.

 

Wir müssen unbedingt was machen

sonst packen wir bald unsere Sachen.

 

VISITING AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE

OCTOBER  2008

Donauschwaben Podcast*

"A Pebble in my Shoe"

Lansing Public Library

2750 Indiana Avenue
Lansing, IL 60438
(708) 474-2447

Submitted By Katherine Hoeger-Flotz

 

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Pebble in My Shoe Author Katherine Hoeger Flotz

    Author Katherine Hoeger Flotz & her husband George Flotz gave a presentation about their book at the Lansing Library in Lansing, Il. last week and they made a podcast of the talk.  If interested, you can listen to it at:    A Pebble In My Shoe
    Katherine wrote A Pebble In My Shoe about growing up in Gakowa in the former Yugoslavia in 1944.
    In this recording, she talks about the experiences that she wrote about in the book, and George talks about his experiences up until the point they met!

Katherine and George Flotz


(*) This podcast will be available only as long as the above link is operational.

 

 

 

Das Schiff

 

 

Das eilende Schiff, es kommt durch die Wogen

Wie Sturmwind geflogen.

Voll Jubel ertönt’s vom Mast und vom Kiele:

“Wir nahen dem Ziele.”

Der Fährmann am Steuer spricht traurig und leise:

“Wir segeln im Kreise.”

 

 

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

(1830-1916)

Reprinted with Permission

German Cultural Society

3652 South Jefferson Avenue
St. Louis, MO. 63118
(314) 771-8368

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