DSFoundationUSA - Kulturpreis1
| The Danube Swabian Foundation of the U.S.A., Inc. Die Donauschwaebische Stiftung der USA, Inc. |
| This award was created to show appreciation of the Society of the Danube Swabians of the USA for all the cultural work which the recipients of this award have performed. |
| GUIDELINES: A request can be made by anybody with a letter stating all the achievements of the person being sponsored. The nomination should be made through the president of the local Danube Swabian club of the Landesverband der Donauschwaben USA. The president will sign this letter and and pass it on, with all the information, to the president of the Landesverband. It should be received before January 1 of the annual general meeting of any given year. At the Landesverband meeting the nomination will be discussed and then passed on to a committee. The "Kulturpreis" selection committee consist of 5 members and 2 alternates. Any member of the committee who belongs to the same organization as the nominee(s) should be replaced by an alternate member. The nomination(s) will be considered by this committee and the candidate(s) who have the best qualifications will be selected. The selection will be kept in confidence. The selected person(s) will receive the "Kulturpreis" plaque at the Landesverbandtreffen (usually on Labor Day) from the president and the Danube Swabian Foundation of the USA will add a check for $ 1,000.00 for this award. For the second award the Danube Swabian Foundation of the USA will present a $ 500.00 check. |
| Past "KULTURPREIS" recipients since 1994 were: Susanne Tschuertz - Artist, Painter - 1994 She received the award for all her illustrations, paintings and sketches about Danube Swabian people, their feelings, experiences, rememberances of their life and their tragic fate. She contributed to many festive publications, to the Chicago "Nachrichten", to the "Schwengelbrunnen", and especially to the book "The Innocent Must Pay" by Maria Horwath-Tenz. Eve Koehler - Author and Supporter - 1995 Joe Stein - Teacher, Jugendleiter - 1996 Heidi Bernhard - 1996 Karoline Lindenmeier - 1997 Franz Sayer - 1998 Supporter of DS Schools Formed the group "Geistig Schaffende" Created the "Schwengelbrunnen" Tim Kretschmann - 1998 1999 ? 2000 ? 2001 ? 2002 ? 2003 ? Peter Kraemer - Poet, Artist-Painter Known for poems, many in "Schwowisch". Ernst Ott - 2004 For his contribution to the translated "Genocide against the ethnic Germans in Jugoslavia 1944-1948" 2005 ? 2006 ? 2007 ? Hans Kopp - Author, Jugendleiter - 2008 Author of "The Last Generation", contributer to "Der Donauschwabe", which was printed in Germany, and to "Waechter und Anzeiger", the Cleveland German newspaper, organizer and founder of the "Edelweiss Ski club" and avid supporter of Youth soccer in the USA. Franz Schmidt - 2009 Author, Publisher of "Heimatbote", Supporter Ann Morrisson - 2010 She was a special friend and supporter, gave lectures and documented the genocide of the Ethnic German Danube Swabians after WW2, “The Forgotten Genocide” and “Millions Cried – No One Listened”. John Michels - 2010 Supporter of the Danube Swabian Society and the Foundation, financially and morally. He helped with the printing of books. He wrote “North Dakota Pioneers from the Banat” and translated “The Banat Schwaben” by Nikolaus Engelmann. 2011 ? Raymond Lohne - Author - 2012 "The great Chicago Refugee Rescue" "German Chicago, Danube Swabians and the American Aid Societies" 2013 ? Elisabeth (Elsa) Walter - 2014 Author, Artist-Painter, Kindergruppeleiterin of the American Aid Society Katharina Marx - 2015 Secretary to the Association and the Board fo Directors, Historian and Organizer of the Annual Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. John Neumann for 35 years. Linda Byrom - 2015 Member since Kindergruppe, German High School Teacher, Kindergruppeleiterin and Translator of Adam Mueller-Guttenbrunn's "Der grosse Schwabenzug" into English: "The Great Swabian Migration". Annerose Goerge - 2016 Active member from the beginning of the Danube Swabian Society, Chicago. She belonged to the Jugendgruppe and was its co-president. Since 1955, she has been a member in the Vorstand with different responsibilities. Archivar in 1964. President of our Frauengruppe from 1964 until 1969 Editor and Co-Editor of the “Festschrift” of the 25th anniversary, of the “Festschrift zum Donauschwaben Jugendtreffen von Gestern und Heute”, 1984 & 1988, of the 35th ,40th and 50th and 50th of the Jugendgruppe. As contributing author she wrote “Ferdinand J. Plaines, Painter”, 2007, “The Integration & Assimilation of the Danube Swabians Into American Society”, 2007, “Freundschaft Fuers Leben” and others. Since 1990 publisher and editor of the “Nachrichten writing reviews, also the Assistant Editor of the “Eintracht,” the weekly German Chicago area newspaper. She was the “General Secretary” of the Landesverband (1986 – 1992), was a director of the Danube Swabian Foundation, was appointed to be a judge of the “Kulturpreis” award and was a member of the”Geistig Schaffenden” group, which created “Der Schwengelbrunnen – Schoepfungen Aus Amerika.” Annerose and Mike Wendl from St. Louis were the driving force behind the translation of the “Genocide Against The Ethnic Germans In Jugoslavia” into English and she was a consultant to Linda Byrom when Linda translated “Der Grosse Schwabenzug”. She is a source of information about Danube Swabians and is always ready to support and help out with information and action, whenever and wherever it is needed, and supported of other clubs for many years. Eva Martini - 2016 Member of the Vereinigung der Donauschwaben, Trenton since 1960. When Adam Martini was president, she helped with all the secretarial duties. She was elected Frauenschaftsleiterin. She resurrected the German school program and serves as recording secretary and director. She cares for the Trenton Donauschwaben’s “Genocide Memorial and Garden”, is the curator of our club’s “Heimat Museum” and recruited “Marienmaedchen” for the pilgrimages to St. John Neumann and St. Katherine Drexel. She presents literary favorites at Totengedenkfeier, Mother’s Day festivity and St. Nikolausfeier. Eva is considered the guardian for all cultural things of the Donauschwaben heritage in Trenton. EddyPalffy - 2017 Member of the American Aid Society and the Vereinigung der Donauschwaben in Chicago. Librarian at DS Chicago. Supporter of the Foundation since the beginning, was Treasurer and maintains DS Foundation Website since 2004. William Milleker - 2018 Exceptionally active life-long member of the Vereinigung der Donauschwaben; Youth group and adult dance group, served as 2nd Vice President, served in many capacities on the Board of Directors and is currently President of the Danube Swabian Fund. He has organized many events. For over 25 years he helped in building, coordinating and running the bar and food tents at the German Day celebrations. His work in the Heimatstube and Library of the Vereinigung contribute to the preservation and continuance of the Donauschwaben culture and traditions. He was instrumental in creating the websites for the Verein and the German School, and maintains them. Tirelessly he persued with the authorities and achieved “Real Estate Tax Free Status” for the Vereinigung. He serves as German Day Association delegate. He sings with two German choirs. Lately he is keeping the German community informed about events and news with the German Day web site. Elisabeth Gebavi - 2018 Active member of the American Aid Society; Jugendgruppe (folk dance group and choir), secretary for 20 years. She is an Inspiration for the organization. She suggested to open our Donauschwaben Museum in Lake Villa, took charge of organizing all and is the curator of the museum. She gives tours through the museum for school groups, historical societies and families. For 60 years she publicized the history of the Donauschwaben, the Ethnic Cleansing of our people and the purpose of the existence of the American Aid Society which was organized after WW2 to help our displaced people. Anni and Nick Wiegert - 2020 They are pillars of the Chicago Donauschwaben and a boundless resource in everything having to do with our German language, culture and traditions. With witty and humorous skits, which Anni writes, they have entertained audiences at various events innumerable times. She thrives on telling original stories, poems and humorous jokes, and loves to make presentations about Donauschwaben history and traditions to the school children and youth, and Nick is part of her plays and creates the props for her. Anni’s dirndles and costumes for dolls are popular. She helps with displaying the collections in the museum and sews costumes for Christmas and Mothersday programs, repairs the Jugendgruppe Trachten and Nick creates the sets for the plays and built runways for fashion shows. He uses his many talents to fix maintenance problems, he erects tents for the outdoor events and kitchen and bar for the German Day events and he built the beautiful, sturdy stage and incorporated ingenious storage space underneath it. |
| NOTE to all viewers: I would like to expand information about all the recepients of the "Kulturpreis". Any information to add to and improve this page is welcome. |
| HISTORY OF THE AWARD: The idea was discussed before 1993 and then, at the 1994 Landesverband meeting in Cleveland, a committee, which included Franz Sayer, Annerose Goerge, Franz Awender and Joe Stein, was nominated to select the first recipient. In 1996 it was decided to add another award for persons under 30 years old and in 2010 & 2015 two awards were granted. The certificate was designed by Elsa Walter in 2015. |
| QUALIFICATIONS OF THE NOMINEE: The "Kulturpreis" will be awarded to persons who significantly supported the Danube Swabian Culture with words and deeds. This includes special contributions in the field of History, Education, Literature, Arts and involvement in, for and about our Danube Swabian family, especially working with our Youth, inspiring them to learn about the Danube Swabian history and customs, and to help them become worthy citizen of our society. Two "Kulturpreis" may be awarded. One is the general or first prize. The second one is for a person under the age of 35 years. |
LATEST RULES
| "KULTURPREIS" |
| issued September 2014 |
| Elisabeth Walter had the idea and & design and donated her own artwork. Erika Neumeyer made the layout and digitized the certificate. |