On the last weekend of April, a group of our officers will be traveling to Ohio to attend the annual meetings of the Landesverband der Donauschwaben USA and the Donauschwäbische Stiftung, USA respectively. Both meetings will take place at the home of the Donauschwaben club in the Cleveland area.
“This year, we will be hosting the Landesverband der Donauschwaben USA Annual Meeting with representatives from every Donauschwaben club in attendance. This will take place the last weekend of April. We are in the process of sprucing up Lenau Park to put our best foot forward for this event.“
-Margot Mauer, President
The above quote comes from the Winter 2023 – Spring 2024 issue of the Cleveland club’s newsletter “Der Trommler.” We have no doubt that the great folks in Cleveland are ready to host this meeting at their wonderful clubhouse and grounds. In advance of April 27 and 28, we’d like to share with our members and friends a little history and overview of one of our fellow social, cultural, and sports clubs.
Lenau Park
Immigrants with Danube Swabian background gathered together in the Cleveland area and in 1925 they built a gathering placed dubbed “Banater Hall” on Lorrain Avenue. Later in the 1950s a new Banater building was built at 3580 West 140th St. As these things tend to happen, the group of members eventually outgrew this city building and by 1970 the club acquired a 17-acre farm from the Ritter family.
The new owners renamed the property for a German poet Nikolaus Lenau and developed the property over many years. The clubhouse building in use today, named the German-American Cultural Center, was dedicated in 1986. Their website states:
“The Clubhouse is a multilevel building; the lower level contains a two-lane bowling alley, a party room, a dance practice room, meeting rooms, an indoor soccer field and locker rooms. The main floor hosts a large ballroom, kitchen facilities and a large bar. The upper level houses a large Board room and offices. In 1996 a front lobby was added to the building and throughout the years many updates have been made.“
www.donauschwabencleveland.com
The history in this section has been adapted from issue 121 of “Olmsted 200,” newsletter which can be read here.
Groups
The Donauschwaben’s German-American Cultural Center or DGACC, is home to a variety of groups engaged in cultural activities, sports, music, language and dancing. These include:
- Blaskapelle
- Blau-Weiss Tennis
- Indoor Soccer
- Edelweiss Ski Club
- Kegelverein (bowling club)
- Frauengruppe
- Seniorengruppe
- German Language School
- Dance Groups: Jugendgruppe, Kindergruppe, Kulturgruppe
In addition to these listed above, our friends through the Gauverband Nordamerika, Schuhplattler und Trachten Verein Bavaria hold their rehearsals and meetings at the facility.
Another group with a great history that we compete with on the field and hold friendships with off it is the Concordia Soccer Club. Founded in 1957, the team joined the other Danube Swabians at the Banater club in 1959 changing its name from Greater Beneficial Union to Sports Club Donauschwaben or SCD. In 1963 the club started its youth soccer program which was the first youth soccer organization in Ohio.
The club-house at Lenau Park has an indoor soccer field located on the lower level. This space is utilized for the soccer teams of the SCD Concordia as well as for indoor tournaments and competitions. From time to time the space has also been used for cultural events when needed. Find out m0re information on the club’s website: www.donauschwabencleveland.com/indoor-soccer
Events
Like any club of its kind, the Donauschwaben in Cleveland hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including Kirchweih, Schwaben ball amongst others. In the Lenten season they hold a weekly “Fry Day” Fish Fry held on Friday. The largest event of the year however is the Sommer Oktoberfest held on a weekend. This year the event will take place on August 16, 17, & 18. Their full calendar of events for 2024 is available to download from their website.
Prost! Biergarten & Restaurant
The club operates a restaurant and Biergarten weekly with food and beverage available from Wednesday through Sunday. Their “Stube” and “Fireside Biergarten” is open to the public during varying hours each day. The bar section is also open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Prost! takes reservations, sells gift certificates, and merchandise. The varied menu also varies somewhat with the seasons. The previously referenced issue of the club newsletter notes that guests arriving for the Landesverband Meeting on April 26 will be greeted on Friday at Prost!
Landesverband der Donauschwaben USA & Donauschwäbische Stiftung, USA Meetings
Lenau Park and the Donauschwaben in Cleveland are set to be wonderful hosts for these meetings. The property and the folks that call it home have hosted many meetings, Landestreffen, and soccer tournaments on their grounds. More information about the meeting agendas are available on the Landesverband / Stiftung website.
Michael N. Fricker
- Lenau Park – DGACC (@donaucleveland) • Instagram photos and videos
- DGACC (@donaucleveland) facebook.com
- www.donauschwabencleveland.com
Further Reading:
- Joseph Holzer led Lenau Park for Donauschwabens in Olmsted Township: news obituary – cleveland.com
- Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center | Cleveland Historical
- Donauschwaben History — Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center (donauschwabencleveland.com)
