Page 1 - GC-Sep-Oct-21-w-Guide

A NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GERMAN-AMERICANS OF UPSTATE NEW YORK
AUSTRIA • GERMANY • LIECHTENSTEIN • SWITZERLAND
Vol. 9 No. 4 September - October 2021 Issue

Event to honor WNY Civil War Hofbrauhaus Buffalo

Regiment Wiedrich's Battery energized by Stadtfest

"Honor, Sacrifice and Courage: "City Festival" celebration
Erie County during the Civil War
Featuring Wiedrich's Battery" will by Steve Dlugosz
be held at Historic Concordia Cem- he absence of one traditional
etery, 438 Walden Ave. on Satur- German-themed festival the
day, Oct. 9, 2021 at 1 p.m. Tweekend of July 17-18 in
This interactive free event will the Town of Marilla (Waldfest) was
feature costumed actors portraying accompanied by the emergence of
the brave men of Company I, 1st another fun, German (and Bavari-
NY Light Artillery aka Wiedrich's an) festival, Stadtfest, also known
Battery who are interred at Concor- as "City Festival," which took place
dia Cemetery. at Hofbrauhaus Buffalo July 18 and
Medal of Honor Recipient John brought out more than 500 revelers.
McHugh will also be recognized for The first-ever Stadtfest Buffalo
his service. There will be displays featured traditional German music,
and guest experts who will speak The monument at Gettysburg food, song and dance and other
about the sacrifices made by the honoring the men of Company I, revelry among two sessions, one
people of Erie County during that 1st NY Light Artillery known as taking place in the early afternoon
uncertain era, and the legacy of Wiedrich's Battery. and the other in the early evening.
Wiedrich's Battery. The German American Musi-
Following will be a walking tour cians (GAM) band performed dur-
to meet the soldiers. The event is ing both sessions, and GAM
free and is sponsored by the Con- business manager Herbert Schmidt
cordia Foundation and Echoes led the song and dance routines
Through Time Learning Center and Medal of Honor Recipient John with energy and enthusiasm. A buf-
Civil War Museum, and is one of McHugh's gravesite. fet and a la carte food options were
the Erie County Bicentennial on hand, and traditional German
Events. served for most of his life. He enlist- beers flowed throughout the day.
Company I, 1st NYS Light Ar- ed at least 10 times in the U.S. Army The GAM conducted a drum beat
tillery was composed of German from 1861 to 1898, the first time in procession, preceding a long line of
immigrants from Western New May 1861 at the age of 17 under the dancers following.
York and was mustered in on Oct. 1, name Michael McCue and was dis- "I haven't seen any shot-skis
1861 in Buffalo under the command charged a month later "on account yet, but I expect to see them out
of local businessman Michael of being a minor." soon!" Schmidt shouted to the
Wiedrich. He reenlisted in December 1861 crowd. "This is what we do, Ger-
The regiment is credited with claiming to be 22 years old and for man beer, dancing, singing and par-
helping turn the tide of the battle at the next 38 years continued to serve ty goers."
Gettysburg when they successfully his country. Seemingly a humble Sgt. William Moeller - one of the Schmidt also serves on the Fes-
stopped the advance of the notori- man, when he passed away May 28, soldiers in Wiedrich's Battery. He tival Steering Committee for the
ous Louisiana Tigers. On July 2, 1910 there was no fanfare nor acco- lost his arm in the 2nd battle of Federation of German American
1863 as the 141 men from Western lades; in fact his death was not even Bull run. Societies of Greater Buffalo.
New York waited atop East Ceme- reported in the news and his death Additionally, those who were
tery Hill, they knew how lethal the certificate records his occupation which about 150 are Civil War sol- interested had their hair braided in
coming battle would be; they had simply as "old soldier." diers. traditional German-Bavarian style
previously been defeated by the vi- The Medal of Honor for Gallant- Listed on both the New York by stylist Amy Pritchard, and many
cious Tigers at Cross Keys, Virginia ry in Action was presented to him State Register of Historic Sites and items of traditional lore and slogan
in June 1862. on July 18, 1877 by General Wil- the National Register of Historic were sold, including T shirts,
The men of Wiedrich's Battery liam Tecumseh Sherman. Places, and designated as a City of knick-knacks and mugs.
held their ground in the attack Formed in 1859, Concordia Buffalo Landmark, Concordia is Hofbrauhaus general manager
which included hand-to-hand com- Cemetery is one of the oldest ceme- staffed by volunteers only and is R.J. Filbert said the concept of
bat and volleys from sharpshooters. teries in Western New York and one supported by contributions and Stadtfest originated in Berlin, Ger-
When the smoke cleared, the unit of only a handful remaining within through grants acquired by the Con- many as a city "summer fest." Ad-
had suffered 3 killed and 10 wound- the Buffalo city limits. Originally cordia Foundation. ditionally, Filbert said, the Stadtfest
ed. A monument now stands on East founded to contain the remains of Echoes Through Time Learning in Buffalo accompanies the upcom- 19 causing various summer festivals
Cemetery Hill to honor the brave Germans who settled in Buffalo in Center & Civil War Museum is ing one-year anniversary of to be canceled included the nixing
men of this unit. the early 1800s, the cemetery has located in Springville, NY. They are Hofbrauhaus opening in Buffalo, of Waldfest, which is known as
Pvt. John McHugh can best be interred over 21,000 people of all the only museum in New York State last Sept. 14, with a larger-scale "Festival in the Woods" and cele-
described by the phrase "a soldier's religions, cultures and backgrounds, totally dedicated to the history of grand opening slated for the site. brates German heritage. Filbert said
soldier," as he was a soldier who including about 500 war veterans of the American Civil War era. The trickle-down effect of COVID- Stadtfest emerged as a natural sub-
stitute for that loss.
"We really thought it would be a
Rheinblick’s good idea with Waldfest not going
German-Polish Celebration brings to reopen on," said Filbert. "The German
American Musicians are one of the
together two strong, festive cultures The popular Rheinblick Ger- most well-known and well-liked tra-
man Restaurant at 224 S. Main St., ditional bands around, and we've
by Steve Dlugosz Additionally, the Musical bands The Auslanders Canandaigua plans to reopen ac- got them playing. It's fun event for
wo strong, tradi- site's ethnic grounds fi- and New Direction performed, cording to a report in the Daily the whole family."
Ttional ethnic cul- nally were able to play headlining another German-cultural Messenger. Filbert added that beers on site
tures were brought host to an event after festival as part of their usual rou- Markus Hardt and Mike Kle- such as Dunkel, Original Lager and
together during the about two years of inac- tine; Bavarian pretzels, Warsteiner mens, sons of the restaurant's own- Hefeweizen sell very well at events
annual German-Polish tivity and cancelations and Spaten beer and other tradition- ers Gary and Gudrun Klemens, such as Stadtfest. The Pils-German
Celebration at Spring due to the COVID-19 al fare and beverages were served; said the restaurant will reopen style beers are slated to be released
Garden Park in East pandemic, most notably and traditional Lederhosen, Beer Sept. 10. It had closed Aug. 16. in August at Hofbrauhaus as well.
Aurora on Aug. 7 with Waldfest, which has Maid and Oktoberfest outfits were Hardt told reporter Mike Mur- Traditional German mugs and
music, dancing and been put on hold in both donned by many. phy, “I wasn’t surprised that peo- steins were filled and raised during
food highlighting the 2020 and 2021. Brian Peek serves on the board ple were disappointed, I was toasts in Stadfest, and many in at-
event. The German-Polish of directors on the Spring Garden humbled by the amount of people tendance wore traditional Lederho-
In many ways, the Celebration preceded Association and says the celebration who actually reached out and ex- sen. The buffet included options
event and locale served as homage other fun heritage events at Spring helped to remind locals of their pressed that to us. That was a big such as Bavarian mixed greens; Oc-
to the earlier days of the festival, Garden as part of the beginning Ok- strong heritage as well as to restore motivating factor for me to meet tober Fest style oven-roasted chick-
which had its origins in the 1930s toberfest season, including the Taste some sense of normal during a tu- with my parents and say we’re not en stuffed with onions, parsley and
with the opening of the Spring Gar- of Bier and Brats on Aug. 14 and continued on page 8 ready to let this go.” continued on page 8
den. Schlachtfest Sept. 12.