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As summer came to an end, a bevy of activities swept over the
city. Communities met in the streets and everywhere else they
could congregate, mix and mingle. (See our front page, depicting
Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto)
Surely we all remember Caravan, the ethnic folk fest, which for
years offered ethnic communities an opportunity to share their
culture with the rest of the population. They took place in the
various clubs owned and operated by the individual communities.
In its 15th year I started to participate in the
“Berlin Pavilion” in the German Club Harmonie on Sherbourne Street; and for
the first time the club won some major awards under the artistic
direction of Fekko von Ompteda, and I had an opportunity to
portrait Claire Waldorf and Marlene Dietrich. That year we
celebrated the Berlin of the 20ies and the following year I produced/directed
Berlin Salutes Hamburg and Hamburg salutes the World
with Shanties in a live show
that was put on many times a day. That show also won awards.
Shortly thereafter we lost the club for lack of continued
financing. Companies which had bought bonds for the club pulled
them out when they matured and the individual members, who did
not want to pull them out were not strong enough to hold on to
the very big building. One by one we saw changes also in other
clubs and disappearing organizations.
In our heyday we revelled in those past opportunities to
celebrate our heritage as guaranteed by our Charter of Rights
and Freedoms. We got government grants to organize ourselves and
in the German community that is how the Canadian German Congress
got founded, first nationally and then provincially. I was one
of the founding members of Ontario and sat on the board for a
long time.
All those entities are now in the decline and are being replaced
by other forms of cultural expression. Different needs have
arisen and we as a people of Canada have become more
cosmopolitan, are not so much living in our ghetto mentality
anymore. We have taken a huge leap forward and are embracing the
world around us as it is and we know we are a part of it. We are
still holding on to some of our clubs, and a great thing that
is, but we are integrated into a homogenous whole, or at least
our children and grandchildren are. For our intimate cultural
activities that is a sad occurrence, because the very young have
other interests and more demands are made on them to volley for
places to study, play sports, get a job and so on. All that does
not leave much time for old fashioned play in the style parents
and grandparents envision their culture will live on.
The Danube Swabian Club
 That is what Toni Baumann, again President of the
Danube Swabian Club also bemoaned in a speech he held at the annual
Gala October first in the club in Scarborough.
 Hermann
Reuters stood up for the tireless efforts of Toni Baumann over
the years.
A beautifully
decorated hall |
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 The hall was
decorated beautifully in black and white and the theme was the
fifties. Swing, jitterbug and the early beginnings of rock’n
roll were well demonstrated by some young dancers from a dance
school. And even though the restaurant is now closed the kitchen
still produces fine food for events that are held regularly.
| Rock'n Roll style
entertainment |
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 The
Harmonie Brass Showband played fabulously all the right tunes,
and did it as a grand gesture towards the club and did not
accept payment for this gig. Mr. Baumann also reminded us that
we need to stick together and reverse the reputation we have of
not doing so.
| The Harmonie Brass Showband |
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| Having a ball |
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 This is a human conundrum that bears looking at. Why is it that
we walk away from each other and stop support for something that
was dear to us? In my observation it seems to me that once we
were wronged in some way we pout and do not want to play
anymore, just like children, we even retaliate sometimes.
Understandable? Yes! Necessary? No! Surely we can do better than
that! Perhaps we need to call a general amnesty. All ill and
poor decisions of the past are null and void on all sides and
then let’s get on with it! It cannot be that the club shrunk
suddenly from over 1000 members to about 300. If there is
something to forgive, let’s do it! Forgive and forget.
Until next time
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
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