Adults and Children of all ages are welcome to join us! Dance and Associate memberships available. GERMANIA ALMRAUSCH S.V. Germania of Poughkeepsie is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; it was founded in 1850, then known as Germania Singing Society. Its dedicated to the preservation of, and the education of the public about German and German American Heritage and Culture. In 1969, after seeing a
performance of Schuhplattler dances at a festival, a handful of Germania members formed a group whose purpose is to promote and preserve Bavarian folk dance and culture. In January 1970 the first official meeting of “Germania Almrausch” was held under the leadership of Charter President Robert E. Rose Jr., who held that position until June 1974, and Vorplattler Charles Angevine. In fact, the founding members were Robert, Charles, Len Plumb, Ed Berger, Babe Killmer, Rose Huettinger, Dorrie Rose, and Inge Egan (documented in the minutes of the 1st Monthly Meeting held January 23, 1970). Charles, who had danced with Edelweiss-Passaic of New Jersey since he was a teenager, was the only member with experience. With the blessing and help of Edelweiss-Passaic (New Jersey), Charles brought sheet music, dances and information about costumes to the Almrausch and continued to teach the group until he transferred out of the area in 1971. At that time George Hupe was appointed Vorplattler and held this position until January of 1977. He held this position again at various times over the years, as well as other positions during his active membership such as 2. Vorplattler, President and Business Manager. THE MUSIC AND PERFORMANCES
The group’s first musician was Fritz Doneit who mastered his accordion with much encouragement from the group. Fritz played for many years for the adults and the children. When he retired his accordion he played piano for the children’s group into the early eighties. Fritz became a member of Germania in 1938, Honorary Member in 1999 and sadly passed away at age 98 in 2001. Although the group has had other musicians over the years (Joe Eppich, Adam Levine, Steve Mazucca), the Almrausch adult group currently relies on recorded music. After Fritz, our Kindergruppe danced to the accordion music of Ursula Holl, Ester Odescalchi, Steve Mazucca and currently to the accordion music of dance member Marion Bauer who learned to play from band leader and longtime Almrausch friend Joe Unger. With pride Almrausch had its first performance in its own backyard at the Germania Picnic on July 12, 1970. Its first public appearance was on August 2, 1970 at the Clearwater Sloop Festival on the Hudson’s riverfront in Poughkeepsie. In addition to the ‘plattlers’, Almrausch performed fest dances such as the Muhlradl and the Steire Figuren Tanz. By 1971 membership had grown to 20+ members and on April 3, 1971 the group held its first Stiftungsfest (celebration of our founding year) at Germania Hall, then on Church Street in the City of Poughkeepsie. Our Ehrentanz (honorary dance) was the Kronen Tanz and through the years following it became the club’s anniversary Ehrentanz until active membership fell below six couples. The club has been honored to dance throughout the East Coast. Favorite past times include New Hackensack Bier Fest, Great Escape, Taj Mahal, Bellayre Ski Lodge, Black Forest Mill Restaurant, and West Point Officer’s Club. Almrausch currently performs annually at Germania's 3-day Oktoberfest, Hunter Mountain, Yulan Fired Department Oktoberfest, Tymor Park in Union Vale, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and Germania's Maifest as well as various other bier fests and Oktoberfests. The group has also donated its time entertaining at hospitals, nursing homes and schools. KINDERGRUPPE
The members who had children, such as families Hupe, Fueglein, Plumb and Rose, encouraged the children to learn the Schuhplattler dances. By 1971 the Germania Almrausch Kindergruppe (children’s group) had taken its formation under the direction of Gloria Hupe. Gloria first taught the Kindergruppe the Bandl (maypole) dance. By August of 1971 the Kindergruppe consisted of approximately eight couples and Hugo Fueglein helped teach. Other Kindergruppe directors over the years include Bob & Dorry Rose, Fred & Elizabeth Wilkins, and Dan Bauer and Pam Capelli. The first dirndls worn by the children were made by a seamstress in Beacon, NY. After that, life member Dorry Rose-Mathewson made the girl’s dirndls (a red one and a blue one) until she moved out of the area in 1986. Members Gábor and Christine Pattantyús, who took leadership of the Kindergruppe from 1979 until 1993, were proud to have the children present the ‘Miner’s Dance’ at the Almrausch 19th Anniversary, a dance that was taught to them by Adam Levine with props made by parent George Eck Sr. Gabor also brought the Ambosstanz to the Kindergruppe and taught them the Steire Figurin Tanz. Sadly, membership dwindled and Kindergruppe folded. It was revived in year 2000 under the direction of David and Faith Yearack with their niece and nephew dancing and families Rose, Doedée, Zehner and Zuck; today the Kindergruppe continues under Dave's leadership with Jennifer Reichert as co-director and is growing. Kindergruppe girls wore a green skirt with hearts and other colors, and a mauve colored apron and shawl set that was made by Anny Mueller of SG Alpenland Montreal; they first wore it at our 35th Stiftungsfest. Singer Helga Razey Nowak later made a new apron and shawl set for the girls. In 2009 the girls adopted a blue dirndl and a multicolored checked apron made by Bergland Trachten in Kansas and wore it for the first time at the 16th Mid-Atlantic Kinderfest. Today they wear a burgundy skirt with black spencer and are exploring other Tracht. In 1994, Dan and Pam took the Kindergruppe to the 1st Mid-Atlantic Kinderfest, a traveling festival dedicated to the Kindergruppen in Vereine along the east coast, founded and hosted by Auerhahn SV in Oley, PA. In 2010, Almrausch was the host of the 17th annual Mid-Atlantic Kinderfest. It is proud to have a children’s dance group in addition to its adult group and recognizes it is important to invest in the children as the club’s future. GAU
Edelweiss-Passaic accepted to be the group’s Patenverein and sponsor their application to the Gauverband Nordamerika, Bayerisher Schuhplattler und Trachten Vereine. This organization is composed of Bavarian folk dance groups and Trachten vereine throughout the US and Canada. In 1974 Germania Almrausch S.V. was voted into the Gauverband. Since that time, Almrausch has had the honor of sponsoring the Original Auerhahn S.V. of Miami (no longer in existence) and the Auerhahn S.V. of Oley, PA (which celebrated its 25th in April 2005). The Gauverband was formed as a federation to form bonds and improve communication between Vereine throughout North America. Because dance style varies from one region to another, there was a need to form guideline for Preisplatteln. Preisplatteln (competition) takes place every two years and is hosted by a member Verein. This gathering is called “Gaufest”. Almrausch attended its first Gaufest in Montreal, 1975 and is proud to have been represented at most Gaufests since then. Almrausch participated in Gruppen (group) Preisplatteln in Montreal, 1975; New York City, 1981; New Jersey, 1989 and Buffalo, 1993. In 2013 at the 24th Gaufest, junior member Janneke Doedée represented Almrausch by competing in the Einzelpreisplatteln (one couple competition) 16-34 Age Group - a first for her and the Club! While she and her partner, Phillip Loeschinger from GTEV Schlierachtaler Stamm, did not place, they did do very well for their first time together and for an age group that saw 66 couples compete. TRACHT
The first dirndl worn by the women was made locally by seamstress Krista Kohlmaier. The dirndls worn over the years after that were made by Almrausch members Inge Egan, Dorry Rose-Mathewson and Margarethe Killmer. In 1974, Almrausch first appeared in Fest Tracht (formal clothing). The club’s Miesbacher Tracht consists of a deep red w**e skirt with black velvet ribbon circling the bottom, a Meider and a white cotton blouse, apron and shawl set with lace inserts. Today the ladies wear a silk shawl and apron with the Tracht skirt and Meider. In 1981, the men received crosspiece for the hosenträger (suspenders). It is embroidered with the Verein’s name and was made by Trachten Pöllmann in Munich, Germany. The hunter green dirndl was made by Ernst Licht and was first worn by the group at the 12th Gaufest in 1989. Recently we have adopted a black-teal plaid skirt made by a seamstress in Albany and a blue dirndl made in Canada. The men purchased and started wearing Bauchgurt (belts) in 2005. Material scraps from our dirndls from three decades were sewn into a quilt by Kathleen Magiera of Coventry, RI (cousin of Almrausch member Karen Rose) and the quilt was raffled off at our 35th Stiftungsfest on May 14, 2005. THE FLAG (FAHNEN)
Rudolf Jaeger took drawings, made by the members, to Markt Hohenwart in West Germany where nuns hand embroidered the group’s table flag. It is made of silk and is bordered by 14K gold fringe. It arrived from Germany in 1974. The inscription on the table flag’s backside reads “Treu dem Guten Alten Brauch” (loyal to the good ol’ traditions). The group’s full size parade and display flag is an exact replica of the table flag. It was ordered from Reichardt Flag Shop in Poughkeepsie and made in Pennsylvania. It arrived at the club in 1984 and was shown to family and friends at the 14th Stiftungsfest. The weekend of April 19, 1991 Almrausch celebrated its 21st Anniversary and Fahnenweihe (to devote the flag solemnly to a purpose). April 20, 1991 was officially proclaimed “Fahnenweihe Day” by City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Robert E Bleakley and was also recognized by the County Legislature, State Assembly and State Senate. The service was lead by Rev. Richard LaMorte, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and was accompanied by Pastor Henry Wuertz of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church. Almrausch was honored to have the Germania Men & Ladies Singers sing the hymns for the service. Following the flag blessing, Almrausch and its guest Vereine paraded to the Poughkeepsie Main Mall and danced the traditional Massenplattler (dance as a large group) around the Bee Hive. The formal banquet was held at the Civic Center and the group took pride presenting its own version of the Marianna Plattler under the leadership of 1. Vorplattler Joseph Sultana to approximately 500 guests. This memorable weekend gave Almrausch open doors to new friendships and to strengthen old friendships. GOOD TIMES, GOOD FRIENDS…
Music, Dance and Gemuetlichkeit! Through the years the Almrausch has come to know and love a great many people within the Gauverband. It was through these lifelong friendships that the 12:01 Club was organized. Members of Germania Almrausch SV, Alpenveilchen, Auerhahn SV and United German Hungarian Schuhplattlers came up with the idea to co-host a Gaufest hospitality room and it was a tremendous success at the 12th Gaufest in 1989 in New Jersey! John Blank, Gary Phlag, Ronnie Row and Robb Rose will never forget the line that formed outside the door waiting to get in, or the bottles of Jägermeister that were consumed! Alpenrose Schuhplattlers later joined the 12:01 Club at Auerhahn’s Annual Picnic; a ceremonial event that was all in good fun. The name of the club comes from not being able to open the doors of your hospitality room to guests until after Midnight, which is when the Gaufest Banquet ends. Cartoonist Marty Qatani designed a special logo: a penguin dressed in Lederhosen pouring a shot of Jägermeister! The logo appeared on post-it stickers and letterhead in 1989 and on embroidered shirts in 1993. Musicians from the participating Vereine would provide a musical jamboree at each party. Unfortunately by the 15th Gaufest it was getting too hard to host the 12:01 Club Hospitality Room due to cost and hotel restrictions, so the 12:01 Club disbanded. Almrausch, a daughter club of Germania of Poughkeepsie, is proud to call Germania Hall home. Several Almrausch members serve on the Germania Board as well as on committees each year. In 1996, Almrausch donated and installed a swing set to Germania which was a welcome addition to the Germania recreation grounds. In 2006, Almrausch moved, enlarged, and improved the swing set and created a playground, and assists with the maintenance of it. It takes pride in seeing Germania’s future, the children, playing there. In addition to some monetary donations by the group and its individual members during the construction of the new clubhouse, a group of Almrausch members and friends were instrumental in building the vestibule that serves as the main entrance of the new clubhouse which opened in the summer of 2006. Almrausch members Robert Rose and Mike Reichert also served on the team that was instrumental in building the bar at the new clubhouse under the leadership of Germania member Cal Baker. The group hopes to help as much as it can with future improvements of the Germania clubhouse, pavilion and grounds. It donates annually at Germania's Christmas Party and to its 25-Week Club insurance fund. We would like to recognize our members with 25 or more years of membership that are still active: Christine & Gábor Pattantyús, Robb & Karen Rose, Dave & Faith Yearack, GJ Doedee. Almrausch continues to look for new members and hopes that many generations to come will continue to bring Bavarian dance into the community and uphold true traditions.
