Official Website of the Jasper Strassenfest.

Wearing his badger-tailed Tiroler hat covered in pins and his Lederhosen, Linus Lechner looks the quintessential German from Jasper. "Everything I got on this hat comes from Germany--that tail cost me more than the hat did," he says, laughing.

Lechner, a board member of Jasper's German club, the Deutscherverein, says Strassenfest is a way to preserve Jasper's cultural heritage and for people to socialize. "It's more or less a community fair and it brings people back together again," says Lechner, 74.

Strassenfest is like many fairs and festivals Lechner has seen in Germany, especially the festivals in the beer country on the Bavarian side as opposed to those in wine country closer to France, he says. "Everybody gets out there and has a good time," says Lechner, a floor and wall covering contractor. "Like the old saying--get out there and eat and be merry."

Lechner, who lives just outside Jasper with his wife, Sally, has 12 children and 31 grandchildren, with the 32nd on the way. He grew up speaking German but his children did not. His great-grandparents came from the German town of Baden and his father grew up in Dubois County, where it was common then for people of German descent to pass down the language and culture from one generation to the next, even at school. "When my dad went to school--that was strictly German," Lechner says. As Linus was growing up, his family spoke only German at home. He himself spoke no English until he began to learn it in the first grade.

However, during World War II, when the United States was at war with Germany, the German language and culture were taboo. "German was forbidden and they more or less got away from it," Lechner says. "It was just that they were scared to death (to speak it.) "When my kids went to school they weren't teaching it. "It was just an ill feeling for a long time--nobody wanted to take any part of it."

Now, organizations like the German Club try to preserve the German language and culture in Jasper. And while his kids weren't raised with German spoken in the home, Lechner's grandchildren now study German in school.The money the German Club raises through its Strassenfest booth supports its activities throughout the year--including German cookouts, and biennial trips for high school students to Germany. "All the money that we spend is for the German tradition," Lechner says.

But the main reason Strassenfest is important to the community is it gets people away from their homes and television sets and out with each other, Lechner says. "There's a lot of people you see here at the Fest that you don't see all year long."

By Kristen Ostendorf, in THE HERALD, Dubois County, August 2, 1996

A wave of black, red and gold greets visitors driving into town. Houses and businesses are draped with these colors. Doors and entrance ways are decorated with wreaths, and mailboxes sport streamers or small flags. Waving in this sea of black, red, and gold are the German and the Jasper flags, towered by the U.S. flag as if to say: "No, you are not in Germany, you are in a German-American town!" For good reasons, Jasper's colors are black, red and gold. They not only salute this Hoosier German town but also the country of origin of the vast majority of its citizens and Jasper's Sister City, Pfaffenweiler, where many families, after two world wars, once again are in touch with relatives and namesakes.

The Strassenfest is a celebration of Jasper's German Heritage. And as it was in the early days of this German-Catholic community, the politically "correct" separation of church and state leaves plenty of room for the public display of a strong religious tradition. The ceremonial opening of the 1996 Fest was conducted by Mayor Bill Schmitt and Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, a native son.

Planning and active participation ranges from City Hall, the volunteer fire department, the churches, civic organizations and clubs, banks and businesses, to many Jasper and Dubois County citizens. It is a veritable community festival, and the four funfilled days also turn out to be the biggest money maker for many of the private and charitable organizations. "It is a 'Street Festival' highlighting our rich German heritage and our community. It is a time to reflect and reminisce about our ancestors and their past experience," says chairman Ron Kieffner.

The Strassenfest provides for family get-togethers, renewing of old friendships, making new acquaintances and having fun with an incredible number of activities for young and old, German or not. Now in its 18th year, it has become the greatest attraction in southern Indiana. Thousands of visitors flock to the predominantly German-Catholic community of appx.14,000. The spirit of the festival is best expressed in the official Strassenfest song by Ed and Anna Mae Schaaf:

Here above Patoka's waters,
'Neath the sky of blue,
I love to walk the streets of Jasper,
Arm in arm with you.
Where our father's came to settle
in a land a-new,
Now we raise our glass in memory
to our family true.

Traditional events and activities, carnival rides, 32 booths and games were spread over several locations, with major events on and near the square in the very heart of Jasper. An "Unterhaltung" feature in the official Strassenfest program was Archbishop Buechlein conducting the popular "Polka Mass" in three Catholic churches with German hymns interspersed. And there was Bruce Borders, the Jasonville Mayor and Elvis Impersonator, with a laser light show presented on one of the stages set against the impressive County Courthouse as a backdrop.

The Cafe Ol82 German Band preformed songs in German dialect as they accompanied their renditions with guitar, accordion or autoharp (a zither with automatic transmission). Food vendors offered a wide variety. The "Speisekarte" posted in German, ranged from the obligatory "Bratwurst," "Schweinburger" and sauerkraut to funnel cakes. The "Deutscherverein" topped it with baked goods, from "Apfelstrudel" to "Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte."

In the "Bier Garten" tent one could buy a complete sitdown dinner with German style salads and condiments and featuring local German favorites. Non-stop entertainment was provided every night with the Alpen Echoes and the Continentals German Band from Washington, D.C. The "under 21 crowd" had access to food and entertainment through a "Root Bier Garten."

There was a Miss Strassenfest Pageant and Little Miss Strassenfest Pageant, a Children's Box Parade, a baby photo contest, hot air balloon contest, fireworks show, auctioneer contest, chili cook-off contest, parachute jump, WWII search lights, radio control air show and more. Athletic competitions were going on throughout the festival. There were contests and prices in tennis, bowling, waterball, golf, "Wettlauf," softball, volley ball, archery, bicycling, horse shoe pitch, and fishing. For the kids there was a casting contest, a big wheel and tricycle race, a baby can-do contest, and "Kinderspiele." A large group of gymnasts showed their art during the parade.

Many of the shops on the square had exhibits. One displayed Lillian Doane's collection of app. 100 Nutcrackers complete with the history. A clothing store exhibited apparel in black, red and gold. The Scottish connection of the city was celebrated with an exhibit of the MacDonalds. The hardware store showed old tools and another exhibit featured antique guns.

The high point, as always, was the Sunday afternoon Parade. This year's Grand Marshall was the favorite native son, the Most Rev. Archbishop Daniel Mark Buechlein, born 1938 in Jasper and educated at nearby St. Meinrad Archabbey Seminary. For 2 hours, 110 entries--fire engines, floats, antique cars, marchers and gymnasts moved through the crowd-packed streets. Of course, there were also politicians smiling and waving at the electorate. Floats ranged from those of churches, civic organizations and businesses to school marching bands and athletic clubs. The Jasper High School German Club represented the sister city with a bit of Pfaffenweiler Fastnacht (Carnival). There were the "Bears" which start to roam the streets of Pfaffenweiler on "Dirty Thursday" prior to the beginning of Lent together with the "Schneckennarren" (snail fools), while the "Schneckenblaerri" band played noisy and scratchy music on old instruments painted in different colors.

In the Bier Garten, at the Deutscherverein booths and even on the street, one can still hear German dialects spoken in Jasper. In spite of the WW I shut down of German language instruction, three German dialects survived in Dubois County. "Plattdeutsch" has only a few speakers left; a Frankonian dialect is spoken in nearby Haysville; and a predominantly Alemannic dialect, reminiscent of Black Forest-Deutsch, is no longer limited to the old-timers, it is making a come-back with the younger set.

In 1984 a group from Jasper visited Pfaffenweiler, a small wine growing town, where some of the early immigrants had come from. Nestled into the vineyards of the Batzenberg it is located between "Rhein und Schwarzwald." What a surprise when both sides discovered that after four to five generations they were still able to converse. In 1985 a group from Pfaffenweiler came to Jasper and a sister city relationship ensued. Since then the Batzenberger Winzerkapelle, a formidable brass band, has performed several times at the Strassenfest.

There are striking commonalities between Jasper and Pfaffenweiler, not the least of which are the many shared names. It is not an everyday occurrence that a German mayor with the name of Gutgsell will come to a family reunion of the Gutgsells in Dubois County. While in Jasper--at church or on the street--you can always meet someone from Pfaffenweiler. Joseph and Irene Eckerle of Jasper have Alexandria Eckerle of Pfaffenweiler as a guest for app. 1 1/2 years. Alexandria is working at Stens Corporation. In 1987 Matthias Hilger came to Jasper for a practical traineeship. He lost his heart to Kathy Dilger and is still there. Not only do the elders get more fluent again, the school has an exchange program with Pfaffenweiler, and the dialect and old traditions are also brought back now by the young.

Eberhard and Ruth Reichmann

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Last updated September 14, 1996.