They also handed me a beer and threw some confetti into my honey, but that's beside the point. and me were having breakfast, her brother and her brother-in-law came in and were like "You, get dressed, we've got a bus to catch". well, I fully intended to write one yesterday, but then, while E.
Sorry for having missed a post yesterday (the first time this happened since February of this year), but. The club has bylaws, committees for secretarial, buildings/grounds and special events, including the Bockbeer Fest in April, Music Festival and Ball in May, Oktoberfest and Christmas and New Year's parties.Mornin'. In the past 20 years, the club paved the parking lot, added a new roof, paint and air conditioning. Today as more younger generations grow into adulthood and older generations grow grayer, Heckmann fears that membership will dwindle. "The generation after World War I was looking for a place when we were in our 20s," Heckmann said. "I try to motivate the younger generations to continue our traditions."įinancially, the tax-exempt property is kept afloat on its utilities, insurance and maintenance bills through membership dues and monthly events. In fact, the girls participating in gymnastic classes represent a broad spectrum of nationalities and backgrounds," an anniversary booklet reads. "German immigrants are no longer a pool for new members. The club also has members from many nationalities now. By 1994, however, the boys class had dropped to zero. From the 1960s through the 1980s, more children's and adult gymnastics were added, including competitions and performances. "There's always something to be done, I'm getting ready for concerts, and I like the Friday night socials," Heckmann says.Īs the decades progressed, the club has seen many changes. Heckmann sings with the Carlstadt Mixed Chorus at the club, and visits sometimes four times weekly. The 83-year-old Midland Park resident and retired tool and dye maker joined in 1960. A fire in 1952 gutted the club, but the original structure stood strong, and the community raised $23,000 to rebuild.Ĭlub president Ewald Heckmann, who came to the United States in 1958, was introduced to the club through his job at C.W. The club pre-dates Carlstadt and is an integral part of the community, donating funds for the borough's first school in 1865 and first fire department in 1869. "They still send in their dues," Kuprat said. Turners are scattered throughout New Jersey and New York, and a few live in Florida and California.
Most come from middle class roots, joining the club post World War II-in the 1950s and 1960s. The bilingual chorus rehearses at the club every Tuesday night, practicing songs by Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, as well as evergreens and Broadway tunes.Ī handful of members live in Carlstadt. Longtime members like Kuprat are part the club's Turners, the Carlstadt Mixed Chorus established in 1931. The sprawling space features a piano, shuffleboard, billiards table, card game tables, and kitchen downstairs, with an oblong wood bar as the centerpiece. Today, Kuprat is an air-conditioning specialist who keeps the club's units humming at the 500 Broad St. When I came to this country, I learned English through listening to people and reading," he said.Īssimilating into the American culture was equally important as maintaining his German roots, he noted.īorn in East Germany, Kuprat immigrated to the United States in 1956, was drafted into the Army and later returned to work for a boat gear company and a meat plant. "Everyone speaks German around the bar, and I love the camaraderie. Longtime member Gunter Kuprat, 81, joined for pride in his German heritage. This year it celebrates its 160th anniversary. Watch Video: Video: Carlstadt Turnverein Hall celebrates 160 yearsĪ social club and gymnastics center, the Carlstadt Turnverein was established in 1857 for Germans who migrated to Southern Bergen County to promote "sound body and mind."Įxercise, singing and socializing was the way to foster the ideals of the immigrants' German heritage to future generations.
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