Page 2 - 2026 Jan-Feb GC

PERSPECTIVES This Buffalo Christmas market

The Joseph Sorg Foundation: was rooted in German traditions

An organization worth supporting from page 1
tradition it represents. “People real-
By Martin Ederer ly love it. They come up and they
An organization has been created (and has existed for over a year now)
remember and say things like ‘Oh, I
to help support capital projects and repairs at St. Louis Church in Buffalo. haven’t seen that since I was sta-
The Joseph Sorg Foundation is a 501(c)3 corporation independent of the
tioned in Germany,’ or ‘I remember
St. Louis Parish corporation. It is dedicated to fundraising and funding
these chocolates from when I was
projects so that St. Louis Church can remain a part of Buffalo’s architec-
little.’”
tural and cultural landscape for generations to come.
Next door is John Wanat of Fin-
Members of the German American community who have attended the
ger Lakes Polish Pottery, displaying
annual German Mass there should be well familiar with how spectacular
all manner of handcrafted spoons,
this structure is, and what a big part the parish has played for German
trays, bowls, ornaments, Christmas
Buffalo for almost two centuries. At a time when we are losing so much
trees and other gift items.
of our heritage, this stands as a worthy effort. More information on the
As another investor in Hofbrau-
Sorg Foundation, which is named for the pastor of St. Louis who oversaw
haus, he’s happy to see the market
construction of the current church, can be found at www.sorg
attract such a committed crowd ev-
foundation.org.
ery weekend, year after year. He
imports all the pottery from Poland
and says the items pretty much sell of which have come through a part- He looks at his work as recy-
themselves, on account of the repu- nership with Forest Lawn Cemetery cling local trees and giving them
Published by tation of the pieces as being durable and other well-known locations. In new life as part of a family’s tradi-
Buffalo Standard Printing as well as attractive. addition to working with owners of tions. “My family is German; my
3620 Harlem Rd. “They really set up well, really old Victorian-style homes during wife’s parents are straight from Ger-
January - February Cheektowaga, NY 14215 holiday focused, family focused, the year, replacing bannisters and many and Yugoslavia. There’s the
March - April 716-831-8013 and I think it’s just a really great spindles, Korn makes Christmas German tradition and also the
May - June thegermancitizen@gmail.com event for everybody to get out and trees and snowmen, bowls and plat- craftsman part of it. It’s like part of
July - August get a little holiday cheer,” he said. ters, mostly from single pieces of our family,” he said. “And this mar-
September - October For Advertising Sales call: Another longtime vendor is Ken wood in his workshop. ket here, to me, is the most unique
Michelle Kisluk or
November - December Steve Kroczynski Korn, whose handcrafted wooden “I do everything from gathering that you’re going to run into. You
items sell under the name Turning the tree to the finished product in- feel like you’re falling into the mid-
Treasures. “I’m a woodturning house, which makes it neat because dle of Munich or a small town in
craftsman. I learned from my father, then we are 100% sustainable,” he Germany. The authenticity in the
who was a turner for 40 years in the said. “All the shavings and every- environment they try to create here,
Promote your Business or Event Here! old school European techniques,” thing go into my compost pile or to me, is what’s part of Buffalo’s
he said.
landscaping for mulch, and whatev-
heritage.”
Korn uses wood from trees er can’t be made into a product I use
grown in Western New York, some to heat my shop in the wintertime.”
Call Michelle or Steve,
835-9454 Hilde Smith, an inspiration for all –

Germans and Americans

By John Duke
ilde Smith, aus Frankfurt
am Main, and I am proud to
Hwrite, is an inspiration for
all who were born in Germany be-
fore the beginning of the Third Em-
pire. It is important to know
Frankfurt is home to influential edu-
cational institutions, including the
Goethe University with the Univer-
sitätsk- linikum Frankfurt [de]
(Hesse's largest hospital), the FUAS,
the FUMPA, and graduate schools
like the FSFM.
The city is one of two seats of the
German National Library (alongside
Leipzig), the largest library in the
German-speaking countries and one
Alter Oper in Frankfurt am Main. Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de
of the largest in the world. Its re-
nowned cultural venues include the I couldn't thank Hilde but for taking me back into forgot-
concert hall Alte Oper, continental enough. Not just for ten memories.
Europe's largest English theater and Hilde taught many U.S. Service-
many museums, including the reminding and helping me to men how to speak German. And
Städel, Liebieghaus, German Film correct long forgotten errors, when regulations wouldn't allow it,
Museum, Senckenberg Natural Mu- but for taking me back into Hilde taught their wives how to
seum, Goethe House and Schirn art forgotten memories. speak German along with some of
venue. Frankfurt's skyline is shaped their children. At the same time she
by some of Europe's tallest sky- with an “e” are pronounced as an taught Germans how to speak Eng-
scrapers, which has led to the term “a,” I write this because of the many lish.
Mainhattan. interactions Hilde had between her So it was only natural that she
The city has many notable green and the British and Americans) would travel to New York State to
areas and parks, including the Wal- which indicated in a letter she do the same. Running into complete
lanlagen, Volkspark Niddatal [de], mailed me while also pointing out Chaos (Kaos). It seems that NY's
Grüneburgpark, the City Forest, two some of the idiosyncrasies between government was as dysfunctional
major botanical gardens (the Pal- German words and American Eng- during the 1950s as it is now. Her
mengarten and the Botanical Garden lish. profession may have been good
Frankfurt) and the Frankfurt Zoo- There is more than one city in enough for governments, but New
logical Garden. Germany named Frankfurt, just as York wanted her to take more years
So, it is no wonder Hilde origi- there is more than one city in the of German in order to teach. Some-
nates from there! U.S. named Buffalo. I knew this but one should run tests on Albany's
I had written an article in The I had forgotten. I knew this since I drinking water for strange chemi-
German Citizen, basically on Ger- first joined the German Club 55 cals that could disrupt natural think-
man sandwiches. Hamburgers from years ago. I used to mail parcels to ing patterns.
Hamburg, frankfurters from Frank- different cities in Germany when I When I spoke with Hilde last
furt, and wieners from Wien, the worked in the aircraft industry as a month, just before Christmas, she
German word for Vienna. While member of the West German Group was as sharp as they come. I was
wieners and baked beans were big in United Technologies as a me- never at that level. It is always an
on the American menu, most Amer- chanical designer 45 years ago. Ger- honor to speak with her because you
icans didn't associate wieners with many was still divided into two can always learn from her. Anyone
the Capital of Austria. Not even U.S. countries then, West and East. who was taught by Hilde knows
Army soldiers who especially enjoy I couldn't thank Hilde enough. how lucky they are. They were
them. Not just for reminding and helping taught by the best. In German or
Hilde (pronounced Hilda, not me to correct long forgotten errors, English.
2 • THE GERMAN CITIZEN • January - February 2026 Hildee, most German words ending