Page 2 - GC-Sept-Oct-Guide-2025

PERSPECTIVES County completes
restoration of historic

The “how” matters Schenck House
from page 1
By Martin Ederer Parks, Recreation and Forestry Troy
any of us in Western New York remember Maestro Joseph Win- P. Schinzel. “Now this space is open
Mcenc. I can’t remember all the times during rehearsals that he to the public to enjoy local history
explained a musical phrase with the words, “It’s not just what you say but inside a historic structure. It’s a win-
how you say it.” Musicians know the importance of rhythm, dynamics, win for all and I thank our partners
intonation, phrasing, style and interpretation. Music is about much more for their work in this accomplish-
than just playing notes. More fundamentally, audiences can figure out the ment.”
difference between a work of music incorrectly interpreted and/or poorly The Grover Cleveland site is The container terminal at the harbor. CC BY-SA 2.5
played – as interesting as that can sometimes be – and a work of music well rich with architectural, golf, and avi-
interpreted and well played. It’s the same work. The “how” of the perfor- ation historical significance. A golf Linz: Austria’s third largest city
mance makes a big difference. course and clubhouse were complet- by Martin Ederer transform the city. During the Na-
This lesson from music applies to other aspects of life. The “how” ed there in 1902, and it became the s Austria’s third largest city, poleonic Era, the Linz area suffered
matters. When someone expresses something that is true angrily or with a Country Club of Buffalo. Golf ar- ALinz in Oberösterreich suffers significant bloodshed. In 1800 a
sneer, many people only hear the anger and miss the truth. They may even chitect Walter Travis upgraded the something of an identity crisis. My great fire wrecked much of the city.
reject what is true simply because of how it was stated. The person course in 1910 in an attempt to at- own relatives in Austria usually dis- Linz was spared much of the
expressing it comes off as impolite, unpleasant and unkind. The person is tract a major tournament, which missed Linz as a rather uninterest- worst of the Revolution of 1848
uncharitable. To put it in a more common way, the person is not nice. A worked; the course became the site ing industrial town. It certainly which roiled so much of Europe and
discussion about ideas has become personal – and often that’s not good. of the 1912 U.S. Open, won by John misses the tourist traffic that flocks cost Vienna its emperor. What did
The other side of this, however, is that niceness may be…umm…nice, McDermott who the year before was to Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. come out of the experience for Linz,
but if niceness has nothing true or substantial to back it up, it may well be the youngest and the first American It’s tough to compete with (respec- however, was a constitution and a
phony or downright dishonest. Telling a slow, out-of-shape old guy like to win the U.S. Open. In 1917-1918 tively) a world city, Mozart and The democratically elected mayor for
me that I can be a professional basketball star may be nice. It may even be golf architect Donald Ross rede- Sound of Music, and a two-time the first time. By that time the In-
meant to be encouraging. But in the long haul it is not based in reality and signed the course again. Today Gro- Olympic city in by the Alps…and dustrial Revolution had also reached
is therefore not very honest, even if well intentioned. ver remains the only public golf yet Linz has a long and fascinating Linz, which was on its way to be-
Occasionally I have told my students that they probably can’t be facility in North America to be de- history and charm of its own. coming a major industrial city com-
anything they want to be if they only want it bad enough (we’ve all heard signed by two of the most famous Located on a bend in the Danube plete with railroad lines, steamship
that sort of thing before) …but they probably can do a lot more than they golf architects of the early 20th cen- River, Linz traces its origins to 400 transportation on the Danube, and a
think they can. It’s always a good idea to find a good balance between tury. BC and to both the Celts and the growing manufacturing infrastruc-
honesty and diplomacy: the “how” thing. In an interesting historical note, Romans. The Celts named the area ture.
Abruptly grabbing a kid’s arm so he can’t touch a hot stove and burn in 1910 the Buffalo Aero Club spon- Lentos for said bend in the Danube After World War I Linz became
himself might upset the kid. It’s not nice. But it does prevent the kid from sored the first airplane flight in Buf- at the location that became Linz, a major hub for Austrian socialism.
doing something dangerous when time is of the essence. Being nice and falo. Albert Pfitzner flew the where they established fortifica- In the numerous uncertainties of
not grabbing his arm because it may upset him is certainly not kind. monoplane he designed, built at the tions. The Romans occupied the ar- post-World War I Austria, Linz also
Applying the “how” usually requires some prudence and good sense. Curtiss aeroplane factory in Ham- ea, which became the Roman became a hotbed of political vio-
This may all be good food for thought as we continue to navigate mondsport, from the Country Club province of Noricum, and estab- lence, especially in 1934. After the
politics and political parties all trying to convince us of their absolute polo field. Buffalo became a hub for lished a wood-and-earth fortress in 1938 Anschluss which annexed
goodness and wonderfulness and of their opponents’ absolute wickedness. aircraft production; Curtiss Aero- the first century AD at Lentos, Austria to Nazi Germany, Hitler,
Would that life were always that simple. plane and Motor Company went on keeping the name. Lentos played a who had gone to school in Linz and
to play a crucial role in World War strategic role in securing the Dan- liked to call it his home, officially
II, training pilots and producing ube valley, which was an important proclaimed the Austrian annexation
10,000 aircraft. transportation and communication decree in Linz.
Published by In 1925 the Country Club of route for Rome’s northern territo- The good news for Linz in Hit-
Buffalo Standard Printing Buffalo sold the course to the City ries. The Romans built a more sub- ler’s soft spot for the city was that it
3620 Harlem Rd. of Buffalo and it was renamed Gro- stantial stone fortress in the second received all kinds of Nazi largesse
January - February Cheektowaga, NY 14215 ver Cleveland Park after the former century, which got destroyed twice with big development of industry
March - April 716-831-8013 Buffalo Mayor and United States during Roman’s later wars with the (including steel and chemicals) and
May - June mail@thegermancitizen.com President. In 1947 the City of Buf- Germanic Marcomanni tribes. Still, infrastructure and new modern
July - August falo transferred 16.5 acres of the Lentos had become a permanent housing. The bad news was that the
For Advertising Sales call:
September - October Michelle Kisluk or course to the U.S. Government for a settlement. investment in the region also includ-
November - December Steve Kroczynski Veterans Hospital. In 1982 the City In the early Middle Ages, Len- ed the largest concentration camp on
of Buffalo sold Grover Cleveland tos became an important eastern Austrian soil – Mauthausen – along
Park to Erie County for $1. Today, outpost for the Duchy of Bavaria. with numerous other ancillary facil-
Triduum honoring St. Ann at Grover Cleveland Golf Course is a In 799 the town’s current name (al- ities (a euthanasia center, forced la-
5,621-yard par 69; nine of the 1912 most) – as Linze – appeared for the bor housing camps) servicing the
St. Louis Church in Buffalo U.S. Open holes still exist. first time in documents. By the larger complex. During the war
Future plans for the Schenck 900s – and increasing Frankish Linz suffered 22 allied air raids.
House may include setting public dominance over the region – Linz The first American tanks rolled into
and the message of hope hours, offering park ranger and his- became an important royal market Linz on May 5, 1945. By the end of
torian-led tours and talks, featuring and customs checkpoint. By the the war a good percentage of build-
by Mary Lou Wyrobek
of the Church is notable. This gos- rotating exhibits, a digital kiosk to 1200s Linz reverted to the Dukes of ings in Linz had been damaged.
and Martin Ederer pel tells us that St. Ann was ad- provide access to additional ar- Bavaria. In the course of the 1200s, From 1945 to 1955, Linz was parti-
t. Louis Church in downtown
vanced in age without children, a chived documents and photographs, however, Austrian dominance over tioned among the Allied powers.
SBuffalo hosted a Triduum in source of grief and social stigma and the opportunity to use the space the region solidified itself, first un- Rebuilding began in earnest. In
honor of St. Ann on July 24-26. In
for the pious couple. Joachim de- for meetings and events. der the Babenberg rulers of Austria, 1975 a university was established,
July 2024 St. Louis Church rededi- cides to go off for a time of prayer and then later under the Habsburg the Johannes-Kepler Universität
cated the restored shrine of St.
and fasting. This increases Ann’s Dynasty. In the 1200s Linz also Linz. Linz also came to the fore-
Ann, originally housed at the for- anxiety as she fears that some evil Church) Spes Non Confundit came to be recognized as a city, that front of cutting-edge steel produc-
mer St. Ann Church on Broadway. (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”)
will befall Joachim. However, an the Babenberg carefully laid out. tion, having played a role in
St. Louis now continues the Tridu- angel speaks to him, and also to with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” By 1300 Linz was also recog- pioneering the Basic Oxygen Pro-
um celebration that had originated The Holy Year began on Christmas
Ann at home, assuring them that nized as a major administrative cen- cess.
at St. Ann Church. they will have a child. Eve, 2024 and will conclude on ter and by the end of the 1400s was Linz’s new cathedral – the Ca-
Fr. Peter Calabrese, CRSP, the Dec. 28, 2025.
Early iconography shows the further recognized as a regional cap- thedral of the Immaculate Concep-
provincial vocation director of the loving embrace of Ann and Pope Francis’ document re- ital. Holy Roman Emperor Freder- tion, begun soon after the Catholic
Barnabites from Fatima Shrine in minds us that we need to face the
Joachim when he returns, a clear ick III made Linz an imperial Church had formally defined the
Youngstown, NY offered lectures affirmation of marriage. The cou- serious problems of the world al- residence city, and the capital of the doctrine of the Immaculate Concep-
followed by the Litany of St. Ann. ways with the knowledge that hope
ple promise the child, Mary, to the Holy Roman Empire from 1489- tion, is Austria’s largest church
For the Saturday Vigil Mass cele- Temple, and elderly St. Joseph is dwells in the heart of each person. 1493 after the Hungarian King Mat- building. Its tower, however, could
brated on the actual Feast Day of Christians must persist in bringing
eventually chosen to be Mary’s thias Corvinus overran Vienna. By not exceed the height of the Stefans-
St. Ann, he integrated his lecture protector and provider. The child the light of hope to a dark world, 1497 Linz had gained the official dom in Vienna, and so it is two
into the Mass as the homily. because we know in the end that all
Mary becomes the mother of Jesus, right to build a bridge across the meters shorter and therefore not
A gifted speaker, Fr. Calabrese making Ann and Joachim his will be well. Amidst the despair so Danube. Austria’s highest church. The love-
offered his reflections based on the prevalent in the world, the Church
grandparents. During the Protestant Reforma- ly baroque older cathedral still
current Jubilee Year of Hope that Fr. Calabrese explained that must reestablish the foundation of tion, Linz had become Protestant th
Pope Francis proclaimed. The first hope – hope in eternal life. stands, although by the mid-19
devotion to SS. Joachim and Ann through the efforts of the Anabaptist century it had become too small for
evening’s topic was “Judgement as began in the Eastern church around On the second day, Fr. Peter reformer Wolfgang Brandhuber.
Hope.” He began with a discussion elaborated some concrete ways the city’s growing population.
the 6th century and eventually was The Protestant leadership took over On the music front, we know
of the traditions we have about St. taken up by the Church in Rome in Christians could be a sign of hope the Franciscan Friary and made it
Ann and St. Joachim, the parents of to the world, noting that actions Mozart passed through Linz just
the 8th century. The official procla- over into the regional administrative long enough to compose a sympho-
Blessed Mother, which come to us mation of a universal feast day had need to follow up our words, ac- building. Eventually a school was
from the Protoevangelium of tions that neutralize the fear that ny (No. 36: his Linz Symphony) and
to wait until 1584. also established there, where the his Piano Sonata No. 13 there. An-
James, an apocryphal work written Turning to the Holy Year Jubi- drives our society. The concrete great astronomer Johannes Kepler
about 145 AD. ways Fr. Peter enumerated became ton Bruckner, born just outside the
lee, Fr. Peter reminded those gath- taught from 1612-1626. After 1600 city, lived in Linz for a time.
While not a part of the ered that Pope Francis proclaimed a quick review of fundamental Franciscans and Jesuits began to
Church’s canon of Sacred Scrip- Catholic social teachings rooted in Lovers of luscious sweets
the Jubilee in his Papal Bull (an re-catholicize Linz. After the Thirty should also know that Linz also
ture, its influence on the tradition recognizing the beauty in all human
official decree of the Catholic Years’ war had ended in 1648, Ba-
beings and in all human life: seek- gives its name to the famous Linzer
roque art and architecture began to Torte.
2 • THE GERMAN CITIZEN • September - October 2025 Continued on page 7