The traditional costume group of Germans from Hungary has existed for 70 years.
It enriches the cultural and social life in Geretsried.
Events only had to be canceled this year.
Geretsried
- Without the Germans from Hungary, the cultural and social life in Geretsried would be a lot poorer.
The traditional costume group is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
The festival planned for December 12th had to be missed because of the corona pandemic.
It should be made up for in December 2021.
The costume group of Germans from Hungary developed only gradually.
After the expulsion, the first task was to rebuild Geretsried, which had been destroyed by the war.
“It was a great advantage that the refugees and displaced people from Pusztavám and the surrounding area knew each other and had a common goal,” says Karl Raminger, the current chairman of the German folk costume group from Hungary.
His compatriots were characterized by diligence and neighborhood help.
This is how the residential area in the north of Geretsried, popularly known as the "Hungarian settlement", was created.
It was later named Dr.-Bleyer-Siedlung after Jakob Bleyer, the Hungarian German philologist and from 1919 to 1920 Hungarian Minister for National Minorities.
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Andreas Netzkar and his late wife Anni.
Netzkar was chairman for 50 years.
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The desire of the Hungarian Germans for a ethnic group became more and more pronounced.
Eventually they decided to adopt the typical costume of the village of Pusztavám and founded a costume group.
In the midst of the construction and clean-up work, they met for the first Kathrein dance on November 25, 1950 in the Tschannerl inn.
With the income from the ball, the Hungarian Germans laid the foundation for the club, which they launched on December 2, 1950 at the Geiger inn.
Franz Stammler was elected chairman, four years later Andreas Netzkar took over the office and headed the costume group until 2004. Andreas Ferstl was followed by Karl Raminger in 2006.
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Today Karl Raminger heads the association.
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In the early days, the board of directors mainly took care of the integration of compatriots, says Raminger (66).
But little by little, cultural life has come more and more to the fore.
In addition to the dance group, a brass band, a singing group and a male choir were created.
Rehearsals took place in private rooms, from 1959 to 2019 in the "Heimatstube" of the Netzkar family.
Anni Netzkar also kept the many traditional costumes and looked after them lovingly.
Today the members meet in the Isarau Hall.
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The photo at the Swabian Ball and the arrival of the traditional folk with the rosemary bouquet.
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The club attracted more and more attention.
The Kathrein dance, the famous Swabian ball and the grape ball took place annually.
Participation in the Schwabenball in Munich and the maypole erection was also part of the course of the year.
For more than 32 years, the settlement festival in the Hungarian quarter has been an integral part of Geretsried's social life.
Of all this, only the Swabian Ball could take place in February this year.
The Schwabenball 2021 has already been canceled.
The club has its own richly decorated flag.
He acquired them for the ten-year foundation festival with the help of donations from members.
“The basic colors of the coat of arms - blue, white and gold - are the colors of the first Hungarian-German student association.
The cross in the middle is the symbol for the Christian faith, the plow and the city stand for the rural origin of the Germans from Hungary and for their new home, ”explains Raminger.
“Stay true to your language, your customs, your people” is embroidered in gold on the flag.
“The traditional costume group still lives by this saying today,” he says proudly.
Contact with Pusztavám never ceased even during the Cold War, when many Germans from Hungary were refused entry to their old homeland.
It was intensified in the late 1970s after the borders were relaxed.
The traditional costume group took advantage of the opening and in 1982 invited a dance and singing group from Pusztavám to Geretsried for the first time.
The return visit followed two years later.
The result was a friendship between cities, in which Nickelsdorf in Austria, partner municipality of Pusztavám, was also included.
Today the association has 180 members.
Most of them are second and third generation Hungarian Germans.
"We are open to all new members, whether they are displaced or not," emphasizes Raminger.
He remembers the best times in the early 1990s when there were four dance groups ranging from a children's group to a senior group.
Today only 15 women and men are actively dancing.
The youngest is 18 years old, the oldest - namely Karl Raminger - 66. New members are very welcome.
"The sociability and the desire to party are our top priority," says the club boss.
This is always very impressive to see at the settlement festival, which has long since developed into a district festival for all Geretsrieder.
Contact
Karl Raminger, phone 0 81 71/2 74 87 or email karlraminger@onlinehome.de