Teutonia Mannerchor club on the North Side celebrates German heritage
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Donna and Dave Dickson with the dance group Alpen Schuhplattler und Trachtenverein D' Pittsburgher at the Bavarian Alpen Fest at Teutonia Mannerchor. -
Olivia McKay and Dave Dickson, left, with Sean Paden and Catherine McKay, of dance group Alpen Schuhplattler und Trachtenverein D' Pittsburgher. -
Bavarian Alpen Fest at Teutonia Mannerchor. -
Gerda Bummer of Shaler, with Frank Buchman of Spring Hill, enjoying the Bavarian Alpen Fest at Teutonia Mannerchor. -
Sara Nuenner and Jim Viel, at left, with at right, Donna and Dave Dickson, of the dance group Alpen Schuhplattler und Trachtenverein D' Pittsburgher at the Bavarian Alpen Fest at Teutonia Mannerchor. -
Bavarian Alpen Fest at Teutonia Mannerchor, with the dance group Alpen Schuhplattler und Trachtenverein D' Pittsburgher.
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In 1854, a group of North Side German immigrants formed a singing society in Deutschtown to share and preserve the experiences and culture of their homeland. The choir was dubbed "Teutonia Mannerchor," and after 157 years the group hasn't missed a beat.
The society still gathers in the same singing hall they built on Phineas Street in Deutschtown in 1888 and while it remains primarily a choral group, Teutonia Mannerchor has developed into a multifaceted ethnic club designed to promote and perpetuate German culture and heritage through frequent gatherings and recurring activities. The private club's current membership falls just shy of 2,500 active members, the most in its storied history.
Teutonia Mannerchor president Ralph Wagner said the club has retained its popularity over the years because it provides a place for like members of the community to convene and relax amidst the drudgery of everyday life.
"You come in off the street and forget everything," he said. "You can just sit here, relax and enjoy yourself in good fellowship."
Mr. Wagner is a first generation American and a second generation Teutonian. His parents immigrated to the North Side from Baden, Germany, in 1929. His father worked in a packing house and joined Teutonia Mannerchor to bond with fellow German-Americans who were sharing similar experiences.
The current president said he remembers frequently following his father to the Teutonia where they formed kinship-type bonds with their fellow members and neighbors. Mr. Wagner was planning on joining the Teutonia as soon as he reached the legal age of 21 but a job transfer led him to Eastern Pennsylvania where he lived for 20 years. When he finally returned to Pittsburgh in 1992, the first thing he did was join the club.
"This is something a lot of us have grown up with and we don't want to see it disappear," Mr. Wagner said. "There are a lot of values associated with the club and they mean more to us now than they did when we were quite younger and we want to preserve that."
First Published November 6, 2011 12:00 am
