Working Towards a Better Tomorrow
The story of the American Aid Society of German Descendants is an ongoing narrative. The dedication of our forefathers to assist their Landsmen and women out of terrible hardships and a gloomy future in South Eastern Europe began out of necessity—from that devotion an organization grew that sought and STILL seeks to preserve our culture and heritage.
The fate of the Germans in Southeastern Europe was extremely precarious at the end of World War II. The communists were given the ruling power in Yugoslavia and with that came deportation of able bodied people to Russian work camps and mass starvation camps for all others--mostly young and old. Some were able to escape on foot or by horse drawn wagons before the communist took over. They fled to Germany or Austria, leaving most of their worldly possessions behind. Although they were far better off than those who were deported or in camps, they were met with rejection, finding little assistance or shelter in these regions. The Germans and Austrians viewed these refugees as a burden while trying to regroup and rebuild their own countries after world war II. Once somewhat settled, those refugees that could soon began reaching out to friends and relatives that had already made it to America in the 1920’s, in hopes of some help.
It was during this time that our German-American friends and relatives were mobilizing in Chicago and on September 17th, 1944, in the basement of a Croatian tavern, the American Aid Society was founded. Nine men in all—Nick Pesch, Sam Baumann, Math Gatsch, John Funk, Josef Mueller, John Deppong, John Kaiser, Konrad Hack and Christian Marschall. Nick became the first president, Josef Mueller vice president, Konrad Hack secretary and John Deppong the treasurer.
****Click here to read Sam Baumann's account of founding The American Aid Society.
Food drives were one of the first things that were organized in order to send care packages to those either in the starvation camps or in the barracks in Germany or Austria. As mentioned in the last article, money was raised in various ways (donations, raffles, etc.) in order to buy food for these care packages. An example of the care package was as follows: Flour 1000 grams, Sugar 500 grams, Macaroni noodles 900 grams, Lard 500 grams and lastly, 1000 grams of Coffee and Rice. Day after day men, women and children, volunteered and got together to assemble these life saving care packets. Between 1945-1947 an estimated $130,000 worth of food, clothes and medical supplies were shipped to those in need. It was an unheard amount of money for that time and all of it raised through fund raising efforts.
Over time however, it became clear that sending care packages was not going to be enough. The barracks in Germany and Austria were overflowing with refugees and as families began reuniting after escaping their old homelands, it became evident that staying there would prove difficult. I remember my own grandmother’s frustration as she told us of their struggles in Austria. Work was scarce and what work my grandfather had paid very little. She was patching and re-patching clothes, but saw no fruitful end in site. It was HER that went to apply to come to America, against my grandfathers wishes. She had a bigger vision and wanted an opportunity to have their hard work pay off. The solution to the overcrowding was obvious; we must help these people come to America. This was however a daunting task, to try to get Germans immigrants post world war II to be allowed to come to America.
Mr. Nick Pesch and others petitioned Senators and congressmen to achieve this monumental task. Through the help of Senators Dirksen, Langer, Douglas and Congressmen Stratton and Sheehan, along with the support of the National Catholic Welfare Congress, the Lutheran Welfare League and the ongoing assistance from the Quakers was this finally accomplished!
The first wave of immigrants arrived in America on December 20th, 1950 and were welcomed by Monsignors Ferring and Swanstrom and by Sam Baumann, chairman of the assistance committee of the American Aid Society.