German club falls on hard times
2011-08-25
A CULTURAL giant of Paarl may shortly have to close its doors soon, due to a dwindling membership. The German Club in Klein Parys has for many years been a symbol of the rich German heritage of the Drakenstein area. The club originally started as a gymnastics club in Wellington in 1926 as there was quite a substantial German community residing in the district. There was even a German school in Wellington in those years and the St Petri Lutheran Church in Paarl also played a huge role in the activities of the club. But the club was disbanded in 1939 when World War 2 broke out. After the war there was another influx of Germans to the country due to the expansion of industries. Especially factories such as Spilo and other textile factories imported Germans for their expertise. In 1953 Pastor Winckler again got the German community together and started the German Society (Deutscher Verein) in the church hall of St Petri. A German library was kept at the church and all the festivals, including the Oktoberfest, were always held in the church hall. The popularity of the German Society expanded so much that the dream was born to have an own clubhouse. After negotiations with the Municipality in the 1990s a 99 year lease on a piece of land in Klein Parys became a reality. The German Club was then a thriving family-orientated organisation. As a non-profit entity, much hard work from volunteers had gone into the club to make it such a successful venue. But as the years went by, elder members could no longer take charge of the club’s responsibilities and their children’s interest in their heritage started to dwindle, making it much harder for the club to survive. Last week one of the nails in the coffin of club was the retirement of the committee, leaving the club with no management. Currently St Petri pastor Peter Molchin and local German businessman Robbie Knörr have taken it upon themselves to find solutions as to the future of the club. Says Pastor Molchin, “Community clubs like this have dwindled countrywide. Older members have passed away and their children no longer have an interest in following this tradition. What we are now trying to do is manage the decline and to find constructive measures to keep the club going.” “Although the club was started by the German community, it has always been open to all.” He added that one of the options would be to lease the club out and manage it as a private enterprise. Isabel Stevens, temporary secretary, said that for a small annual membership fee, one can make use of the secure, family-orientated, fun venue (tel 021 872 0151 or 083 458 3919).
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