Finding Aids to Collections Organized by Topic in the Archive of Folk Culture

AUSTRIAN AND AUSTRIAN AMERICAN COLLECTIONS
IN THE ARCHIVE OF FOLK CULTURE
Acquired through 2000

Compiled by: Birgit Riel
Series Editor: Ann Hoog

Publication Date: February 2004
Series Number: LCFAFA No. 34
ISSN 0736-4903

Special thanks to Christopher T. Hancock for his initial research on German-language collections in the Archive, and to Paul Connor, Betsy Franke, Judith Gray, and Margrit Krewson for their assistance.

Sound Recordings and Multiformat Collections

AFS 8362-8473: One hundred and twelve 12-inch discs of instrumentals, songs, and stories recorded in Wisconsin by Charles Hofmann, Phyllis Pinkerton, Aubrey Snyder, and Helene Stratman-Thomas (Blotz), July 23-November 17, 1946, for the Library of Congress and the University of Wisconsin. The collection includes three-fourths linear inch of correspondence and descriptions.

AFS 8428-8429: Two discs containing eleven Austrian and German instrumentals and songs. Recorded in Darlington, Wisconsin, August 22, 1946. (Twenty-two minutes; tape copy on LWO reel 111B)

AFS 8428A1: Medley of two German instrumentals performed on zither by Richard Taschek.

AFS 8428A2: "Spinn, spinn, spinn" (Spin, spin, spin) sung by Laura Zenz.

AFS 8428B1-2: "Wenn ich mein Häuserl verkauf" (When I sell my little house) and "Mei Vater sei Häuserl ist mit Haferstroh g'füllt" (My father's house is filled with straw) sung by Richard Taschek, Laura Zenz, and group.

AFS 8428B3: "Und i hob dir in die Äuglein g'schaut" (And I looked into your eyes) sung by Laura Zenz.

AFS 8429A1: "So lang der Bauch in die Weste paßt" (As long as the belly fits in the vest) sung by Louis Taschek.

AFS 8429A2: "Willst du einst recht glücklich werden" (If you want to be very happy) sung by Irma Taschek.

AFS 8429A3: "Sehnsucht nach der Heimat" (Yearning for home) sung by Richard Taschek and Laura Zenz.

AFS 8429B1-2: "Mitzel, willst mit mir auf die Alma gehen?" (Mitzel, do you want to go with me up to the pasture?) and "Die Deutschmeister" (The master of German) sung by Richard Taschek and group.

AFS 10,210-10,228: Eight 12-inch and eleven 10-inch discs of Austrian folk music from various regions in Austria. Recorded ca. 1950s. Transferred from the Cooperative Acquisitions Project. (Two hours and forty-five minutes; tape copy on LWO 5111 reels 292-193A)

AFS 10,365: One 16-inch disc of "Und taut's im Tal regnen" (When it's raining in the valley), "Erzherzog Johann Jodler" (Archduke Johann Yodeler), "Wenn ich auf hohen Bergen steh" (When I stand on high mountains), and "Drunt in der Schintergruabm" (Down in the Schintergruabm), sung by the Austrian Good Will Group of Austria. Recorded at the Library of Congress by Herman Norwood, December 28, 1949. The collection includes twelve pages of correspondence and lists. (Eleven minutes; tape copy on LWO 5111 reel 300)

AFS 11,581-11,588: Eight 5-inch tapes of dance tunes, instrumentals, interviews, songs, and a wedding in the Croatian, German, and Hungarian languages. Recorded at various locations in Austria. Received on exchange from the Phonogrammarchiv der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, June 1959. The collection includes one-fourth linear inch of lists. (Ten hours; LWO 3556 reels 1-8; tape copies on LWO 12,523 reels185-189)

AFS 18,053-18,058: Six 10-inch tapes of primarily Yiddish songs. Recorded in Cincinnati, New York City, Pittsburgh, West Orange, New Jersey, and elsewhere by Jack Manischewitz, 1957-61. The collection includes thirty-two pages of lists.

AFS 18,056A32-35: One tape containing four Austrian songs sung by Mr. August. Recorded in West Orange, New Jersey, ca. 1960. (Four minutes; LWO 8692 reel 4A)

AFS 18,102-18,468: Three-hundred and forty-four 7-inch tapes, twenty-two 5-inch tapes and one 3-inch tape of instrumentals and songs recorded in Africa, Europe, Far East, Latin America, Middle East, Near East, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia by Laura Boulton, 1949-61. This is part 23 of the Laura Boulton Collection. The collection includes one-third linear inch of articles, correspondence, and lists.

AFS 18,350: One 7-inch tape containing two instrumentals and a song. Recorded in Austria or Switzerland. (Five minutes; LWO 8956 reel 249, tape copy on LWO 8949 reel 50A)

AFC 1942/003: Four 16-inch, forty-eight 12-inch, and three 8-inch discs of recorded reactions to war-time conditions in the United States. Recorded by Robert E. Barton Allen, Harry Behn, Fletcher Collins, Duncan Emrich, John Henry Faulk, Helen Hartness Flanders, Charles Johnson, Lewis Jones, Marguerite Olney, Vance Randolph, William N. Robson, Robert Sonkin, and Charles Todd in various locations throughout the United States, January-February 1942. Recorded for the Office of Emergency Management Radio Section program “Dear Mr. President.” The collection includes one linear inch of correspondence, logs, and transcripts. This collection is available online as part of the Library of Congress American Memory presentation: After the Day of Infamy: “Man on the Street” Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

AFS 6409B: One disc containing reactions to wartime in Austria and the United States spoken by an Austrian refugee. Recorded by Charles Todd and Robert Sonkin in New York, New York, January 1942. (Four minutes and thirty seconds; tape copy on LWO 3493 reel 43A)

AFC 1971/002: "A Collection of the Descriptions of Folk Dances as Taught by Gretel and Paul Dunsing." One thirty-six-page manuscript of descriptions of sixty-six Austrian, German, and Swiss folk dances. Assembled by Gretel and Paul Dunsing of St. Petersburg, Florida, April 1971.

AFC 1981/004: Ninety-nine 7-inch tapes and 245 audiocassettes,13 linear inches of contact sheets, eight and three-fourths linear feet of field notes and logs, 3080 slides, 210 photographs, and 2 videos from the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection, a field survey of ethnic artistic expression including dance, foodways, neighborhood gatherings, religious celebrations, and instrumental and vocal music. Recorded in the Chicago, Illinois, area by various collectors under the direction of Elena Bradunas, February-November 1977; under the joint sponsorship of the American Folklife Center and the Illinois Arts Council. The collection includes a 561-page report on the project published by the American Folklife Center in January 1978. The following Austrian-related examples were recorded in Chicago by Tony Hellenberg.

AFS 20,546: One audiocassette containing an interview with Heidi Siewert, singer and yodeler. Topics include singing, yodeling, music clubs, immigration, regionalism, German relations with Austrians in America, the German ethnic community, and the German-American self image. Recorded over the telephone from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, April 26, 1977. (Fifty-six minutes; RYA 0614)

AFS 20,547-20,548: Two audiocassettes containing an interview with Isabella Erbe, columnist for the German American newspaper Eintracht. Topics include origins of the newspaper, the interests of DANK (Deutsch Amerikanischer National Kongress), the Steuben Verein cultural organization, the annual Trachtenfest, Jewish German-American organizations, the Landsmannschaften organization, the Donauschwaben Club, the Süd-ost Deutsche organization, the future of German clubs in Chicago, the lack of unity of many German-Americans, regionalism, relations between German and Austrian immigrants, German-speaking Swiss-Americans, and attitudes towards German-Americans as a result of World War II. Recorded April 26, 1977. (One hour and fourteen minutes; RYA 0615-0616)

AFS 20,549: One audiocassette containing an interview with Eduard Adler, Austrian Consul. Topics include the difference between German and Austrian immigrants, early Austrian immigration, immigration of intellectuals during the 1930s, Germans in Austria, Hutterites, Donauschwaben, influence of Slavic religion, conflicts between Hungarians and Germans, Sudeten Germans, and the official attitude of the Austrian government towards emigrants. Recorded April 26, 1977. (Fifty-eight minutes; RYA 0617)

AFS 20,556B-20,557: Two audiocassettes containing an interview with Rudy Wacek, zither player. Topics include the zither's traditional use, how to play the zither, performance of the zither, the Chicago Zither Club, zither music repertory, amplification of zithers, building zithers, composers of zither music, where zithers are most common, the two schools of zither music (Munich and Vienna), the "Third Man Theme," and ethnic restaurants with entertainment. Recorded April 29, 1977. (One hour and sixteen minutes; RYA 0624-0625)

AFC 1991/026: Seven audiocassettes of part II of the radio series "Downhome Dairyland," hosted and produced by Jim Leary and Richard March, presented by the Wisconsin Arts Board and the Wisconsin Folk Museum, and broadcast weekly March 4-May 27, 1990. The collection includes eight pages of a brochure, correspondence, datasheets, and an inventory.

AFC 1991/026:SR4B: One audiocassette containing "Ach ja" (O, yes), traditional Austrian music of Syl Groeschl and the Groeschl Family of Calumet County, broadcast April 22, 1990. (Thirty-two minutes)