CONRAD MIZER / KARL WOLFRAM MEMORIAL GARDEN CONCERT at the GERMAN CULTURAL GARDEN

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We cordially invite you to attend this FREE event.

On Sunday, July 10, 2011, the Federation of German Americans of Greater Cleveland and  Deutscher Musik Verein will co-sponsor the “Conrad Mizer / Karl Wolfram Memorial Garden Concert”.

ABOUT THE CONCERT:

The concert, scheduled from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., features the sounds of traditional German music performed by musicians from three Northeast Ohio “Blaskapelle”, or “brass bands”, namely the Deutscher Musik Verein, the Youngstown Saxon Blaskapelle and the Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle.  The German Cultural Garden, located at 1036 East Boulevard, Cleveland, is centrally located in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens within Rockefeller Park.  Our “Goethe-Schiller Square” is recognizable by the twin monument of Goethe-Schiller, the largest monument within the Gardens.

In case of inclement weather, we must cancel this concert.

Please note: There will be no chairs provided for seating; we encourage you to bring lawn chairs for your personal comfort.  There are no concessions available and public restrooms are located nearby at the Cleveland Greenhouse at the end of East Boulevard (approx ¾ mile from our Garden).  Convenient parking is available on the east side of East Blvd.; however, you can also park on Martin Luther King Boulevard (parking is available on both sides of the street) and walk up the paved sidewalk path.

HISTORY OF THE CONCERT AND GARDEN:

The German Cultural Garden, dedicated on June 2, 1929, is the third garden in the system.

Conrad Mizer emigrated from Germany with his brother’s family and lived on the near west side of Cleveland, close to Edgewater Park.  A tailor by trade, he tirelessly pursued his favorite pastime, “Frühschoppenmusik” (the closest translation being “Garden or Park Concert”), after arriving in Cleveland.  During the late 19^th Century, he founded the free “Public Park Concerts” at Edgewater Park.  He also sponsored the Sunday afternoon Pop Concerts at Grays Armory with the Cleveland Grand Orchestra, which was the forerunner of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra.  After the demise of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra in 1902, Conrad Mizer sought the support of several financial backers and formed a new Cleveland Symphony Orchestra.  In 1910, the City of Cleveland dedicated, in his memory, a Memorial Fountain located at Edgewater Park.

Charles (“Karl”) J. Wolfram, along with Leo Wiedenthal, founded the Garden system at Rockefeller Park, and was the first president of the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation.  During his 25-year tenure as president, he saw 18 gardens established.  Karl Wolfram was born into a family with a rich history of musicians, teachers and educators.  He was actively involved in Cleveland’s civic, political and cultural life and was a charter member of the Gilmour Council, Knights of Columbus and the American Equality League, a forerunner of the Cultural Garden Federation.  Mr. Wolfram was a man of deep spiritual purpose, devoted to the aid and cause of human brotherhood, and his career was spent spreading the doctrine of human understanding and kinship.