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Our 50th Anniversary year was one of the high points in the Gemuetlichen Enzianer history.  As part of the celebration, we hosted the 8. Gaufest in the Waldorf-Astoria. 
 
The Gaufest began with the Welcome Dance on Friday evening, attended by 900 people from Vereine from North America and Germany.  Gruppenpreisplattln and workshops took place on Saturday morning.  Rain in the afternoon did nothing to dampen our spirits, but did result in the parade from the Waldorf to St. Patrick's Cathedral for the Gaufest Mass being cancelled.  Monsignor James W. Asip, our good friend from Mission Relief, honored us by celebrating the Mass, with members doing the readings, bringing up gifts, reading petitions, and serving as altar boys.  Our club flag was re-blessed during Mass, with Fahnenmutter Tillie Mietzner, Fahnen Jungfrau Marianne (Hauck) Bayer, and our first Fahnentraeger Tony Graf participating.  Following the Mass, a Cocktail Reception for the Gau officers, club presidents and Vorplattlers was held, and then festivities moved into the Grand Ballroom, where 1454 guests, filling all tiers of the ballroom, joined us for the Banquet.
 
Busing to the picnic at Plattdütsche Park on Long Island began early Sunday morning.  When the winners of the Preisplattln competition were announced, Bayern Verein Newark took first place, STV Bavaria Cleveland, second and Edelweiss Passaic, third.  Due to the formation of a Gauverband panel of judges, the host club was allowed to participate in Preisplattln for the first time, and Gemuetlichen Enzianer placed fourth.  We hope all participants took wonderful memories of New York back with them.
Gaufest 2001 – a Gaufest Odyssey began with the Thursday Welcome Dance in the Tennis Center of the Nevele Grande Resort, which had been transformed into a Fest Halle.  Friday morning featured Frühschoppen, offering Weisswurst, pretzels, Weissbier and souvenir Weissbier glasses.  The remainder of the day included workshops, Kinder Einzelplattln and a Heimatabend and Dance. Saturday began with the Gruppen Preisplattln competition in the Nevele Nightclub. A new Gauverband addition, Adult Einzelplattln, rounded out the afternoon.
 
At Saturday night’s Fest Abend, many clubs performed Ehrentaenze, including our Paten Kinder, Almrausch San Francisco, Bergvagabunden Schuhplattler, and HSV Bavaria; and Stamm Verein Almrausch Regensburg who joined us at the Gaufest to celebrate our 70th anniversary.  Gemuetlichen Enzianer performed the Stern Polka with 28 couples.  The highlight of the evening was the adult Massen Gauplattler, with every empty space in the hall filled with dancing couples.  When the official events came to an end, activities moved to the smaller buildings around the resort – and “Gaufestland” was alive until the early morning hours. Gaufest participants awakened to Alphorns playing in the courtyard.
 
On Sunday morning the Nightclub was the site of the Mundart Messe, which included a moving trumpet solo of “Ich hat’ einen Kamaraden” as well as the Gau instrumental and choral groups and Alphorn players from Alt Washingtonia and Oberländer Los Angeles.   Following the Mass, festivities moved to the Chalet for the picnic where the many Kindergruppen present circled the floor to perform the Gauplattler.  Gauverband President Walter Wieand began the presentation of awards. The Schafkopf pokal was won by Gaby Gall of Almrausch Regensburg, the Weit Preis to Enzian Seattle, and the Meist Preis to Edelweis Westchester, our Paten Verein.  When the Gruppen Preisplattln winners were announced, fifth prize went to Original Enzian, fourth prize to United German Hungarians, third prize to Maple Leaf Almrausch, Ottawa, second prize to Bayern Verein Newark and first prize to Gemuetlichen Enzianer.  The Gaufest scepter was passed to the United German Hungarians, hosts of the 2003 Gaufest. The Farewell Pool Party, with palm trees and dunking tank, gave everyone a chance to let their hair down and relax, and bid farewell to new and old friends, until the next Gaufest.
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8. Gaufest 1981
18. Gaufest 2001
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Gemuetlichen Enzianer - Gruppenpreisplattln Results

 

1. Gaufest, 1967 - Vereinigte Bayern, Groß New York

13th Place

2. Gaufest, 1969 - Edelweiß, Denver, CO

11th Place

3. Gaufest, 1971 - G.T.E.V. Edelweiß, Detroit, MI

8th Place

4. Gaufest, 1973 - G.T.E.V. Washingtonia,Washtington, D.C.

3rd Place

5. Gaufest, 1975 - Alpenland, Montreal, Quebec

5th Place / Meistpreis

6. Gaufest, 1977 - D'Lustigen Wendlstoana,Milwaukee, WI

6th Place

7. Gaufest, 1979 - G.T.E.V. D'Oberlander, Los Angeles, CA

6th Place

8. Gaufest, 1981 - Gemütlichen Enzianer, Maspeth,NY

4th Place

9. Gaufest, 1983 - S.T.V. Bavaria, Cleveland, OH

4th Place

10. Gaufest, 1985 - T.E.V. Edelweiß, Denver, CO

6th Place / Meistpreis

11. Gaufest, 1987 - S.V.E.V. D'Oberlandler, Milwaukee, WI

4th Place

12. Gaufest, 1989 - Bayern Verein Newark & Edelweiß, Passaic, NJ

3rd Place / Meistpreis

13. Gaufest, 1991 - Almrausch Bavarian Schuhplattler, Vancouver, B.C.

3rd Place / Meistpreis

14. Gaufest, 1993 - S.G.V. Edelweiß,Buffalo, NY

1st Place / Meistpreis

15. Gaufest, 1995 - D'Werdenfelser & Holzhacker Buam, WI

2nd Place

16. Gaufest, 1997 - Enzian Volkstanzgruppe, Newark, DE

5th Place

17. Gaufest, 1999 - S.G. Edelweiß, St. Paul, MN

2nd Place / Meistpreis

18. Gaufest, 2001 - Gemütlichen Enzianer, Maspeth, NY

1st Place

19. Gaufest, 2003 - United German Hungarians, Philadelphia, PA

3rd Place / Meistpreis

20. Gaufest, 2005 - G.T.E.V. Edelweiss, Buffalo, NY

1st Place

2006 - Preisplattln um den Bayerischen Löwen - Dießen, Germany

4th Place

21. Gaufest, 2007 - G.T.V. Edelweiss, Reading, PA

2nd Place / Meistpreis

22. Gaufest, 2009 – Holzhackerbuam, Toledo, OH

7th Place

 

Click on each Gaufest link above for a picture of the Gruppenpreisplattln team for that year.