Monday, February 13, 2012

The Spirit of the Revolution Lives On!


When the freedom-minded revolutionists of 1848 and 1849 failed to overthrow imperial governments in German-speaking Europe, many fled to America, with a surprising number of them settling in Watertown, Wisconsin. Twenty-three years later, this advertisement appeared in the October 12, 1872, issue of the Erzähler, a supplement to the Watertown Weltbürger. During difficult economic times in America, butcher R. E. Steinberg invokes a spirit of upheaval with his cry: "Down with high prices! Revolution in the Butscherei!" The term Butscherei is uniquely German-American, as is the spelling of Butschershaps. Steinberg also assures his honorable customers that the quality of his casings is very high, and will never bring anyone into embarrassment. His purpose is not to become rich quickly, but instead to grow his shop into one of renown equaling the Butschershaps of larger cities.

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