German Americans of Cleveland
Cleveland Press Articles
City Always a Hub for Foreign Language Papers
"100 Years of Nationalities in Cleveland"
Second in a Series
By Theodore Andrica
Cleveland Press, September 14, 1950
Since Maximillian Heinrich Allart began circulating a handwritten German language Monatliche Journal in Cleveland in July, 1844, this city has always been an important center in the foreign language publishing field.
There is no record how long Allart's brave, hand-written project lasted, but it was not very long.
By 1846 there were enough Germans (around 2000) so that Edward Hessenmueller, a leading member of the German group here, started a weekly, the Germania. Since the owner was prominent in Democratic circles, his paper was also Democratic in politics.
The influx of German immigrants, following the failure of the 1848 German revolt, changed the Cleveland and German picture considerably and by 1852 it was felt that the Germania was not enough.
Jacob Mueller and Louis Ritter sold stock, at $5 per share, to start a new German language weekly. When they raised $400, they launched the Waechter Am Erie weekly, on Aug. 9, 1852.
The paper had offices on the second floor of the old Plain Dealer Building, Superior Ave. and Vineyard St. Its first editor was August Theime, a young man of letters from Buffalo.
5 Cents a Copy
The new weekly sold for 5 cents for a single copy or $1 for a half-year's subscription. In its first issue it supported the nomination of Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire for president and W. Rufus King of Alabama for vice president, on the Democratic ticket.
This was the real beginning of a virile foreign language publishing activity in Cleveland.
As more immigrants arrived in Cleveland, speaking a multitude of languages, it was natural for the newer nationality groups to follow in the footsteps of he Germans and establish their own papers.
As late as in 1935 Cleveland had 53 foreign language dailies, weeklies and monthlies.
Today there are "only" 35 foreign language publications and two English language Jewish weeklies in Cleveland.
The six dailies are:
Waechter and Anzeiger, German; 1243 Rockwell Ave. It is independent in politics and its editor is Walter Eckstein. In world politics it is anti-Communist.
Backs Democrats
Szabadsag, Hungarian; 1736 E. 22nd St. Although nominally an independent paper, its owner and editor, Zoltan Gombos, is a consistent supporter of the Democratic administration and of Governor Lausche. The paper is opposing the Budapest Communist regime.
Wiadomosci Codzienne, Polish; 1017 Fairfield Ave. In American politics it is Republican. It is strongly anti-Communistic and before the war supported the Pilsudski regime in Poland. Zygmunt Dybowski is editor.
Ameriska Domovina, Slovene; 6117 S. Clair Ave. is one of the two Slovene dailies here. It is Democratic in local politics and violently anti-Tito and anti-Communistic as far as old country politics are involved. Anton Sabec is editor.
Under Congress Fire
Enakopravnost, Slovene; 6231 St. Clair Ave. Its editor, Ivan Bostjancic, has been under fire by the un-American Committee in Congress. The paper has been and is a steadfast supporter of Tito's regime in Yugoslavia and during the last American election it supported Wallace.
Novy-Svet, Czech; 12020 Mayfield Rd. the first issue will be published Saturday under the editorship of John Kratky and Anton Sustr. This paper was organized after the Svet- American Czech daily ceased publication two months ago.
Other Nationality Papers
Cleveland's 20 nationality weeklies are:
AMERICKE DELNICKE LISTY, Czech, 4732 Broadway, Vaclav H. Matousek, editor.
A JO PASZTOR, Hungarian, 1736 E. 22nd St.; Josef Muzslay, editor.
AZ UJSAG, Hungarian, 8407 Woodland Ave.; Louis Tarcal, editor.
KATHOLIKUS MAGYAROK VASARNAPJA, Hungarian, 4160 Lorain Ave.
L'ARALDO, Italian, 12020 Mayfield Rd. Dr. Annibale Verzumo, editor.
JEWISH INDEPENDENT, Jewish, 2108 Payne Ave.; Leo Weidenthal, editor.
JEWISH REVIEW AND OBSERVER, Jewish, 1104 Prospect Ave.; Howard Wertheimer, editor.
JEWISH WORLD, Jewish, 10526 Superior Ave.; Robert Henvald, editor.
DIRVA, Lithuanian, 1351 Giddings Rd.; Vincent Rastenis, editor
KURYER, Polish, 6805 Lansing Ave.; Jan A. Zebrowski, editor.
ZWIAZKOWIEC, Polish, 6968 Broadway; K. J. Zielecki, editor.
ZJEDNOCZENIA, Polish, 6805 Lansing Ave.; Jan A. Zebrowski, editor.
SLOVENSKE NOVINY, Slovak, 10510 Buckeye Rd.; Rev. Fr. Bernard Slimak, 0.S.B., editor.
GLAS, Slovenian, 6117 St. Clair Ave.; James Debevec, editor.
GLASILO, Slovenian, 6117 St. Clair Ave.; Ivan Racic, editor.
NOVA DOBA, Slovenian, 6233 St. Clair Ave.; Anton J. Terbovec, editor.
SIEBENBUERGISH AMERIKANISCHE VOLKSBLATT, Saxon, 3961 St. Clair Ave.
AMERICA, Romanian, 5703 Detroit Ave.; George Donev, editor.
SOLIA, Romanian, 6201 Detroit Ave.; Viorel D. Trifa, editor.
FOAIA POPORULUI, Romanian, 6603 Detroit Ave.; George Stanculescu, editor.
The 10 foreign-language monthlies published in Cleveland are:
VESTNIK, Czech, Bedford.
EINWANDERERS FREUND, German, 2969 W. 25th St.
GEISTIGES LEBEN, German, PO Box 5666; Felix Schmidt, editor.
HELLENIC HERALD, Greek, 1532 E. 36th St.; Miss Helen Vorvolakis, editor.
HERMUNKAS, Hungarian, 8618 Buckeye Rd.; L. L. Lefkovics, editor.
ZENSKA JEDNOTA, Slovak, 3756 Lee Rd.; Rev. Fr. Georgs Luba, 0.S.B., editor.
ZARJA, Slovenian, 6516 Bonna Ave.; Mrs. Albina Novak, editor.
ITALIAN PICTORIAL NEWS, Italian, 7108 Superior Ave.; Bernard J. Meiaragno, edtior.
UNIREA, Romanian, 1367 W. 65th St.; Rev. Fr. George Babutiu and Rev. Fr. Mircea Todericiu, editors.
THE BROTHERHOOD, Russian, 3111 W. 14th St.; William Racin, editor.
Clevelanders possessing old pictures, souvenir booklets and other items about early nationality life here are asked to lend Theodore Andrica such material for use in preparing his series on history of the various groups here.
