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Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus)
Encyclopedia
The Athenæum, originally named Das Deutsche Haus (German
:The German House), is the most ornate and best-preserved building affiliated with the German American
community of Indianapolis
. Once used as a German American turnverein and clubhouse, it currently houses many groups, organizations, and businesses. The Athenæum is located across Massachusetts Avenue
from the Old National Centre.
. A majority of these immigrants, called Forty-Eighters
, relocated to the United States
following the failed Revolutions of 1848
in the German states
. These immigrants quickly formed musical, political, and social clubs after the German idea of club life including the Männerchor, Turnverein, and Liederkranz. Many of these immigrants believed in the philosophy of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
. In 1892, in order to preserve their German heritage the German clubs formed the Sozialer Turnverein Aktiengesellschaft (German
: Social Gymnastics Association), an association to finance the building of a clubhouse. The clubhouse was built as a house of culture for the mind and body. All the German clubs would be united under a single roof.
For a cost of $32,000, two lots were purchased at Michigan Street and New Jersey Street. A German neighborhood called Lockerbie Square
, also known as Germantown, surrounded the clubhouse. Construction of the East Wing began in May 1893, and was finished in 1894. The West Wing construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1898. German American architects Bernard Vonnegut (grandfather of Indianapolis novelist Kurt Vonnegut
) and Arthur Bohn designed both wings. It was called Das Deutsche Haus and hosted many organizations including the German-American Veterans Society, the German-American School Society, the Socialer Turnverein Women's Club, the German Ladies' Aid Society, and the Turner Building and Savings Association. There were 500 members by 1896.
In 1897, the Musikverein (Music Society) was founded at Das Deutsche Haus; it included a 60-piece orchestra, a male choir, and a mixed choir. The Athenaeum Orchestra is now the oldest orchestra in Indianapolis.
In 1907, Das Deutsche Haus agree to house the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union in its east wing. The normal school
trained physical education teachers for schools across the country. Indiana University
incorporated the school in 1941, making it the School of Education of IUPUI. It is the oldest school of physical education in the United States.
With the anti-German sentiments of World War I, the clubhouse renamed itself the Athenæum. Today, the Athenaeum is operated by the non-profit Athenaeum Foundation.
slate roof. The entrance is flanked by two Roman Doric columns, and is arched with a semicircle of limestone. The upper windows are arched and the gymnasium has bullseye
-shaped windows.
The West Wing is done in the German Renaissance Revival style and incorporates German architecture with Renaissance elements. It has a steep pitched hip roof
. This wing also has a three storied brick tower but it has a curved mansard roof
and spire. The wing has various window styles and some windows have stained glass. Roman Doric columns are placed beside the arched entrance. At each end of the main roof there are copper covered cupolas. The wing has a baroque
pediment
above its cornice
. The faces of the stone voussoir
s of the arches are projected outward. The facade is decorated with terra cotta grotesque
s. One figure in particular is Athena
, the building's namesake, who is placed in the top arch.
In the Athenaeum is the Rathskeller Restaurant, which is the oldest restaurant in the city.
races, dancing, children's activities, and a visit from Mayor Greg Ballard
.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
:The German House), is the most ornate and best-preserved building affiliated with the German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
community of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Once used as a German American turnverein and clubhouse, it currently houses many groups, organizations, and businesses. The Athenæum is located across Massachusetts Avenue
Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis
Massachusetts Avenue, or simply "Mass Ave", is one of six designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is located just a few blocks northeast of Monument Circle. Massachusetts Avenue was one of the four original diagonal streets of downtown Indianapolis in Alexander Ralston's plan of...
from the Old National Centre.
History
In the 19th century, many German immigrants made their home in IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. A majority of these immigrants, called Forty-Eighters
Forty-Eighters
The Forty-Eighters were Europeans who participated in or supported the revolutions of 1848 that swept Europe. In Germany, the Forty-Eighters favored unification of the German people, a more democratic government, and guarantees of human rights...
, relocated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
following the failed Revolutions of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
in the German states
States of the German Confederation
The States of the German Confederation were those member states that from June 20, 1815 were part of the German Confederation, which lasted, with some changes in the member states, until August 24, 1866, under the presidency of the Austrian imperial House of Habsburg, which was represented by an...
. These immigrants quickly formed musical, political, and social clubs after the German idea of club life including the Männerchor, Turnverein, and Liederkranz. Many of these immigrants believed in the philosophy of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was a German gymnastics educator and nationalist. He is commonly known as Turnvater Jahn, roughly meaning "father of gymnastics" Jahn.- Life :...
. In 1892, in order to preserve their German heritage the German clubs formed the Sozialer Turnverein Aktiengesellschaft (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Social Gymnastics Association), an association to finance the building of a clubhouse. The clubhouse was built as a house of culture for the mind and body. All the German clubs would be united under a single roof.
For a cost of $32,000, two lots were purchased at Michigan Street and New Jersey Street. A German neighborhood called Lockerbie Square
Lockerbie Square Historic District
Lockerbie Square Historic District is a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places within Indianapolis, Indiana, listed on February 23, 1973, with a boundary increase on July 28, 1987. It is noted for its Federal, Italianate, and Queen Anne style architecture...
, also known as Germantown, surrounded the clubhouse. Construction of the East Wing began in May 1893, and was finished in 1894. The West Wing construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1898. German American architects Bernard Vonnegut (grandfather of Indianapolis novelist Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
) and Arthur Bohn designed both wings. It was called Das Deutsche Haus and hosted many organizations including the German-American Veterans Society, the German-American School Society, the Socialer Turnverein Women's Club, the German Ladies' Aid Society, and the Turner Building and Savings Association. There were 500 members by 1896.
In 1897, the Musikverein (Music Society) was founded at Das Deutsche Haus; it included a 60-piece orchestra, a male choir, and a mixed choir. The Athenaeum Orchestra is now the oldest orchestra in Indianapolis.
In 1907, Das Deutsche Haus agree to house the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union in its east wing. The normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
trained physical education teachers for schools across the country. Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
incorporated the school in 1941, making it the School of Education of IUPUI. It is the oldest school of physical education in the United States.
With the anti-German sentiments of World War I, the clubhouse renamed itself the Athenæum. Today, the Athenaeum is operated by the non-profit Athenaeum Foundation.
Architecture
The front part of the building is the East Wing. It is built in the German Romanesque style. The wing has a gable roof. There is a three storied brick tower with a conicalCone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
slate roof. The entrance is flanked by two Roman Doric columns, and is arched with a semicircle of limestone. The upper windows are arched and the gymnasium has bullseye
Bullseye (target)
The bullseye, or bull's-eye, is the centre of a target , and by extension the name given to any shot that hits the bullseye...
-shaped windows.
The West Wing is done in the German Renaissance Revival style and incorporates German architecture with Renaissance elements. It has a steep pitched hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
. This wing also has a three storied brick tower but it has a curved mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
and spire. The wing has various window styles and some windows have stained glass. Roman Doric columns are placed beside the arched entrance. At each end of the main roof there are copper covered cupolas. The wing has a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
above its cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. The faces of the stone voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
s of the arches are projected outward. The facade is decorated with terra cotta grotesque
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
s. One figure in particular is Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, the building's namesake, who is placed in the top arch.
Facilities
The Athenæum Foundation nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the historical Athenæum and serving the Indianapolis community. The foundation sponsors events and programs throughout the year. Free tours of the Athenæum are offered two times a month between March and December. Group tours can also be scheduled.In the Athenaeum is the Rathskeller Restaurant, which is the oldest restaurant in the city.
|
Rathskeller Ratskeller is a name in German-speaking countries for a bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall or nearby... Restaurant YMCA The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs... |
Events
In October 2009, the Athenaeum held its first annual GermanFest. The event, held outside on New Jersey Street, featured the Männerchor, the Saenger Chor, Meisterwinds, dachshundDachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
races, dancing, children's activities, and a visit from Mayor Greg Ballard
Greg Ballard
Gregory Ballard is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Ballard attended the University of Oregon where he played at the collegiate level at the forward position...
.
See also
- Lockerbie Square Historic DistrictLockerbie Square Historic DistrictLockerbie Square Historic District is a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places within Indianapolis, Indiana, listed on February 23, 1973, with a boundary increase on July 28, 1987. It is noted for its Federal, Italianate, and Queen Anne style architecture...
- Massachusetts Avenue, IndianapolisMassachusetts Avenue, IndianapolisMassachusetts Avenue, or simply "Mass Ave", is one of six designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is located just a few blocks northeast of Monument Circle. Massachusetts Avenue was one of the four original diagonal streets of downtown Indianapolis in Alexander Ralston's plan of...
- Photos from HABS