Remembering Hoboken's Germans. Plus: Watching for a Katrina Clone

Our post earlier this morning on how Hoboken lost much of its German population drew this response from Board of Education member Irene Sobolov:

I just wanted to pass along some info as I am 3rd generation on my father's side and 1st generation on my mother's side. I don't know all the details, but I believe my great-grandfather came over from Germany in the early part of the century. He was a contractor as mentioned in the Hoboken Museum link. He had 6 children. My grandfather worked for Maxwell House when I was younger. I think my uncle Freddie work in the K&E factory (now Clock Towers.  My mother was born in Hamburg and met my father in her 20s then moved to Hoboken. She is still very active in the Friz Reuter Altenheim, which is a retirement home in Schutzen Park in North Bergen. This was a German society organization, home to many of the older Germans from Hoboken. My mother and father would have many memories of the earlier German businesses in Hoboken. As a child, I remember my mother taking us often to the German butchers and listen to her chat with them in German. She also worked in the Willemburg (sp?) office on 13th and Park. They imported foods and candies from Germany.

Irene included the following links:

Fritz Reuter Altenheim - http://www.fritzreuter.com/background.htm 
Schuetzen Park - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuetzen_Park  
Michael Korman - Contractor in the 1920s - http://hoboken.pastperfect-online.com/32340cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=C6AF4971-2552-43BF-B4C1-662568983950;type=301

So how did a town once known as Little Bremen for all the Germans who lived here get to be the site of this week's Italian Festival, billed as one of the largest on the East Coast? Well, during World War I, many of the Germans were rounded up and quarantined on Ellis Island, and many more, fearful of the anti-German sentiment during the war, moved elsewhere. And in their place, thousands of Italians moved in, many from the port city of Molfetta, where there's been an annual festival since 1399. Hoboken's festival "only" dates to 1916.

Better question: What happened to all of the Dutch, who founded this place not too long after countryman Hendrik Hudson dropped anchor over in Weehauwken Cove in 1609? We'll ask Patch editor Claire Moses to answer that next week, once she gets back from visitng her parents in her hometown of Amsterdam.

Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps President Tommy Molta takes special interest in the weather reports these days. Now that it's hurricane season, he says he's glued to the news. Earl just passed us, but tropical storm Igor has potential. "Can you imagine what would happen if a Category 4 hit Hoboken?" asked Molta, raising his eyebrows with concern. He already has corps headquarters stocked with extra water and food, just in case. So maybe we all should consider collecting a few emergency supplies, starting with a canoe. If the town floods during a summer thunderstorm, imagine what a Katrina look-a-like would do.

About Town is quick look at the not-quite-news but still-neat happenings that occur in Hoboken all the time. Seen something wacky, wild, cute, cuddly, funny or fun? Got an incidental observation or a minor celebration? Shoot it to our editor, at clairem@patch.com. We want pictures too.

We notice that the Clearview Cinema is showing a director's cut version of "The Exorcist" Sept. 30. Anyone know what extra footage that includes? It's already rated one of the scariest movies ever... and can it get more gross/silly?