The Glory of Germania

The DANK Haus German American Cultural Center welcomes a lost artifact of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair that will be seen by the public for the first time in 32 years. On Friday, August 24th the DANK Haus will hold a reception at 7:00pm for the “Glory of Germania” tile mural that was created by a renowned porcelain manufacturer in Berlin in 1893 to represent Germany in the Palace of Applied Arts.

The unusual history of the piece (often referred to as a mosaic) begins when the mosaic was donated to the Germania Club of Chicago at the end of the fair in 1893. The club displayed the mosaic on the sunset wall of their ballroom for 92 years before removing it a year before the club closed in 1985. All 1,057 tiles were taken down, wrapped in newspapers, and packed in 23 banker’s boxes. The tiles were then transferred to the attic of a senior living home in Forest Park where they remained for 32 years. Museum staff from the DANK Haus reached out to assist in assessing the tiles for damage and temporarily putting them on exhibit in the DANK Haus Scharpenberg Art Gallery.

Just in time for the 125-year anniversary of the Chicago World’s Fair, visitors will have the chance to view this unique piece of Chicago history on August 24th from a viewing platform while enjoying refreshments. The keynote speaker for the evening will be Dr. Diane Dillon (Ph.D. Art History, Yale) – Director of Exhibitions and Major Projects at the Newberry Library – who will contextualize the piece within the many artistic exhibits presented at the Chicago World’s Fair.