Toser Weinstubbe Cask Cover
Gemuetlichkeit, defined as “friendliness or good times” has always been at the center of German culture, even today. In Milwaukee, beer gardens, festivals and tied houses were centers for this type of lifestyle. One that stood out from the rest in 19th century Milwaukee was Herman Toser’s Weinstube.
Situated at the corner of Mason and Water Streets from 1872 to 1905, the Weinstube served as a gathering place for leaders and organizations of the German community in Milwaukee. What set Toser’s establishment apart from other leisure spots was that it specialized in serving fine wines, imported from Germany. There was no bar, only a series of tables and chairs for patrons to use during their visit. German businessmen and artists were regulars of the Weinstube, which included John Pritzlaff and Friedrich Heine. When visiting, one could enjoy a hearty sandwich with a bottle of wine, while playing cards with friends.
Decorated with steins, tapestries and other cultural relics from the “Fatherland”, the main attraction within the Weinstube was the hand-carved cask head that was positioned over the manager’s desk. Carved out of three oak sections, the cask head was originally utilized as a cask cover containing thirty-six barrels of fine wine. It depicts four devotees of Bacchus, the Greek God of wine and intoxication, in a cellar growing mellow over rare old wine, with a dog that stands looking on mutely.
The cover, along with furniture, steins and other relics from Toser’s Weinstube, were donated to the Historical Society in 1958. Each piece tells its own story, but collectively they depict Gemuetlichkeit in its truest form.
