Kalispell Stammtisch founder taps into German fun

It’s easy to find Fritz Baake at the Great Northwest Oktoberfest.

If he’s not waltzing or polka-ing around the dance floor in his lederhosen, Baake will be at that most coveted of places — the Stammtisch.

A native of Kassel, Germany, who holds dual German and U.S. citizenship, Baake is the founder of the Kalispell Stammtisch, a group that meets twice monthly to celebrate German culture and language.

Roughly translated, Stammtisch means a table for regulars in a bar or restaurant. It’s reserved for the same guests who show up at the same time every day or every week. Typically a sign on the table denotes it as a Stammtisch.

Baake will be front and center at the Oktoberfest Stammtisch, hoisting his beer stein and singing some popular German drinking songs along with the crowd.

“Zicke Zacke Zicke Zacke Hoi Hoi Hoi,” he exclaimed, offering an example of such crowd-pleasing ditties.

“What happens at the Stammtisch, stays at the Stammtisch,” he said with a grin.

Baake loves the Oktoberfest.

“It’s one of the most important folk festivals in the valley,” he said exuberantly, his German accent still evident after 27 years in America. “It’s for everybody — young, old, middle-aged, men, women, kids, introverts, extroverts... the miracle is, it’s for everybody to enjoy.”

He likes the cafeteria-style seating at the Oktoberfest, long tables that allow people to sit in groups and converse with their neighbors.

“You meet as strangers and become friends,” he said.

As the Whitefish mayor taps the first keg of beer, officially starting the Oktoberfest, Baake is on hand to explain the history of the time-honored celebration that dates back to the wedding reception of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony, which was held Oct. 12, 1810, with all members of the city of Munich, Germany, in attendance — every man, woman and child.

He notes that Munich’s Oktoberfest, just like the festival in Whitefish, starts in late September and wraps up the first weekend in October.

Once that first wooden keg is tapped, the fun begins. Baake is well-versed in German traditions, such as drinking out of the gigantic boot-shaped beer mug that’s passed around clockwise for communal sipping. Here’s a tip he offered: Don’t have the toe of the boot pointing upward or you’ll get showered with beer. Tip the toe to the side.

There’s also the old German custom of hitting your elbow on the table, then your fist before slapping the stein and taking a drink.

Baake’s daughter, Margit, is also involved in the Oktoberfest. She is serving on the judging committee that will choose this year’s Hop Queen, and also is the instructor for the lasso dance, another popular Oktoberfest activity.

All three of Baake’s daughters — Margit, Brigitte and even the youngest, 13-year-old Sylvie — all speak fluent German.

“We speak German in my house,” said Baake, who also speaks Dutch, French, Latin, Spanish, and of course, English. He came to America in 1988 through the German American Teacher Exchange Program, and taught in Kansas City, Missouri, for a time. In 2006 he and his family moved to the Flathead Valley, where he is now semi-retired, with ample time to devote to Kalispell Stammtisch.

Baake has 55 people on his mailing list with about 10 to 20 regulars showing up.

The Kalispell Stammtisch meets at 5 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month at the Eagles club in Kalispell.

“You don’t have to drink [beer] or talk German,” he said. “Most have a connection, and about half speak some German.”

If Baake’s there, you’re guaranteed a good time. Prost!

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.