to theater and drama, some time-out spent“ pushing hubby through” by working as a medical researcher, eventually(“ after the kiddies were gone”) obtaining her own Ph. D.
“ I am still currently Adjunct Assistant Professor at the IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center. I was involved in Historic New Harmony and in the Northern Indiana Heritage Trail, to name a few projects. I am a writer, translator, and historian and am currently working on several publications that Eberhard and I started.” Eberhard died in 2009. The two had been married for 53 years.
Ruth has been a controversial figure almost since her arrival in Brown County. She moved here with her beloved husband in 1967. Early on, she was active in the formation of the Sassafras Audubon Society and served as its president from 1972 – 1974. She remembers her great friendships with Jack Weddle, legendary Brown County naturalist, and Fred Lorenz with warmth.“ Jack Weddle was amazing, and a wonderful friend, as was Fred Lorenz.” It was hiking with Weddle that made her see the parallels between Brown County and Bavaria.“ I love nature. I grew up with it. We have a treasure here and it shouldn’ t be misused.”
In those days,“ Nashville was a sleepy little town, and people were very nice.”
Nevertheless, she was hanged in effigy during what she calls,“ the fight to save Nebo Ridge.” When asked about how it is to be faced with such hatred, she shrugs,“ It doesn’ t bother me. I am happy to be able to speak out without someone knocking on the door and picking me up. That feels good. If somebody doesn’ t like what I say, that’ s not my problem.”
One of every three citizens of Indiana has a German heritage. Ruth and Eberhard worked tirelessly to save and to document that history. They worked to create the Northern Indiana Heritage Trail that winds its way through 90 miles of Amish country. Now available as an audio tour it, guides you through a region that the editors of LIFE ® magazine named“ one of the top places to see in your lifetime.”
She longs for a similar project to be completed in this area, one that would take people past the still-remaining houses of the area’ s notable artists and provide some of the rich lore contained in Kin Hubbard’ s newspaper columns, Frank Hohenberger’ s
columns and diaries, as well as anecdotes from lessfamous sources.
The Reichmanns were also leaders in the effort to save Indianapolis’ s Athenaeum. Severely deteriorated and in danger of being razed in the 1980s, the Athenaeum was built for a German organization as a“ house of culture” in the mid-1890s. The architectural firm of Vonnegut( grandfather to author Kurt) & Bohn designed the building.
It was a significant save. The Atheneaum is listed three times in the National Register of Historic Places. The first listing is for its architectural qualities and its historical significance. Today, it is one of the liveliest places in Indianapolis, noted for its Rathskeller, Y-directed fitness programs, and its GermanFest. The Rathskeller is the oldest restaurant in the city. Interestingly, the Vonnegut family’ s unmarked summer cabin still stands on a quiet street not far from downtown Nashville.
“ While my early years made me a political activist, and my growing up in beautiful Bavaria
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Nov./ Dec. 2014 • Our Brown County 55