A ‘Hitler’ menu in Brisbane in 1937.

I found the following fascinating article in the Brisbane newspaper The Courier Mail of 25 October, 1937, and could not wait to share it with you.

HITLER MENU

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One-Course Dinner at Turn-Verein.

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TO ASSIST THE NEEDY.

The novel but practical German method of raising money for winter relief by sacrificing lavish meals for a plain one-course dinner was introduced to Brisbane yesterday at the Deutscher Turn-Verein.

More than 100 German residents turned up to inaugurate the plan, which is now compulsory on certain days in Germany, where the savings from what would have been more diversified meals are diverted to relief funds.

A gold printed sign, superimposed upon which was a portrait of Herr Hitler, contained the following quotation from one of the Fuehrer’s speeches : ”Keiner soll hunger: keener soll frieren,” which means , “Nobody shall go hungry; nobody shall freeze.”

The gathering sat down to their “eintopf-Gericht,” a kind of Irish stew, which, with coffee, comprised the meal for which 1/- was charged. The profits from this meal, which is to be held at the club one Sunday in every month for the next five months, will go to a fund for the relief of German residents in Australia who are out of work or who are otherwise in need of assistance.

The ingredients of the stew comprised a whole sheep, two small bags of potatoes, 24 bundles of turnips and 12 bundles of carrots. It was cooked in a giant cauldron.

Addressing the gathering, Mr.Max Jahn, The Brisbane representative of the Consulate-General for Germany, said they were experiencing something with had been adopted so successfully for the relief of needy and unemployed people in Germany during the last four years. During the time Hitler had been in power, a sum equivalent to £140,000,000 in foodstuffs and coal, etc had been distributed to people in want. If such a sum were distributed in Queensland, more than £140 would have been paid to each person in the State. In the case of parents and three children, the contribution would have been equal to £700.

As the recipe for the day inspired by the topic of the day, I give you a fine mutton stew from German National Cookery for English Kitchens (1873.)

“Gedämpftes Hammelcare” – Loin of Mutton Stewed.

A piece of loin of mutton must have the back-bone chopped away without mangling the meat. Trim off the superfluous fat. Make a little butter hot in a stew-pan, and lay the meat in it, the bone side uppermost. When browned, turn it up, and add half a pint of water, an onion, a couple of bay leaves, a small bunch of sweet herbs, three or four cloves,  any approved vegetable for flavor, salt and pepper. Cover close and let it stew slowly. As the gravy wastes, add a little more water. When done, strain the gravy; take the fat off, add some rich browning, and serve quite hot.