Related Events

Angelo Lippich with William L. Klein (1930)
Germania Broadcast Begins - WIBO
July 24, 1927

"1927-Founding of the first regular German Radio Hour in the United States over Station WIBO, broadcast for the first time on July 24, 1927."
1st Group Trip to Europe
June 29, 1929

First European Excursion on June 29th on the S. S. Mauretania; one of the largest German parties ever assembled in this country went to Europe in a group.
Station Switch to WCFL - 1st Commercial German Program
October 4, 1931

October 4th: Opening of the first commercial German program series; Fridays at 9pm - Station WCFL.
Date Title Image
07/24/1927 Germania Broadcast Begins - WIBO Angelo Lippich with William L. Klein (1930)
06/01/1928 Temporary Station Switch During Summer to WLS
09/16/1928 Opera 'Countess Mariza' with Nektar de Flondor and Max Bratt
12/16/1928 Program Transferred to WCFL
02/03/1929 Operetta 'Dreimäderlhaus' at Majestic Theatre
06/29/1929 1st Group Trip to Europe
04/13/1930 3rd annual Radio Festival at Social Turner Hall
05/24/1930 2nd Group Trip to Europe
05/23/1931 3rd Group Trip to Europe
10/04/1931 Station Switch to WCFL - 1st Commercial German Program
12/12/1931 4th Anniversary Celebration at the Steuben Club
02/07/1932 7th Anniversary Celebration in Milwaukee
05/22/1932 Station Switch Back to WIBO - Daily Program
06/04/1932 4th Group Trip to Europe
11/05/1932 6th Anniversary Celebration at the Steuben Club - Full House
01/13/1933 Operetta 'Zigeunerbaron' at the Auditorium
06/10/1933 5th Group Trip to Europe
06/11/1933 Station Switch to WIND
01/13/1934 7th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago
03/04/1934 Benefit Opera 'Gypsy Love' at Chicago Civic Opera House Max Bratt, right, star of the German language theater in America, sang major role in Lehar's 'Gypsy Love' presented by the Germania Broadcast at the Civic Opera House in 1934.
06/08/1934 6th Group Trip to Europe
07/08/1934 Summer Festival in Riverview Park - 10k Attend
11/04/1934 Fledermaus at Chicago Civic Opera
11/25/1934 8th Anniversary - Concert and Ball at Marigold Garden
12/31/1934 New Year's Eve at the Steuben Club - 3k Attendence
04/07/1935 Benefit Opera 'Der Vogelhaendler' at Chicago Civic Opera
06/15/1935 7th Group Trip to Europe
07/28/1935 2nd Summer Festival in Riverview Park
10/25/1935 Opera 'Dreimaederlhaus' at the Civic Opera House
11/23/1935 Radio Festival at the Steuben Club
12/31/1935 New Year's Eve at the Steuben Club
03/16/1936 Daily Broadcast Increased to 45 Minutes
03/29/1936 Operetta 'Csárdásfürstin' at the Chicago Civic Opera
07/25/1936 3rd Summer Festival in Riverview Park - 2 Days, 20k Attendance
10/05/1936 Daily Broadcast Increased to 1 Hour
10/24/1936 Radio Festival at the Steuben Club
12/31/1936 New Year's Eve at the Logan Square Masonic Temple
06/19/1937 Group Trip to Europe - 'Germania-Rundfunkreise 1937'
07/18/1937 Summer Festival in Riverview Park
11/06/1937 Opera 'Barber of Seville' at the Chicago City Opera Co.
05/01/1938 Operetta 'Alt Heidelberg' at the Studebaker Theater
07/31/1938 Summer Festival in Riverview Park Representatives from German societies throughout Chicago and surrounding cities attended the annual summer festival in 1938.
07/30/1939 Summer Festival in Riverview Park
07/28/1940 Summer Festival in Riverview Park
08/11/1941 Station Switch to WGES
10/10/1942 Hermann Leopoldi & Helen Moestein at Orchestra Hall
01/01/1943 William Klein Replaced by Walter Rudolf - CHECK DATE
01/01/1944 Franz Gerstenberg Joins Germania Broadcast - CHECK DATE
01/01/1949 Overseas Programs - CHECK DATE
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
10/03/1952 25th Jubilee at Orchestra Hall
04/01/1953 Name Change to 'United Film & Recording Studios'
11/22/1964 Move to WCLM-FM - Sundays 11a-1p
09/24/1967 Germania Broadcast Listed in Tribune's 'Sunday FM Picks'