Notes with the original item indicate that the flour sack pictured above was given to patrons of the Balcony, a tavern located at 301 Camp Street from 1933 to 1963. The sack advertises Wooden Shoe lager beer, and features illustrations and musical notes that accompany a German song called “The Schnitzelbank Song.” The song has several verses that teach German words to the singers. There are several videos on YouTube that will give you an idea of what “The Schnitzelbank Song” may have sounded like long ago at the Balcony. One video includes singing, while another video by Polkadelphia shows the song leader pointing to each illustration as the song is played.
Helen Hansen and Virginia Steinemann wrote an article for the Sandusky Register of May 26, 1991 entitled “Balcony Conjures up Smiles.” The article explains that in 1933 Otto Ketterer established the tavern, which served beer and soft drinks. Otto played the piano, as patrons sang along.
The tavern known as the Balcony had previously been a saloon and boarding house operated by Leopold and Charles Wildenthaler. Later Emma Wildenthaler Ketterer and her husband Albert Ketterer continued the business. During Prohibition the business was a pool hall and served soft drinks. Otto Ketterer was the son of Emma and Albert Ketterer. To read the complete article about the Balcony, visit the Sandusky Library, where several decades of microfilm of local newspapers are housed.