Ami-deutsch is something most people do not encounter. But it was common amongst Rimbachers. It’s using a German word with an American meaning, a neat trick and certainly confusing. When we hit the road or painted the town red or went for a pub crawl we did what we called hitting the straß’, we were (went) straßen. There are probably some much better descriptions which I hope someone provides. The straß is a word with no official meaning, it is Ami-Deutsch, it is slang, it is what we used.
Rimbachers could hit the strass’ in Munich, Amsterdam, London or Rome but more commonly in our local region with towns and clubs, bars, gasthäuser, disco’s or dance halls and Bier fests that could change by the year though with a few exceptions.
The early years would have the strass in Graffenwießen (somebody please remember the name of the one bar used there) to drink and play kicker or the the spring/summer bier fest in the forest between Rimbach and Graffenwießen and Cafè Franks in our own Rimbach.
The unforgettable Metropol in Kötzting (now Bad Kötzting). Champagne corks would fly and it is rumored that hostesses could be bought along with the bottle. The club-disco was awash with summer TDY dollars and local girls who would sit and dance all night and only drink one coke.
The distant town of Viechtach with the dance hall Luma Zenz, Disco Bar Luna and the stadtplatz corner Eisdiele run by the same owners as the Luna Bar.
Miltach the only town with a topless bar and our own Les Fulsomes Eisdiele in Kötzting who served french fries but offered no mayonaise.
And on to our most favored town Fürth im Wald.
Rolf Kleber’s Ratskeller over flowing with Germans, French and Ridgerunners serving our favorite drink PU and the Lido down the cobbled street and around the corner.
There may be more but these were the cream of the crop for the Strass’. Of course there are our favorite memories of UI places but please anybody, elaberate on the owners, physical site or anything else about our favorite on the straß hangouts.
