Karl Friedline – Remembering a Fest Icon
By Brad Quarburg, June 2024
Longtime Festmaster Karl Friedline is being remembered for his powerful bass voice at iconic Oktoberfefst events, as well as his humor and love of the community. Friedline, 94, died at his home May 30, 2024. He was the 1991 Festmaster. Friedline, known for his passion for music, performed at many weddings, funerals and venues. Most notably, he sang the German National Anthem every year at the festival’s Festmaster Ball and Tapping of the Golden Keg. As much as Friedline loved people, they loved him just as much. “What other 94-year-old man would be recognized on the stage here, the day of the tapping with thousands of young people chanting, ‘Karl,’” 2017 Festmaster Brain Rude told WXOW-TV 19. “I mean, what a legend.”
To many, Friedline was referred to as the embodiment of gemütlichkeit, the German word for good life. Friedline came to La Crosse in 1965 from Pennsylvania. He was going to manage a La Crosse TV station but, according to historian and 1997 Festmaster Duane Moore, it burned down and then Friedline didn’t get the job.
That turned out to be a lucky thing for La Crosse. Eventually Friedline started TV education programs at UW-La Crosse and Western Technical College. He taught and mentored thousands in the media field for decades.
Photo by: BVisions Media
Memorials may be given to the charity of your choice, including Oktoberfest’s Gemütlichkeit Foundation, https://www.festfoundation.com.
See the story about Friedline on WXOW-TV 19: https://www.wxow.com/news/though-gone-karl-friedlines-legacy-lives-on/article_4808294c-1fa2-11ef-9962-875ffeb8dc1e.html
See WKBT TV-8’s remembrance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M46I1itGzXw
Read this WIZM News article about Friedline preparing to his singing at the 2023 Tapping of the Golden Keg: https://www.wizmnews.com/2023/09/27/la-crosse-legend-93-year-old-karl-friedline-ready-to-sing-at-oktoberfest-usa/
auf Wiedersehen
Read his full obituary at: https://www.schumacher-kish.com/obituary/karl-friedline