27 notes &
Students in the Rathskeller, 1950s
UW Memorial Union’s Rathskellar has changed very little since it was first opened in 1928. Here are some fun facts about the beloved “Rat”.
- It was originally going to be called “The Tap Room,” after the Michigan Union’s room of the same name. When the Union decorator saw the room, though, he christened it The Rathskeller due to its resemblance to a German beer hall.
- “Rathskeller” means “town hall celler” in German.
- The six paintings in the triangular spaces between arches represent the six major extracurricular activities of students: athletics, government, journalism, music, forensics, and drama.
- Women were not allowed in in the Rathskeller until December 1936, when the first “talking pictures” were shown at the Union. In fact, there were signs reading “For Men Only” throughout the Rathskeller until 1941, when women were permitted to enter in the afternoons only. During World War II, when men became more scarce on campus, women were allowed to enter at all hours.
- In the early 1930s, the Rathskeller hosted “Sunday Night Cheese Nights”, during which a chef carved free pieces of cheese from a 50-pound block in the center of the room.
- The Rat only served 3/2 “near beer” until 1967, when it switched to real beer.
For more information about this photo or UW-Madison campus history, visit http://archives.library.wisc.edu.
Posted by Molly Temple for UW Archives.
