German Heritage in the U.S.
Little pieces of German can be found in a lot of places. With over 42 million German Americans
in the US, you don’t have to look too far for a German person, custom, or something that may
now be a precious memory for you and has made a part of your personal history German. Just
look at the city of New York, for example, where you can find German traces and influences at
almost every street corner. Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and many other towns and
cities have strong German traditions and festivals. Please share with us the local German
history and traditions of your area. Tell us how German culture and people have contributed to
your life and maybe made it a bit more special. And we all know that special things come in all
shapes and sizes, so please don’t think your story has to be the size of New York.
German heritage in Texas is in many ways as interesting as the fictitious stories told by Karl May about his Germans in early Texas. Baron von Meusebach was the founder of Fredericksburg in the beautiful Hillcountry near Austin and what really set him apart was the fact that he used courage and negotiating skills to make peace between his German community and the Comanche Indians. While Indian raids continued throughout Texas, the little German mecca of Fredericksburg enjoyed lively trade and harmony with the Indians. Think about it, the only languages that could be heard in the streets of Fredericksburg of the 1860s were German and Comanche. I envision Germans and Comanche families chatting over a Bison Sauerbraten dinner with squash and Sauerkraut and concluding the meal with a peace pipe. By the way, the peace treaty between the Germans of Fredericksburg and the Comanche Indians was one of the few that was never broken. Even to this day, Fredericksburg is a great place to enjoy a moment of peace.
The Goethe-Institut Washington has a website about German-American sites in downtown Washington, DC. The project is called “Everywhere You Look” because that’s what we discovered as we starting researching the neighborhood where the Goethe-Institut is located: German-American heritage is hiding everywhere in plain sight. Take a look and enjoy learning more about German-American heritage in the nation’s capital. Another place to look is the website about immigrant architect Adolf Cluss (1825-1905), who built so many of Washington’s finest post-Civil War buildings. More at www.adolf-cluss.org
This is a fascinating article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about a German-American who was behind on of America’s most cherished traditions - the World Series.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07338/838934-63.stm
While Barney Dreyfuss was born in Germany, his story is as American as apple pie and, well…baseball. Born in 1865 in Germany, he emigrated at 19 to Kentucky, where he took work at a distillery and began organizing baseball games there. While it seems unlikely that Dreyfuss had much exposure to America’s national pastime in Germany, he had a keen eye for baseball talent - and for the profits that could be made in sports. Believing he could make money off baseball, he joined other distillers in investing in the Louisville Colonels and became principal owner of the Pittsburgh franchise the next year. Under Dreyfuss, the Pirates won six national league pennants and recruited a number of the game’s greatest players. Dreyfuss also invented the World Series by challenging the American League champions from Boston to a best of nine duel in 1903.
This article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, brought to us by the city of three rivers’ Honorary Consul David Murdoch, covers Dreyfuss’ life history and his recent induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Week in Germany
www.germany.info/twig
it remains to be interesting as well as puzzling, that german immigrants have assimilated into the mainstream culture so well // today’s newcomers likewise “disappear” rather quickly // now there are people from many places in the world coming to america who will not necessarily form a distinct “community” , but it seems that all groups which moved in large numbers have maintained a notable identity , that surfaces more often than not , even if only “stereotypically” , and their members still form bonds and associations generations after the first migrators of their families to the usa // not so germans - yes , there is the occasional old store , the odd newspaper et cetera , but when visiting former “strongholds” of german immigration ( new york , of all places …) whatever remained from their populace is somewhat sublime // is this a vague desire to cut ties to the past, once removed from it in time as well as location - and i speak of my own experience - yet, where does it come from // similar traits can be observed in germany proper // am i mistaken here …
Tomball German Heritage Festival, Willkommen Y’All, March 27-29, 2009.
Three stages of live Music, Folk Dancers, Arts Crafts, Food, Beer, Carnival, Fireworks, and much more. Vendors welcome. Contact 281 379 6844 gradsand@yahoo.com . No admission or parking fees.
2009 Tomball German Heritage Festival
It’s become an annual tradition in Tomball. Every year, on the last weekend in March, festival-goers break out their Lederhosen and Dirndls “go German” for the area’s largest festival celebrating the heritage of the original settlers of these lands. In other words in the case of German heritage there is much to celebrate in this part of Texas!
The 9th Annual Tomball German Heritage Festival will be March 27,28,29, 2009 located on the Old Downtown Streets of Tomball Texas near the 200 Block of Main (FM 2920) and Market Street. It is a Music/Street festival celebrating German and ethic heritage with 3 stages of live music entertainment “happy music for happy people”, ethic and festival food, beer, 120 street vendors, all kinds of German souvenirs and clothing, arts crafts, antiques, Heritage Center, German church service, fireworks, carnival, pony ride, petting zoo, and much more. Like Oktoberfest in March! Huge fun for the whole family! You do not have to be German to enjoy this festival. It is fun for everyone, and one of the best street festivals in Texas. Willkommen! No admission or parking fees.
The Carnival opens Thursday evening March 26th with a special price for the “all you can ride” armband. On Friday 27th at 6pm till 10pm the music begins with Alpenfest, Chris Rybak, Walburg Boys, Tuba Meisters, Das Ist Lustig, Terry Cavanaugh, Kenny James, JungeMeisters, Valina and much more. Saturday 28th 10am till 10pm the music and dancing goes all day and into the night, and at 9pm a beautiful fireworks display at Tomball’s newly restored Depot Plaza. Sunday 29th 10am till 6pm and begins with German Church Service/Brother Christen Tiews of St. Louis, Mo. The Biergartens open at noon on Sunday and the celebration goes on. You are all invited to come on out to Tomball German Heritage Festival for a really great time. The festival is sponsored by the Tomball/Telgte Sister City, Org. Wir sprechen Deutsch. For more information contact Grady Martin 281 379 6844 gradsand@yahoo.com, www.tomballsistercity.org German Fest updates at www.myspace.com/tomballghf
Pacific Intercultural Exchange has several German students as well as students from many other countries that are still in need of host families for the upcoming school year. All students are ages 15-18, have medical insurance and speak English. There is no fee for host families to host.
For more info please go to www.pieusa.org or call our coorporate office at 1-888-PIEUSA1.
I once had a learned individual tell me (or maybe the class) that there was a vote in one of our early Congressional sessions during our formative years concerning our national language, and that English won out over German by only a few votes. Anyone know the truth of this story??
i want to now about my ancestry…i kind of know more than most people. A lot of people just now up to their grandparents parents,if that! So any ways my family tree originates in evry continent except for the obvious…antartica. i know that my grandad is half german and i have a lot of german in my blood. And my last name is german so i want to know how i can find out more. i want to learn the language better and experience that part of my ancestry..!
Some worthy but not-so-famous Germans from the American West:
1. Frank Finkel, only white survivor of Custer’s Last Stand. His story will appear in the new book “Custer Survivor” this December. Finkel was born in Ohio of German parents, joined the U.S. Army in 1872 in Chicago, escaped from the Little Bighorn in 1876 when he and his horse were both wounded, and later moved to Washington state where he became a prosperous farmer. Story in “Wild West” magazine, June 2007.
2. William “Dutch Bill” Griffenstein, born in Germany as Wilhelm Greiffenstein, Gymnasium graduate, married an Indian girl known as Cheyenne Jennie, helped ransom white captives from the Cheyenne, also tried to prevent the government from abusing the Indians. When he denounced Custer’s attack on the Washita as a massacre of (mostly) peaceful Indians, his trader’s license was rescinded and he was threatened with hanging. He moved to Kansas and founded the city of Wichita, built the bridge over the river, and owned a large part of the town. His second wife was half Indian and half German. Story in “Wild West” sometime in 2010.
3. Adolph Metzger, born in Wurtemburg, U.S. residence in Philadephia, served in the U.S. Cavalry before and during the Civil War and, in December 1866, was honored as “the bravest of the brave” by the Lakota and Cheyenne when he fought to the death at the Fetterman Fight, clubbing several Indians with his bugle as the Indians wiped out 81 soldiers and scouts. His body was set aside, spared multilation, and left with full honor beneath a buffalo robe while everybody else was hacked to bits because he put up the best fight. The bugle is at the Jim Gatchell Museum in Wyoming. “Wild West” story, future date.
4. Walter von Richthofen, Manfred von Richthofen’s uncle and godfather, author, agronomist, important civil developer of Denver, Colorado, where “Richthofen Castle” is still an important landmark. “Wild West” story in 2008.
The struggles faced by German immigrants to America are rather well documented, but not so much the challenges faced by their family members who were left behind in Europe. In some ways, it could be argued that the sacrifices made by those left behind, perhaps illustrated by their need to take on family responsibilities — like taking care of aging relatives — played a largely unheralded role by allowing other young Germans to leave the Fatherland for the U.S. Insights into this issue are offered in my book Man of Two Worlds (www.raygrasshoff.com), which includes 39 letters sent to a German immigrant to Texas by his family members back in Europe over a 40-year period. It’s a great, if often poignant, story.