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The Last Oktoberfest: German-Americans and the City of Brotherly Love

A Master’s Thesis Presented by

Richard C. Thieme

Submitted to the M.A. Program in Historyat La Salle University, Philadelphia

MASTER OF ARTS

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I hereby acknowledge that we accept and approve

The Last Oktoberfest: German-Americans and the City of Brotherly Love

a thesis submitted by

Richard C. Thieme

in partial fulfillment of the requirements in the degree of

Master of Arts in History

at La Salle University

Francis J. Ryan, Ed.D.

Thesis Director

George B. Stow, Ph.D.

Program Director

September 2010

_______________________Date

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Table of Contents

Section PagePreface 4

Chapter 1 “Germany: A Brief History” 11

Chapter 2 “German-Americans” 26

Chapter 3 “The Darker Side of German-American History” 44

Chapter 4 “National Organizations” 61

Chapter 5 “The Philadelphia Story” 74

Chapter 6 “Conclusion” 96

Appendix A “Chronology of German History” 99

Appendix B “Chronology of German-American History” 104

Appendix C “Chronology of German-American Internment” 107

Appendix D “Christmas Day Declaration” 108

Appendix E “Chronology of National Organizations” 109

Appendix F “Origins of Organizations in Europe” 110

Appendix G “Chronology of Philadelphia Organizations” 111

Appendix H “Photographs of German-American Philadelphia, 2010” 112

Bibliography 115

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Preface

“More Americans trace their heritage back to German ancestry than to any other nationality. More than seven million Germans have come to our shores through the years, and today some 60

million Americans – one in four – are of German descent. Few people have blended so completely into the multicultural tapestry of American society and yet have made such singular

economic, political, social, scientific, and cultural contributions to the growth and success of these United States as have Americans of German extraction.”1

-President Ronald Reagan, 1987-

German-Americans have been at the center of the development of the United States from

the Jamestown settlement up through contemporary times. They have, in varying degrees,

influenced nearly every aspect of American life. They settled in American cities, its countryside,

and the frontier. They lived at every segment of the economic spectrum, living in poverty, at the

center of the middle class, and in wealth. They have impacted American education from

kindergarten through the graduate school seminar.2 However, they have nearly disappeared in

the twenty-first century as a visible ethnic group. How did this happen, and where did they go?

As a young third generation3 German-American, living in the twenty-first century, I

always wondered what had happened to the once very sizeable community that once existed. I

read many accounts and viewed many photographs of this once very large, very proud

community. Growing up in Northern New Jersey, I can remember attending a few functions,

such as Oktoberfest at Schutzen Park in North Bergen. I also remember having German meals

with my family at two restaurants, at Triangle Hofbrau on Route 23 in Pequannock and at

Helmer’s on Washington Street in Hoboken. I frequently asked: Is this what is left of the

1 Ronald Reagan, Proclamation 5719 – German-American Day, October 2, 1987.2 The American graduate school has modeled itself after the German seminar method. Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland was the first American university to commit to the German method of scholarship. See Frederick Rudolph, The American College and University: A History (Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press, 1990), 268-272, 472.3 My use of the term “third generation” refers to the third generation to be born in the United States. For example, my grandparents, parents, and myself were all born in the United States.

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German-American community? Is there only one club and two restaurants in the Northern New

Jersey area?

Having moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 2003, I became involved with a

German-American organization that my mother’s side of the family had been involved with

since the 1930s, the Vereinigung Erzgebirge. I became intrigued with this organization, as I

enjoyed hearing stories about Germany and about the days when German-Americans played a

major role in the city of Philadelphia.

During the summer of 2008, I had the opportunity to travel with my family for a month to

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.4 During this time, I visited many

regions and experienced the great diversity that exists in the culture. I associated some of the

accents and dialects with those in the United States. Berliners spoke a different German than did

the Bavarians and Saxons, just as those from Tennessee speak differently from Bostonians and

New Yorkers. This diversity of the German people had a profound impact on me. It also

pointed me in the scholarly direction of wanting to know more about Germans and German-

Americans.

As I entered La Salle University’s Graduate Program in History, I was intrigued by

Roman History, as well as by the history of American immigration. I decided to first begin a

serious study of German-Americans in the spring of 2009 in Professor Michelle Hanson’s

“Handling History” course.5 Her class had a requirement to prepare an extensive research paper

using archival sources. I decided to write about the Vereinigung Erzgebirge, using what little

4 More specifically the area of the Czech Republic that was once known as the Sudetenland (Egerland). Having visited Frantiskovy Lazne (Francesbad) I was able to see the Austro-German architecture and the gold buildings thatwere a symbol of the Hapsburg past of the region.5 A hands-on Archival History course.

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documentation that was available. I found there was just enough to put together a concise history

of the organization.

Progressing through my graduate program, I developed an even greater interest and

appreciation for German-American studies. I became profoundly affected by the role of

German-Americans at La Salle University. The college’s first president, Brother Teliow, was a

Prussian immigrant who served for one year as president of the college.6

Another La Salle connection to Germany came after World War II. In 1945, German

prisoners of war were held at the National Armory, which was located within walking distance of

La Salle’s campus. The Christian Brothers that administrated the college had allowed the

prisoners of war to use McCarthy Stadium for exercise. These prisoners of war were also

allowed to have Easter Mass at La Salle’s College Chapel. The Christian Brothers arranged for

German-speaking priests in order to accommodate the prisoners.7

What became even more interesting was (the fact) that Wernher von Braun had visited La

Salle in 1961. During the Second World War Wernher von Braun was a scientist working on the

Third Reich’s rocket program. After the war, von Braun along with other German scientists,

came to Huntsville, Alabama to work on Explorer I and the Saturn V rocket.8 According to the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), von Braun is “without a doubt, the

greatest rocket scientist in history.”9

6 Jeffrey LaMonica, The Campus History Series: La Salle University (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005), 37.7 Rosina McAvoy Ryan, “World War II and La Salle College High School” in Joseph J. Lynch , editor Of This Place: A Pictorial History of La Salle College High School (Warminster, PA: Cooke Publishing Company, 2009), 81-82.8 Don Heinrich Tolzmann, The German-American Experience (New York: Humanity Books, 2000), 350-351.9 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/vonBraun/

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Wernher von Braun had visited La Salle College10 on October 10, 1961. He presented a

lecture in La Salle’s College Union Lounge titled “Why Must We Conquer Space?”11 Wernher

von Braun, a native of Wirsitz, Germany and former director of the George C. Marshall Space

Flight Center had been invited to La Salle by La Salle’s student council and college union

committee.12 His lecture on the La Salle campus was devoted to the technological and medical

breakthroughs achieved by space research such as solar cells for commercial applications and a

derivative of hydrazine that helps treat mental illness and tuberculosis.13 Von Braun concluded

his lecture with a presentation of approximately twenty slides which consisted of the Saturn

space vehicle, the Saturn C-3 rocket, and the Kiwi-A nuclear reactor. He concluded his lecture

with stressing the importance of the humanities within his career field. He then took questions

from the La Salle audience.14

I also developed an interest in the German-American fraternal organizations which

existed in the Philadelphia region. The organizations that exist in the region were founded by

people from different regions of Germany and Europe. They did not unite as one group; instead

they associated with the people from the same region of Germany from which they had

originated.

The fact that these German immigrants identified themselves more with their region than

as Germans can be seen even in my family tree. My parents and grandparents were born in the

United States. However, all eight of my great-grandparents were born to German families in

Europe. Their birthplaces reflect the geographic differences which are a part of many German 10 The La Salle educational institution was officially named “La Salle College” until 1984. In 1984, having reached university status, the name was changed to “La Salle University.”11 “Astro-Physicist von Braun on Campus Tuesday: Famed Missleman Speaks in Theatre on Space Conquest,” La Salle Collegian. October 4, 1961.12 “Why We Must Conquer Space” La Salle (Alumni Magazine), October 1961.13 “Von Braun Calls for Adventurous Curiosity to Propel America’s Space Exploration,” La Salle Collegian. October 11, 1961.14 Ibid.

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and German-American genealogical records. For example my great-grandparents were:

- Albin Thieme born in 1875 in Langenwetzendorf, Thuringia, Germany.- Helen Trojanovitz born in 1875 in Wallendorf-Stadt, Austria-Hungary. (modern-day Slovakia).- Gotthilf Kramer born in 1885 in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.- Albertine Hausler born in 1892 in Bialystock, Russia. (modern-day Poland).- Paul Rottloff born in 1875 in Gelenau, Saxony, Germany.- Selma Roscher born in 1876 in Thalheim im Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany.- Oscar Rudolph born in 1881 in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany.- Marie Seyphert born (birthdate unknown) in Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany.

As I became intrigued at this phenomenon, I decided that someone must put together the

history of these organizations. More Americans can trace their origins back to Germany than to

any other country15; however, I would suspect that very few know the history of German-

Americans. That is why I chose to write my thesis on German-Americans with a focus on the

city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Chapter 1, “Germany: A Brief History,” deals with providing a chronological history of

the Germanic peoples. It traces them from their ancestors in the Germanic tribes up through

contemporary times where Germany has emerged into one of the strongest powers in the

European Union. Although Germany suffered greatly in the first half of the twentieth century,

especially with having lost two world wars, it has rebounded to become one of the best

economies in the world with one of the highest living standards. For instance in 2003, Germany

had a Gross Domestic Product of $2.271 trillion, which is much higher than competitors France

(with $1.654 trillion) and the United Kingdom (with 1.664 trillion).16 This economic miracle,

15 John F. Kennedy, A Nation of Immigrants (New York: Harper Perennial, 2008), 19.16 Stephen E. Medvec, “The European Union and Expansion to the East: Aspects of Accession, Problems, and Prospects for the Future.” International Social Science Review 84 (Numbers 1 and 2, 2009) 74.

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along with Germany’s political stronghold, leads some political scientists to ask a question in

regards to the EU, “Is it a German Europe or a European Germany?”17

Chapter 2, “German-Americans,” looks at the impact that this ethnic group has had on the

United States. From the Jamestown settlement through today’s contemporary times, German-

Americans have made strides in nearly every sphere of life. Today, German-Americans

celebrate the Steuben Day Parade in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The New York

City Parade is the largest of the three cities. Past Grand Marshalls of the parade have included

prominent German-Americans Donald Trump (in 1999), George Steinbrenner (in 2000), and

Henry Kissinger (in 2007).18

The German-American community suffered greatly during the twentieth century as a

result of two world wars. As a collective ethnic group, the German-Americans faced hardships

in the United States. As a result, many German-Americans retreated from their German

identities. For some it was much more difficult, for it was a matter of being interned. These

issues along with the German-American Bund will be examined in Chapter 3, “The Darker Side

of German-American History.”

Chapter 4, “National Organizations,” examines the religious and social communities that

German-Americans have participated in since their arrival. It was in fact the Amish and

Mennonite immigrants that came to Pennsylvania in search of religious freedom. Immigrants

from Germany have added to the religious diversity in the United States coming from many

different faiths and sects. German-Americans are of many faiths, a sampling of these faiths

include the Amish, Catholics, Dunkers, Jews, Lutherans, Mennonites, Moravians, and

Schwenkfelders. In regards to national social organizations, the German-Americans have not

17 Ibid, 76.18 http://www.germanparadenyc.org/grand.html

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been able to create a strong, united organization that would reach all German-Americans.

Instead there are several organizations that claim to be national organizations, however only have

chapters in a couple of states. German-Americans have been unable to unite socially due to their

cultural, economic, political, regional, and religious differences.

The concluding focus will be centered on the Greater Philadelphia region. In Chapter 5,

“The Philadelphia Story,” I will address specific organizations that are currently in operation that

meet the social needs of the German-American community. It is also a case in point that these

organizations were founded by members of specific regions of Germany and Europe. For

example the Cannstater Volkfest Verein (CVV) members had originated in Baden-Württemberg,

a state in Southwestern Germany. Another organization, the United German Hungarians (UGH)

founders were ethnic Germans originating from the Banat region of Hungary. The final

organization, the Vereinigung Erzgebirge, an organization whose founders originate from the

Erzgebirge Mountains in Saxony will be addressed.

These fraternal organizations were created by German immigrants from various regions

of Germany and Europe. They created these regional-based organizations because that was who

they identified with. As a result any effort of organizing into one over-arching organization was

therefore compromised. Regardless of what region they came from, what organizations currently

exist, it must be noted that they are all attempting to preserve the traditional German culture

while having fun and plenty of Gemütlichkeit19 in the process!

19 Gemütlichkeit is a German term that means coziness, friendliness, and a laid-back atmosphere. It is often associated with enjoying oneself and having fun.

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Chapter I: Germany: A Brief History

Proclamation “An das Deutsche Volk”July 25, 1870

“From all tribes of the German Fatherland, from all circles of the German people, even from across the seas, from societies and guilds, from organizations and private individuals, I have

received so many messages of devotion and willingness to make sacrifices on the occasion of the coming struggle for the honor and independence of Germany, that it has become imperative that I recognize publicly the harmony of the German spirit, that I express my royal thanks, and that I

add my assurance that I shall return the loyalty of the German people with my own eternal loyalty. The love for our common Fatherland and the unanimous uprising of the German people and their princes have reconciled all differences and opposition; and, unified, as seldom before in

her history, Germany will find that the war will bring her lasting peace, and that, out of the bloody seed, will come a God-blessed harvest of German freedom and unity.”20

-Kaiser Wilhelm I-1797 – 1888

Prior to German unification which occurred under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck

and Kaiser Wilhelm I in 1871, the Germanic peoples were scattered across different regions of

Europe and the world. Throughout the nineteenth century, Brandenburg Prussia had begun

unifying smaller surrounding principalities. The vast majority of these citizens did not refer to

themselves as being “Germans.” Instead they identified themselves with their principality or

state. People in Germany proper, referred to themselves as Austrians, Bavarians, Hessians,

Prussians, Rhinelanders, Saxons, Swabians, along with many other designations. Before 1871,

Germany consisted of many different independent sovereign states and principalities. Many of

these states received their names from the Germanic tribes which lived on German soil for many

centuries.

The purpose of this chapter will be to provide a background of important events in

German history and how they have altered and shaped both German and German-American

identity. It is impossible to address all of German history in this chapter. Rather, it will focus on

20 Louis Snyder, Documents of German History (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1958), 219.

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certain events and trends which have shaped the course of German history. In order to fully

understand what it means to be German and German-American, one must look at the origins of

the Germanic tribes, as well as the modern nation-state of Germany, which today (Germany) has

transformed itself into a major economic, political, and social power of the European Union.21

In regards to the history of geographic “Germany,” archaeologists have confirmed

evidence of numerous discoveries. There is proof that Neanderthal man lived and died on

German land during prehistoric times. Neanderthals living in Central Europe had a

“sophisticated” use of tools, as they hunted and ate bison, horse, and reindeer.22 Archaeological

findings have proved that there were in fact stone-age, bronze-age, and iron-age settlements

throughout Central Europe and Germany.23

The Roman Empire, arguably one of the strongest bastions of power during classical

antiquity, had many dealings with the Germanic tribes. Evidence of Roman ruins has been found

in Germany itself. In fact tourists today visit Roman ruins in the cities of Augsburg, Cologne,

Mainz, Passau, Regensburg, and Trier.24

The Romans had constant conflict and interaction with the Germanic tribes throughout

their history. The Germanic tribes had been a nuisance and a blockade to further Roman

expansion to the North and East. The Rhine River was often known as the border of the Roman

civilized world and the Barbarian uncivilized frontier. Throughout Rome’s history, the land

known as “Germania” was one which seemed nearly impossible to conquer. Although the

Romans were successful in conquering some parts of Germany proper, they were never able to

conquer and control the majority of its landmasses.

21 See Appendix A for a brief chronology of German History.22 Richard Overy, The Times Complete History of the World, Seventh Edition (London: Times Books, 2008), 6.23 Mary Fullbrook, A Concise History of Germany (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 9.24 Ibid.

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The first historical description of the Germanic peoples (that is known to humankind)

was written by the (Roman) historian Cornelius Tacitus, who lived from 55 A.D. to 120 A.D.25

His compilation of writings on the Germanic peoples is titled Germania. Tacitus’s text was lost

during the first millennium and was not rediscovered until the beginning of the Italian

Renaissance. The lost text was rediscovered by Poggio Bracciolini, an Italian humanist in the

fifteenth century, who had published Tacitus’ Germania in 1455.26 The study of Germania had

become increasingly popular in an era in which Europeans had sought to rediscover their own

origins, in particular their ancestral past and identities.

In his description of the Germans, Tacitus describes many aspects of German society

(circa 100 AD). Tacitus discusses the origin of the name “Germany.” He writes that: “The

name Germany, on the other hand, they say is modern and newly introduced, from the fact that

the tribes which first crossed the Rhine and drove out the Gauls, and are now call Tungrians,

were then called Germans. Thus what was the name of the tribe, and not of a race, gradually

prevailed, till all called themselves by this self-invented name of Germans, which the conquerors

had first employed to inspire terror.”27

A more precise explanation of the terms “German,” “Germany,” and “Germania” is

required. The terms originate from the Gauls. Caesar had borrowed this term, and it became the

descriptive term to use for the land and people who lived on the opposite sides of the Danube and

Rhine rivers.28 The use of the terms by Caesar had made them popular in Roman society, and

eventually they became universal.

25 Steven Ozment, A Mighty Fortress: A New History of the German People (New York: Harpers Collins Publishers, 2004), 3.26 Hagen Schulze Germany: A New History (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998), 46.27 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.html28 Schulze, 4.

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Tacitus continues to write numerous chapters describing the Germans. Such chapters

include: national war songs, physical characteristics, climate and soil/precious metals, arms

military maneuvers and discipline, government/influence of women, deities, auguries and

methods of divination, councils, punishments/administration of justice, training of youth, warlike

ardour of the people, habits in time and peace, arrangement of their towns, dress, marriage laws,

their children/laws of succession, hereditary feuds/fines for homicide/hospitality, habits of life,

food, sports/passion for gambling, slavery, occupation of land/tillage, and funeral rites.29

Tacitus completes Germania by writing about several of the main Germanic tribes in

which he encountered. Some of the tribes in which he encountered are30:

These different tribes would eventually merge together over time and become the

Germanic people as they are known today.31 The Germanic tribes also migrated to other regions

of Europe. For example the Goths and Lombards went to Italy, the Western Goths ended up in

29 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.html30 Ibid.31 Ibid.

AgrippinesiansAngrivariansAnglesAvionesAriansBataviansBructeriansBoiansBuriansCattansChamaviansChasuariansCheruscansCimbriansCarthaginiansDulgibiansEudoesElysiansFrisiansFennians

QuadiansReudigniansRugiansSueviSamnitesSueviansSemnoesSuardonesSamartiansSuionesSitonesTungriansTreverniansTribociansTencteriansUbiansVangrionnesVenedians

GothiansGothonesHelvetiansHermanoduriansHelviconesLangobardsLgiansLemoviansMattiaciansMacromoniansMarsigniansManimiansNerviansNemetesNariscansNuithonesNaharvaliansOsniansParthiansPecinians

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Spain and Southern France, the Anglo-Saxons made it to the island of Britain, and the

Burgundians and Franks ended up in Gaul. Many Germans became citizens of the Roman

Empire.32

As previously mentioned, the Germanic tribes were a huge blockade to Roman territorial

advancement. Perhaps one of the most significant happenings in German-Roman history was the

Battle of the Teutoberg Forest, which occurred east of the river Rhine in 9 A.D.33 The Roman

commander Varus and three legions numbering approximately 18,000 troops marched into the

German woodlands. These troops would never return to Rome. It was a massacre in which the

Germanic tribes prevailed. This was one of Rome’s biggest military defeats in its history. In

total, approximately one quarter of the Roman military was wiped out. This also led to a

misfortune from which Rome would never completely recover. The Germanic tribesmen led by

Hermann, often nicknamed “Hermann the German,” had defended their territory from the

invading Roman troops. Today, a statue commemorating Hermann (also known as Arminius) is

located near the town of Detmold, in northern Germany.34

While the Germanic tribes were a nuisance to the Roman Empire, in the latter days of the

Roman Empire the Germanic tribes were a major contributing factor to its demise. During the

fifth century the Visigoths and Vandals invaded Rome and weakened the city. This along with

many internal conflicts led to the collapse of the Roman Empire.35

Many scholars debate the true reasons of the fall of Rome in 476. Some argue that Rome

fell from internal problems; others dispute that Rome simply fell from external problems. In

reality, Rome fell as a result of both internal and external problems. The Germanic tribes,

32 Schulze, 4.33 Peter S. Wells, The Battle that Stopped Rome (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2003), 15.34 Ibid, 96.35 Fullbrook,10.

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commonly referred to as barbarians, had played a definitive role in the downfall and eventual

collapse of Rome.

After the collapse of the (Western) Roman Empire, it was the Roman Catholic Church

that had actually saved Western Civilization. The religion that at one point was persecuted by

the Roman rulers was the one which had prevented complete anarchy in the post-Roman era. It

is interesting that Pope Boniface II was consecrated as the first Germanic Pope in the year 530.36

Many scholars believe that the beginnings of modern German history began with

Charlemagne. He became king in the year of 771 and became Emperor of the Holy Roman

Empire on Christmas Day in the year 800.37 During this time period, Central Europe had

become a land of “more than one thousand laws and instructions issued during his

(Charlemagne’s) reign were written with the counsel of a tribal assembly of nobles, ecclesiastics,

and warriors.”38 During the reign of Charlemagne, religion became one of the most important

aspects of life. According to historian H.G. Wells:

As in the case of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, posterity exaggerated his memory. He made his wars of aggression definitely religious wars. All the world of north-western Europe, which is now Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, and Norway and Sweden, was in the ninth century an arena of bitter conflict between the old faith and the new. Whole nations were converted to Christianity by the sword just as Islam in Arabia, Central Asia, and Africa had converted whole nations a century or so before.39

During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, several developments occurred which

became of upmost importance in German history. In 1250, the area of Germany had grown to

36 Peterson, John Bertram. "Pope Boniface II." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02660a.html>.37 Fullbrook,11.38 Ozment, 42-43.39 H.G. Wells, The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind (Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing Company Inc.), 616.

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include over 3,000 towns.40 Many of these towns would form alliances with one another for

mutual benefit. Several of these alliances are the Rhenish League (established in 1254),41 the

Hanseatic League (established in 1358),42 and the Swabian League (established in 1376).43

The Black Death of 1348-1350, also known as the Bubonic Plague, had hit Germany

along with the rest of Europe and led to thousands of people dying along with the desertion of

many villages.44 Although this was in fact a dark period of German and European history, the

citizens managed to recover and make important improvements within their society. The period

of 1365-1502 saw the creation of many universities, which would as a result later make Germany

one of the most educated lands in the world. These included Vienna (1365), Heidelberg (1386),

Leipzig (1409), Tubingen (1477), and Wittenberg (1502).45

From (the years) of 1450 to 1500, Germany saw a population boom, which increased the

total population to 16 million inhabitants. Moreover, the Renaissance had become the new

phenomenon from 1450-1600 and became an era in which Europeans sought a renewed sense of

their past. In 1499, Switzerland had broken away from the German Empire in the Peace of

Basel. By 1500, “The political map of what was by now regularly termed the ‘Holy Roman

Empire of the German Nation’ was exceedingly complex, a patchwork of dynastic and

ecclesiastical territories dotted with Imperial free cities and the castles of independent Imperial

knights.”46

40Fullbrook, 22-28.41 Ibid.42 Ibid.43 Ibid.44 Ibid.45 Ibid.46 Ibid.

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The Augustinian monk, Martin Luther, who is famous for nailing the 95 Theses to the

door of the church in Wittenberg in 1517, altered the course of world history.47 His direct

disobedience to the Roman Catholic Church, its authority, and its hierarchy profoundly changed

both the political, religious, and social atmosphere of not only Germany, but also Europe. This

time period sparked the Protestant Reformation, which was later followed by the Roman

Catholic Counter-Reformation.

As a response to religious tension within the Holy Roman Empire, the Catholics and

Protestants each had a series of responses in order to stand up for each other’s faith. Several key

events occurred during this time period, with the most significant being the Thirty Years’ War.

During this conflict it is estimated that the Holy Roman Empire lost about 20% of its

population.48 In 1648, the war came to a close with the signing of the Peace of Westphalia. The

treaty also brought about new political boundaries and a renewed recognition of the Peace of

Augsburg. The original Peace of Augsburg allowed for each prince to choose the faith of his

territory (Catholicism or Protestantism). The peace can actually be regarded as a compromise

between Catholics and Protestants.

Europe was not only experiencing internal conflict, sparred mostly by religious tensions,

but it also had an external threat. The Ottoman Turks were invading the heart of Central Europe

from the Balkans. In 1529, Suleiman I and his Ottoman armies marched on Vienna. It was here

that combined European troops defeated the Ottoman troops and prevented them from

conquering the city of Vienna. This famous event known as the “Siege of Vienna” is one that

47 Schulze, 52.48 Fullbrook,64.

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marks a milestone in a series of conflicts between the Christian West and the Islamic Middle

East.49

Another conflict occurred with the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.

Again, the Christian West prevailed in defending their land from the Islamic invaders. A

combined force of Austrians, Germans, and Polish troops defeated the Ottomans in a decisive

victory. After this battle, the Ottoman Empire’s military power declined. Many Europeans soon

gave the Ottoman Turks the nickname of the “Sick Man of Europe.”50

It is interesting that there have been German rulers in almost every European royal

family, arguably for alliances. In 1714, the ruler of Hanover had become the King of Great

Britain.51 Other famous Germanic royal figures include Catherine the Great of Russia and

Tsarista Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse).

When Napoleon Bonaparte came to power in France, his rule transformed European

society. His conquering of much of mainland Europe had changed the political atmosphere of

the Germanic world. In 1806, Napoleon created the Confederation of the Rhine, also known as

the Rheinbund. In 1807, the signing of the Peace of Tilsit abolished serfdom. Upon Napoleon’s

defeat in Moscow, the combined effort of Austrian, Prussian, and Russian troops defeated the

exhausted French troops at Leipzig in 1813.52

In 1814-1815 the Congress of Vienna, chaired by Clemens von Metternich, had been

gathered in order to discuss the future of Europe. Issues such as the end of the Napoleonic Wars,

the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, and power were its primary topics of concern and

debate. As historian Harold Nicolson, writes “Every country, whether belligerent or neutral,

49 Schulze, 73.50 George Stow, class lecture, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2009.51 Fullbrook, 77.52

Overy, 214.

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whether enemy or allied, whether great or small, responded to the invitation and sent expensive

delegations to Vienna under the impression that they would be granted the opportunity to

establish their respective claims or at least to contribute their influence and opinions to the new

European order.”53

The unification of Germany was a gradual process. The territory of what would become

Germany began with over 360 independent principalities and states and eventually emerged into

the Second Reich (also known as the German Empire). For example, there were mergers of

states, and economic agreements with one another. One such example occurred in 1828 with

Bavaria and Württemberg forming the German Customs Union, also known as the Deutscher

Zollverein.54

The year 1848 is a historic and significant era of German history. This year marked the

attempts of a German Revolution. People across the German states had fought for political

reforms, primarily unification. Debate on unification had been based on the concepts of a

Grossdeutschland (larger Germany) or a Kleindeutschland (smaller Germany). The revolution

was a failure; however, it was a contributing factor to unification which occurred in 1871. Many

Germans had immigrated to the United States after this time period; they are nicknamed the

“Forty-Eighters.”55 The influence of these “Forty-Eighters” on American history will be

discussed in the next chapter on German-Americans.

In 1862, the future “unifier” of Germany (Otto von Bismarck) became minister-president

of Prussia. He led Prussia to dominate northern Germany. In fact, in 1867, Prussia had

established the North German Confederation. The year of 1871 brought about the unification of

53 Harold Nicolson, The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812-1822 (New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company, 1946), 135.54 Fullbrook, 113.55 Ozment, 176-177.

21

the German Empire. As Richard Overy writes: “The southern German states of Bavaria, Baden,

and Württemberg (allied with Prussia) agree to join a larger federal structure, a German empire,

rather than remain isolated and economically dependent upon their much more powerful northern

neighbor.”56

The Congress of Berlin which had occurred in 1878 brought about great power to the

newly founded German nation. Hagen Schulze writes that: “This politically achieved its

greatest success with the Congress of Berlin in 1878, where the German chancellor played a

major role in stabilizing the political situation in Europe and banished the threat of a major war

over control of the Balkans.”57

Germany did not do well militarily in the twentieth century. In fact, Germany lost not

only vast amounts of its territory to neighboring nation-states, but also lost millions of its citizens

and soldiers. The fact that Germany lost both World War I and World War II changed the

German mindset dramatically. Germany has gone from a military mindset to one that

encourages and promotes peace. Today it is compulsory for German eighteen year olds, both

male and female, to either serve a nine month period in the German armed forces or to serve a

nine month period doing community service. An overwhelming majority of the youth choose to

do community service. One must ask the question: how has this happened?

The beginnings of the Great War, more commonly referred to as World War I, have its

origins in a number of areas. The main reason for which Germany decided to mobilize its troops

was to support the Hapsburg Dynasty and the citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Kaiser

Wilhelm II decided to give full military support to Austria-Hungary following the assassination

of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo by the Bosnian Gavrilo Princip. This decision to act

56 Overy, 225.57 Schulze,165-166.

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with military support would lead Germany into a war which would last four years. The troops

were told that they would be home by Christmas Day in 1914. This was not the case; in fact,

many of the soldiers would never return home at all.

By 1918, the Allied Powers had defeated the Central Powers. Both sides had lost many

men. The war would be remembered as one of the deadliest in history. New technologies in

warfare were tested and the human death toll numbered in the millions. Germany alone lost 1.8

million of its citizens.58 The Treaty of Versailles would shape the face of the new Germany.

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany would accept full responsibility for the war. Germany

was now forced to pay excessive war reparations and comply with complete disarmament.

The newly formed Weimar Republic was nearly a complete disaster. It was also a time

period in which the German population had different political ideologies. The political center

was losing much of its support. This is mainly due to the poor economic conditions that

Germany was experiencing. As a result, many Germans became radically left-wing, or

reactionary right-wing in regards to their political affiliation. The Communist Party and the

National Socialist German Workers Party each grew in membership in the 1920s. It was

common to see both Communist and Nazi flags in German cities during this era. In many cities

across Germany there were street fights between the Communists and the Nazis.59

After many years and different incidents, such as the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, Adolf

Hitler came to power through legal means. President von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler

chancellor in 1933. The Third Reich controlled the population by a means of extreme German

nationalism. The people put their confidence in Hitler for numerous reasons. After only a few

58 Margaret Macmillan, Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World (New York: Random House, 2003), xxvi.59 Fullbrook, 176-177.

23

years in power, he gave Germans back their sense of pride, gave them jobs, and an ever

increasing standard of living.

Militarily, Hitler had re-armed the German armed forces in direct contradiction to the

terms of the Versailles Treaty. A sense of German expansion and military action had led Europe

to a Second World War. In many ways, it can be considered to be a continuation of the First

World War. If Adolf Hitler had been a more serious student of World history, he would have

learned that one nation-state cannot challenge the rest of the world by itself, and that a two front

war would be a disastrous setup for the German military.

The collapse of the Third Reich and the closing of the Second World War had left

Germany in devastating shape. Germany’s cities were destroyed, and millions of German

civilians and soldiers were dead. Germany was now occupied by the Allied Powers. This led to

the eventual separation into communist East and capitalist West Germany. Postwar Europe had

led to a gradual unification of Western Europe, even though Western and Eastern Europe laid

divided along ideological lines with what Winston Churchill called the “Iron Curtain.” In 1951,

West Germany had joined the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and in 1957 with

the signing of the Treaty of Rome, West Germany became a founding member of the European

Economic Community (EEC).

Starting in 1961, West Germany began inviting guest workers (Gastarbeiter) primarily

from Turkey. This led to the beginnings of a multi-cultural society. From the 1960s through the

present, these Islamic immigrants have integrated themselves poorly into German society. In

fact, they have become a counter-culture. Christian Europe was now on the decline, whereas a

new Islamic culture was on the rise. In 2000, the city of Frankfurt am Main was 30% Turkish

24

Muslim. As a result, the city of Frankfurt has become home to more than 27 mosques.60 The

rise of the Muslim population has become a controversial subject not only in Germany, but

across Europe. The subjects of headscarves on women and the construction of minarets on

mosques have become key political issues.61

The years of 1989-1990 are perhaps two of the most triumphant in all of German history.

This marked the end of Communism, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of

Germany.62 Finally the Germans were reunited and the Cold War was over. There were,

however, challenges ahead of the reunified Germany, such as repairing the infrastructure of the

former East Germany.

In 1993, Germany had signed the Maastricht Treaty and had officially joined the

European Union (EU). In 1999, German troops participated with NATO in military action in

Yugoslavia. In 2002 the Euro replaced the Deutsch Mark. German troops also aided American

and British troops in Afghanistan. In 2005, the German Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger became

consecrated as Pope Benedict XVI. In 2006, Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor

and head of the German government.

The twenty-first century of German history has yet to have been written. As for the

present, one can look to the predictions and theories of political scientists and sociologists. With

the European Union, many citizens are distancing themselves from their traditional “German”

identity and adopting a more modern “European” identity. The once ultra-nationalist German

population today is quite the opposite. In fact, one of Germany’s leading soccer players,

Miroslav Klose (a Polish born soccer player of German decent), had been interviewed by Polish

60 Ozment, 298.61 “Steel Town Divided Over Mosque Minaret Amid Fears of Islamic Quest for Power,” The Times, February 11, 2010.62 Ozment, 310.

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sporting newspaper Przegląd Sportowy about his ethnicity. Klose said “that it would be best for

him not to be called German or Polish, but European.”63

63 Lisel Hintz, “Kicking Around More Than Just Soccer Balls,” Washington Post, July 7, 2008.

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Chapter II: German-Americans

“America cultivates best what Germany brought forth.”64

-Ben Franklin-

German immigrants and their descendents have contributed a great deal towards

American society. Their story, however, is one which is often misunderstood or simply not told

at all. German-Americans have shaped American society from their first arrival at Jamestown,

and they continue to do so up through the twenty-first century.65

German-Americans have influenced nearly every aspect of American society. Their

ways of living and attitudes towards life have become richly engrained into the typical American

lifestyle. Randall M. Miller, former director of the American Studies Program at St. Joseph’s

University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, asks the question, “have most Germans Americanized

themselves; or has so much of America become Germanized?”66 The answers to these questions

are ironically both in the affirmative.

Americans of German descent have influenced and shaped American society by their

dedication and hard work in their newly adoptive homeland. The German-Americans as a

singular ethnic group became quickly assimilated into the American mainstream lifestyle, which,

in some measure, is the reason why their role is often not fully understood. This chapter tells the

story of the German-Americans as a collective group, with two arguments. The first argument is

that the German-Americans played an invaluable role in the history and development of the

United States. The second is that because of regional allegiances (to Austria, Bavaria, Hesse,

Prussia, Rhineland, Saxony, Swabia, etc.) and lack of unity, they could not form themselves into

64 Frank Trommler, America and the Germans: An Assessment of a Three Hundred Year History, Volume Two: The Relationship in the Twentieth Century (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1990), xii.65 See Appendix B for a brief chronology of German-American History.66 Randall Miller, Germans in America: Retrospect and Prospect (Philadelphia: The German Society of Pennsylvania, 1984), 3.

27

one strong ethnic community. Another reason for lack of unity is that there were many German

immigrants who came from Austria, Hungary, Russia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, and

France.67 Many of these Germans were not united in their homelands of Europe; therefore,

attempts of uniting together as one strong ethnic group in the New World were largely a failure.

Instead, German-Americans formed their own regional communities and organizations.

As a result, these smaller communities assimilated faster into the mainstream American way of

life in contrast to other European ethnic groups, such as the Irish-Americans and the Italian-

Americans. The Irish-Americans and Italian-Americans were able to unite into strong united

ethnic communities, whereas the German-Americans did not.68

Historians are in debate as to who was in fact the first German to set foot on American

soil. A popular legend exists that considers “Tyrker,” a German explorer, to have reached North

America around the year 1000 A.D. In fact, legend, has it that Tyrker arrived in North America

with Leif Erickson. If true, his arrival predates Columbus’s arrival by almost five-hundred years.

There is little convincing evidence that Tyrker actually existed; however, the material mainly

comes from legend and oral tradition. Therefore, historically, it can be considered only as a

mere possibility that he existed and reached North America.69

An excerpt from Norse Saga written in Albert B. Faust’s The German Element in the

United States asserts that:

It was discovered one evening that one of their company was missing and this proved to be Tyrker, the German. Leif was sorely troubled by this for

67 Frederick C. Luebke, Germans in the New World (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1990), i.68 This point will be addressed in further detail. The main argument deals with Irish-American and Italian-Americans unity, and the fact that they have been able to form strong ethnic social organizations; whereas, the German-American community has struggled forming a strong national social organization for numerous reasons (regionalism, anti-German sentiment, etc.).69 Don Heinrich Tolzmann, The German-American Experience (New York: Humanity Books, 2000), 22-23.

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Tyrker had lived with Leif and his father for a long time, and had been very devoted to Leif, when he was a child. Leif severely reprimanded his companions, and prepared to go in search of him, taking twelve men with him. They had proceeded but a short distance from the house, when they were met by Tyrker, whom they received most cordially. Leif observed at once that his foster-father was lively in spirits. Leif addressed him, and asked “Wherefore art thou so belated foster-father mine, and astray from the others?” In the beginning Tyrker spoke for some time in German, rolling his eyes and grinning, and they could not understand him; but after a time he addressed them in the Northern tongue: “I did not go much further than you, and yet I have something of novelty to relate. I have found vines and grapes.” “Is this indeed true, foster-father?” said Leif. “Of certainty it is true,” quoth he, “for I was born where there is no lack of either grapes or vines.” They slept the night through and on the morrow Leif said to his shipmates: “We will now divide our labors, and each day will either gather grapes or cut vines and fell trees, so as to obtain a cargo of these for my ship.” A cargo sufficient for the ship was cut, and when the spring came, they made their ship ready, and sailed away; and from its products Leif gave the land a name, and called it Wineland.70

Whether or not one believes in the legend of Tyrker, scholars are in consensus that there

was in fact a group of Germans that arrived at the Jamestown settlement. Therefore, one can

regard that Jamestown, Virginia, and the year 1608 are the true beginnings and foundation of

German-American history.

In 1608, the first documented German arrived at the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.

On or around October 1st of that year, eight Germans arrived on the Mary and Margaret ship.71

These Germans were craftsmen, specializing in carpentry and glassmaking. The first known

documented written record of these Germans in the New World was written by the Englishman

John Smith. In his compilation of writings, titled The Generall Historie of Virginia, New

England, and the Summer Isles with the Names of the Adventurers, Planters, and Governors

from their First Beginnings An: 1584 to this Present 1624, Smith referred to the Germans as

70 Albert Bernhardt Faust, The German Element in the United States: With Special Reference to its Political, Moral, Social, and Educational Influence, Volumes I and II (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1909), 6-7.71 Tolzmann, 31.

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“Dutch.”72 This is a common misconception that the English-speaking world has made

throughout history. In fact, the infamous “Pennsylvania-Dutch” are “Pennsylvania-Deutsch,” or

“Pennsylvania-German.” This is because Germans refer to themselves as Deutsch, and Germany

as Deutschland.

The Germans (along with the Polish that came to Jamestown) received a reputation for

being dedicated workers. John Smith wrote that: “adventurers that never did know what a day’s

work was, except for the Dutchmen and the Poles and some dozen other. For all the rest were

poore Gentlemen, Tradesmen, Serving-men, libertines, and such like, ten times more fit to spoyle

a Commonwealth, than either to begin one or but help to maintaine one.”73

The Germans who lived and worked at Jamestown provided several important highlights

of German-American history. They were the first Germanic settlers in what would later become

the United States of America. They also built the first German-style buildings there. They were

allegedly the first to make glassware in the New World. Historian Klaus Wust writes that: “The

fate of the German glass blowers and carpenters of whom we have record was not dissimilar to

that of all the other early emigrants to Jamestown. It was typical of the hardship, confusion, and

suffering which went with settling and working in the New World.”74

The first permanent settlement of German migrants in what would later become the

United States of America was in fact Germantown, Pennsylvania. This settlement was located

six miles northwest of Philadelphia; it would later become incorporated into the City of

Philadelphia in 1854 under the Act of Consolidation.75

72John Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles with the Names of the Adventurers, Planters, and Governors from their first Beginnings An: 1584 to Present 1624 (Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books, 2006), 187.73 Faust, 9.74 Tolzmann, 35-36.75 http://www.phila.gov/phils/Docs/Inventor/graphics/wards/wards1.htm

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Germantown was founded by perhaps one of the most famous German-Americans of all

time, Franz Daniel Pastorious. He was born in Sommerhausen, Franconia on September 26,

1651 and came to Germantown, Philadelphia at the request of William Penn. Pastorious led

thirteen German families into America, as he arrived in Philadelphia on October 16, 1683, a time

when Philadelphia only had two streets.76 These German families arrived on the ship named the

Concord, which was often nicknamed the “German Mayflower.” Pastorious and his followers

came to America seeking religious freedom. These settlers were in fact Pietists, who later

became Quakers while living in Germantown.77

Life in Germantown was centered on German culture. In fact it was Pastorious himself

that preferred the name “Germanopolis,” as opposed to “Germantown.”78 Many Germans

coming to the New World had either settled in the increasingly urbanized Germantown area or

they would simply stopover in Germantown before they settled elsewhere in the Philadelphia

region. Different religious sects of Germans had come to settle Southeastern Pennsylvania. A

sampling of these religious sects were the Amish, Dunkers (Church of the Bretheren), Lutherans,

Mennonites, Moravians, and Schwenkfelders.79 German-Catholics were not present in any

substantial numbers. They would not arrive in the United States until the Reconstruction period

of American History.

The Germans living in Germantown, Pennsylvania had participated in the first formal

protest against slavery within what would later become the United States. The protest had

occurred on April 18, 1688, under the leadership of Franz Daniel Pastorious. The main purpose

76Gerard Wilk, Americans from Germany (New York: German Information Center, 1976), 39-40.77 Ibid.78James M. Bergquist “Germans and the City” in Randall Miller, editor. Germans in America: Retrospect and Prospect (Philadelphia: The German Society of Pennsylvania, 1984), 37.79 Aaron Spencer Fogleman, Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and Political Culture in Colonial America, 1717-1775 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996), 105-107.

31

of the protest was to publicly put forth emphasis on the injustices of the slavery system and to

urge the English Quakers of Philadelphia to take a stance against slavery. The document was

signed by Pastorious, Garret Hendericks, Dirck Op den Graeff, and Abraham Op den Graeff; it

was addressed to the monthly meeting of the Quakers which was held in the home of Richard

Worrell in Lower Dublin.

The English Quakers had formally acknowledged acceptance of the letter from their

“German friends” however, they did not take action. The English Quakers had avoided a vote on

this issue because of other conflicting issues. They did however take steps seventeen years later

against slavery. In 1770 the English Quakers had made it a policy that slaveholders could not be

appointed as overseers.80

Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region in particular was becoming very

Germanized by the turn of the nineteenth century. For example, in 1790 Germans constituted the

largest ethnic group in Pennsylvania, with a share of 38.0% of the population. The next largest

ethnic groups were the English (25.8%), Scots-Irish (15.1%), Scottish (7.6%), Irish (7.1%),

Welsh (3.6%), Dutch (1.3%), French (0.9%), and Swedish (0.6%). The Scots-Irish, and the

Scottish are separate groups due to an inability to accurately distinguish last name origins.81

In the summer of 1816, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had tried 59 German-

Americans with various crimes. The 59 defendants were charged with crimes that revolved

around the language controversy which occurred within Lutheran congregations in Germantown.

During the time period of 1790-1830, there were two large German Lutheran churches in

Philadelphia, St. Michael’s and Zion Lutheran Churches. There was a split in each congregation

on the issue of language. Many wished to keep the services in German, especially since the

80 Faust,46.81 Fogleman, 82.

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German language had been used since each church’s incorporation. Others wanted to assimilate

further into American society by adopting English as the language of worship.

According to Friederike Baer, historian and author of The Trial of Frederick Eberle:

Language, Patriotism, and Citizenship in Philadelphia’s German Community 1790 to 1830, the

status of one’s economic and social class (in most cases) determined which side of the debate

congregants were on (pro-German, or pro-English). It is evident that the number of years an

immigrant spent in the United States had little bearing on being pro-German, or pro-English.

Rather, the more prominent German Philadelphians had opted to worship in English, whereas the

average commoner chose to continue to worship in German.

The language controversy reflected a deep and dramatic split in the German-American

community. One such blunt example lies with a quote in 1829 by one of the pro-German

congregants, Ernst Ludwig Brauns. Brauns had urged: “Germans, don’t mix with others!

Remain Germans! You will remain so through language: Language unites you firmly; only love

and honor it sincerely! No other language will replace yours. Only the mother tongue describes

truly what the soul experiences, thinks, feels, and explores. Preserve it, a mirror of the people.

Then no external force will ever rob it, but will be repelled by the union of the people with the

language.”82

Brauns’s opinion of the preservation of the German language was a very common belief

in the early nineteenth century. Many of these like-minded people attended weekly services at

St. Michael’s and Zion Lutheran Churches. There was, however, a group of German-Americans

which wanted to worship in the English language in the hope of becoming “more American.” It

82 Friederike Baer, The Trial of Frederick Eberle: Language, Patriotism, and Citizenship in Philadelphia’s German Community, 1790 to 1830 (New York: New York University Press, 2008), 1.

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was these two opposing schools of thought which led to the controversy on language in

Philadelphia.83

The proponents of introducing the use of the English language into the churches had their

reasons as well. They argued that there was a decline in German immigration to the Philadelphia

region. They also argued that the children of the German immigrants were being taught English

in the hope of succeeding in their new homeland. As a result, they were speaking less German.

In fact, some of the youth were not taught German at all, only English. Consequently, they could

not understand the German that was used in the Lutheran services.84

The debate over language lasted many years. Each side signed petitions and argued over

the matter on many occasions. The debate became increasingly stronger, as sides resorted to

blackmail and eventually violence. The pro-German side formed a militant faction in response

to the pro-English side’s efforts to abandon the German language. These pro-Germans decided

that they would rather kill others than give up their mother tongue.85

The debate soon became so heated that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had to

intervene. The debate soon went from the churches, streets, and taverns of Philadelphia’s

German community to the courtroom. In the summer of 1816, the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania charged 59 German-Americans with the charges of conspiracy and rioting. It was

this case which gained attention.86

The trial soon turned into something more than the charges against the accused. The trial

became centered around the pro-German party and the pro-English party. The court wanted to

hear each of their arguments. The trial took a turn as the court took a look of the legality of

83 Ibid, 45.84 Ibid, 54.85 Ibid, 78.86 Ibid, 69.

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language in the church. The church, having sided with the pro-English side throughout the trial,

made an interesting ruling. The court decided that it was not the court’s legal right to determine

which language was to be spoken in a private congregation. The trial in its entirety produced a

landmark decision, ruling that language preferences were a private matter, one not to be decided

by the state.87

The court had also ruled that the 59 German-Americans were guilty on the charges of

conspiracy and rioting. The prosecution had succeeded in portraying these men as being

dangerous and violent. These men were given fair sentences as a result of being found guilty.

They did not receive prison sentences. The majority were ordered to pay fines. Frederick Eberle

had to pay a total of fifty dollars. The men were allowed to return to their families, homes, and,

interestingly enough, to their churches. Once they returned to their churches, the debate over the

choice of language continued.88

The end result was that the congregation split. The debate over language went on for

many years after the trial. The pro-Germans had maintained their right to worship in their

mother tongue. Although they made some concessions to the pro-English party over the years,

such as the allowing the use of English in the church schools, the use of German in the Lutheran

services continued.

According to an analysis by Friederike Baer, Philadelphia was a very close-knit

community at the time. Baer writes that: “Both sides in this legal battle assembled impressive

teams. Like the justice, the lawyers came from wealthy and prominent families who knew each

other well and were, in some cases, related by blood. All were American-born, and all were

87 Ibid, 190.88 Ibid, 167.

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Protestant. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, Philadelphia was known for its tight-knit

and deeply entrenched upper-class cliques.”89

The language controversy existed in other German communities throughout the United

States. In fact, it became a very strong debate at times. Wilhelm Lohe, a Bavarian Lutheran

pastor was very direct when he issued his Zuruf aus der Heimat an die deutsch-lutherhische

Kirche Nordamericas. Lohe wrote that: “You are Germans. A beautiful language you have

safely taken across the ocean. In the Babel of languages spoken there is none more beautiful.

Keep what you have. You have through God’s mercy the good part. Do not exchange…May

you be spared the punishment which is the consequence of despising your mother tongue. For

truly a German, who is not a German, is a punished man on earth, because all privileges which

God mercifully gave him before the nations, will be taken from him – and nothing will be given

to him in return!”90

The Germans who immigrated to the United States have been of numerous faiths.

German Catholics, Lutherans, Amish, Mennonite, Reformed, Jews along with other smaller

faiths have brought their religious traditions to their new homeland. The concept of faith has

created controversy at times; however, it has been a continuing aspect of German-American life.

The overwhelming majority of Germans that came to the United States prior to the Civil War

were of the Protestant faith, mostly Lutheran. German Catholics, primarily from Bavaria and

Southwest Germany, started coming to the United States in significant numbers after 1865.

In the twenty-first century, if a German tourist travels to Philadelphia and upon his or her

travels desires native German food, and decides to visit the Germantown section of Philadelphia,

they would be quite disappointed on the lack of German culture. Germantown today shows very

89 Ibid, 29.90 “Immigrant Culture and Religion: Church and Faith Among German Americans” in Randall Miller,editor.Germans in America: Retrospect and Prospect (Philadelphia: The German Society of Pennsylvania, 1984), 77.

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little, if any, of its once very German past. Today, the Germantown neighborhood of

Philadelphia is in fact very different from what it was in 1683. Today the demographics of

Germantown High School reflect the ethnic profile of the community. According to statistics

from the School District of Philadelphia, Germantown High School’s student body is 98% Black,

2% Latino, 1% other, and 0% Asian/White.91

Germans began to move in mass numbers to the American Midwest in the second half of

the nineteenth century.92 They formed agricultural centers as well as their own neighborhoods in

cities. Notable cities that attracted Germans were Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and

St. Louis. In fact, what would be known as the “German Triangle” consisted of the cities of

Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and St. Louis.93

As German immigrants began settling the Midwest in large numbers, many controversies

took place between German immigrants and Nativists. One such example would be in regards to

alcohol. As a result of the Temperance Movement, anti-drinking laws were passed throughout

the United States in the nineteenth century. Many German and Irish immigrants took offense to

these laws and protested. Sporadic violence erupted throughout the United States in cities such

as Chicago, Cincinnati, and Nashville. One of the worst incidents occurred in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin. The state legislature had approved restrictions on the sale of alcohol. German

crowds had gathered throughout Milwaukee in protest. Men lit bonfires and fired rifles. The

crowd grew violent and marched on the house of State Representative John Smith, who was also

the president of a local temperance organization. The German crowd had thrown bricks and

91 https://webapps.philasd.org/school_profile/view/602092 Richard O’Connor, The German-Americans: An Informal History (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1968), 185-189.93 Roger Daniels, Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life, Second Edition (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), 150.

37

stones at Smith’s home and had terrorized Smith’s four children and two servants who were

inside the residence.94

Irish and German immigrants each brought with them two different types of drinking

cultures to the United States. The Irish immigrants had tended to drink whiskey and scotch

whereas Germans had brought with them lager beer. Richard O’Conner writes about the

differences of the two cultures: “Soon the whole community hummed with the beelike sound,

that orderly bustle of Teutons at work, with Sabbath interludes of beer drinking and beery

singing which the Anglo-Saxon observer did not resent because while the Irish ‘on occasion

drank whiskey, and they took too much, became bad-tempered’ the Germans became ‘more

good-humored and fraternal’ with every barrel of beer they emptied.”95

O’Conner also writes in regards to New Ulm, Minnesotta, a heavily settled German city,

that:

Elsewhere in the valley non-German settlers were envious of the fact that New Ulm was the best town site on the river; they also professed to be shocked by the fact that in New Ulm, as a privately published book charged, ‘the Sabbaths are spent in drinking and dancing.’ True enough, New Ulm’s beer halls never closed and its families kept a perpetual house. Its hospitality became so famous in the valley that soon the Irish, Welsh and other settlers were coming there for the Sommernachtsfest, on which the summer nights were filled with beer-drinking, dancing and singing until the first light of dawn.96

In regards to anti-drinking laws, German and Irish immigrants had formed a common

bond in protest against the Temperance Movement. German and Irish immigrants however did

have disagreements and did not always get along. One such example comes from the Wisconsin

Demokrat newspaper from 1854. Bernhard Domschke, a “48er,” had written “the idea of

94

Maureen Ogle, Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer (Orlando: Harcourt Books, 2006), 25-28.95 O’Connor, 184.96 Ibid, 191.

38

forming a union of foreigners against Nativism is wholly wrong and destroys the possibility of

any influence on our part; it would drive us into a union with Irishmen, those American Croats.

In our struggle we are not concerned with nationality, but with principles, we are for liberty, and

against union with Irishmen who stand nearer barbarism and brutality than civilization and

humanity. The Irish are our natural enemies, not because they are Irishmen but because they are

the truest guards of Popery.”97 It is also evident that many Germans had a philosophy which

consisted of love of beer, hatred of the Irish, and hatred of other Germans.98

As Germans arrived in the United States, their backgrounds were very diverse. As

Randall M. Miller writes, “they left a Germany divided into numerous principalities, duchies,

and cities – ‘the motley encyclopedia’ of pre-Bismarck Germany that defied definition.”99

German immigrants came from all over Europe; they were rich and poor, educated and illiterate.

Upon arrival in the United States, they assimilated into different levels of the American lifestyle.

The educated tended to become assimilated more quickly into the American lifestyle; whereas,

the poor tended to remain more “German” and retained their traditional lifestyle.

There were areas of disagreement among Nativists and immigrant groups such as the

Germans and the Irish. One major area of disagreement was on the subjects of alcohol,

temperance, and Sunday’s Blue Laws. It was this subject which united German and Irish

immigrants against the Nativists. The Germans and Irish both brought with them drinking

cultures that stretched back centuries; this angered Nativists and, in some instances, caused

violence.

German-Americans had truly dominated the brewing industry from the start. The first

brewer in the United States is believed to have been a German operating in Germantown,

97 La Vern J. Rippley, The German-Americans (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1984), 53-54.98 Ibid.99 Miller, 4.

39

Philadelphia. That first brewer, allegedly was Peter Keurlis, who brewed and sold beer at a local

fair and in a saloon. Keurlis was ordered by a Pennsylvania court in 1695 to appear on charges

that he was selling beer on an innkeeper’s license.100

The majority of American breweries are actually German-American in origin. The more

recognizable of these include Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Miller, Pabst, Schaeffer, Schlitz, and

Yuengling. Today, however, the internationalization of the beer market has changed

dramatically. The Belgian company, InBev, now owns the majority of the world’s major

breweries. Despite this development, it was the German-Americans who independently started

the trade.

During the American Revolution, many Germans that were present in the United States

fought for freedom in the Continental Army. The Continental Congress had estimated the total

population of America at around 2,243,000, of which 225,000 were Germans. Pennsylvania had

the most German immigrants (nearly half) out of all the colonies, with a population of 110,000

Germans. In fact Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was the drill instructor for the

Continental Army. His dedication and valour to the cause contributed to the eventual American

victory. Von Steuben will be discussed later in the segment on famous German-Americans.

German-Americans had settled in both cities and the countryside. Some of the best

frontiersmen were in fact German-Americans, as were many famous urban leaders. German-

Americans had become leaders among America’s farmers as they had greatly influenced the

agricultural sector of the American economy. In the cities, German-Americans had led the

following occupations: brewers, butchers, craftsmen, food manufacturers, millers, along with

other fields.101

100 Tolzmann, 46.101 Miller, 41.

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The majority of German-Americans had left Germany from Bremerhaven and Hamburg,

Germany. In fact, both cities have opened museums, Bremerhaven’s Deutsches Auswanderhaus,

and Hamburg’s Ballinstadt Auswandermuseum. These museums are dedicated to the German

emigrants who left their native lands.

Throughout the history of the Germans in the United States, there have been some

attempts of organizing a national umbrella organization. There are in fact a few that are

noteworthy; however, they are small and have not been able to unite all German-Americans.

This is contrary to other European ethnic groups, such as the Irish-Americans and the Italian-

Americans. The Irish have the Ancient Order of the Hibernians (AOH), and the Italians have the

Order of the Sons of Italy (OSIA), located throughout the country.

Many Irish Americans of the Roman Catholic faith across the United States belong to the

Ancient Order of Hibernians (commonly referred to as the A.O.H.) The Ancient Order of

Hibernians has a total membership of approximately 80,000 members in 46 states, Canada, and

Ireland. There are 58 divisions in Pennsylvania alone, with 13 divisions within the Philadelphia

city limits alone, and many more in suburban Philadelphia. “Active across the United States,

The Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both socially and economically. The many

Divisions and club facilities located throughout the U.S. traditionally have been among the first

to welcome new Irish Americans. Here, the Irish culture -- art, dance, music, and sports are

fostered and preserved. The newcomers can meet some of (their own) and are introduced to the

social atmosphere of the Irish-American community. The AOH has been at the political forefront

for issues concerning the Irish, such as; Immigration Reform; economic Incentives both here and

41

in Ireland; the human rights issues addressed in the MacBride Legislation; Right-To-Life; and a

peaceful and just solution to the issues that divide Ireland.”102

Similarly, the Italian-Americans have a national organization to foster their culture and

heritage. Italian-Americans often join the Order of the Sons of Italy (O.S.I.A.). The Order of the

Sons of Italy boasts a large membership of some 600,000 Italian-Americans. “Its missions

include encouraging the study of Italian language and culture in American schools and

universities; preserving Italian American traditions, culture, history and heritage; and promoting

closer cultural relations between the United States and Italy. The Order of the Sons of Italy has

140 chapters in Pennsylvania, along with 24 chapters/lodges in Philadelphia alone, with many

more in the suburban Philadelphia region.103

Because many German-Americans assimilated so quickly into the American mainstream,

German identity had suffered. German immigrants had changed their names, and in many

regards hid from their German identity. They simply adopted Americanism as their new culture.

Many Americans do not know a lot about Germany and its geography. An example of

this can be found in the quote by an anonymous German World War II veteran. “I was in

America for a while and attended a Bible class after church. I asked everyone, ‘Where do you

think East Prussia is?’ They put it in the area of Schleswig-Holstein; they put it near Hamburg;

they put it along the Rhine; they put it in Denmark – anyplace – but they never picture it the right

way, up with the Baltic states. No one knows anything about Prussia, but they should. We

Germans never change in our love for it.”104

102 www.aoh.com103 http://www.osia.org/104

James Roy, The Vanished Kingdom: Travels Through the History of Prussia (Oxford: West View Press, 1999), xiv.

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In the twenty-first century, several, German-Americans and organizations have planned

and created a national center dedicated to preserve German-American history, the German-

American Heritage Foundation of the USA. The organization is located in Washington D.C. and

operates the German-American Heritage Museum, which officially opened on March 21, 2010.

The mission of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA (GAHF) is “an

educational organization and serves as the national umbrella organization in which German-

Americans work together on vital issues of common concern and promote their heritage. Its

mission is to preserve and promote the heritage of Americans of German-speaking ancestry.”105

The German-American Heritage Foundation has dedicated a couple of flights of stairs to

famous German-Americans. The individuals include Doris Day, Friedrich Wilhelm von

Steuben, Thomas Nast, Franz Daniel Pastorius, Levi Strauss, Henry Heinz, Elvis Presley, Dwight

D. Eisenhower, John Roebling, Wernher von Braun, Eberhard Anheuser, Fred Astaire, Molly

Pitcher, Carl Schurz, Adolf Cluss, Albert Einstein, and Babe Ruth.

The museum also features a timeline which traces major events of German-American

history. Exhibits in the museum include: German Immigration to the U.S.: 1600 to the Present,

German Music in the U.S., America and Germany: The Shaping of Images in Poetry and Prose,

and German Families and Clubs. 106

The museum provides as a start to share the story of the German-Americans to students

and visitors. Its story is an interesting one, which in many ways parallels the course of German-

American history. The museum, located at 719 Sixth Street Northwest in Washington D.C. was

originally home to a German immigrant named Joseph Hockemeyer.

105 German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA brochure.106 http://www.gahfusa.org/gahm/gahm.html

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The story of German-Americans thus far has proved to be one that is most informative

and interesting. The next chapter will address more of the “grey” areas of the history of

Germans in the United States. In particular Carl Schurz’s belief on hyphenated Americans in

comparison to Theodore Roosevelt’s anti-hyphenated Americans view will be addressed.

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Chapter III: The Darker Side of German-American History

“We can have no ‘fifty-fifty’ allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all. We are akin by blood and descent to most of the nations of Europe; but we are separate from all of them; we are a new and distinct nation.”107

-Theodore Roosevelt, 1917-

The United States of America had attracted people from every corner of the globe,

mainly due to its reputation of being a bastion of freedom and opportunity. Immigrants came to

the United States for various reasons. They primarily sought freedom of religion, freedom of

speech, and freedom of thought. Overwhelmingly they equated the United States with

opportunity and success. They had hoped to provide a better life for their children and future

generations of their family. The question arises, did these immigrants become Americans or did

they bring with them their ways of life, and remain hyphenated Americans? (German-Americans,

Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, etc).

Unlike Theodore Roosevelt’s belief on Americanism, immigrants did not become

Americans overnight. In fact, some never became true Americans. Immigrants brought with

them cultures and lifestyles from their homelands that stretched back centuries. They brought

with them their customs, faith, food, language, outlook, and ways of life to the United States.

Individuals from every economic level, faith, and race came to settle both the American cities

and its countryside. The assimilation process was different for everyone depending upon their

own individual (and familial) circumstances. Some assimilated quickly, others simply never let

go of their own particular ethnic culture. The customs of many of these nations contributed a

new definition, a new meaning to what American identity really is.

107

The German Reich and Americans of German Origin (New York: Oxford University Press, 1938), iii.

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Immigrants from nearly every country did not find success or opportunity overnight as

they became residents and eventual citizens of the United States. In fact, some faced conditions

that were just as challenging and severe as they faced in their land of origin. Conditions for

some immigrants were so poor that they simply returned to their homeland. Immigration

historian and author of Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American

Life Roger Daniels estimates that 1 out of every 7 or 8 German immigrants decided to return to

Europe after living in the United States.108 The German-American Heritage Museum in

Washington D.C. cites that an even higher percentage of Germans returned to Europe after being

in the United States. The museum cites that 1 out of every 5 Germans returned to Europe.109

Immigrants of all backgrounds faced challenging times in the United States. An Italian

immigrant described it as such: “I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with

gold. When I got here, I found out three things: First, the streets were not paved with gold.

Second, they weren't paved at all. Third, I was expected to pave them.”110

In 1880, Jacob Riis, a Danish immigrant, published what would become the world

famous How the Other Half Lives. This was an account of the impoverished conditions and

lifestyle of New York City residents, specifically those living in the tenements of Manhattan’s

Lower East Side. This book is perhaps one of the most significant pieces of photojournalism that

showed the devastating overcrowded, unsanitary, and in many cases inhumane conditions that

residents endured. Today, it is a reminder of the challenging past that has been a part of

108 Roger Daniels, Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life, Second Edition (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), 157.109 This statistic comes from visiting the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA in Washington D.C. The statistic was found on their timeline wall with important dates and statistics involving German-Americans.110 http://www.genealogy.com/68_fryxell.html

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American history. It is also a piece of evidence that shows how far the United States of America

has emerged not only as a nation, but more importantly as a people.111

German-Americans as an ethnic group were often respected among other ethnic groups.

They were respected because of their many contributions to the United States, and also for their

loyalty to their newly adoptive homeland. Everything was going well for the German-

Americans, that was, until the outbreak of World War I.

Previously, there has been much mention about the contributions that German-Americans

have made towards the United States. Thus far, there has been little, if any, mention about the

“grey” areas of German-American history. There are many stories of German-American history

in which both German-Americans would like to forget, and the American government would like

to conceal. These historical happenings include the Haymarket Riot, the German-American

Bund, and German-American internment during World War I and II.112

The Haymarket Riot is perhaps a unique turning point in American history. The incident

occurred in Chicago’s Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886. The riot actually began as a rally in

support of workers who were on strike.113 Chicago’s industrial sector had been in fierce debate

over the eight hour workday. Many Irish-American and German-American workers had

protested. The rally began as planned, that was, until the police chose to end the rally, and clear

the crowds, at which point, an unknown person threw a bomb. A police officer was killed, and

others were wounded. This offset more violence in the crowds. In the end, seven police officers

and four workers were killed; sixty officers and fifty workers were wounded as well.114

111 Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York (New York: Hill and Wang, 1957)112 See Appendix C for a brief chronology of German-American Internment.113 Don Heinrich Tolzmann, The German-American Experience (New York: Humanity Books, 2000), 243-244114 Ibid.

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The riot led the public to view the anarchist movement with suspicion. Six of the eight

men who were put on trial were German-Americans. All eight men were found guilty. Seven of

them were hung, and the eighth was sentenced to life in prison. Today there is a memorial for

the labor leaders who lost their lives that day. They are seen in history as leaders of a movement

that supported fair and just conditions for the working class citizen.115

Germans living in the United States were treated rather well by other immigrant groups

and by native-born Americans. They were treated with respect, and commended for their

assimilation and dedication to the American way of life. The way in which German-Americans

were treated changed in the twentieth century, notably with the outbreak of World War I.

The outbreak of World War I became what Carl Wittke considered to be “the darkest

hour” in German-American history.116 Wittke went as far as to say that the war had created “a

violent, concerted and hysterical effort to eradicate everything of German origin in America.”117

The fact that the German Empire was at war with the United States made it difficult for

German-Americans; the Zimmermann Telegram had only made matters that much worse. 118 As

a result German-Americans had begun to distance themselves from their German heritage and

identity. German-American communities began to assimilate quicker into the American

mainstream. Some of the changes that took place were: 1. Less instruction and use of the

German language. 2. Less German names in public places. 3. People changed their last names,

4. German-Americans were monitored by American authorities at the federal, state, and local

levels. 115 Richard O’Conner, The German-Americans: An Informal History (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1968), 328.116 Tolzmann, 290-291.117 Ibid.118 The Zimmermann Telegram was a telegram from the German government sent to the Mexican government. Thetelegram had offered Mexico an alliance with Germany for war with the United States. The telegram also promised Mexico land in the Southern United States as an incentive. It was intercepted by the American government. This gave Germany and German-Americans a bad rapport in mainstream American society.

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Carl Wittke had called this time period the “darkest hour” in German-American history

for a reason. German-Americans had suffered in regards to internment, language, organizations,

press, and schooling. Even worse, German-Americans lost their sense of culture, which shed

their identity and even their sense of individualism. German-Americans had to pretend to be

someone that they were not; this is what led to the downfall of German-America, a blow in

which it would never fully recover.

During World War I, the American government had established a camp for German-

Americans. These internees were residents of the United States; however, they were not

American citizens. The camp was located at Fort Oglethrope, Georgia, a camp which would

house more than 6,000 German-Americans during the course of World War I. The American

government had officially classified these 6,000 people as “enemy aliens.”119 Many artists and

musicians were interned as prisoners at Fort Oglethorpe, including the entire Cincinnati

Symphony Orchestra, and its concertmeister, Ernst Kunwald, who was actually an Austrian.120

The United States has always boasted its First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

The amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or

prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the

right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of

grievances.”121

However, during World War I, the use of the German language was made illegal in 26

states. Not only was there a ban on the use of German, the state of Louisiana went as far as to

place a fine that could go as high as $100, and imprisonment of 10-90 days. Nationally an

estimated 17,903 people were cited for use of the German language; 5,730 were convicted and

119 Tolzmann, 283.120 “Dr. Kunwald Sent to Internment Camp,” The New York Times, January 13, 1918.121 U.S. Constitution, Amendment I.

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sentenced. It was not until the close of World War I that these laws were declared

unconstitutional and then repealed.122

The German-American organizations suffered tremendously. The largest national

German-American organization, which was the German-American National Alliance, was under

attack by mainstream America. In fact, the organization was under attack from the United States

Congress. Utah Senator William Henry King had urged Congress to repeal the charter of the

German-American National Alliance in January of 1918. There were Congressional hearings,

German-American witnesses, and a controversial atmosphere. On July 2, 1918, the charter of the

organization was repealed on the grounds of lack of loyalty towards the United States, and

German culture.123

The World War I era was the worst possible time to be a German-American. The culture

was being attacked in all realms of American society. The extent of anti-German events

included:

German books were thrown out of libraries as trash, hidden in cellars and attics, or burned in the public square with patriotic ceremonies. The works of German composers disappeared from symphony programs; German artists were denied the use of concert halls; German theatres were closed and German church services interrupted by excited patriots.124

Perhaps the worst case of anti-German sentiment in the United States during the World

War I era was the lynching death of a German-born man living in Illinois. Robert Prager, a coal

miner, who was also a self-professed socialist, was imprisoned on charges of espionage and

disloyalty to the American government. On April 5, 1918, Prager was dragged out of his cell by

an unruly mob and lynched. He was not tried in a court of law, but his life was taken from him

122 Tolzmann, 284-287.123 Ibid.124 Ibid, 291.

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by a mob of angry citizens.125 The Vossiche Zeitung, a Berlin newspaper, had blamed the

lynching death of Robert Prager on the American Press. The Berlin newspaper had concluded

that “the mob intended to tar and feather Prager, but finding no tar, they hanged him.” The paper

also went as far as stating that “it may be added that the American press is largely guilty, owing

to its love of sensation.”126

Many historians consider World War II to be a continuation of World War I. The

German-American community as an entity faced similar hardships during this war as well. The

rise of the Third Reich and increased German nationalism (as well as German-American

nationalism) had stirred things up again for the average German-American individual. Most

German-Americans were not in favor of Adolf Hitler’s new regime, and in many ways remained

apolitical.

The National Socialist regime in Germany had considered all individuals of German

descent to be true Germans. The Third Reich, perhaps the regime that is synonymous with the

mastery of propaganda used its tactics at German individuals worldwide. The National Socialist

mentality towards Germans living abroad appeared in the August 12, 1937 issue of the

Stuttgarter NS Kurier. The article titled “German Youth in the United States” read:

And these German-Americans, who for centuries have made only sacrifices for America, who have become the fertilizer for the culture of that country, who were too trusting and honest to mix into politics or to secure rights for themselves and for their folkdom, these Germans today are ready to enlist in the final struggle and to take their place in the political life of America, while preserving their national characteristics and their German ‘Weltanschauung,’127 in order to

125“Robert P. Prager Foully Murdered in Collinsville – This Crime Must Not go Unpunished – Get the Guilty Men –Let no Guilty Man Escape – The Fair Name of Illinois Has Been Dragged Into Disgrace,” Belleville News-Democrat, April 5, 1918.126 “Berlin Paper on R. Prager Lynching Here Vossiche Zeitung Says Killing Was Fault of Sensationalist,” Belleville News-Democrat, May 9, 1918.127 Weltanschauung is a German word for the way in which an individual perceives the world. It can be best described as a worldwide outlook regarding the philosophy of life.

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exercise a determining influence on the new America. Therefore the program of the young German-Americans, no matter to which organizations or groups they may belong is: We want to bring the Germans in the United States, who in part have become alienated from the German fatherland and from the German nation, back to the great community of blood and fate of all Germans. To this end the spiritual regeneration of the Germans after the model of the homeland is necessary. When we will have attained this goal, we will organize the Germans in order to give them, after the completion of their spiritual regeneration, economic reinforcement and political schooling. German-Americans, thus prepared, economically rejuvenated and politically active, shall then be used under our leadership in the coming struggle with Communism and Jewry in the reconstruction of America.128

A minority of German-Americans did support Adolf Hitler, National Socialism, and the

Third Reich. They bought into the National Socialist principles that were outlined in Mein

Kampf, and formed organizations within the United States that supported National Socialism.

The largest and most popular of these pro-Nazi organizations in the United States was the

German-American Bund.

The German-American Bund was founded in Chicago, Illinois under the official name of

the Society for the Friends of the New Germany. The organization had its own weekly

publication that was titled Das Neue Deutschland. The Bund boasted that it had a membership

of over 200,000 members. Actual membership only reached 6,500 members; ironically, only

3,900 of which were German-Americans.129

The German-American Bund did have a sizeable membership in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. In fact, the national leader of the German-American Bund, Fritz Kuhn, had ties to

Philadelphia. Kuhn, a member of the Nazi Party in Germany, had participated with Adolf Hitler

in the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, Germany on November 3, 1923. He moved to the United

128 The German Reich and Americans of German Origin (New York: Oxford University Press, 1938),40.129 Tolzmann, 319.

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States and became an American citizen on December 3, 1934. In 1937 he was named the guest

of honor at the “German Day” celebration in Philadelphia. The German Day of 1937 included a

ceremony in the Germantown section of the city at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and

Chelten Avenue in front of the Pastorious Monument. Following the ceremony, there was a

festival at the Turngemeinde Halle.130

There were Bund chapters that existed throughout the United States. They existed in

communities which had a large German-American population. They promoted National

Socialist ideology, and tried to obtain as high a membership as possible. The Bund chapters had

their own newspapers, promoted Nazi propaganda and political thought. They promoted Adolf

Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf (My Struggle), and Leni Rieffenstahl’s popular film Triumph

des Willens (Triumph of the Will).

The Bund had private camps throughout the United States. These were locations in

which they held activities, and rallies. Some of the most notable camps include Camp Nordland

(Andover, NJ), Camp Siegfried (Long Island, NY), Camp Deutschhorst (Bucks County, PA), and

others throughout the United States.

Perhaps the most significant event involving the German-American Bund occurred on

February 20, 1939, which was President’s Day. On this date, in New York City’s Madison

Square Garden, an arena which was home to New York’s sporting teams and other community

events, was actually more Nazi for a day than it was American. On February 20th, the German-

American Bund held a demonstration at Madison Square Garden which drew 22,000

supporters.131

130 William F. Conners, With Arms Outstretched: The German American Bund in Philadelphia (Master’s Thesis, La Salle University, Philadelphia, 2007), 8.131 “22,000 Nazis Hold Rally in Garden; Police Check Foes,” The New York Times, February 21, 1939.

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In 1941, the Dies Committee, which was part of the House Committee on Un-American

Activity, concluded that there was evidence of a school for Storm Troopers in Philadelphia. The

school was eventually closed by the government; however, it is alleged that hundreds of

German-American students were trained at these schools during the time that it was in operation.

The man who was believed to have been the principal and whose name and identity is unknown

was a Berlin detective; later he returned to Berlin and was made a high ranking Gestapo agent

due to this success in Philadelphia. What was even more disturbing is that the committee found

that men who were trained in the schools were actually involved in occupations in the American

defense industry.132

There were several well-known Americans who were also sympathetic towards Nazi

Germany. These individuals include the innovator of the auto industry Henry Ford, the world

famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the controversial Roman Catholic priest Father Charles

Coughlin.

Henry Ford, an American industrialist, had many Nazi sympathies. Prior to the rise of

Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, Ford had published his own opinions of the Jewish people. He

published a four part series in the early 1920s titled The International Jew: The World’s

Foremost Problem.

Ford, the father of the Ford Motor Company in the United States, and the man who made

the assembly line famous, had a connection with Nazi Germany. It is rumored that Henry Ford

had financed Nazi Germany. A few things are in fact certain; Adolf Hitler believed that Henry

Ford should run for president of the United States. Hitler is quoted as having said “I wish that I

could send some of my shock troops to Chicago and other big American cities to help in the

elections. We look on Heinrich Ford as the leader of the growing Fascisti movement in 132 Conners, 16.

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America. We admire particularly his anti-Jewish policy which is the Bavarian Fascisti platform.

We have just had his anti-Jewish articles translated and published. The book is being circulated

to millions throughout Germany.”133 Also, Adolf Hitler denied that Ford was financing the Nazi

movement in Germany; however, Hitler told a reporter from The Tribune that “Heinrich’s picture

occupies the place of honor in (my) sanctum.”134

Charles Lindbergh, the famous Swedish-American aviator known for being the first to fly

across the Atlantic Ocean solo, is perhaps one of the most significant figures in American

history. Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic solo in his plane The Spirit of St. Louis; he flew from

Long Island, New York to Paris, France. Lindbergh was then hailed as a hero across the United

States. He was given a hero’s welcome as New York City gave him a ticker tape parade in 1927.

He was even more than an American hero; he was seen as a hero throughout the world. The

German press had promoted Charles Lindbergh’s feat in most heroic terms. The Vossiche

Zeitung, a Berlin newspaper, had highlighted “Such men as Lindbergh mark the path of

humanity.” The League of German War Fliers had gone even further, stating that “Lindbergh’s

flight is more than a big sporting event; for all time, it will remain an act of human

enlightenment.”135

Charles Lindbergh was a staunch isolationist and advised against American involvement

in World War II. In fact, he warned all Western nations that a war was only going to hurt

Western ways of life. He was a proud European-American and advised unity and friendship. In

an article that appeared in the November 1939 Reader’s Digest, he wrote:

We can have peace and security only as long as we band together to preserve that most priceless possession, our inheritance of European blood, only so long as we

133 Max Wallace, The American Axis: Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, and the Rise of the Third Reich (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2003), 46.134 Ibid.135 Ibid, 75.

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guard ourselves against dilution by foreign races. It is time to turn from our quarrels and to build our White ramparts again. This alliance with foreign races means nothing but death to us. It is our turn to guard our heritage before we become engulfed in a limitless foreign sea.136

The reputation of Charles Lindbergh in the United States took a turn for the worst as he

established a friendship with the National Socialist regime in Germany. Lindbergh had made

several trips to Nazi Germany, and on one occasion was commended by the German

government. On October 18, 1938, Ambassador Wilson of the American Embassy in Berlin

hosted a dinner, whose guests included Charles Lindbergh, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring,

General Milch, General Udet, the Belgian and Italian ambassadors, as well as other high ranking

American officers and diplomats. It was at this dinner in which Hermann Goring awarded

Charles Lindbergh the Deutscher Adlerorden mit Stern, which was the Service Cross of the

Order of the German Eagle with the Star. At the dinner at the embassy, Hermann Goring handed

the award to Lindbergh and said “Im Nahmen des Fuhrer,” which meant that it was awarded to

Lindbergh at the orders of Adolf Hitler himself.

Charles Lindbergh would write a thank you letter to Reichsmarshall Goring a week later

on October 25th. Lindbergh wrote:

I want to thank you especially for the honor which you conferred on me at the dinner given by Ambassador Wilson. I hope that when the opportunity presents itself, you will convey my thanks to the Reichschancellor (Hitler). It is difficult for me to express adequately my appreciation for this decoration, and for the way in which you presented it that evening. This is an honor which I shall always prize highly.137

The first half of the twentieth century has been recorded in the history books as the most

violent and deadly era in the history of mankind. This time period has seen the rise of regimes,

136 Charles Lindbergh, “Aviation, Geography, and Race,” Readers Digest, November 1939.137 Wallace, 75.

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revolutions, violence, (two) world wars, and other horrible occurrences. Almost everyone today

is aware of the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and Communist China.

Mainstream history books record the horrible accounts of confinement, discrimination, and

death.

History books also recount how the Roosevelt Administration had placed Japanese-

Americans into internment camps during the war. One thing that is often omitted from popular

history is the internment of German-Americans and Italian-Americans. During the Roosevelt

Administration, immigrants from Germany, Italy, and Japan had suffered discrimination,

internment, and relocation in the United States.

Regardless of the political beliefs of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J. Edgar

Hoover and other members of the Roosevelt Administration, the internment of any citizen was

illegal under Amendment X of the U.S. Constitution. Article X states that:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment of indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be put twice in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.138

In the years that preceded and proceeded World War II, the United States had monitored

anything and everyone “German.” Prior to the war they interned German-Americans; and

following the war they held German prisoners of war within the United States. American history

would have us forget this era; however, it is the historian’s job to examine both positive and

138 U.S. Constitution, Article X.

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negative aspects and events of history. Therefore, events such as the internment of German,

Italian, and Japanese individuals must be made common knowledge.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing cases of internment is the case of Princess Stephanie

Hohenlohe-Waldenburg Schillingsfürst. Nicknamed “Princess Steph,” she was of German

nobility and was largely popular in well known social circles. She was widely popular on the

international scene, having friends with many American and British aristocrats. She also had

connections to leaders of Nazi Germany, and she had been friendly with Adolf Hitler. During

the early 1940s, “Princess Steph” had spent some of her time in the United States. During her

stay in the United States, she was continually kept under surveillance by the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (F.B.I.) and other federal authorities. During her time in the United States she had

a number of lovers, which included Captain Fritz Wiedemann of the German Consul in San

Francisco. She later had relations with Major Lemuel B. Schofield the Director of the U.S.

Immigration and Naturalization Service. Schofield and “Princess Steph” spent time together in

the Washington D.C. apartment in which Schofield put the princess up at.139

Despite Princess Steph’s connection with Major Schofield, she was arrested and later

released for having an expired visa. In 1941, she was staying at Philadelphia’s Barclay Hotel.

On December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Princess Steph was

arrested and detained by the F.B.I. There are two accounts as to the happenings of her arrest, one

by her son, and the other by the New York Times. According to her son, Princess Steph and her

mother were outside of a cinema in Philadelphia and attacked by plain clothes men. The two

women were pushed by the men into a car. The New York Times, however, claims that the FBI

139 Arnold Krammer, Undue Process: The Untold Story of America’s German Alien Internees (Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield Publishers Inc., 1997), 23-24, 40.

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had kept Princess Steph under very close watch and had picked her up somewhere in between

Philadelphia and Washington D.C.140

Regardless as to how Princess Steph was arrested, it is a fact that she was kept with other

“enemy-aliens” at a detention center in Gloucester City, New Jersey. She was later transferred to

Camp Crystal City, Texas for the remainder of the war.141

During the World War II era, an estimated 25,000 German-Americans were relocated and

placed in internment camps. There were approximately four dozen internment camps located

throughout the United States.142 The ones of most significance are Gloucester City, New Jersey,

as many German-Americans from the Philadelphia area were placed there. Also Camp Crystal

City in Texas was one of the larger camps. The internment orders came from President

Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066; it was also referred to as the Individual Exclusion

Program.143

As previously stated, only a minority of German-Americans had supported the Bund and

the Third Reich. Many other German-Americans were either apolitical, or against the regime. In

December of 1942, journalist Dorothy Thompson had compiled 50 famous German-Americans

who stood against the National Socialist regime. These 50 German-Americans signed a

declaration, which would be known as “Christmas Declaration by men and women of German

descent.” The declaration stated:

We Americans of German descent raise our voices in denunciation of the Hitler policy of cold-blooded extermination of the Jews of Europe and against the barbarities committed by the Nazis against all other innocent peoples under their sway. These horrors are, in particular, a challenge to those who, like ourselves are descendants of the Germany that once stood in the foremost ranks of civilization. We utterly repudiate every thought

140 Ibid.141 Ibid.142 Ibid, x.143 Ibid., 61.

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and deed of Hitler and his Nazis and urge the people of Germany to overthrow a regime which is in the infamy of German history.144 145

Among the German-Americans that would sign the Christmas Declaration, some were

well known individuals. At the top of the list stood George Herman “Babe” Ruth, arguably the

best baseball player that ever played the game. A few of the signers were from academia, which

included the dean of Princeton University Christian Gauss and the University of Maine President

Arthur Mauck. Other significant individuals included, Reinhold Niebuhr a Protestant theologian,

William Shirer a news correspondant, and Walter Damrosch a orchestra conductor. Freda

Kirchwey, an editor of The Nation, and Oswald Heck a speaker from the New York State

Assembly also signed the declaration.146

In the years after World War II, the German-American community had to again heal,

rehabilitate, and rejuvenate their image and loyalty towards the United States. This was a

challenge as its image and reputation had been stained. What was an even bigger challenge is

that yet another wave of Germanic immigration took place. This time it involved many German

veterans of World War II, and many German women that were brides of American soldiers that

were stationed in Germany in the post World War II era.

As World War II ended, German-Americans attempted to have a revival in their culture.

Slowly but surely, German-American organizations had regained respect and were able to

celebrate their culture (although never to the height and popularity as in the pre-war years).

Nazism is a part of history, and it can never be erased. There will always be an association of

Nazism with Germans and German-Americans. German-Americans are reminded of this often,

144“Christmas Declaration: Men and Women of German Ancestry!” The New York Times, December 28, 1942.145 For the full text of the declaration, see Appendix D.146 “Sultan of Swat; Babe Ruth’s Home Run Against the Holocaust,” The Washington Times, December 25, 2007.

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and in many cases suffer discrimination, even though as individuals they had nothing to do with

it.

Germany itself is constantly reminded of this as well. There is a sense of guilt in the

lives of Germans throughout the world for the happenings of the twentieth century. Slowly, that

guilt is being shed. A new sense of nationalism can be seen in Germany in regards to

international sport. Germany hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2006, which embraced a new sense

of German nationalism. All across Germany fans dressed themselves in German flags and

outfits to cheer their team (and nation) on; the team of course being Die Manschafft. Perhaps the

time for guilt of Germans and German-Americans is over, and the time to (re-)embrace the

culture lies with the present and future.

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Chapter IV: National Organizations

“If the cultural disappearance of German Americans has been often overstated – some institutions do survive in places like Milwaukee and Cincinnati – German Americans, as an

effective ethnic group in contemporary America, just do not exist”147

-Roger Daniels, 2002-

There are more Americans who can trace their ancestry back to German-speaking regions

of Europe than to any other. German-Americans have established their own communities

throughout the United States; yet, ironically, they have also become assimilated into virtually

every community in the land. They have formed their own ethnic organizations, some of which

happen to be very unique from one another. They have also maintained their loyalty to various

faiths. There have been numerous attempts to form a strong, united, national German-American

organization, most of which have been failures. What religious faiths do German-Americans

belong to and why does a strong national organization cease to exist to serve the German-

American community?

There are numerous reasons as to why a “strong” national organization does not exist in

the twenty-first century. The shedding of German-American identity that occurred during the

first half of the twentieth century never fully recovered. When German-American identity

slightly recovered after the war years, the children and grandchildren simply assimilated further

into mainstream American society. Another contributing factor is that the percentage of those

exclusively German-American declined due to intermarriages with other ethnic groups.

This chapter will discuss the concept of Church Germans, also known as

Kirchendeutschen, as well as Club Germans, also known as Vereinsdeutschen.148 It will also

address the religious faiths of German-Americans, including the Protestants (especially

147 Roger Daniels, Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life, Second Edition (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), 164.148 Don Heinrich Tolzmann, The German-American Experience (New York: Humanity Books, 2000), 187.

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Lutherans), the Roman Catholics, and the Jews. Furthermore, the demise of the strongest ever

national organization, the German-American National Alliance, will be addressed. It will also

discuss the national organizations that do exist today such as the German-American Heritage

Foundation of the USA, the German-American National Congress Inc., the Institute for German-

American Relations, the Steuben Society of America, the German-American Chamber of

Commerce, the German American Internee Coalition, and the Hermann Monument Society.149

German-Americans are a diverse group in regards to religious faiths. They belong to the

Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish faiths. It is also noteworthy to mention that because

German-Americans are such a large percentage of the American population, they have virtually

joined nearly every faith, branch, and religious sect in the United States.

Those that belong to the Protestant faith, primarily belong to the Lutheran sect. The

Lutheran Church in America consists of many independent synods, the largest of which are the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

German-Americans have become a significant part of the Roman Catholic Church in the

United States. An estimated 35% of German-Americans are of the Roman Catholic faith.150

Many have remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, and in fact belong to multi-ethnic

parishes, often having non-German priests.151 Many German-American Catholics living on the

East Coast had fallen under Irish-American Catholic hierarchy of the Church. The hierarchy of

the Roman Catholic Church in the American Midwest had remained largely German-American.

149 See Appendix E for a brief chronology of German-American National Organizations.150 Colman J. Barry, The Catholic Church and German Americans (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1953), 7.151 Reinhard R. Doerries “Immigrant Culture and Religion: Church and Faith Among German Americans” Randall Miller, editor. Germans in America: Retrospect and Prospect (Philadelphia: The German Society of Pennsylvania, 1984), 80.

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It is noteworthy to mention that in regards to the national leadership of the Roman Catholic

Church, the Irish-Americans had greater influence than did the German-Americans.152

J.B. Muller, the editor of Die Stimme der Wahrkeit, a weekly German Catholic

publication from Detroit, had this to say about German-American Catholics:

The German churches in America are already the most beautiful, evidencing taste and practicality with no overloading. The German cloisters are constructed of stone and are the finest; the German schools the most practical. The German Catholics have given an eminent service with their schools. While the Catholics of other nationalities, namely those immigrant brothers from the green island, have a strong dislike for schools, the Germans have accomplished a great deal. Bishops must inflict penalties on parents who do not send their children to Catholics schools. I know only a few German parishes which do not have a thriving school, because the Germans, whenever a parish is formed, endeavor first to build a school, before they build a church. For they are convinced that, if a school is lacking, the church is only a passing thing, because when the parents pass away the children will no longer desire a church. Without a school children become totally ignorant, or what is worse, unbelievers, Godless, and immoral. In the American state schools there is no religion, and Catholics parents consequently do not send their children there. Because of this Germans have always been first to erect schools.153

German-Americans of the Jewish faith have come to the United States as well. They

established synagogues in cities across the United States; however, a majority stayed on the East

Coast, mainly in the New York City region. Many of the German Jews that became Americans

have their origins in southwestern Germany and in Prussian controlled portions of modern-day

Poland. The Jewish population boomed in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1825 there was an

estimated 500 German Jews in New York City; by 1860 there were 40,000.154

152 Daniels, 153.153 Barry, 36-37.154 Daniels, 155.

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German Jews, also known as Ashkenazi Jews155, have certainly made their presence

known in the United States. They are among the most successful people in regards to business,

in particular, American banking. The banking houses of Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs

are both German Jewish in origin

German-American Jews were a significant minority of the population. They also had a

different way to identify themselves. Were they Germans? Were they Jews? How did they

identify themselves? One such explanation of German Jewish identity comes from Rabbi

Bernhard Felsenthal: “I am a Jew, for I have been born among the Jewish nation. Politically I

am an American as patriotic, as enthusiastic, as devoted an American citizen as it is possible to

be. But spiritually I am a German, for my inner life has been profoundly influenced by Schiller,

Goethe, Kant, and other intellectual giants of Germany.”156

It is also fair to assume that German Jews had associated more with Jews from other

nations, as opposed to associating with German-Americans of the Christian faith. This is

primarily because the people of the Jewish faith have remained united, standing by each other’s

side often throughout history. Also, prior to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the anti-Semitic

sentiment that spanned across Europe, there were prior disputes between German Christians and

German Jews. That can be seen with the numerous expulsions of Jews from German-speaking

areas throughout history. Such examples include the expulsion of the Jews from Austria in 1421,

from Cologne in 1426, from Augsburg in 1439, and from Breslau (modern day Wroclaw,

Poland) in 1453.157

The strongest German-American organization that existed in the United States did not

last long. The National German-American Alliance was founded in Philadelphia in 1901. The

155 Encyclopedia of Jewish History (New York: Facts on File Publications, 1986), 72-73.156 Daniels, 158.157 Encyclopedia of Jewish History (New York: Facts on File Publications), 78.

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mission of the organization was “for the mutual energetic protection of such legitimate desires

and interests not consistent with the common good of the country and the rights and duties of

good citizens; to check nativist encroachments; to maintain and safeguard the good relations

existing between America and the old German fatherland.”158

The organization had united German-Americans across the country. It served as an

umbrella organization for many different organizations. At its height, it “was tightly organized

and exercised control over twelve hundred Vereins and bunds, along with such secret ‘inner

circle’ groups such as the Sons of Hermann.”159

In 1918 Senator William Henry King of Utah introduced a bill that would revoke the

charter of the German-American Alliance. Through a series of hearings, which were similar in

manner to the well-known McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, the charter was soon repealed.160

The Alliance was somewhat of a controversial group, because of such statements from members

like John Schwab, the leader of the Ohio National German-American Alliance, who said that

“the drink question is forced upon us by the same hypocritical Puritans as over there (in England)

are endeavoring to exterminate the German nation.” Other criticisms of the organization

included its continuous display of the German flag and its frequent playing of Deutschland über

Alles.

The National German-American Alliance issued a final statement, which is most

significant. The statement read: “As Americans of German blood, wholeheartedly and without

reservation, we say to our fellow citizens that together with them we shall ever stand ready to

158 Tolzmann,), 261-262.159 Richard O’Connor, The German-Americans: An Informal History (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1968), 387.160 Tolzmann, 286-287.

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defend this Government and this country against all foes, internal and external, to the end that the

liberty and that the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution shall forever prevail.”161

The German-American National Congress, also known as DANK (Deutsch

Amerikanischer National Kongress) claims to be the largest organization of German-Americans

in the United States today.162 Their official “goals and tasks” are as follows163:

- To unite German-Americans in a respected, influential, non-confessional and non-partisan organization.- To preserve with all legal means the interest of the German-American community.- To defend and maintain the principles of the Constitution of the United States of America.- To stand up against every slander and defamation of the American and German name, and especially every anti-German propaganda.- To promote the existing friendship between our homeland America and or ancestral lands of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other territories of the German language and cultural regions.- To foster more deeply the German culture and customs and to promote the preservation of the German language, and to contribute to the mutual understanding among the people of all nationals, especially the young.- To promote the cooperation of all German-American societies of whatever kind and nature.

The German-American Congress has chapters in a total of ten states throughout the

United States. The chapters are located in: Arizona, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,

Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.164 DANK publishes a bimonthly

publication, called the German-American Journal. The journal is mostly in English; however, it

includes a page or two in the German language.

The Institute for German-American Relations (IGAR) is located in Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania. Their mission statement is similar to that of the German-American National

161 Ibid.162 DANK 2009 National Convention, 50th Anniversary, Program Booklet.163 Ibid.164 http://www.dank.org/chapters.html

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Congress. However, the Institute for German-American Relations mission is much more

specific.

The IGAR devotes themselves to:165

- Establish and maintain a resource center of information available to universities and organizations in promotion of better German-American relations.- Establish contact and to invite prominent lecturers from the United States and from German speaking countries to appear before the individual and institutional members at IGAR sponsored events.- Work in cooperation with all organizations having similar objectives to jointly bring about better German-American relations. IGAR invites cooperation with other organizations through its outreach programs and initiatives.- Produce and promote educational programs which will enhance German-American relations.- Distribute 90% of each annual surplus in a philanthropic activity centered on improving German-American relations while reserving the remaining 10% to support future activities and to build a perpetuating endowment.- Initiate, promote, and produce cultural programs to bring the attention of the public to the contributions of peoples of German heritage to the societies of the world.- Contact institutions, organizations and governmental representatives in the United States and in the German speaking countries to request support of IGAR as it promotes these goals.

The IGAR publishes its own quarterly newsletter, IGAR NEWS: The Quarterly

Newsletter for the Institute for German-American Relations. The newsletter covers a series of

articles that relate to the German-American community. Under its headline of “Promoting

Understanding Through Education” a review of its December 2009 edition includes articles on:

the organizations annual meeting, a book review of German Contributions to Western

Civilization, and a notice of annual dues in 2010.

Although it is not the largest German-American organization in the United States, the

Steuben Society of America is perhaps one of the most significant. The Steuben Society of

America is named after Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the drillmaster of Valley Forge.

It was founded in 1919 and serves as a way to unite German-Americans. The organization has 165 The Institute for German-American Relations (IGAR) brochure.

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four guiding principles: “Duty, Justice, Charity, and Tolerance.” The organization lists their

purpose as

The purpose of The Steuben Society of America is to educate the public about matters of interest to American citizens of German descent and their families, to encourage their participation in civic affairs, and to perpetuate and enhance the understanding of the contributions made by such citizens to the development of the United States of America.166

The Steuben Society only has chapters located in the Eastern regions of the United States

(with the exception of Missouri). It has chapters in Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, New York,

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.167

The German-American Chamber of Commerce, also known as the Deutsch-

Amerikanische Handelskammern, fosters business relations between Germany and the United

States. There are several locations for the organization; its offices are located in Atlanta,

Chicago, and New York. Its branch offices are located in Houston, Philadelphia, and San

Fransisco.168

The mission of the German-American Chamber of Commerce is listed by their three

tasks. Their three tasks are: 169

1. Official Representation of German CompaniesAHKs are the key players of German foreign business development on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. They represent German business interests in their countries and they inform about and promote Germany as a business location.

2. Member OrganizationsAHKs are member organizations for companies actively involved in bilateral business

166 http://www.steubensociety.org/Purpose.htm167 http://www.steubensociety.org/Members.htm168 http://www.ahk-usa.com/en/ahk-usa/169 http://www.ahk-usa.com/en/menu2/about-us/

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relations. These members give them the authority needed when interacting with politics, business and administration in terms of promoting bilateral business relations.

3. Service Providers to CompaniesUnder the brand “DEinternational” AHKs provide services to companies both from Germany and their host countries in order to support their foreign business activities.

While the German-American community may not be the strongest in regards to its social

organizations; it is perhaps one of the strongest in regards to it economic status. Many German

companies do business in the United States whereas many American companies do business in

Germany. Several German companies that are well known in the United States include the auto

manufacturers of AUDI, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen. Other prominent German

corporations include: Adidas (sporting goods), Bayer (pharmaceuticals), Bosch (auto parts),

Deutsche Telecom, including T-mobile (telephone utility), Lufthansa (airline), and Siemens

(electronics).

The previous chapter discussed the internment of German-Americans during the first half

of the twentieth century. There is in fact an organization that exists today which is a

representative of those who were forcibly taken from their homes, relocated, and placed in

internment camps. That organization is the German American Internee Coalition (GAIC). They

list their mission statement and goals as being:170

“GAIC is dedicated to making public the little known United States World War II policies that led to internment, repatriation and exchange of civilians of German ethnicity, both in the United States and Latin America.”

- We will educate the general public about the U.S. government's detention and internment of over 11,000 German American and Latin American citizens and residents during World War II.

- We will reach out to former internees, their families and supporters. We will gather their stories, share information and support their efforts to make their stories known.

170 http://www.gaic.info/

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- We will seek full U.S. government review and acknowledgment of the civil rights violations endured by the German American and Latin American communities.

- We will work collaboratively with other internee groups who have similar purposes.As we work toward these goals, we also hope that our efforts result in better protection of the civil liberties of future vulnerable ethnic groups.

In Chapter 1, A Brief History of Germany, Arminius, otherwise known as Hermann, was

discussed. He was the German chieftain who led the Germanic tribes to victory over the Roman

legions in the Teutoberg Forest in the year 9 A.D. There is a monument in honor of him in

Detmold, Germany. There is also a monument and a German-American organization in honor of

him in the United States.

The Hermann Monument Society is located in New Ulm, Minnesota. The society lists its

mission as: “the society’s purpose is the conservation, interpretation, promotion, and

development of the Hermann Monument and Park in the City of New Ulm, Minnesota, USA.

We will promote our German culture and history nationally and internationally. This

organization is independent of the Order of the Sons of Hermann (which exists in Texas).171

During the first half of the twentieth century, urban America had undergone a change.

This change involved the movement of millions of African Americans from the South to

Northern, Midwestern, and Western cities. This movement of African-Americans from 1917-

1925 and its aftermath is commonly referred to as the Great Migration. As cities across the

United States obtained increasingly significant numbers of blacks, European American residents

of those cities worried about their jobs. They feared that the black worker would work for a

lesser wage and that there would be job competition. As a result, many German, Irish, Italian,

and Polish residents adopted a common bond of “whiteness.”172

171 Hermann Monument Society booklet.172 Russell Kazal, Becoming Old Stock: The Paradox of German-American Identity (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004), 246-247

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As previously discussed, Irish-Americans, and Italian-Americans were able to organize

themselves with strong social organizations. German-Americans have attempted to, but have

not. An obstacle in the way of uniting the German-Americans was the division(s) that existed

within their very own ethnic communities. German-Americans were divided economically,

politically, and religiously; whereas Irish-Americans were (in a majority of cases) united in

regards to their economic status, political beliefs, and faith.

In regards to the socio-economic level of German-Americans, they were divided into

lower income, middle class, and upper class segments of American society. German-Americans

lived in both rural and urban settings. They were split equally with membership in the

Democratic and Republican parties.173 They were of different faiths, being Protestant

(Lutheran), Roman Catholic, and Jewish.

The case of Irish-Americans was much different. The Irish were united as a group. They

were, in many cases, poor, usually urban dwellers. They had strict political allegiance to the

Democratic Party.174 Irish-Americans were also almost entirely devoted to the Roman Catholic

Church. The Irish-Americans had maintained strong Catholic communities for several reasons.

For example, “the Catholic Church offered Irish Americans a comfortable, autonomous space in

a hostile land. Neighborhood-based parishes and their parochial schools provided ‘the glue of

the Irish community’ in America.”175 Therefore, Irish-American life and nationalism was

centered around the Roman Catholic Church in regards to one’s social, educational, and cultural

173Donald A. DeBats, “German and Irish Political Engagement: The Politics of Cultural Diversity in an Industrial Age” in Wolfgang Helbich, editor German-American Immigration and Ethnicity in Comparative Perspective. (Madison: Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies, University of Wisconsin, 2004), 177-178.174 Ibid.175 David Carroll Cochran, Ethnic Diversity and Democratic Stability: The Case of Irish Americans. Political Science Quarterly, Volume 110, Number 4, Winter 1995-1996, p. 587-604.

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life.176

Another underlying difference between German-Americans and Irish-Americans is their

areas of settlement in the United States. The Irish mainly moved to American cities on the East

Coast, cities such as Baltimore, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. German-Americans

moved throughout the United States, and settled both cities and the countryside. The highest

density of German-Americans is the “German Triangle” consisting of the cities of Cincinnati,

Milwaukee, and St. Louis.177 There is a German-American population located throughout the

nation, with the exception of northern New England and the South.178

Due to the diversity and differences in the German-American community they have a

much different story than other ethnic groups in the United States. Prominent German-American

historian Kathleen Neils Conzen asserts that:

the kinds of initial opportunity found by many Germans with traditional farming and craft skills left many in a relatively poor position to take advantage of the new openings created by 20th-century economic growth. As a result, while Americans of German descent today are to be found at all economic levels, medial family incomes and levels of education are lower than those of such other immigrant groups as the Irish, the Poles, the Italians, and the Jews. The conservative business habits and traditional orientations of the German immigrants served them well at first but left them perhaps less inclined than members of certain other groups to take the risks necessary for spectacular success.179

The business habits were unique for German-Americans. As a group, they largely

developed a reputation for saving their earnings. They considered speculative investments to be

“reckless.”180 As Don Heinrich Tolzmann writes, “they did not believe in credit and preferred to

176 Ibid.177 Daniels, 150.178 Kathleen Neils Conzen, “Patterns of German-American History,” in Randall Miller, editor, Germans in America: Retrospect and Prospect (Philadelphia: The German Society of Pennsylvania, 1984), 23.179 Ibid.180 Tolzmann, 233.

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pay in cash, if at all possible, but held that credit responsibilities, when made, should be

honored.”181

There are a number of national organizations in the United States today that serve the

needs of the German-American community. They are, however, a failure for the most part.

They have similar missions and goals, however are separate from one another. The “so called”

national organizations that do exist have chapters only in a couple of states. The last strong

national organization was the National German American Alliance, which had its charter

revoked during the World War I era. Today the national organizations that do exist would

simply fall under what John Hawgood called “the tragedy of German America.” A closer

examination into the social life of German-Americans is required. The next chapter will take a

close look at the social organizations in the Philadelphia region.

181 Ibid.

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Chapter V: The Philadelphia Story“It is only right and proper that the man General Washington called ‘indispensable’ to the American Revolutionary War effort be remembered each year with a parade by his fellow

German-Americans, as well as many guests from Germany. Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Revolution and home to thousands of German-Americans, is a most honored setting for this

parade. I thank and welcome the bands, choirs, and groups from Germany for being a part of our celebration and helping to forge strong and everlasting bonds of friendship between the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany. I thank all the committee volunteers

and parade participants from the German-American Community of Philadelphia and vicinity, the United States Army, the City of Philadelphia, and all others who celebrate this most important

day with us.”182

-Al Taubenberger, 2008-

German-Americans crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered the United States of America

as a fragmented community, one that proved to be divided on economic, geographic, and

political lines. Nonetheless since 1970, the German-American community has managed to unite

themselves for the Steuben Day Parade in Philadelphia, a parade in honor of General Friedrich

Wilhelm Baron von Steuben, one of their own.

Nicknamed the “Drillmaster of Valley Forge,” von Steuben is one of several Europeans

to have shaped the Continental Army. Along with Marquis de La Fayette of France, and Casimir

Pulaski of Poland, von Steuben was a Prussian-born leader who helped in transforming the

Continental Army from a ragtag group of men into a fighting force that was able to overcome the

world famous British Army. General Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben183 is best known as

182 The 38th Annual German-American Steuben Parade and Celebration, September 27, 2008, Program.183 Ironically during World War II, the Nazi government had renamed one of its ships the Steuben (in honor of Baron von Steuben). On February 10, 1945 the Steuben was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine. There were more than 5,000 people on board at the time it was struck. There were 1,000 civilians and the rest were wounded soldiers. Only 659 of the 5,000 were rescued from the icy water. An estimated 4,500 were killed during this attack, a death toll that was three times greater than the sinking of the Titanic.http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0502/feature2/index.htmlErich Groner, Dieter Jung, Die Schiffe der deutschen Kriegsmarine und Luftwaffe 1939-1945 und ihr Verbleid (Bonn: Bernard und Graefe Verlag, 2001), 104.

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being the author of The Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United

States, which was the official “blue book” for U.S. military guide book until 1812.184

Since its inception in 1970, the Steuben Parade was held in Center City Philadelphia;

however it moved in 2005 to Frankford Avenue in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia.185 Today

the parade is organized and operated by the Steuben Day Observance Association of

Philadelphia and Vicinity Incorporated. Al Taubenberger serves as the President and General

Chairman. Taubenberger is also the President of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of

Commerce. In the past he has also served on the Tax Reform Commission and on the

Philadelphia Parking Authority.186 He was also the Republican candidate for mayor of

Philadelphia in 2007187; however, he lost to the Democrat Michael Nutter. As of August 2010,

Taubenberger announced that he will run for City Council in Philadelphia if the incumbent Jack

Kelly does not seek re-election.188

Al Taubenberger has a connection to the roundup of German-Americans during the

Second World War era that was discussed in Chapter 3. Taubenberger’s father, Alfred

Taubenberger Sr., was interned during World World II in the United States because of his

Germanic background. According to Al, “he and 12,000 other Germans were in the wrong place

at the wrong time.” Taubenberger also said that “it was done to catch spies, but I wonder if they

ever caught any.”189 Alfred Taubenberger Sr. spent 18 months at various camps in New Jersey,

Maryland, Texas, and North Dakota. Taubenberger Sr. never told his son about his internment

184 Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben, Baron von Steuben’s Revolutionary War Drill Manual: A Facsimile Reprint of the 1794 Original (New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1985), v, viii.185 The 35th Annual German-American Steuben Parade and Celebration, September 24, 2005, Program.186 “What About Al? The Republican Nominee for mayor would like you to know he’s alive and well. And serious about the job,” Philadelphia City Paper, May 16, 2007.187 Ibid188http://kyw.cbslocal.com/2010/07/31/al-taubenberger-to-seek-seat-on-phila-city-council/189 Walter Pfaeffle, “Changing Tradition: the Steuben Parades march to a different drummer,” The Atlantic Times, August 2007.

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“because he never wanted me to have a bad feeling about this country, which he loved so much.”

Taubenberger Sr. became a United States citizen in 1983; he would die of cancer five weeks

later. Al Taubenberger discovered that his father had been interned when he was 21 years old,

while applying for a visa to visit family members in Germany.190

Aside from the Steuben Parade, the German-American community in Philadelphia also

comes together for other events throughout the calendar year. Many German-Americans have

their roots in Eastern Europe and, as a result of World War II and four decades of suffering under

Communist-rule, have had a difficult past. Each year a “German Pilgrimage” is held at the

Shrine of Saint John Neumann, at St. Peter’s Church at the intersection of Girard Avenue and 5th

Street.191 The 32nd Annual German Pilgrimage was held on Sunday June 6, 2010 under the

direction of Reverend Engelbert Michel of St. Christopher’s and Reverend Kevin Moley Pastor

of St. Peter’s. Participating in the Franz Schubert Mass were two choirs, the Franklinville

Schwarzwald Quartett Club and the Damenchor Wald-Echo. The Danube Swabian Associations

of New York, Philadelphia, and Trenton (the sponsors) of the mass describe it as such:

This memorial Mass is in honor of the people who died in the camps of Yugoslavia, Russia, and Baragan, Rumania; and for those who were forced out of their homes in East Prussia, Silesia, Hungary, Sudetenland, Bohemia, and Gotschee. It will also remember the dead from our old and new homelands. The public is invited.192

German-Americans have a significant place in the history of both Philadelphia and

Pennsylvania since the seventeenth century, beginning with the founding of Germantown by

190 Gail Shister, “Uphill Climb for Taubenberger: Odds are against the GOP candidate for mayor, but that won’t stop him,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 17, 2007.191 The Shrine of St. John Neumann is located in St. Peter’s Church at Girard Avenue and 5th Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section. This neighborhood was once home to many German-Americans.192 May-July 2010 Newsletter of the Vereinigung der Donauschwaben.

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Franz Daniel Pastorious193 in 1683.194 Today German-Americans continue to participate in their

own very unique social organizations located throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The

clubs that they associate with today continues to reflect the diversity that exists within the

community. This chapter will address the histories of the religious and social organizations that

exist in the Philadelphia area, their similarities and differences, but most importantly the culture

that exists within this community. It is because of these differences that they remained

independent of one another, having been unable to unite as a single social organization.195

It is beyond the scope of this study to examine all of the social organizations that exist;

therefore, this chapter will address only the larger and more significant organizations.196 The

religious organizations that will be addressed are the Philadelphia Kolping Society and the

Immanuel German School, which is associated with the Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran

Church.197 The social organizations that will be examined in detail are the Cannstatter Volkfest-

Verein (CVV), the United German Hungarians (UGH), and the Vereinigung Erzgebirge (VE).

The justification for focusing on these three organizations alone is that they are arguably the

three largest social organizations in the Philadelphia area.198 They each have their own

properties, their own internal groups, and their own board of directors. They also each take turns

193 Ironically during World War II, the Nazi government instituted a plan known as “Operation Pastorious.” This operation was a sabotage program. Included in the program were two submarine landings which took place successfully. The first landing occurred in Long Island, New York. However, the leader of this submarine, Georg Johann Dasch, had told a bartender of his mission while in Paris. The bartender had alerted the FBI in New York and Washington D.C. The second landing occurred in Jacksonville, Florida by Edward John Kerling, Herbert Hans Haupt, Werner Thiel, and Herman Neubauer. They landed on June 17, 1942; however, all men involved were caught and apprehended by the FBI between June 24th and June 27th. All eight men were convicted of espionage, sabotage and conspiracy. Six of the eight men were given the death penalty.Leon O. Prior, “Nazi Invasion of Florida” Florida Historical Quarterly, Volume 49, Issue 2, October 1970, 129-139.194 Gerard Wilk, Americans from Germany (New York: German Information Center, 1976), 39.195 See Appendix F for the Origins of Organizations in Europe.196 See Appendix G for a complete listing of German-American organizations in the Greater Philadelphia Region.197 The Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church is one of a few congregations that still has a German service weekly.198 The German Society of Pennsylvania will largely be omitted from this examination because they are arguably more of an educational institution as opposed to a social organization.

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hosting German-American Day in June (every year one of the three organizations hosts the event

on a rotating schedule).

There are in fact two German-American Days that are celebrated in Philadelphia each

year. The one is on October 6th, which is German-American Day as proclaimed by President

Ronald Reagan in 1987. The second takes place on a Sunday in June. The German-American

Day that takes place in June is hosted by one of the three German organizations previously

mentioned. Each year the money raised as admission goes to support the Steuben Day Parade.

The money raised for food and drink goes to support the organization that is hosting the festival.

Another important event that takes place each German-American Day is the crowning of the

Cornflower Queen. The Cornflower Queen is a young German-American female who has an

outstanding academic record as a student and has a proficient knowledge of the German

language. According to the Steuben Day Observance Association “The Cornflower Queen

represents the Philadelphia German-American Community at various functions within the United

Sates and in Germany.”199

The “cornflower”200 is of great importance to members of the German-American

community. It is also known as a “bachelor’s button” or a “bluebottle” the plant itself can be

found in grain fields throughout Germany. Its color of blue is symbolic in regards to its true

meaning. The blue represents truth and loyalty. Historically it is of importance as it was the

favorite flower of Emperor Wilhelm I. The blue also represents the blue threads of the American

flag. The cornflower is worn with red and white ribbons which complete the tapestry of the

199 http://phila.steubenparade.com/scrapbook/2004/german_day/2004_german_day_press_release.htm200 Centaurea cyanus is the botanical term for the cornflower.

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American flag. Therefore it is the symbol of the Steuben Day Parade for German-Americans

throughout the United States.201

The Philadelphia Kolping Society202 is an organization which serves German-American

Catholics. It was co-founded by Leonard Kreis and Joseph Betz on April 25, 1925. The

organization originally met at the Volksverein Hall, located at 1213 North Randolph Street. The

organization was first associated with St. Peter’s Parish; however, it later moved to St.

Bonaventure’s Parish, and finally to St. Henry’s Parish. The organization has always met at

what they considered to be “Kolping Houses.” In the early years of the organization, the meeting

location had changed several times. The first Kolping House where members met began in 1931

at 4900 North Fifth Street. In 1933 the organization moved to 5330 Rising Sun Avenue. In 1941

they moved yet again to 4501 North Reese Street. In 1953 the organization moved back to

Rising Sun Avenue; however, this time they met at 5400 Rising Sun Avenue. The organization

currently meets at 1285 Southampton Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Kolping Society has a mission statement and ideals. These guidelines

reflect its Catholic roots and its ideology which the society follows. The Philadelphia Kolping

Society’s Mission Statement is as follows:

We, the members of the Catholic Kolping Society of America, extend the vision of our founder, Blessed Adolph Kolping, by promoting the development of the individual family; we foster a sense of belonging and friendship through our program of spiritual, educational, charitable and social activities.203

The Philadelphia Kolping Society sponsors a number of events which focus on both the

family and church. For example, the organizations’ 2010 events are as follows: Communion

201 The 38th Annual German-American Steuben Parade and Celebration, September 27, 2008, Program.202 The Philadelphia Kolping Society is located at 1285 Southampton Road, Philadelphia, PA 19116.203 http://www.kolpingphilly.com/

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Breakfast, 85th Anniversary Banquet, Kolping Day, Trenton Thunder Baseball game and

barbeque, flea market, barbeque, golf outing, Wildwood Oktoberfest 2010, Haunted House, and

Christmas Party.204

The Immanuel German School205 is an organization that is devoted to preserving the

German language in the United States. The group was founded in 1975 as a means to educate the

children of the Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. The program has grown and now serves

children not only of the church, but also of the entire Philadelphia region. In 1991, the school

began offering adults the opportunity to learn German as well. The Immanuel German School,

commonly referred to as the Immanuel Sprachschule within the German-American community,

lists its mission as follows:

To provide German language and cultural instruction to children and adults, which will enable them to more fluently communicate in German and to better understand and appreciate German culture and traditions.206

The organization receives financial support from the following sources: the Federal

Republic of Germany, the Cannstatter Volkfest Verein, Concordia Trust, the Literary Society

Foundation, Profesorr Dr. Gerhard Kalmus and Mrs. Karin Kalmus, the Women’s Auxiliary of

the German Society of Pennsylvania, Germania Mannerchor, The International German-

American Police Association, and the Austrian-Ameircan Society of Pennsylvania.207

The Cannstatter Volkfest Verein (CVV)208 has its roots in the state of Baden

Württemberg, Germany. Many members of the club have their roots in Bad Cannstatt and

204 http://www.kolpingphilly.com/events2.htm205 Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 14100 Worthington Road, Philadelphia, PA 19116. The school is located in the Somerton section of Northeast Philadelphia.206 http://www.theimmanuelgermanschool.org/webdoc5.htm207 Ibid.208 The Cannstatter Volkfest Verein is located at 9130 Academy Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19114.

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Stuttgart. They also speak a dialect of German known as Swabian. The club was founded in

1873. The club claims that it hosts the oldest German Volksfest in the United States, with its

first dating back to the year of its founding, 1873.209 The club’s motto is Furchtlos und Treu,

which is German for “fearless and true.”

On September 24, 1873 several German businessmen met at the home of Louis Hartman,

located at 257 North Fifth Street in Philadelphia. The purpose of the meeting was to determine

the best way to keep up the Swabian lifestyle that they brought to Philadelphia from their

homeland. Two of the businessmen present were Godfrey Keebler and Christian Schmidt.

These businessmen were the founders of the famous Keebler Foods210 and the Christian Schmidt

Brewing Company.211 The former site of Christian Schmidt’s brewery in Philadelphia is today

called the Piazza at Schmidt’s, which houses apartments, a public courtyard, and several retail

businesses.

The businessmen decided to hold a festival on September 28th and 29th at Reistle’s Singer

Park in West Philadelphia. They then decided to adopt the name “Cannstatter Volkfest Verein.”

The organization donated a great deal of their earnings to charity, a practice that they have done

since they were founded, as they continue to do so today.

Some of the organizations that the Cannstatter Volkfest Verein has donated money to

over the years are: Christ Home for Children, Chapin Home for Aged Blind, Deutsche

Althenheimer Lawndale, Deutsches Hospital (Lakenau), Evangelical Home for the Aged,

German Baptist Home, Germantown Homeopatheic Hospital für Kinder, Jewish Hospital,

Kensington Dispensary, Little Sisters of the Poor, Lutheran Home for the Aged, Lutheran

Orphanage, Northern Home for Friendless Children, Old Men’s Home, Police Pension Fund,

209 Cannstatter Volkfest Verein, Fall 2009 newsletter, page 16-17210 http://investor.kelloggs.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=125307211 http://www.philaplace.org/story/319/

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Roswell Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, Samaritan Shelter, Seamen’s Society, Society for

Organized Charity, St. Agnes Hospital, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Women’s

Homeopathic Hospital, and St. Mary’s Hospital.

From 1873-1901, the members met at each other’s houses, or place of business. That all

changed when the organization purchased a property located at 542 North Fourth Street in

Philadelphia. They met at that location from 1901-1912. In 1912, they were able to move to a

larger facility, which was located at 1637 North Broad Street in Philadelphia. The club met at

the North Broad Street location until 1947, when it moved to the intersection of Academy and

Willit roads in Northeast Philadelphia, the place where the club still stands and meets today.212

The Cannstatter club is known for maintaining Old-World traditions. For example, it

holds a three day Oktoberfest celebration that takes place every Labor Day Weekend in

September. The club maintains the tradition of a Fruchtsaule, which is a fruit column. Each

year the fruit column is put together under the direction of Cannstatter member and director

Gustav Plankenhorn. The fruit column is made of real fruits and is a symbol of both architecture

and history.213

The concept of a Fruchtsaule dates back to 1818, when King Wilhelm I and Queen

Katharina of Württemberg gave their citizens a fruit column to celebrate the end of a period of

famine. Today, the citizens of Stuttgart celebrate every year with a festival, also building a

Fruchtsaule. Today’s festival is the second largest in Germany, second only to Munich’s

Oktoberfest. Whereas the Oktoberfest in Munich draws approximately six million people each

year, the Stuttgart festival known, as the Cannstatter Wassen, draws about five million people

212 Jean Barth Toll and Midlred S. Gillam, edited by. Invisible Philadelphia: Community through Voluntary Organizations (Philadelphia: Atwater Kent Museum, 1995), 89-90213 Cannstatter Volkfest Verein 125 Jubilaum. 125th Anniversary Program, 1997.

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each year. The Cannstatter Wassen festival runs 17 days long and is well known for its beer

tents, which can each serve up to 5,000 people at a time.214

The Cannstatter Volkfest Verein in Philadelphia does not draw nearly as large of a crowd

during its three-day festival. The organization has drawn over 10,000 in years past. The

Cannstatter club also maintains another Old World tradition, the Alt Weibermuhle. This is where

directors of the club dress up as millers and women dress up in traditional dirndl dresses. The

Alt Weibermuhle, also known as the Fountain of Youth, has older women of the Cannstatter walk

up the steps and wave to the crowd. The millers then have the women go down a slide to the

viewing public. However, to the surprise of the public, the older women do not appear; instead,

young girls in their late teens and early 20s come out of the slide.215

As some older members pass away, they contribute heavily to their club. In the 1990s,

when Fred Schill past away, he left $20,000 of his estate to the Cannstatter Volkfest Verein.

Fred Schill was a lifelong member, director, and officer of the club. He was also a lifelong

butcher employed by the Dietz and Watson Meat Packaging Company in Philadelphia.216

The Cannstatter Club is located in the heart of Northeast Philadelphia. It is accessible

near the Academy Road entrance of Route 95, and is also one block away from Frankford

Avenue. It draws thousands of German-Americans to its grounds during different events

throughout the calendar year. It also serves as a large catering facility for many different

functions. Being as it is such a popular facility in years passed many politicians have

campaigned on the club grounds. Previous mayors of Philadelphia Frank Rizzo and Wilson

Goode have campaigned at the Cannstatter as they have sought after the German-American vote.

On one occasion Frank Rizzo criticized Wilson Goode’s record as Philadelphia’s Managing

214 http://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/ENG/events_freetime_culture/beer-festival.htm215 Cannstatter Oktoberfest Program, September 2009.216 Cannstatter Volkfest Verein 125 Juilaium. 125th Anniversary Program, 1997.

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Director. Rizzo stated that as Managing Director Goode was in charge of the city’s ten operating

departments, including streets and sanitation. Rizzo stated that “In my long life in Philadelphia I

have never seen such filthy, dirty streets.”217

The Cannstatter Volkfest Verein, like other German-American clubs in the region, have a

challenge ahead of them for the twenty-first century. As German immigration to the United

States has come to a standstill, and as older German-born members pass away, leadership and

keeping the traditions rest increasingly on American-born members of the organization. It is also

facing a demographic shift, with older members passing away and with few younger members

becoming active in the organization.218

The United German Hungarian Club (UGH)219 is perhaps one of the most unique among

the organizations. The members of this particular organization have their roots not in Germany,

but, as the name suggests, in Eastern Europe. The founders of this club originated from the

Banat region of Hungary.220 The origins of the organization date back to July 6, 1906 with the

founding of the Banater Arbeiter-Verein in Philadelphia. The name translated, literally means

“Banater Workers Organization.” This group had a choral group; however, due to an unknown

internal disagreement, it had been suspended from the group on November 13, 1910. The

internal troubles of these two groups is what precipitated this separation. 221

On November 16, 1910, only three days after being suspended from the Banater

Arbeiter-Verein, the choral group met to form a new organization. They created a temporary

board of directors, who were to serve provisionally for the first three months. These eight men,

217 Carol Horner, Russell Cooke “Goode and Rizzo Work Some Friendly Crowds” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 17, 1983.218 Cannstatter Volkfest Verein 125 Juilaium. 125th Anniversary Program, 1997.219 The United German Hungarian Club is located at 4666 Bristol Road in Oakford, Pennsylvania 19053.220 The United German Hungarian Club 80th Anniversary Book, March 31, 1990.221 The United German Hungarian Club 80th Anniversary Book, March 31, 1990.

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the founders of the organization, included Peter Schock (President), Nicholas Koppel (Vice-

President), Sigmund Gertheisz (Recording and Corresponding Secretary), Anton Roth

(Treasurer), John Slawak (Librarian), and three trustees, John Giel, Vitus Willem, and John

Friedrich.222

The group wasted no time and had their first singing rehearsal on November 23, 1910 at

Fred Schnabel’s, a saloon located at the corner of Germantown Avenue and Oxford Street in

Philadelphia. The group soon merged with another organization called the Vereinogte Arbeiter

Gesangverein von Nordost Staaten, the United Workers’ Singing Societies of the North-Eastern

States. They then adopted the name “Banater,” and were allowed to meet at the Maennerchore

Rheingold’s hall located at Eighth Street and Columbia Avenue. As of the December 9, 1910

Founders’ Day Festival, there was a total of 72 singers (active members), along with 357 other

men. The Ladies Choir had 36 members, and an additional 265 members of its social wing.223

As time went on, the Banater club grew, whereas the Rheingold had suffered membership

problems. As a result, the Banater purchased the hall located at Eighth and Columbia from the

Rheingold group, and many of the Rheingold members then joined the Banater club.

In 1911, the Banater, which was known for its singing, added an educational component

to its mission. It adopted a school wing of their organization. Soon young German-Americans

were taught the German language, math, sciences, mechanical drawing (for boys) and

embroidery (for girls). As singing was still at the heart of the Banater organization, a children’s

choir was started in order to maintain the traditions of the culture.224

In May of 1911, the women’s choir, the Damenchor, was disbanded due to poor

attendance. However, in 1912 a new women’s choir was established under the name Banater

222 The United German Hungarian Club 50th Anniversary Book, February 7, 1960.223 Ibid.224 The United German Hungarian Club 50th Anniversary Book, February 7, 1960.

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Frauen-chor. In 1915, the Banater Frauen-chor had disbanded, for the same reasons of poor

attendance.225

As World War I ended, the stress and challenges that the German-American community

had experienced was soon recovering. On December 10, 1922 the club created an athletic wing

to its organization. The Banater Athletic Club was organized. With a growing membership, the

club purchased a new hall located at 2007-13 North Second Street for $26,000. The old hall,

located at Eighth and Columbia, would be transferred over to the Banater Mannerchor. The

calendar year of 1923-1924 had the club with a new membership of 65 active male singers, and

820 social members. Sports included baseball, bowling, boxing, golf, gym, soccer, and softball.

On June 21, 1939, a five-man committee that would later become known as the

Volksversammlung (People’s Meeting) decided to incorporate all German-Hungarians in the

Philadelphia area into one organization. Later on June 29th of that year, a general membership

meeting was called and the name of the United German-Hungarians of Philadelphia and Vicinity

was suggested. On October 24, 1939, the new united organization was official.

During the 1940s the United German Hungarians had several events that would bring

about a resurgence in their home in Europe. Events included “A Night in Budapest,” “A Night

in Vienna,” and “Gypsy Melody Night.” As a result of such interesting and successful events, a

monthly newsletter was published starting in January of 1946. The newsletter was called the

“Monthly News,” which today has been renamed “Monthly Progress.”226

In 1946, the group purchased a portion of land in the Oakford section of Bensalem

Township, Bucks County for $5,000. The organization would then spend an additional $22,000

making improvements to the land. At this time the group remained at their primary hall located

225 Ibid.226 The United German Hungarian Club 50th Anniversary Book, February 7, 1960.

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at 2007-13 North Second Street in Philadelphia, having renovated the hall in 1947 at a cost of

$60,000.

The year of 1950 was a special occasion in regards to the soccer segment of the club.

This was the first time that a European soccer team would play the United German Hungarian

soccer team in the United States. The Hamburg Sport Club came to the United States and

enjoyed a great game of soccer, followed by a reception and dinner. 227

As the organization also served a charity towards its members, it opened up a new

segment of the club, under the name the American-German-Hungarian Welfare Society of

Philadelphia (Amerikanisch-Deutsch-Ungarische Hilfgesellschaft von Philadelphia).

In 1962 the United German Hungarians moved from their Philadelphia location to the

present Oakford property. Rudy Rack, a member, stated that “in the interim, economic and

ethnic changes dictated that our city premises be abandoned and our efforts be centered on the

development of our suburban location.” On January 29th and 30th of 1966 a weekend of

festivities celebrated the new “modern club facilities” in Oakford. There was a special

recognition given to the architect of the grounds, Oskar Joseph Udel, who would tell the

members “I hope that you will share many happy hours in your New Building and I hope that

your children will do the same.”

Although a fire destroyed the new clubhouse on February 4, 1973, the membership united

together to rebuild the property. Three months after the fire, the organization was back on its

feet in their rebuilt building.

The United German Hungarian Club hosts a number of activities which are authentic to

their ancestral homeland. They host an annual Kirchweihfest, which is a festival of dance. The

organization’s Schuhplatter group performs traditional Austrian, German, and Hungarian 227 Ibid.

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dances.228 This is a dance group that distinguishes itself from other dance groups in the area. It

has participated in national competitions and has a reputation for its excellence.

Soccer is at the center of activity and discussions for many members of the United

German Hungarian Club. In years past, former President of the United German Hungarian Club

Werner Fricker, a German-Hungarian who was born in the former Yugoslavia was a member of

the 1964 U.S. national soccer team. Later, Fricker served as president and vice president of the

U.S. Soccer Federation. It was under his leadership that the United States was able to be host of

the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Fricker had attempted to push for the World Cup to be hosted at

twelve host cities, including Philadelphia. He believed that twelve cities, including Philadelphia

were foundations for professional soccer. Later, only nine cities were chosen, and Fricker stated

that “it was a major mistake, made for economic reasons.” Fricker passed away in 2001, but

friends and members of the United German Hungarian Club will always remember their soccer

hero.229

The United German Hungarian Club hosted the Landestreffen 2010. Landestreffen is

held annually in the United States and Canada by a different organization. Sponsored by the

Danube Swabian Foundation of the United States, it was a three day festival that was held from

August 6th-August 8th of 2010. The clubs that are participating in this festival that is devoted to

Donauschwaben tradition are the Chicago Donauschwaben, Cleveland Donauschwaben,

Donauschwaebische Vereinigung von Suedkalifornien, Kitchener Schwaben Club, Carpathia

Club, Cincinnati Donauschwaben, American Aid Society of German Descendants, Philadelphia

228http://www.ughclub.us/229 Mike Jensen, “Werner Fricker of Horsham, brought World Cup to U.S.” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 3, 2001.

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Donauschwaben, Trenton Donauschwaben, German Family Society of Akron, Ohio, and the

German Cultural Society.230

The Landestreffen of 2010 that was held at the United German Hungarian Club also

included a historical exhibit as part of its agenda. The exhibit featured information and antique

items of the Donauschwaben past such as dresses, photographs, letters, and survivors. The

exhibit was setup in remembrance of those who suffered under the Soviet invasion and

occupation of their lands. Survivor Mitzi Pak who was ten years old when her family had to flee

the Communist soldiers recalled a militia of Communists entering her home and placing a

bayonet up against their throats. Pak, a native of the Tatra Mountain region of modern-day

Slovakia believes that the sufferings of the Donauschwaben people must be remembered and told

to everyone.231

The Vereinigung Erzgebirge (VE)232 has their roots in the state of Saxony, Germany.

More specifically, the club has its origins in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountain) region of Saxony.

The Erzgebirge is a mountain range which currently serves as the border between Germany and

the Czech Republic.

On August 30, 1931, eight Saxon-born immigrants met at the Kensington Labor Lyceum

located at 2nd and Cambria streets in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. These eight men

decided to create an association of “Erzgebirglers.” Their goal was that “We wish to bring into

being the furtherance of mutual assistance in time of sickness and other needs and do so in

unison through social entertainment and congenial get-together.” The men formed a provisional

board of directors that included Richard Bitterlich (President), Max Graupner (Treasurer), Erich

Haase (Secretary), Arthur Hoffmann (Trustee). Other leaders within the group included Paul

230 Landestreffen der Donauschwaben USA und Kanada 2010 Program.231 Interview with Mitzi Pak.232 The Vereinigung Erzgebirge is located at 130 Davisville Road in Warminster, Pennsylvania 18974.

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Walter, George Loeffler, Bruno Loeffler, and Karl Uhlig. The provisional board agreed to plan

their next meeting on September 10, 1931. They then planned a picnic on September 27th at

Gross’ Farm.233

In July of 1932, the club purchased the land where it is currently located. The club

named the property (the German name of) “Waldesrauschen,” at the recommendation of Erich

Hasse which, translated into English means “Whispering Woods.” The club chose a logo

consisting of three evergreen trees on three hills, with the letters V.E. at the bottom. This club is

derived from the club’s “sister” town in Germany, Thalheim im Erzgebirge. They chose this

town because a majority of the members were born in and around Thalheim. The name

“Vereinigung Erzgebirge” was recommended by Albein Reichel and was approved by the board

of directors. The name translated literally means “Association Erzgebirge.”

According to the current (1988) Constitution and By-laws, the club has six specific

purposes. The Constitution indicates that the purpose of the society is:

1. To foster social activities and mutual support for the general welfare of the membersand their families.2. To maintain the habits and customs of our forefathers.3. To nurture the German language.4. To foster all athletics and sports.5. To foster choral singing.6. Under all circumstances to avoid participation by the Society in partisan political orreligious matters.234

The V.E. club was founded in order to offer its members help in case of medical

emergencies. For tax purposes, the medical benefits portion of the club has since broken off to

form a separate organization. The organization is still in existence today and is called the

“Saechsischer Verein für Krankenhilfe.” The organization is currently led by former V.E.

233 Vereinigung Erzgebirge, 40 Jahre: 1931-1971. (40th Anniversary Program)234 Vereinigung Erzgebirge, 1988 Constitution and By-laws.

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President Klaus Bernhardt. In order to receive medical benefits, one must join the organization

and contribute yearly dues.

The Vereinigung Erzgebirge retains a few traditions that come from the Erzgebirge

region of eastern Germany. Each year around Christmas time, the club hosts a Lichtelabend.

This is an evening in which club members share their handmade Christmas ornaments. The

wood-carved smoking ornaments are native to the Erzgebirge region. The club also hosts an

annual Feuerzangenbowle night in January of each year. This is a traditional German alcoholic

drink, which is famous for the winter season. It is also a traditional drink of student fraternities

who during the nineteenth century called it Krambambuli. The drink is prepared in a bowl which

is heated by a flame. The bowl contains a wine with a concoction of fruit, more specifically

cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peels. At the top of the bowl lies a sugar cone. Rum

(Bacardi 151) is poured on top of the sugar cone, it is lit on fire, and the flames nearly reach the

ceiling. The end result is a delicious heated wine which is served throughout the evening. The

concoction is still famous today, and it is served on the streets of Germany and at Christmas

markets.235

The Vereinigung Erzgebirge is a significant German-American organization in the

Philadelphia region. It has a piece of history that no other organization has, and that is a piece of

the Berlin Wall. Although members and guests of the V.E. club are aware that a piece of the

Berlin Wall exists on the club property many area residents have no idea of its presence as it is

hidden from public view. According to Al Taubenberger “that must change, it should be more

known because it is truly something special.”236 The monument which lies at the entrance to the

club’s building is dedicated to the reunification of Germany, which occurred on October 3, 1990.

235 The “Waldesrauschen” Calender of the Vereinigung Erzgebirge, Volume LIX, January 2010, No 1.236 Bonnie L. Cook, “How Bucks got part of the Berlin Wall,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 9, 2009.

92

The club was able to obtain this piece of the Berlin Wall through a donation by the Steuben

Society of America’s Pastorious Unit Number 38. The club also gives credit to the City of

Berlin, the Steuben Day Observance Committee, and Lufthansa Airlines. The monument’s

ceremony and dedication took place on the grounds of the club on November 17, 1991.237 The

Berlin Wall monument has a plaque which reads:

The Berlin Wall:Built – August 13, 1961 – 46 kilometers through the

heart of Berlin28 years the symbol of the “Iron Curtain”188 brutally murdered attempting escape

Thousands imprisoned for seeking freedomTens of thousands of families torn apartBreached by a people yearning to be free

-November 9, 1989-Donated by the Pastorious Unit No. 38

Steuben Society of America238

The Berlin Wall monument is marred by graffiti. The graffiti is the original that was

painted by people on the West Berlin side of the wall. The portion of the wall that faced East

Berlin has no traces of graffiti or other human damage as that side of the wall was patrolled

237 Ibid.238 These are the words that are on a plaque that is located right next to the Berlin Wall Monument on the grounds of the Vereinigung Erzgebirge in Warminster, PA.

93

heavily by the East German authorities. The Berlin Wall monument located on the grounds of

the Vereinigung Erzgebirge is pictured below.239

The Vereinigung Erzgebirge, having such a large portion of land, has been the victim of

vandalism over the years. In the past, the bungalows that are privately owned by members have

been spray painted, and windows have been broken. However, on April 2, 2010, the V.E. club

made headline news across the Philadelphia region. The club was struck by vandals who caused

damage that amounted to over $100,000. The vandalism occurred in the rear of the property at

the swimming pool. The pool’s filtration system was destroyed and the pool house was damaged

inside. The vandals spray painted “NaZi llamas” on the wall. The tennis courts that are located

adjacent to the pool were Molotov-cocktailed, causing extensive damage to the cement

239 Picture taken by Richard Thieme.

94

pavement. The Warminster Police Department investigated the vandalism; however, they have

made no arrests and have no leads.240

A controversial decision by Warminster Police Chief Michael Murphy was not to

consider the acts of vandalism as a hate crime. This decision has sparked debate and resentment

within the community. Two local newspapers, the Bucks County Courier Times and the The

Intelligencer both have online forums which allow readers to comment on the news articles. A

review of the forum of the acts of vandalism reveals negative reaction towards Police Chief

Michael Murphy. One reader with the screen name “Fireman Dave,” wrote that “How is this not

a hate crime when the word Nazi and the swastika used to offend and intimidate people of

German heritage, many who fled Germany as the Nazis took power?” Another reader,

“Hedyhindy,” wrote “If this was on a synagogue it'd be on every tv station and would certainly

be a HATE crime!”241

The Vereinigung Erzgebirge, like the United German Hungarian Club, also is dedicated

to soccer. According to team manager Tony Koller, “The club’s passion has always been soccer,

and German ancestry isn’t required for that. About half the team does have some Teutonic

blood, but the rest includes about four Irish, one Lithuanian, one Italian, and one Hungarian.”242

The club has many teams, including a boy’s team consisting of seventeen year-olds who make a

trip to Germany every summer. The motto of the boy’s team that traveled to Germany during the

summer of 2010 was “Freundschaft durch Fussball,” which translated into English means

“Friendship through Soccer.”

240 Bill Devlin, “German club target of vandals,” Bucks County Courier Times, April 9 and 10, 2010.241http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times/courier_times_news_details/article/28/2010/april/09/german-club-target-of-vandals.html242 Mike Jensen, “Soccer’s Keepers of Flame the Ethnic Game Isn’t Dead. A German Club is Proving It.” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 17, 1997.

95

The future of the Vereinigung Erzgebirge is uncertain. As German immigrants have

generally ceased coming to the United States, the organization will have to rely on membership

from within the United States. President John “Jay” Bitterlich stated that “people from Thalheim

and the Erzgebirge region started coming to Philadelphia in order to train Americans in the art of

the machine shop. A group of them met socially in the Kensington Labor Lyceum. They bought

a parcel of land in Warminster, and made this the center of their social community. Today there

is little, if any German immigration to America. It is only a matter of time that this club is no

longer going to be German in nature.”243

What is unique about the German-American organizations in the Philadelphia region is

that they each maintain a tradition that was unique to their ancestral region of Europe. The

Cannstatter Volkfest Verein maintains the Fruchtsaule and Alt Weibermuhle, the United German

Hungarians maintain Kirchweihfest and Landestreffen, and the Vereinigung Erzgebirge

maintains Lichtelabend and Feuerzangenbowle.

243 Interview with John “Jay” Bitterlich.

96

Chapter VI: Conclusion“It used to be that when asked about my ethnic background I would say, ‘My family is from

Germany.’ Now I reply, ‘I’m German-American.’ The difference? Now my heart is involved.”244

- Jane Wagoner, 2008-

The material covered in the preceding chapters presented a chronological history of the

Germanic peoples. It began with the first written record of the Germanic tribes which was

Germania by Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus. It ended with a case-study of German-

Americans and German-American fraternal organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region.

There is no doubt that Germans have made their mark on Western history. They played a

major role in the decline and eventual collapse of the Roman Empire. They influenced the

course of history with the Holy Roman Empire and the many institutions that were created

during that time. There was development in education with the rise of universities and

healthcare with the creation of hospitals. During the Reformation they were able to question and

ultimately stand up to the Roman Catholic Church, although the aftermath known as the Thirty

Years War devastated and divided the German-speaking regions of Central Europe.

Some left Europe and created communities in every corner of the globe. They have stood

at the forefront of the educational, medical, and social developments in modern times. Although

they have lost a great deal of its population and pride in two world wars during the twentieth

century, they have managed to rebuild.

Germany today is also facing a number of severe challenges. The primary challenge that

awaits Germany are its demographic changes. Germany has one of the lowest birthrates in the

world. It also has a growing Muslim population with immigrants primarily from Turkey

becoming ever more visible across the nation. 244 Jane Wagoner, “Trip brings Ancestors to Life,” in This is My Story: German Life Readers Share Their Thoughts and experiences of being German-American. (La Valle, MD: Zeitgeist Publishing Inc., 2008), 255.

97

In 2006, Germany had the fewest number of births in any year since the close of the

Second World War. More specifically, the former East Germany had the lowest birthrate ever

calculated, with a low of 0.77 children per female.245 A population of 2.1 children per female is

needed to sustain a culture. The city of Chemnitz (the former Karl Marx Stadt during the reign

of Communist East Germany) is known to have recorded the lowest birthrate for any city in the

world.246 These low birthrates are in accordance with the sociological concept of a

“demographic winter,” which leads to the disappearance of a particular culture.

While researching and writing this thesis, significant information was discovered that

proved to be most interesting and perhaps worthy of future scholarship. These areas include the

similarities and differences with German and Irish immigration patterns, settlement in the United

States, and assimilation into the American way of life.

Other areas include other smaller German-American organizations, particularly in the

Philadelphia region. Although Chapter 5 “The Philadelphia Story” focused on the three largest

organizations, there are many other smaller organizations that are worthy of study. Such

organizations include the Vereinigung der Donauschwaben, which is a Philadelphia-based

organization that is associated with Danube Swabian Foundation of the U.S.A. Other

organizations located in the Philadelphia region include the International German-American

Police Association (IGAPA) and the German-American Firefighters Association (GAFA).

One thing that was unable to be proven is the demographic correlations that exist in the German-

American community. If one attends an event such as an Oktoberfest, an annual banquet, the

Steuben Parade, a Sunday dinner, or even a Friday night in the Ratskeller,247 one will see that the

245 “Demographic Downfall: Fewer Germans in the World, says report,” Der Spiegel, March 15, 2006.246 “No Brakes on Germany’s Population Freefall,” Deutsche Welle, August 17, 2006.247 A Ratskeller is a German bar that is usually found in the basement of a Rathaus, or city hall. Although also used to describe a basement bar. Also spelt Rathskeller.

98

German-American community is largely made up of senior citizens. In order to survive, the

community will have to modernize and branch out to attract younger people to use their

facilities. If they fail to do so, it is only a matter of time until the last Oktoberfest will take place

on the grounds of these facilities.

As German immigrants in the United States created regional fraternal organizations they

have had many successful and enjoyable memories. Their stories are ones that should be passed

down to future generations. However, the leaders of these fraternal organizations all face

challenges in the twenty-first century. As some organizations suffer economic shortfalls,

perhaps other fraternal organizations should be there to support them. Although their forefathers

were unable to unite into one organization due to regionalism, it is their children and

grandchildren that should attempt to unite into one large, multi-regional organization in order to

best preserve the culture, heritage, and traditions of their ancestors.

As Carl Schurz, perhaps one of the most famous German-Americans had once stated, “I

have always been in favor of a healthy Americanization, but that does not mean a complete

disavowal of our German heritage.” It is with these words of wisdom that everyone should

remember their ancestral Heimatland!248

248Heimatland is a German term for homeland.

99

Appendix A: Chronology of German HistoryYear:

Prehistoric Times

Roman Times

109 B.C.

9 A.D.

(circa) 100 A.D.

400-500

486

530

771

800

843

919-1024

1024-1125

1084

1096

1122

1138-1254

Events:

Evidence of Neanderthal man and traces of stone, bronze, and iron-age settlements across modern-day Germany.

Roman remains in Augsburg, Cologne, Mainz, Passau, Regensburg, and Trier.

Confederation of the Cimbri, Teutoni, and Helvetii is formed.

German barbarians under the command of Hermann (Arminius) slaughter three entire Roman legions in the Teutoberg Forest in Germany.

Roman historian Tacitus writes Germania. This is the first written description of the Germanic peoples.

Invading Barbarian tribes (Visigoths, Vandals, and Huns) invaded and weakened the Roman Empire.

Clovis defeats the last Roman governor in Gaul. The Merovingian monarchy, which united the Frankish Empire with the Alemanni, Saxons, and Bavarians.

Pope Boniface II is consecrated. He is the first Germanic Pope.

Charlemagne becomes king and extends Frankish power.

Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas Day.

Treaty of Verdun.

The Saxon dynasty rule Germany.

Century of the Salian emperors.

First record of a Jewish walled ghetto in Speyer.

The German Crusade.

Concordat of Worms .

Reign of Frederick I “Barbarossa.”

100

Year:

1170 (circa)

1250 (circa)

1254

1348-1350

1358

1365-1502

1376

1450-1500

1450-1600

1455

1499

1500

1517-1670

1529

1531

Events:

The first German version of the Tristan and Isolde legend comes about.

Approximately 3,000 towns exist in Germany proper.

Establishment of the Rhenish League.

The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) hits Europe and Germany. Thousands die; villages become empty.

Establishment of the Hanseatic League.

Universities established in German lands. (Vienna, 1365) (Heidelberg, 1386)(Leipzig, 1409)(Tubingen, 1477) and (Wittenberg, 1502).

Establishment of the Swabian League.

The population of Germany begins to increase to 16 million.

The Renaissance sweeps through Italy and the rest of Europe. The Europeans seek a renewed sense of their past.

Italian humanist Poggio Bracciolini rediscovers Tacitus’ Germania, and has it published in Italy.

Peace of Basel/Switzerland breaks away from the German Empire.

The political map of the “Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation” becomes complex. It is transformed into a patchwork of dynastic and ecclesiastical territories. Also prevalent were Imperial free cities and the lands of independent Imperial knights.

The Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation transform European society.

Siege of Vienna.

League of Schmalkalden is formed.

101

Year:

1541

1543-1564

1552

1555

1618-1648

1648

1683

1714

1740-1748

1756-1763

1806

1807

1812

1813

1814-1815

1828

1834

1835

1840

1848

Events:

Diet of Regensburg.

The Council of Trent.

Peace of Passau.

Peace of Augsburg.

The Thirty Years’ War

Peace of Westphalia.

Battle of Vienna.

The ruler of Hanover becomes the King of Great Britain.

The War of Austrian Succession.

Seven Years’ War.

Napoleon creates the Confederation of the Rhine (Rheinbund).

Peace of Tilsit/Serfdom is abolished.

The Brothers Grimm is published.

The Austrian/Prussian/Russian Alliance defeats Napoleon at Leipzig.

Congress of Vienna.

Bavaria and Württemberg form a Customs Union.

The German Customs Union is formed (Deutscher Zollverein).

First rail line begins operation from Nuremberg to Furth.

First kindergarten is opened by Frobel.

The failed German Revolution.

102

Year:

1862

1863

1866

1867

1869

1870

1871

1878

1881

1883-1889

1886

1914-1918

1918

1918

1919-1924

1919-1933

1933

1933-1945

Events:

Otto von Bismarck becomes minister-president of Prussia. As a result Prussia dominates northern Germany.

Formation of Lasalle’s General German Workingmen’s Association (Allgemeine Deutsche Arbeiterverein).

Austro-Prussian War; Battle of Konigratz.

Prussia establishes the North German Confederation.

The Vereinstag deutscher Arbeiterverein (Federation of German Workingmen’s Associations) is transformed into the Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei (Social Democratic Workers’ Party).

Franco-Prussian War.

The southern German states of Bavaria, Baden, and Württemberg (allied with Prussia) agree to join a larger federal structure, a German empire, rather than remain isolated and economically dependent on their much more powerful north neighbor. This is German unification.

Congress of Berlin.

The Three Emperors ‘Alliance is formed (German, Austria, and Russia).

Institution of Bismarck’s social insurance programs. (sickness, 1883) (accident, 1884) and (Old Age/Disability, 1889).

The engine is designed by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler.

The Great War/World War I.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

The Versailles Treaty.

Germany suffers an economic depression.

The Weimar Republic.

Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor.

The Third Reich era.

103

Year:

1938

1939

1945

1945-1990

1949

1951

1957

1961

1990

1993

1999

2002

2003

2005

2006

Events:

The Anschluss (annexation of Austria).

Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact (Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact).

Germany loses World War II. Germany is occupied by the Allies.

Germany is divided into East and West.

The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) joins the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC)

West Germany enters the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the Council of Europe.

Treaty of Rome is signed. West Germany becomes a founder member of the European Economic Community (EEC).

Guest workers (Gastarbeiter) enter Germany primarily from Turkey.

Germany reunification.

Germany signs the Maastricht Treaty and joins the European Union.

German troops fight with NATO in Yugoslavia.

The Euro replaces the Deutsch Mark.

German troops participate in the War on Terror. Troops deployed to Afghanistan.

Pope Benedict XVI is consecrated.

Angela Merkel becomes the first female chancellor and head of the German government.

104

Appendix B: Chronology of German-American History

Year:

1608

1633

1683

1688

1689

1690

1694

1701

1702

1719

1727

1730

1732

1733

1738

1742

1743

1759

Events:

German settlers arrive at Jamestown, Virginia on the Mary and Margaret.

First publication that invites Germans to come to America.

German Mennonites arrive in Philadelphia. They establish the Germantown settlement.

Germantown residents protest slavery.

Germantown is officially incorporated. Franz Daniel Pastorius becomes the Burgomeister.

America’s first papermill is established in Germantown by William Rittinghausen (Rittenhouse).

Johann Kelpius forms a brotherhood of mystics in Philadelphia.

Germantown holds its first fair.

The first German-American school is established in Germantown.

German Baptist Dunkards arrive in Germantown.

There are an estimated 20,000 Germans living in Pennsylvania.

Benjamin Franklin publishes a series of German songs.

The Philadelphische Zeitung is published. It is America’s first German language newspaper.

The Schwenkfelders arrive in Philadelphia from Silesia.

Christoph Saur opens his shop in Philadelphia.

Moravians establish the town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It is led by Count von Zinzendorf.

Christoph Saur prints the first Bible in a European language in America.

Michael Hillegas opens the first music store in America.

105

Events:

The German Society of Pennsylvania is founded.

The first planetarium in America is opened by David Rittenhouse.

The Declaration of Independence appears in the Staatesbote.

Baron von Steuben trains the Continental Army.

Baron von Steuben’s Blue Book is completed.

Frederick A. Muhlenberg becomes the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Signs the Bill of Rights.

Rittenhouse becomes director of the U.S. Mint.

German-Americans fight in the War of 1812.

German-Americans adopt the Christmas Tree across the nation.

There are 500 plus German language schools across the United States, making it the largest of all languages.

The Pittsburgh Conference gathers and is the first national conference of German-Americans.

Maximilian Schaefer opens the first lager beer brewery in the United States.

Many “Forty-Eighters” immigrate to the United States.

The famous painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware is painted by Emmanuel Leutze.

German-Americans fight on both sides of the Civil War. The Union Army is 25% German-American.

The German-American Bicentennial meets in Philadelphia.

Ellis Island opens. Many German immigrants begin their new life in the United States here.

Members of the German-American Alliance demonstrate against intervening in the war in Europe.

The United States declares war on Germany. Anti-Germanic sentiment develops across the United States.

Year:

1764

1767

1776

1778

1779

1789

1792

1812

1830s

1834

1835

1846

1848

1851

1861

1883

1892

1914

1917

106

Events:

The first known lynching of a German-American (Robert Prager) occurs in Collinsville, Illinois.

The Steuben Society is formed.

There is an increase in Germanic immigration to the United States to escape the political conditions of Hitler’s Germany.

Germany and the United States are at war. There is an increase of anti-German sentiment within the United States.

Many Germans comes to the United States to escape the war-shattered Germany.

Wernher von Braun begins work on the U.S. Space Program.

Dwight D. Eisenhower; a German-American becomes President of the United States.

The German-American National Congress is formed.

President John F. Kennedy delivers his famous speech at the Berlin Wall.

The United German-American Committee is formed.

The United States Census confirms that German-Americans are the largest ethnic group in the nation.

The German-American Tricentennial is celebrated throughout the United States.

President Ronald Reagan declares October 6th to be German-American Day.

The German-American Joint Action Committee is formed.

German-Americans celebrate the reunification of Germany.

German-Americans celebrate the 400th anniversary of German settlers at Jamestown.

The German-American Heritage Foundation opens in Washington D.C.

Year:

1918

1919

1933

1941

1945

1950

1952

1958

1963

1977

1980

1983

1987

1988

1990

2008

2010

107

Appendix C: Chronology of German-American Internment

Events:

The Alien Enemy Sedition Act is signed into law.

The Alien Enemy Act of 1798 is used. The Executive branch is given full authority over the treatment of enemy aliens.

U.S. Census data is used to identify people of suspected enemy ancestry.

The United States is at war with the Axis Powers.

Internment of German, Italian, and Japanese backgrounds begin.

World War II is over; the Allied Powers are victorious.

The last German internee is released from Ellis Island.

Congress creates the Commission on Wartime and Relocation and Internment of Civilians board. It hears only cases of Japanese internment. It does not look into the internment of German-Americans and Italian-Americans.

The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 is passed. It acknowledged injustices to Japanese-Americans for the manner in which they were treated during the World War II era. It does not acknowledge European-Americans who suffered injustices as well.

Congress looks into passing the Wartime Treatment Study. It gives German-Americans hope that one day the American government will apologize for the treatment that they received during the World War II era. Thus far it has not happened.

Year:

1798

1918

1940

1941

1942

1945

1948

1980

1988

2005

108

Appendix D: Christmas Day Declaration:Men and Women of German Ancestry!249

At this season in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, we Americans of German descent raise our voices in denunciation of the Hitler policy of cold-blooded extermination of the Jews of Europe and against the barbarities committed by the Nazis against all other innocent peoples under their sway.

These horrors are but a prelude to further infamies by the doomed Nazi system of government. And, while they concern all free men, they are, in particular, a challenge to those who, like ourselves, are descendants of the Germany that once stood in the foremost ranks of civilization.

They are a challenge to us because we know these barbarities to be part of a systematic campaign to corrupt the soul of Germany. A sinister purpose of these outrages is to commit the German people so deeply that they will not revolt against their tyrants for fear of the inevitable day of reckoning. For Hitler is creating a deep loathing of all things German in the heart of mankind.

We, who remember the righteousness and honor of our parents and our grandparents, to whom the oppression of the weak and helpless was a deadly sin, retain the faith that millions of Germans in the Third Reich are stirred to the depths of their souls by these crimes and will, when the hour comes, join with us to end them.

We say to them: that hour has struck!We call on the German people to return to the virtues of their forefathers and the honor of

their greatest leaders.We call on them to overthrow a regime which is the infamy of German history.We remind them of the mercy and forgiveness that are present in the hearts of peoples for

those who turn against evil.We recall to their minds words that they once learned in their school books by Ernst

Moritz Arndt: “He who writes against tyranny is holy, and he who tames the arrogant serves the Lord.”

We summon them to heed and fear the rising gorge and contempt of the peoples, and by risks and dangers taken now, in sundering themselves from the criminals, to secure for their children and children’s children their ancient honorable position in the family of mankind.

Reverently we pray to God to enlighten the German people and to grant to all nations to act with justice and to serve his cause in ending the martyrdom of men and bringing peace and freedom to all.

We, Americans of German descent, utterly repudiate every thought and deed of Hitler and his Nazis. Other Americans must know where we, and you, stand.

ADD YOUR NAME TO OURS!Join us in speaking out to our fellow Americans, to the German people and to the World.

249 “Christmas Declaration: Men and Women of German Ancestry!” The New York Times, December 28, 1942.

109

Appendix E: Chronology of National Organizations

\

Appendix F: Origins of Organizations in Europe

Map:

Events:

The Order of the Sons of Hermann is founded in New York City.

The cornerstone for the Hermann monument is laid in New Ulm, Minnesota.

The Hermann monument is dedicated in New Ulm, Minnesota.

The National German-American Alliance is founded in Philadelphia.

The National German-American Alliance is disbanded by Congress.

The Steuben Society of America if founded.

The German-American National Congress (DANK) is founded.

The first chapter of the German-American Congress is formed in Chicago.

The German-American Heritage Foundation is formed.

The first chapter of the German-American Heritage Foundation is formed in Pennsylvania.

The Institute for German-American Relations (IGAR) is formed.

The German-American Internee Coalition is formed.

The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA opens its museum in Washington D.C.

Year:

1840

1888

1897

1901

1917

1919

1958

1959

1977

1978

1983

2005

2010

110

Appendix F: Origins of Organizations in Europe

Map:

Key:Bayerischer Volkfest Verein =

Cannstatter Volkfest Verein =

United German Hungarian Club =

Vereinigung der Donauschwaben =

Vereinigung Erzgebirge =

111

Appendix G: German-American Organizations in the Greater Philadelphia Region

Bayerischer Volkfest VereinCannstatter Volkfest VereinCannstatter Frauen-VereinCatholic Kolping SocietyDamenchor Wald-EchoFirst German Sport Club Phoenix Franklinville-Schwarzwald MannerchorGerman-American CommitteeGerman-American Firefighters AssociationGerman-American National CongressGerman-American Police AssociationGerman-American Society, TrentonGerman Society of PennsylvaniaGerman-American Tricentenntial BikersGermania CamdenG.T.V. AlmrauschG.T.V. Edelweiss, ReadingHermann-Humboldt LodgeImmanuel SprachschuleLancaster LiederkranzLiberty Bell Wanderers Netzwerk PhiladelphiaSteuben Day Observance Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity, Inc.Steuben Society Number 38The John Peter Zenger Law SocietyTiroler Benficial SocietyUnited German-HungariansVereinigung der Donauschwaben, PhiladelphiaVereinigung der Donauschawben, TrentonVereinigung Erzgebirge

112

Appendix H: “Photographs of German-American Philadelphia, 2010”

Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Steuben Parade of PhiladelphiaStatue at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA.

Cannstatter Volkfest Verein United German Hungarian Club

Vereinigung Erzgebirge Vereinigung der Donauschwaben

113

Bayerischer Volksfest Verein First German Sport Club Phoenix

German-American Firefighters Association German-American Police Association

Philadelphia Kolping Society Immanuel German School

114

The German Society of Pennsylvania“Connecting the Old World with the New, Since 1764”

115

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Faust, Albert Bernhardt. The German Element in the United States:With Special Reference to itsPolitical, Moral, Social, and Educational Influence, Volumes I and II. New York:Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1909.

Fogleman, Aaron Spencer. Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and PoliticalCulture in Colonial America, 1717-1775. Philadelphia: University of PennsylvaniaPress, 1996

Fullbrook,Mary. A Concise History of Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1991.

Groner, Erich, and Dieter Jung. Die Schiffe der deutschen Kriegsmarine und Luftwaffe 1939-1945 und ihr Verbleib. Bonn: Bernard und Graefe Verlag, 2001.

Helbich, Wolfgang, and Walter D. Kamphoefner, edited by. German-American Immigration andEthnicity in Comparative Prospective. Madison, WI: Max Kade Institute for GermanAmerican Studies, University of Wisconsin, 2004.

Kazal, Russell. Becoming Old Stock: The Paradox of German-American Identity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004.

Kennedy, John F. A Nation of Immigrants. New York: Harper Perennial, 2008.

Krammer, Arnold. Undue Process: The Untold Story of America’s German Alien InterneesLanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield Publishers Inc., 1997.

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LaMonica, Jefferey. The Campus History Series: La Salle University. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.

Luebke, Frederick C. Germans in the New World. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1990.

Lynch, Joseph, edited by. Of This Place: A Pictorial History of La Salle College High School.Warminster, PA: Cooke Publishing Company, 2009.

Macmillian, Margaret. Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World. New York: RandomHouse, 2003.

Miller, Randall M. edited by. Germans in America: Retrospect and Prospect. Philadelphia: The German Society of Pennsylvania, 1984.

Nicolson, Harold. The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812-1822. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1946.

O’Connor, Richard. The German-Americans: An Informal History. Boston: Little , Brown and Company, 1968.

Ogle, Maureen. Ambitous Brew: The Story of American Beer. Orlando: Harcourt Books, 2006.

Overy, Richard. History of the World. London: Times Books, 2008.

Ozment, Steven. A Mighty Fortress: A New History of the German People. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2004.

Rippley, La Vern. The German-Americans. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1984.

Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York New York:Hill and Wang, 1957.

Roy, James. The Vanished Kingdom: Travels Through the History of Prussia. Oxford: West View Press, 1999.

Rudolph, Frederick. The American College and University. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1990.

Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.

Slider, Mark, Roy Ledbetter, edited by. This is My Story: German Life Readers Share Their Thoughts and Experiences of Being German-American. LaVale, Maryland: Zeitgeist Publishing, 2008.

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Smith, John. The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles with theNames of the Adventurers, Planters, and Governors from their first Beginnings An: 1584to Present 1624. Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books, 2006.

Snyder, Louis. Documents of German History. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press,1958.

Steuben, Frederick William Baron von. Baron von Steuben’s Revolutionary War Drill Manual: A Facsimile Reprint of the 1794 Edition. New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1985.

Toll, Jean Barth, Mildred S. Gillam, edited by. Invisible Philadelphia: Community through Voluntary Organizations. Philadelphia: Atwater Kent Museum, 1995.

Tolzmann, Don Heinrich. The German-American Experience. New York: Humanity Books, 2000.

Trommler, Frank. America and the Germans: An Assessment of a Three Hundred Year History,Volume Two: The Relationship in the Twentieth Century. Philadelphia: University ofPennsylvania Press, 1990.

Wallace, Max. The American Axis: Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, and the Rise of the ThirdReich. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2003.

Wells, H.G. The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind. Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing Company Inc., 1920.

Wells, Peter. The Battle that Stopped Rome. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2003.

Wilk, Gerard. Americans from Germany. New York: German Information Center, 1976.

Encyclopedias:Peterson, John Bertram. "Pope Boniface II." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02660a.html>.

Encyclopedia of Jewish History (New York: Facts on File Publications), 1986.

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Interviews:

John “Jay” BitterlichMitzi Pak

Lectures:

Dr. George Stow, Philadelphia, PA, October 1, 2009.

Master’s Thesis:

Conners, William “With Arms Outstretched: The German-American Bund in Philadelphia.” (Master’s Thesis, La Salle University, Philadelphia, 2007).

Miscellaneous:

35th Annual German-American Steuben Parade and Celebration, September 24, 2005, Program.

38th Annual German-American Steuben Parade and Celebration, September 27, 2008, Program.

Cannstatter Volkfest Verein, Fall 2009 newsletter, page 16-17

Cannstatter Volkfest Verein 125 Juilaium. 125th Anniversary Program, 1997.

Cannstatter Oktoberfest Program, September 2009.

DANK 2009 National Convention, 50th Anniversary, Program Booklet.

German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA brochure.

Hermann Monument Society booklet.

Landestreffen der Donauschwaben USA und Kanada 2010 Program.

May-July 2010 Newsletter of the Vereinigung der Donauschwaben.

Ronald Reagan, Proclamation 5719 October 2, 1987.

The Institute for German-American Relations (IGAR) brochure.

The United German Hungarian Club 80th Anniversary Book, March 31, 1990.

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The United German Hungarian Club 50th Anniversary Book, February 7, 1960.

United States Constitution Amendment I

United States Constitution Article X

Vereinigung Erzgebirge, 40 Jahre: 1931-1971. (40th Anniversary Program)

Vereinigung Erzgebirge, 1988 Constitution and By-laws.

The “Waldesrauschen” Calender of the Vereinigung Erzgebirge, Volume LIX, January 2010, No 1.

“Why We Must Conquer Space” La Salle (Alumni Magazine), October 1961.

Newspapers:

22,000 Nazis Hold Rally in Garden; Police Check Foes,” The New York Times, February 21, 1939.

“Astro-Physicist von Braun on Campus Tuesday: Famed Missleman Speaks in Theatre on Space Conquest,” La Salle Collegian. October 4, 1961

“Berlin Paper on R. Prager Lynching Here Vossiche Zeitung Says Killing Was Fault of Sensationalist,” Belleville News-Democrat, May 9, 1918.

Bill Devlin, “German club target of vandals,” Bucks County Courier Times, April 9 and 10, 2010.

Bonnie L. Cook, “How Bucks got part of the Berlin Wall,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 9, 2009.

Carol Horner, Russell Cooke “Goode and Rizzo Work Some Friendly Crowds” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 17, 1983.

Charles Lindbergh, “Aviation, Geography, and Race,” Readers Digest, November 1939.

Christmas Declaration: Men and Women of German Ancestry!” The New York Times, December 28, 1942.

“Demographic Downfall: Fewer Germans in the World, says report,” Der Spiegel, March 15, 2006.

“Dr. Kunwald Sent to Internment Camp,” The New York Times, January 13, 1918.

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Gail Shister, “Uphill Climb for Taubenberger: Odds are against the GOP candidate for mayor, but that won’t stop him,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 17, 2007.

Lisel Hintz, “Kicking Around More Than Just Soccer Balls,” Washington Post, July 7, 2008.

Mike Jensen, “Werner Fricker of Horsham, brought World Cup to U.S.” Philadelphia Inquirer,June 3, 2001.

Mike Jensen, “Soccer’s Keepers of Flame the Ethnic Game Isn’t Dead. A German Club is Proving It.” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 17, 1997.

“No Brakes on Germany’s Population Freefall,” Deutsche Welle, August 17, 2006.

“Robert P. Prager Foully Murdered in Collinsville – This Crime Must Not go Unpunished – Get the Guilty Men – Let no Guilty Man Escape – The Fair Name of Illinois Has Been Dragged Into Disgrace,” Belleville News-Democrat, April 5, 1918.

“Steel Town Divided Over Mosque Minaret Amid Fears of Islamic Quest for Power,” The Times, February 11, 2010.

“Sultan of Swat; Babe Ruth’s Home Run Against the Holocaust,” The Washington Times,December 25, 2007.

Walter Pfaeffle, “Changing Tradition: the Steuben Parades march to a different drummer,” TheAtlantic Times, August 2007.

“What About Al? The Republican Nominee for mayor would like you to know he’s alive and well. And serious about the job,” Philadelphia City Paper, May 16, 2007.

“Von Braun Calls for Adventurous Curiosity to Propel America’s Space Exploration,” La Salle Collegian. October 11, 1961.

Periodicals:

Cochran, David Carroll “Ethnic Diversity and Democratic Stability: The Case of IrishAmericans.” Political Science Quarterly, Volume 110, Number 4, Winter 1995-1996,p.587-604.

Medvec, Stephen “The European Union and Expansion to the East: Aspects of Accession,Problems, and Prospects for the Future.” International Social Science Review 84(Numbers 1 and 2 2009).

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Prior, Leon O. “Nazi Invasion of Florida” Florida Historical Quarterly, Volume 49, Issue 2,October 1970

Websites:

http://www.ahk-usa.com/en/ahk-usa/

http://www.ahk-usa.com/en/menu2/about-us/

www.aoh.com

http://www.dank.org/chapters.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.html

http://www.gahfusa.org/gahm/gahm.html

http://www.gaic.info/

http://www.genealogy.com/68_fryxell.html

http://www.germanparadenyc.org

http://www.kellogs.com

http://www.kolpingphilly.com

http://kyw.cbslocal.com

http://www.nasa.gov

http://www.nationalgeographic.com

http://newadvent.org

http://www.osia.org/

http://www.phila.gov/phils/Docs/Inventor/graphics/wards/wards1.htm

http://www.philaplace.org

http://www.phillyburbs.com

http://www.theimmanuelgermanschool.org/

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http://www.steubensociety.org/Purpose.htm

http://www.steubensociety.org/Members.htm

http://www.stuttgart-tourist.de

http://www.ughclub.us

https://webapps.philasd.org/school_profile/view/6020