Illinois German Heritage

This engaging history of one of the largest ethnic groups in Illinois explores the influence and experiences of German immigrants and their descendants from their arrival in the middle of the nineteenth century to their heritage identity today. Coauthors Miranda E. Wilkerson and Heather Richmond examine the primary reasons that Germans came to Illinois and describe how they adapted to life and distinguished themselves through a variety of occupations and community roles. The promise of cheap land and fertile soil in rural areas and emerging industries in cities attracted three major waves of German-speaking immigrants to Illinois in search of freedom and economic opportunities. Before long the state was dotted with German churches, schools, cultural institutions, and place names. German churches served not only as meeting places but also as a means of keeping language and culture alive. Names of Illinois cities and towns of German origin include New Baden, Darmstadt, Bismarck, and Hamburg. In Chicago, many streets, parks, and buildings bear German names, including Altgeld Street, Germania Place, Humboldt Park, and Goethe Elementary School. Some of the most lively and ubiquitous organizations, such as Sängerbunde, or singer societies, and the Turnverein, or Turner Society, also preserved a bit of the Fatherland. Exploring the complex and ever-evolving German American identity in the growing diversity of Illinois's linguistic and ethnic landscape, this book contextualizes their experiences and corrects widely held assumptions about assimilation and cultural identity. Federal census data, photographs, lively biographical sketches, and newly created maps bring the complex story of German immigration to life. The generously illustrated volume also features detailed notes, suggestions for further reading, and an annotated list of books, journal articles, and other sources of information.

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,3, University of Frankfurt (Main), language: English, abstract: The Germans are the largest ethnic group in the United States and especially in Chicago. Peculiarly, their influence seems to have vanished. Every other ethnic group left stronger traces of their existence than the Germans. I decided to take a look at the development of the German- American community or in fact to pursue the question as to whether there is a German- American identity.

Starting in the 1850s, the number of Niederdeutsch immigrants from Westphalia, Germany, greatly increased while the immigration from southern Germany was proportionately lower. In the process of researching his ancestors, the author concluded that the majority of Quincy's German immigrants were Niederdeutsch (low Germans). While, none of Brinkman's ancestors came from Lippe, he became interested in the migration of Niederdeutsch to Quincy, which resulted in this book, which lists the German immigrants in Quincy, who came from Lippe, Germany. An introduction precedes the biographies, which includes: Description and Short History of Lippe; Maps of Fürstentum Lippe and Westphalia; Other Lippes; Map of Germany; Organization of Lippe Government; Migration to Quincy from Western Lippe; Direct or Indirect Migration; Pathfinders; Settlement Patterns of Lippe Immigrants; Residence Study; Cluster Settlements in Adams County, Illinois; Marriage Study; Boston Brown Bread and Pumpernickel; German Occupations; and American Occupations. Biographical entries include: date and place of birth, surname, given name, date of marriage, emigration, town in Germany, death in Quincy, occupation, residence, migration, and sources. A list of sources, a locality index, and a surname index add to the value of this work.

This book looks at the many transatlantic bonds which have linked and still link Germany and the United States. German immigrants to the Americas brought with them a good deal of cultural baggage. They cultivated their German heritage in their schools, churches, and clubs. They expressed pride in this heritage by erecting monuments to Goethe or Schiller, Beethoven or Wagner, Alexander von Humboldt or «Turnvater» Jahn. They claimed Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Carl Schurz, Gustave Koerner, and John A. Roebling as their own. But German-born or German-trained sculptors did not limit themselves to German subjects. They also paid tribute to America by creating sculptures of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and others who occupy a place of honor in American history. While a few German monuments can be found in Canada and in Latin America, the number of German monuments in the United States is surprisingly large. These monuments illustrate the contribution - often overlooked or ignored - of the German-American community to American society and American cultural life.