European settlement of the New World presented a race for power and wealth between Europe’s most influential nations in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The French, Spanish, Dutch, and English monarchs looked to America to fill empty coffers and add territory to their empires. In the long run, after many wars, skirmishes, and treaties, the English won the upper hand in this contest, settling most of the Atlantic Coast by the mid-eighteenth century.[1] The first thirteen English colonies in New England, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the South would mark the beginning of what would become an entirely new country by 1776, when the Declaration of Independence declared the United States of America to be an independent and autonomously governed country.[2]
Because of this massive English settlement, much of America’s history was heavily influenced by Anglo-Saxon culture. English is the (unofficial) official language; the main religion, that of Baptists, has been brought across the Atlantic by many of the English settlers, and numerous traditions and holiday observances fall in line with those of the English cousins.[1] [2] [3] However, the English were not the only ones to shape American culture as we know it today, as Germans, the first major group of non-English speaking immigrants, played a chief role in shaping America’s culture by contributing to language, architecture, art, diet, customs, and traditions.
Before 1683, many Germans left Europe individually to make a new life in the New World. Some came with the first colonists to Virginia in 1607, but the majority settled in the Mid-Atlantic region of New Netherland (which would later go into British possession and become New York). According to American Eras, for example, “as many as 2,400 Germans” had found a new home in New York by 1673. The year 1683, however, would see the largest group of non-English speaking immigrants settle in the American colonies.[4] Thirteen German families, the “Original Thirteen” as they were later called, followed their leader Franz Daniel Pastorius to Pennsylvania to achieve religious freedom.[5]
Founded by William Penn, who had received a large land grant as payment of debts owed to Penn’s father by Charles II, Pennsylvania promised religious freedom to its inhabitants. Thanks to this widely advertised religious freedom and the concept of “brotherly love,” Pennsylvania turned into a haven for a variety of European immigrants, including Germans.[6] These “Original 13” went on to establish Germantown, a suburb of Philadelphia, where they initially lived a simple life, trying to brave the elements and survive the rather harsh winters. Others followed, and Germantown became an enclave of German living and culture.[7]
Between the years 1709 and 1714, the largest number of Germans to set sail for America, were the Palatines, so-called because a majority of them came from the Rhineland’s Palatinate (“Pfalz”). Over 2000 of them settled in New York, where they were lured by promotional brochures in which the colonial powers promised economic freedom through support of the lumber and shipbuilding business. England, however, put an end to such expenditure, and the disgruntled Germans made their way into Pennsylvania to try their luck there. The rest of the Palatines followed the call to settle in North Carolina, where, together with Swiss immigrants, they founded New Bern.[8]
Aside from smaller groups of German-speaking immigrants, five more large waves would follow these initial big groups. With almost all of these immigrants, the exodus was tied to political changes and economic challenges in Europe. By 1857, immigration of Germans into the United States reached massive dimensions.[9] P. R. Fischetti emphasizes that from 1850 and 1900 “Germans were never less than a quarter of all foreign-born people in the United States,” as millions flocked to America to escape poverty and religious as well as political persecution.[10] In the wake of the Revolution of 1848 in Germany, German academic elite and intellectuals flooded into America’s northern states, where they held on to their ethnicity while at the same time promoting American citizenship as the ideal for personal freedom.[11]
As more and more German-speaking immigrants entered the United States, patterns became obvious in their settlement. Unlike other large immigrant groups like the Chinese, for example, Germans did not really stand out. Other than perhaps different clothing, and of course the language, they blended in with the American-Caucasian crowd. They also differed from other groups because of the scope of professions they brought to America. Physicians, journalists, and educators were amongst the newcomers just as much as farmers, craftsmen, and laborers. Some strongly identified with their original homeland and ethnicity, others identified mainly with their religion, and some simply assimilated and essentially became Americans. In his book Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika (“The History of the Germans in America”) Emmerich quotes a Milwaukee American, who said “We have two kinds of Germans in Milwaukee: soul Germans and stomach Germans and the latter are in the vast majority.” He described those Germans, who held on to their culture and demanded its place in the American society as “soul Germans”, because they never saw themselves as Americans, but as Germans living in America. These were the Germans who built German enclaves with German newspapers and shops and clubs and anything else that was essential to their “German-ness”. “Stomach Germans”, on the other hand, were those who gladly adapted to the American way of life and who helped make America a melting pot of cultures.[12]
Most of the “soul Germans” remained in Pennsylvania, but as the frontier moved further west, German farming communities followed, concentrating largely on the cultivation as well as cattle and pig breeding. After the 1830s, Germans settled in Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska, with the largest German-speaking population ending in Wisconsin.[13] As tensions mounted in the German states of the 1820s, some intellectuals began to call for a “New Germany” in America, a republic in which they would be free of their despotic rulers, living in democratic freedom and peace. Quite a few of them had been fueled by the travel reports of a young German, Gottfried Duden, who described life in America in flowery accounts that highlighted the great parts of his adventure, but left out the parts where he attempted to establish his own farm and failed miserably. However, once in the Midwest, many realized that their grandiose ideas of “New Germany” were unfeasible, not in small part due to the fact that these intellectuals had no idea about farming and were not used to hard manual labor.
Additionally, it became nearly impossible to stake out any area large enough for such high-flying plans, as Americans and fellow Europeans alike had already picked out big chunks of land. Instead of building a new home country, the Germans splintered and broke up and ended up in small settlements across the entire north of the country.[14] Germans who had not entered America through the larger harbors across the Atlantic coast, but instead came in through New Orleans, often wound up following the Mississippi up north, where they settled in St. Louis, the “Gateway to the West” and began taking up whole districts.[15] The large number of Germans who settled in Wisconsin in the 1840s had it much easier than their fellow compatriots who had tried to make a living in the Midwest. Firstly, much of the farmland was already developed, and the Germans bought it relatively cheap from Americans who followed the call out west. Secondly, at this point there was an existing infrastructure in place, enabling the free flow of trade and labor.[16] As the United States grew and developed, German immigrants increasingly pooled in places where craftsmanship was needed most. In the 1850s, many of them were drawn to Chicago, a rapidly growing center in the American north, where they found employment and companionship with many others like them.[17]
New York City, an immigration hub for people from all nations, had its own German communities, and between 1855 and 1880 the city actually competed with Berlin and Vienna for having the largest German settlement. With about 200 000 immigrants living in New York, the German community came in close second to the Irish, even though it is hard to find traces of them today. “Kleindeutschland” (Little Germany), for example, was the first ethnic district of its kind in New York, showcasing German architecture, street signs, shops, beer gardens, and many, many parades.
Around the beginning of World War I in 1914, Little Germany disappeared, making way first for Little Italy, and then Chinatown.[18] Even before then, however, an increasing hostility from American nativists against “hyphenated” Americans rippled through the country. As the influx of immigrants steadily rose, Americans feared infiltration and corrosion, demanding every newcomer should assimilate to the American Way of Life. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, stated “But a hyphenated American is not an American at all … There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American.” Woodrow Wilson, following Roosevelt into presidency, agreed, saying “Any man who carries a hyphen about him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready.”[19] However, all this would happen much later, after Germans had already left an imprint on American culture.
Obviously German settlements and districts like those in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, St. Louis, New York, and Chicago replicated a German culture. One of the first signs of such predominant settlement was the emergence of German newspapers. As Efford writes in German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War,
“The immigrant press was especially rich, including everything from uncontroversial reports of cultural events to divisive editorial feuds. Ordinary immigrants responded to editors and politicians (and most editors were also politicians) in personal letters and street protests as well as at the ballot box.”[20]
German-speaking newspapers like the Cincinnati Volksfreund, or the Columbus Westbote, Cleveland’s Wächter am Erie, St. Louis’ Anzeiger des Westens, and the New Yorker Staats-Zeitung popped up all over the north. Aside from such daily publications, religious periodicals and brochures in German proved quite popular as well.[21] German-speaking writers like Charles Sealsfield (born as Karl Anton Postl in Austria), who wrote in German as well as in English, became acclaimed authors for followers in both camps, for the German-speaking readers as well as the American ones.[22]
Noted for their sociability, Germans also brought with them a love for clubs of all sorts. Social associations often provided a central meeting point for immigrants. In clubs, Germans had an opportunity to meet like-minded compatriots, maintain German culture, and provide volunteer service to the community. Of course those clubs also served to relieve stress after long days of hard work and mind-breaking stress. Furthermore, newcomers found clubs to be a great way to network, to learn English, and to adapt to the American Way of Life. Some clubs like the “Gesangsvereine” (singing clubs), however, countered such an assimilation as they steadfastly held on to old German folk songs, refusing to go with the times and adapt. Overall, though, these clubs helped many immigrants finding their way around the New World without getting entirely lost in a new culture.[23] “Turnvereine” (gymnastic clubs) even became heavily involved in American politics. Tasked with keeping mind and body of their members healthy and fit, they promoted ongoing education for their members, often providing them with the materials to learn, but also discussed the great political issues of the time, including that of slavery, which they adamantly rejected, even swearing their unwavering loyalty to Abraham Lincoln as the South seceded and the Civil War was imminent.[24]
One could argue that cultural institutions like newspapers and social clubs hardly made an impact on American culture as such, as they were part of predominantly German settlements and districts, but their overall influence on American life cannot be denied. For one, the newspapers promoted political activism, from national issues like abolitionism to local politics. They also promoted an easier assimilation of newcomers, as they informed and educated at the same time. Clubs did much of the same, promoting sociability and togetherness across their membership.
There were other ways, however, in which Germans influenced American culture more directly. Whether we realize it or not, there are now many German words in the English language that may seem foreign, but are still used time and again without second thought. Words like doppelgaenger, poltergeist, wunderkind, gestalt, and Kindergarten are just a few examples for this.[25]
Names of towns and streets also frequently show a German influence. Germantown, Maryland and Frederick, Maryland are perfect example for this, but so are Schaumburg, Illinois and New Berlin, Wisconsin.[26] Furthermore, many American last names have German roots, and in phonebooks around the United States one frequently finds names like Klein or Schmidt/Schmitt.[27] Who could forget Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose ancestors arrived in America in the mid-seventeen hundreds and changed their name from Eisenhauer (iron cutter) to the slightly more Anglican version.[28] How about General H. Norman Schwarzkopf whose name is German for “black head”. Take Henry Kissinger, born in Germany and naturalized American citizen, whose name means “from Kissingen” – a town in Bavaria.[29
Names are not the only indicator of German influence, however. The architecture of colonial America is distinct and diverse at the same time. While many colonial buildings have a great deal of characteristics in common, Germans put a twist on their buildings by using different material like sandstone and field stones to build thicker walls and a sturdier frame. The typical German house would show a symmetrical façade and reinforced stone arches on top of the front door and the first floor windows.[30] German engineering skills came to America with John A. Roebling. Born as Johann Röbling in Prussia, and educated in engineering at Berlin’s Royal Polytechnic Institute, Roebling immigrated to the United States in 1831. His most famous (and last) master piece was New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Manhattan, built from 1869 to 1883. Before the Brooklyn Bridge, however, he designed the Delaware Aqueduct, the Niagara River Gorge Bridge, and the Covington and Cincinnati Suspension Bridge. He also invented wire rope, which was soon used all over the United States in railroad systems and suspension bridges.[31]
Architecture is an art form in itself, but Germans also left their mark in other fields of art. Renowned painters like Valentin Haidt, John Lewis Krimmel, or Christian Mayr were all German immigrants who made a name for themselves in America.[32] While Haidt, Krimmel, and Mayr largely remained active within German enclaves, others like John Gast, who was a German-born immigrant, became famous. In Gast’s case, it was his “American Progress” (1872) that was widely disseminated in reproductions.[33]
Albert Bierstadt used his talent for painting and successfully sold romantic and dramatic images of the Midwest, which are still exhibited across major galleries across the United States and Europe.[34] One of the most famous cartoonists of the United States, Thomas Nast, was a German immigrant whose cartoons captivated the whole nation and helped bringing down the likes of William Marcy "Boss" Tweed and his posse. Additionally, he invented graphic icons like the dollar sign, Santa Claus, Uncle Sam, and the symbols for the Democratic and Republican parties, the donkey and the elephant.[35] [36]
In terms of music, nobody changed the American instrument scene as much as Henry E. Steinway with his world-renowned Steinway pianos. Building on the reputations of Germans as excellent instrument makers, Steinway anglicized his name from Heinrich Steinweg in order to become as successful as possible. Steinway and his sons initially worked for other companies, but decided to realize their own American dream and established Steinway & Sons. Soon the company boomed, and the Steinways began to design new instruments, each successful enough to keep the Steinway instruments famous and coveted even in our time.[37]
Another part of American culture affected by Germans immigrants was diet, liquid and solid alike. Up until the 1840s, American brewers produced beer the English way, causing fermentation by using a floating yeast on barley malt. However, the resulting beer “was ill-tasting, cloudy, and without sparkle.” A solution came with the arrival of German brewers, who came with their recipes of lager, which used a yeast which sank to the bottom of the barley malt, which reduced interaction with air, and produced a much improved quality beer. Because it still required cooler storage, though, the biggest breweries up to this day are located mainly in the colder north. Some German breweries actually turned into some of the best-known and widest distributed companies, and brands like Anheuser Busch, Pabst, and Miller (Müller) had their origins in German breweries.[38] Frankfurters, Wieners, and sausages of all kinds made their way into the United States and into American Culture via Oscar Mayer, who more or less invented the home delivery service with his “Wienermobil”.[39]
Pretzels, derived from the German “Brezel” or “Brezen”, are by now as American as pie, as they are sold by street vendors and bakeries across the United States.[40] However, no food screams German as much as Sauerkraut. The cabbage specialty was so typically German, that it gave Germans the derivative nickname “Kraut” and a whole street in New York City became known as “Sauerkraut Boulevard” because of the large number of Germans who settled there.[41] Of course with the onset of World War I, when anything Germany was decisively un-American, products were simply renamed. Some names like “liberty cabbage” instead of Sauerkraut never really caught on, but others, like “hot dog” for Wiener sausages essentially became an American item.
German-based language, art, and diet found their combination in holiday traditions brought to America. Some of these traditions and customs became national treasures, and not many Americans stop to think about the origins of customs and rites. By now just about everyone has at least heard of local Octoberfests, imitations of one of the largest Bavarian festivals, during which time food items such as sauerkraut and bratwurst are served with generous amounts of beer while Polka-playing brass bands provide entertainment.[42] A less known fact is that many of the American Easter traditions such as the Easter bunny and Easter egg hunts have their origin in German customs that were brought overseas by Dutch and German settlers.[43] “Here Comes the Bride,” traditionally played as the bride walks down the aisle to meet her husband to be, and the “Wedding March” both have German origins. The former was part of Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin,” while the latter was composed by Felix Mendelssohn for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”[44] There is an ongoing debate about Christmas traditions, Santa Claus, and the Christmas tree, mainly perpetuated by Stephen Nissenbaum, author of The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday. [45] Nissenbaum asserts that it was the idea of the Christmas tree that caught on with Americans, rather than the actual example from German immigrants, with his main argument centering around the timeline in which the Christmas tree was first mentioned in American literature and when it had become a German tradition, maintaining that theories do not add up to a simultaneous emergence of Christmas trees.[46] However, it still is entirely possible that German immigrants were the first to actually display a Christmas tree, or that they influenced the tradition via England, where it first spread due to the influence of German-born Queen Adelaide, who brought the family tradition of putting up a Christmas tree decorated with candles with her when she ascended the British throne with her husband, King William IV.[47]
Speculation on how exactly the Christmas tree made it into American living rooms does not negate the German influence on American Christmas traditions.
Overall it can be argued that German influence on American culture from colonial times to the late 1800s cannot be denied, as it played a role in shaping America’s language, architecture, art, diet, and holiday customs and rites. Germans influenced American politics and the American way of life, even though those influences are not obvious these days, in large part due to the World Wars, which turned former neighbors and friends, known for their “Gemütlichkeit” into potential enemies who were to be viewed with suspicion. Germans had to quickly adapt and blend in so they would not fall victim to this hatred for all things German, and many Americans denied the contributions made by German immigrants to the American culture. Denial or not, Germans were an important part of America’s history. About 57,945,000 Americans claimed German ancestry in the 1990 Census alone and it stands to reason that with this much ethnicity, culture changed, even if it was a subtle change and not quite obvious to the onlooker.[48] The next time you are out on the town, look a little closer and see if you can spot the German influence on American culture.
[1] “North America: United States,” The World Factbook, Library, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014). The World Factbook notes under “languages” that “the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 28 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii.”
[2] “History of the Baptists,” Baptists, Religion Facts: Just the facts on Religion, http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/baptists.htm, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014). Many settlers came to America for religious freedom and, like the Puritans and Baptists, brought their religions with them, which explains why the majority religion of the Unites States is Baptism.
[3] “American Holidays,” USA.gov: Government Made Easy. http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014). Both, the United Kingdom and the United States, recognize public holidays during which government agencies and a majority of private businesses are closed. Furthermore, in both countries holidays are usually observed on Mondays to avoid them falling on weekends. The UK and the US also share unofficial holidays like Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, which fall on the same day in both countries.
[4] “Germans (1600-1754)," American Eras, Detroit: Gale, 1997, General Reference Center GOLD, http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.troy.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA145481032&v=2.1&u=troy25957&it=r&p=GRGM&sw=w&asid=bd26714803d388b8692c7fb18a70c9f0, (accessed December 9, 2014).
[5] Alexander Emmerich, Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika: Von 1680 bis zur Gegenwart, (Augsburg: Weltbild, 2010), p. 28. Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika (transl. The History of the Germans in America) is an account of German settlement in America and its impact on American culture. In chapter 2 the author researches the beginnings of German immigration. Pastorius later changed his first name to “Francis” and the settlers, initially Mennonites, converted to the religion of the Quakers upon arrival in Philadelphia. Translations by Petra Hokanson.
[6] “Pennsylvania History,” Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_history/4276, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[7] Emmerich, Alexander, Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika, 14.
[8] “Germans (1600-1754)," American Eras.
[9] Emmerich, Alexander, 14.
[10] P. R. Fischetti, Germans, Washington: Educational Extension Systems, 1997, http://search.proquest.com/docview/189307942?accountid=38769 (accessed 15 November 2014), 23.
[11] Alison Clark Efford, German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War Era, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 17-22.
[12] Emmerich, Alexander, 10-12.
[13] Emmerich, Alexander, 54-57.
[14] Emmerich, Alexander, 57-60.
[15] Emmerich, Alexander, 61.
[16] Emmerich, Alexander, 68.
[17] Emmerich, Alexander, 74. Emmerich also writes how Germans were so sure of their ethnicity and self that they began to refer to Chicago as a great German city, along with Frankfurt, Leipzig, Cologne, and other great German dwellings. Americans increasingly began to grow worried about this “infiltration”.
[18] Emmerich, Alexander, 116-118.
[19] Emmerich, Alexander, 142. The main concern was that in an impending war with Europe, Germans would stick with their “Heimat”, the homeland, and cause harm on American soil – even though many Germans had already fought for the United States on either side of the Civil War, and would go on to fight for America and against Germany in both World Wars.
[20] Efford, Alison Clark, 12. This also shows that Germans were highly involved in local, and later national politics. Most intellectuals followed the Democratic Party - mostly because it was immigrant-friendly in its attempt to lure many of those immigrants (provided they were white males) to the polls.
[21] Efford, Alison Clark, 44-45.
[22] Emmerich, Alexander, 95.
[23] Emmerich, Alexander, 151-152.
[24] Emmerich, Alexander, 154.
[25] “Appendix D: German Words in the American Language,” German-Americans and Their Contributions to the American Mainstream Culture: German Names and Words http://maxkade.iupui.edu/nameword/apend-d.html, (accessed November 15, 2014).
[26] Max Brandt, “Largest U.S. Cities with a German Name,” http://www.geographylists.com/list20y.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[27] “Appendix A: Identifying German Names,” German-Americans and Their Contributions to the American Mainstream Culture: German Names and Words, http://maxkade.iupui.edu/nameword/apend-a.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[28] “Eisenhower/Stover Family Genealogy,” Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas. http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/all_about_ike/family_tree.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014).
[29] “Henry A. Kissinger,” Biography, http://www.henryakissinger.com/biography.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014).
[30] Kimberly Blackford, “American Colonial Architecture,” House Plans and More, http://houseplansandmore.com/resource_center/american-colonial-homes.aspx, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[31] “Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge,” Today in History: June 12, The Library of Congress, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun12.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014).
[32] “The Colonial Period and Early Years of the Republic,” German Immigrant Painters 2, http://www.germanheritage.com/Publications/germanpainters/paintchapter2.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[33] Martha A. Sandweiss, “John Gast, American Progress, 1872,” My Favorite Image, Picturing U.S. History, http://picturinghistory.gc.cuny.edu/item.php?item_id=180, (accessed 9 December 2014).
[34] Emmerich, Alexander, 178-179.
[35] “The Germans in America,” European Reading Room, The Library of Congress, http://loc.gov/rr/european/imde/germchro.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[36] Emmerich, Alexander, 119-120.
[37] Emmerich, Alexander, 132-133.
[38] W. J. Rorabaugh, The Alcoholic Republic, An American Tradition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1981), 108-109.
[39] Emmerich, Alexander, 161.
[40] Emmerich, Alexander, 173.
[41] Emmerich, Alexander, 147.
[42] Fischetti, P. R., 25.
[43] Jolie Lee, “Easter Eggs, Bunnies, Peeps: Easter Traditions Explained,” USA Today Network, April 18, 2014 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/18/easter-traditions-explained/7865171/, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[44] Elizabeth Hafkin Pleck, “Celebrating the Family: Ethnicity, Consumer Culture, and Family Rituals,” (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000), 212http://books.google.com/books?id=3__XaT6aEL4C&pg=PA212&dq=lohengrin+bridal+chorus+victoria&hl=en#v=onepage&q=lohengrin%20bridal%20chorus%20victoria&f=false, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[45] Stephen Nissenbaum, The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday. (New York: Vintage Books, 1997).
[46] Nissenbaum, Stephen, 192-195.
[47] “Adelheid Prinzessin von Sachsen Meiningen, Koenigin von Grossbritannien,” Schloss Elisabethenburg, Meininger Museen, http://www.meiningermuseen.de/pages/schloss/personen/herzogliche-familie/koenigin-adelheid.php, (accessed November 15, 2014).
[48] Fischetti, P. R., 23-24.
Because of this massive English settlement, much of America’s history was heavily influenced by Anglo-Saxon culture. English is the (unofficial) official language; the main religion, that of Baptists, has been brought across the Atlantic by many of the English settlers, and numerous traditions and holiday observances fall in line with those of the English cousins.[1] [2] [3] However, the English were not the only ones to shape American culture as we know it today, as Germans, the first major group of non-English speaking immigrants, played a chief role in shaping America’s culture by contributing to language, architecture, art, diet, customs, and traditions.
Before 1683, many Germans left Europe individually to make a new life in the New World. Some came with the first colonists to Virginia in 1607, but the majority settled in the Mid-Atlantic region of New Netherland (which would later go into British possession and become New York). According to American Eras, for example, “as many as 2,400 Germans” had found a new home in New York by 1673. The year 1683, however, would see the largest group of non-English speaking immigrants settle in the American colonies.[4] Thirteen German families, the “Original Thirteen” as they were later called, followed their leader Franz Daniel Pastorius to Pennsylvania to achieve religious freedom.[5]
Founded by William Penn, who had received a large land grant as payment of debts owed to Penn’s father by Charles II, Pennsylvania promised religious freedom to its inhabitants. Thanks to this widely advertised religious freedom and the concept of “brotherly love,” Pennsylvania turned into a haven for a variety of European immigrants, including Germans.[6] These “Original 13” went on to establish Germantown, a suburb of Philadelphia, where they initially lived a simple life, trying to brave the elements and survive the rather harsh winters. Others followed, and Germantown became an enclave of German living and culture.[7]
Between the years 1709 and 1714, the largest number of Germans to set sail for America, were the Palatines, so-called because a majority of them came from the Rhineland’s Palatinate (“Pfalz”). Over 2000 of them settled in New York, where they were lured by promotional brochures in which the colonial powers promised economic freedom through support of the lumber and shipbuilding business. England, however, put an end to such expenditure, and the disgruntled Germans made their way into Pennsylvania to try their luck there. The rest of the Palatines followed the call to settle in North Carolina, where, together with Swiss immigrants, they founded New Bern.[8]
Aside from smaller groups of German-speaking immigrants, five more large waves would follow these initial big groups. With almost all of these immigrants, the exodus was tied to political changes and economic challenges in Europe. By 1857, immigration of Germans into the United States reached massive dimensions.[9] P. R. Fischetti emphasizes that from 1850 and 1900 “Germans were never less than a quarter of all foreign-born people in the United States,” as millions flocked to America to escape poverty and religious as well as political persecution.[10] In the wake of the Revolution of 1848 in Germany, German academic elite and intellectuals flooded into America’s northern states, where they held on to their ethnicity while at the same time promoting American citizenship as the ideal for personal freedom.[11]
As more and more German-speaking immigrants entered the United States, patterns became obvious in their settlement. Unlike other large immigrant groups like the Chinese, for example, Germans did not really stand out. Other than perhaps different clothing, and of course the language, they blended in with the American-Caucasian crowd. They also differed from other groups because of the scope of professions they brought to America. Physicians, journalists, and educators were amongst the newcomers just as much as farmers, craftsmen, and laborers. Some strongly identified with their original homeland and ethnicity, others identified mainly with their religion, and some simply assimilated and essentially became Americans. In his book Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika (“The History of the Germans in America”) Emmerich quotes a Milwaukee American, who said “We have two kinds of Germans in Milwaukee: soul Germans and stomach Germans and the latter are in the vast majority.” He described those Germans, who held on to their culture and demanded its place in the American society as “soul Germans”, because they never saw themselves as Americans, but as Germans living in America. These were the Germans who built German enclaves with German newspapers and shops and clubs and anything else that was essential to their “German-ness”. “Stomach Germans”, on the other hand, were those who gladly adapted to the American way of life and who helped make America a melting pot of cultures.[12]
Most of the “soul Germans” remained in Pennsylvania, but as the frontier moved further west, German farming communities followed, concentrating largely on the cultivation as well as cattle and pig breeding. After the 1830s, Germans settled in Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska, with the largest German-speaking population ending in Wisconsin.[13] As tensions mounted in the German states of the 1820s, some intellectuals began to call for a “New Germany” in America, a republic in which they would be free of their despotic rulers, living in democratic freedom and peace. Quite a few of them had been fueled by the travel reports of a young German, Gottfried Duden, who described life in America in flowery accounts that highlighted the great parts of his adventure, but left out the parts where he attempted to establish his own farm and failed miserably. However, once in the Midwest, many realized that their grandiose ideas of “New Germany” were unfeasible, not in small part due to the fact that these intellectuals had no idea about farming and were not used to hard manual labor.
Additionally, it became nearly impossible to stake out any area large enough for such high-flying plans, as Americans and fellow Europeans alike had already picked out big chunks of land. Instead of building a new home country, the Germans splintered and broke up and ended up in small settlements across the entire north of the country.[14] Germans who had not entered America through the larger harbors across the Atlantic coast, but instead came in through New Orleans, often wound up following the Mississippi up north, where they settled in St. Louis, the “Gateway to the West” and began taking up whole districts.[15] The large number of Germans who settled in Wisconsin in the 1840s had it much easier than their fellow compatriots who had tried to make a living in the Midwest. Firstly, much of the farmland was already developed, and the Germans bought it relatively cheap from Americans who followed the call out west. Secondly, at this point there was an existing infrastructure in place, enabling the free flow of trade and labor.[16] As the United States grew and developed, German immigrants increasingly pooled in places where craftsmanship was needed most. In the 1850s, many of them were drawn to Chicago, a rapidly growing center in the American north, where they found employment and companionship with many others like them.[17]
New York City, an immigration hub for people from all nations, had its own German communities, and between 1855 and 1880 the city actually competed with Berlin and Vienna for having the largest German settlement. With about 200 000 immigrants living in New York, the German community came in close second to the Irish, even though it is hard to find traces of them today. “Kleindeutschland” (Little Germany), for example, was the first ethnic district of its kind in New York, showcasing German architecture, street signs, shops, beer gardens, and many, many parades.
Around the beginning of World War I in 1914, Little Germany disappeared, making way first for Little Italy, and then Chinatown.[18] Even before then, however, an increasing hostility from American nativists against “hyphenated” Americans rippled through the country. As the influx of immigrants steadily rose, Americans feared infiltration and corrosion, demanding every newcomer should assimilate to the American Way of Life. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, stated “But a hyphenated American is not an American at all … There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American.” Woodrow Wilson, following Roosevelt into presidency, agreed, saying “Any man who carries a hyphen about him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready.”[19] However, all this would happen much later, after Germans had already left an imprint on American culture.
Obviously German settlements and districts like those in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, St. Louis, New York, and Chicago replicated a German culture. One of the first signs of such predominant settlement was the emergence of German newspapers. As Efford writes in German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War,
“The immigrant press was especially rich, including everything from uncontroversial reports of cultural events to divisive editorial feuds. Ordinary immigrants responded to editors and politicians (and most editors were also politicians) in personal letters and street protests as well as at the ballot box.”[20]
German-speaking newspapers like the Cincinnati Volksfreund, or the Columbus Westbote, Cleveland’s Wächter am Erie, St. Louis’ Anzeiger des Westens, and the New Yorker Staats-Zeitung popped up all over the north. Aside from such daily publications, religious periodicals and brochures in German proved quite popular as well.[21] German-speaking writers like Charles Sealsfield (born as Karl Anton Postl in Austria), who wrote in German as well as in English, became acclaimed authors for followers in both camps, for the German-speaking readers as well as the American ones.[22]
Noted for their sociability, Germans also brought with them a love for clubs of all sorts. Social associations often provided a central meeting point for immigrants. In clubs, Germans had an opportunity to meet like-minded compatriots, maintain German culture, and provide volunteer service to the community. Of course those clubs also served to relieve stress after long days of hard work and mind-breaking stress. Furthermore, newcomers found clubs to be a great way to network, to learn English, and to adapt to the American Way of Life. Some clubs like the “Gesangsvereine” (singing clubs), however, countered such an assimilation as they steadfastly held on to old German folk songs, refusing to go with the times and adapt. Overall, though, these clubs helped many immigrants finding their way around the New World without getting entirely lost in a new culture.[23] “Turnvereine” (gymnastic clubs) even became heavily involved in American politics. Tasked with keeping mind and body of their members healthy and fit, they promoted ongoing education for their members, often providing them with the materials to learn, but also discussed the great political issues of the time, including that of slavery, which they adamantly rejected, even swearing their unwavering loyalty to Abraham Lincoln as the South seceded and the Civil War was imminent.[24]
One could argue that cultural institutions like newspapers and social clubs hardly made an impact on American culture as such, as they were part of predominantly German settlements and districts, but their overall influence on American life cannot be denied. For one, the newspapers promoted political activism, from national issues like abolitionism to local politics. They also promoted an easier assimilation of newcomers, as they informed and educated at the same time. Clubs did much of the same, promoting sociability and togetherness across their membership.
There were other ways, however, in which Germans influenced American culture more directly. Whether we realize it or not, there are now many German words in the English language that may seem foreign, but are still used time and again without second thought. Words like doppelgaenger, poltergeist, wunderkind, gestalt, and Kindergarten are just a few examples for this.[25]
Names of towns and streets also frequently show a German influence. Germantown, Maryland and Frederick, Maryland are perfect example for this, but so are Schaumburg, Illinois and New Berlin, Wisconsin.[26] Furthermore, many American last names have German roots, and in phonebooks around the United States one frequently finds names like Klein or Schmidt/Schmitt.[27] Who could forget Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose ancestors arrived in America in the mid-seventeen hundreds and changed their name from Eisenhauer (iron cutter) to the slightly more Anglican version.[28] How about General H. Norman Schwarzkopf whose name is German for “black head”. Take Henry Kissinger, born in Germany and naturalized American citizen, whose name means “from Kissingen” – a town in Bavaria.[29
Names are not the only indicator of German influence, however. The architecture of colonial America is distinct and diverse at the same time. While many colonial buildings have a great deal of characteristics in common, Germans put a twist on their buildings by using different material like sandstone and field stones to build thicker walls and a sturdier frame. The typical German house would show a symmetrical façade and reinforced stone arches on top of the front door and the first floor windows.[30] German engineering skills came to America with John A. Roebling. Born as Johann Röbling in Prussia, and educated in engineering at Berlin’s Royal Polytechnic Institute, Roebling immigrated to the United States in 1831. His most famous (and last) master piece was New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Manhattan, built from 1869 to 1883. Before the Brooklyn Bridge, however, he designed the Delaware Aqueduct, the Niagara River Gorge Bridge, and the Covington and Cincinnati Suspension Bridge. He also invented wire rope, which was soon used all over the United States in railroad systems and suspension bridges.[31]
Architecture is an art form in itself, but Germans also left their mark in other fields of art. Renowned painters like Valentin Haidt, John Lewis Krimmel, or Christian Mayr were all German immigrants who made a name for themselves in America.[32] While Haidt, Krimmel, and Mayr largely remained active within German enclaves, others like John Gast, who was a German-born immigrant, became famous. In Gast’s case, it was his “American Progress” (1872) that was widely disseminated in reproductions.[33]
Albert Bierstadt used his talent for painting and successfully sold romantic and dramatic images of the Midwest, which are still exhibited across major galleries across the United States and Europe.[34] One of the most famous cartoonists of the United States, Thomas Nast, was a German immigrant whose cartoons captivated the whole nation and helped bringing down the likes of William Marcy "Boss" Tweed and his posse. Additionally, he invented graphic icons like the dollar sign, Santa Claus, Uncle Sam, and the symbols for the Democratic and Republican parties, the donkey and the elephant.[35] [36]
In terms of music, nobody changed the American instrument scene as much as Henry E. Steinway with his world-renowned Steinway pianos. Building on the reputations of Germans as excellent instrument makers, Steinway anglicized his name from Heinrich Steinweg in order to become as successful as possible. Steinway and his sons initially worked for other companies, but decided to realize their own American dream and established Steinway & Sons. Soon the company boomed, and the Steinways began to design new instruments, each successful enough to keep the Steinway instruments famous and coveted even in our time.[37]
Another part of American culture affected by Germans immigrants was diet, liquid and solid alike. Up until the 1840s, American brewers produced beer the English way, causing fermentation by using a floating yeast on barley malt. However, the resulting beer “was ill-tasting, cloudy, and without sparkle.” A solution came with the arrival of German brewers, who came with their recipes of lager, which used a yeast which sank to the bottom of the barley malt, which reduced interaction with air, and produced a much improved quality beer. Because it still required cooler storage, though, the biggest breweries up to this day are located mainly in the colder north. Some German breweries actually turned into some of the best-known and widest distributed companies, and brands like Anheuser Busch, Pabst, and Miller (Müller) had their origins in German breweries.[38] Frankfurters, Wieners, and sausages of all kinds made their way into the United States and into American Culture via Oscar Mayer, who more or less invented the home delivery service with his “Wienermobil”.[39]
Pretzels, derived from the German “Brezel” or “Brezen”, are by now as American as pie, as they are sold by street vendors and bakeries across the United States.[40] However, no food screams German as much as Sauerkraut. The cabbage specialty was so typically German, that it gave Germans the derivative nickname “Kraut” and a whole street in New York City became known as “Sauerkraut Boulevard” because of the large number of Germans who settled there.[41] Of course with the onset of World War I, when anything Germany was decisively un-American, products were simply renamed. Some names like “liberty cabbage” instead of Sauerkraut never really caught on, but others, like “hot dog” for Wiener sausages essentially became an American item.
German-based language, art, and diet found their combination in holiday traditions brought to America. Some of these traditions and customs became national treasures, and not many Americans stop to think about the origins of customs and rites. By now just about everyone has at least heard of local Octoberfests, imitations of one of the largest Bavarian festivals, during which time food items such as sauerkraut and bratwurst are served with generous amounts of beer while Polka-playing brass bands provide entertainment.[42] A less known fact is that many of the American Easter traditions such as the Easter bunny and Easter egg hunts have their origin in German customs that were brought overseas by Dutch and German settlers.[43] “Here Comes the Bride,” traditionally played as the bride walks down the aisle to meet her husband to be, and the “Wedding March” both have German origins. The former was part of Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin,” while the latter was composed by Felix Mendelssohn for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”[44] There is an ongoing debate about Christmas traditions, Santa Claus, and the Christmas tree, mainly perpetuated by Stephen Nissenbaum, author of The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday. [45] Nissenbaum asserts that it was the idea of the Christmas tree that caught on with Americans, rather than the actual example from German immigrants, with his main argument centering around the timeline in which the Christmas tree was first mentioned in American literature and when it had become a German tradition, maintaining that theories do not add up to a simultaneous emergence of Christmas trees.[46] However, it still is entirely possible that German immigrants were the first to actually display a Christmas tree, or that they influenced the tradition via England, where it first spread due to the influence of German-born Queen Adelaide, who brought the family tradition of putting up a Christmas tree decorated with candles with her when she ascended the British throne with her husband, King William IV.[47]
Speculation on how exactly the Christmas tree made it into American living rooms does not negate the German influence on American Christmas traditions.
Overall it can be argued that German influence on American culture from colonial times to the late 1800s cannot be denied, as it played a role in shaping America’s language, architecture, art, diet, and holiday customs and rites. Germans influenced American politics and the American way of life, even though those influences are not obvious these days, in large part due to the World Wars, which turned former neighbors and friends, known for their “Gemütlichkeit” into potential enemies who were to be viewed with suspicion. Germans had to quickly adapt and blend in so they would not fall victim to this hatred for all things German, and many Americans denied the contributions made by German immigrants to the American culture. Denial or not, Germans were an important part of America’s history. About 57,945,000 Americans claimed German ancestry in the 1990 Census alone and it stands to reason that with this much ethnicity, culture changed, even if it was a subtle change and not quite obvious to the onlooker.[48] The next time you are out on the town, look a little closer and see if you can spot the German influence on American culture.
[1] “North America: United States,” The World Factbook, Library, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014). The World Factbook notes under “languages” that “the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 28 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii.”
[2] “History of the Baptists,” Baptists, Religion Facts: Just the facts on Religion, http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/baptists.htm, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014). Many settlers came to America for religious freedom and, like the Puritans and Baptists, brought their religions with them, which explains why the majority religion of the Unites States is Baptism.
[3] “American Holidays,” USA.gov: Government Made Easy. http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014). Both, the United Kingdom and the United States, recognize public holidays during which government agencies and a majority of private businesses are closed. Furthermore, in both countries holidays are usually observed on Mondays to avoid them falling on weekends. The UK and the US also share unofficial holidays like Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, which fall on the same day in both countries.
[4] “Germans (1600-1754)," American Eras, Detroit: Gale, 1997, General Reference Center GOLD, http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.troy.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA145481032&v=2.1&u=troy25957&it=r&p=GRGM&sw=w&asid=bd26714803d388b8692c7fb18a70c9f0, (accessed December 9, 2014).
[5] Alexander Emmerich, Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika: Von 1680 bis zur Gegenwart, (Augsburg: Weltbild, 2010), p. 28. Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika (transl. The History of the Germans in America) is an account of German settlement in America and its impact on American culture. In chapter 2 the author researches the beginnings of German immigration. Pastorius later changed his first name to “Francis” and the settlers, initially Mennonites, converted to the religion of the Quakers upon arrival in Philadelphia. Translations by Petra Hokanson.
[6] “Pennsylvania History,” Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_history/4276, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[7] Emmerich, Alexander, Die Geschichte der Deutschen in Amerika, 14.
[8] “Germans (1600-1754)," American Eras.
[9] Emmerich, Alexander, 14.
[10] P. R. Fischetti, Germans, Washington: Educational Extension Systems, 1997, http://search.proquest.com/docview/189307942?accountid=38769 (accessed 15 November 2014), 23.
[11] Alison Clark Efford, German Immigrants, Race, and Citizenship in the Civil War Era, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 17-22.
[12] Emmerich, Alexander, 10-12.
[13] Emmerich, Alexander, 54-57.
[14] Emmerich, Alexander, 57-60.
[15] Emmerich, Alexander, 61.
[16] Emmerich, Alexander, 68.
[17] Emmerich, Alexander, 74. Emmerich also writes how Germans were so sure of their ethnicity and self that they began to refer to Chicago as a great German city, along with Frankfurt, Leipzig, Cologne, and other great German dwellings. Americans increasingly began to grow worried about this “infiltration”.
[18] Emmerich, Alexander, 116-118.
[19] Emmerich, Alexander, 142. The main concern was that in an impending war with Europe, Germans would stick with their “Heimat”, the homeland, and cause harm on American soil – even though many Germans had already fought for the United States on either side of the Civil War, and would go on to fight for America and against Germany in both World Wars.
[20] Efford, Alison Clark, 12. This also shows that Germans were highly involved in local, and later national politics. Most intellectuals followed the Democratic Party - mostly because it was immigrant-friendly in its attempt to lure many of those immigrants (provided they were white males) to the polls.
[21] Efford, Alison Clark, 44-45.
[22] Emmerich, Alexander, 95.
[23] Emmerich, Alexander, 151-152.
[24] Emmerich, Alexander, 154.
[25] “Appendix D: German Words in the American Language,” German-Americans and Their Contributions to the American Mainstream Culture: German Names and Words http://maxkade.iupui.edu/nameword/apend-d.html, (accessed November 15, 2014).
[26] Max Brandt, “Largest U.S. Cities with a German Name,” http://www.geographylists.com/list20y.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[27] “Appendix A: Identifying German Names,” German-Americans and Their Contributions to the American Mainstream Culture: German Names and Words, http://maxkade.iupui.edu/nameword/apend-a.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[28] “Eisenhower/Stover Family Genealogy,” Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas. http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/all_about_ike/family_tree.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014).
[29] “Henry A. Kissinger,” Biography, http://www.henryakissinger.com/biography.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014).
[30] Kimberly Blackford, “American Colonial Architecture,” House Plans and More, http://houseplansandmore.com/resource_center/american-colonial-homes.aspx, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[31] “Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge,” Today in History: June 12, The Library of Congress, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun12.html, (accessed 9 December 9, 2014).
[32] “The Colonial Period and Early Years of the Republic,” German Immigrant Painters 2, http://www.germanheritage.com/Publications/germanpainters/paintchapter2.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[33] Martha A. Sandweiss, “John Gast, American Progress, 1872,” My Favorite Image, Picturing U.S. History, http://picturinghistory.gc.cuny.edu/item.php?item_id=180, (accessed 9 December 2014).
[34] Emmerich, Alexander, 178-179.
[35] “The Germans in America,” European Reading Room, The Library of Congress, http://loc.gov/rr/european/imde/germchro.html, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[36] Emmerich, Alexander, 119-120.
[37] Emmerich, Alexander, 132-133.
[38] W. J. Rorabaugh, The Alcoholic Republic, An American Tradition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1981), 108-109.
[39] Emmerich, Alexander, 161.
[40] Emmerich, Alexander, 173.
[41] Emmerich, Alexander, 147.
[42] Fischetti, P. R., 25.
[43] Jolie Lee, “Easter Eggs, Bunnies, Peeps: Easter Traditions Explained,” USA Today Network, April 18, 2014 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/18/easter-traditions-explained/7865171/, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[44] Elizabeth Hafkin Pleck, “Celebrating the Family: Ethnicity, Consumer Culture, and Family Rituals,” (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000), 212http://books.google.com/books?id=3__XaT6aEL4C&pg=PA212&dq=lohengrin+bridal+chorus+victoria&hl=en#v=onepage&q=lohengrin%20bridal%20chorus%20victoria&f=false, (accessed October 26, 2014).
[45] Stephen Nissenbaum, The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday. (New York: Vintage Books, 1997).
[46] Nissenbaum, Stephen, 192-195.
[47] “Adelheid Prinzessin von Sachsen Meiningen, Koenigin von Grossbritannien,” Schloss Elisabethenburg, Meininger Museen, http://www.meiningermuseen.de/pages/schloss/personen/herzogliche-familie/koenigin-adelheid.php, (accessed November 15, 2014).
[48] Fischetti, P. R., 23-24.