German(s) Outside Of Germany
Filed in Culture & Art, German Language, Traditions
I kind of got sidetracked when I originally went to write this. It was supposed to be about cities all over the planet that had a large population of Germans.
But then, that just didn’t seem like enough. As if 17% of the United States’ population being of German decent wasn’t enough, right?
What I found was that over a million people in Australia speak German, and the language is widely spoken in Namibia and parts of South Africa (but that’s about it on the African continent).
I also learned that 20 million people in South America (16 million in Brazil) alone speak German, which is only eclipsed by the 25 million German speakers in North America.
Did you know the first German settlers to the United States (except it wasn’t the U.S. back then) came in the 1680s, who settled in what became known as Germantown, Pennsylvania? The Germans might be gone, but the name still remains as a neighborhood of Philadelphia.
New York wasn’t to be outdone. They had a neighborhood in Manhattan known as Little Germany (Kleindeutschland). By the 1850’s they had the third largest German population, including Germany itself.
Other cities in the U.S. can also boast a large German population: Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh to name a few. Perhaps this is why all sorts of German-American Clubs have sprung up all over, and German-American parades take place on October 6th for German Heritage Day. New York, however, holds their German-American Parade on the 3rd Saturday of September.
What caused this mass emigration of the German population? Sadly, it was war and famine, mostly. (Learn more at the German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven.)
One of the good things to come from all the Germans that left Germany is they spread their culture around the globe, introducing Kindergarten and the Christmas Tree to millions of children and homes in the process.
Think about that the next time you put that star on your tree or send a little one off for their first day of school. ;-)
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5 Responses to “German(s) Outside Of Germany”
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You have one of your Facts in your Article German(s) outside Germany Wrong. The Persentage of Germans, Whole or in Part, is 60% not 17%. I am one of them and am Proud of it. While English is my 1st Language I do speak German (learned in School). And did you know that the Official Language of the United States (Vereinigten Staaten) was almost became German?
This page is really helpfully
My father came to America in 1925 from Schneeberg, a little town in Saxony. Two years ago I visited Schneeberg, found the house my grandfather built in 1905/6. I attended the church where he and his family and ancestors back to the mid-1700 were members. I cannot explain the feeling/thoughts that went through my mind. I am writing this to encourage others whose ancestors came from Germany to travel back to their ancestors’ home town.
My great great grandfather was born and reared in Germany andcame to the US from Lower Saxony in 1858. I never got to know many of his family, as longevity was not in the cards for most of them. I am considering a vacation to Munich for October Fest this year. It’s been several decades since I traveled beyond the North American borders and I have had anxiety as I plan this trip. You have made me less anxious with all the information you have provided. I am really looking forward to experiencing all that Germany has to offer, especially the history. I can hardly wait to see the castles, savor the food, and of course, drink the beer. Thanks for all your timely info, it’s been a great source of encouragement.
Thank you, Sharon, you’re more than welcome! :-)