After coming to the United States, Thomas Mann was appointed Consultant in Germanic Languages and Literatures at the Library of Congress, which has one of the largest German collections in the world. Part of his responsibilities was to present an annual lecture at the Library of Congress. This collection consists of the lectures he held there, and deals with the following topics: The Theme of the Joseph Novels; The War and the Future; Germany and the Germans; Nietzsche's Philosophy in the Light of Contemporary Events; and, Goethe and Democracy. In America, Thomas Mann was looked on as an authority figure, and was even referred to as the « Kaiser of the German emigres, and as a latter-day Goethe. As the most influential and respected German in America, his lectures no doubt contributed to the American image of Germany, as well as of German culture in general, and are of great interest and significance as they relate to the history of German-American relations.

The purpose of this work is to make Daniel Miller's history of the German-American press, from its beginnings in the early eighteenth century to 1830, accessible to those interested in German-American history. As Miller provides a basic introductory survey of the press of this period, this work is essential for those seeking information on German-American history in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This work provides a chronological survey covering the German-American press in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, the South, and the West. In each city and county where there was a German-American news press, the newspaper publications are discussed, including such details as titles, names of founders, dates of publication, and information on editorial policy. Especially valuable are the numerous facsimiles of mastheads, as well as a selection of pages from the German-American press of the period. The rich illustrations in this work cannot be found in any other publication dealing with the German-American press. Also of special value, Miller provides geographical coverage to the topic, rather than dealing thematically with the German-American press, so that one can focus on a particular locale that might be of interest. A new full-name index has been compiled by Dr. Tolzmann and appended to the original work.

"In 1708, representatives of the first major wave of German immigrants arrived upon American shores. By that time, Germans had already been coming to America for a century, but this was the date associated with the first major wave-the first of many that

Today, German-Americans amount to 29% of Michigan's population, thereby making them the state's largest ethnic group. You would believe that any history of the state of Michigan would have to include the contributions of the German-American population, as they are nearly one-third of the state's entire population. But in 1927, when this history was written, this was not the case due to the anti-German feelings prevalent at the time. John Andrew Russell, acutely aware of this discrepancy, wrote his history to help these ignored people feel proud of themselves and their ancestors for their part in the settlement and growth of the state of Michigan. This work provides a comprehensive survey of the history of German immigration and settlement, and the growth and development of German-American institutions, as well as contributions made by German-Americans to the building of the state. It contains a great deal of information on local and county history in Michigan, as well as extensive biographical and bibliographical information. Also included are two appendices: one, a listing of German-American officers in the Civil War; and the other, a listing of German-Americans who died in the First World War.

Amana (the Society of True Inspiration) was a settlement of German pietists in Iowa, consisting of seven old-fashioned villages along the Iowa River. The founders were German mystics who believed in divine inspiration, and who traced their religious ancestry back to the pietists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They opposed Lutheran formalism, refused to take oaths and render military service, and would not allow their children to attend Lutheran schools. In 1817, the group experienced a spiritual renaissance, and in 1842, several members came to the U.S. to explore the possibilities available here. This advance guard purchased 5,000 acres of the Old Seneca Indian reservation near Buffalo, New York, and six villages were built for the 800 emigrants who came over. According to the constitution of 1843, everything except clothing and household goods was to be held in common. By 1854, the community was in need of more land, and the time seemed appropriate for moving west. Eventually, it was decided to buy land in Iowa, and the community of Amana was established. By 1862, six villages lay within a radius of six miles in the Iowa River Valley, and the village of Homestead was bought outright to make the seventh, so that the community had access to a railroad for its produce. In 1859, the community was legally incorporated, and lived under a simple constitution until 1932. During the Great Depression in 1932, Amana decided to abandon communism, and reorganized as a stock company with the usual rules applicable to corporations in a capitalist society. By the end of the 1950s, over thirty enterprises were in operation in the community, and many newcomers are now employed at the various industries in the area. Much remains to reflect the German religious heritage of the community. Amana has become one of the major tourist attractions in the Midwest due to its unique architecture, its interesting shops and excellent restaurants. Amana may be seen as a community which successfully adapted itself to the American scene, and which has grown, prospered, and developed as a German-American community. This history was originally published in 1891; this edition includes a new introduction and full-name index.

California has more German-Americans than any state in the Union, according to the 1990 U.S. Census. Close to five million Californians claim German heritage. This translates into roughly 17% of the state's population.

Considered the definitive history of the involvement of German-Americans in the American Revolution, this work was originally published in 1908 and has long been out of print. It focuses on Pennsylvania and surrounding colonies, where the colonial German element was concentrated, and contains extensive biographical information of value to genealogists and historians. Although only about ten percent of the U.S. population were German-Americans, they overwhelmingly supported the Revolution. In 1776, Congress raised a German-American regiment which fought in many battles and spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge with General George Washington, whose personal bodyguard was a German-American unit. It is said that the American troops were German trained, fed, and led, as Baron von Steuben served as inspector-general, Christopher Ludwig as superintendent of baking, and Heinrich Lutterloh as quartermaster-general. Of General Nicholas Herkimer, commander of several German-American battalions from New York, General Washington wrote, "It was Herkimer who first reversed the gloomy scene...he served from love of country, not for reward." This useful work also contains numerous lists of soldiers, a surname index and a subject index. Dr. Tolzmann has edited several German-American works offered by Heritage Books; here he fills the gap in the general knowledge pertaining to the role of German-Americans in the War of Independence.

Abounding with biographical and historical data, this book is a definitive history of Cincinnati, one of America's three major urban centers of German heritage (St. Louis and Milwaukee are the others). This volume traces, outlines, and discusses German immigration and settlement in the Greater Cincinnati area since the eighteenth century. It contains The Survival of an Ethnic Community: The Cincinnati Germans 1918 through 1932 and The Cincinnati Germans after the Great War, plus thirty pages of bibliographical material on books about the city's German-Americans and twenty-six pages listing German newspapers from Cincinnati and surrounding areas. This book is for anyone interested in the German heritage of the Ohio Valley region.

An old Creole expression in New Orleans is: "It takes German people to do that " This reflects the important role that German-Americans have had in the history of Louisiana. From the days of their first arrival in the early 1700s to the present time, German-Americans, who now number twelve percent of the state's population, have played an important role in the social, cultural, economic, and political life of Louisiana, especially in New Orleans. This volume traces the history of the German society and provides an interesting chronicle of the German element in Louisiana, which is placed in the context of German-American history in general. Originally published in 1927 for the 80th anniversary of the German Society of New Orleans, Dr. Tolzmann provides a historical introduction covering recent history, including the new German Interpretive Center in New Orleans and the re-establishment of the annual German Day in New Orleans.

Written by eminent German-American historian Rudolf Cronau, this book is a concise survey of German-American achievements in America based on his previous work, a comprehensive German-language history. Drei Jahrhunderte deutschen Lebens in Amerika (1909). German Achievements in America, originally published in 1916, is a richly illustrated English-language compendium intended to illuminate the basic dates, facts, and events in German-American history. Then, as now, it provides a convenient introduction to German-American history, from the beginnings to the First World War. There are many chapters discussing in detail the German-American contributions to politics, agriculture, industry, commerce, physical education, science, publishing, literature, music and arts. Given the author's education at the art academy in Dusseldorf, this work is especially good in the insight it brings to the arts, music and literature of German-Americans. This book also contains one of the first chapters on the topic of German-American women. Of special interest, given the time when the book was written (World War I), is the final chapter entitled "The Future Mission of the German Element in America." This basic history has been edited and provided with a new introduction and a selective bibliography by Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, an internationally recognized scholar in the field of German-American Studies.

This book provides an introduction into the life and times of Germans who settled in Pennsylvania. The first permanent all-German settlement was established in America in October 1683 at Germantown, which is now a part of Philadelphia. Germantown would then become the German-American center into the 19th century. This book describes immigration from Germany and the hardships immigrants encountered, pioneer life, religion and education, manners, customs and dress. Chapters discuss the distinctiveness of the Mennonites as Pennsylvania Germans, and proverbs and superstitions. Finally there is a short chapter devoted to gleanings of old records, which deals primarily with the Rosenberger family, beginning with the pioneer Heinrich Rosenberger.

Much has been written about the 1862 Sioux Uprising, or Dakota Conflict, in Minnesota, as its impact was dramatic. An immediate result was the flight of nearly 40,000 people from their homes, and an est. 1000 deaths. For many years the value of this work has been recognized by the descendants of those who perished during the conflict. It will aid descendents attempting to identify their ancestors, and also help locate the sites where family members lost their lives. Not for the faint-hearted, this work contains accounts of the massacres, a chronological list of massacres, casualty lists, a description of the "scalp dance," a new introduction and an original full name index.

This brief survey traces the basic outlines of German immigration and settlement in the history of Ohio. As the largest ethnic element in the state, German-Americans have exerted a profound influence on Ohio's history. Five basic periods in Ohio German history are identified and discussed in this work: The Colonial Period (before the American Revolution); The New Republic (until 1830); The Mass Migration and Settlement Period (from 1830 to World War I); The World Wars Period; and the Roots and Ethnic Revival Period of the latter half of the 20th century and beyond. If this book kindles your interest in Ohio German history, there is a list of further pertinent reading material in the select bibliography.

This is a concise survey of the role that America's largest ethnic group, the German-Americans, has played in American history from the 17th century to the present. The term "German-American" in this volume refers to immigrants and their offspring from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other German-speaking areas of Europe. Hence, the term "German" is used in a linguistic, cultural and ethnic sense to cover the sum of German-speaking immigrants and their descendants. This study is divided into six parts. Part I, "Immigration and Settlement" traces German-American history from the earliest beginnings into the present time, while Parts II and III demonstrate the role German-Americans have played in "Preserving the Union" and "Building the Nation." Part IV gives an overview of the German-American experience. Part V discusses German-American Heritage Month, and Part VI is a select bibliography. Also includes map that shows percentages of German-Americans in each of the United States, a census table and a fullname index.

Dr. Tolzmann continues his efforts to spotlight the historical contributions of German-Americans in this new edition of Rudolf Cronau's landmark biography of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. A professional soldier in the army of Prussian King Frederick the Great, Steuben came to the American colonies in 1777 at the urging of Benjamin Franklin to act as an advisor to Gen. George Washington. Washington's Continental Army was preparing for its desperate winter at Valley Forge, licking its wounds after a string of nearly crippling defeats at the hands of the British and in dire need of support. Bolstered by his belief in the cause of colonial independence, Steuben set about the total reorganization of the Continentals' military structure with a new emphasis on drilling, discipline and time-honored battlefield tactics and strategy. Though harassed by Congress and frustrated by inefficiency and corruption within the military infrastructure, the dynamic baron overcame the shortcomings of so many of his contemporaries and succeeded in transforming the Continental Army from a slipshod troop of guerrillas into a motivated, highly disciplined corps of soldiers and officers. Cronau's gripping narrative sees General Steuben through the darkest days of the American Revolution at Valley Forge to the brightest victories of his career at the Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown. A personal feel is maintained throughout the text with much information drawn from Steuben's own correspondence. Steuben's financial difficulties, his foibles with the English language, his explosive temper, the mutual respect and fanatical devotion he shared with General Washington and the soldiers under his command are all rendered with detail and insight. A new fullname index has been compiled for this edition as well as a new introduction by Dr. Tolzmann.