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Home , Alemanni, Bavarians, Southern Bavarian, Swabians

THE EUROPEAN ORIGINS OF GERMAN-AMERICAN DIVERSITY

oth the official motto of the United tion today. Yet much of the common her- States, e pluribus unum ("One out of itage is ageless, since many customs, beliefs Bmany"), and the motto expressed in and traditions are derived from the misty the German national anthem, "Einigkeit und past of pagan times and transcend both Recht und Freiheit" ("Unity, Justice and present national borders and specific tribal Freedom") betray the degree to which affiliations, fully justifying historian Fried- diversity has been a given in the history of rich Meinecke's concept of a "deutsche both nations. Yet each has pursued the goal Kulturnation" [Germanic cultural unity] of unifying its diverse elements differently. which encompasses the German-speaking The United States—the foremost countries and regions of central Europe "Nation of Immigrants," to quote John F. allowing diversity and commonality to co- Kennedy's book title—has shaped its identi- exist. The industrial age, the concomitant ty through a continuous process of assimila- growth of cities, increased mobility, and tion and integration involving some 140 dif- ease of communication have encouraged the ferent nationalities, with the goal of forming a process of homogenization, of course. political and socio-economic whole out of a populace of different ethnic backgrounds Especially in the second half of the twenty- and religious creeds. The quest for unity in eth century, the gradual urbanization of German-speaking lands, on the other hand, even the smallest villages has been con- has been predicated largely on the mainte- stantly chiseling away at some of the most nance of a variety of diverse tribal affilia- tenacious of the individual tribal character- tions, reaching back into antiquity but istics. But despite the inevitable leveling bound together by a common history, an effect, much of the diversity has been overarching ethno-linguistic culture, and retained or is being preserved for genera- dynastic interests. tions yet unborn. Given that today's German-speaking This essay can, of course, treat only culture area is only about one-twentieth the some aspects of the variety within the con- size of the United States the uninitiated cept generally known as German culture might expect more cultural homogeneity and civilization. We will focus accordingly than diversity in German-speaking coun- on tribal and geographic origins and linguis- tries. At close range, however, these lands tic differences between German-speaking reveal a multitude of distinct cultural vari- regions. Along the way we will consider the eties that in part reach back more than 1500 dynastic-political and religious influences at years to the settlement of certain areas by work in various areas and look at customs individual tribes. Germanic tribesmen, early Christian missionaries, knights and noble- and traditions in various locales, consider- men, peasants and burghers, religious ing particularly the question of how certain reformers and writers—all helped shape the folkways were transferred from the Old to composite which we know as German tradi- the New World. European Origins______

GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGINS Migrate, They Carry Their Selves Along," th the late Gunter Moltmann pointed out that The year 1983, which marked the 300 while immigrants of necessity adapted to anniversary of German group immigration the lay of the land, the climate, and the to North America, generated a renewed resources available, they did not give up interest in what the 1990 United States their customary ways. Census showed to be the largest ethnic ele- Most people migrating from one ment of the country. Tracing the geographic country to another do not shake off origins of that group is, however, not as sim- their old clothes in a hurry and put ple as putting a finger on a present-day map. on new ones suited to their future One must take into account that borders environment—at least not immedi- ately upon arrival.... Along with the changed frequently, thus causing a fluctuat- things necessary for their physical ing incongruence between ethno-linguistic existence, the immigrants' baggage population groups and dynastic-political includes their cultural heritage, their territories. The former are characterized by mother tongue, their ways of life, cohesiveness and a great degree of perma- their personal concepts, their value systems and preconceived plans for nence through common ancestry, language future, their hopes and expecta- (tribal ), behavioral patterns and tra- tions.1 ditions in general, whether its members are The immigrants' sense of identity in inhabitants of their own state or have been the New World thus continued to mirror annexed to another. Territorial configura- their tribal and regional roots. Striking evi- tions, on the other hand, came about through dence of the tendency of immigrants to con- the exercise of power, princely marriage and gregate and settle in areas where others inheritance—hence the tendency toward from their home territory in Europe had shifting borders. Another, often overlooked established themselves can be found in J. point with regard to the geographic origins Richey's Directory of the German- of the German element in America is the American Societies in the USA, 1988. Of the once formidable presence of millions of more than 800 organizations listed, a signif- in the eastern and southeastern icant number show a tribal or regional ori- countries of Europe. entation. In fact, three of the approximately Immigrants from the German-speaking ten most frequently occurring names refer areas of Europe have been coming to specifically to original tribal groups: the America since 1608, bringing with them not , the , and the . just their trunks full of utensils and clothes, A recent example of an attempt to pre- but their , their customs and tradi- serve the German cultural heritage can be tions, their values and beliefs. This "cultur- found in the first issue of the "Neues Blatt" al baggage" provided them with continuity [Feb.1, 1997], the Newsletter of the Ost- and a sense of stability which found expres- friesen Heritage Society in Iowa. The sion in the founding of German towns and "Goals of the Society" are: neighborhoods often based on the common 1. To preserve the knowledge of the regional origin of the settlers. A second gen- emigrants, their names, customs, eration of settlers from the same region usu- foods and land of origin through genealogy, celebrations, and lan- ally followed the first in a type of "chain guage classes. migration." In his essay, "When People —18—

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2. To use and enjoy the Platt lan- ed to his or her new country by adapting guage for the two generations familiar ways to the strange land. In doing which still speak this ancient so, German-speaking immigrants enriched Friesen language of the low coastal lands of . the American continent in a variety of ways, ranging from the introduction of effective 3. To preserve records of the lan- guage through cassettes and agricultural practices and technical know- video of the Plattdeutsch theater how—sausage-making and beer-brewing— and music at our festivities. to Grimm's fairy tales. Today German 4. To provide activities with Platt Christmas customs, festival planning, Theater and German music. kindergartens, music appreciation and phys- 5. To form an Ostfriesen Genea- ical education have all become part of the logical Resource/Research Center American mainstream. Of course, much has at the Wellsburg Library, for this been adapted to suit the dominant central pan of Iowa and all Anglophone culture with its tastes and whose ancestors first settled in mores. Hohenschwanstein, the castle of the Grundy County and surrounding areas. Bavarian King Ludwig II, has now become the castle of "Sleeping Beauty;" the 6. To bring performing groups from Ostfriesland, Germany, and for Christmas tree is trimmed with artificial our people to perform in Ger- lights; and "Stille Nacht" and "O many and research their roots in Tannenbaum" are sung in English, as are the land of the ancestors. Martin Luther's hymns. And then there are Dat Pommersche Blatt [Jan. 1997], certain restrictions on the sale and the Newsletter of the Pommersche Verein Central strength of beer—a livable compromise Wisconsin, states: "Our Verein [sic., i.e., with the temperance spirit of the new society or organization] has chosen the American homeland. Jamunder Tracht for our Tracht (folk cos- TRIBAL ORIGINS tume)." In regard to language the newsletter Now let us reach way back to the tribal reports the following: "Since the formation origins of our German ancestors. During the of our Verein, we have gathered and pub- Volkerwanderung (migration of nations) lished information about the German dialect between the fourth and sixth centuries, cen- spoken by our forefathers. At our meetings tral Europe became the domain of the we attempt to state resolutions brought from , Saxons, Franconians, , the floor in 'Platt'..." Thuringians and Bavarians—to name but The few examples mentioned here are the most powerful original Germanic tribes but a small number of the myriad manifes- or tribal groups. Through subsequent colo- tations of the truth of Moltmann's observa- nization eastward beyond the and Oder tion. In molding a new identity in their rivers in the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, adoptive homeland, German immigrants the new tribes of the Mecklenburgers, drew upon the "cultural baggage" they had Pommeranians, Brandenburgers, Silesians, brought with them. Practices and traditions West- and East Prussians were formed. determined largely by tribal and linguistic Interaction with various natural phenomena, affiliations were a vital part of an immi- from the and the Baltic to the grant's identity, and each individual adjust- , as well as the interplay of certain —19—

European Origins______events in human history encouraged the divide communities along different lines. development of regional characteristics and With the Peace of in 1555 reli- ways of life from within these tribal struc- gious and political leaders agreed on the tures. principle of cuius regio, eius religio, where- Dynastic-political influences: The uni- by a prince had the right to determine the faith of his subjects, that is, as long as it was fication process toward a single "Germany" either Catholic, Protestant or Reformed; no was not without its bloody conflicts. An other sects were acceptable. The intertwin- early example is the decisive battle of 496 ing of religious and dynastic interests and A.D. by which King Chlodwig established alliances with foreign powers, notably Franconian superiority over the Alemanni, and Sweden, eventually led to the who were pushed southward but still Thirty Years War (1618-48), which took retained a good part of today's -Würt- some six million German lives, more than a temberg, , the largest part of third of a population estimated at sixteen , western with Liechten- million. The land was devastated, and the stein and the southwestern part of . nation fragmented into more than 300 In the eighteenth century Frederick the essentially autonomous principalities. The Great of Prussia captured the province of general lack of tolerance for religious Silesia from Maria Theresia, the German minorities which marked the era of the empress of the . And in Thirty Years' War continued well beyond 1866, shortly after the American Civil War, the Peace of Westphalia and the close of that the Germans had their own North-South war. Even animosity and distrust between conflict, which ended with the ouster of Catholics and Protestants lasted well into Austria from the German Federation and the twentieth century and strongly influ- opened the road to building the second enced the makeup of Germany's cultural German Empire according to Bismarck's landscape. In 1939, Germany was predomi- Prussian design [1871]. nantly Catholic (33%) in the south and in A good example for fluctuating incon- the with its archbishoprics of gruence between ethno-linguistic population , Cologne, Trier, and Protestant in the groups and dynastic-political territories north and east (64%). In Austria, always a in German history are the Bavarian Catholic bastion, more than eighty-five per- Swabians, or "Bayrisch-Schwaben." The cent of the population was Catholic. Bavarian crown acquired the sizable territo- Switzerland, the land of Calvin and Zwingli, ry of from Wurttemberg for having was 55% Protestant and 43% Catholic in the 1960s. In each area the dominant religion supported Napoleon! But dynastic territori- determines many of the common customs al expansion did not inwardly change the and traditions. For instance, Catholic Swabians—the strongest tribal subgroup of Bavaria and portions of the Rhineland have the Alemanni—and their Swabian dialect. a significantly larger number of holidays RELIGIOUS SCHISMS than the Protestant north, because of the With the onset of the Reformation addition of certain feast days. Individuals (1517) yet another significant force helped seeking a truly memorable celebration of fashion German diversity. Christian denom- Karneval or Fasching would be well advised inationalism cut across tribal allegiances to to seek their entertainment in Cologne, —20—

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Mainz, and Koblenz, or elsewhere in the bilingual Luxembourg, Alsace, and South Rhineland or Bavaria rather than further —all with political identities separate north. from Germany proper—we can still refer to these lands with their transnational span as COMMON LANGUAGE—COMMON CULTURE the "deutsche Kulturnation." German- The gradual development of a common Americans share its (non-politically language [] in the defined) cultural heritage. , especially through a blossom- Dialects and High German: Although ing courtly literature, paved the way toward the German-speaking areas of Europe— a sense of a common culture despite often

Figure 1: Designations for "Kartoffel" in the before 1945 Reprinted with Permission counting only Germany in the borders of great tribal differences and changing political 1937 (470,662 sq. km.), Austria (83,850 sq. alliances. Ethno-linguistic and cultural km.), Switzerland (all; 41,293 sq. km.), bonds have survived the demise of all three (157 sq. km.)—are but a frac- German empires. Although today German- tion of the territory of the United States speaking Central Europe also includes (9,363,353 sq. km.), the linguistic diversity Austria, Liechtenstein, most of Switzerland, —21—

European Origins______of the is immensely [Plattdeutsch], spoken in greater than the variants of American the northern third of the German-speaking English. Dialects abound. Regional and area, has kept a closer relationship to the often even local variants differ from each Anglo-Saxon roots of the other and from High German in pronuncia- than have Middle and . These tion, vocabulary and even grammar to an latter dialect groups, esp. Upper German, extent that can make communication experienced a still unexplained shifting of increasingly difficult the farther apart any consonants that didn't affect Anglo-Saxon two dialect areas are. and Low German [see below]. From the numerous language maps in It would do the dialects a great injus- Werner Konig's dtv-Atlas zur deutschen tice to look at them as "bad" or "corrupted" Sprache, we selected the one for "potato" German. The "low" of Low German is, after [fig. 1]. This basic food item with the High all, a description of the landscape in the German dictionary entry of "Kartoffel" low-lying coastal areas of the North, where those dialects are spoken, rather than a judg- demonstrates how broad the dialect spec- ment of the relative worth of a specific variant trum of many German vocabulary items can spoken. In America, more often than be. not, the "Low" is erroneously interpreted as The incredible range of dialectic varia- second rate, "bad German." Indeed, the tion practically demands a lingua franca if northern dialects have seniority: They are German speakers from diverse dialect linked to the historic tribal substructure of groups are going to be able to communicate the German-speaking peoples who settled in effectively. That linguistic middle ground is central Europe and in England [Anglo- High German [Hochdeutsch], the standard Saxons] during the Völkerwanderung language-equivalent to the "Queen's [migration of nations]. Each of the major English"—and the principal vehicle of the tribes—the Frisians, Saxons, , media, of literature, religion, education and Thuringians, Alemanni and Bavarians— commerce. Most German-speakers today developed its own dialect and even various grow up "bilingual," with the dialect of their subdialects. When in the course of history region and with High German. If the for- dynastic territorial actions altered the politi- eigner doesn't understand a dialect speaker, cal map, they seldom affected the ethno-lin- the latter will usually shift to a High guistic characteristics of the tribes. In the German which, although often still colored southern part of the German-speaking area, by regionalisms, more or less approximates e.g., the Duchy of Swabia comprised what what is taught in school. is today Alsace, Baden-Württemberg, west- ern Bavaria, western Austria, Liechtenstein German-speaking areas outside the and two-thirds of Switzerland. Even after Federal Republic and Austria even cultivate 1500 years, the overarching Alemannic tri-lingualism. Where the official language bonds still make it possible for people in is either French [western parts of these areas to communicate in their respec- Switzerland, Alsace and Luxembourg], or tive subdialects. Eberhard Reichmann got a Italian [Southern Tyrol and southern lesson of this when he entered the teachers' Switzerland], the local dialect as well as preparatory school at Ochsenhausen in High German are maintained concurrently. —22—

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1941. He noticed to his amazement that Alemannic subdialect, and French. While it among his class of twenty five—all from is a bit difficult for to accept the Wurttemberg—there were twenty distinctly linguistic designation "südbayerisch" different subdialects of Swabian, Low [Southern Bavarian] for their dialect groups, it Alemannic and Franconian spoken! But the is indeed true that most of Austria was set- old ethno-linguistic Alemannic relationship tled by Bavarians long before the year 1000 and its relative closeness with Southern and A.D., hence the legitimacy of the designa- Eastern Franconian minimized communica- tion. tion difficulties when each spoke in his own It should be noted that political and local or regional dialect. ethno-linguistic borders have not necessari- The visitor to Augsburg—thirty-three ly coincided. In the course of history the lat- miles from —will be surprised to ter have shown more permanence than the hear people there speak Swabian rather than former. The following linguistic map [fig. 2] Bavarian. And in Nürnberg and Würzburg it is illustrates these inconsistencies. We invite Franconian you hear, not Bavarian. The the reader to compare it with a modern Alemanni in Alsace speak Alsatian, an political map. The map is based on Theo

Figure 2: German Dialects around 1930

—23— European Origins______van Dorp's design in Adolf Bach's hear "Westfälisch," but fifty kilometers east Geschichte der deutschen Sprache.3 It of there it shifts to "Ostfälisch," then "Elb- affords an overview of the three large Ostfälisch." Each "small" German-speaking dialect bands spanning German-speaking area is, in fact, a colorful dialect mosaic! Central Europe and also shows major sub- A multilingual example may help us groups of dialects. From North to South see the closeness and the differences they are Niederdeutsch (Low German, often between an original "Plattdeutsch" text referred to as Plattdeutsch), Mitteldeutsch from a poem by Theodor Storm [1817- (Middle German), and Oberdeutsch (Upper 1888], and its quite literal equivalents in German, not to be confused with High English, High German, and the southwest German). German dialect of "Schwäbisch": A phenomenon called "Second or Old Oever de stille Straaten geiht klar de High German Soundshift" [Zweite oder Klockenslag. Althochdeutsche Lautverschiebung] bet- God Nacht, din Hart will slapen un ween the fifth and ninth centuries created Morgen is ok een Dag. the three big dialect bands. It affected espe- Over the still Streets goes clear cially the consonants "p," "t," "k." In the the bells' peal. Good night, thine heart wants to Upper German area they were shifted, sleep and tomorrow is also a day. depending on position within a given word, as follows: "p" to "pf," "f," "ff" [pipe = Über die s[ch]tillen S[ch]trassen gent klar der Glockenschlag. Pfeife; hope = hoffe]; "t" to "s," "ss," "z," Gut' Nacht, dein Herz will schlafen "tz" [what = was; hate = hasse; to = zu; cat = und morgen ist auch ein Tag. Katz']; "k" to "ch" [make = mache]. Ieber de schtille Schtrassa gaht klar dr Middle German participated to a somewhat Gloggaschlag. lesser degree: a Frankfurter likes his Guad Nachd, dei Herz will schlafa "Appelwoi" [Apple wine], not "Apfel- ond morga isch au a Dag. wei(n)." The line separating Upper and For southern Germans, notably the Middle German is also refered to as the Bavarians, the River used to constitute "Appel/Apfel" line. Low German (include- a "mental border"—similar to the Mason- ing Anglo-Saxon) was not affected by the Dixon line of the United States. Whoever sound shift. Students with an English-lan- lived north of it was summarily given the guage background who have a hard time slang name "Saupreiss," literally "pig Prus- pronouncing the "ch" as in "ich" might find sian." But time mellows things. A Bavarian solace in the company of the Low German friend of ours now has a little plaque with a speakers, for whom "ik" is the "right" form. heart on it and an English/German text: "It The line between Low and Middle German is nice to be a Preiss'/But it is nicer to be a is called the "maken/ machen" line. The Bayer." German TV, one of the big leveling Low German band of this map shows less agents, has occasional programs with "Platt- differentiation than the Middle and Upper deutsch" speakers appearing in the Alps and bands, but Mecklenburg, West- and East Bavarians in Hamburg. It is humorous, of Pomerania, Brandenburg and East Prussia course, to show dialects outside their nor- certainly also have dialect variants of their mal environment, but there is an education- own. And along the Ruhr River you may al aspect as well. Familiarity with other —24—

______Reichmann dialects may ultimately engender a healthy fests held throughout the United States and respect for the "otherness" of dialects. Any particularly in the Midwest. The many and appreciation of the validity of dialects is still rich variations of garments from areas other in its infancy in the training of American than Bavaria are rarely seen today. teachers of German and evokes a provoca- A "Tracht" is a traditional garment typ- tive historical parallel. Academics in post- ical of a certain area. The word "Tracht" is

Figure 3: Man from Mühlenbachtal and young Figure 4: Bridegroom and bride from Eichen- woman from Kirnbachtal, both in the Black furst in the mountains, east of Frank- Forest furt am Main war Germany frowned upon the use of related to the verb "tragen" [to wear]. American English, which was considered an Before the leveling effect of urbanization, inferior dialect. ethnic dress was always bound to a given GERMAN ETHNIC DRESS place, a specific social unit, and a local/ regional culture. Amish and Mennonite Much to the amusement of German- dress reflects clothing styles of the Alsatian, speaking visitors coming to America, Southwest German and Swiss areas at the "Dirndl" and "Lederhosen," the stereotypi- time of these groups' emigration. For many cal "German" attire, only vaguely resemble immigrant groups as with the Amish, dress- the traditional folk costumes or "Trachten" ing in traditional garb is an outward expres- worn in the Alpine regions of Bavaria and sion of belonging to a specific group or a Austria. Yet no matter how inauthentic, such home area. Such dress requires a commit- outfits add color to the increasingly popular ment to a value system, shared by a specific , Germanfests and Strassen- —25—

European Origins______community, and conformity to that system. By the middle of the nineteenth centu- Traditional clothing provides an immigrant ry typical national/ethnic dress had begun to community with an outward sign of its link disappear in many places. Where tradition with a cherished heritage. It is not so much remained important, especially in rural parts a conscious attempt to flaunt one's ethnicity of Bavaria and Austria, the , as it is a mechanism for smoothing the tran- Lower Saxony, Friesland, Schleswig, the sition to a new and strange environment. In Harz Mountains, and Lusatia, people continued to wear their traditional dress, its significance for the wearer, a true folk often passing a well-maintained costume on costume or Tracht differs strikingly from the to the next generation. For many wearers, folk-like imitations which tourist drag home traditional garb is not something to be from their European travels. admired only in museum cases; it is alive, it Until the sixteenth century, farmers is worn and enjoyed.5 and people of the lower classes usually wore Let us also consider the tradition of gray or brown-colored garments. Wearing wooden shoes.6 They are usually ascribed to blue was allowed only on Sundays and hol- the Dutch with stereotypical exclusivity. idays. From the sixteenth century onward, But wooden shoes have been known in traditional country dress developed as part many variations in German-speaking areas of a system of order. Every trade had its dis- as well and all over Europe. tinctive work clothes and Sunday dress. Dresses, trousers, shirts, vests, and head- pieces worn for work differed from those worn for festive occasions, and they differed from region to region. The Black Forest dress and the "Bollenhut," a black hat with red balls [fig. 3] differ greatly from dress and bonnet worn by the woman in the Spessart [fig. 4].4 True folk costumes are sewn and fitted for the wearer by specialized tailors or seamstresses, who use only natural materi- als: wool, linen, silk, silver, mother-of- pearl, etc. Ethnic dress features handiwork, such as embroidery, lace and handwoven materials, and uses ornamental trim very carefully, concentrating on the quality of Figure 5: Shapes of wooden shoes from: workmanship rather than the quantity of 1. Steiermark decoration. There are different costumes for 2. Steiermark, with leather uppers 3. Brandenburg work, visiting and special celebrations, and 4. Brandenburg, with leather uppers each indicates the marital status and the role 5. East Prussia (Memel Region) of the wearer at a given function as well as the family or clan to which the wearer belongs. —26—

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To this day Nikolaus traditions vary as widely from region to region as his guise CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS and name. He appears as St. Nikolaus Attempts of the Christian Church to (mainly in Catholic areas), Klaus, Nickel, suppress, displace, supplant or neutralize Sünnerklas, Seneklos, Pelznickel, Knecht Germanic cults devoted to the worship of Ruprecht, Weihnachtsmann and Christkindl deities such as Wotan or , were only (in mostly Protestant areas). He is on foot or partially successful. astride a white horse, a reindeer, a mule, or assigned divine qualities to the forests, even a goat. More diverse than those of the believed to be the home of the gods, and rit- saintly Nikolaus are the many legends and uals were held in their "hains" [lit. "groves" traditions surrounding his often-wild com- of worship]. Although the church was able panions: the Zwarte Pitt, Hans Muff, to destroy the "hains" and many outward Schimmelreiter, Krampus, Leutfresser, forms of Germanic religions, it could not Rumpelklas, Schmutzli. A religious myth completely eradicate the beliefs of their which had its source in a Semitic nation was priests and worshipers. subsequently developed by a Mediterranean It is generally believed that the people and finally superimposed on the Christmas tree is of German origin. In the quite alien mythologies of the Northern Europeans. The result is a wide array of pre-Christian era the oak was the sacred tree coexisting customs, Christian and for the Germanic peoples. Legend has it that Germanic.7 the missionary to the Germans, St. Boniface, in order to stop sacrifices at their Part of the modern American picture of sacred Donar Oak near Geismar, chopped Christmas is that of a magnificent sleigh the tree down [725 A.D.]. He is said to have pulled by eight reindeer carrying a bushy- replaced the oak with a fir tree adorned in bearded Santa Claus. The eight reindeer have only been in Santa's service since tribute to the newborn Christ. Ironically, the 1822, the year in which Clement Clarke evergreen tree has been ascribed magical Moore, of Troy, N.Y., wrote his decidedly power by the Germanic peoples as a repre- secular '"Twas the night before Christ- sentation of fertility. Today, the fir and its mas..." Moore's knowledge of popular next of kin enjoy the highest degree of pop- views of Christmas was based chiefly on the ularity. The Christmas tree custom has St. Nikolaus customs brought to the area by spread across large parts of the world. Dutch, German and Scandinavian immi- The church also placed Christ's birth at grants. In the German-speaking countries as the time of the winter solstice and fostered well as Holland and Belgium, December 6th is as the bringer of gifts St. Nikolaus, the bishop the most distinctive children's festival of the of Myra in Asia Minor, who died on year. The shops are full of many-shaped December 6, 343. Christian symbols and biscuits, gilt gingerbreads-sometimes repre- earlier historical layers of Germanic mytho- senting the saint-sugar images, toys and logical figures began to meld. other little gifts. On December 5, small chil- Consequently, the old German God Wotan, dren place their shoes on a windowsill or in riding the wild skies with his retinue, front of the door. If they have a fireplace, emerged out of the pre-Christian past. they will hang their stockings there. In the —27—

European Origins______morning they will find little gifts, an orange, with his parents at age six. In 1862 he joined an apple, and a small toy. Harper's Weekly, primarily as a Civil War Forty years after Moore first published correspondent and began to produce politi- his poem, the illustrator and political car- cally acclaimed cartoons and war sketches. toonist Thomas Nast created the American He was asked by a publisher to illustrate a image of Santa Claus, a combination of book of holiday poems that included

Figure 6: Names of the giftgivers at the time of Nikolausfest The underlined names are mostly those of the wild companions or scare figures. The Germanic origin of these figures is evident although difficult to trace

Moore's "jolly old elf and the Pelznickel of Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nast's native Bavarian . Nast, the Nicholas." Combining imagery from son of a Bavarian army bandsman, was born in Moore's verse and his childhood memories Landau, in 1840, and came to New York of Christmas, Nast created a rotund, beard- —28—

______Reichmann ed, pipe-smoking figure in a woolly suit and "Political" identification with the cap, carrying a large sack of toys.8 country of origin dwindles toward zero In many regions, including the United when the immigrant is ready to accept the States, the festivities originally attributed to privileges and responsibilities of American the gift-giving St. Nikolaus have been trans- citizenship. On the other hand, "ethno-cul- ferred from December 6th to Christmas. The tural" identification, such as German- giver of gifts is the "Weihnachtsmann" American, Austro-American, Swiss-Ameri- [Santa Claus] or the "Christkind" [Christ- can, or Bavarian, Swabian, Pomeranian, Volga-German, may last for generations and child, an angel]. The latter, misunderstood in full harmony with the Pledge of by Anglophones, became "naturalized" as Allegiance. "Kris Kringle." Christmas customs are per- haps the nicest example for cultural transfer In ethnically heterogeneous settings, and adaptation resulting in an American tra- knowledge of the "old country's" language and heritage diminishes rapidly with pro- dition with a German touch. gressing generational distance. "Roots" CONCLUSIONS awareness, usually coupled with interest in Diversity has been a constant charac- the nearly 400 years of German-American teristic of the "deutsche Kulturnation." For history on the local, regional and national better or for worse, in the course of history levels, may provide meaningful alternatives it has exacted its price and bestowed its which can encourage learning the language rewards. Tribal diversity coupled with of one's forebears and about the heritage of dynastic ambitions resulted in a typically their homeland. decentralized nation state. The Third Reich With the obvious stress on High was an unfortunate exception to this histor- German [Schriftdeutsch] in America's ical pattern. German programs, in high school and col- lege, there is the tendency to exclude While the great linguistic diversity dialects from the curriculum, especially requires an extra effort in the process of German-American dialects, and German communication, the broad cultural spectrum Americana altogether. This has its parallel with its roots in the tribal origins of the in Germany, where American English was, German-speaking peoples, their interac- and to some extent still is, frowned upon in tions, and their acceptance or rejection of academic circles, and where American foreign influences provide a wealth of Studies occupy only a marginal place. To enrichment. ignore German-American dialects and cen- In like manner the history of the turies of German Americana is not only aca- German-Americans echoes the principle of demically untenable, it also ignores needs diversity. As the country's largest ethnic and interests of millions of Americans of group they have become an integral and German-speaking ancestry, and it misses formative part of the American mainstream. out on a great public relations potential. This makes them utterly unsuited for ethno- Cooperation between educational institutions political purposes minority-style. Any and German-American heritage societies can attempt at "political" unity would be doomed strengthen enrollments and enrich our to failure. understanding of American history. —29—

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German-Americans, like other ethnic one or the other ethno-cultural identity groups, have not been immune to the "melting alive. Today, more often than in decades pot." If inter-marriages lead to mixed past, one can hear: "Yes, I'm German, too, ethnicity, personal preference may keep the and proud of it." — Eberhard & Ruth Reichmann Max Kade German-American Center Indiana University-Purdue University

—30— NOTES

1Moltmann, Gunter. Keynote Address, "When Germany. Special Monthly for the Allied People Migrate, They Carry Their Selves Forces in Germany, No.3 (1955), 11; Karen Along," in: Eberhard Reichmann, LaVern J. Gottier's "To Dirndl or not to Dirndl?" in: The Ripley & Jorg Nagler, eds., Emigration and German Folk Dancer, Vol. 1, No. 3. (The Settlement Patterns of German Communities in North American Federation of German Folk North America (Indianapolis: Max Kade Dance Groups, May 1995); also to entries in German American Center, 1999), xviii. Oswald and Beitl [see Note 7 below]. 2Konig, Werner. dtv-Atlas zur deutschen Sprache, 6Hansen, Wilhelm. Das deutsche Bauerntum. Seine illustriert von Hans-Joachim Paul. (München: Geschichte und Kultur, Band 1. (: J. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1974; copyright Hermann Nierman-Verlag, 1938), 289. 1994), 206. 7Erich, Oswald A. & Richard Beitl. Wörterbuch der 3Bach, Adolf. Geschichte der deutschen Sprache, 9. deutschen Volkskunde, Kröners Taschen- Aufl. (: VMA Verlag, n.d.), 102. ausgabe, Bd. 127, Nachdruck der 3. Aufl. von 4Helm, Rudolf. Deutsche Volkstrachten aus der 1974 (: Alfred Kröner Verlag, 1996), Sammlung des Germanischen Museums in 600 (Nikolaus map)—the indispensable work Nürnberg (Munchen: J. F. Lehmanns Verlag, for German folklorists. 1932). Courtesy Germanisches Museum. 8Constable, George, ed. A Country Christmas. 5This section on "German Ethnic Dress" is indebted (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, Inc., to: "Traditional Costumes," in: FOCUS on 1989), 156. -32—