DOCUMENT RESUME ED 275 571 SO 017 315 AUTHOR Glasrud, Clarence A., Ed. TITLE A Heritage Deferred: The German-Americans in Minnesota. INSTITUTION Concordia Coll., Moorhead, Minn. SPONS AGENCY Minnesota Humanities Commission, St. Paul.; National Endowment for the Humanities (NFAH), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 79 NOTE 170p.; Papers presented at two conferences on the German-American Heritage (Moorhead, MN, October 12, 1979 and St. Paul, MN, October 19-20, 1979). Photographs may not reproduce well. AVAILABLE FROM International Language Villages, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN 56560 (write for price). PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021)-- Historical Materials (060) -- Reports- General (140) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Architectural Character; *Cultural Awareness; *Cultural Background; Education; *Ethnic Groups; *Ethnicity; Ethnic Origins; Foreign Countries; Global Approach; Higher Education; *Immigrants; Political Attitudes; Religion; Secondary Education IDENTIFIERS *Minnesota; *West Germany ABSTRACT This collection of conference papers explores aspects of the lives of German-American immigrants in Minnesota. Part 1, "The Ethnic Experience," consists of the following papers: "Was Therea Single German-American Experience?" (Bonney); "The Most Diversified Ethnic Group" (Johnson); "Unraveling the Mystery of Ethnic Identity" (Ward); and "Some General Questions Concerning the Maintenance of Ethnicity" (Bradunas). Part 2, "Architectural Styles and Material Culture," consists of the following papers: "Patterns and Marks of German Settlement in Minnesota" (Rippley); "The Minnesota Valley Restoration Project" (MacFarlane); "A Rejection of Traditional German Forms" (Harvey); and "Material Artifacts Reflect People's Lives" (Stanton). Part 3, "Religious and Language Experiences," includes "Religious and Language Experiences of German-Catholic Americans" (Barry); "Cultural Integrity and the Role of Religion" (Kloberdanz); "Alternate Research Strategies" (Graebner); and "Ethnicity and Religion: The German-American Experience" (Rankin). Part 4, "Politics and Education," consists of: "The German-American Role in Minnesota Politics, 1850-1950" (Chrislock); "The Motives of German Immigration" (Cofell); "German Allegiance to the Democratic Party" (Noblitt);and "Political Myths and the Realities of Assimilation" (Conzen). A summary and text of a German and English chapel service, an extensive bibliography of German heritage in Minnesota, and an extensive collection of photographs are included. (APG) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office ot Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERICI 0 This document has been reproduced as iMinceved Nom the person or organization iginaling it. or changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this docu ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Mvin Rrraas(1-11 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." A Heritage Deferred: Z4e OknitartItmerkan in VtitutOuta PROCEEDINGS FROM TWO CONFERENCES SPONSORED BY CONCORDIA COLLEGE / MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA. 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE A Heritage Deferred: The German-Americans in Minnesota Edited with an Introduction by Clarence A. Glasrud, assisted by Diana M. Rankin Copyright 0 1981 by Concordia College Moorhead, Minnesota 56560. All rights reserved. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Published by Concordia College. 1 3 SPECIAL THANKS A special thanks to Lutheran Brotherhood for publishing this volume andto the Minnesota Humanities Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities for fundingthe conferences which generated the papers. COVER The ink drawing on the cover, depicting a German immigrant cabinnear New Germany in Carver County, was moved to and reconstructed at Lager Waldsee, Concordia Ge:'man Language Village, Bemidji,Minnesota. Dave Het land, director of communications, Concordia College, designed thecover and layout of the book. Kay Weller and Joann Paradise of Minneapolis, provided technical services. Papers written for the Two Conferences on the Preface by Odell M. Bjerkness and Christian German-AmericanHeritage:atMoorhead, Skjervold, Co-directors of the German-Americans in Minnesota,October12,1979,andSt.Paul, Minnesota Conference. Minnesota, October 19-20, 1979. Chapel Service at Concordia College in the Letters from Senators Rudy Boschwitz and Dave German language (with parallel English translation): Durenberger and the Honorable Peter Hermes, homily (Andacht) anhuroduction by Norbert G. Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany. Benzel. A Heritage Deferred: The German4kmericans in Minnesota Table of Contents Letters Senators Rudy Boschwitz and Dave Durenberger Page Peter Hermes, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany 5 Preface Odell M. Bjerkness and Christian Skjervold 9 Introduction Clarence A. Glasrud II Part I: The Ethnic Experience 19 Presentation Rachel A. Bonney Was There a Single German-American Experience? 20 Reactions Hildegard Binder Johnson The Most Diversified Ethnic Group 32 Don Ward Unraveling the Mystery of Ethnic Identity 34 Elena Bradunas Some General Questions Concerning the Maintenance of Ethnicity 40 Part II: Architectural Styles and Material Culture 48 Presentation La Vern J. Rippley Patterns and Marks of German Settlement in Minnesota 49 Reactions Margaret MacFarlane The Minnesota Restoration Project 67 Thomas Harvey A Rejection of Traditiona,' German Forms 72 Gary Stanton Material Artifacts Reflect Pcople's Lives 75 Part III: Religious and Language Experiences 79 Presentation Colman J. Barry, O.S.B. Religious and Language Experiences of German-Catholic Americans 80 Reactions Timothy J. Kloberdanz Cultural Integrity and the Role of Religion 90 Alan Graebner Alternate Research Strategies 95 Diana M. Rankin Ethnicity and Religion: The German-American Experience 98 3 5 Page Part IV: Politics and Education 103 Presentation Carl H. Chris lock The German-American Role in Minnesota Politics, 1850-1950 104 Reactions William L. Cola The Motives of German Immigration 118 Harding C. Noblitt German Allegiance to the Democratic Party 123 Kathleen Neils Conzen Political Myths and the Realities of Assimilation 127 Summary Willard B. Moore German-American Ethnicity as Strategy 132 German-Language Chapel Seivice at Concordia College, October 12, 1979 Norbert Benzel 134 Selected Bibliography Diana M. Rankin 141 Photo Index 160 Index Prepared by Diana M. Rankin 163 6 11/111m.., Senator Rudy BoschwItz Several of the conference papers in this collection From Senator Rudy Boschwitz: cite the election (in November, 1978) of two United "Congratulations on your efforts to explore the States Senators with distinctive German names as a heritage of the Germans in Minnesota. I commend you significant event in Minnesota history. Even though on your endeavor and wish you much success. there are more Minnesotans of German descent than "I am sure this publication will be a treasure to all Norwegians or Swedes, a Scandinavian name was those of German descent who now live in our great considered a great political asset, and few German- state. As an immigrant to this country myself, I can Ameiicans had ever been elected to the highest appreciate the desire to explore one's ancestry. political offices in the state. Because this conference "Although we are now brothers and sisters in one was predicated on the thesisthat the German- nation, it is good for us to study where we came from American heritage ill Minnesota should be deferred no and why we came to America.Iapplaud your longer, we asked for and received the following publication which will bring this information to the reactions from Senators Bnschwitz and Durenberger. many interested Minnesotans." 5 7 Senator David Durenberger From Senator Dave Durenberger: appropriate that we are embarking on the future with a "My German heritage is a matter of great pride to reexaminaton of our past. me. America's greatness is built on its ancestral roots. "A Heritage Deferred: The German-Americans in We have melded different cultures, taking the best of Minnesotaisprovidingagreatservicetoall each, to forge a strong and vital citizenry. M innesotansbyexploringthestrugglesand "German Americans have contributed a great deal achievements of German-Americans and sharing their to this vitality. In this first year of a new decade it is story with all people." THE AMBASSADOR OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY May 1980 To the Editors of "A Heritdge Deferred: The Germans in Minnesota" It is with pleasure that I commenton the laudible undertaking of your publication which makes last year's conference on the history of Germans in Minnesota accessible to a wider public. This conference, the first of its kind in Minnesota, was dedicated to important contributions of German culture and language, science and religion to the United States, brought about by immigrants from my country. For the German Americans in Minnesota it is, indeed, a heritage worth remembering. With best wishes for your future endeavours of historic research and preservation, and with kind greetings for the German American community in Minnesota from the Hold