History
Germans began arriving in New York in great numbers in the mid-19th century for both political (revolutions in central Europe around 1848 caused mass upheaval in Germany) and economic reasons (America was the land of opportunity). The German 48ers — immigrants who arrived in New York in 1848, when revolutions in central Europe caused mass upheaval in Germany, helped set up with infrastructure of the German community. They established German enclaves and started newspapers, schools, and shops. When mass immigration of other European ethnicities began a few years later, the German presence was already well established in the city.
Life in New York
The 1850s through the 1880s is considered the golden age of German culture in America. German immigrants were typically well accepted and in turn had a strong influence on New York, particularly in the areas of the Lower East Side known as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), where German was spoken and children attended German schools. German churches, restaurants, shops, newspapers, and breweries were the norm.
Around the turn of the century, the population of Kleindeutschland numbered more than 50,000. However, Kleindeutschland suffered a major blow in 1904 with the General Slocom disaster. (The General Slocom was a steamboat that caught fire on the East River. On board were approximately 800 Germans, most from Kleindeutschland, nearly all of whom perished.) Many residents of Kleindeutschland lost family members in the disaster; coincidentally, at the same time the infrastructure of Little Germany began to deterioriate, and a mass migration from Kleindeutschland to Yorkville on the Upper East Side began.
Jobs
German immigrants were typically skilled workers. They built furniture, produced clothes and shoes, and made food. Many Germans also started businesses such as breweries or small manufacturing companies.
Impact and Legacy
German immigrants have had a large impact on the American education system. The Germans brought with them from Europe a real push for education, and many American universities were modeled after German universities. German organizations lobbied for the implementation of physical education in American schools. Even the word kindergarten comes straight from the German language.
Genealogy Tidbits
If you can’t locate German ancestors who you think immigrated to New York City, you might just be missing their mark. It wasn’t uncommon for German immigrant boats to dock in Hoboken, New Jersey, rather than New York City. Not always realizing that they weren’t in New York, quite a few of the immigrants just remained in New Jersey.
German immigrants almost always belonged to a church, which kept records. For help in finding German church records, start with Richard Haberstroh’s book German Churches of Metropolitan New York, published by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.
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