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Built on the Backs of the Bavarians

Built on the Backs of the Bavarians. German Americans and Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood. “German” Americans. Large numbers in First Wave of Immigration and in every wave after German: Bavaria, Prussia, Haden and other German states Cincinnati is a major destination

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Built on the Backs of the Bavarians

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  1. Built on the Backs of the Bavarians German Americans and Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood

  2. “German” Americans • Large numbers in First Wave of Immigration and in every wave after • German: Bavaria, Prussia, Haden and other German states • Cincinnati is a major destination • 1788: First Germans arrive in Cincinnati • Within Cincinnati – Over-the-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood was a primary destination

  3. Aerial View of Cincinnatiand Over-the-Rhine (red outline) www.otrfoundation.org

  4. Over-the-Rhine • OTR was located north of downtown Cincinnati across the Miami and Erie Canal • The neighborhood was originally connected to downtown by bridge • Residents said they were “Crossing the Rhine” referring to the Old Country and the Rhine River. The new American neighborhood became known as Over-the-Rhine

  5. Miami and Erie Canal -- OTR www.ohiomemory.org

  6. Push Factors for Emigration Many Germans immigrated to the US because they participatedr in failed European revolutions in 1832 and again in 1848. Emigrants left the German states to avoid military service, religious and economic struggles, and a lack of opportunity to own land http://www-lib.iupui.edu/kade/adams/chap2.html

  7. Pull Factors for Immigration • Germans found available land • Germans found comfort in aid societies (clubs) based on common religious ideas, language and hobbies • German immigrants found work in Ohio building the canals • In Cincinnati, many settle and write home, beginning a series of chain migrations

  8. Canals allow Ohio Farmers and Merchants to reach a larger market and increase profits. Ohioans needed quick and easy access to the Ohio River and to Lake Erie if they were to profit financially. Additionally, a canal might open Ohio up to other industry. The Miami and Erie became one of Ohio’s most important canals during the mid 19th century. Produce could travel much more quickly by canal boat than by turnpike. www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=753

  9. What about canals? The Ohio canals were dug by hand, with picks and shovels. Occasionally, teams of horses and oxen powered slip scoops and pulled wagons. The canals not only carried people and freight, but served as swimming and fishing holes and as ice rinks

  10. OTR Grew with the Breweries… Over the Barrel

  11. Resources… • They brought recipes, ingredients, and knowledge of brewing • Locating in OTR, they had access to the canal • What are two ways brewers used the canals? Over the Barrel

  12. Resources Continued… • German immigrants continued to arrive and work in the breweries AND…they began related companies • Coopers: barrelmakers • Suppliers: ice chest makers and tool & die companies • Retailers: restaurants, taverns, and inns Over the Barrel

  13. Handbill for ManufacturedGoods Over the Barrel

  14. OTR – Center of German Culture • Their goal was to find a job, but over time they actually developed new markets and jobs for others. An entire community was built on the success of these first immigrants • Architecture: As in other lasting ethnic communities, particular styles dominated (Italianate and Gothic Revival)

  15. Other Lasting Effects • Artistic Expression: Fountain Square(a gift from its sister city, Munich Germany), The Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Conservatory of Music • Language: words including blitz, dachsund, deli, diesel, nickel, fahrenheit and weiner, also the city of “Zinzinnati” www.myfountainsquare.com

  16. Religion: German Catholic parishes such as St. Mary’s, and a strong Protestant presence which resulted in the first German Methodist Church. Food: sausages, sauerkraut, potato salad, soft pretzels, strudel and bratwurst More Lasting Effects en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Saint_Mary%27s_Church.jpg

  17. Other Lasting Contributions • Grammer’s Restaurant on Walnut Street was the oldest German restaurant in OTR. It opened in 1872. OTR’s Findlay Market is the oldest open public market in the city. It is a German-style market. • Nationally, the German Christmas was the base for many American Christmas traditions including the gift-giving, the Christmas tree and the emphasis on family.

  18. Bibliography • Ethnic Diversity and Civic Identity • German Heritage Guide to the Greater Cincinnati Area, 2nd ed. • The Images of America: German Cincinnati • Over the Barrel: the Brewing History and Beer Culture of Cincinnati • The Survival of an Ethnic Community • www.energyofanation.com • www.ohiohistorycentral.org • www.ohiomemory.org • www.otrfoundation.org • www.pgcincinnati.com • www.wikipedia.com

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