Each year Northern Kentucky University’s Department of World Languages and Literatures as well as the many German-Americans throughout the United States celebrate German-American Day.
On October 6, 1683, the first 13 German settler families from Krefeld arrived in Philadelphia and founded Germantown. In 1983, local historian as well as author, president of the German-American Citizens League, and founder of the Tri-State’s German Heritage Museum, Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, called for the commemoration of the German-American tricentennial. Throughout the 1980s, he continued this nationwide campaign to have this historically significant day celebrated.
Dr. Tolzmann and the largest ancestral group in the United States, 49.8 million strong today, the German-American community, finally succeeded. On October 2, 1987, Ronald Reagan released Proclamation 5719 proclaiming October 6 as German-American Day, thus earning Dr. Tolzmann the title of “Father of German-American Day.” The Tri-State is well aware of its German heritage and proudly celebrates it during events such as the Oktoberfest.
Since 2009, the Department of World Languages and Literatures commemorates this rich history with the German-American Day Lecture series, which will take place on October 11 at NKU’s Farris Auditorium.
Prior years’ speakers included Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Northern Kentucky University’s Paul A. Tenkotte, who recently authored Cradle of the Arts: Mother of God Catholic Church (Cincinnati: Stevie Publishing, 2016), and Greg Hardman, President and CEO of Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. on the German Christian Moerlein and the development of Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. from 19th century German immigrant to 21st century craft brewer.
This year’s speaker Dann Woellert, the Food Etymologist, will explore with his audience “The German Influence on Cincinnati Regional and National Food.”
Could chicken fried steak be tied back to the schnitzel, a German favorite? Many local foods, such as sausages, sauerkraut balls, and baked goods, like the cheese cup, are of Germanic origins and some can still today be recognized as such by their German names. The Tri-States’ delicacy, goetta, has many cousins throughout Germanic settled cities in the United States. The lecture will explore some of these foods as well as their ties to Germany.
Dann Woellert is a local historian, author, and blogger. His blog, Dann Woellert the Food Etymologist, is devoted to the origin of local as well as national delicacies. His publications include Historic Restaurants of Cincinnati (2015), The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili (2013), Cincinnati Turner Societies (2012) and Cincinnati’s Northside Neighborhood (2009). Dann is affiliated with the Cincinnati Preservation Association, Over-the-Rhine Museum, the German-American Citizens League, and the Cincinnati Brewery Heritage Trail.
The lecture in commemoration of German-American Day will take place on Tuesday, October 11 at 2:30 PM at Northern Kentucky University in the Eva G. Farris Auditorium, room MEP 200.
The event is free and open to the public.
Andrea Fieler of German in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Northern Kentucky University.