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I heard there is some confusion about the word Dutch. It may refer to the Netherlands, but also to Deutsch, i.e. German. The Amish for instance speak Dutch, if I am not mistaken. Do you have a 'van' in your last name? Then it would refer to the Netherlands. I have been there only once and I have not seen a single half-timbered house there, only those mud-clad and red-brick houses. But maybe I just went to the wrong places
The so-called "Pennsylvania Dutch" are/were actually Germans; came from mispronouncing Deutsch as Dutch.
I heard there is some confusion about the word Dutch. It may refer to the Netherlands, but also to Deutsch, i.e. German. The Amish for instance speak Dutch, if I am not mistaken. Do you have a 'van' in your last name? Then it would refer to the Netherlands. I have been there only once and I have not seen a single half-timbered house there, only those mud-clad and red-brick houses. But maybe I just went to the wrong places
My mother's family lived in a neighborhood in upstate NY called "Dutchtown", so nicknamed because of the confusion between "Deutsch" and "Dutch". Today the neighborhood is mostly black and Puerto Rican, but it's still called Dutchtown. Seeveral years ago when riding through I noticed a church called "La Iglesia de Dutchtown".
I've heard many people of German ancestry had no problem with being called or calling themselves "Dutch" around the time of WWI. At that time there was a lot of anti-German predjudice and lots of German immigrants tried to keep a low profile to avoid being the targets of "patriots".
My mother's family lived in a neighborhood in upstate NY called "Dutchtown", so nicknamed because of the confusion between "Deutsch" and "Dutch". Today the neighborhood is mostly black and Puerto Rican, but it's still called Dutchtown. Seeveral years ago when riding through I noticed a church called "La Iglesia de Dutchtown".
I've heard many people of German ancestry had no problem with being called or calling themselves "Dutch" around the time of WWI. At that time there was a lot of anti-German predjudice and lots of German immigrants tried to keep a low profile to avoid being the targets of "patriots".
La iglesia de Dutchtown
Actually, near the border between Germany and the Netherlands people are pretty much the same on both sides, the local dialect spoken on the German side is difficult to understand for the rest of Germans, it is similar to Dutch. That tendency goes for many dialects of Northern Germany, too. So, if people from those German regions want to talk to other Germans for instance from the south, they have to speak Standard German if they want to be understood.
I heard there is some confusion about the word Dutch. It may refer to the Netherlands, but also to Deutsch, i.e. German. The Amish for instance speak Dutch, if I am not mistaken. Do you have a 'van' in your last name? Then it would refer to the Netherlands. I have been there only once and I have not seen a single half-timbered house there, only those mud-clad and red-brick houses. But maybe I just went to the wrong places
Check out Milwaukee to see half-timbered houses and buildings. I believe they call that style "fasching".
La iglesia de Dutchtown
Actually, near the border between Germany and the Netherlands people are pretty much the same on both sides, the local dialect spoken on the German side is difficult to understand for the rest of Germans, it is similar to Dutch. That tendency goes for many dialects of Northern Germany, too. So, if people from those German regions want to talk to other Germans for instance from the south, they have to speak Standard German if they want to be understood.
Interesting. Many of my ancestors came from Alsace (Elsas), and were bi-lingual (French - German).
I'm not sure what German's DeaconJ has been around, but all the German's I have encountered have been very friendly and nice. One friend was a foreign exchange student at college whom I played football with. He was from Munich, and although at times he seemed a little rigid, he was very friendly and nice. Never condescending.
I'm also good friends with two German girls (one from Hannover, the other from Minden) who are nannying in my town and they are both very outgoing and friendly. I suppose it all depends on who you meet though.
Overall I don't think a town is any "nicer" because of German influence. There are many beautiful New England towns which are heavily influenced by Irish/English populations. The same goes for New York and New Jersey.
It's extremely annoying and pompous to read some of the earlier "Yes, cities with German stock are definitely better", most notably the one speaking about the German race being superior.
I'm not sure what German's DeaconJ has been around, but all the German's I have encountered have been very friendly and nice. One friend was a foreign exchange student at college whom I played football with. He was from Munich, and although at times he seemed a little rigid, he was very friendly and nice. Never condescending.
I'm also good friends with two German girls (one from Hannover, the other from Minden) who are nannying in my town and they are both very outgoing and friendly. I suppose it all depends on who you meet though.
Overall I don't think a town is any "nicer" because of German influence. There are many beautiful New England towns which are heavily influenced by Irish/English populations. The same goes for New York and New Jersey.
It's extremely annoying and pompous to read some of the earlier "Yes, cities with German stock are definitely better", most notably the one speaking about the German race being superior.
I've been around MANY arrogant Germans throughout my lifetime, and never have I met one that was appealing in any way. On the other hand, every Canadian I have ever encountered has been totally pleasant, as have Brits, Australians, Dutch, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and so on. There is often a language barrier, and if that's the only excuse our local German expert in this thread can come up with...then I wonder why it isn't a problem with any other nationality...
That's funny because most Canadians I've ever met have had the "superiority complex" you've found with Germans, and it really pissed me off (it appears to have done the same with you and Germans).
I guess it's just the luck of the draw in the long run. Perhaps I'm just fortunate and you've been unlucky.
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Then it would refer to the Netherlands. I have been there only once and I have not seen a single half-timbered house there, only those mud-clad and red-brick houses. But maybe I just went to the wrong places 
