Historic German influence in Chicago (Des Plaines, Lincoln: houses, neighborhoods, prices)

[Tex?Il?]

While there are few German born people in the area today, the influence that they, (as well as the Swedes) had on Chicago development is often understated.

Germans were the largest ethnic group in Chicagos early days. They (and Swedes) came to the midwest in both bit cities and small towns, fleeing conditions that were different from later Southern and Eastern European groups.

Whereas southern and eastern European groups had fewer skills, and often times more oppressed, Germans cam fleeing religious persecution, overpopulation and changing industrial conditions, and came to this country with skills that made them a valuable asset to the development of industry in Chicago and throughout the midwest.

They came with crafstmanship and skills in machine tooling/smithing, brewing, shoemaking, and all kinds of small industries that really gave the northside its character.

Whereas the west and south side neighborhoods early on developed revolving around huge industrial complexes that needed large amounts of unskilled labor, these neighborhoods were more prone to segregation and economic cycles. First it was the Irish that came digging the canals. Then eastern Europeans came working in the packinghouses and steel mills.

But on the north side, were the Germans with their little shops and factories that fit right within the neighborhood. Their neighborhoods evolved to be more skilled working class and more economically diversified and less prone to economic cycles.

However today, we are only recovering our German heritage through Oktoborfests. For a long time, expressions of German pride were looked down upon because of the world wars, now that those are a distant memory. German heritage is once again, is being paid attention to.

Also, long-standing cultural institutions such as the Chicago symphony orchestra are heavily German influenced as well.

Now, this is NOT suggesting that Germans (or Swedes) are superior to the later immigrants from eastern and southern Europe (Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Greeks, southern Italians, Russian Jews, etc). I'm not saying that at all. Muliticulturalism and recognizing the contributions of all ethnic groups is very important. BUt the fact that they came here with more skills and education, I think one could make the case that they may have been instrumental in making Chicago great in its early days. And the legacy and the influence that has today. Such as giving the north side the urban fabric that helped to make it later attractive to newcomers.

What do you think?

[Visvaldis]

I liked the German neighborhoods along Lincoln Avenue. Kuhn's Delicatessen between Belmont and Wellington. And a few bars and shops between Montrose and Lawrence. But this was in the 1970s. Nothing left of that now.
Anyone remember Miko's Hofbrauhaus? Cafe Berlin? Treffpunkt? Hogans?

[MassVt]

There's also Berghoff's, and some of the streets of Old Town ( Schiller, Goethe, etc), and bratwurst..

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Visvaldis

I liked the German neighborhoods along Lincoln Avenue. Kuhn's Delicatessen between Belmont and Wellington. And a few bars and shops between Montrose and Lawrence. But this was in the 1970s. Nothing left of that now.
Anyone remember Miko's Hofbrauhaus? Cafe Berlin? Treffpunkt? Hogans?

Kuhns Delicatessen must have moved out to Des Plaines, because there is a place there with that exact name.

In Lincoln Square, there is still the Chicago brauhaus, Merzs apothecary, the Dankhaus on Western, Huttenbar, Gunzs Bavarian Inn, and Gene's sausage shop (more general European).

I do love Lincoln Square. Those far north neighborhoods (Lincoln Square, Andersonville, etc.)are some of my favorites.

[Attrill]

Paulina Market is distinctly German, and is one of the best butchers in the city.

It's important to remember that German (and Irish) immigrants weren't welcomed to the city. They were seen as a bunch of lazy drunks, and Mayor Levi Boone increased liquor license fees to try and shut down the German and Irish bars. This led to the Beer Riots of 1855, and the removal of Boone in 1856.

[Chi-town Native]

the Lager Beer Riot is the name of my latest musical project, combining my Irish & German backgrounds with good old Chicago history:

The Chicago Beer Riots

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Paulina Market is distinctly German, and is one of the best butchers in the city.

It's important to remember that German (and Irish) immigrants weren't welcomed to the city. They were seen as a bunch of lazy drunks, and Mayor Levi Boone increased liquor license fees to try and shut down the German and Irish bars. This led to the Beer Riots of 1855, and the removal of Boone in 1856.

Thats interesting about the beer riots.

I know it was VERY true about the Irish (being seen as lazy drunks) although I think while that may have been somewhat true of the Germans, altogether from what I understood the Germans were more highly regarded . . . that is until World War I, when expressions of German pride were suppressed. Fortunately the world wars seem more distant to people nowadays, and you have been seeing German cultural events making a slight comeback. (but not to the level of the Irish, who have been here just as long.)

[Attrill]

Oh yeah - both were seen as dangerous drunks.



They were also seen as politically radical, and were generally thought to be socialists or anarchists.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Attrill

They were also seen as politically radical, and were generally thought to be socialists or anarchists.

yeah, one of the big things that prompted the riots was that Sundays were the beer garden days for the Germans, which of course was also where they talked politics.

these are must-reads for this history, it never made it into the books due to the complete whitewashing out of German culture during WWI, prohibition, and WWII:

Amazon.com: Beer: A History of Brewing in Chicago (9781569803127): Bob Skilnik: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

Amazon.com: The History of Beer and Brewing in Chicago: Volume II (9780741409034): Bob Skilnik: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

because take a look around, and what you'll notice is that even though the Germans really were who settled the north side (some of the earliest housing ads for lake view were in German), any mention of "German" was lost during those years.

[Chi-town Native]

Amazing graphs & backstory to the overall settlement patterns of Germans in the Midwest:

Amazon.com: The Cousins' Wars: Religion, Politics, Civil Warfare, And The Triumph Of Anglo-America (9780465013708): Kevin Phillips: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

Apparently at one point it was a very real possibility that there would be a "New Germany" nation.