Germans in Minnesota

The People of Minnesota

by Kathleen Neils Conzen, Bill Holm (Foreword by)

Germans are the largest single immigrant group in Minnesota history and perhaps its most invisible. Exploring this paradox, author Kathleen Neils Conzen recounts the struggles and triumphs of the Germans who transformed acres of wilderness into productive farms and brought to America their love of art, music, and sociability. She not only discusses the well-known enclaves in Brown and Stearns Counties but also looks at the smaller communities and the Twin Cities. In recent times, a renewed interest in German heritage can be seen in towns like New Ulm, home to the statue of Hermann the German and Heritagefest, the annual summer ethnic festival.

Genres: History, American History

102 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jennifer]

According to the 2000 census, more than 37 percent of Minnesotans claim German ancestry making it the largest ethnic group in Minnesota. In Kathleen Neils Conzen’s book Germans in Minnesota, Cozen discusses why Germans left their lands, both in Germany and the eastern United States, to settle in Minnesota and the lasting impact they had on the state.

The forward, written by Bill Holms, was fantastic. He talks about ethnicity and how as humans we all need to feel connected. Part of how we achieve connectedness is by understanding our neighbors and ourselves. Everything after the forward was just okay for me. A lot of times the book read like a list of facts, which made for a dry read. Towards the end, the author incorporated several personal stories, which I loved. For me, the addition of more stories scattered throughout the book would’ve made for a more engaging read.