During the past few month, the results of my research on the Germans in Lawrence have often surprised me. When I began this project, I did not expect to find such complexity and diversity in the German community of Lawrence, Kansas. Being from a big city myself, I had always connected small town life with an imaginary rural simplicity. But instead, I encountered a community in which its members varied in their religious, political and social views. Looking back, I find that the lives of small town Germans were in many ways similar to the lives of German immigrants in big cities. Nevertheless, the research has also shown significant differences which made the small town immigrant experience diverge from the experience in metropolitan areas.

       German immigration to Lawrence began slowly after the territory was opened for settlement. First, the political disturbances in the area kept many Germans from moving to Lawrence. The ones who came were primarily motivated by the economic opportunities of the new area. After Kansas was admitted into the Union as a non-slave state, Germans began to move to Kansas in greater numbers. The completion of the railroads, the foundation of the University of Kansas, and the rapid town development attracted many skilled German craftsmen and merchants to the city of Lawrence. Furthermore, the advertisements of the railroads and the Kansas Board of Immigration also played an important role in the settling of Kansas.

       Small towns attracted a different group of immigrants than large cities did. Offering only a limited number of industries, smaller towns mainly attracted immigrants with skills and capital which enabled them to establish themselves. Lacking the industries in which a large number of unskilled workers were needed, small towns were dependent on skilled workers who could contribute to the growth and success of the town. Therefore, a large number of German craftsmen and merchants settled in Lawrence. Network systems were, nevertheless, as important in little towns as in big cities. Immigrants needed the support and advice of others. The choice of place, jobs and housing were often determined by a kin network.

       The discussion on the settlement patterns has also shown that, unlike places with a large German population, Germans in Lawrence did not settle in specific areas in town. Instead they lived widely distributed on the east and west side of town. Lawrence's Germans did not live in an independent, self-contained and separate area but they depended on outside help for their social and economic success. This might be partly because many Germans in Lawrence had already lived in other parts of the United States before moving to Lawrence. Their prior experience in the United States played an important role in their lives in Lawrence. By the time German craftsmen and merchants moved to Lawrence, they had already lived and worked outside Kansas where they had collected valuable experiences. Their acquaintance with the English language and American business practices helped them to establish businesses which were successful outside the ethnic community. Dependent on German as well as American customers, German merchants spoke English and German, and conducted their businesses to suit American and German customers. Therefore, many were acquainted with American life and language, and needed only minimal support of an exclusive German neighborhood.

       Further, small towns did not foster clustering of ethnic groups in certain trades. Whatever business was needed in town, was open to whoever could establish it. Therefore, unlike metropolitan areas, Germans in small towns could be found in all different trades and employment.

       As in big cities, ethnic groups in smaller places also created their separate organizations. In Lawrence, the Germans established a Turnverein, a German-language paper, and two German churches. Nevertheless, one has to keep in mind that the number of ethnic organizations in a small town was very limited in comparison to metropolitan areas. New York, Chicago and Milwaukee had a large number of German choirs, carnival clubs, Turnvereine, dancing clubs, several daily and weekly German newspapers, and German churches for nearly all denominations. The large number of German immigrants in these areas made it possible to create a diverse cultural atmosphere. In Lawrence, on the other hand, Germans were certainly limited in their choice. The Turnverein was the only social club, and Die Germania was the only German-language paper in town. This limitation forced many to become members of English-speaking clubs and English-speaking churches which fostered their integration into the larger Lawrence community.

       The German organizations which they did form did not necessarily match the ones in the cities but were often altered so they could serve German settlers as well as not interfere with small town views. This often meant to find compromises. The Turnverein, for example, provided physical and cultural education to its members. Gymnastic classes, a choir, a Frauenverein and a library as well as many celebrations throughout the year were offered by the club. In this respect, it followed the general guidelines of the national Turner organizations. Nevertheless, it adapted its views to the small town attitudes when the Lawrence Turnverein allowed its members to also become church members. In general, the American Turnerbund opposed the teachings of the churches. In Lawrence, church attendance was vital for the community life, and, therefore, accepted by the club.

       The German newspaper in town also faced different obstacles than foreign-language papers in big cities did. In cities like Chicago, New York or Boston, one could find a large number of German papers which followed different political attitudes or were directed at a very specific audience. The Lawrence Germania, on the other hand, had to be as independent as possible to attract a large number of readers. The survival of the small town paper was closely connected to an individual. Larger papers were often owned by a cooperation and employed a large staff. Oehrler, Gruen and Albach mainly worked alone on the paper. The advantage of their independence was that they were free to write whatever they wanted, as long as it fit the taste of their readers. The disadvantage was that they had to take on the responsibility when something went wrong. Therefore, at the time of World War I, Albach was on his own to defend himself against the accusations of being pro German.

       The Lawrence religious landscape was very diverse. German Lutherans, Methodists, Jews and Catholics settled in Lawrence. A large number of Germans attended English-speaking churches which improved their English and enabled them to became more integrated into the larger community. Religious views often determined the opinions and attitudes of Germans in town. German Methodists, for example, voiced different opinions about Sunday laws and beer drinking customs than did German Lutherans. Methodists generally followed the guidelines of the Methodist Church and, therefore, rejected Turner activities. The Lutherans, on the other hand, enjoyed more independence and freedom of ideology. Although the Lutheran church was generally also opposed to Germans beer drinking culture, German Lutherans in Lawrence were able to adapt their rules to fit the need of the congregation. The relaxation of the rules ensured a larger church body. Both churches were connected to individual families, a phenomenon which can also be found in rural areas more than large urban areas.

       The small town atmosphere fostered a quicker assimilation process. Since the number of German was relatively small, German settlers did not have the opportunity to live in an exclusive German neighborhood. Contacts between the dominant and German culture were, therefore, unavoidable. This led to a faster assimilation process of first generation Germans. Inside and outside disturbances led to the decline of the community. Since first-generation Germans were usually already well integrated into the Lawrence community, second-generation Germans were even further removed from their ethnic backgrounds. Although efforts were made to keep German children interested in German culture, the establishment of a German school failed. Second- generation German Americans were also more likely to marry outside the community. In a small town, the choice of suitable husbands and wives was much larger if they included American partners.

       World War I had a further devastating effect on the already declining community. Since a greater number of Lawrence Germans were already well assimilated at the time, they were very willing to reject their ethnic backgrounds. The few who tried to defend Germany, such as Henry Albach, faced hard times. Germans in a small town were as humiliated as Germans in bigger cities. It is even more surprising since most German-born residents were well-known in Lawrence because they had lived there for a long time. The remaining community grew more careful about their actions. The German Methodist Church and Die Germania disbanded, the Lutheran Church and the Turnverein became nearly invisible, and finally disappeared.

       Small-town ethnic communities faced a shorter life span than communities in big cities since they lacked the influx of first-generation Germans, and suffered from the disinterest of second generation Germans. The declining number of German immigrants at the turn of the century effected Lawrence more than larger ones. Railroads had given up advertising Kansas to immigrants. Lawrence had failed to become an important trading center for the west. Therefore, newly arrived immigrants to the United States turned to metropolitan areas to find employment in the numerous industries. It was only a matter of time until many small town ethnic communities began to disappear.

      Throughout the United States, small towns were chosen by German immigrants as new homes. Their experiences are important to record and preserve since they reveal knowledge about the towns themselves and about the life of "small town Germans."

Abstract | Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Conclusion | Appendix | Bibliography