Buffalo’s East Side Deutschtum

Individuals of German descent settled in Buffalo from its early history, however, it was in the 1820s when German immigrants began making their way to the Queen City. Buffalo’s German community consisted not only of those from areas within Germany’s current boundaries, but also of other German speaking immigrants such as the Franco-German settlers from Alsace and Lorraine, and even a few German speaking Swiss. Germany was not unified as a country until 1871, therefore, Buffalo’s first Germans spoke various dialects, had their own customs, and way of dress.

The earliest settlers were comprised heavily of Alsatians and those of the southern German kingdoms, Bavaria and Wurttemberg. The late 1830s brought Old Lutherans who fled Prussia due to religious persecution. Immigrants who came to Buffalo after the failed 1848 German revolution were generally young, well-educated, and politically experienced. The largest group of German immigrants came in the 1880s.

Churches played an integral role in helping immigrants establish themselves in their new community. It was often church members who greeted and assisted new immigrants when they reached Buffalo in the early days. Some members opened their homes to immigrants or found space for them elsewhere. Churches were commonly established with a particular ethnic group in mind and church services were given in the language of the majority population, a welcome respite from the challenges of living in a new country. 

By the 1840s, Buffalo’s Germans were well on their way to establishing their own Deutschtum on the east side. A Deutschtum, literally meaning “Germanness,” was a German subculture within a non-German locality. In 1855, almost half of Buffalo’s population was German-speaking. The locations with the heaviest German population were the fourth through the seventh wards. 

The first of several German language newspapers, Der Weltburger, was established in 1837. In 1841, the German Young Men’s Association of Buffalo was formed and began offering lectures, debates, plays, and social events. The association was especially interested in preserving the German language within its community and had its own library. Members of the German community also joined secret societies such as the Masons, Odd Fellows and Harugari, which were popular during the 1800s and early 1900s. These societies were fraternal mutual benefit organizations.

The mid-1800s brought singing societies such as the Buffalo Liedertafal, Buffalo Saengerbund, and the Buffalo Orpheus. An important building to the German community was Saengerhalle, a music hall which was built in 1883 and tragically burned in 1885. A new hall was rebuilt two years later.

The Steuben Guard, a company of the Buffalo City Guard, and the Turnverein exhibited the German community’s physical talents and strength. It was formed in 1837 due to the Patriot War and could be regularly seen performing military exercises on the land that is now Forest Lawn Cemetery. The Turnverein, often called Turners, focused on gymnastics, education, and German culture. Buffalo’s Turnverein, formed in 1853, often demonstrated their gymnastic skills using equipment such as parallel bars, rings, and the pommel horse at public events.

These social, entertainment, and educational events brought interactions with and gained some appreciation from the English speaking community. Even so, the nativist movement of the mid-1800s challenged Buffalo’s immigrant community, at times with what Germans called “rowdytum,” meaning harassing and sometimes violent behavior.

Many Buffalo Germans fought in the U.S. Civil War, a fact that was respected by Buffalo’s Yankee population. It was after the war when some German settlers made great strides in business and politics, becoming influential members of the community. Germans succeeded in brewing, tanning, milling, meat packing, and established the German American Bank. 

WWI had a catastrophic effect on German communities in the United States. After the sinking of the Lusitania by a German U boat in 1915 which killed over 125 Americans, American sentiment towards Germans and German culture soured. This was amplified after the United States joined the war against Germany in 1917. Buffalo German groups tried promoting themselves as patriotic organizations, but in the end separated themselves from German identity. Some German newspapers folded, the German American bank renamed itself Liberty Bank of Buffalo, and membership in German clubs dwindled. 

Throughout Buffalo’s history the German community has made its mark on festivity. Since the mid-1800s Germans have held celebrations such as Turnerfest, St. John’s Day Fest, Sangerbundfest, and German Day. These events featured singing, ballroom dancing, races, and games. Today organizations such as the Federation of German-American Societies of Buffalo and Vicinity, Spring Garden Association, and German American Musicians, sponsor, promote, or perform at a multitude of events throughout the Buffalo area which feature German food, drink, music, and dancing. Buffalo’s German American Citizen newspaper reports on these events and offers contemporary and retrospective articles on the Buffalo area’s German community.