Al Muller looks over blocks of wood and considers what they will become

Germans in Southeast Louisiana

In Our Own Words: Reflections on German American Life in Louisiana

In January of 2007, Pastor Heinz Neumann, who directs the German Seamen's Mission (Deutsche Seemannsmission), told me, "Germans have quietly assimilated in Louisiana over such a long period of time that people are often surprised to learn how many of us there are." Pastor Neumann's observation points up both the deep history of Germans in Louisiana-at one point there were more than 50 German-language newspapers and journals published in the state-and the reluctance of Louisiana's Germans to advertise their heritage from the time of the wars until recent decades. How, then, can we begin to appreciate German contributions to Louisiana's culture and traditions? One way is to collect and listen to their stories. Germans in Louisiana tell stories of recent immigration, of transitions made in times of war and hardship, and also of growing up in German communities near the Mississippi River where one could purchase German ingredients in stores where the language could be heard along with Italian, Yiddish, and many other languages. Today's Germans tell stories filled with personal hopes, values, traditional wisdom, and insights into complex historical and social realities. In narrative reflection they have the opportunity to evaluate their own experience, place it within contexts meaningful to them, and voice commentary in their own terms.

For roughly nine months during 2006 and 2007, I interviewed and corresponded with about 20 Southeast Louisiana residents of German heritage, collecting hours of taped conversations and other material. Selection of interviewees for this project was not random, nor is it by any means complete. Interviews were conducted with people who were identified as actively maintaining aspects of German culture and arts. Many interview subjects provided referrals to others. Interviewees for this project represent a wide range of social, professional, and educational backgrounds; multiple generations; and a panorama of individual experience. To record voices from such a diverse population within one broad cultural group, a strategy of informal, semi-structured inquiry was employed. In each case, narrators were asked to explore certain themes while also being encouraged to develop their own accounts in directions they considered most relevant.

This interview project was not an "oral history project" in that interviews (between 1 and 4 hours) were much too short to be considered full life histories. Questions concerning national origins and immigration, marriage and family, use of non-English languages, occupational history and customs, military experiences, and neighborhood/community links were explored. With regard to the personal histories of interviewees, particular attention was applied to the acquisition of traditional skills, knowledge, customs and art forms. Transmission of knowledge and skills from one generation to the next was a consistent theme of inquiry. In addition, narrators were asked to comment on major historical changes within their own life experience, the current state of their cultural community, and what might be needed to ensure the continuity of their important cultural traditions into the future.

These interviews revealed a wealth of professional knowledge, from brewing to carpentry and beyond, as well as knowledge about traditional avocations such as hunting, boat-building and decoy-carving. Reminiscences touched on times of scarcity and adversity, on the challenges of maintaining contact with the home country and its traditions, and on often-hilarious recollections of family and neighborhood characters. Creative arts were discussed as of high importance, especially singing and cooking. Narrators expressed great involvement with their German communities, particularly in choirs and in the numerous German social, service, and community organizations, and also with larger public life in arenas such as government and environmental activism.

Here is a collection of narratives edited from some of the taped interviews with Germans who live in southeast Louisiana. Not all participants are included because not all of the interviews were taped. Furthermore, there are many more people whose stories should be recorded-this collection should be viewed as a beginning, to be followed up by members of the community and others. Assistance in any such efforts can be obtained through the Louisiana Regional Folklife Program. This highly-rewarding interview project should not be considered as complete, but as part of a first wave of inquiry into the contemporary state of a rich cultural community and as an introduction to some of those who keep it alive in their daily activities.

-Laura Renée Westbrook

Frieda Awre

Frank Ehret, Jr.

Marietta Herr

Alfons Kleindienst

Ruppert N. Kohlmeier, Jr

Albert Lips

David Moore

Al Muller

Ken Muller

Wayne Schexnayder

Walter Schleh and Ingrid Schleh

Blanca Volion

Karlheinz von Bargen


Resources for further research