Census Bureau: New Ulm loaded with Germans

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Here's a news flash for you straight from the U.S. Census Bureau.

There are more Germans per capita in New Ulm than any other city in America. According to the 2000 Census, 66 percent of the city's 13,553 residents claimed at least some German ancestry.

That means if you run into three people on the street, two of them are likely to be German Americans.

"I'm surprised it's that low," said the king of the city's German Bohemians, Denis J. Warta. "It just verifies what National Geographic magazine published several years ago, but I believe they had a higher percentage."

He said it also authenticates the action of Congress in designating the Hermann Monument in New Ulm as "the symbol of German culture" in America.

"With those numbers, though, I really don't understand why they don't get more participation in the (upcoming) German (American) parade," he said. "I believe they're putting too much emphasis on when people came over here, and that makes a lot of people reluctant to march in the parade."

Councilor Joel Albrecht, past organizer of the parade, said he was shocked that two-thirds of the community's residents have German ancestry.

"I thought it would be down to about 40 percent with all the people who moved in," Albrecht said. "As for the parade, people who are the newest ones get the prizes as the newest family is recognized, and other awards go to families with the largest number of members in the parade."

But Albrecht is only donating the plaques this year.

"The Chamber of Commerce thought it was such a good deal that they're taking it over this year."

William T. O'Connor who has fought for more recognition of New Ulm Irish over the years wasn't at all thrilled by the Census Bureau's findings.

"Isn't that pathetic?" he asked. "That's because most Germans are so slow they never make it out of the county. No kidding, we did a survey some years ago and found that 8 percent of third-generation families had never been out of the county."

Daniel Hoisington of Eagan, a historical preservation consultant to the City of New Ulm and who is writing a history of the city, isn't surprised that there are that many Germans in New Ulm.

"It's a wonderful community off in its own special world," Hoisington said. "It's unique in that Germans gather in an area having a town setting rather than a [traditional] rural setting. It's quite remarkable that way."

Hoisington also notes that "German is a broad term" including the Turners and the German Bohemians.

"It's the only community in the country that was founded on Turner principles and influence," Hoisington said. "This sense that I'm German was there right from the beginning."