Period+9+German-+Influences+and+Perspective

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· German immigrants mostly settled in the town of Allegheny, which is now know as the North Side. It is located on the north shore of the Allegheny River. · Along East Ohio Street and further east on Troy Hill, the immigrants formed a new community which is still referred to as Deutschtown. · Pennsylvania Dutch is a term referring to “all German–speaking immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and areas immediately surrounding” · Germans were active in athletic clubs, singing societies, and other fraternal groups. They influenced their surroundings through their language by publishing German-language newspapers. · They had influence in the Civil War by supporting the Union cause and joining regiments.




 * German companies were established throughout North America including Auma Actuators, Almatis, Bayer Schering, Draeger Safety, Neugart, ProMinent, Bayer and Veka.
 * The persistence of German heritage is evident in the 1990 U.S. census, that stated 58 million Americans claimed sole German or part-German descent.
 * The holiday of Christmas was brought by the Germans, including the Christmas tree.
 * German immigrants, influenced labor unions to improve working conditions, and helped form a solidarity with workers from different ethnic backgrounds. It was strong in occupations such as baking, carpentry, and brewing.
 * Germans brought their language to America and because of their strong will for education and to maintain their culture they have played a part in the influence of their language in schools.
 * Baseball was strongly influenced by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of German descent (sons of German immigrants)
 * German background cuisine: sauerkraut and the sausages knackwurst, liverwurst, bratwurst, and Lager beer
 * Oktoberfest celebration

German immigrants led very tough and difficult lives. For the many that chose to work in the steel factories, life was especially tough. Being low paid wage earners, the working conditions for these immigrants were less than ideal. German immigrants also struggled to assimilate into the fast paced American culture and society during the late 1800s and early 1900s. However, because of the large populuation of Germans in Pittsburgh, the immigrants were not as homesick as other groups of immigrants. Germans were able to bring their traditions and culture to Pittsburgh, causing lasting effects on the way of life in Pittsburgh. For the majority of immigrants, life was hard and many struggled to better their lives in America.