Cincinnati’s German heritage will be evident this Saturday and Sunday at the 116th German Day Weekend. The event will begin at 11am Saturday June 4 at Findlay Market with a parade and opening ceremony. German dance and singing groups will perform, and representatives from numerous area German-American societies will be on hand.
Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, president of the German-American Citizen’s League and author of several books including German Cincinnati, says that “Germans influenced just about everything in the area: even the symbol of the city, the Tyler Davidson fountain which was brought from Munich, and the suspension bridge, which was built by Roebling, a German immigrant.”
2010 German Day Parade.
Along with St. Louis and Milwaukee, Cincinnati forms a part of the German Triangle, consisting of the three major centers of German heritage in the United States. The first Germans came to this area in the late 18th century, and many followed in the 19th and 20th century. “Germans were involved in all different industries in addition to brewing, like baking, banking, and music,” said Tolzmann, a retired UC professor.
On Sunday, June 5, join the fun at Hofbräuhaus Newport, where German music can be enjoyed throughout the day along with German food and plenty of beer. Hourly raffle prizes will culminate in a grand raffle at 5:30pm: a dinner party for 20 at Hofbräuhaus. Raffles will support the GACL and Cincinnati’s German Heritage Museum.
The museum, which showcases memorabilia, artifacts and pictures relating to Cincinnati’s German history, located at 4764 West Fork Road, is open 1pm to 5pm on Sundays and by appointment.