° Berlin ° Bremen ° Cologne ° Dresden ° Dusseldorf
° Frankfurt ° Hamburg ° Munich ° Stuttgart
Although the migration of Germanic tribes fleeing attacks by nomadic invaders from Central Asia led to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the immediate replacement of the Empire by states ruled by a feudal aristocracy of largely Germanic extraction did not lead to the dominance of German on the continent of Europe. The most politically and militarily successful of the migrating Germanic tribes – the Franks, the Langobards, the Allemanni, and the Visigoths – all abandoned their Germanic languages in favor of the popular Latin spoken by the indigenous populations of the Roman territories they overran and subsequently governed.
As a result the German language, although of great importance for the historical literature of science and technology, does not today play a major role in global commerce. The earliest written records of any Germanic language are isolated words and names cited by Latin authors of the 1st century B.C. From 200 A.D., Germanic carved inscriptions are found using a 24-letter “runic” alphabet. The official conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity in 312 A.D. slowly led to the Christianization of all the Germanic tribes over succeeding centuries, launching the establishment of their tongues as written (as against oral) literary languages, as the Bible was translated for local use.
German-Americans
German-Americans represent
the largest group of immigrants arriving in the United States in all but three
of the years between 1854 and 1894. (As this is written, reports indicate that the most-spoken language in American homes—other than English—is German.)
Before the end of the century more than
5 million Germans had arrived. 
They
came from a wide geographic area and for a variety of reasons. They were a highly
diversified group in terms of regional origin, religious and political orientation,
education and socio-economic standing.
This migration began early in January of 1709 and a German settlement was founded
in New Bern, North Carolina. By April of 1709, German settlements were established
along the Hudson River in New York.
The strength and success of German shipping gve German metropolitan merchants a competitive edge in the Far East. Penang and Singapore were the main ports of call for German ships since 1872. The "Deutsche Dampfschiffs-Reederei zu Hamburg," commonly known as the "Kingsin Line," offered the first steamship service to the Far East, sailing only once every two months.
In response to demands raised by German trading houses for more regular services of a higher standard, the German Bismarck and his postmaster-general, Heinrich von Stephan, signed a contract in 1885 with the Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd) of Bremen to operate the Imperial Mail Steamer Services. British shipping found it difficult to compete with German shipping because of this government subsidy.
Manchester Ship Canal
March 16, 1895, Colonies and India
London, United Kingdom
The directors of the Manchester Ship Canal have made arrangements for the running of fresh lines from the new port. The North German Lloyd will run steamers between the port and Bremen, taking cargo for trans-shipment for vessels trading to Brazil, Australia, China, West Indies, &c. In addition, a fortnightly service of fast steamers will trade between Manchester, Quebec, and Montreal, beginning in April; while the Wilson Line, whose operations have hitherto been confined to Hull, announce a regular service of steamers between Manchester and the Baltic ports. The vessels employed in the Montreal service will be large cattle carriers, and will bring cattle to the corporation's lairages at Mode Wheel. The owners of the steamships undertaking this service are Messrs. Furness, Withy & Co., London, and Messrs. Seive bright, Bacon & Co., of West Hartlepool.
The rumour that Mr. Huddart was negotiating with the North German Lloyd Company for a fast line of steamers to Canada is,., of course, inaccurate. As explained in the Times, it would lie contrary to the spirit of the offer made by the Canadian, Government, which is for the establishment of British' communication between Great Britain and Australia by way of Canada. It is believed that Mr. Huddart's proposals are now receiving the earnest consideration of Her Majesty's Government, and we hope that, before long, some announcement may be made of its decision.
A great number of the German emigrants left from the ports of Bremen and Hamburg. The Bremen passenger departure records were destroyed during WWII, but the lists were reconstructed from National Archives passenger lists of vessels arriving in New York. The Hamburg passenger lists, which survived the war, contain the names of millions of Europeans who emigrated through Hamburg between 1850 and 1934 (except 1915-1919). Nearly one-third of the people who emigrated from central and eastern Europe during this time are included on these lists.
The failed German revolution in 1848 stimulated emigration
to America. Although conditions in the German states were not as bad as in
Ireland, crop failures, inheritance laws, high rents, high prices, and the
effects of the industrial revolution led to widespread poverty and suffering.
Over the next ten years over a million people left Germany
and settled in the United States. Some were the intellectual leaders of this
rebellion, but most were impoverished Germans who had lost confidence in its
government's ability to solve the country's economic problems. Others left
because they feared constant political turmoil in Germany.
German Settlements in the United States
Relatives and friends who emigrated first would write back
and encourage others to follow. This led to "chain migrations" and group
settlements. Fairly well-to-do farmers who saw a bleak future, poor ones with
no future, paupers whom the authorities often paid to leave, revolutionaries
after 1848, and many artisans, professionals, and some adventurers made up
the spectrum of the 1840s and 1850s. One prosperous innkeeper wrote after
arriving in Wisconsin: "I would prefer the civilized, cultured, Germany
to America if it were still in its former orderly condition, but as it has
turned out recently, and with the threatening prospect for the future of religion
and politics, I prefer America. Here I can live a more quiet, and undisturbed
life."
New York City was popular with German immigrants. By 1860 over
100,000 Germans lived in the city and owned 20 churches, 50 schools, 10 bookstores
and two German language daily newspapers. There was also an estimated 130,000
German-born immigrants in Chicago. The city became a centre of German culture
with bands, orchestras and a theatre. Milwaukee, known as the German Athens,
and Cincinnati, also had large numbers of Germans. One journalist wrote in
the Houston Post, commented "Germany seems to have lost all of her foreign
possessions with the exception of Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati."
German Jews in the United States
In the 1850s a large number of German Jews began arriving in the United States. This included several who became successful in business such as Joseph Seligman (banking), Solomon Loeb (banking), August Belmont (banking), Isidor Straus (department stores), Paul Warburg (banking), Jacob Schiff (banking) and Otto Kahn (banking). A survey in 1890 revealed that about a half of the German Jewish population in the United States were in business.
