Articles and Reviews
Review of German-Americana: Selected Essays, By Ron Einhaus, Northern Kentucky Heritage,
17:1
(2009): 50.
German-Americana: Selected Essays
Don Heinrich Tolzmann
Little Miami Publishing Co., 299 pages, paperback (2009), $22.50
From the time the first Germans arrived in the English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia in 1608, they knew they needed to start their own community. Don Tolzmann, in this collection of essays, takes us on that migratory path across the United States known as the German Belt. As they moved on westward, they established Germantown in Pennsylvania, the German Triangle – Cincinnati, St. Louis and Milwaukee, pioneer settlements in Minnesota and onward to the northwest in Oregon. Don Tolzmann discusses in his essays how their German culture influenced the development of each of these areas in their new world, the United States of America.
Don Tolzmann pulls together a collection of essays, writings and speeches to tell the stories of our German settlers. In each new chapter, we learn about the reason for their movements and the influence of German work ethics and culture in the progress of their communities. We learn that because of their strong religious backgrounds, they were able to overcome the odds against them and succeed.
In the early chapters of his book, Don Tolzmann tells the stories of brave and resourceful Germans. Later chapters tell of the outstanding German Americans that influenced others through their leadership and writings. In the final chapters, Don Tolzmann writes about the museums and library collections available that have documented and preserved the history of German Americans.
Don Tolzmann has been handed the torch as collector, researcher and writer of the history of the German Americans. Through this collection of essays, he demonstrates his ability to handle that challenge. Don Tolzmann has authored many books on the topic of German influence in the Cincinnati area. Don Tolzmann has also translated several works of noted German American writers that are now available for our pleasure. Besides his work at the University of Cincinnati’s German Studies, Don Tolzmann led the national campaign to establish a German American Day in the United States and is the curator of the German Heritage Museum and Research Library in Montfort Heights, Cincinnati.
German-Americana: Selected Essays by Don Heinrich Tolzmann is addition to your history book collection. This collection should be the first place to go to for research of the German influence and culture in their new land, United States of America.
Ron Einhaus, President
Kenton County Historical Society