Wednesdays in the Museum: A Journey through Emsland Heritage
Ah, Wednesday afternoons! The day when office workers eye the clock like it’s a countdown to freedom, and the only thing more palpable than the excitement is the adoration for cheap museum lectures. But wait! It’s not just any old lecture—you’ve got Dr. Andreas Eiynck discussing the descendants of Emsland emigrants to America! And let’s face it, if we’re not talking about your grandma’s secret potato salad recipe, then are we really talking about your roots?
On March 7th, at the charming Emslandmuseum located at Burgstraße 30a, for just €5 (or €3 if you’re one of those astutely thrifty local association members), you can immerse yourself in the lives of these daring souls who took a leap across the pond, likely fueled by dreams of invisible cornfields and bountiful land, and maybe, just maybe, a desire to escape the family reunion.
From Emsland to Illinois: Dreams and Delusions
Dr. Eiynck will navigate us through a timeline where our intrepid Emslanders dreamed of owning a farm in the 19th century. The path to pastoral life wasn’t paved with corn flakes—oh no! It began in bustling cities like New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and the enigmatic Cincinnati. Imagine sorting through skyscrapers instead of corn rows! Quite the plot twist for any aspiring farmer, I must say.
For many, adapting from city life to small-town tranquility was like swapping a crowded bar in the Bronx for a quiet evening counting cows in Quincy, Illinois. With a mix of Protestant and Catholic influences, you could find them supporting local breweries and mills, or as I like to call it, the ‘Heavenly Brew Theology.’ It seems Quincy has an identity crisis—straddling the line between bratwurst and bagels.
Building a New Home with Old Traditions
Now, for those who waited for their coffee to stop percolating before making a move west, they eventually stumbled into a land of dreams—where owning land became a reality for some. “Look, Martha! We’ve turned their forsaken plots of dirt into something productive!” said every proud immigrant ever. And just like that, German villages sprouted with such commonality that your local phone book resembled a family reunion list. How splendidly consistent!
Fast forward to today in towns like Aviston—a vibrant community where local parades might just double as a German sausage fest! The descendants of our beloved Emslanders maintain their roots, peppered with fables of ancestors who once questioned the quality of American cheese versus their good ol’ gouda. If you thought memory faded over time, think again! These proud descendants remind us that heritage is one spirited beer away from reality.
Closure and Celebration
Dr. Eiynck’s engaging presentation, laced with a stunning array of current and historical photographs, promises to tickle your historical fancy while catering to your visual pleasures. Whether you’re a history buff or just someone looking for an excuse to slip away from typical Wednesday night drudgery, this is the place to be!
So there you have it! Two lectures at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on March 7, and for just €5 (or €3, but say it softly, or the non-member brigade may get feisty). Make sure to bring your best questions, perhaps even a family tree, and get ready to discover how the Emslanders embraced the good old American way while hugging their traditions close.
(And who knows—maybe you’ll spend the evening deciphering names in an ancient cemetery. Exciting stuff, right? And who doesn’t love a little bit of laser-focused genealogical adventure?)
Join us for a splendid time at the Emslandmuseum—a stepping stone to roots recognition and cultural appreciation!
Wednesdays in the museum:
With the descendants of Emsland emigrants to America
A travel report from Dr. Andreas Eiynck
Lingen (Ems) – Emslandmuseum, Burgstraße 30a
Wed March 7, 2018 – 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m
Cost: €5 (reduced €3 for members of the local association)
The descendants of the American emigrants from Emsland will be guests on March 7th. (Wednesday, 4 and 7:30 p.m.) the lecture series “Wednesdays in the Museum”. Dr. Andreas Eiynck visited the Strodt, Kues and Rakers families in the state of Illinois (USA) last year. He reports on what defines the lifestyle of immigrants there today – between Emsland traditions and the “American way of life”.
Many Emsland emigrants dreamed of having their own farm in the 19th century. But the first points of contact were major American cities such as New York, Baltimore, Chicago and, last but not least, Cincinnati, the most important gathering point for the newcomers from the Lingen area. Quite a few discovered that life was good in American cities and built a new existence here as craftsmen, business people or entrepreneurs.
Those who didn’t like big city life moved further west, for example to the rural industrial town of Quincy on the Mississippi. Here the German population was divided into Protestant immigrants from the Herford area, who were recruited by the German brewery Gebrüder Dick, and Catholic families from the Emsland and Münsterland, who found their livelihood in the numerous mills. To this day, Quincy is strongly influenced by German immigrants who consciously maintain their traditions.
After a few years, good income and a frugal lifestyle made the dream of owning a farm a reality for some immigrants. People were happy to make contacts from their old homeland and so real German villages were formed in which most of the families came from the same places back home. This is revealed by even a cursory glance at the local telephone book, the advertisements in the local newspaper or the gravestones in the village cemetery.
For generations, the language spoken here was primarily German, and there were German-speaking parishes and newspapers. Using the example of the community of Aviston in Clinton County in southern Illinois, the speaker shows how the descendants of immigrants from Emsland live there today and what part German origins still play in their identity today.
The presentation, illustrated with numerous current and historical photos, begins next Wednesday at 4 and 7:30 p.m. Admission is €5, €3 for local association members.
(Photo: Birgit Eiynck from Lingen and Steve Wavering from Quincy decipher the names of their common relatives in an old cemetery in Illinois. √ Emslandmuseum)