little germany, new york

Little Germany, also called in German Kleindeutschland was a densely populated German neighborhood around Tompkins Square, in an area bounded by Avenues A and B and 7th and 10th Sts, in the Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York. The neighbourhood disappeared within one year in 1904 after the General Slocum disaster wiped out the social core of the neighbourhood.

Growth

A constant flow of immigrants entering the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through Ellis Island provided a constant population influx for Little Germany. In the 1850s alone, 800,000 Germans passed through New York. The German immigrants differed as they usually were educated and had marketable skills in crafts. More than half of the bakers and cabinet makers were Germans or of German origin, and many Germans also worked in the construction business. Educated Germans were important players in the creation of Trade unions, and were also often politically active. At the beginning of the 20th century, Little Germany had a population of almost 500,000 people. The neighborhood was the cultural center of German activities in New York, including beer gardens, sport clubs, libraries, choirs, shooting clubs, German schools, and churches.

General Slocum Disaster

Disaster struck Little Germany on June 15, 1904. The Evangelical Lutheran Church organized their 17th annual picnic to commemorate the end of the school year and chartered a ship, the General Slocum, for a cruise on the New York East River to a picnic site on Long Island. Over 1,300 passengers, mostly women and children, participated in the event. Shortly after departing, a fire started in a storage compartment in the forward section. Although the ship was equiped with lifeboats and preservers, both were in disrepair. Passengers found the boats stuck and inoperable, and the life preservers were rotten and failed to float. The absence of adequate safety equipment, compounded with the poor leadership of Captain William Van Schaick, caused an estimated 1,021 passengers to die by immolation or drowning. Although only one percent of Little Germany's population was killed by the disaster, those lost were members of the most established families, the social foundation of Little Germany's community. The remaining, newly immigrated population had lacked the funds for pleasure outings. (For details of the disaster see General Slocum)

The End of Little Germany

Ultimately, Little Germany did not survive the disaster. Schools had no children, shops had no owners, and some bereaved parents, spouses, children and friends committed suicide. The desire to find a culprit led to conflicting public opinion, and family quarrels about the distrubtion of money amongst survivors led the society of Little Germany to turn sour. Families moved and dispersed. Businesses closed. The community that was Little Germany ceased to exist. The General Slocum disaster is the principle reason that New York City, home to such iconic neighborhoods as Chinatown and Little Italy, no longer has a Little Germany.