Читать книгу History Of German Immigration In The United States - George von Skal - Страница 12

Immediately after the war with France, German immigration rose to very large figures. Over four hundred thousand Germans arrived in 1871, 1872 and 1873. It then fell off, but increased to proportions heretofore unknown in 1880, for between that year and 1892 nearly two millions came. Since then the German immigration has fallen off, and during the last few years has been almost insignificant. The reasons for this and the probable future of German immigration to America will be touched upon further on.

The immigration during the period following the Franco-Prussian War and the creation of the German Empire differed in many respects from that of earlier times. The years between 1860 and 1870 had already foreshadowed the change, but though the German had begun to acquire a larger fund of self-reliance and of justifiable confidence in his own worth, he did not yet call himself a German outside of the borders of the Fatherland. Germany was still a geo graphical name only, and while numerous forces were making towards unity, the inhabitants of all the large and small principalities were first of all subjects of their rulers, and in a political sense no Germany or German people existed. The governments of other countries did not know German subjects, and German ambassadors or German passports which would protect the traveler in foreign countries did not exist. The German going abroad was a Prussian, Bavarian, Hessian, etc., and only as such could he claim protection or the rights accorded to foreigners outside of the jurisdiction of their home government. The creation of the empire changed all this, and for the first time the German citizen felt that he belonged to Germany and not to a small part of it, and that behind him stood the officials and the full strength of a mighty empire. And inasmuch as this new empire had been born out of a tremendous demonstration of strength and of unity of feeling and purpose, it immediately became a power, recognized and respected by all other nations, and at the same time endowed its own citizens, for the first time in centuries, with unlimited confidence in their own strength as well as in the present power arid the future of their own country. The effect upon the German character was immediate and manifested itself at home in the increase of enterprise, in commercial and industrial life, and abroad in greater readiness to demand the recognition a citizen of a world power is entitled to. This showed in the German immigration during the last third of the Nineteenth Century which, not only on account of its numerical strength, but also for the reasons given, became more important and aggressive, produced greater results and exerted a larger influence upon the development of the American people, than the German element in the United States had ever done before.

Another factor must not be overlooked. Practically all the Germans that came to this country during this period had served in the army, and many had seen active service in one or several wars. Americans, who are naturally and rightly averse to a standing army and compulsory military service, frequently overlook the fact that this institution has large educational advantages. It teaches a man to measure his own powers and to use them correctly, to overcome defects in character and temperament, and also many virtues that are of great value in every walk of life. To use a short but very apt phrase: a very few years of service under strict discipline gives to a man the opportunity to find himself. The best proof that this is fully recognized by the German people is the fact that the number of young men who emigrate in order to evade military service is steadily growing less and has become almost insignificant, while formerly it was very large. In Germany more than in any other country, the profession of the soldier is surrounded with a dignity and gives a standing that produces pride and self-consciousness qualities which may sometimes be developed excessively but are nevertheless of great value.

In short, the time had gone by when the German immigrants arriving in America were fleeing from one kind of persecution or another. They came with the firm conviction in their hearts that they not only received but also gave something. Their aims were no longer confined to the wish to find peace, protection and liberty, they wanted to reap the fruit of the gifts and the labor which they placed at the disposal of their new country. There were perhaps not so many idealists among them who were ready to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of mankind without the slightest hope of reward, but they were all filled with the healthy idealism which does not lose sight of the practical side of life. The great materialistic wave of thought which swept over the civilized world at the end of the last century had already begun to exercise its influence. Even in Germany, the home of the idealistic dreamer, materialism was advancing with steady steps. This is not the place to discuss the relative values of the two theories of life, but it is necessary to mention which one was the dominating one at the different periods in order to explain the difference between the character 4 of the immigration at various times. It may be said in addition that the trend towards the materialistic conception of life was greatly strengthened, if indeed not caused, by the example the United States furnished, for their unparalleled success in the direction of material progress caused many to overlook the fact that the American people possessed a large fund of idealism. In Germany, where for generations pure and almost transcendental idealism had been accepted as the highest aim, materialistic tendencies were naturally softened and could not change the character of the people completely. They rather produced a blending of the two theories which was followed by the happiest consequences until they became too dominant to leave the idealistic spirit undefiled. One of the first and most important consequences of the change consisted in the effort to make science of practical service. Germany, with her magnificent educational system and her clear perception of the value of thorough knowledge, was the first country to erect commercial, industrial and technical schools and colleges where the pupils were not only instructed in the ways of doing things, as in the so-called manual training schools, nor in abstract science, but where both methods were combined. Soon Germany trained large numbers of young men in every branch of human knowledge after scientific methods, and the graduate of a commercial or technical high school combined the practical with the theoretical knowledge to such a degree that very little practice was necessary to make his services far more valuable than those of his competitors in other countries. Germany began to supply a large part of the world with civil engineers, with chemists, architects, etc. German merchants were found in every important trading place on the globe, and even German clerks invaded other countries, especially England, where attempts were made to prevent their employment, which, however, was unsuccessful as their worth was undisputed. This union of scientific methods and research with the experience gleaned from actual and practical work showed in a development of the industrial life such as the world had never before witnessed, for it included the transformation of a whole people which had, as a whole, not unjustly been accused of being addicted to impractical dreaming, and of an inherent inability to produce results, into a hard-headed, practical and enterprising people with a clear perception of the usefulness and value of every deed and act.

Of such mold were the German immigrants of latter days. They fitted better into the industrial life of the nation than their forerunners. They could immediately assist in the development of the natural resources of the country then underway. There were many among them who, like their forebears, tilled the soil and conquered the wilderness, being the instruments that added state after state to the nation; all of them brought the peculiar virtues with them which have long been recognized as essentially German; all of them were furthermore imbued with that touch of idealism that has been so valuable an admixture to the American spirit, and many helped to build up the industries which quickly grew to dimensions beyond the dreams of the most fertile imagination. In every field of human activity the brain and the brawn of the German became an important factor, in some it predominated and was the moving force.

It is impossible to go into details but a few of the most important facts must be mentioned. No less an authority than Andrew Carnegie has stated that the American iron and steel industry could never have reached its present development without the assistance of the German engineer who can be found in every office preparing plans and devising means for the work to be performed. There is hardly an industrial enterprise, a large railroad company or a municipality in the United States on whose staff of engineers are not Germans. As soon as the American manufacturer grasped the fact that chemistry was a valuable aid and could save him enormous amounts of labor and money, as well as insure the uniform quality of his product, he turned to the German chemist who is now found almost everywhere in the United States, not only in the manufactories of chemicals, but wherever his knowledge can be used to advantage. When the glass-making industry emerged from the primitive state during which only the cheap qualities were manufactured here, Germans were brought to America to do the work and to in struct Americans. In the textile industries the manufacture of silks and woolens is still largely in the hands of Germans. It is a well-known fact that the introduction of beer, which bids fair to become the national beverage and has done so much to promote moderation by reducing the consumption of strong liquor is entirely due to Germans and that this enormous industry is still almost entirely in their hands. It is hardly necessary to state that the manufacture of pianos in this country owes its development mainly to German immigrants and their descendants. One has only to follow the advertisements in order to be convinced of the fact that this vast industry may even at this late day be called a German one, though of course most of the founders of the great firms engaged in it have died. The piano manufacturers played an especially important role in the development of the country because they, or at least many of them, were instrumental in bringing European artists to America and raising the taste for and the appreciation of high-class music to the present level. The claim is justified that without their help the musical art in the United States would be far below the high standard it has reached. To this we will refer again when we speak of the influence German immigration has exerted upon the musical life of the American people. In going over the lists of the lithographers producing work of highly artistic quality few American names will be found, most of the establishments of this kind are still managed by Germans or their descendants. This list could be extended indefinitely, but these few examples will suffice to show what the Germans have done for America in this direction.

It was the same in commercial and financial life. The German banking houses have grown in number and importance until at the present day no transaction of great magnitude can be completed without their aid. Many of the insurance companies have been founded by and are still entirely managed by Germans. A German-American invented the first practical and to this day the best typesetting machine. In the import and export trade of the United States more Germans are engaged than men of any other nationality, Americans not excepted. One of the great over land railroad routes was planned and constructed by a German, Henry Villard, who later on was instrumental in securing a firm basis for the development of the electrical companies of the country.

Leaving business and the more practical pursuits alone, we find that the first exponent of political caricature, or cartooning, as the American prefers to call it, was the German Thomas Nast, while another German, Joseph Keppler, developed and improved upon the somewhat crude though always effective methods of his predecessor. These two men may be called the originators of this art in the United States, and among those now active in this line there are many Germans, the most eminent being, without doubt, Henry Mayer, who combines American wit with German artistic feeling and French grace. Of artists, the German immigration has given to America many shining lights. Emanuel Leutze should be known to every American, for one of his great paintings, "Washington Crossing the Delaware," has been reproduced innumerable times and is found in many American households. He painted the mural paintings in the new wing of the capitol, erected in the fifties. One of these, "Westward the Star of Empire Takes its Way," is almost as well-known as the one mentioned above. Albert Bierstadt became one of the greatest of all American landscape painters, and some of his works, most of which were of colossal dimensions, found the fullest appreciation and admiration in Europe. His paintings of the scenery of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada are unsurpassed. Henry Schreyvogel, born in New York, but of German parentage, is best known by his painting, "My Bunkie." Among the many sculptors of renown who came from Germany, Karl Bitter deserves the first place.

During this period the American institutions of learning extended their field of usefulness constantly, and it was but natural that they came into closer contact with the German universities. Without debate the fact was conceded that Germany was still the home of the exact sciences and the best source to draw from whenever knowledge of and instruction in the way of acquiring it was needed. Thus a steady stream of German teachers began to flow to these shores until there was hardly a university or college without German professors on its staff. Their influence is all the larger as it is exerted upon the American youth at a time when the mind is still plastic and ready to receive and retain impressions. Of the learned professions that of medicine has given to the United States most. German physicians of exceptional ability came to America from the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, but their numbers grew to great proportions after the Franco-Prussian War until they formed a large percentage of all the physicians in the United States. The great progress made in medical science is, to a large extent, due to their example and their efforts to elevate the profession to which they belonged.

In the field of music the German has played a more important part than in any other. It may almost be said that the history of music in America, from the moment when music ceased to be more than a pastime with which people were willing to while away a few hours agreeably, is a German history. As soon as the American became musical, that is as soon as he began to perceive that beautiful music is art of the highest kind and elevates the soul, in making it respond to the most exquisite sensations and lifting it above all wordly things, the German composer and musician came to the front.

It is well-known that the Germans are a musical people. They had already produced composers of note when they began to come to America. At that time it was hardly thought of in England that music was one of the fine arts. The English colonists brought little or no knowledge of music to America; the Puritans discouraged it even, and considered all music, except the singing of psalms and hymns, sinful. Among the German immigrants there were, no doubt, many who would even now be called good musicians, but no record exists of them. They did their share in increasing the appreciation of good music but they did not accomplish much until the first decades of the Nineteenth Century had passed. From that time on we can trace the progress of music in America. The beginning was not easy. If one desires to know how much or rather how little the American people at that time under stood of music one has only to read the criticisms that appeared in the newspapers when the first artists of note were brought over and gave concerts. Some of the passages are so naive as to be almost touching. It seems that the critics and the audience, too, of course were much more interested in the rapidity with which a pianist moved his fingers or the power with which he worked the pedals than in the sounds he produced. We read of one artist who had charmed the whole world that his playing showed that he had devoted considerable time to the study of harmony. In short, these criticisms show an ignorance of music that could hardly be found to day in a border town. It had to be overcome, and it speaks volumes for the great gifts the American people possesses that within half a century it had emerged from such deep ignorance and was fairly on the way that leads to the complete mastering of one of the highest and most beautiful arts. The part that the Germans played in this evolution cannot be described here at length, but the facts that can be given will be sufficient to make good the claim that in this field they did by far the largest part of the work.

We find the first traces of systematic efforts to bring serious music before the public in 1838 when Daniel Schlesinger, a German musician of great gifts, became the conductor of the Concordia of New York, a society devoted to the culture of vocal and instrumental music. Almost at the same time, in 1839, another German named Schmidt organized a similar society in Boston. These first sparks kindled the sacred flames and in 1842 the New York Philharmonic Society was formed, which still exists and to which not only the city of its birth but the whole country owes a great debt of gratitude. Among its conductors were men like Theodore Eisfeld, who must also be remembered as the founder of a quartet that rendered chamber music; Carl Bergmann, who later on was active in the opera field; Henry C. Timm, Adolph Neuendorf, Theodore Thomas, Anton Seidl and many other Germans. At the birth of the Philharmonic Society, twenty-two of its fifty-four members were Germans; in 1900, out of ninety-four members eighty-nine were either born in Germany or children of German immigrants. Not much later Eisfeld formed the New York Harmonic Society, which was devoted mainly to the production of oratorios. In 1850 the celebrated Germania Orchestra came from Germany and traveled all over the country with immense success, awaking everywhere the taste for good music. Many of its members remained in America when the orchestra was dissolved. The West did not remain behind. In 1850 Hans Balatka formed the Musikverein in Milwaukee. He was one of the pioneers of music in the western states and did much for the advancement of the art. After years of fruitful work in Milwaukee he founded and took charge of the Chicago Symphony Society. In St. Louis the Polyhymnia was founded in 1845 by Dr. Johann Georg Wesselhoeft, and the Philharmonic Society by Edward Sobolewsky in 1859. The Cecilia Society of Cincinnati was started about the same time. The mightiest warrior of them all in the fight for the recognition of good music was Theodore Thomas, who did not know what defeat meant and was ever ready to begin again when disaster had overtaken him. After he left New York he took charge of the Chicago orchestra and to him more than to any other single man America is indebted for the musical festivals now held from time to time in many cities. He was the creator of the great Cincinnati Musical Festival and was indefatigable in his efforts to make Americans acquainted with the works of the modern composers. It may fairly be said that he forced the public to like and appreciate what he knew was good in his art, and the fact that such works did not please his audiences at the start never made him swerve from his path. Many German singers and musicians of great renown came to the United States as visitors and assisted in spreading artistic feeling.

The movement was greatly helped by the German singing societies. They had existed on a small scale for some time, but they became large and influential when the German immigration increased in the middle of the last century, and contained a much larger percentage of educated men and women. They were soon to be found in every place where Germans had settled. They combined into federations which held singing festivals at regular intervals in different cities. At such occasions Americans did not only hear good music but also learned how serious work can be combined with innocent enjoyment. In this way these societies became important educational factors. Many of them earned a national reputation, especially the German Liederkranz and the Arion of New York, the Germania and the Apollo Musical Club of Chicago, the Orpheus of Buffalo and the Junge Männerchor of Philadelphia. Several of them added to their usefulness by engaging as conductors Germans of exceptional ability and assisting them in their efforts to get a foothold in wider fields. Among the men who began their career in America as conductors of German singing societies and afterward became leaders of large orchestras were Hans Balatka, Leopold Damrosch and Frank van der Stucken. Others, like Carl Bergmann and Carl Anschutz, devoted part of their time to singing societies.

In the field of opera the Germans in America have always stood for progress and it is due to their efforts that the works of the modern masters became known to the American people. In 1850 Max Maretzek produced Weber's "Freischütz," and in 1856 Beethoven's "Fidelio." Carl Bergmann gave the first performance of a Wagner opera when, on April 4, 1859, he produced "Tannhauser." On this occasion the Arion Society of New York furnished the chorus. Carl Anschutz was the leader of the Strakosch and of the Ullmann opera companies, the latter giving for the first time in the United States opera in German with Carl Formes and Madame Fabbri. In 1877 Adolph Neuendorf produced "Lohengrin" and "Walküre" and the Pappenheim Opera followed one year later with "Rienzi" and the "Flying Dutchman." But the man who put German opera on a firm footing in the United States was Dr. Leopold Damrosch. He had been the conductor of the Arion Society and had founded the Oratorio Society in 1873, and when, in 1884, Italian opera had failed again to satisfy the New Yorkers, he organized a German opera company, brought a number of the best German singers to this country and gave the first performances of Wagner's works in America that were worthy of the great master. Unfortunately, he died before his first season was over, but the work was continued by Anton Seidl, who for many years remained the greatest interpreter of German operatic and orchestral music in the United States. Since the day when Leopold Damrosch first lifted his baton in the Metropolitan Opera House in New York the best works of the modern composers have been produced on the American operatic stage by the foremost singers of the world, and the times are past forever when the old Italian opera alone satisfied the American public. Without losing the faculty of appreciating what is beautiful in the music of the past, it has learned to understand and to love the best and highest in the music of the present and the future. And this is true not only of opera but of every other kind of music.

From this short sketch it will be seen that we have not claimed too much when we said that the Germans taught the Americans to look upon music as more than a mere pastime to while away a few hours. They deserve the largest part of the credit if the United States has become a musical country, if refined taste and good judgment as well as full comprehension of the art of music and its aims have spread to an extent nobody would have dreamed of half a century ago. Anybody who doubts this may easily convince himself of the truth. Any history of music in the United States, any newspaper and even the programs of musical events will show that to this day Germans and their descendants preponderate in the musical life of the nation. They are found in overwhelming numbers among the singers and the musicians, the leaders and the virtuosos, the musical agents and the impresarios, and even among the teachers and the musical critics. Without them the demand for good music, now so strong in the United States, could not be filled, and would, in fact, never have been created. There can be no dispute over this question if the facts are known, and it must not be forgotten that only of late music has become a calling in which others than a few great singers and virtuosos may reasonably expect to reap large material gain. Most of the men whom we have named and the great host that cannot be mentioned here, worked incessantly and gave their full strength without receiving more than a meager reward. Many of them were, in fact, continuously in sore straits, and it was the love for their art and the unbounded enthusiasm that is ready to bring every sacrifice for an ideal which kept them at their work.