New Ulm, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
New Ulm is a city in Brown County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Brown County
.
Located in the triangle of land formed by the confluence
of the Minnesota River
and the Cottonwood River
, the city is home to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
, the Hermann Heights Monument, Martin Luther College
, Flandrau State Park
, and the August Schell Brewing Company
. New Ulm is the episcopal see
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm
.
U.S. Route 14
and Minnesota State Highways 15
and 68
are three of the main arterial routes in the city.
immigrants Christian Ludwig Meyer, Alois Palmer, Athanasius Henle, and Franz Massopoust. The city was named after the city of Ulm
in southern Germany
. Today, Ulm
and Neu-Ulm
are New Ulm's sister cities
. In part due to the city's German heritage, it is a center for brewing
in the Upper Midwest
, home to the August Schell Brewing Company
.
In the Dakota War of 1862
, the city was attacked and burned by Taoyateduta
(Little Crow) and his Dakota Sioux
warriors.
On July 15, 1881, New Ulm was struck by a large tornado
that killed 6 and injured 53.
During World War II
, German POWs were housed in a camp to the immediate southeast of New Ulm, in what is now Flandrau State Park
. In 1944 a New Ulm family was fined $300 for removing a prisoner from the camp, housing him and taking him to church.
The Brown County Historical Society, located at 2 North Broadway houses 3 floors of exhibits and one of the largest archives in the state. It contains over 5,500 family files, microfilm of census, naturalization, church, cemetery and birth and death records as well as business and history files. http://www.browncountyhistorymnusa.org
. The artwork at the base was created by New Ulm artist Anton Gag
.
The monument has not been changed since its completion (except for being moved to the middle of the block).
The Hermann Monument in New Ulm dominates the Minnesota River
valley from a hill overlooking the city. Inspired by a similar monument called Hermannsdenkmal
near Detmold
, Germany
, this figure served as a symbol for members of the Sons of Hermann
, a fraternal organization of German Americans. In 1885 the 362 Sons of Hermann lodges across the country committed themselves to the construction of a monument representing their cultural heritage. Through the efforts of Minnesota’s 53 Sons of Hermann lodges, the monument was built in New Ulm, home to many German
immigrants. The sculptor chosen for this project was a German sculptor from Ohio
, Alfons Pelzer.
A 2000 years anniversary took place in New Ulm in September 2009, commemorating the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
in which Hermann successfully led a union of Germanic tribes against the Roman Legions under Varus
in the year 9 AD.
to America is located in New Ulm. It was erected in 1991 by the German-Bohemian Heritage Society to honor the German-Bohemian immigrants who arrived in this area of the US, most by way of a boat landing on the Minnesota River some 150 yards to the east. The immigrants came mostly from small villages, with the largest number from the village
centers of Hostau, Muttersdorf, and Ronsperg. Most of the immigrants were Catholic farmers who spoke a Bohemian dialect of German.
Inscribed in granite
slabs around the base of the monument are the surnames of over 350 immigrant families. Many of these names are still prominent in the region. As more and more immigrants arrived, not all of whom could farm, they settled in the city of New Ulm and some of the small communities to the west and north.
The bronze
statue that rests on top of the granite base was designed and sculpted by Leopold Hafner, a German-Bohemian sculptor who now lives near Passau
, Germany
.
The monument is located at 200 North German Street and is open year-round.
is one of the world's few free-standing carillon
clock towers. It stands 45 feet high, and its largest Bourdon (bell)
weighs 595 pounds while the total weight of the bells is two tons. The bells chime the time of day in Westminster style.
to honor the rich music heritage Minnesota has to offer.
In 1990 New Ulm offered its old library
building for the hall of fame site. Owing to the area's ethnic music heritage, the New Ulm was chosen. The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
, Inc. was established with categories reflecting the wide variety of Minnesota's musical heritage.
The museum has displays of music memorabilia for musicians and groups from around the state, including Prince
, Judy Garland
, Bob Dylan
, and local artists Whoopee John Wilfahrt
and The Six Fat Dutchmen
. The Hall of Fame and museum is located at First North Street and Broadway. In summer the museum is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day
each Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Each year in October the museum holds a gala to induct new members into the Hall of Fame, known locally as Minnesota's Grammies.
Whoopee John Wilfahrt
’s successful career opened the door to what became known as “Old-Time” music. After him, other local bands such as those led by Harold Loeffelmacher
, Babe Wagner, Elmer Scheid and Fezz Fritsche kept New Ulm well-known around the state and region. They even produced nationally popular recordings.
With the opening of George’s Ballroom
and the New Ulm Ballroom and the start of KNUJ
radio station in the 1940s, New Ulm billed itself as the "Polka
Capital of the Nation". http://www.newulm.com/about/history.html For years New Ulm's famous Polka Days were known worldwide by polka lovers. The festival was held each year in July. Polka Bands played on Minnesota Street and people danced and drank beer until well past midnight.
. The current summer festival, Bavarian Blast
, was created as a recent re-interpretation of New Ulm's longstanding festival, Heritagefest.
, directed by Keith Froelich. The city was a filming location for the 2004 documentary American Beer
. It is also the setting of the 2009 movie New in Town, starring Renee Zellweger
and Harry Connick Jr., although no part of the movie was actually filmed there.
, the city has a total area of 9 square miles (23.3 km²), of which, 8.8 square miles (22.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.34%) is water. The Minnesota River
and the Cottonwood River
run past the city on their way to the Mississippi River
.
of 2000, there were 13,594 people, 5,494 households, and 3,554 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,548.3 people per square mile (597.8/km²). There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 653.3 per square mile (252.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.10% White, 0.11% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 5,494 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,044, and the median income for a family was $51,309. Males had a median income of $34,196 versus $24,970 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,308. About 4.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
In 2002 the U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing New Ulm has 65.85% of population with German ancestry, more per capita than any other city in the U.S.
Brown County, Minnesota
Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 25,893. Its county seat is New Ulm.-Geography:...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Brown County
Brown County, Minnesota
Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 25,893. Its county seat is New Ulm.-Geography:...
.
Located in the triangle of land formed by the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
and the Cottonwood River
Cottonwood River (Minnesota)
The Cottonwood River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, 152 miles long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of in an agricultural region...
, the city is home to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is located at First North Street and Broadway in New Ulm, Minnesota, USA, in the former public library. It has memorabilia of individual musicians and musical groups as well as photographs of all who have been inducted...
, the Hermann Heights Monument, Martin Luther College
Martin Luther College
This article deals with the WELS-affiliated tertiary institution in Minnesota. See Luther College for the ELCA institution in Iowa.Martin Luther College is the college of ministry operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod...
, Flandrau State Park
Flandrau State Park
Flandrau State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Cottonwood River adjacent to the city of New Ulm. Initially called Cottonwood River State Park, it was renamed in 1945 to honor Charles Eugene Flandrau, a leading citizen of early Minnesota who commanded defenses during the Battles of...
, and the August Schell Brewing Company
August Schell Brewing Company
The August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860 and passed into the possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America and became the oldest and largest brewery in...
. New Ulm is the episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm
Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm
The Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on November 18, 1957, by Pope Pius XII. On July 14, 2008, John M. LeVoir was appointed as Bishop of New Ulm.The past bishops of the diocese are:...
.
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14 , an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...
and Minnesota State Highways 15
Minnesota State Highway 15
Minnesota State Highway 15 is a highway in south-central and central Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 15 at the Iowa state line and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S. Highway 10 outside of Sartell and Sauk Rapids, north of St...
and 68
Minnesota State Highway 68
Minnesota State Highway 68 is a highway in southwest and south-central Minnesota, which runs from South Dakota Highway 22 at the South Dakota state line near Canby, and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
are three of the main arterial routes in the city.
History
The city was founded in 1854 by GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrants Christian Ludwig Meyer, Alois Palmer, Athanasius Henle, and Franz Massopoust. The city was named after the city of Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
in southern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Today, Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
and Neu-Ulm
Neu-Ulm
Neu-Ulm is a town in Bavaria, capital of the Neu-Ulm district. Neighbouring towns include Ulm, Senden, Pfaffenhofen an der Roth, Holzheim, Nersingen and Elchingen. The population is 51,110 .-History:...
are New Ulm's sister cities
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
. In part due to the city's German heritage, it is a center for brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
in the Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
, home to the August Schell Brewing Company
August Schell Brewing Company
The August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860 and passed into the possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America and became the oldest and largest brewery in...
.
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
, the city was attacked and burned by Taoyateduta
Taoyateduta
Little Crow was a chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux. His given name translates as "His Red Nation," but he was known as Little Crow because of his father's name, Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni, which was mistranslated.Little Crow is notable in for his role in the...
(Little Crow) and his Dakota Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
warriors.
On July 15, 1881, New Ulm was struck by a large tornado
1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak
The 1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck southern Minnesota on July 15, 1881. At least six tornadoes touched down between 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm CST, killing 24 people and injuring 123.-New Ulm:...
that killed 6 and injured 53.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, German POWs were housed in a camp to the immediate southeast of New Ulm, in what is now Flandrau State Park
Flandrau State Park
Flandrau State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Cottonwood River adjacent to the city of New Ulm. Initially called Cottonwood River State Park, it was renamed in 1945 to honor Charles Eugene Flandrau, a leading citizen of early Minnesota who commanded defenses during the Battles of...
. In 1944 a New Ulm family was fined $300 for removing a prisoner from the camp, housing him and taking him to church.
The Brown County Historical Society
Defender's Monument
Located at Center and State Streets, Defender's Monument was erected in 1891 by the State of Minnesota to honor the memory of the defenders who aided New Ulm during the Dakota War of 1862Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
. The artwork at the base was created by New Ulm artist Anton Gag
Anton Gág
Anton Gág was a Bohemian-American painter and studio photographer known for his portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and murals. He spent most of his working life in Minnesota.-Biography:...
.
The monument has not been changed since its completion (except for being moved to the middle of the block).
Hermann Monument
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
valley from a hill overlooking the city. Inspired by a similar monument called Hermannsdenkmal
Hermannsdenkmal
The Hermannsdenkmal is a monument located in Ostwestfalen-Lippe in Germany in the Southern part of the Teutoburg Forest, which is southwest of Detmold in the district of Lippe...
near Detmold
Detmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, this figure served as a symbol for members of the Sons of Hermann
Sons of Hermann
The Order of the Sons of Hermann, also known as Hermann Sons and by its German name as der Orden der Hermann's Soehne or Hermannssöhne, was formed as a mutual protection society for German immigrants in New York City on July 20, 1840....
, a fraternal organization of German Americans. In 1885 the 362 Sons of Hermann lodges across the country committed themselves to the construction of a monument representing their cultural heritage. Through the efforts of Minnesota’s 53 Sons of Hermann lodges, the monument was built in New Ulm, home to many German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants. The sculptor chosen for this project was a German sculptor from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Alfons Pelzer.
A 2000 years anniversary took place in New Ulm in September 2009, commemorating the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in 9 CE, when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions, along with their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus.Despite numerous successful campaigns and raids by the...
in which Hermann successfully led a union of Germanic tribes against the Roman Legions under Varus
Varus
-People:*Publius Attius Varus , Roman governor of Africa.*Publius Quinctilius Varus , politician of the Roman Empire.*Quinctilius Varus -People:*Publius Attius Varus (died 17 March 45 BCE), Roman governor of Africa.*Publius Quinctilius Varus (46 BCE - 9 CE), politician of the Roman...
in the year 9 AD.
German Bohemian monument
A monument to German-Bohemian immigrationImmigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to America is located in New Ulm. It was erected in 1991 by the German-Bohemian Heritage Society to honor the German-Bohemian immigrants who arrived in this area of the US, most by way of a boat landing on the Minnesota River some 150 yards to the east. The immigrants came mostly from small villages, with the largest number from the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
centers of Hostau, Muttersdorf, and Ronsperg. Most of the immigrants were Catholic farmers who spoke a Bohemian dialect of German.
Inscribed in granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
slabs around the base of the monument are the surnames of over 350 immigrant families. Many of these names are still prominent in the region. As more and more immigrants arrived, not all of whom could farm, they settled in the city of New Ulm and some of the small communities to the west and north.
The bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue that rests on top of the granite base was designed and sculpted by Leopold Hafner, a German-Bohemian sculptor who now lives near Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The monument is located at 200 North German Street and is open year-round.
Glockenspiel in Schonlau Park
New Ulm's glockenspielGlockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
is one of the world's few free-standing carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
clock towers. It stands 45 feet high, and its largest Bourdon (bell)
Bourdon (bell)
The bourdon is the heaviest of the bells that belong to a musical instrument, especially a chime or a carillon, and produces its lowest tone....
weighs 595 pounds while the total weight of the bells is two tons. The bells chime the time of day in Westminster style.
Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
In 1962 it was first suggested by the governor that Minnesota develop a museum or Hall of FameMinnesota Music Hall of Fame
The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is located at First North Street and Broadway in New Ulm, Minnesota, USA, in the former public library. It has memorabilia of individual musicians and musical groups as well as photographs of all who have been inducted...
to honor the rich music heritage Minnesota has to offer.
In 1990 New Ulm offered its old library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
building for the hall of fame site. Owing to the area's ethnic music heritage, the New Ulm was chosen. The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is located at First North Street and Broadway in New Ulm, Minnesota, USA, in the former public library. It has memorabilia of individual musicians and musical groups as well as photographs of all who have been inducted...
, Inc. was established with categories reflecting the wide variety of Minnesota's musical heritage.
The museum has displays of music memorabilia for musicians and groups from around the state, including Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and local artists Whoopee John Wilfahrt
Whoopee John Wilfahrt
John Anthony Wilfahrt, , the eldest son of John Wilfahrt and Barbara Portner, was a professional polka musician who recorded with Vocalion and from 1934, Decca. He went by the moniker "Whoopee John." Wilfahrt was born in New Ulm, Minnesota and got his start playing the accordion at local gatherings...
and The Six Fat Dutchmen
Six Fat Dutchmen
The Six Fat Dutchmen was a polka band formed around 1932 by Harold Loeffelmacher in New Ulm, Minnesota. The band was known mostly for playing the "Oom-pah" style of polka music that originated from Germany and the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia...
. The Hall of Fame and museum is located at First North Street and Broadway. In summer the museum is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
each Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Each year in October the museum holds a gala to induct new members into the Hall of Fame, known locally as Minnesota's Grammies.
Polka capital of the nation
Music was always a part of life in New Ulm, especially with the arrival of the musically-inclined German-Bohemians in the 1870s. However, New Ulm took a major leap to national prominence in the 1920s.Whoopee John Wilfahrt
Whoopee John Wilfahrt
John Anthony Wilfahrt, , the eldest son of John Wilfahrt and Barbara Portner, was a professional polka musician who recorded with Vocalion and from 1934, Decca. He went by the moniker "Whoopee John." Wilfahrt was born in New Ulm, Minnesota and got his start playing the accordion at local gatherings...
’s successful career opened the door to what became known as “Old-Time” music. After him, other local bands such as those led by Harold Loeffelmacher
Harold Loeffelmacher
Harold Loeffelmacher was an American musician and bandleader best known for forming the polka band known as the Six Fat Dutchmen. The band, based in New Ulm, Minnesota, traveled extensively and played as many as 335 dates per year, mostly in the Midwestern United States...
, Babe Wagner, Elmer Scheid and Fezz Fritsche kept New Ulm well-known around the state and region. They even produced nationally popular recordings.
With the opening of George’s Ballroom
George’s Ballroom
George's Ballroom is an American ballroom on Center Street in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was built in 1947 and became a popular spot for young couples reuniting after World War II...
and the New Ulm Ballroom and the start of KNUJ
KNUJ (AM)
KNUJ is a radio station in New Ulm, Minnesota. The station airs a full service news/talk format and is owned by James Ingstad. KNUJ also has a sister station, KNUJ-FM.-History:...
radio station in the 1940s, New Ulm billed itself as the "Polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
Capital of the Nation". http://www.newulm.com/about/history.html For years New Ulm's famous Polka Days were known worldwide by polka lovers. The festival was held each year in July. Polka Bands played on Minnesota Street and people danced and drank beer until well past midnight.
Festivals
Local events held annually in New Ulm have celebrated the German culture through food, music, and beer. New Ulm's Oktoberfest has been celebrated the first two weekends in October since 1981. Bock Fest, often scheduled concurrently with the local festivities for Fasching, has been celebrated since 1987 at the August Schell Brewing CompanyAugust Schell Brewing Company
The August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860 and passed into the possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America and became the oldest and largest brewery in...
. The current summer festival, Bavarian Blast
Bavarian Blast
Bavarian Blast is the summer festival held every year in New Ulm, MN. With numerous bands, activities and attractions the festival has been growing. It started off in the downtown area but has expanded to the point that the location was moved to the local fair grounds...
, was created as a recent re-interpretation of New Ulm's longstanding festival, Heritagefest.
Film location
New Ulm was the setting and filming location of the 1995 independent film The Toilers and the WayfarersThe Toilers and the Wayfarers
The Toilers and the Wayfarers is a 1996 film written and directed by .-Plot:Phillip and Dieter nearly suffocate hiding their sexual identity in the face of puritanical small town values...
, directed by Keith Froelich. The city was a filming location for the 2004 documentary American Beer
American Beer (documentary)
American Beer is a 2002 feature-length documentary directed by Paul Kermizian that chronicles and documents the American craft brewing industry. The film was shot in the spring of 2002...
. It is also the setting of the 2009 movie New in Town, starring Renee Zellweger
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
and Harry Connick Jr., although no part of the movie was actually filmed there.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 9 square miles (23.3 km²), of which, 8.8 square miles (22.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.34%) is water. The Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
and the Cottonwood River
Cottonwood River (Minnesota)
The Cottonwood River is a tributary of the Minnesota River, 152 miles long, in southwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of in an agricultural region...
run past the city on their way to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,594 people, 5,494 households, and 3,554 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,548.3 people per square mile (597.8/km²). There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 653.3 per square mile (252.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.10% White, 0.11% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 5,494 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,044, and the median income for a family was $51,309. Males had a median income of $34,196 versus $24,970 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,308. About 4.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
In 2002 the U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing New Ulm has 65.85% of population with German ancestry, more per capita than any other city in the U.S.
Notable residents
- Ali BernardAli BernardAli Bernard is a female wrestler who earned a bye in women's freestyle wrestling qualifying her to compete against 2004 bronze medal-winner Katie Downing, whom she defeated in two matches at the 2008 qualifying match in Las Vegas; that feat earned her a spot to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics...
, 2008 Olympic2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
wrestler, born in New Ulm on April 11, 1986. - Kathryn Adams DotyKathryn Adams DotyKathryn Adams Doty is a retired American actress.She was born as Kathryn Elizabeth Hohn in New Ulm, Minnesota. In 1939, she competed in the national finals of the Jesse L. Lasky radio contest, "Gateway to Hollywood", then remained in California begin a film career under the name of Kathryn Adams....
, actress, born in New Ulm on July 15, 1920; married to actor Hugh Beaumont of Leave It To BeaverLeave It to BeaverLeave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
television show fame. - Tony EcksteinTony EcksteinAnton Joseph “Tony” or “A. J.”Eckstein was a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from southwestern Minnesota. First elected in 1970, Eckstein was re-elected in 1972, 1974 and 1976...
, former Minnesota politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, legislatorMinnesota House of RepresentativesThe Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
and New Ulm mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, born in New Ulm on May 29, 1923.http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/506304.html - Wanda GagWanda GágWanda Hazel Gág was an American author and illustrator. She was born on March 11, 1893, in New Ulm, Minnesota. Her mother and father were of Bohemian descent. Both parents were artists who had met in Germany. They had seven children, who all acquired some level of artistic talent...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, born in New Ulm on March 11, 1893. http://www.newulmweb.com/citylights/gag/gag.htm Her childhood home is open to tour. - Tippi HedrenTippi HedrenNathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren is an American actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is primarily known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie, and her extensive efforts in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat which she...
, HitchcockAlfred HitchcockSir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
actress, born in New Ulm on January 19, 1930. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001335/ She was the star of Hitchcock's classic The BirdsThe Birds (film)The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
. - John LindJohn Lind (politician)John Lind was an American politician.-Background:Lind was born in Kånna, Kronoberg County in the Swedish province of Småland and emigrated to the United States with his parents when he was thirteen years old. He served in the Spanish-American War in 1898...
, although born in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, immigrated to the United States and called New Ulm his hometown. He was a successful lawyerLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and the 14th governorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Minnesota http://www.newulm.com/about/history.html from 1899–1901. He later served as a United States Congressman from 1903–1905. - Harold LoeffelmacherHarold LoeffelmacherHarold Loeffelmacher was an American musician and bandleader best known for forming the polka band known as the Six Fat Dutchmen. The band, based in New Ulm, Minnesota, traveled extensively and played as many as 335 dates per year, mostly in the Midwestern United States...
, polka band leader, born near New Ulm on March 14, 1905, organized The Six Fat DutchmenSix Fat DutchmenThe Six Fat Dutchmen was a polka band formed around 1932 by Harold Loeffelmacher in New Ulm, Minnesota. The band was known mostly for playing the "Oom-pah" style of polka music that originated from Germany and the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia...
in New Ulm during the 1930s. http://www.internationalpolka.com/loeffelmacher.htm His band played polka music all over the United States. - Brad LohausBrad LohausBradley Allen "Brad" Lohaus is an American retired professional basketball player who was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft...
, retired National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player, born in New Ulm on September 29, 1964. - August Schell moved to New Ulm from GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1848, starting the August Schell Brewing CompanyAugust Schell Brewing CompanyThe August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860 and passed into the possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America and became the oldest and largest brewery in...
. The breweryBreweryA brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
is still in business today. He died in New Ulm in 1891. - Terry SteinbachTerry SteinbachTerry Lee Steinbach is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for 14 years from to . He was drafted in 1980 out of New Ulm High School by the Cleveland Indians. He was the starting catcher for Oakland Athletics teams that won three straight American League pennants from 1988 to...
, former Oakland A's catcher, born in New Ulm on March 2, 1962. He played on the All Star Team three times and in 1988 was voted the All-Star game MVP. - Lenore UlricLenore UlricLenore Ulric was a star of the Broadway stage and Hollywood films of the silent-film and early sound era. Her father, Franz Xavier Ulrich, was a United States Army hospital steward...
, actress and movie star, born in New Ulm on July 21, 1892. - Whoopee John WilfahrtWhoopee John WilfahrtJohn Anthony Wilfahrt, , the eldest son of John Wilfahrt and Barbara Portner, was a professional polka musician who recorded with Vocalion and from 1934, Decca. He went by the moniker "Whoopee John." Wilfahrt was born in New Ulm, Minnesota and got his start playing the accordion at local gatherings...
, born on May 11, 1893, on a farm near New Ulm. http://www.internationalpolka.com/wilfahrt.htm He became the leader of one of the most successful polkaPolkaThe polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
bands in the nation.
See also
- August Schell Brewing CompanyAugust Schell Brewing CompanyThe August Schell Brewing Company is a brewing company in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860 and passed into the possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America and became the oldest and largest brewery in...
- Dakota War of 1862Dakota War of 1862The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
(Sioux Uprising) - Flandrau State ParkFlandrau State ParkFlandrau State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Cottonwood River adjacent to the city of New Ulm. Initially called Cottonwood River State Park, it was renamed in 1945 to honor Charles Eugene Flandrau, a leading citizen of early Minnesota who commanded defenses during the Battles of...
- German AmericanGerman AmericanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
- Hermann Heights Monument
- Martin Luther CollegeMartin Luther CollegeThis article deals with the WELS-affiliated tertiary institution in Minnesota. See Luther College for the ELCA institution in Iowa.Martin Luther College is the college of ministry operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod...
- New Ulm High SchoolNew Ulm High SchoolNew Ulm High School is a public high school located in New Ulm, Minnesota. The high school itself has an enrollment of approximately 750 students. Founded in 1857, it is currently located at 414 South Payne Street...
- New Ulm Municipal AirportNew Ulm Municipal AirportNew Ulm Municipal Airport is a public airport located two statute miles west of the central business district of New Ulm, a city in Brown County, Minnesota, USA. This general aviation airport covers and has two runways...