German Traces Nyc Podcast

In 1626, Peter Minuit—a native of the German town of Wesel am Rhein—purchased Manhattan Island for 60 guilders worth of trade goods. Since that purchase, German immigrants have been integral to the development of the city of New York. Over … Continue reading →

The Immanuel Lutheran Church on East 88th St. in central Yorkville is a towering monument to the congregation’s German heritage. The congregation of the Immanuel Lutheran Church formed in 1863, but two years later a rift in the congregation caused … Continue reading →

On October 16, 1852, the Gesellschaft Harmonie was established, a social club constructed with the purpose of providing “mutually beneficial entertainment” for recent German immigrants. While the phrase “mutually beneficial entertainment” many sound a bit sleazy to contemporary ears, in … Continue reading →

Built in 1906 by real estate developers and brothers, William and Thomas Hall, this handsome Beaux-Arts town house was sold in 1909 to James F. A. Clark, partner of Clark, Ward & Co., bankers and stockbrokers. In 1926 it was … Continue reading →

In 1844, the Archbishop of New York asked the Redemptorists—a Catholic missionary congregation—to take charge of the burgeoning population of German Catholics in Kleindeutschland. At first, they ministered from St. Nicholas’ on 2nd Street, but the number of German Catholics … Continue reading →

On a corner of the Puck Building sits a plump gilded statute of the structure’s namesake. Puck, from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is the mascot of one of New York’s best-known humor magazines in its day, Puck Magazine. The … Continue reading →

How did this turn of the century German-style saloon manage to survive Prohibition and stay business for nearly 130 years? By operating as a speakeasy under the name Craig’s Restaurant and installing secret hiding places for liquor. Originally founded under … Continue reading →

It all began in 1848 when German immigrant William Tollner opened up a modest hardware store at 221 Bowery. Tollner’s store became known for its high quality products, retailing some of the best mortise gauges, saw bummers, and plumb bobs … Continue reading →

At the age of 16, William F. Mangels immigrated to America from Germany, and like many German craftsmen at the time he was immediately drawn to the atmosphere of Coney Island. Already a bourgeoning area for those looking for leisure, … Continue reading →

The Steinway name can be found throughout Manhattan and the city’s outer boroughs, including an important subway tunnel linking Queens and Manhattan. In 1885 a group of investors began planning a new tunnel railroad from north of Long Island City … Continue reading →

German immigrant Henry Steinway founded Steinway & Sons in a downtown Manhattan workshop in the mid-19th century. The company’s first factory opened in 1860 on what is now Park Avenue in Manhattan at a time when factories, warehouses, and breweries … Continue reading →

In 1900, a rash of suspected arson incidents in the Yorkville neighborhood nearly claimed the recently opened Wankel’s Hardware Store, as well as the lives of its owners, who lived in an apartment at the back of the store. Fortunately, … Continue reading →

Friendship. Love. Truth. Ordinary people coming together to promote values that transcend language or nations. While these values are core to all spiritual practices, advocating them was unusual enough that the group of people, originally organized in 17th century England, … Continue reading →

As the word “tenement” indicates, 97 Orchard Street was a multiple family dwelling. Like most, it earned its reputation for overcrowding, poverty, and exploiting the working-class. From its opening in 1863 until 1935, the estimated 7000 people who lived in … Continue reading →

On the wind of several successful ventures, restaurateur and German immigrant, Carl Goerwitz, got a bit ambitious. He took out a long-term lease on 190 3rd Avenue, contracted architectural firm Weber & Drosser, and oversaw an overhaul of the building, … Continue reading →

Henry Steinway built his first piano in the kitchen of his home in Seesen, Germany, but back then he was known as Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg. Heinrich, his wife, and their children left Germany for the United States in 1851, around … Continue reading →

On October 2, 1910, crowds gathered at what was then known as the East River Park to mark the 9th annual German day celebration of the United German Societies of New York City. The day’s festivities included orchestral and choral … Continue reading →

Having already completed several other suspension bridges throughout the eastern United States, German immigrant John Roebling set his sights on a bridge to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan, a project that would ultimately be his last. At one time the longest … Continue reading →

The link between baseball and beer reaches at least as far back as the early 20th century to Jacob Rupert Jr., owner of both a brewery and the New York Yankees. Ruppert wore many other hats throughout his lifetime as … Continue reading →

In 1896, two German immigrants were married in St. Joseph’s Church of Yorkville. John and Justine Glaser were fond enough of St. Joseph’s that when a nearby property went up for sale some years later, they snatched it up. On … Continue reading →