Gießener Auswanderungsgesellschaft

The " Giessen Emigration Society" was founded in 1833 in a casting of Paul Follen and Friedrich Münch society that wanted to found in the 1830s in North America, a new and free " German colony ".

History

In the U.S. state of Missouri Westphalian and Hanoverian small farmers and agricultural workers were previously emigrated. These emigrants also the doctor was Dr. Gottfried Duden (1785-1855), who found a lot of attention with his experience reporting in Germany and sell his book in very high circulation could (Report on a trip to the western states of North America and spend several years on the Missouri River in the years 1824 to 1827, Elberfeld, 1829). Among other was the establishment of the " Giessen Emigration Society" a consequence of Duden'schen America advertising.

In 1833, the Hessian court lawyer Paul Follen founded (also: Follenius; 1799-1844 ), brother of the scholar and writer Karl Follen ( 1796-1840 ), and his brother, Pastor Friedrich Münch ( 1799-1881 ), this " Giessen Emigration Society" which brought together over 500 emigrants alone in 1834 in two shipments to America. This company wanted to not only help the emigrants, but found mainly in North America a new and free German State, " which would have to be a member of the United States, of course, but with maintaining a form of government which secure the continued existence of German civilization, German language should create and a genuine, free and folk life. "

However, the prevailing amongst the organizers as emigrants ignorance of the country and its population and the lack of political will, but also the coated colonial romance of the reason why all idealistic projects were bound to fail soon. Also Follen and Muench found in the summer of 1834 in Missouri a " German Colony ", which was called the "Latin Settlement ". Munch later described as a " game of Westphalian Heuer people " who had set up a makeshift, a "colored aristocracy " consisting of German counts, barons, scholars, preachers, economists, officers, businessmen, students, etc., which, one with more the other with less resources, and " only partially willing to comfortable with the requirements of the local life. "

Biographies

However, some biographies were exceptions: So Paul Follen in Dutzow (Missouri ) was a farmer and writer. Friedrich Münch was also Farmer, then a deputy and an influential founder of the Republican Party. He was elected to the Senate from Missouri and was an active fighter for the liberation of slaves. As settlers Münch opened up vast, self-contained German settlement areas west of St. Louis. Munch's descendants acquired there during the years of prosperity and prestige.

Exhibition tour

180 years after the founding of (cultural center ) in casting, the exhibition will start in the utopia in CZ - exhibition shown in the footsteps of a German Republic in the U.S., then in Bremen, Washington, DC and St. Louis, Missouri will be on display.