59-566: The Hermann Heights Monument is a statue erected in New Ulm, Minnesota , United States. The statue depicts Arminius ( German : Hermann ), an ancient Cheruscan , but locals refer to the statue as Hermann the German . The only National Register of Historic Places property of its kind in Minnesota , the monument is a remembrance of the German ancestry of many Minnesotans. Visitors to the statue can climb
118-528: 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 delegation from New Ulm visited Ulm in 2009 and went up to
177-422: A household in the county was $ 39,800, and the median income for a family was $ 49,811. Males had a median income of $ 32,347 versus $ 23,918 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,535. About 4.40% of families and 6.40% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over. Brown County has traditionally voted Republican. As of 2024,
236-406: A larger force on the morning of August 23. Bolstered by the timely arrival of volunteer militia from other towns under Charles Flandrau , the outnumbered defenders of New Ulm again repelled the attack. Most of the town outside the barricades was burned, however, leaving only 49 buildings to house a population of 2500. Short of shelter and ammunition and facing outbreaks of disease, the majority of
295-511: A male householder with no wife present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
354-504: A margin of 466 to 19. Even as President Woodrow Wilson prepared his Declaration of War, a Brown County delegation arrived in Washington, D.C. to voice its opposition to that action. On the national level, the Wilson administration organized an active campaign to suppress antiwar fervor, joined on the state level by Minnesota Governor James Burnquist . The Minnesota Commission of Public Safety
413-523: A member of the Governor's Council of the Territory in 1855. In 1857, Brown County was divided, creating Cottonwood , Jackson , Martin , Murry , Nobles , Pipestone , and Rock counties. Watonwan was broken off in 1860. Redwood was created from a large portion of Brown County in 1862. Redwood was further divided into Lac qui Parle , Lincoln , Lyon and Yellow Medicine Counties in the 1870s. In 1862,
472-575: A national convention of Turners authorized the formation of a colony on the frontier. Intending to develop a community that expressed Turner ideals, the Settlement Association joined the Chicago Germans who had struggled here due to a lack of capital. The Turners supplied that, as well as hundreds of colonists from the east who arrived in 1856. The city plan represented Turner ideals. The German Land Company hired Christian Prignitz to complete
531-451: A part of life in New Ulm, especially with the arrival of the musically-inclined Sudeten Germans in the 1870s. 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
590-460: A statue of St. Paul atop the nearby Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Trinity also gazes eastward, with his sword point-down, planted firmly in the ground. The Hermann Monument has a total height of approximately 102 feet (31 m). Constructed of sheet copper molded over iron, the 27 feet (8.2 m) statue stands on a 70 feet (21 m) iron column encircled by a spiral staircase to
649-481: A week. U.S. Highway 14 and Minnesota State Highways 15 and 68 are three of the main routes in the city. New Ulm is served by the Union Pacific’s line between Wyeville and Rapid City. The Minneapolis & St. Louis ran from Winthrop to Otho before being abandoned in the 1970s. New Ulm is twinned with: Brown County, Minnesota Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota . As of
SECTION 10
#1733085646675708-660: Is a city and the county seat of Brown County, Minnesota , United States. The population was 14,120 at the 2020 census . It is located on the triangle of land formed by the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Cottonwood River . The city is home to the Hermann Heights Monument , Flandrau State Park , the historic August Schell Brewing Company , and the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame . The city
767-747: Is known for its German heritage and its historical sites and landmarks dating back to the US-Dakota War of 1862 . New Ulm is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm and home to the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus . The Dakota called New Ulm the "Village on the Cottonwood" or Wachupata. The city was founded in 1854 by the German Land Company of Chicago. The city was named after
826-581: Is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km ) is water. The Minnesota River and the Cottonwood River flow past the city on their way to the Mississippi River . New Ulm has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa/Dwa), and it experiences four distinct seasons. Summers in New Ulm are typically warm to hot with thunderstorms being common. Winters are quite cold and snowy, yet not quite as snowy as other areas further east in Minnesota. In 2002,
885-504: Is land and 7.4 square miles (19 km ) (1.2%) is water. Most of the county is an area of rich farm land ; most of its wetlands were drained for use in agriculture, leaving a number of lakes. The county has at least 32 lakes, some of which are deemed to be "protected waters" of the State of Minnesota; these are designated with "(p)" below. The lakes occupy "hollows in the driftsheet"; many have neither an inflow nor an outflow. Lakes in
944-455: 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. In 1990, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame was established in New Ulm. The museum displays music memorabilia from around the state. Music was always
1003-489: Is owned by Ogden Newspapers . The circulation was 5,248 in 2019. New Ulm has two full-power radio stations licensed to it. KNUJ /860 airs a full-service farm format. KATO-FM /93.1 broadcasts a country music format from Mankato . Although the two stations are no longer co-owned, KATO-FM was originally KNUJ's sister FM station. Transit service in the city is provided by the Hermann Express , which operates six days
1062-700: Is the third largest copper statue in the United States after the Statue of Liberty and Portlandia in Portland, Oregon . The 106th United States Congress (2000) designated the Hermann Monument in New Ulm to be a symbol of all citizens of Germanic heritage. The legend of Hermann the German inspired a stage play, Hermann the German: The Scandal that Rocked New Ulm! . Co-written by Minneapolis comic Bill Young ,
1121-472: The 2000 census , there were 26,911 people, 10,598 households, and 7,164 families in the county. The population density was 44.0 per square mile (17.0/km ). There were 11,163 housing units at an average density of 18.3 per square mile (7.1/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.82% White , 0.10% Black or African American , 0.12% Native American , 0.41% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.91% from other races , and 0.63% from two or more races. 2.03% of
1180-479: The 2020 census , the population was 25,912. Its county seat is New Ulm . The county was formed in 1855 and organized in 1856. Brown County comprises the New Ulm, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Mankato -New Ulm- North Mankato , MN Combined Statistical Area . Brown County was founded in 1855 in the southwest corner of what was Minnesota Territory . It was named for Joseph Renshaw Brown ,
1239-544: The US-Dakota War began with the attack at the Lower Sioux Agency only 30 miles up the Minnesota River from New Ulm. As the closest significant town to the Dakota Reservation , New Ulm fell under attack by a Mdewakanton force the next day. A hastily-formed militia of armed townspeople repelled the attack and immediately set about constructing barricades around the center of the town. The Dakota returned with
SECTION 20
#17330856466751298-641: The dome , which is supported by 10 iron columns and a Kasota stone base. Following the completion of the similarly commemorative Hermannsdenkmal statue in Detmold , Germany, in 1875, the Germanic-American fraternal order of the Sons of Hermann , under the leadership of Julius Berndt, who headed the New Ulm chapter and was then national secretary of the order, paid for the erection of the American monument. Berndt designed
1357-517: The "village on the cottonwood". In 1856, the Settlement Association of the Socialist Turner Society ("Turners") helped to secure the future of New Ulm. The Turners (German for "gymnasts") originated in Germany in the first half of the nineteenth century, whose motto was "Sound Mind, Sound Body". Their clubs combined gymnastics with lectures and debates about the issues of the day. Following
1416-778: The Teutoburger Forest and Detmold, in northern Germany, to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, when Arminius, a chieftain of the Cherusci, a Germanic tribe, defeated a Roman army, led by Varus. A monument to German-Bohemian immigration 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
1475-455: The U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing that 65.85% of New Ulm's population has German ancestry, more per capita than any other city in the U.S. As of the census of 2010, there were 13,522 people, 5,732 households, and 3,511 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,363.1 inhabitants per square mile (526.3/km ). There were 5,987 housing units at an average density of 603.5 per square mile (233.0/km ). The racial makeup of
1534-671: The Wayfarers , directed by Keith Froelich. The city was a filming location for the 2004 documentary American Beer . It is also the setting of the 2009 comedy New in Town , starring Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. , although the movie was actually filmed in Selkirk, Manitoba . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 10.26 square miles (26.57 km ), of which 9.92 square miles (25.69 km )
1593-519: The area, mostly by 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
1652-404: 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
1711-415: 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, the figure served as a symbol for members of the Sons of Hermann ,
1770-734: The city of Ulm in the state of Bavaria in southern Germany. Ulm and Neu-Ulm (which may have inspired the name) are twin cities , with Ulm on the Baden-Württemberg side of the Danube River and Neu-Ulm on the Bavarian side. In part due to the American city's German heritage, it became a center for brewing in the Upper Midwest . It is home to the August Schell Brewing Company . The Sioux called it Wakzupata which roughly means
1829-590: The city soon after the United States' entry into the Great War. They filed reports to offices in Washington and St. Paul because immigrants and first-generation ethnics were suspected of having divided loyalties at best, and perhaps favoring Prussia and the Central Powers. Locally, several business and civic leaders joined in efforts to root out antiwar fervor. On July 25, 1917, a massive rally, attended by 10,000 people,
Hermann Heights Monument - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-573: The city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female. As of the census 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 inhabitants per square mile (597.8/km ). There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 653.3 per square mile (252.2/km ). 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
1947-417: The city was 97.8% White , 0.3% African American , 0.1% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 0.4% from other races , and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 5,732 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had
2006-618: The county include: In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of New Ulm have ranged from a low of 6 °F (−14 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −37 °F (−38 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 0.64 inches (16 mm) in January to 4.82 inches (122 mm) in June. As of
2065-452: The county's 150-mile northern border was the boundary line of the Upper and Lower Sioux reservations when the 1862 Dakota War broke out. New Ulm, the county seat, came under heavy attack twice by a superior Mdewakanton Dacotah force that was repulsed. Most of the town was torched and most of the population fled to St. Peter and Mankato . The town took many casualties, with the dead buried in
2124-449: The crowd, gathering information. A month later, Governor Burnquist removed Fritsche and Pfaender from their positions. The Commission of Public Safety pressured the college to fire Ackermann. These blows sharply divided the community — on one side, many residents took the removals as an attack on the city's heritage and traditions. Albert Pfaender was the son, and Fritsche, the son-in-law, of the city's principal founder, Wilhelm Pfaender. On
2183-411: The failed Revolutions of 1848 , numerous Germans emigrated to the United States. In their new land, Turners formed associations ( Vereins ) throughout the eastern, midwestern, and western states. This was the largest secular German-American organization in the country in the nineteenth century. Following a series of attacks by nativist mobs in major cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville,
2242-491: The first half of the 18th century christened him "Hermann Deutsch" and promoted his status from that of a local tribal leader with family ties to Rome to that of a hero of Alemmani resistance to "Roman" (i.e. Papal) authority; the 19th century added another layer of meaning, namely Pan-German unity and resistance to Revolutionary France and her language . As depicted in this statue, Hermann's eastward gaze and upraised sword signify freedom from Rome . Perhaps not coincidentally,
2301-462: 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 Company . Bavarian Blast , a summer festival, was created as reinterpretation of New Ulm's longstanding festival, Heritagefest. New Ulm was the setting and filming location of the 1995 independent film The Toilers and
2360-502: 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. 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 1862 . The artwork at
2419-449: The lower portion of the county, on its way to discharge into the Minnesota in neighboring Blue Earth County . The terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture, and generally slopes to the east, tending to drop into the river valleys. Its highest point is at its southwestern corner, at 1,263 ft (385 m) ASL. The county has an area of 618 square miles (1,600 km ), of which 611 square miles (1,580 km )
Hermann Heights Monument - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-469: The means to support themselves — in harmony with nature — through the distribution of four-acre garden lots located outside the residential area. Historian Dennis Gimmestad wrote, "The founders’ goals created a community persona that sets New Ulm apart from the Minnesota towns founded by land speculators or railroad companies.... The New Ulm founders aspired to establish a town with a defined philosophical, economic, and social character". On August 18, 1862,
2537-531: The monument setting, for which the cornerstone was laid in 1888. The statue was created by Alfonz Pelzer of the W. H. Mullins Manufacturing Company in Salem, Ohio and shipped to New Ulm. It arrived in 1890 and was dedicated in 1897. Structural and cosmetic restoration projects were carried out in 1998 and again in 2004. The Hermann Heights Monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It
2596-502: The oldest section constructed in 1873, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is the oldest Turner Hall in the United States still in its original use. The north half of the building is a combination of exterior wall elements of a 1901 hall/theater that burned in 1952 with a 1953 interior and main facade. Turner Hall remains one of the most active in the country and one that continues its original mission at
2655-626: 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". New Ulm's 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. Local events held annually in New Ulm have celebrated German culture through food, music, and beer. New Ulm's Oktoberfest has been celebrated
2714-436: The other side, prominent local businessmen, including flour mill managers, feared economic repercussions and promoted pro-war parades and bond drives. 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. New Ulm Turner Hall, with
2773-626: The plan for New Ulm, which was filed in April 1858. This master plan for New Ulm expressed a grand vision of the city's future. At the heart of the community stood blocks reserved for Turner Hall, the county courthouse, and a public school, representing the political, social, and educational center of the community. The westernmost avenues were named after American heroes George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine—the latter three noted for their freethinking philosophies. Members were given
2832-504: The play was a comedy based on the real-life attempt by the city of New Ulm to boost tourism by creating a fictitious legend about a giant cement footprint supposedly made by the legendary Hermann. The play was first staged as part of the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival, then ran at the New Ulm Actors Community Theatre later that year. New Ulm, Minnesota New Ulm ( / ˈ n juː ˈ ʌ l m / NEW ULM )
2891-543: The population evacuated to Mankato on August 25. The dead were buried in New Ulm's streets. On July 15, 1881, New Ulm was struck by a large tornado that killed six people and injured 53. Between the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and U.S. entry into the conflict, the citizens of New Ulm closely followed events in Europe. Local newspapers sometimes printing news from relatives and friends in Germany. In an unofficial referendum in early April 1917, local voters opposed war by
2950-439: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 67.1% were of German and 9.6% Norwegian ancestry. There were 10,598 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who
3009-404: The population. There were 5,494 households among 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
SECTION 50
#17330856466753068-442: 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. New Ulm's glockenspiel
3127-586: The same location after more than 150 years. Its Rathskeller is likely the oldest continuously used bar in Minnesota, while its gymnastics program is also the oldest in the state. The Rathskeller features murals of scenes from Germany, painted by Guido Methua (1873), Christian Heller (1887), and Anton Gag (1901). These were recently restored with support from a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society. The Brown County Historical Society, located at 2 North Broadway houses 3 floors of exhibits and one of
3186-595: The spiral staircase to an observation platform at the base of the statue, which commands a view of the town and the Minnesota River Valley below. This statue commemorates the German victory over the Romans at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest , a symbol of German patriotism. While Arminius had been known in Germany since the rediscovery of the writings of Tacitus in the 15th century, German Protestant intellectuals in
3245-462: The streets. In 1863, when the treaties with the eastern Dacotah were annulled and the two reservations were dissolved, the county border was moved north 10 miles to the Minnesota River . The Minnesota River flows east-southeast along the county's northern border. The Cottonwood River flows east-northeast through the county's central and upper area, discharging into the Minnesota at the northern border. The Little Cottonwood River flows east through
3304-401: 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. The Journal is a daily newspaper in New Ulm. It was founded in 1898 and
3363-438: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00. The county population contained 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males. The median income for
3422-469: Was granted broad powers to protect the state and assist in the war effort. Specific actions taken by the commission included surveillance of alleged subversive activities, mobilization of opposition to labor unions and strikes (which were considered even more suspect in wartime), pursuit of draft evaders, and registration and monitoring of aliens (foreign nationals). Given the strong German heritage of New Ulm residents, federal and state agents began to visit
3481-551: Was held on the grounds of Turner Hall. The people had gathered to “enter a protest against sending American soldiers to a foreign country.” Speakers included Louis Fritsche, mayor of New Ulm; Albert Pfaender, city attorney and former minority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives; Adolph Ackermann, director of Dr. Martin Luther College; and F. H. Retzlaff, a prominent businessman. Federal and state agents mingled through
#674325