AUTHOR SANEL HUSKANOVIC / CATEGORY STEUBEN PARADE / PUBLISHED: SEP-17-2019
New York City was once the third largest German-speaking city, after Vienna and Berlin, peaking in 1900 with 748,882 residents. While people from all nations held their marches and parades, there was an exception from one of the largest immigrant groups - the German-Americans.
They ended it on September 20, 1958. 10,000 German-Americans marched in a long parade up Fifth Avenue, and around 150,000 enthusiastic spectators cheered their compatriots of German descent. New York Mayor Robert Ferdinand Wagner, the son of an immigrant from the Palatinate, led the parade as grand marshal.
OUR BESTSELLERS
When does the Steuben Parade take place and where does it go?
- The German-American Steuben Parade takes place every year on the third Saturday in September.
- 12:00 p.m. - The Steuben Parade begins on Fifth Avenue
- The parade runs along Central Park on 5th Avenue from 67th to 86th Street (see map)
Which groups are taking part in the parade?
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LOW GERMAN DEPARTMENT
This division consists primarily of the two major Low German organizations with their respective headquarters in Low German Park in Franklin Square on Long Island and Schützen Park in North Bergen, NJ.
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PARADE OFFICIALS, DONOR GUESTS, GRAND COUNCIL IN THE CIVIL SERVICE
This division traditionally leads the parade. The Grand Council of Steuben Public Service Societies includes German-Americans from the NYPD, FDNY and other organizations. The division also carries the German and American flags, the parade flag and leads the grand marshals and honored guests up Fifth Avenue.
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BAVARIAN DEPARTMENT
This department includes all Bavarian organizations, Schuhplattler and traditional costume groups regardless of their geographical area. Most groups in this section come from New York and New Jersey, with others from Connecticut and other states.
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GOTTSCHEER DEPARTMENT
This division includes the 9 member organizations of the Gottscheer Relief Association based in Queens, NY, as well as other groups that identify with the Gottscheer community. The Gottscheer community has its origins in the Gottschee, a German-speaking area of today's Slovenia, formerly Austria-Hungary.
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NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT
This division includes all German-American clubs and organizations in the state of New Jersey with the exception of the clubs headquartered in Schützen Park. The two largest groups within this division are the German Club of Clark, New Jersey, and Germania Park in Dover, New Jersey, USA.
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METROPOLITAN DIVISION
This division includes German-American organizations based in New York City and the boroughs. Some of them are registered clubs, others are informal organizations, including several young groups made up of meetup.com members. Some churches and schools are part of this department.
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NEW YORK STATE DIVISION
Formerly known as the Westchester Division, this division has grown significantly in recent years and now includes groups from several counties bordering New York City, including Westchester, Hudson, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess. To bring the Steuben Parade to a national level, German-American groups from throughout New York State are invited to join this division, which will continue to be led by the German-American Societies of Westchester.
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CONTINENTAL DIVISION
This department is the youngest within the organization. It was founded after more and more German-American clubs from the USA became interested in the Steuben parade. The department recently included groups from Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, New England, California and other states.
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CARNIVAL DEPARTMENT
This division has been the glorious finale of the Steuben parade in recent years with some of the most colorful groups and performances. It is traditionally anchored by the “Kölschen Funke Rut-Wiess New York” and its triumvirate, but also includes German carnival and carnival groups.
The sad story of German immigrants on the Lower East Side
The Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn tour is something unusual because from one minute to the next you move between poverty and wealth, between the most different cultures and architecture. German culture also had a great influence on New York, unfortunately with a sad end.