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| Format | Book Chapter |
|---|---|
| Author, Analytic | Moranda, Scott A. |
| Title, Analytic | The Story of German Settlement in the Forests and on the Prairies of Wisconsin |
| Author, Monographic | Bungert, Heike//Kluge, Cora Lee//Ostergren, Robert C. |
| Title, Monographic | Wisconsin German Land and Life |
| Place of Publication | Madison, Wis. |
| Publisher | Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies |
| Date of Publication | 2006 |
| Location in Work | 123-144 |
| Abstract | This essay first provides an abbreviated account of forest practices in German-speaking Europe in the nineteenth century before and after the commencement of emigration to Wisconsin and establishes the importance of forestlands for German collective identities, both local and national. Many of the examples pertain exclusively to the practices of the Bildungsbuergertum, or the educated middle classes, rather than to the peasants who made the journey to the United States. Nevertheless, they provide some context for discussing the importance of forests for Wisconsin Germans. Then follows an evaluation of some important texts by historians, immigrants, and land speculators that suggest a German preference for woodlands. Finally, the case of Cross Plains in Dane County is discussed briefly. Here, specific examples of settlement and land choice are provided and compared with what is presumed to be typical for immigrants. I argue that while a German notion of identities rooted in the landscape might have influence some Wisconsin settlers, the explanation for settlement patterns most likely lies in economic considerations. |
| Call Number | MKI F590 G3 W573 2006 |
| MKI Terms | Geography/ Wisconsin/ Farm life/ Land ethic/ Agriculture/ German Americans -- Wisconsin/ Emigration and immigration (Germany-US)/ Emigration and immigration (Germany-US)/ 19th century/ Cross Plains (Wis.)/ Wisconsin -- Dane County |