DEAI Statement

Staff

Brian Allen

Executive Director

brian@gahc.org

Joan Finkenhoefer

Membership & Gifts Coordinator

Gloria Fiedler

Archivist

gahcarchivist@outlook.com

Aaron Baker

Education and DEAI Coordinator

aaron@gahc.org

Clare Tobin

Assistant Director & Curator

clare@gahc.org

Christa Connell

Administrative Assistant

christa@gahc.org

Board of Directors

Michael Motto – President

Barbara Zimmerman – Vice President

Julie Hegland – Treasurer

Alexis Maldonado – Secretary

Daniel Cabage

Nick Eli

Kylie Franklin

Tim Koehler

Heidi Lung

Lee Meier

Jerry Nieman

Barbara Pitz

Todd Woeber

Employment Opportunities

There are no open positions at this time. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact us at info@gahc.org.

Interested in joining our Board of Directors?

Download the application here. Send completed application to director@gahc.org.
Click Here

German American Heritage Center and Museum

germanamericanheritagecenter

1,154 1,433

Museum exploring the German immigrant experience and history of Davenport and Iowa!

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We want to share a big thank you to the Moline Regional Community Foundation for their 2024 Giving in Action Grant. This support will help us with some much-needed maintenance. https://www.molineregionalcf.org/

We want to share a big thank you to the Moline Regional Community Foundation for their 2024 Giving in Action Grant. This support will help us with some much-needed maintenance.
https://www.molineregionalcf.org/ …

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Join us for our next book discussion coming up on Saturday November 16th at 10:30 am. The group is reading "The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel" by Kati Marton. The group will discuss what they think of the book, the author's perspective, and the impact Merkel has had in this early 21st century. New members are always welcome. "I have a relatively sunny spirit, and I always had the expectation that my path through life would be relatively sunny, no matter what happened. I have never allowed myself to be bitter." -Angela Merkel

Join us for our next book discussion coming up on Saturday November 16th at 10:30 am. The group is reading "The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel" by Kati Marton.

The group will discuss what they think of the book, the author`s perspective, and the impact Merkel has had in this early 21st century. New members are always welcome.

"I have a relatively sunny spirit, and I always had the expectation that my path through life would be relatively sunny, no matter what happened. I have never allowed myself to be bitter." -Angela Merkel …

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This poll tax receipt shows that Herman Rohde paid his poll tax in full in 1868. The fee was $2.50, which is equal to about $55 in 2024. Herman was born in 1842 in Germany, immigrated to the United States and worked as a cigar maker in Scott County. This receipt is part of our Rohde/Meinert collection. In the 1860s, poll taxes in the United States changed from a way to fund governments to a method of restricting voting rights. Originally, these taxes were important for colonial revenue, making up a large portion of tax income. However, as the country grew and property values rose, property taxes became more significant. After the Civil War and the Fifteenth Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote, many Southern states introduced poll taxes as a requirement for voter registration. They often included "grandfather clauses" that allowed some people (usually white men) to vote without paying the tax if their ancestors had voted before slavery ended. This effectively disenfranchised many Black, Native American, and poor white voters. Although mainly associated with the South, poll taxes were also used in northern and western states until they were abolished by the 24th Amendment in 1964. We are lucky to live in a country where voting is a democratic right without many of the restrictions that were in place in the past. Have you voted yet? 🗳️

This poll tax receipt shows that Herman Rohde paid his poll tax in full in 1868. The fee was $2.50, which is equal to about $55 in 2024.

Herman was born in 1842 in Germany, immigrated to the United States and worked as a cigar maker in Scott County. This receipt is part of our Rohde/Meinert collection.

In the 1860s, poll taxes in the United States changed from a way to fund governments to a method of restricting voting rights. Originally, these taxes were important for colonial revenue, making up a large portion of tax income. However, as the country grew and property values rose, property taxes became more significant.
After the Civil War and the Fifteenth Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote, many Southern states introduced poll taxes as a requirement for voter registration. They often included "grandfather clauses" that allowed some people (usually white men) to vote without paying the tax if their ancestors had voted before slavery ended. This effectively disenfranchised many Black, Native American, and poor white voters.
Although mainly associated with the South, poll taxes were also used in northern and western states until they were abolished by the 24th Amendment in 1964.

We are lucky to live in a country where voting is a democratic right without many of the restrictions that were in place in the past. Have you voted yet? 🗳️ …

VISIT US

German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802

HOURS

Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802
Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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