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    • Shaped By Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States
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  • Visit
    • TOURS
    • Accessibility
    • HOURS & LOCATION
    • BECOME A MEMBER
    • ADMISSION
    • GIFT SHOP
  • Exhibits
    • The German Immigrant Experience
    • Play On! German Immigrants and the Quad Cities’ Musical Legacy
    • Shaped By Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • GAHC From Home
    • Internships
    • Volunteer
    • Resources
    • Translation Services
    • Book Discussions​
    • Travel
    • Stammtisch
  • Events
  • About
    • About Us
    • Collections
    • DEAI Statement
    • Staff
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
  • Private Events
  • Donate

Internships

Internships

Download our internship application here or apply online below

Internships are available for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. 

Internships

Undergraduate and graduate level internships, independent study, and project opportunities are always available at the German American Heritage Center & Museum.

  • The museum works on an individual basis with the student, advisor and/or professor to ensure the student has a unique and enriching learning experience that fulfills their educational goals.
  • Emphasis areas include but are not limited to museum/interpretive studies, exhibitions, communications (marketing/public relations), education/curriculum, and business administration.
  • At this time we are unable to offer paid internships but we work with universities to make sure students receive credits for their work.
  • Internship offerings are limited each term but students can apply more than once.
  • In-person placements are preferred. Virtual internship opportunities are limited to our local university partners on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions, please contact us.

Application

Download a PDF of our internship application HERE.

or

Complete the application online HERE.

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German American Heritage Center and Museum

germanamericanheritagecenter

1,403 1,767

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

Open
🏛️ This week is #IowaMuseumWeek, which highlights the people, stories, objects, and connections that make museums vital to Iowa’s culture and future.

🇺🇸 Engage with your local museums this summer and check out all of their offerings. This summer, the German American Heritage Center and Museum is excited to bring lots of programs and exhibitions to Davenport. Celebrate America's 250th this year by engaging with history and learning something new:

Sunday June 14th: Kaffee und Kuchen: Germans in the Military from Von Steuben through WWII 
Sunday June 28th: Kaffee und Kuchen: Hamburg on Mississippi: Davenport's Germans and the Musical Mecca of the West 
Sunday July 12th: Best of the Wurst 2026 
Sunday July 19th: Kaffee und Kuchen: Davenport Civil Rights Movement 
Summer Architectural Walking Tours on Select Saturdays 

🎟️ FREE ADMISSION in July sponsored by Cal and Jill Werner

Current Exhibitions:
📜 Shaped by Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States
🪗 Play On! German Immigrants and the Quad Cities' Musical Legacy
Upcoming Exhibitions: 
✊ Davenport Civil Rights Movement: A Traveling Exhibit from the Putnam Museum 
Iowa Museum Association

🏛️ This week is #IowaMuseumWeek, which highlights the people, stories, objects, and connections that make museums vital to Iowa’s culture and future.

🇺🇸 Engage with your local museums this summer and check out all of their offerings. This summer, the German American Heritage Center and Museum is excited to bring lots of programs and exhibitions to Davenport. Celebrate America`s 250th this year by engaging with history and learning something new:

Sunday June 14th: Kaffee und Kuchen: Germans in the Military from Von Steuben through WWII
Sunday June 28th: Kaffee und Kuchen: Hamburg on Mississippi: Davenport`s Germans and the Musical Mecca of the West
Sunday July 12th: Best of the Wurst 2026
Sunday July 19th: Kaffee und Kuchen: Davenport Civil Rights Movement
Summer Architectural Walking Tours on Select Saturdays

🎟️ FREE ADMISSION in July sponsored by Cal and Jill Werner

Current Exhibitions:
📜 Shaped by Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States
🪗 Play On! German Immigrants and the Quad Cities` Musical Legacy
Upcoming Exhibitions:
✊ Davenport Civil Rights Movement: A Traveling Exhibit from the Putnam Museum
Iowa Museum Association
…

Open
Deutschland to Davenport Part 1: Ernst Otto
.
Learn more about the life of Ernst Otto, a German immigrant who came to Davenport. You can learn more about music history in Davenport in our current exhibition, "Play On! German Immigrants and the Quad Cities' Musical Legacy" on the 3rd floor through August 2nd.
.
#history #museum #IowaMuseumWeek #german #music #quadcities #qcthatswhere

Deutschland to Davenport Part 1: Ernst Otto
.
Learn more about the life of Ernst Otto, a German immigrant who came to Davenport. You can learn more about music history in Davenport in our current exhibition, "Play On! German Immigrants and the Quad Cities` Musical Legacy" on the 3rd floor through August 2nd.
.
#history #museum #IowaMuseumWeek #german #music #quadcities #qcthatswhere
…

Open
For #PrideMonth, we are sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ individuals from history. 

Gertrude Sandmann (1893–1981) was a Berlin artist who refused to let persecution erase her life or her work.

As a Jewish woman and a lesbian under Nazi rule, Sandmann faced constant danger. She was banned from exhibiting her art, pushed out of public life, and stripped of her professional identity. But she did not disappear.

Sandmann had built her artistic career at a time when women were often excluded from formal training. She studied at the Berlin Association of Women Artists and later worked under Käthe Kollwitz, who remained an important mentor and friend.
In her personal life, Sandmann also challenged expectations. She knew she was a lesbian from a young age. After a brief marriage to a man due to social pressure, she developed a lasting partnership with Hedwig Koslowski in 1927. Their relationship would later become a lifeline.

By the early 1940s, the threat of deportation was real and widely understood as a death sentence. In 1942, Sandmann made a desperate and courageous decision to stage her own death. Leaving behind a suicide note and her belongings, she went into hiding in Berlin.

For more than two years, Sandmann lived in secret. She moved between hiding places, relying on a small network of trusted friends, including Koslowski, who risked her own safety to help her survive. Cut off from her art and community, Sandmann endured isolation, hunger, and fear: but she survived.

After the war, Sandmann returned to her work. Despite lasting health problems from her time in hiding, she rebuilt her artistic career, exhibited her work, and even held a solo exhibition in 1974. She also became an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in postwar Germany. Her life reminds us that even in the darkest times, people find ways to endure hardship and remain inspired to create.

Learn more about her life here: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/content/blog/kulturerbe-erzaehlt-die-kuenstlerin-gertrude-sandmann?lang=en 

Artwork - Berlinische Galerie:
Grüne Schneeballen, 1949 
Kauerndes Mädchen mit Schatten, 1940

For #PrideMonth, we are sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ individuals from history.

Gertrude Sandmann (1893–1981) was a Berlin artist who refused to let persecution erase her life or her work.

As a Jewish woman and a lesbian under Nazi rule, Sandmann faced constant danger. She was banned from exhibiting her art, pushed out of public life, and stripped of her professional identity. But she did not disappear.

Sandmann had built her artistic career at a time when women were often excluded from formal training. She studied at the Berlin Association of Women Artists and later worked under Käthe Kollwitz, who remained an important mentor and friend.
In her personal life, Sandmann also challenged expectations. She knew she was a lesbian from a young age. After a brief marriage to a man due to social pressure, she developed a lasting partnership with Hedwig Koslowski in 1927. Their relationship would later become a lifeline.

By the early 1940s, the threat of deportation was real and widely understood as a death sentence. In 1942, Sandmann made a desperate and courageous decision to stage her own death. Leaving behind a suicide note and her belongings, she went into hiding in Berlin.

For more than two years, Sandmann lived in secret. She moved between hiding places, relying on a small network of trusted friends, including Koslowski, who risked her own safety to help her survive. Cut off from her art and community, Sandmann endured isolation, hunger, and fear: but she survived.

After the war, Sandmann returned to her work. Despite lasting health problems from her time in hiding, she rebuilt her artistic career, exhibited her work, and even held a solo exhibition in 1974. She also became an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in postwar Germany. Her life reminds us that even in the darkest times, people find ways to endure hardship and remain inspired to create.

Learn more about her life here: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/content/blog/kulturerbe-erzaehlt-die-kuenstlerin-gertrude-sandmann?lang=en

Artwork – Berlinische Galerie:
Grüne Schneeballen, 1949
Kauerndes Mädchen mit Schatten, 1940
…

Open
Our newest exhibition, "Shaped by Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States," is now on display. We have many artifacts from our collection on display as well as loaned pieces from the @putnammuseum.

This Davenport Turner uniform belonged to Hertha A. (Berg) Vogel-Hildebrand (1906-2004), a life member of the Davenport Central Turner Hall. Her mother was the daughter of German immigrants and was a member of the Davenport Zither Club. Her father immigrated from Schleswig-Holstein and was a Scott County employee for over 25 years. He was also a member of the Turner Singing Society. 

In her childhood years, Hertha spent many enjoyable days at Schuetzen Park in Davenport where her father ran the shooting gallery and her mother was the cook. They were actively involved in many German-American activities that were typical of many immigrant families.

Explore more stories about German immigrants, and other immigrant groups and how they have shaped the United States we know it today.

Our newest exhibition, "Shaped by Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States," is now on display. We have many artifacts from our collection on display as well as loaned pieces from the @putnammuseum.

This Davenport Turner uniform belonged to Hertha A. (Berg) Vogel-Hildebrand (1906-2004), a life member of the Davenport Central Turner Hall. Her mother was the daughter of German immigrants and was a member of the Davenport Zither Club. Her father immigrated from Schleswig-Holstein and was a Scott County employee for over 25 years. He was also a member of the Turner Singing Society.

In her childhood years, Hertha spent many enjoyable days at Schuetzen Park in Davenport where her father ran the shooting gallery and her mother was the cook. They were actively involved in many German-American activities that were typical of many immigrant families.

Explore more stories about German immigrants, and other immigrant groups and how they have shaped the United States we know it today.
…

Open
Sip on lemonade, enjoy live music and shop exclusive deals this Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Downtown Davenport.

We are participating in Downtown Davenport's FREE Lemonade Sip N’ Shop, where downtown businesses are serving up their own take on lemonade alongside exclusive specials and deals.

Stroll through your favorite shops, sip on lemonade and see what catches your eye. Curbside Concerts will be popping up throughout downtown, so you might just stumble into some live acoustic music along the way.

HOW IT WORKS:
Start your adventure at any of the participating business below where you'll receive...

➡️ Your FIRST cup of FREE lemonade to kickstart your shopping spree

➡️ A map with all participating businesses

➡️ A stamp card: Make a purchase, get a stamp! Collect five stamps and you'll be entered into our Grand Prize Giveaway

➡️ Once you've completed your stamp card, turn it in to any one of the participating businesses

🇩🇪 The German American Heritage Center and Museum is offering: 
Drink: Erdbeerfelder – Lemonade with Strawberry Syrup
Special Deal: 10% Off Any Gift Shop Purchase

Sip on lemonade, enjoy live music and shop exclusive deals this Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Downtown Davenport.

We are participating in Downtown Davenport`s FREE Lemonade Sip N’ Shop, where downtown businesses are serving up their own take on lemonade alongside exclusive specials and deals.

Stroll through your favorite shops, sip on lemonade and see what catches your eye. Curbside Concerts will be popping up throughout downtown, so you might just stumble into some live acoustic music along the way.

HOW IT WORKS:
Start your adventure at any of the participating business below where you`ll receive…

➡️ Your FIRST cup of FREE lemonade to kickstart your shopping spree

➡️ A map with all participating businesses

➡️ A stamp card: Make a purchase, get a stamp! Collect five stamps and you`ll be entered into our Grand Prize Giveaway

➡️ Once you`ve completed your stamp card, turn it in to any one of the participating businesses

🇩🇪 The German American Heritage Center and Museum is offering:
Drink: Erdbeerfelder – Lemonade with Strawberry Syrup
Special Deal: 10% Off Any Gift Shop Purchase
…

Open
We want to congratulate the @wiulovesmuseumstudies exhibitions class on the installation of their semester project, Partnerships in Practice: Learning Beyond the Classroom. The students have spent the semester working on developing a big idea, interpretive plan, design, and installation of three new exhibition cases on campus. They chose to highlight 3 local museums, The Figge Art Museum, Putnam Museum, and the German American Heritage Center and Museum. The students researched and shared their development process with guests last night at their opening reception. 

We are grateful for our partnership with the Museum Studies program and the work their students complete with us. Some of the items chosen to display were projects completed by past WIU interns which include, education, interpretation, collections management, exhibition curation, and more. We are lucky to have such a vibrant Museum Studies Master's program in our community which is mutually beneficial for the students and so many of our local museums and non-profits.

We want to congratulate the @wiulovesmuseumstudies exhibitions class on the installation of their semester project, Partnerships in Practice: Learning Beyond the Classroom. The students have spent the semester working on developing a big idea, interpretive plan, design, and installation of three new exhibition cases on campus. They chose to highlight 3 local museums, The Figge Art Museum, Putnam Museum, and the German American Heritage Center and Museum. The students researched and shared their development process with guests last night at their opening reception.

We are grateful for our partnership with the Museum Studies program and the work their students complete with us. Some of the items chosen to display were projects completed by past WIU interns which include, education, interpretation, collections management, exhibition curation, and more. We are lucky to have such a vibrant Museum Studies Master`s program in our community which is mutually beneficial for the students and so many of our local museums and non-profits.
…

Open
🚗 🇩🇪 Are you stopping by this Saturday, May 2nd for the annual VW Car Show? Admission to the show and the museum is free and open to the public. Food will be available on-site for purchase. See some of Germany's most iconic cars and visit with the owners to hear about the work they've done on these unique cars.

Grab a brat to eat, check out the classic Beetles, Westfalia vans, and kit cars, then step inside the museum to see our historic building and explore our exhibitions. Make sure to check out the view from the 4th floor!

712 W 2nd St. 
Davenport, Iowa 
Car Show: 10 am - 1 pm
Museum open: 10 am - 4 pm

🚗 🇩🇪 Are you stopping by this Saturday, May 2nd for the annual VW Car Show? Admission to the show and the museum is free and open to the public. Food will be available on-site for purchase. See some of Germany`s most iconic cars and visit with the owners to hear about the work they`ve done on these unique cars.

Grab a brat to eat, check out the classic Beetles, Westfalia vans, and kit cars, then step inside the museum to see our historic building and explore our exhibitions. Make sure to check out the view from the 4th floor!

712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, Iowa
Car Show: 10 am – 1 pm
Museum open: 10 am – 4 pm
…

Open
🧙‍♀️ Walpurgisnacht, celebrated on April 30th, is one of the most intriguing traditions in German cultural history. Often called the “Night of Witches,” it sits at the intersection of folklore, seasonal celebration, and Christian tradition. Long before it was linked to witches and bonfires, the night marked the transition from winter to spring; a time associated with warmth, light, and new growth.

The name comes from Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess and missionary whose feast day falls on May 1. Over time, her name became connected with existing spring observances. Across Europe, people gathered on the eve of May Day to light fires and celebrate the changing season, blending Christian and older folk traditions into a distinct cultural moment.

#Walpurgisnacht is especially rich in symbolism. Bonfires played a central role, both as festive gatherings and as protective rituals believed to ward off evil spirits before the new season began. Folklore also tied the night to stories of witches gathering on mountaintops, adding a darker, mysterious dimension. This blend of seasonal joy and supernatural legend has helped the tradition endure.

Photos: Costumes at a Walpurgisnacht parade.
Crowd on Walpurgisnacht at the Thingstätte on the Heiligenberg in Heidelberg.

🧙‍♀️ Walpurgisnacht, celebrated on April 30th, is one of the most intriguing traditions in German cultural history. Often called the “Night of Witches,” it sits at the intersection of folklore, seasonal celebration, and Christian tradition. Long before it was linked to witches and bonfires, the night marked the transition from winter to spring; a time associated with warmth, light, and new growth.

The name comes from Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess and missionary whose feast day falls on May 1. Over time, her name became connected with existing spring observances. Across Europe, people gathered on the eve of May Day to light fires and celebrate the changing season, blending Christian and older folk traditions into a distinct cultural moment.

#Walpurgisnacht is especially rich in symbolism. Bonfires played a central role, both as festive gatherings and as protective rituals believed to ward off evil spirits before the new season began. Folklore also tied the night to stories of witches gathering on mountaintops, adding a darker, mysterious dimension. This blend of seasonal joy and supernatural legend has helped the tradition endure.

Photos: Costumes at a Walpurgisnacht parade.
Crowd on Walpurgisnacht at the Thingstätte on the Heiligenberg in Heidelberg.
…

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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