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  • Visit
    • TOURS
    • Accessibility
    • HOURS & LOCATION
    • BECOME A MEMBER
    • ADMISSION
    • GIFT SHOP
  • Exhibits
    • The German Immigrant Experience
    • German Expressionist Prints
    • The Prints of David and Sarojini Johnson
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • GAHC From Home
    • Internships
    • Resources
    • Translation Services
    • Book Discussions​
    • Travel
  • Events
  • About
    • About Us
    • Collections
    • DEAI Statement
    • Staff
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
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Breaking Barriers: Walls throughout History

1st Floor Gallery

February 6th – May 5th, 2024

Throughout history, walls have played a significant role in shaping our world. From the battlements surrounding ancient cities to the bright lines dividing nations, these structures have been a constant presence in our lives. However, while walls might provide us with a sense of geographic and metaphoric certainty, the relationship between people and these structures is often more complicated than it appears.

Walls are not just physical structures. They can also be metaphorical, representing societal and cultural divisions that separate people. The notion of “us vs. them” has been reinforced by such walls, leading to conflict and discrimination.

For those living along the US/Mexico border, the hardening of this boundary has brought about changes that have both increased security for some and created more uncertainty for others. Similarly, the wall built by Israel to combat terrorism has instead become a symbol of oppression and occupation for Palestinians. And, while the Berlin Wall was once a source of tension between capitalist and communist leaders, everyday Berliners mourned the families they could no longer see.

Despite the origins of walls and borders, the stories they tell about those who live in their shadow are real. From the Great Wall of China to the Israel/West Bank barrier, Breaking Barriers: Walls Throughout History provides insight into the history and significance of these imposing infrastructural elements.

Companion Program:

Berlin: Before and After the Wall Fell with Russell Baldner

Sunday May 5th, 2024.  

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German American Heritage Center and Museum

germanamericanheritagecenter

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

Open
⭐️ October is #QCMuseumMonth! We're excited to offer free admission on Saturdays in October and an extra 10% off in the gift shop. Check out our exhibitions, attend an event, and see what's going on at the museum for the month of October. 

📱 Sign Up FREE with the QC Museum Month 2025 mobile pass to track your journey, take advantage of deals, and become eligible for a giveaway prize basket at the end of the month! Learn more and sign up here: https://qcmuseumweek.com/

The mobile pass is not required to take advantage of the free admission and discounts at the GAHC+M. 

#qcthatswhere #downtowndavenport #museum #quadcities

⭐️ October is #QCMuseumMonth! We`re excited to offer free admission on Saturdays in October and an extra 10% off in the gift shop. Check out our exhibitions, attend an event, and see what`s going on at the museum for the month of October.

📱 Sign Up FREE with the QC Museum Month 2025 mobile pass to track your journey, take advantage of deals, and become eligible for a giveaway prize basket at the end of the month! Learn more and sign up here: https://qcmuseumweek.com/

The mobile pass is not required to take advantage of the free admission and discounts at the GAHC+M.

#qcthatswhere #downtowndavenport #museum #quadcities
…

Open
🎥 We're looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the big screen as we wrap up From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House 

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at The Last Picture House in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater. 

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi Germany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door. We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday the 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house 

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe '48, a Märzen brewed for us by Twin Span Brewing. A dollar from ever beer purchased goes back to the museum. 

Artwork by Bruce Walters.

🎥 We`re looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the big screen as we wrap up From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at The Last Picture House in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater.

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi Germany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door. We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday the 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe `48, a Märzen brewed for us by Twin Span Brewing. A dollar from ever beer purchased goes back to the museum.

Artwork by Bruce Walters.
…

Open
Check out our Fall Kaffee und Kuchen calendar for upcoming programs for October and November. Link in bio.

1:30 Coffee and Cake
2:00 Program
Free for members! RSVP online preferred, but walk-ins welcome. 

🕰️ October 12th - Wonderfully Weird Objects from the @putnammuseum Collections with Christine Chandler
🧙‍♀️ October 26th - The Wicked and the Weird: Stories from the Quad Cities with John Brassard Jr. (@strangeanddreadfulthings)
🚂 November 9th - The Danville Station Museum and Anne Frank with Janet Hesler 
🇧🇪 November 23rd - The Belgian Connection: Belgium's Influence Abroad and in the Quad Cities

#programs #history #halloween #quadcities #iowa #illinois #events #fall #autum #museum #kaffeeundkuchen #german #midwest

Check out our Fall Kaffee und Kuchen calendar for upcoming programs for October and November. Link in bio.

1:30 Coffee and Cake
2:00 Program
Free for members! RSVP online preferred, but walk-ins welcome.

🕰️ October 12th – Wonderfully Weird Objects from the @putnammuseum Collections with Christine Chandler
🧙‍♀️ October 26th – The Wicked and the Weird: Stories from the Quad Cities with John Brassard Jr. (@strangeanddreadfulthings)
🚂 November 9th – The Danville Station Museum and Anne Frank with Janet Hesler
🇧🇪 November 23rd – The Belgian Connection: Belgium`s Influence Abroad and in the Quad Cities

#programs #history #halloween #quadcities #iowa #illinois #events #fall #autum #museum #kaffeeundkuchen #german #midwest
…

Open
🎥 We're looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the big screen as part of our Film Series this season.

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at The Last Picture House in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater. 

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi Germany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door. We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday the 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house 

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe '48, a Märzen brewed for us by Twin Span Brewing. A dollar from every beer purchased goes back to the museum.

🎥 We`re looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the big screen as part of our Film Series this season.

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at The Last Picture House in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater.

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi Germany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door. We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday the 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe `48, a Märzen brewed for us by Twin Span Brewing. A dollar from every beer purchased goes back to the museum.
…

Open
🎥 We're looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the big screen as our final week in our Film Series approaches! 

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at @thelastpichouse in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater. 

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi Germany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door. We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday the 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house 

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe '48, a Märzen brewed for us by @twinspanbrewing. A dollar from ever beer purchased goes back to the museum. 

Artwork by @bruce_walters.

🎥 We`re looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the big screen as our final week in our Film Series approaches!

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at @thelastpichouse in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater.

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi Germany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door. We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday the 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe `48, a Märzen brewed for us by @twinspanbrewing. A dollar from ever beer purchased goes back to the museum.

Artwork by @bruce_walters.
…

Open
Last year, during our Paranormal Investigation, the first floor revealed a powerful presence--the spirit of a bartender still tending his post. According to our medium, his energy was restless, occupied with unseen duties: cleaning glasses, checking the bar, keeping busy. He seemed irritated by our questions, brushing them aside, especially when they came from the women in the group. To the men, however, he was more responsive, almost as if old habits still governed his interactions.

The reaction made eerie sense in light of the building’s past. In the Standard Hotel’s early days, the first floor served as a lobby, restaurant, and bar--spaces where, by 19th-century convention, men dominated the room. Respectable women were often barred from such establishments, their presence considered improper unless accompanied by a man. Social taboos and the temperance movement kept most women away, while working-class women or saloon employees were rare exceptions.

Could this lingering bartender be a relic of that past, still caught in the rules of his era? Step inside, and see if you catch his gaze—or if he pointedly ignores yours.

Join us for Geisternacht: Paranormal Investigation of the GAHC&M this Saturday, September 27th from 7-midnight with the Haunted Maps team. Tickets ar $30 per person, and include light refreshments. Cash bar available.

Last year, during our Paranormal Investigation, the first floor revealed a powerful presence–the spirit of a bartender still tending his post. According to our medium, his energy was restless, occupied with unseen duties: cleaning glasses, checking the bar, keeping busy. He seemed irritated by our questions, brushing them aside, especially when they came from the women in the group. To the men, however, he was more responsive, almost as if old habits still governed his interactions.

The reaction made eerie sense in light of the building’s past. In the Standard Hotel’s early days, the first floor served as a lobby, restaurant, and bar–spaces where, by 19th-century convention, men dominated the room. Respectable women were often barred from such establishments, their presence considered improper unless accompanied by a man. Social taboos and the temperance movement kept most women away, while working-class women or saloon employees were rare exceptions.

Could this lingering bartender be a relic of that past, still caught in the rules of his era? Step inside, and see if you catch his gaze—or if he pointedly ignores yours.

Join us for Geisternacht: Paranormal Investigation of the GAHC&M this Saturday, September 27th from 7-midnight with the Haunted Maps team. Tickets ar $30 per person, and include light refreshments. Cash bar available.
…

Open
🎥 We're looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the
big screen as our final week in our Film Series approaches!

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at @thelastpichouse  in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater.

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi  ermany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door.
We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday October 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe '48, a Märzen brewed for us by @twinspanbrewing . A dollar from ever beer purchased goes back to the museum.

🎥 We`re looking forward to a rare opportunity to see Casablanca (1942) on the
big screen as our final week in our Film Series approaches!

Join us on Wednesday, October 1st at @thelastpichouse in Davenport for a viewing of this iconic film followed by a discussion in the theater.

Set against the shadow of World War II, Casablanca is more than a timeless romantic drama: it is also a film deeply tied to the lives of those who lived its story off-screen. Directed by Michael Curtiz, himself a Hungarian émigré, and brought to life by actors like Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, and many supporting cast members who fled Nazi ermany, the movie carries an authenticity that goes far beyond Hollywood fiction. Their own exile, displacement, and resistance to fascism mirrors the struggles of the characters they portray, giving the film an emotional tension and urgency that still resonates today. In Casablanca, the line between cinema and lived history blurred, creating not just a love story, but a document of exile, courage, and survival in the face of tyranny.

🎟️ Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door.
We will have a 3:00 and 6:00 showing on Wednesday October 1st. https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

🍺 Try a pint of Erbe `48, a Märzen brewed for us by @twinspanbrewing . A dollar from ever beer purchased goes back to the museum.
…

Open
Check out our vendors this weekend! Our Herbstmarkt Fall Vendor Fair is Saturday, September 27th, 2025 from 10am-2pm. Admission is free to the museum all day. 

Florals, paintings, handmade jewelry, plants, art, and more will be available from our vendors this weekend. While you're here, check out our gift shop for early holiday gifts, Oktoberfest goodies, local books, beer, and more.

📍 712 W 2nd St.  Davenport, Iowa

Check out our vendors this weekend! Our Herbstmarkt Fall Vendor Fair is Saturday, September 27th, 2025 from 10am-2pm. Admission is free to the museum all day.

Florals, paintings, handmade jewelry, plants, art, and more will be available from our vendors this weekend. While you`re here, check out our gift shop for early holiday gifts, Oktoberfest goodies, local books, beer, and more.

📍 712 W 2nd St. Davenport, Iowa
…

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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