DDP Sip ‘n Shop - German American Heritage Center

germanamericanheritagecenter

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

The Violins of Hope is a state-wide commuinty collaboration to honor and preserve the stories of those impacted by the Holocaust. For many musicians, their violins were their key to survival. By playing in orchestras and in camps, Jewish violinists were kept alive for their ability to provide music.

We will have several violins on display with the stories of their owners at the German American Heritage Center and Museum in Davenport, Iowa through April 26th. For more information and other exhibitions and events, visit www.violinsofhopeiowa.com …

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Happy Birthday, Jacob Strasser!

Born on February 22, 1831, Strasser immigrated to New Orleans with his family at the age of ten and ultimately settled in Davenport in 1851. His love of music played a key role in shaping German musical culture in the city. Around 1855, the Strasser Band emerged, featuring Strasser and several other local musicians. Frequently performing at picnics, street parades, and community events, the band thrived throughout the decade. Associated with the Iowa National Guard, the Strasser Band grew in popularity and traveled around the region to perform at special occasions, including the 1893 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

As the band’s reputation expanded, its musical influence helped lay the groundwork for the creation of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (originally known as the Tri-City Symphony) in 1916. Remarkably, this symphony developed in what was then the smallest community in the United States able to sustain a full orchestra, a lasting testament to the strong musical culture that Strasser helped to foster.

We have some Strasser`s Band artifacts on display in our current exhibition, "Play On! German Influence on QC Music History," on display through August 2nd, 2026. …

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🎆 In 2026, we celebrate the semiquincentennial (250) of the United States! Follow along as we highlight influential German immigrants throughout the history of the United States.

In 1683, thirteen German Mennonite, Quaker, and Pietist families led by Franz Daniel Pastorius (September 26, 1651 – February 17, 1719), crossed the Atlantic in search of religious freedom. Together, they purchased 43,000 acres in Pennsylvania and founded Germantown, a small community north of Philadelphia, now part of the city itself.

These settlers brought with them deep farming traditions and craftsmanship that quickly earned admiration in the colonies. Under Pastorius’s leadership, the community also took a remarkable moral stand: they issued the first known protest against slavery in America, condemning it as unjust and banning it within their settlement.

Their settlement laid the foundation for centuries of German-American contributions to Pennsylvania and beyond.

Pictured: "A Quaker`s Meeting," painting by Egbert von Heemskerk.
Pennsylvania Historical Commission Marker. …

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💝 Valentine’s Day is a relatively new tradition in Germany, compared to places like England or France, where romantic customs around February 14 developed much earlier. For centuries, German-speaking regions focused more on religious feast days and local folk traditions than on St. Valentine as a patron of lovers. Romantic Valentine customs started to appear in Germany only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by British and American fashions like printed cards and heart-shaped sweets. The real boom came after World War II, when American, British, and French troops stationed in Germany brought over their Valentine’s cards, chocolates, and “day of love” marketing. From the 1950s onward, German florists, chocolatiers, and card companies leaned into the holiday, helping it spread through shops, advertising, and later television and social media.

💐 Today, “Valentinstag” in Germany looks familiar: many couples exchange flowers, chocolates, and small gifts or go out for a quiet dinner, though the day is often less flashy and more low-key than in the United States. Its growth is a clear example of cultural exchange, showing how a once-local European saint’s day became a global celebration, reshaped as it moved between Britain, North America, and postwar Germany.

❤️ These Valentine cards are on display on our 4th floor, on loan from the American Doll and Toy Museum in Rock Island. Many of these vintage cards were elaborate, featuring pop-up elements, moving parts, or multi layered construction. Do you have any old Valentine cards? Share them with us in the comments! …

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🏈 Did someone say football??

These postcards are from a 1914 game between the Rock Island Independents and the Moline Redmen. The Rock Island Independents were a founding franchise of the National Football League. They hosted the first NFL game on September 26, 1920, at Douglas Park in Rock Island, IL. These photos were donated to the GAHC+M by Anita Purcell.

🍺 🇩🇪 If you have plans this Sunday or need a last-minute contribution to the Super Bowl Party, we`ve marked down our beers to $10 for a 4 pack. We have a variety of Paulaner beers and our custom Hefeweizen and Märzen brewed locally by Twin Span Brewing. Build your own combo and try them all!

🥒 We also have Sprecher root beer, cream soda, and cherry cola for NA options. If you`re feeling snacky, we also have various German pickles, kraut, and Boetje`s mustard!

✅ As a non-profit organization, all of our gift shop merchandise is tax-free.

We are open Friday and Saturday 10 am – 4 pm and Sunday 12 – 4 pm. …

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New workshop just added!

Valentine Card Workshop Saturday February 14th at 11:00 am.

Join us on Valentine`s Day for a fun opportunity to make your own Valentine Cards. Instructed by Rachael Mullins, draw inspiration from vintage Valentines and use the provided materials to create your own one-of-a-kind cards.

No experience needed! This would be a wonderful way to unplug, and spend time with a friend, partner, or family member creating something unique and festive.

Registration link in bio. Walk-ins welcome if there is space available.

Pictured: Valentine card from the GAHC+M collection. Pre-WWII, donated by Linda Foster. 2022.10.5F …

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Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. 81 years ago, Soviet soldiers liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where over one million people were murdered.

On this day, we honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, along with countless others who suffered under Nazi persecution. We remember their lives, their stories, and their humanity.

Holocaust Remembrance Day calls on us to confront hatred in all its forms and to recognize the patterns that lead to genocide. Remembering is not only about the past, it’s about shaping a more just and compassionate future.

This February, we are partnering with the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and several other community partners to bring Violins of Hope to Iowa.

Violins of Hope is an international collection of historic string instruments connected to Jewish musicians and the Holocaust. Many of these instruments were played in ghettos, concentration camps, and in hiding. Lovingly restored by the Weinstein family, the instruments now travel the world sharing stories of resilience, hope and the enduring power of music. The instruments were restored to be played as part of a living exhibition to honor those who were lost while celebrating the strength of those who endured.

One of several instruments that will be on display at the GAHC+M is the “Auschwitz Violin.” Made in the workshop of Schweitzer in Germany, around 1850, this instrument was originally owned by an inmate who played in the men’s orchestra at the concentration camp in Auschwitz and survived.

Many years later, this violin was donated to Violins of Hope to be fully restored and come back to life. Since then, this violin, now restored to perfect condition, has been played in concerts by the best musicians all over the world. …

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🚜 We are excited to reveal a project that has recently been completed in our permanent exhibition space!

🌾 We have new signage, updated stories, and new artifacts installed in one of our exhibition displays highlighting the agriculture and business contributions brought here by German immigrants. This case has seen minimal changes since it`s original installation in 2009, and it was in desperate need of updating.

🪣 One of our new artifacts is a neck yoke belonging to George Nihart. He grew up in Muscatine after immigrating from Germany around 1884, when he was 2 years old. He used this tool to carry water from the slough to his home for his family. This was once a normal part of daily life, especially for families in rural areas before running water was a commonality. We are honored to preserve stories like these through artifacts and objects belonging to local immigrant families.

✅ Thank you to Edwards Creative for working with us on the design and installation. The content is now easier to read, more accessible to a wider audience, and more visually appealing to visitors. Thank you to @silosandsmokestacks for partially funding this project and for all their hard work preserving the story of agriculture in Iowa. …

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