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    • TOURS
    • Accessibility
    • HOURS & LOCATION
    • BECOME A MEMBER
    • ADMISSION
    • GIFT SHOP
  • Exhibits
    • The German Immigrant Experience
    • German Expressionist Prints
    • Immigrant Innovators: The Fruehauf Trailer Company
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • GAHC From Home
    • Internships
    • Resources
    • Translation Services
    • Book Discussions​
    • Travel
  • Events
  • About
    • About Us
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    • Staff
    • Employment Opportunities
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    • Contact Us
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German Forty-Eighters in America

September 24, 2023 |
 2:00 pm -
 3:00 pm
$0-5

Register Here

Learn about the tumultuous 1848 revolutions in Europe and the mass immigration to the United States that followed.

German Forty-Eighters in America: Characteristics & Contributions

2023 marks the 175th anniversary of the 1848 Revolution in Europe. It began in France and spread throughout the states of the German Confederation and Austria, lasting until 1849. After its failure, thousands of Forty-Eighters, as refugees of the revolution were called, fled and immigrated to the U.S. Who they were and what their contributions were to American society in general, and to the German element in particular will be discussed, preceded by an overview of the conditions in Europe that led to their emigration.

This event is virtual only and will not be recorded.

Register for the live session here.

Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann is the retired Director of the German-American Studies program at the University of Cincinnati and is the former Curator of the German-Americana Collection at the University of Cincinnati Libraries. Tolzmann served as President of the Society for German-American Studies from 1981 to 2006. He led the 1987 campaign to establish October 6th as German-American Day. He has been called the “Father of German-American Day” in recognition of this achievement. A prolific author, he has written, edited, translated or composed 370 works in 605 publications, in both German and English.

Need help registering for virtual events? Click here.

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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
Some Iconic film stills from Sunset Boulevard (1950).

Thank you to everyone who came out to see this film in support of the German American Heritage Center, @thelastpichouse , and Truth First Cinema Alliance Inc. This series would not be possible without your support. 

Join us again at the Last Picture House next week on September 10th for The Big Heat!
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#gloraswanson #silentfilm #sunsetboulevard #classics #oldhollywood #oldhollywoodglamour #talkies #filmhistory #film #photographs #reel #filmstills

Some Iconic film stills from Sunset Boulevard (1950).

Thank you to everyone who came out to see this film in support of the German American Heritage Center, @thelastpichouse , and Truth First Cinema Alliance Inc. This series would not be possible without your support.

Join us again at the Last Picture House next week on September 10th for The Big Heat!
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#gloraswanson #silentfilm #sunsetboulevard #classics #oldhollywood #oldhollywoodglamour #talkies #filmhistory #film #photographs #reel #filmstills
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Open
Sunset Boulevard, 6pm tonight at the Last Picture House. Davenport, Iowa.

Special thanks to @thelastpichouse  and Truth First Film Alliance for supporting us in our mission.

Q&A after the show!
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#gloriaswanson #sunsetboulevard #oldhollywood #hollywoodglamour #silentfilm #talkiefilm #movie #film #movingpicture #lastpicturehouse #filmstill #germanheritage #germanamerican #immigrant #history #filmhistory #classics

Sunset Boulevard, 6pm tonight at the Last Picture House. Davenport, Iowa.

Special thanks to @thelastpichouse and Truth First Film Alliance for supporting us in our mission.

Q&A after the show!
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#gloriaswanson #sunsetboulevard #oldhollywood #hollywoodglamour #silentfilm #talkiefilm #movie #film #movingpicture #lastpicturehouse #filmstill #germanheritage #germanamerican #immigrant #history #filmhistory #classics
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Open
Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a dramatic noir film that displays the stark contrast between silent and talkie films at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood. This film follows Joe Fillis in his attempt to escape reality by taking advantage of the delusions that fading star Norma Desmond offers him.

It stars Gloria Swanson, William Holden, and Nancy Olson, with appearances by Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner. Music score by Franz Waxman, the German refugee who gave Hollywood its signature sound. Written and Directed by Billy Wilder. 

Artwork by Bruce Walters

Sunset Boulevard will be shown at @thelastpichouse  on September 3rd, 2025 at 6pm. 
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#oldhollywood #silentfilm #talkie #hollywood #filmhistory #art #arthistory #oldhollywoodglamour #film #reel #german #heritage #refugee #immigrants #gloriaswanson

Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a dramatic noir film that displays the stark contrast between silent and talkie films at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood. This film follows Joe Fillis in his attempt to escape reality by taking advantage of the delusions that fading star Norma Desmond offers him.

It stars Gloria Swanson, William Holden, and Nancy Olson, with appearances by Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner. Music score by Franz Waxman, the German refugee who gave Hollywood its signature sound. Written and Directed by Billy Wilder.

Artwork by Bruce Walters

Sunset Boulevard will be shown at @thelastpichouse on September 3rd, 2025 at 6pm.
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#oldhollywood #silentfilm #talkie #hollywood #filmhistory #art #arthistory #oldhollywoodglamour #film #reel #german #heritage #refugee #immigrants #gloriaswanson
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Open
Our next Cyanotype Workshop is coming up on September 7th! Learn this early form of photography with a few simple materials and create your own prints with materials provided. Register at the link in our bio.

Long before digital cameras, scientists and artists captured the world in a striking shade of blue. The cyanotype process, invented in 1842 by English chemist Sir John Herschel, used light-sensitive iron salts to create vivid blue and white images. Best known today for its use in early “blueprints” and the delicate botanical prints of Anna Atkins, cyanotype was quickly embraced across Europe, including by German photographers and scientists eager to explore its artistic and practical potential. By the late 19th century, German experimenters such as Henry Bosse advanced studies of photographic chemistry, paving the way for cyanotype’s role as both a scientific tool and an expressive medium.

Henry Bosse immigrated to the United States and worked in Rock island as a cartographer and draughtsman. He also worked on taking cyanotype photographs on the Mississippi River Valley.

Our next Cyanotype Workshop is coming up on September 7th! Learn this early form of photography with a few simple materials and create your own prints with materials provided. Register at the link in our bio.

Long before digital cameras, scientists and artists captured the world in a striking shade of blue. The cyanotype process, invented in 1842 by English chemist Sir John Herschel, used light-sensitive iron salts to create vivid blue and white images. Best known today for its use in early “blueprints” and the delicate botanical prints of Anna Atkins, cyanotype was quickly embraced across Europe, including by German photographers and scientists eager to explore its artistic and practical potential. By the late 19th century, German experimenters such as Henry Bosse advanced studies of photographic chemistry, paving the way for cyanotype’s role as both a scientific tool and an expressive medium.

Henry Bosse immigrated to the United States and worked in Rock island as a cartographer and draughtsman. He also worked on taking cyanotype photographs on the Mississippi River Valley.
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Open
🎃 We are still seeking vendors for our Fall Market on September 27th!

🍂 We are looking for local, handmade, unique items. Email clare@gahc.org or call 563-322-8844 to receive an application form. 
Herbstmarkt Fall Vendor Fair 

*We will never ask for money over platforms like Facebook. Speak to a staff member directly if you have questions or if you suspect a scam.

🎃 We are still seeking vendors for our Fall Market on September 27th!

🍂 We are looking for local, handmade, unique items. Email [email protected] or call 563-322-8844 to receive an application form.
Herbstmarkt Fall Vendor Fair

*We will never ask for money over platforms like Facebook. Speak to a staff member directly if you have questions or if you suspect a scam.
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Open
There is only 1 week left to enjoy free admission for active military!

The German American Heritage Center and Museum is a Blue Star Museum. Active military and their families can enjoy free admission now until Labor Day. 

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.

For a complete list of Blue Star Museums nationwide, click visit https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museum-map

#BlueStarMuseum #BlueStarFamilies

There is only 1 week left to enjoy free admission for active military!

The German American Heritage Center and Museum is a Blue Star Museum. Active military and their families can enjoy free admission now until Labor Day.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.

For a complete list of Blue Star Museums nationwide, click visit https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museum-map

#BlueStarMuseum #BlueStarFamilies
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Open
Now Hiring: Paid Tour Guides for the “Darker Side of Davenport” Walking Tours

👻 Share chilling tales of crime and the paranormal in downtown Davenport!
The German American Heritage Center and Museum is looking for engaging and reliable tour guides to lead our popular Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours. These evening tours take guests through the heart of downtown, sharing true stories of historic crime, mystery, and paranormal activity.

🚶 As a guide, you will:
- Lead groups along a 1.5-mile walking route, stopping at select downtown locations tied to the city’s darker past.
- Present well-researched, engaging stories in a theatrical and informative way.
- Represent the German American Heritage Center with professionalism and enthusiasm.

Skills Required:
- Comfortable with extended periods of walking and standing.
- Strong public speaking and storytelling abilities.
- Training and historical background information will be provided.

💵 Compensation:
$60 per tour

🗓️ Tour Dates:
Friday October 24th, Saturday October 25th, and Friday October 31st.

📝 How to Apply:
Send a letter of interest to aaron@gahc.org.
Applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief interview.
Bring Davenport’s haunted history to life—if you dare.

Now Hiring: Paid Tour Guides for the “Darker Side of Davenport” Walking Tours

👻 Share chilling tales of crime and the paranormal in downtown Davenport!
The German American Heritage Center and Museum is looking for engaging and reliable tour guides to lead our popular Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours. These evening tours take guests through the heart of downtown, sharing true stories of historic crime, mystery, and paranormal activity.

🚶 As a guide, you will:
– Lead groups along a 1.5-mile walking route, stopping at select downtown locations tied to the city’s darker past.
– Present well-researched, engaging stories in a theatrical and informative way.
– Represent the German American Heritage Center with professionalism and enthusiasm.

Skills Required:
– Comfortable with extended periods of walking and standing.
– Strong public speaking and storytelling abilities.
– Training and historical background information will be provided.

💵 Compensation:
$60 per tour

🗓️ Tour Dates:
Friday October 24th, Saturday October 25th, and Friday October 31st.

📝 How to Apply:
Send a letter of interest to [email protected].
Applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief interview.
Bring Davenport’s haunted history to life—if you dare.
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Open
We are a couple weeks away from our first film in our series at the The Last Picture House! 

🎥 From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House.
Step into the dramatic world of 1930s Hollywood, where the silver screen became a beacon of hope and resistance. As the Nazi regime took hold in Germany, more than 800 filmmakers, directors, actors, technicians, and artists, fled persecution and found refuge in Los Angeles. United by their love of cinema and a determination to survive, these exiles became a vibrant creative community, supporting each other through hardship and forging new pathways in American film.

Stay after each film for an optional Q&A session about the films and actors.

September 3rd - Sunset Boulevard
September 10th - The Big Heat
September 17th - Shanghai Express
September 24th - From Here to Eternity
October 1st - Casablanca*
3 pm or 6 pm showing
*Guests with the 5 film pass must choose one of the two showings.

Films are $15 each or get a 5 film pass for a discount:
GAHC and LPH Members – $50
General Public – $60
Get Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

Guests will choose their seats upon arrival. Make sure to check in at the GAHC+M table in the lobby.

Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the German American Heritage Center and Museum's programming.

We are a couple weeks away from our first film in our series at the The Last Picture House!

🎥 From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House.
Step into the dramatic world of 1930s Hollywood, where the silver screen became a beacon of hope and resistance. As the Nazi regime took hold in Germany, more than 800 filmmakers, directors, actors, technicians, and artists, fled persecution and found refuge in Los Angeles. United by their love of cinema and a determination to survive, these exiles became a vibrant creative community, supporting each other through hardship and forging new pathways in American film.

Stay after each film for an optional Q&A session about the films and actors.

September 3rd – Sunset Boulevard
September 10th – The Big Heat
September 17th – Shanghai Express
September 24th – From Here to Eternity
October 1st – Casablanca*
3 pm or 6 pm showing
*Guests with the 5 film pass must choose one of the two showings.

Films are $15 each or get a 5 film pass for a discount:
GAHC and LPH Members – $50
General Public – $60
Get Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

Guests will choose their seats upon arrival. Make sure to check in at the GAHC+M table in the lobby.

Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the German American Heritage Center and Museum`s programming.
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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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