Hamburg on Mississippi Part 1
January 29, 2023 |
2:00 pm -
3:00 pm
$0-5
From Davenport’s earliest days as a frontier river town, its residents displayed a marked musical sensibility, which crescendoed to passion upon arrival of Davenport’s first German settlers in the 1840s. These new arrivals soon felt an urgent hunger for the rich musical experience they had taken for granted in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Possessing the know-how to systematically train musicians; organize, build, and run musical groups and endeavors; and solicit and appeal to the public for support, the Germans set about to do so, to awe and delight of their fellow Davenporters.
By the early 20th century, though its population was only 40,000, Davenport had a vibrant, diversified economic base which made it one of the most prosperous cities in the nation, able to nurture and support s multitude of musical organizations as well as hundreds of professional musicians in orchestras, bands, choirs, and chamber ensembles. The Tri-City Symphony, founded in 1916, is one of the oldest active orchestral institutions in the United States; yet its existence would have been impossible without a fertile musical culture and 70 years of organizational groundwork laid by Davenport’s German immigrants. This session will outline the features of this advanced musical ecosystem, built largely by Davenport’s Germans, which made the establishment of a civic symphony orchestra a possibility.
This program is offered both in-person and virtually.
FREE for GAHC&M Members, $5 for non-members.
Part 2 is February 12th, 2023.
Gates Thomas is a freelance composer, arranger, and music director. Born and raised in Davenport, he was based in New York City for 25 years, writing for the Lionel Hampton Big Band, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Chris Willis, The New American Orchestra, and many others. Since moving back to Davenport, in October 2020, Gates has maintained his freelance career, and continues to serve as Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In November 2022, he assumed duties as music director of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities.
We are a proud participant in Blue Star Museums which offers free admission for active military and their immediate families. The 2025 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, 2025, and run through Labor Day, September 1, 2025.
Come view our exhibitions, attend a Kaffee und Kuchen program, and more. Check out all of the participating museums here: https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museums-map
Enjoy our seasonal guided tours of the museum! Our next tour is this Saturday, May 17th at 11:00 am.
The tour is open to the public and included with regular admission.
View our admission rates: https://gahc.org/admission-2/
Tour begins at 11:00 am in the lobby. No RSVP required. The tour will last until approximately 12:30.
Visitors will explore our permanent exhibition, The German Immigrant Experience, along with our two rotating galleries.
The tour is open to all ages. We have children’s activity kits and sensory kits available at the front desk for visitors to use for free during their visit.
Learn more on our website: https://gahc.org/events/guided-museum-tour/
Our Next Kaffee und Kuchen is this Sunday, May 18th. Join us for cake, coffee, and conversation about a local historic treasure, The Hauberg Estate.
The Weyerhaeuser and Denkmann Lumber Company helped shape the Midwest’s lumber industry, with Frederick Denkmann and Friedrich Weyerhaeuser building one of the most successful timber businesses of the 19th century. The Hauberg family, through Susanne Denkmann Hauberg (Denkmann’s daughter and her husband John Hauberg), continued this legacy of business leadership and philanthropy in Rock Island. Their impact lives on in local landmarks including the estate, which is now a civic center, historic home museum, and public gathering space.
This program is free for our members and $8 for non-members. Registration is encouraged but not required: https://events.humanitix.com/kaffee-und-kuchen-the-hauberg-estate
We have LOVED seeing your favorites from our Recent Acquisitions exhibition. 💕
We are so thrilled to see our visitors make connections to items from our collection to things or people in their own lives.
This exhibition is open through June 1st, so make sure to come by and see it if you haven`t already.
📍 712 W 2nd St
Davenport, Iowa 52802
Sundays 12 – 4 pm
Tuesdays – Saturdays 10 am – 4 pm
Did you know our banquet hall is available to rent? With gorgeous views of downtown Davenport, competitive rates, ample parking spaces, no catering contracts, this is a great space to utilize for graduation parties, birthday parties, wedding showers, and more!
To inquire about rates and availability, contact [email protected] or by calling 563-322-8844. All details available on our website: https://gahc.org/private-events/
We have some new items in our gift shop! We have large canvas tote bags with various designs including Gustave Klimt and Albrecht Dürer. These would make great Mother`s Day gifts or a fun summer purchase for trips to the farmer`s market. ☀️🎁🎨🧺🌱
Purchases in our museum are always tax free!
$16.00 each
$14.40 member price
📍 712 W 2nd Street
Davenport, Iowa 52802
Become a Volunteer Tour Guide This Summer at the GAHC+M!
The German American Heritage Center is seeking volunteer tour guides to present our Historic Summer Walking Tours through the Gold Coast Neighborhood. Our tours explore the architecture and rich history of the homes and businesses in one of Davenport`s oldest neighborhoods. As a tour guide, you will lead intimate groups along a 1.5 mile route stopping at a selection of some of the most interesting sites in our historically German neighborhood.
Skills Required: Tour guides should be comfortable walking uphill and public speaking. Training will be provided.
Tours occur on the following Saturdays this summer: June 14 and 28, July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23. (Volunteers are not required to be available for all tour dates.)
To apply: Send a letter of interest to [email protected].
Choice for this position is dependent on an interview.
Please submit your letter of interest no later than Friday May 27th.
Pictured: Henry Lischer House. Lischer was the owner and publisher of one of Davenport`s German-language newspapers, "Der Demokrat." The paper was founded by German immigrants in November 1851 and went defunct in 1918 due to anti-German attitudes during World War I.
Our next Kaffee und Kuchen program is this Sunday May 4th! Linda Meadors will be talking about our upcoming Rhine cruise trip in the summer of 2026. This program is FREE and open to the public. It will be a great afternoon of learning about wonderful sites on the Rhine and the beautiful landscapes through the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
*May Kaffee und Kuchen programs are on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month due to holiday conflicts.
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