Newsletter
Subscribe to get all latest news, updates.
Michael Motto – President
Barbara Zimmerman – Vice President
Julie Hegland – Treasurer
Heidi Lung – Secretary
Daniel Cabage
Rick Dienesch
Nick Eli
Mark Emde
Kylie Franklin
Tim Koehler
Lee Meier
Jerry Nieman
Sue Rector
Chris Sederstrom
Todd Woeber
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.
We are a week 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.
The 19th Amendment went into effect on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote in the United States. Today we highlight Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett: the powerhouse behind Hawaii’s suffrage movement!
Born in 1861 in Lihue, Kauai, Dowsett came from a unique mix of heritage: her father, Hermann A. Widemann, was a German immigrant and coffee planter who served as a cabinet minister to Queen Liliʻuokalani, while her mother was a Native Hawaiian chieftess connected to the royal family. This blend of German and Hawaiian roots set the stage for Dowsett’s bridging work on behalf of all women.
After witnessing the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the annexation by the United States, Dowsett founded the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaii (WESAH) in 1912, the first of its kind in the islands. Her efforts united women across backgrounds and faced down lawmakers, often leading groups of hundreds to demand “Votes for Women” right on the House floor!
Dowsett’s organization connected Hawaii’s suffragists to influential national groups like the National American Woman Suffrage Association, making the islands’ voices heard in the larger women’s rights movement. Although she didn’t live to see Hawaii become a U.S. state, her activism paved the road for women’s voting rights and inspired generations throughout the United States.
Wilhelmine’s legacy is one of cross-cultural leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice—a true trailblazer for both Native Hawaiian and German-American women everywhere.
Photo: Wilhelmine with her father Hermann A. Widemann, c. 1881. Public Domain.
In honor of this year`s Bix Memorial weekend, we`re also celebrating local history with @davenportlibrary .
The Beiderbecke surname associated with Davenport Jazz Musician, Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke, was brought to Davenport in 1856 by his grandfather, Charles Beiderbecke.
Charles Beiderbecke partnered with Frank H. Miller to open Beiderbecke & Miller wholesale grocery business, once the largest wholesale business in the city. German Immigrants significantly contributed in Davenport`s economic history through businesses like this.
The Richardson-Sloane Collection at the Davenport Public Library generously shared the second photograph, an architecture drawing of the building. As well as provided newspaper advertisements in research for this post (not shown).
Today, the original building no longer stands, however, the memory of the Beiderbecke family is still celebrated on Second Street at the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and World Archive.
First photograph is from WikiMedia Commons.
Second photograph is from The Richard-Sloane Collection at the Davenport Public Library.
Third photograph is from the German American Heritage Center and Museum Collection.
We`re looking for a food vendor to serve our 1500+ guests at Oktoberfest Davenport!
🌭 Brats preferred, but build your own menu to showcase what you do best!
🍻 1500+ patrons in the heart of Downtown Davenport.
🎶 Live music, German beer, family activities, and more.
🎉 This will be a memorable event you don`t want to miss!
Saturday September 20th, 2025
12 – 7 pm
K-Square Park | 119 E 3rd St. Davenport, Iowa
Contact: 563-322-8844 or [email protected]
Join us on Sunday for Kaffee und Kuchen with David and Sarojini Johnson. We will discuss the German Expressionist prints on display and learn more about the artists themselves. Visit the galleries and hear from the Johnsons about their collection and their inspiration as artists.
Visit the Figge Art Museum to see more of the Johnson`s collection in the Lewis gallery as well!
Register Here: https://events.humanitix.com/kaffee-und-kuchen-gallery-talk-with-david-and-sarojini-johnson
German Immigrants impacted American culture through food, fashion, music, and even education. How many of those things can you spot in this post?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#germanimmigrants #meme #museum #germanamericanheritage #center #art #funny #like #immigrants #immigrant #history #historical #christmas #christmasinjuly #polka #buttons #vintage #antique
Schuetzen Park Celebration
Sunday August 2nd | 1:00 pm
FREE
�The Schuetzen Park will continue its 155th anniversary celebration of the grand opening of the Park which took place in June 1870 with a free public concert. The Deutsche Polka Band will headline the event on Sunday August 2nd. Beginning at 1:00 food and drinks will be served, and the concert will commence at 2:00. Admission to the Park is always free.
Schuetzen Park is located at 700 Waverly Road in Davenport. More information can be obtained by calling: 563-449-2358 or by email: [email protected].
Photo from Davenport Iowa History:
Schuetzen Park Club House – 1902
"The beautiful and inviting Club House at Schuetzen Park was under the care of Bruchman & Co. in 1902. August Bruchman and Fred Kuehl were lessees of the park, operating the saloon, restaurant, dancing pavilion and bowling alley. Fred Kuehl was the manager of the Turner Hall and the New Grand Opera House at Third and Scott streets, while his brother-in-law, August Bruchman, was the former head bartender at the Turner Hall. August and his wife Mary resided at Schuetzen Park."
Subscribe to get all latest news, updates.