Synopses & Reviews
This illuminating exposé on a dark chapter of American history tells how the flourishing German culture in the United States was wiped out by a fury of anti-German hysteria during World War I. American patriots eradicated the German language from schools, churches, and newspapers. Germans, once America’s biggest, proudest, and most successful ethnic group were targets of hate, persecution, and even lynchings and vigilante hangings. German cooks were burned, newspapers were closed, and sauerkraut was renamed “liberty cabbage” —the “freedom fries” of modern times.
Synopsis
Before World War I, the United States were home to a flourishing German culture. German-Americans were the biggest and most successful ethnic group all over the Midwest. But this culture was wiped out forever by a fury of an anti-German hysteria after America had entered the war. Overzealous American patriots renamed Sauerkraut "Liberty Cabbage", slaughtered dachshunds, and eradicated the German language from American schools, churches, and newspapers. They changed the names of towns, burned books, destroyed libraries, threatened priests, forced German-Americans to buy war bonds and to kiss the star spangled banner. Vigilantes tarred and feathered and, in some cases hanged German-born immigrants falsely suspected of being spies. "Burning Beethoven" shines a light on that dark chapter of American history.
Erik Kirschbaum, a native of New York City and a descendant from a German-American family, has lived in Germany for more than twenty-five years. He is a correspondent for the Reuters international news agency, and is based in Berlin since 1993. He has written about entertainment, politics, sports, economics, renewable energy as well as about disasters, earthquakes and climate change in nearly thirty countries. He is also a devoted father of four, an enthusiastic cyclist, a solar power entrepreneur and an unabashed crusader for renewable energy. He is also the author of the bestseller "Rocking the Wall. Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert That Changed the World."
About the Author
Erik Kirschbaum, a native of New York City and a descendant from a German-American family, has lived in Germany for more than twenty-five years. He is a correspondent for the Reuters international news agency, and is based in Berlin since 1993. He has written about entertainment, politics, sports, economics, renewable energy as well as about disasters, earthquakes and climate change in nearly thirty countries. He is also a devoted father of four, an enthusiastic cyclist, a solar power entrepreneur and an unabashed crusader for renewable energy. He is also the author of the bestseller "Rocking the Wall. Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert That Changed the World." Herbert W. Stupp, a native New Yorker, is a Trustee of the German-American Hall of Fame, an Executive Committee member of the German-American Steuben Parade (NY), and a member of the American Council on Germany. He has also been a New York City Commissioner, a Federal official, a non-profit CEO, and early in his career, an Emmy” award winning editorialist at New Yorks Channel 9.