Burning Beethoven: The Eradication of German Culture in the United States during World War I

by Erik Kirschbaum

Before World War I, the United States was home to a flourishing German culture. But it was abruptly wiped out by a fury of anti-German hysteria that swept the country and trampled upon the civil liberties of millions of German-Americans. Fueled by attacks by American super patriots determined to eradicate the German language from American schools, churches and the country's newspapers, the sudden eruption of hostilities against America’s biggest, proudest and most successful ethnic group eradicated what had until then been a thriving German-American culture. Some German aliens falsely suspected of being German spies were hanged by mobs of vigilantes. Many more German-Americans were attacked, discriminated against or sent to internment camps. Sauerkraut was turned into liberty cabbage, dachshunds were renamed liberty pups and German measles became liberty measles. “Burning Beethoven” shines a light on that dark and forgotten chapter of American history. It gives answers to the question why did the large, proud and influential German-American ethnic group so quickly disappear. “Burning Beethoven” is also a tribute to the memorable words of the Harvard philosopher George Santayana, a “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” "It is amazing and fascinating to read how much energy and time is spent in times of war to declare everything bad and hostile coming from the enemy' side---be it music, language or culture ; fortunately in most cases only with a temporary effect as we know today. Beethoven would indeed roll over in his grave.....A very riveting and well-written book with the timeless message that culture is not the culprit."Rainer Hasters, executive director of RIAS Berlin Commission "A powerful retelling of an often forgotten piece of American history that remains as relevant today as it did a century ago"Stephen Fuchs, Founder of German Pulse “A fascinating account of a forgotten witch-hunt that damaged America in that it ran counter to its values and also deprived it of its rich German heritage.”— David Crossland, author of the best-selling novel “The Jewish Candidate” Burning Beethoven is an incredible story most people have never heard of. It's interresting to read how Americans went all out against the powerful German ethnic community during World War I and sheds a light on why Americans of German descent were forced to sever their ties to Germany." — Cherno Jobatey, Editorial Director Huffington Post Germany and author of “Fit wie ein Turnschuh”.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, German Literature

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2014

Reviews

[Thomas Ray]

My grandparents (whose grandparents moved from Westfalia to Missouri in 1848) switched from speaking German to English in 1914. By the time I knew them in the 1960s, they knew no German.

[John Eliade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book of a little known episode of American history. A cautionary tales of the dangers of nationalism/jingoism. Well written. Well researched.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Burning Beethoven recently and found it a fascinating, though somewhat sobering read. It certainly enlightened me to the disappearance of the hyphenated German reference that my father so abhored. As a 8 or 9 year old in Brooklyn, my father, whose own father made great use of his bilingual skills in the import/export business, must have experienced the extreme pressure to shed the German language and culture. And that's what he did, to the point of failing his undergraduate language requirement at Columbia University, in spite of having a parent and grandparent at home who were fluent in German. Only a 'technical German' class allowed him to meet the requirement. He was determined to be an American and virtually never spoke of his ancestors or German heritage. Only after dad's death in the last decade have we learned of our artist ancestor who thrived in the Hanseatic port of Riga in 19th century Russian Empire and his son, who emigrated to Brooklyn and carried on the family's artistic activities. But much of the family history has been irrevocably lost in the erasure of German culture in America.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is poorly edited, often repetitive, lacks an index, and contains numerous typos. Still the account of the broad-sweeping demonization of German-Americans, the German language, and German culture in the United States at the time of the first World War, is well worth reading. A suggestion: If you do read the book, follow my example, and do so while listening to a CD of Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony. It will take a little of the edge off.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not particularly well written. The information contained in it is really quite thin, so there is a lot of repetition. It would have made an interesting magazine article, but there's just not enough there to make a book.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lest we forget. Very interesting and explained a lot about German culture in the U.S. and how we give up our civil rights during war times. A little repetitive.

[James Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

About time !

I had read the earlier treatise and was moved by it beyond my own expectations. As a 2nd generation native American of German ancestry, I had always wondered about by roots. On my Mother's side, my German roots go back to 1655!
This work is excellent, but It seems to "gloss over" the British propaganda campaign, although the book did mention the blowing up of the Atlantic cable for Germany by British agents. I was expecting more detail as to the total impact of both had on the anti-American posture developed within the U. S. Certainly mailings from Wellington House to the 60,000 members of "Who's Who" in the U.S. and the librarians of all U.S. libraries had a strong impact on the development of anti-German sentiment. All news from Europe coming through British censorship and no counterpoint from Germany is, I think, an important factor in the developing situation!
This book is way overdue and a blessing to the "kultur" that it laments the destruction of!
One small correction - It is "Remember The. Maine" not "Remember The Alamo."
An aside, as a 2nd generation of German heritage on my Father's side, I deduced (twenty years after his death) that he spoke German fluently although I had never heard him speak it not had I any inkling he did. I came into possession of his church confirmation papers - all in German and I was able to them verify this deduction!

[Gunter Nitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This disturbing page-turner is a must read book for all people who grew up with the German language. It seems to be out-of-print but I'd suggest you do, as we did, and request it as an inter-library loan.

[Jared · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is an essay that the author wrote in high school and fluffed up just barely enough to turn into an extremely thin book. reads in the unmistakable voice of a lazy 15 year old.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirschbaum provides an excellent analysis of how German-Americanism and its culture was nearly wiped out during the hysteria of World War I. Little known are the 35 hangings of German-Americans by crazed mobs, in addition to widespread tar and featherings. It is a warning for our own time.

[Jonathan Sargent · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

Very disappointing. Quotes liberally from many other sources without ever making a case for it's own existence. Very poor social commentary and analysis that leaves one with a bad taste of the author's agenda.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Write up to come...

[Ken Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

kind of dry