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Wisconsin / German Studies / American History

The Wisconsin Office of Emigration 1852–1855 and Its Impact on German Immigration to the State
Johannes Strohschänk and William G. Thiel

A fascinating story of a unique institution in Wisconsin history

In 1852 Wisconsin established the Office of Emigration to attract European–mainly German-speaking-settlers to the state. Drawing on contemporary newspaper articles and privately published emigrant guides, as well as official publications of the emigration office, the authors document the office's influence on the settlement history of early Wisconsin and assess that influence against the backdrop of state politics in the mid­nineteenth century. Complementing the text are rare and interesting photographs illustrating the work of the office and the people it served. This book is invaluable for genealogists interested in learning more about emigration, as well as for anyone interested in Wisconsin history and German American studies.

Johannes Strohschänk teaches German language, culture, and literature at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. William G. Thiel coteaches a course on German immigration with Strohschänk at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and has published many books and articles dealing with the German immigrant experience.

Distributed for the Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies

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Cover is a photograph of a German immigrant's farm from the mid nineteenth century.

October 2004
126 pp.    6 x 9     10 b/w photos

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Paper $15.95 s
ISBN 978-0-924119-22-4
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