On Saturday, Oct. 14, the Hauberg Estate and the German American Heritage Center and Museum (GAHC) came together to host their third annual Oktoberfest Quad Cities. Those attending listened to live music, enjoyed traditional food and beverages and joined in on games and activities at the Hauberg Estate mansion.
Originating from Munich, Bavaria in Germany, Oktoberfest is now celebrated by Americans each fall in honor of German American culture. And, for the past three years, the Quad Cities have not been excluded from the heritage or the festivities.
It is because of Oktoberfest’s German background that the event is so important to Claire Tobin, assistant director at the German American Heritage Center.
“The Quad Cities has a very, very strong German history that a lot of people don’t know about or maybe aren’t aware of,” Tobin said. “Thousands of Germans settled here, in the 1800s and 1900s, and a lot of that German culture was suppressed and lost. Families didn’t pass down traditions and languages, they became very Americanized and wanted to assimilate into American culture.”
By hosting these annual Oktoberfest events, Tobin hopes that people in the community might be able to celebrate and connect back to any lost culture.
For GAHC board member Todd Woeber, Oktoberfest is more than just a tradition to celebrate German culture, but a symbol of unity to immigrants of all identities who might be struggling to find acceptance in the United States.
“You see a lot of immigration-related news nowadays, and the story of the German immigration, although it happened quite some time ago, is somewhat related to what we’re seeing nowadays,” Woeber said. “The organization can make a difference in showing other immigrants they can become part of the American society, the American dream.”
This held true to Oktoberfest attendee Jöern Elsäesser, who hoped to find a little bit of home in the Quad Cities by attending Oktoberfest festivities.
“I’m a German, and I live here now as a permanent resident in Highland Park [Illinois]. I met my wife in Bavaria, and she brought me here,” Elsaesser said.
The event served as a fundraiser for both the Hauberg Estate and GAHC, with profits helping fund the operations behind both of the non-profits.
“The funding helps us with our programming and outreach,” Tobin said. “Since we are a museum, we rotate exhibitions, and so it helps with bringing in new content and going into schools and doing outreach and educational things.”
Executive Director of the Hauberg Estate, Deb Kuntzi, partnered with GAHC to support a fellow non-profit, and because of the Hauberg Estate’s own German heritage.
“German American just seemed to be the perfect fit for us and for them because they don’t have the space, and we do,” Kuntzi said. “And Hauberg was also German, so it works out well for all of us.”
Following Oktoberfest, GAHC will be hosting their second annual German Fest with the Downtown Davenport Partnership. Those attending can expect to find live music, family-friendly games, food and German beer. The event will take place in Kaiserslaurten Square in Davenport on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 12 to 8 p.m., with free admission for the public.