Germans in Michigan

Germans are the largest ancestral group in Michigan, representing over 2.6 million descendants or 22 percent of the state's population.

Yet, unlike other immigrant groups, Germans have not retained their linguistic and cultural traditions as part of a distinct ethnic identity.

The Bavarian villages of Frankenmuth and Gaylord stand as testaments to the once proud vigorous German communities that dotted both rural and urban Michigan landscapes.

The author explores the social forces that transformed Germans from inward-looking immigrants to citizens in the cultural mainstream.

This is a story of assimilation and renewal, revealing the complexities of Americanisation and immigration as social forces.