STATE DATA

Abbreviation: LA

Nickname: The Pelican State

Capital: Baton Rouge

Official language: None

State Motto: Union  Justice  Confidence

Admitted to Union: 30th of March 1812 as the 18th state

German settlements since: 1721

Population: about 4.533,000

German-Americans:  more than 403.000  -  about 7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STAR IN THE BANNER

 

 

 

 

 

REGIONAL-PARTNER

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regional German-American institutions

- Deutsches Haus in New Orleans, LA

-  German-American Cultural Center (GACC) and Museum in Gretna, LA   www.gacc-nola.org

-  Germantown Colony Museum in Minden, LA

-  German-Acadian Coast Historical and Genealogical Society

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German fests/events

- Deutsches Haus Fasching, Maifest, Oktoberfest, Weihnachtsmarkt

- GACC Maifest and Oktoberfest

- Monthly Gretna Heritage Festival

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German Restaurants

- Jaeger Haus, New Orleans

- Taste of Bavaria, Ponchatoula

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Stores specialized on German goods

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towns with German Background

- Augsburg, Karlstein, Mariental once existed in the region still known as “German Coast”, west of New Orleans.

- Des Allemands

- Geismar

- Gretna  -  located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, Gretna was founded in 1836 by German immigrants. Many German families still live in Gretna today.

- Hamburg

- Hahnville refers to Georg Michael Hahn (see German-American history)     

- Hebert

- Hessmer

- Hornbeck

- Jena was named for Jena in Illinois, which was named after the German/ Thuringian city of Jena

- Kraemer

- Krotz Springs

- Minden

- Melder

- Oberlin was named after the Alsatian Philanthropist Johann Friedrich Oberlin

- Robert’s Cove (German Cove) in Acadia Parish

- Siegen

- Sieper

- Sondheimer

- Vienna

- Waldheim

- Wisner was named for Edward Wisner from Michigan, who’s family had immigrated from the Alemannic Switzerland

- Zimmerman

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Additional information

- Germans have settled in Louisiana since 1721!

- The earliest settlers came from Palatinate and Alsace.

- Also other Alemannian/ Swabian settler’s were preferred by the French Colonial authorities.

- Until the cultural losses of the 20th century, the Robert’s cove area had it’s own Swabian dialect  

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Literature about Germans here

- Ellen C. Merrill: Germans of Louisiana (Documentation)

- Reinhart Kondert: The Germans of Colonial Louisiana 1720-1803 (Documentation)

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Additional state Symbols

State bird: Easter Brown Pelican

State Musical Instrument: Diatonic Accordeon

State Drink: Milk

State dog: Catahoula Leopard Dog

State Flower: Magnolia

State Wildflower: Louisiana Iris

State Tree: Bald Cypress

State Reptile: Alligator

State Gemstone: Agate

State Freshwaterfish: White Perch

State Mammal: Black Bear

Staats Insekt: Honey bee