A German Fourth of July

Project Proposal

Independence Day, the fourth of July… This American holiday is one of many get-togethers that my family hosts throughout the year. We invite our entire family and most of our friends and fellow church members to come out to my grandparents’ backyard and celebrate America’s independence. Even my family from Augusta, including my Oma, drive down to Savannah to join the celebration.

The adults lounge in a mismatched variety of plastic porch chairs, camping chairs, and metal folding chairs all arranged in a distorted circle. The kids run around wearing face paint and swim in an overcrowded pool. Nana and Opa’s large porch is covered in red, white, and blue Dollar Tree decorations. Folding tables are covered in a buffet of different foods. Some of these foods and drinks are exactly what you would expect to see at a typical American barbecue: burgers, chips, salad, Coke. Others, however, are not as common: bratwurst, knockwurst, German potato salad.

This mixing of cultures is what one would see at any Deines family gathering. We celebrate many traditions that accentuate our German history and culture. We have pride in our nation, but do not deny our German roots. My great grandmother was born and raised in Germany, and the Deines side of my family can trace our origins back to Germany; this increases our German heritage and adds significance to all of our German traditions.

My great grandmother, Oma, as I call her, was born in Germany in 1934. She was raised during World War 2, which began when she was only five years old, and ended when she was about eleven. My great grandfather was stationed in Germany with the Army after the war ended, and that is where they met. They were married in 1955, and the following year my great grandfather was sent back to America, and Oma went with him. Due to the military, they traveled a lot, but they finally settled in Augusta, Georgia, where my Oma still lives today.

My Oma and her children, including my Opa

The focus of my project is my Oma’s life growing up in Germany and eventually moving to the United States. Through this project, I hope to learn more about my family history in general. German culture is a large part of my family’s identity and is greatly incorporated in our lives. I am hoping that by looking deeper into our German background, I will have more of a connection to these traditions that I have always participated in. I have only heard a few stories about my Oma’s childhood in Germany, so I would definitely like to hear more. I do not know much about her adult life and how she felt when moving away from her home in Germany to America, so that would also be very interesting and make this project enriching for me. While I know some vague details, this project could introduce me to things about Oma, and our family as a whole, that I did not know about before.

My Oma is still living and has the ability to offer a first-hand account of her life and her journey from Germany to the US. I am planning on interviewing her for this project, and I cannot wait to hear about her personal experience as a child growing up in Germany and to hear all about her immigration to America and her journey to wear she is today. All of my Oma’s children have lived in Germany, as well as many of her grandchildren, including my mom. Not only can I ask Oma questions about life in Germany, but a large part of my family can offer their input, as well. I think it will be interesting to hear different stories and compare and contrast each of their childhoods in Germany.

Me and My Cousins at a Deines family barbecue

Interview Questions:

1. Where and when were you born?
2. What was your childhood like during World War 2?
3. What was your childhood like before the war?
4. What was your childhood like after the war?
5. Where did you go to school?
6. When, where, and how did you meet your husband?
7. Were you worried about leaving Germany? Did you have any doubts about moving to America?
8. What was the hardest part about leaving Germany?
9. How did your children handle moving from Germany to America?
10. Where are some of the places you lived before remaining in Augusta?
11. What were your favorites out of all of the places you lived?
12. Did you ever think about moving back to Germany?
13. How has growing up during World War 2 affected you? Does it have any effect on you now?
14. What do you miss about Germany?
15. What made you choose to live in Augusta, Georgia?

Sources:

Cooper, Duncan. Immigration and German Identity in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1945 to 2006. Lit, 2006.

Sichrovsky, Peter, and Jean Steinberg. Born Guilty: Children of Nazi Families. Basic Books, 1988.

Kamenetsky, Christa. Children’s Literature in Hitler’s Germany: the Cultural Policy of National Socialism. Ohio University Press, 1984.

Mai, Brent. Deines Dynasty. 1982.