How did WWI Affect German-Americans in Gasconade County?
Like many parts of the world, Missouri was greatly impacted by the effects of World War I. More specifically, the German-Americans who emigrated to Missouri faced different hardships than the average American. Whether they lived in an urban area like St. Louis or a more rural area like Gasconade Country, the patriotism of many German-Americans came into question. Here, I will be examining how those in Gasconade County were affected compared to other German-American communities in Missouri.
In the area of St. Louis, the lives of German-Americans greatly changed once the United States entered the war. The German language began to be phased out, from schools, churches, newspapers, and the language eventually fell victim to the “three-generational model” of language shift.
Another way St. Louis expressed its anti-German sentiment was by renaming streets that had German inspired names. In the midst of the war, Americans wanted to disassociate themselves from German history, despite a large amount of the city’s population having a German background. Even further, the city of St. Louis created restriction zones for the “enemy alien” — those who emigrated from Germany and did not have American citizenship — which forced many people from their workplaces and homes.
Just west of St. Louis, the German-Americans living in Gasconade County were experiencing the effects of World War I much differently than those in St. Louis. When World War I broke out, the mainly German-American population looked at it as a problem they could not solve. The county’s German language newspaper continued to be published in the German language and took a German perspective to reporting on the war. Unlike St. Louis, the German lifestyle was still embraced. Some papers even printed eyewitness accounts of what daily life was like in Germany during the war.
Those in Gasconade County did not face the same pressure to Americanize as other areas in Missouri with large German populations. They even maintained their German traditions throughout the war. The county still had its annual German Day, which more than 10,000 people attended. Movies shown at the local concert hall still celebrated the German military and their fight in the war.
Unlike men in St. Louis, there was not as much excitement for men in Gasconade County to demonstrate their loyalty to the country by enlisting in the war. Less than 20 men volunteered their services. Despite the less than enthusiastic attitude towards fighting in the war, Gasconade County welcomed much support for the Red Cross foundation. The city of Hermann was the first in the county to establish a chapter. Rose Rippstein, a patriotic spirit during the war, was one of the founding members of the charter.
Rippstein was very enthusiastic about The Great War. She traveled throughout Gasconade County to educate women on how to conserve food and worked to keep the county updated on the war. Rose believed that those not supporting the war did not know enough about it, which inspired her to go about and educate the county. Though some were inspired by Rippstein’s fight, other German-Americans in Gasconade County found her invasive. They were overwhelmed by the daily reminders to buy war bonds, contribute to the Red Cross, produce larger harvests, and more.
Gasconade’s approach to handling World War I shares an interesting aspect about the county. During a time when other areas in Missouri were filled with anti-German sentiment, the German-Americans in Gasconade County continued to embrace their heritage. Though not everyone was as willing as others, those in Gasconade County contributed to America’s fight in the war, proving their loyalty to the country.
