“Play On! German Immigrants & the Quad Cities' Musical Legacy" at the German American Heritage Center -- January 17 through August 2.
Saturday, January 17, through Sunday, August 2
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
In the latest exhibition at Davenport's German American Heritage Center, guests are invited to explore how German immigrant traditions transformed local musical life through Play On! German Immigrants & the Quad Cities' Musical Legacy, this showcase of ingenuity celebrating the enduring organizations, venues, and rich riverfront behind area-wide music culture.
Germans arriving in the 19th century brought many things to their new homes. They not only brought physical possessions, but also ideas, skills, talents, and energy to create a community filled with culture, friendship, and values to pass on to the next generations. Fast forward to more than a century later, and we still enjoy and sustain the hard work and passion they put into organizations, businesses, and traditions. German immigrants carried with them a love for music, forming choirs, bands, and orchestras, and hosting annual singing festivals. Play On! German Immigrants & the Quad Cities' Musical Legacy consequently celebrates how Davenport quickly became a center of musical influence, attracting visitors from near and far.
Founded on August 1, 1994 as a private, not-for-profit organization, the German American Heritage Center (GAHC) seeks to preserve the heritage of our German speaking ancestors for present and future generations and to enrich our knowledge of the German immigrant experience. Today, GAHC, a National Historic Site, has evolved a museum that includes a large permanent exhibit and two rotating special exhibits. Within the permanent exhibit, visitors enjoy an orientation theater, six education stations, and two restored hotel rooms. Visitors enjoy an interactive experience as you learn about immigrants’ journey by sea, train and foot, to their final destination at the German American Heritage Center building, which was originally a very busy hotel for thousands of immigrants in the 1860s.
One of the highlights in the exhibit is called “Step into my Shoes.” Visitors will find footprints of a child, woman, and man at this section. They can step on any set of the footprints, which then triggers the corresponding character to appear before them on a screen and talk about their personal experience as an immigrant. Throughout this exhibition and the two rotating temporary exhibitions, visitors enjoy exploring many artifacts on display. The museum also provides educational programs, workshops, and classes relating to the German American experience and culture; assists in the coordination of festivals to foster an understanding of German American heritage; provides for cultural exchange through genealogy workshops and production of cultural presentations to the public; and partners with other heritage groups on programs, exhibits, and events.
The GAHC building was erected in the 1860s, and was originally the Standard Hotel where thousands of German immigrants stayed in the 1800s when they arrived in the area. The building was purchased in 1995, partially restored in 1999, and reopened to the public in May of 2000. In October of 2009, GAHC debuted a newly expanded space including a new large interactive permanent exhibit titled German Immigrant Experience, two traveling exhibit spaces, and large program facilities. GAHC offers several new programs based on the new permanent exhibit and two new temporary exhibit spaces.
Play On! German Immigrants & the Quad Cities' Musical Legacy will be on display in the German American Heritage Center's third-floor galleries from January 17 through August 2, general admission is $5-8 and free for venue members and children under three, and more information is available by calling (563)322-8844 and visiting GAHC.org.
