How Hermann Remains German
It's almost impossible to resist the growing good feeling that comes with an annual Oktoberfest pilgrimage to Hermann, a time-honored drive back in time into the heart of the country for oompah bands, the Chicken Dance, and famous wineries.
Like fine wine, however, Hermann is much more complex and full-bodied than its popular Oktoberfest image suggest. The Online Guide to Hermann announces, "The City of Hermann is a picturesque German community." Truly savoring that trio -the remarkable land scape, the German heritage, and the strong sense of community - deepens our appreciation for this piece of The Essential Missouri.
Most obviously, the picturesque landscape of Hermann offers a valuable glimpse into the character of this place. The landscape of Hermann illustrates what geographers call "the doctrine of the first effective settlement," how early settlers establish patterns that endure over generations. The German Settlement Society from Philadelphia purchased eleven thousand acres of rugged Missouri River country in the 1830s, passing by much better farmland in order to create a New Germany that reminded them of their beloved Rhineland.
From the spectacular vantage point of the Hermann Hill Vineyard and Inn, you can clearly see key elements of that composition . For example, German Catholic churches typically occupy prominent positions, usually as the focal point for a complex of buildings that includes the school, parsonage, and a cemetery. The glittering dome of the Gasconade County Courthouse on the Missouri River bluffs boldly celebrates political freedom in the New World. Storefronts and houses neatly hug clean, broad streets like Market Street, delib erately designed ten feet wider than Broad Street in their old home of Philadelphia to accommodate the settlers great expectations.
Back in the 1830s, Hermann was one of the first towns in the United States to adopt guidelines to preserve it's community character, according to former Missouri Heritage Trust director Patrick Stelle. These guidelines, which today we call zoning laws, ensured harmonious development, and Hermann has placed more than one hundred buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Early German settlers quickly adapted their economy to the steep, rocky terrain by planting grapevines and building wineries such as the enormously popular Stone Hill Winery, and wineries still shape Hermann's special character more than a century and a half later.
German artisans crafted Hermann's buildings and monuments in brick and stone to last forever, the beloved town clock tower that has operated continuously since the 1870s is but one example. Gardens, hanging baskets, and German flags further evoke the image of a timeless Alpine village.
At Deutschheim State Historic Site, near the Missouri River bridge on Route 19, 107-109 West Second Street, the picturesque landscape will lead you deeper into German-American culture. Deutschheim consists of two historic buildings. Their artifacts, photographs, books, and gardens bring Missouri's remarkable German heritage to life. The 1840 Pommer-Gentner House is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Hermann, built in a high neoclassical style, while the modest 1842 Strehly Haus down the block served as a German language newspaper and later as a winery.
Site Supervisor Bruce Ketchum has made that journey from artifacts to appreciation. Ketchum's work at this important center for the interpretation of German culture in Missouri led him beyond his childhood stereotypes, mainly derived from old war moves, to genuine admiration. For example, at the Strehly Haus, visitors and Hermann residents can learn from Bruce about the courageous German-American reformers and journalists like Eduard Muehl. Like many former German revolutionaries who immigrated to America, Huehl risked his life to oppose slavery in print when that position lacked broad appeal in central Missouri. Stalwart German supporters like Muehl helped preserve the Union during the Civil War.
A couple of blocks south, the Hermann Welcome Center, the local German School museum, and the Gasconade County Archives add collection and knowledge to your enjoyment of German-American culture. The German School where you'll find the clock tower served as Hermann's public school until the 1950's and now educates the general public about Hermann's unique history.
There is a place in Hermann that locals call Hollyhock Alley, where residents care for the back alley of their block like it was a public garden. The subtle flavors of vintage Hermann are found here, in its rich sense of community.
Local artist Joey Los, a metal sculptor and one of any artists living in and around Hermann, bicycles to the old clock tower regularly. She is one of many volunteers who climb the steep tower to keep the clock wound and marking time over passing generations.
At Die Hiemat (the homeland) store on Schiller Street, stop for some springerle cookies (Grandmas Mehrhoff and Rockey would definitely approve!), and join a kaffeeklatsch with owner Donna and several residents. Although residents in many communities often resent tourism, folks at Die Hiemat wished that residents would appreciate their heritage as much as Hermann's tourist visitors do.
The theme of community permeates Hermann. When a Hermann resident was killed fighting in Iraq, hundreds of Hermann residents met the casket at the airport, while even more lined the streets for a candlelit procession. At its best, all of Hermann is die hiemat.
Can Hermann remain a picturesque German community?
Many communities have now discovered wine-making as a draw for tourism; there are now more than sixty Missouri wineries. Bringing visitors back for return visits poses increasing challenges even for popular destinations like Hermann. Meanwhile, visitors have 'tried on' Hermann during special events like Oktoberfest and decided it was a good place to live or invest. Because of both visitors and newcomers, Hermann has to work harder than ever to remain "a picturesque German community."
Local wineries have formed the Hermann Wine Trail to promote the entire regional wine industry. The City of Hermann has built major public improvements, such as a new riverfront park and a marvelous new outdoor amphitheater, and worked closely with the Missouri Department of Transportation to ensure that the new bridge crossing the Missouri River complements Hermann's scenic beauty and image. Local preservationists maintain a watchful eye on historic buildings and streetscapes, while now paying closer attention to signage and beautification.
New development takes advantage of the spectacular views from the surrounding hillsides, and Hermann itself is starting the consider its own scenic views of the hillsides and how to preserve them.
I enjoy reading Doug Frost's articles about wine here in Missouri Life. Every issue teaches me something fascinating about wine and wine-making. I've discovered heritage tourism shares much with wine appreciation" Revisiting a community and spending more time there is like turning the glass slowly to discover the wine's many colors revealed in different lights and sipping it to appreciate new flavors hidden beneath the surface.
But don't forget the Chicken Dance!
--Arthur Mehrhoff
