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Welcome to Bingham Hall New Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,594 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Brown County6. It is the location of a statue of Hermann the German. The city was founded in 1854 by German Immigrants: Christian Ludwig Meyer, Alois Palmer, Athanasius Henle, and Franz Massopoust. The city was named in honor of the south Germany city Ulm. Today Ulm is New Ulm's sister city. In part due to the city's German heritage, it is a center for brewing in the Upper Midwest, home to the August Schell Brewing Company. In the Dakota War of 1862, the city was attacked and burned by Taoyateduta (Little Crow) and his Dakota Sioux warriors.[1] The modern day city is home to Martin Luther College. Flandrau State Park is adjacent to the city.
GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.3 km² (9.0 mi²). 22.7 km² (8.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (2.34%) is water. The Minnesota River and the Cottonwood River (Minnesota) run past the city on their way to the Mississippi River. The Brown County Historical SocietyThe Brown County Historical Society, located at 2 North Broadway houses 3 floors of exhibits and one of the largest archives in the state. It contains over 5,500 family files, microfilm of census, naturalization, church, cemetery and birth and death records as well as business and history files. [1] Hermann MonumentThe most prominent landmark in New Ulm is the Hermann Monument which sits high on a hill overlooking the town. The Hermann Monument in New Ulm dominates the Minnesota River Valley skyline. Inspired by a similar monument called Hermannsdenkmal near Detmold, Germany, this colossal figure served as an important symbol for members of Sons of Hermann, a fraternal organization of German Americans. In 1885 the 362 Sons of Hermann lodges across the country committed themselves to the construction of a monument representing their cultural heritage. Through the determined efforts of Minnesota’s 53 Sons of Hermann lodges, the monument was built in New Ulm, home to many German immigrants. The sculptor chosen for this huge project was a German sculptor from Ohio, Alfonz Palzer.
Hermann Monument in New Ulm, Minnesota. Hermann Monument has a total height of 102 feet. Constructed of sheet copper over iron, the 32-foot statue stands on a 70-foot iron column encircled by a spiral staircase to the dome, which is supported by 10 iron columns and a Kasota stone base. The only National Register of Historic Places property of its kind in Minnesota, the monument remains, for many Minnesotans of German descent, an impressive remembrance of their homeland. Hermann (Arminius), a Cheruscan chieftain, spearheaded the struggle to defend German tribes against a Roman imperial army. In time the Hermann story became a legend and Hermann a symbol of strength and unity in preserving freedom throughout Germany and for all German Americans. The 106th United States Congress (2000) designated the Hermann Monument in New Ulm to be an official symbol of all citizens of German heritage.[2] The monument was refurbished in 2005. Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to an observation platform at the base of the statue, which commands a view of the Minnesota River Valley below. German Bohemian MonumentA monument to German-Bohemian immigration to America is located in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was erected in 1991 by the German-Bohemian Heritage Society to honor the German-Bohemian immigrants who arrived in this area of the US, most by way of a boat landing on the Minnesota River some 150 yards to the east. The immigrants came mostly from small villages, with the largest number from the village centers of Hostau, Muttersdorf, and Ronsperg. Most of the immigrants were Catholic farmers who spoke a Bohemian dialect of German. Inscribed in granite slabs around the base of the monument are the surnames of over 350 immigrant families. Many of these names are still prominent in the region. As more and more arrived, and as they could all no longer farm, they settled in the city of New Ulm and some of the small communities to the west and north. The bronze statue that rests on top of the granite base was designed and sculpted by the Leopold Hafner, a German-Bohemian sculptor who now lives near Passau, Germany. The monument is located at 200 North German Street and is open year-round. Minnesota Music Hall of FameIn 1962 it was first suggested by the governor that Minnesota develop a museum or Hall of Fame to honor the rich music heritage Minnesota has to offer. Many cities offered their cities for such a museum of Hall of Fame location.[citation needed] In 1990 New Ulm offered its old library building for the hall of fame site. Owing to the area's ethnic music heritage, the New Ulm was chosen. The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, Inc. was established with categories reflecting the wide variety of Minnesota's musical heritage. The museum has displays of music memorabilia for musicians and groups from around the state, including Prince, Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, and local artists Whoopee John Wilfahrt and The Six Fat Dutchmen. The Hall of Fame and museum is located at First North Street and Broadway. In summer the museum is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day each Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Each year in October the museum holds a gala to induct new members into the Hall of Fame, known locally as Minnesota's Grammies. Polka Capital of the NationMusic was always a part of life in New Ulm, especially with the arrival of the musically-inclined German-Bohemians in the 1870s. However, New Ulm took a major leap to national prominence in the 1920s. [citation needed]Whoopee John Wilfahrt s successful career opened the door to what became known as Old-Time music. After him, other local bands such as those led by Harold Loeffelmacher, Babe Wagner, Elmer Scheid and Fezz Fritsche kept New Ulm well-known around the state and region. They even produced nationally popular recordings.[citation needed] With the opening of George’s Ballroom and the New Ulm Ballroom and the start of KNUJ radio station in the 1940s, New Ulm billed itself as the ”Polka Capital of the Nation”.[3] For years New Ulm's famous Polka Days were known world-wide by polka lovers.[citation needed] The festival was held each year in July. Polka Bands played on Minnesota Street and people danced and drank beer until well past midnight. Prisoner of War CampDuring World War II, German POWs were housed in a camp to the immediate southeast of New Ulm, in what is now Flandrau State Park. In 1944 a New Ulm family was fined $300 for removing a prisoner from the camp, housing him and taking him to church. Film LocationNew Ulm was the setting and filming location of the 1995 independent film, "The Toilers and the Wayfarers," directed by Keith Froelich. Notable residents
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Virtual Reality Tour -New Ulm Chamber of Commerce - Minnesota Bed & Breakfast Association |
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