German-American League for Culture records, 1906-1958

Old Resource ID was GALC

In 1935, thirty-eight German-language-speaking associations in Chicago joined together to form the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der fortschrittlichen deutschsprachigen Vereine von Chicago, or the Action Committee of German Progressive Organizations of Chicago. Opposed to National Socialism in Germany and alarmed by its appearance in the United States, they banded together to fight "... all fascist tendencies anywhere." They deplored fellow German-Americans who joined the Bund and other pro-Nazi organizations, and were determined to display their patriotism by opposing and exposing Nazis in Chicago.

The committee began to publish a German and English language newspaper in November 1935 called the Volksfront, or People's Front. The editor was an assistant professor of languages at Northwestern University, Dr. Eric Von Schroetter, himself an emigre. In February 1936, the Action Committee of German Progressive Organizations of Chicago became the local branch of the German-American League for Culture (Deutsch-Amerikanischer Kulturverband or DAKV). The DAKV had been established in New York City in September 1935 as a national umbrella group for German speaking organizations opposed to Nazism. It was to represent those organizations as the principal fighter against fascism. Its function was also to promote German culture. It pointed out to Americans that traditonal German culture was suppressed by the Nazis, and therefore German literature, music, drama, and art could still be performed or studied without supporting the enemy. Von Schroetter was elected national secretary of the DAKV.

On July 25, 1938, the German-American League for Culture was incorporated under the laws of Illinois. At that time its stated goal was "... to oppose by lawful means subversive propaganda against the Constitution of the United States of America, and to its guarantees of liberty, of free press, free speech and free assembly, and further all cultural achievements of the American citizens of German origin and to disseminate American principles of liberty to German Americans." In Chicago, the DAKV sponsored informational forums where people spoke out against conditions in Germany, concerts of German music, picnics and recreational activities for its members, and anti-Bund rallies.

The collection contains nearly a complete run of the Volksfront (1935-1939), which has been microfilmed. It also contains an account book, the articles of incorporation, German theses, German poetry, political memorabilia, brochures, newspaper clippings, notebooks, and scrapbooks of the German-American League for Culture, as well as notebooks and other personal memorabilia belonging to Eric Von Schroetter.

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German-American League for Culture records, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago

• NamesGerman-American League for Culture. -- Archives
• Subject
  • Anti-fascist movements.
  • Chicago Ethnic Groups.
  • German Americans.
• Geographic CoverageIllinois--Chicago.