New Ulm, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "A City of Charm And Tradition" | |
 | |
| Coordinates:44°18′43″N94°28′07″W / 44.31194°N 94.46861°W /44.31194; -94.46861 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Brown |
| Named after | Ulm,Germany |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor – Council |
| • Mayor | Kathleen Backer |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.29 sq mi (26.66 km2) |
| • Land | 10.16 sq mi (26.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2) |
| Elevation | 896 ft (273 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,120 |
• Estimate (2023)[4] | 13,925 |
| • Density | 1,390.3/sq mi (536.78/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 56073 |
| Area code | 507 |
| FIPS code | 27-46042[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395217[2] |
| Website | ci.new-ulm.mn.us |
New Ulm (/ˈnjuːˈʌlm/ ⓘNEWULM)[6] is a city and thecounty seat ofBrown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,120 at the2020 census.[3][7] New Ulm is on the triangle of land formed by theconfluence of theMinnesota River and theCottonwood River.
New Ulm is home to theHermann Heights Monument,Flandrau State Park, the historicAugust Schell Brewing Company, and theMinnesota Music Hall of Fame. The city is known for its German heritage and its historical sites and landmarks dating to theUS-Dakota War of 1862.[8]
New Ulm is theepiscopal see of theRoman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm and home to theHandmaids of the Heart of Jesus.[9][10] The Dakota called New Ulm the "Village on the Cottonwood" or Wachupata.
New Ulm was founded in 1854[11] by the German Land Company of Chicago. It was named after the city ofUlm in the state ofBaden-Württemberg in southern Germany.[12]Ulm andNeu-Ulm (which may have inspired the name) aretwin cities, with Ulm on theBaden-Württemberg side of theDanube River and Neu-Ulm on the Bavarian side. In part due to the Minnesota city's German heritage, it became a center for brewing in theUpper Midwest. It is home to theAugust Schell Brewing Company. The Sioux called it Wakzupata, which roughly means "village on the cottonwood".[13]
In 1856, the Settlement Association of the SocialistTurner Society ("Turners") helped secure New Ulm's future. The Turners (German for "gymnasts") originated in Germany in the first half of the 19th century. Their motto was "Sound Mind, Sound Body". Their clubs combined gymnastics with lectures and debates about the issues of the day. After the failedRevolutions of 1848,many Germans emigrated to the United States. Turners formed associations (Vereins) throughout the eastern, midwestern, and western states. They were the largest secular German-American organization in the country in the 19th century.
After a series of attacks bynativist mobs in major cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville, a national convention of Turners authorized the formation of a colony on the frontier. Intending to develop a community that expressed Turner ideals, the Settlement Association joined the Chicago Germans, who had struggled due to lack of capital. The Turners supplied that, as well as hundreds of colonists from the east who arrived in 1856.[14]
The city plan represented Turner ideals. The German Land Company hired Christian Prignitz to complete the plan for New Ulm, which was filed in April 1858. This master plan expressed a grand vision of the city's future. At the heart of the community stood blocks reserved forTurner Hall, the county courthouse, and a public school, representing the community's political, social, and educational centers. The westernmost avenues were named after U.S. heroes George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine—the latter three noted for their freethinking philosophies. Members were given the means to support themselves—in harmony with nature—through the distribution of four-acre garden lots outside the residential area. Historian Dennis Gimmestad wrote:
The founders' goals created a community persona that sets New Ulm apart from the Minnesota towns founded by land speculators or railroad companies.... The New Ulm founders aspired to establish a town with a defined philosophical, economic, and social character.[15]
On August 18, 1862, theUS-Dakota War began with theattack at the Lower Sioux Agency 30 miles up theMinnesota River from New Ulm. As the closest significant town to theDakota Reservation, New Ulm fell under attack by aMdewakanton force the next day. A hastily formed militia of townspeople repelled the attack and immediately set about constructing barricades around the town center.[16]
The Dakota returned with a larger force on August 23. Bolstered by the timely arrival of volunteer militia from other towns underCharles Flandrau, the outnumbered defenders of New Ulm again repelled the attack.[17] But most of the town outside the barricades was burned, leaving only 49 buildings to house a population of 2,500.[18] Short of shelter and ammunition and facing outbreaks of disease, most of the population evacuated toMankato on August 25.[19][20] The dead were buried in New Ulm's streets.
On July 15, 1881, New Ulm was struck by alarge tornado that killed six people and injured 53.
Between the outbreak ofWorld War I in 1914 and U.S. entry into the conflict, the citizens of New Ulm closely followed events in Europe. Local newspapers printed news from relatives and friends in Germany. In an unofficial April 1917 referendum, local voters opposed war by a margin of 466 to 19. Even as PresidentWoodrow Wilson prepared his Declaration of War, a Brown County delegation arrived inWashington, D.C. to voice its opposition to that action.
The Wilson administration organized an active campaign to suppress antiwar fervor, joined on the state level by Minnesota GovernorJames Burnquist. The Minnesota Commission of Public Safety was granted broad powers to protect the state and assist in the war effort. Specific actions the commission took included surveillance of alleged subversive activities, mobilization of opposition to labor unions and strikes (which were considered even more suspect in wartime), pursuit of draft evaders, and registration and monitoring ofaliens (foreign nationals).
Given the German heritage of most New Ulm residents, federal and state agents began to visit the city soon after the United States entered the war. They filed reports to offices in Washington and St. Paul because immigrants and first-generation ethnics were suspected of having divided loyalties at best, and perhaps favoring Prussia and theCentral Powers. Several local business and civic leaders joined efforts to root out antiwar fervor.
On July 25, 1917, a rally attended by 10,000 people was held on the grounds of Turner Hall. The people had gathered to “enter a protest against sending American soldiers to a foreign country.” Speakers included New Ulm Mayor Louis Fritsche; Albert Pfaender, city attorney and former minority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives; Adolph Ackermann, director of Dr. Martin Luther College; and F. H. Retzlaff, a prominent businessman. Federal and state agents mingled through the crowd, gathering information.
A month later, Burnquist removed Fritsche and Pfaender from their positions. The Commission of Public Safety pressured the college to fire Ackermann. These blows sharply divided the community—on one side, many residents took the removals as an attack on the city's heritage and traditions. Pfaender was the son and Fritsche the son-in-law of the city's principal founder, Wilhelm Pfaender. On the other side, prominent local businessmen, including flour mill managers, feared economic repercussions and promoted pro-war parades and bond drives.[21]
DuringWorld War II, German POWs were housed in a camp immediately southeast of New Ulm, in what is nowFlandrau 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.[22]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 10.26 square miles (26.57 km2), of which 9.92 square miles (25.69 km2) is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km2) is water.[23] TheMinnesota River and theCottonwood River flow past the city on their way to theMississippi River.
New Ulm has a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Köppen Dfa/Dwa) and experiences four distinct seasons. Summers are typically warm to hot with thunderstorms being common. Winters are quite cold and snowy, yet not quite as snowy as areas further east in Minnesota.
| Climate data for New Ulm (NEW ULM 2 SE, MN US), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) | 68 (20) | 87 (31) | 95 (35) | 103 (39) | 107 (42) | 111 (44) | 107 (42) | 106 (41) | 92 (33) | 83 (28) | 73 (23) | 111 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 41.2 (5.1) | 57.9 (14.4) | 69.9 (21.1) | 78.9 (26.1) | 82.9 (28.3) | 80.2 (26.8) | 72.3 (22.4) | 59.5 (15.3) | 42.1 (5.6) | 26.6 (−3.0) | 55.4 (13.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 14.7 (−9.6) | 19.8 (−6.8) | 32.0 (0.0) | 47.0 (8.3) | 59.4 (15.2) | 68.9 (20.5) | 73.1 (22.8) | 70.4 (21.3) | 61.5 (16.4) | 48.6 (9.2) | 33.3 (0.7) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 45.6 (7.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 5.7 (−14.6) | 10.4 (−12.0) | 22.8 (−5.1) | 36.0 (2.2) | 48.9 (9.4) | 58.9 (14.9) | 63.2 (17.3) | 60.7 (15.9) | 50.8 (10.4) | 37.7 (3.2) | 24.5 (−4.2) | 10.3 (−12.1) | 35.8 (2.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −37 (−38) | −37 (−38) | −28 (−33) | −3 (−19) | 19 (−7) | 31 (−1) | 39 (4) | 34 (1) | 16 (−9) | 1 (−17) | −17 (−27) | −36 (−38) | −37 (−38) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.64 (16) | 0.64 (16) | 1.86 (47) | 2.86 (73) | 3.44 (87) | 4.82 (122) | 3.98 (101) | 4.10 (104) | 3.21 (82) | 2.26 (57) | 1.62 (41) | 0.86 (22) | 30.29 (768) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.9 (20) | 6.2 (16) | 7.6 (19) | 1.7 (4.3) | 0.04 (0.10) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 6.9 (18) | 9.0 (23) | 39.74 (101.4) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 97 |
| Source: Western Regional Climate Center[24] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 635 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,310 | 106.3% | |
| 1880 | 2,471 | 88.6% | |
| 1890 | 3,741 | 51.4% | |
| 1900 | 5,403 | 44.4% | |
| 1910 | 5,648 | 4.5% | |
| 1920 | 6,745 | 19.4% | |
| 1930 | 7,308 | 8.3% | |
| 1940 | 8,743 | 19.6% | |
| 1950 | 9,348 | 6.9% | |
| 1960 | 11,114 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 13,051 | 17.4% | |
| 1980 | 13,755 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 13,132 | −4.5% | |
| 2000 | 13,594 | 3.5% | |
| 2010 | 13,522 | −0.5% | |
| 2020 | 14,120 | 4.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 13,925 | [4] | −1.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] 2020 Census[3] | |||
In 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing that 65.85% of New Ulm's population had German ancestry, more per capita than any other city in the U.S.
As of the census[26] of 2010, there were 13,522 people, 5,732 households, and 3,511 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,363.1 inhabitants per square mile (526.3/km2). There were 5,987 housing units at an average density of 603.5 per square mile (233.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.8%White, 0.3%African American, 0.1%Native American, 0.7%Asian, 0.4% fromother races, and 0.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 5,732 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.80.
The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 13,594 people, 5,494 households, and 3,554 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,548.3 inhabitants per square mile (597.8/km2). There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 653.3 per square mile (252.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.10%White, 0.11%African American, 0.15%Native American, 0.46%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.50% fromother races, and 0.65% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 5,494 households among which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,044, and the median income for a family was $51,309. Males had a median income of $34,196 versus $24,970 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,308. About 4.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
New Ulm Turner Hall, whose oldest section was built in 1873, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is the oldestTurner Hall in the United States still in its original use. The north half of the building is a combination of exterior wall elements of a 1901 hall/theater that burned in 1952 with a 1953 interior and main facade. Turner Hall remains one of the most active in the country. Its Rathskeller is likely Minnesota's oldest continuously used bar, and its gymnastics program is also the state's oldest. The Rathskeller features murals of scenes from Germany, painted by Guido Methua (1873), Christian Heller (1887), and Anton Gag (1901). These were recently restored with support from a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society.[27]
The Brown County Historical Society, at 2 North Broadway, houses three floors of exhibits and one of the state's largest archives. 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.[28]
At Center and State Streets, Defender's Monument was erected in 1891 by theState of Minnesota to honor the memory of the defenders who aided New Ulm during theDakota War of 1862. The artwork at the base was created by New Ulm artistAnton Gag. The monument has not been changed since its completion except for being moved to the middle of the block.
The Hermann Monument in New Ulm dominates theMinnesota River valley from a hill overlooking the city. Inspired by a similar monument, theHermannsdenkmal nearDetmold, Germany, the figure served as a symbol for members of theSons of Hermann, a fraternal organization ofGerman Americans. In 1885, the nation's 362 Sons of Hermann lodges committed to construct a monument representing their cultural heritage. Through the 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 project was a German sculptor fromOhio, Alfons Pelzer. A delegation from New Ulm visited Ulm in 2009 and went to the Teutoburger Forest and Detmold to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, when Arminius, a chieftain of the Cherusci, a Germanic tribe, defeated a Roman army led by Varus.
A monument to German-Bohemian immigration to America is in New Ulm. It was erected in 1991 by the German-Bohemian Heritage Society to honor the German-Bohemian immigrants who arrived the area, mostly by a boat landing on the Minnesota River 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.[29] Most of them were Catholic farmers who spoke a Bohemian dialect of German.
Inscribed ingranite 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 immigrants arrived, not all of whom could farm, they settled in New Ulm and some of the small communities to the west and north.
Thebronze statue atop the granite base was designed and sculpted by Leopold Hafner, a German-Bohemian sculptor who now lives nearPassau, Germany.
The monument is at 200 North German Street and is open year-round.
New Ulm'sglockenspiel is one of the world's few free-standingcarillonclock towers. It stands 45 feet high, and its largestBourdon weighs 595 pounds. The bells weigh two tons all together. They chime the time of day inWestminster style.
In 1990, theMinnesota Music Hall of Fame was established in New Ulm. It displays music memorabilia from around the state.[30]
Music has always been part of life in New Ulm, especially with the arrival of the musically inclinedSudeten Germans in the 1870s.
Whoopee John Wilfahrt's career opened the door to what became known as "Old-Time" music. After him, other local bands such as those led byHarold Loeffelmacher,Babe Wagner,Elmer Scheid, andFezz Fritsche kept New Ulm well known around the state and region. They even produced nationally popular recordings.[citation needed]
With the opening ofGeorge's Ballroom and the New Ulm Ballroom and the start ofKNUJ radio station in the 1940s, New Ulm billed itself as the "Polka Capital of the Nation".[31] New Ulm's Polka Days were known worldwide 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.[citation needed]
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Local events held annually in New Ulm celebrate German culture through food, music, and beer. New Ulm's Oktoberfest has been celebrated the first two weekends in October since 1981.[32] Bock Fest, often held concurrently[33] with the local festivities for Fasching, has been celebrated since 1987 at theAugust Schell Brewing Company.Bavarian Blast, a summer festival, was created as reinterpretation of New Ulm's longstanding festival Heritagefest.
The city features over 40 parks, as well as a civic center, community center, and recreation center.[34] The parks and recreation department employs "nearly 100 employees" annually, with an annual budget of $3.8 million.[34]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 56.8%4,442 | 40.7%3,179 | 2.5%197 |
| 2016 | 56.1%4,166 | 33.0%2,445 | 10.9%809 |
| 2012 | 51.3%3,825 | 45.5%3,395 | 3.2%243 |
| 2008 | 51.5%3,810 | 45.8%3,389 | 2.7%196 |
| 2004 | 56.8%4,212 | 41.2%3,052 | 2.0%146 |
| 2000 | 52.6%3,720 | 39.1%2,764 | 8.3%585 |
| 1996 | 42.3%2,727 | 43.4%2,792 | 14.3%923 |
| 1992 | 40.8%2,824 | 34.2%2,368 | 25.0%1,736 |
| 1988 | 55.2%3,313 | 44.8%2,691 | 0.0%0 |
| 1984 | 61.2%3,882 | 38.8%2,459 | 0.0%0 |
| 1980 | 53.1%3,723 | 38.2%2,676 | 8.7%614 |
| 1976 | 54.3%3,740 | 41.4%2,853 | 4.3%298 |
| 1972 | 62.1%3,773 | 34.6%2,106 | 3.3%201 |
| 1968 | 55.9%3,059 | 38.8%2,124 | 5.3%289 |
| 1964 | 49.9%2,600 | 50.0%2,605 | 0.1%9 |
| 1960 | 58.6%3,076 | 41.3%2,164 | 0.1%6 |
Schools include:
The Journal is a daily newspaper in New Ulm with a circulation of 5,248 as of 2019. Founded in 1898, it is owned byOgden Newspapers.[36][37]
New Ulm is thecity of license forKNUJ (860 AM), andKNAT (93.1 FM), which broadcasts country music fromMankato.
New Ulm was the setting and filming location for the 1995 independent filmThe Toilers and the Wayfarers and the filming location for the 2004 documentaryAmerican Beer.[citation needed]
Transit service in the city is provided byHermann Express.
Highways includeU.S. Highway 14 and Minnesota State Highways15 and68.
New Ulm is served by the Union Pacific's line between Wyeville and Rapid City. TheMinneapolis and St. Louis Railway ran from Winthrop to Otho before being abandoned in the 1970s.
New Ulm Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport.
New Ulm is the setting for the 2009 comedyNew in Town.[citation needed]
New Ulm istwinned with:
Municipalities and communities ofBrown County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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