In the twentieth century, over two million German-speaking immigrants came to America. Nearly 600,000 arrived in the 1950s alone, making up 23% of all immigrants in that decade. For the most part, the stories of these immigrants have not been documented, and very little research has been done on their experiences and their impact on American society. 
The Max Kade Institute has reached out to citizens across Wisconsin, the Midwest, and beyond, seeking to create a collection of nearly forgotten immigrant stories. They are preserved in the Institute’s archives and made available to scholars and for educational purposes, allowing the stories to be added to narratives of American and global history. With this goal in mind, we have interviewed and recorded first-generation immigrants from German-speaking regions in Europe who now live in the United States. Included are individuals who speak German or lived in a German-speaking community in Europe, people who migrated directly to the United States or via another country, and individuals who came as adults or as children. We are currently not conducting any new interviews.
If you are a researcher interested in working with the collection, please contact Antje Petty: apetty@wisc.edu