DAVENPORT, Iowa — The German American Heritage Center & Museum on Thursday, Dec. 9 celebrated the opening of its newest interactive exhibition with a momentous ribbon-cutting ceremony.
According to the heritage center, millions of Germans migrated to the U.S. in the mid-to-late 1800s. Scott County was an entry point for many immigrants to the Midwest region, as it was where the first passenger railroad crossed the Mississippi River.
The German immigrants came by sea, train and foot to the City of Davenport, and many stopped at the building that is now the heritage center, which was then a bustling hotel for the long-distance travelers.
Joseph Eiboeck, editor of Des Moines' German-language newspaper the Iowa Staats-Anzeiger, would in 1900 describe Davenport as "the most German city, not only in the state, but in all of the middle west."
The permanent exhibit, titled "The Immigrant Passport Experience," allows visitors to interact with and learn the stories of these real-life immigrants who uprooted their lives before arriving to Davenport.
The German American Heritage Center & Museum, located at 712 West 2nd St. in Davenport, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. The center requires that all visitors wear face masks regardless of vaccination status.