The new Brown County Historical Society exhibit, Loyalty and Dissent: Brown County and World War I, tells a local story with national implications. When the United States declared war in April 1917, more than half of Brown County residents were first or second generation Germans. Even today, based on the U.S. Census, it is the most German city in the United States. The German language could be heard in country schools, local stores, and around the county’s many saloons. Then, suddenly, Germany – the homeland – was the enemy, and young men and women were called to arms to fight against the “Huns.”
The exhibit looks at the stories of those who served in the military – soldiers, sailors, physicians, and nurses.
Location: Brown County Historical Society, 2 N. Broadway St. New Ulm, MN 56073
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