The German Language in Minnesota: High German Language Education in Select Minnesotan Hutterite Colonies

Abstract

The German language has a rich history and cultural significance in Minnesota. Yet, today the number of living native Minnesotans who speak German as a first language has been dwindling since the late twentieth century. The Hutterite colonies in Minnesota, however, continue to speak their German dialect as their mother language, and sometimes Hutterite children do not learn English until they reach kindergarten. Because the Hutterite dialect is not a written language (although there currently exist efforts to change that) the Hutterites’ sermons and songs are composed primarily in High German, thus creating a need for High German education in the colony. To research the current state of the German language, I interviewed the German language teachers of Haven Colony in Dexter, MN, and Heartland Colony in Lake Benton, MN. These interviews provided insight into the colony’s High German language education practices and developments in teaching High German. I learned that each colony has their own way of teaching and using High German, and problems regarding the High Germans’ dwindling usage in the colonies were addressed with different solutions based on the colony as well. This project fits into a wider body of research done by Professor Evelyn Firchow on the changing state of the German language in Minnesota, which includes cultural and dialect research on the Hutterites and other Minnesotans of German descent.