Modern Era
After 1900, German culture began to die out in Louisville, with many of the German churches switched to preaching in English rather than German. The advent of World War I increased this, forcing German names to either dropped the word "German" from their names (Germany Security Bank became Security Bank, for example), or were completely altered. Even the Louisville libraries got in the act by removing books written in German from their shelves. On March 4, 1938, the long-lasting German newspaper, Louisville Anzeiger, printed its final issue.
In the 21st century, one third of Louisville's population claims German ancestry. The Kentuckiana German Heritage Society was started in 1991 to preserve Louisville's German heritage. The German-American Club Gesangverein, which was founded in 1878, also remains. Since 1977 Louisville has a maintained a relationship with Mainz, Germany, with the two cities officially town twinning in 1994. Every October a two day Oktoberfest is celebrated.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Germans In Louisville
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