Saturday, April 19, 1–4 PM

Hosted by Historic Cane Hill and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures as part of the National Humanities Center’s  Being Human Festival.

The story of Hermannsburg is a poignant example of the immigrant experience in nineteenth-century Arkansas. Having fled war-torn Germany in 1850, brothers Johann and Karl Hermann built a thriving community over twelve years, only to see it destroyed by the Civil War. On December 21, 1862, as widespread fighting left the region in ruins, the Hermann families joined a Union supply convoy, abandoning their once-prosperous home. The history of Hermannsburg, now Dutch Mills, is largely forgotten, but this program will reconnect the community with its German heritage.

Attendees will experience the rich legacy of German settlers in northwest Arkansas through banjo music, readings from family diaries, language learning activities, and hands-on experiences with German settler skills like planting and butter churning.

Registration is free! Register here.