Hofbräu Heritage Feature #1

German heritage is to be fostered and celebrated. The influence that German immigrants had on the culture of certain parts of the United States is undeniable. The New Orleans area in particular has a very rich history with German settlers who helped shape society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Deutsches Haus was established 1928. After speaking and living German culture had been forbidden as an immediate response from World War I and many German clubs had disbanded, a few of the remaining German groups in New Orleans came together and purchased the historic location of the Deutsches Haus on South Galvez Street, which was their home until 2010, when it had to relocate after repairing damage from hurricane Katrina in 2005 and when the space was incorporated in the construction of the new hospital complex.

The new Deutsches Haus building, located at 1700 Moss Street, was completed in 2018. It’s a stunning facility with a spacious hall for events and gatherings, a meeting room and two bars, of which one is the original bar setup from the former location. Just like our Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Deutsches Haus has newly established Stein lockers for Steinclub members, which are so popular that the waiting list to get one is already pretty long. The large grounds outside foster their own warehouse, a beer garden under majestic oaks, and are the optimal spot for their annual German events and festivals.

“Deutsches Haus is THE People, THE History, and THE place.”, says Keith Oldendorf, President of Deutsches Haus NOLA. This statement couldn’t be more accurate for the non-profit and volunteer run organization. Their mission? To preserve German heritage, culture, music, language and history with the objective to honor the past, but also develop new programs to foster the present and future of German society in New Orleans. Everyone who’s inspired by German “Gemütlichkeit” is welcome to join. With over 1400 members, Deutsches Haus is not only reporting amazing and growing numbers, but also serves as a community center for other local and regional organizations, besides for their own member clubs. Cultural groups include singing societies, such as their Männerchor (since 1929), Damenchor- (since 1983), and the international German speaking Schlaraffia fraternity group. Deutsches Haus also offers German language classes and has established a scholarship fund for University of New Orleans students with the opportunity to study in Germany or Austria during the summer! The various monthly German events are only topped by their annual festivals, such as the big Oktoberfest, Christmas Market, and the upcoming Volksfest.

Volksfest has been hosted by Deutsches Haus since the founding years and is an annual celebration of spring with all things German, including a Maypole! In fact, it’s happening next weekend, on Friday, March 31^st and Saturday, April 1^st, and we can only recommend attending!

Deutsches Haus is proudly pouring Hofbräu Beer.

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