Hermanner Volksblatt facts for kids

The Hermanner Volksblatt was a weekly newspaper. Its name means Hermann People's Paper in German. It was printed in Hermann, Missouri, USA. This newspaper was published from about 1856 until 1928.

For a short time in the early 1870s, its name changed. It was called the Gasconade Zeitung (Gasconade News). It was also known as the Hermanner Volksblatt und Gasconade Zeitung. But it soon went back to its original name. The paper kept this name until it stopped publishing on April 18, 1928.

The Hermanner Volksblatt is special. It was one of the few German-American newspapers that stayed popular during World War I. It did this by supporting the United States during the war.

All About the Hermanner Volksblatt

The Hermanner Volksblatt was an important newspaper. It shared news and ideas with German-speaking people. This paper helped keep the community informed.

How It Started

The Hermanner Volksblatt began around 1856. A man named Jacob Graf started it. He bought an older newspaper called the Hermanner Wochenblatt. That paper had been around since 1845.

Both of these newspapers were against slavery. This means they were abolitionist papers. They believed slavery should be ended.

Through the Years

During the American Civil War, the newspaper faced danger. Confederate soldiers were searching the area. To keep the printing equipment safe, it was hidden. The equipment was buried so the soldiers could not find it.

Jacob Graf passed away in 1870. His wife, Christine Graf, took over the newspaper. She ran it for a few years. In 1872, she sold it to Charles Eberhardt. But Christine Graf bought the paper back in 1875.

Later, in 1882, Christine's sons took over. Julius and Theodore Graf formed a company called Graf Brothers. They published the family's newspapers. In 1905, they officially became Graf Printing Co. This company owned the paper until it stopped publishing.

A Newspaper During Wartime

During World War I (1914-1918), many German-American newspapers struggled. People in the U.S. became suspicious of anything German. But the Hermanner Volksblatt stayed popular. It did this by strongly supporting the United States. This showed its loyalty during a difficult time.

How Many People Read It?

The number of people who read the paper is called its circulation. The Hermanner Volksblatt had a good number of readers.

• In 1879, between 500 and 1,000 copies were printed each week.
• By 1887, this grew to between 750 and 1,000 copies.
• In 1900, more than 1,000 copies were printed. This high number continued into the early 1920s.

Why It Ended

The Hermanner Volksblatt stopped being published on April 18, 1928. The main reason was that fewer people were interested in it. The Graf Printing Co. kept printing the paper even though they were losing money. They did this for about ten years. It was important to them because of its history and family connection. But eventually, they had to stop.