Deutsch, deutsch-argentinisch, argentinisch. Kulturelle Aushandlungsprozesse in deutschen Einwanderervereinen in Argentinien, 1856–1930

Abstract

German immigrants constituted a relatively small minority during the European mass migration to Argentina in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Nevertheless, they established diverse local networks of voluntary associations. These associations satisfied the need for continuity in areas such as education, religion, and sociability within the German communities. Beyond individual goals, German clubs and societies also formed spaces for negotiating language, culture, and identities. Examples from the cities Rosario and Esperanza in the province of Santa Fe show that the initial claim to cultural superiority over the host society was gradually altered in the course of internal and external negotiations, leading to further adaptation and transfer processes inside the community. Thereby, the associations themselves underwent structural changes. Formative events such as the First World War with its negative outcome for Germany accelerated this process and induced many German immigrants to break with their cultural heritage. Schlüsselwörter