The German History of Milwaukee

An unfairly underrated locale, Milwaukee is overlooked by big city dwellers and rural folk alike but proves to be full of cherished Germanic history. From the first German settlers to the PBR we all know and love, Milwaukee’s prevailing Cream City charm will have you scrambling to make it the next stop on your travel itinerary.

Great Gemütlichkeit!

During the 1830s and 1840s, German immigrants began migrating in droves beyond the Atlantic Ocean to the unsettled midwest of New America. The economic turmoil of their homeland and a desire to escape retaliation for the failed Revolution of 1848, caused Southeastern Wisconsin to flood with young Germans on the hunt for fresh beginnings. German Americans believed that being a “good German” was synonymous with being a patriotic American.

As such, they lived by the concept of “Gemütlichkeit.” Jovialness, eating, drinking, and having fun with family and friends. You can still experience gemütlichkeit today at Mader’s Restaurant in Milwaukee’s Riverwalk District. Built in 1902, Mader’s is the oldest authentic German restaurant in the area and left its mark on local history. At midnight on April 7, 1933, Mader’s served the first legal beer in Milwaukee following the end of Prohibition! While dining at Mader’s, note the stained-glass folk art, the world’s largest collection of beer steins, and multiple medieval suits of armor. Don’t forget to pose with your boot of German brew in Mader’s “big famous chair” and peruse the autographed photos of over 70 celebrity patrons.

During the 19th century, settlers fervently clung to the German language in an effort to preserve their heritage and establish everlasting bonds with other German-speaking Americans. In 1846, St. Mary’s became the first of many German-speaking parishes in Milwaukee, and in 1852, Mathilde Anneke published the United States’ first feminist newspaper — of course, written in German. By 1864, George Brumder founded the Germania Publishing Company, which became the most prolific publisher of German language materials in the Northwest. German American citizens even rallied against — and eventually overturned — Bennett’s Law, which required public and private schools in Wisconsin to be taught exclusively in English from 1889 to 1891.

Unfortunately, this was not the end of the drive to “Americanize” the Germans. The iconic Pabst Theater was compelled by American patriot rioters to suspend German-language performances from 1918 through the end of the First World War and completely discontinue them in 1931. By 1919, the German language had been eliminated from Wisconsin’s public elementary schools, and in the 1990s, 48% of Milwaukeeans claimed German heritage, but only a fraction could speak German or belonged to German cultural groups.

Captain Pabst and the Legacy of PBR

German settlement undoubtedly influenced the pervasive brewing industry that Milwaukee has come to be known for. By 1860, approximately 35 breweries were established along the Milwaukee River — which provided easy access to water and ice necessary for the brewing process. Many of the historic buildings throughout Milwaukee today were malt storage facilities, cooperage houses, bars, and public entertainment venues built and maintained by big-name brewing companies.

Perhaps the most well-known brewery — with its heritage seeped in Germanic tradition — is Pabst Blue Ribbon. The Pabst legacy began in Mettenheim, Rheinhessen with a man named Jacob Best. Originally dubbed The Best Brewing Company, operations relocated to Milwaukee in 1844, where its headquarters would remain until 1996. When Jacob retired in 1853, he delegated the company to his sons, Jacob Jr. and Phillip (Jacob’s other sons, Charles and Lorenz, had already opened Plank Road Brewery, a precursor to Miller). By 1859 Phillip had gained sole ownership of the Best Brewing Company and brought on his sons-in-law to help him run the business. A scientist and a steamship captain were certainly an unlikely pair in the brewing business, but Emil Schandein and Frederick Pabst used their unique backgrounds to their advantage and Best Brewing Company was entirely in their control by 1866.

Following an 1879 brewery fire, Pabst and Schandein began building what is now The Brewery District of Milwaukee, encompassing 27 buildings and seven city blocks! The Pabst Malt House, built in 1882, was once the largest brewery-owned malt house in the world. Much of this area, including the Malt House, was redesigned into offices, shops, and living spaces in 2006. The old Malt House even displays original rusted artifacts like spiral staircases and preserved brewing kilns.

The brew itself was performing extremely well, too. The Best Brewing Company won gold medals at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and the 1878 Paris World’s Fair for its stellar concoctions. When Schandein died in 1888, the company was renamed Pabst Brewing Company and — following another gold medal win at the 1893 Columbian Exchange in Chicago — Pabst rebranded one last time to Pabst Blue Ribbon (although no such ribbon was ever actually awarded).

At the height of their success, Frederick and Maria Pabst decided to vacate their home in the shroud of brewhouses and construct the Pabst Mansion on West Wisconsin Avenue. Although Captain Pabst was already 57 years old at the time and his children mostly grown, the mansion boasted 37 rooms, 14 fireplaces, and at least 12 bathrooms. The house cost the family a mere $254,000 for land, construction, and complete custom furnishings. The only child raised in the mansion was Elsbeth Pabst, who was adopted by the Captian and Maria following the early death of their eldest daughter, Elizabeth. Emma, the Pabst’s youngest daughter, also had her own room, although she was already twenty-two at the time of completion and would soon retire from the grand mansion upon marriage.

Certainly, Captain Pabst footed the bill for the lavish mansion, but Maria’s design sensibilities command a leading role in the home’s decor. French influences dominate the dining room, Mrs. Pabst’s parlor, and Elsbeth’s bedroom. The parlor features the original custom-built furniture and mirrors Elsbeth’s room with ivory paint, shell motifs, and gold leaf accents. The dining room highlights the original table, chairs, and chandelier designed in a grand French manner and accented by roses — thought to be Maria’s favorite flower. Emma’s bedroom displays the English Regency style, outfitted with deep green flourishes with ivory and gold accents. The second-floor foyer presents American Renaissance Revival stained-glass doors, allowing a glimmering influx of natural light from the front of the house. Take note of the glass knobs on the bathroom doors. At this time, it was believed that glass doorknobs were more sanitary than brass or other metals. Not to be outdone, the music room was outfitted in the Italian Renaissance style with mahogany entablatures, spiral and Corinthian columns, anaglypta ceilings, and lincrusta-covered walls.

Captain Pabst’s influence can only be felt in three main areas of the house — the Reception Hall, the Grand Staircase, and his personal study. All three feature ornate woodwork and coffered ceilings indicative of the German Renaissance style. The Reception hall features an elk antler chandelier and the Grand staircase displays finials representative of hops buds atop the newel posts. Before ascending, take careful notice of the painting at the foot of the stairs. It was common at this time to reuse previously painted canvases and the face of a man can still be seen lurking in the smoky sky. Then, turn your attention to the actual sky and marvel at the glass skylight which could be opened during the sweltering Midwest summers to increase ventilation.

Arguably the most intriguing room in the house is Captian Pabst’s study. Intricate 17th-century German-influenced oak and walnut wall panels conceal 14 hidden compartments for stashing cigars and exhibit four German proverbs that inspired the Captain throughout his life.

Furthering the German influence, the hand-blown glass windows depict German Nationalism insignias — a roaring lion and a coat of arms. The original wrought iron chandelier and iron fireplace grate bearing the initials of its owner leave the lasting impression of a classical man.

Captain Pabst passed just after noon on New Year’s Day, 1904, after suffering two strokes while visiting California. He was 67 years old. The funeral was held in the music room of the mansion and Pabst was laid to rest at the Forest Home Cemetery where Maria would accompany him in 1906. The mansion was sold in 1908 to an Archbishop and became the center of Milwaukee’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese for over 67 years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and opened to the public in 1978.

Baseball’s Haunted Hotel

Yet another monument commemorating Milwaukee’s turn of the 20th century is the grand Pfister Hotel. Guido Pfister migrated — like many others — from Germany in the 1840s. He quickly established an industrial tannery with business partner, Frederick Vogel. Within the first year, it became the largest tannery in Milwaukee, and by the 1910s, it was among the largest in the world.

Guido, in collaboration with his son, Charles, set out to open the most luxurious hotel in the Midwest. A fantastic feat of its time, the hotel cost nearly one million dollars to build in 1893 and flaunted electricity and individual thermostats in every guest room. Advertisements at the time even claimed the building was fireproof!

Constructed in the Romanesque Revival style, every detail exudes wealth and affluence. Pink marble floors, golden embossed elevators, ceilings adorned with painted cherubs, and the grand ballrooms’ shimmering chandeliers make one feel as though they have suddenly been transported into a glamorous era long forgotten. As if it could not radiate any more exorbitant opulence, it is also home to the largest Victorian art collection in the world owned by a hotel.

Today the hotel is a member of Historic Hotels Worldwide and still lauds its reputation of unmatched luxurious hospitality; however, it is most well-known for its alleged hauntings. The apparition of Charles Pfister himself is frequently described on the hotel’s grand staircase and reports of unexplained footsteps and electronic glitches inundate the second floor.

One can assume the ghouls of the Pfister Hotel hold a certain vendetta against baseball in particular. The luxuriousness of the hotel has been sustained throughout its 130 years, making it the accommodation of choice for many celebrities and Major League Baseball teams who detail their fair share of eerie experiences.

Hall of Famer, Bryce Harper claimed that in 2012 he laid his clothes on a table before going to bed and awoke the following day to his clothing on the floor and the table moved to the opposite side of the room. He then requested a new room. Carlos Gómez was so frightened by disembodied voices and a malfunctioning iPod that he ran from his room without putting his pants on. As recently as 2018, Carlos Martinez and Marcell Ozuna both claimed to have seen a ghost. The two men slept in Francisco Peña’s room that night and said they would fight the spirit together if it reappeared. C.J. Wilson was so spooked by a visiting ghoul one night that he missed a radio appearance the next day to pay his own visit to the team chaplain. Despite its beauty and luxury, MLB managers might consider skipping the Pfister in the future if they desire a well-rested team.

Cream City Crime

If you cannot afford — or are unwilling — to spend a night at the Pfister, consider another famously spooky Milwaukee attraction. Many flock to this modern representation of a 1920s speakeasy to stroll the same sidewalks soiled by the Milwaukee Cannibal; however, this establishment has a much darker history than some may realize.

Shaker’s Cigar Bar was originally constructed as a cooperage for the Schlitz Brewing Company in 1894 on what is rumored to be a Native American cemetery. Perhaps this was the initial faux pas that resulted in decades of misfortune within its walls. The bar’s current owner, Bob Weiss, claims to have discovered two sets of human remains below the building’s foundation and the 70-year-old bones of a young woman in the walls.

Allegedly, the Capone brothers purchased the property in the 1920s and operated a speakeasy on the main level with a brothel on the floors above. The brothers’ ownership cannot be corroborated due to the secret dealings of Mr. Al Capone, but Milwaukee is a mere ninety miles from his primary stomping ground of Chicago, so it’s not totally outside the realm of possibility.

Fast-forward to the 1990s when Jeffery Dahmer begins his nighttime hunts in the infamous Walkers Point neighborhood. Rumored to be a favorite haunt of Dahmer’s during his reign of terror, Shaker’s is the kickoff point for the Cream City Cannibal tour, featured on the Netflix series Dark Tourist. The tour recounts the perversions of Dahmer’s life and how he came to live in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, with his grandmother — affording him the opportunity to terrorize the city. Dahmer stalked and lured victims from bars such as the 219 Club, La Cage Aux Folles, and The Phoenix Bar, which are all pointed out on the walking tour. Although there are no recorded victims poached from Shakers’, there is a barstool, approximately three inches shorter than the rest, that was alleged to be Jeffery’s favorite.

Ghost stories and rumors aside, Shaker’s is an experience like no other. Stepping across the threshold might as well be stepping into a soiree with all the flair and charisma of Jay Gatsby himself. Intricate murals and human-sized butterfly wings adorn the walls, sweet cigar smoke clouds the air, and patrons converse on antique couches while they sip vintage cocktails. Grab a Wisco Old Fashioned, a 19th-century cognac, or a “Death in the Afternoon,” and head up the wooden staircase to be transported into a 1920s brothel — and rentable AirBnB space — silhouetted by red lights and neon glow. Be sure to venture on up to the rooftop bar for a beautiful night-time view of Milwaukee through the malty tobacco haze.

Whatever your reason for visiting Milwaukee — make like a German — get some buds, brats, and brews, and let the gemütlichkeit begin!

Photo Credits:
First photo by Wei Zeng via Unsplash.
All others by Samantha Kreps:

MADER’S: Antique suits of armor posed at the entryway of Knight’s Bar/Mader’s Restaurant.
PABST: Painting at the foot of the grand staircase in the Pabst Mansion on the Illuminating the Dark nighttime tour. The tour guide’s flashlight illuminated the face of a man in the sky.
PFISTER: Pfister Hotel main lobby ceiling.
SHAKERS: Shaker’s mural on the side of the bar.

About the author:
SamanthaKreps is a young writer with an old soul. Born and raised in Maryland, United States, she discovered a passion for exploration while working as a traveling nurse in Wisconsin and Florida. She currently lives in Maryland with her four-legged best friend, Remi. You can find more about Samantha on her website samanthanicoleagency.com.

Resources:

https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/articles/unique-unites/celebrate-german-heritage/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/mathilde-franziska-anneke/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/bennett-law/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/performance-venues/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/gemutlichkeit/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/temperance/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/brewing/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/pfister-vogel-leather-company/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/pabst-brewing-company/

https://thebrewery.org/the-district/#malthouse

https://www.pabstmansion.com/virtual-tour/