The German Historical Institute, Washington D.C. (GHI) announces the on-line launch of “Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present.” The project offers
a collection of essays on first- and second-generation German-American
immigrant entrepreneurs from John Peter Zenger and Adolphus Busch to
Carl Laemmle and Lillian Vernon, as well as contextual essays on topics
such as the 1848 revolutions and the impact
of Prohibition that provide further background on the history of
German-American entrepreneurship. A variety of photographs, media clips,
and business documents are used to illustrate the essays. Other
components of the project will include bibliographies
for further research and suggestions for using the "Immigrant
Entrepreneurship" website in the classroom.
The project has identified more than 200 potential
candidates for biographical essays, and the GHI continues to commission
new essays for publication. A full description of the project can be
found on the website, including guidelines for
authors and a list of available biographies. For more information, or
to be added to the project’s e-newsletter list, please contact entrepreneurship@ghi-dc.org.