Frankenmuth is a city in

Saginaw County Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully orga ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The population was 4,944 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by

Frankenmuth Township Frankenmuth Township is a civil township of Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,895 at the 2020 Census. The city of Frankenmuth is located within the survey township area, but the township and city are administrated ...

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland Bronner's Christmas Wonderland (stylized Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland) is a retail store in Frankenmuth, Michigan, that promotes itself as the "World's Largest Christmas Store". Designed with an Alpine architecture (see chalet), the buildin ...

, which bills itself as "the World's Largest

Christmas Store A Christmas store is a retail store specializing in Christmas supplies, especially decorations. Many Christmas stores operate only seasonally in the month or two before the Christmas holidays, perhaps set up in otherwise vacant shopping mall spac ...

", is located in Frankenmuth. The city's name is a combination of two words. ''Franken'' represents the Province of Franconia in the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...

from which the original settlers came, and the German word ''Mut'' means "courage." Thus, the name Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians". The most popular nickname is "Little Bavaria", in reference to the city's German heritage, but the city is also nicknamed "Muth".

History

The area was settled and named by conservative Lutheran immigrants from

Roßtal Roßtal is a market town in the district of Fürth, Bavaria, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the mos ...

area of

Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The group of settlers left Germany aboard the ''Caroline'' on April 20, 1845, and arrived at

Castle Garden Castle Clinton (also known as Fort Clinton and Castle Garden) is a circular sandstone fort within Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1808 to 1811, it was the first American immigration station, predating ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

seven weeks later. They traveled via canals and the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

from New York to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

and arrived in August 1845. Sailing then on the ''Nelson Smith'', the settlers made their way to

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

and traveled over land to what is now the city of Frankenmuth. The purpose of the settlement was primarily religious. The Lutheran group planned to start a mission among the Native Americans. One of the first large buildings was a church. However, their attempts to convert the local groups failed because most of the Native Americans moved away within a few years. The settlers selected a hilly area that reminded them of their native

Mittelfranken Middle Franconia (german: Mittelfranken, ) is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the west of Bavaria and borders the state of Baden-Württemberg. The administrative seat is Ansbach; however ...

and began building rough shelters there. Frankenmuth was to be an exclusively German Lutheran community. The colonists pledged to remain loyal to Germany, specifically the

(german: Königreich Bayern), and to be faithful to the German language. Germans continued arriving until the start of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The community was originally part of Bridgeport Township and later

, Frankenmuth became a village in 1904. In 1938, the village hired its first village manager, Herbert L. Keinath. The village was incorporated as a city on October 1, 1959, with Keinath becoming city manager. The nearby villages of Frankenlust, Frankentrost, and Frankenhilf (now known as Richville) further illustrate that the area remained a magnet for other Germans emigrating from the same region. The German, and in particular,

n culture of the town has been preserved and passed down through the generations. The German language is still prevalent in signage and speech, and German speakers continue to reside in the town. In addition, the church of St. Lorenz offers monthly services in the German language.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The Cass River passes through the town.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 4,944 people, 2,200 households, and 1,313 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 2,396 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.9% of the population. There were 2,200 households, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 50.1 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.9% were from 25 to 44; 28% were from 45 to 64; and 28.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.9% male and 55.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,838 people, 2,123 households, and 1,322 families residing in the city. The

was 1,773.6 per square mile (684.2/km²). There were 2,240 housing units at an average density of 821.2 per square mile (316.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.80%

, 0.27%

, 0.21% Native American, 0.29%

, 0.06% from

, and 0.37% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.95% of the population. Citizens with German ancestry formed nearly 53% of the city population. 24.8% households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were

living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $51,153, and the median income for a family was $71,667. Males had a median income of $51,004 versus $29,959 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $30,479. About 2.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Tourism and farming drive the local economy. Frankenmuth also attracts tourists with festivals and other events throughout the year. In addition to tourism, a significant number of residents in and around the community work in agriculture. In late 2022, it was announced that the Bavarian Inn Lodge would break ground on a $80 million, 140,000 square foot expansion of the resort, with the water park becoming the largest indoor park in Michigan and the 4th largest in the world.

Architecture

The strong influence of Franconian-style architecture can be found in most areas of the city. Most buildings in the commercial district, as well as many homes, feature stylistic interpretations of the timber-framed buildings found in the

region of

. This style is marked by the use of timbers in "square" and "X" patterns on the outside of buildings, as well as the use of "X" patterns on windows, doors, and other building features.

Government

The city has a council–manager form of government. The city is served by the

Frankenmuth School District Frankenmuth School District is a school district headquartered in Frankenmuth, Michigan. It is a part of the Saginaw Intermediate School District and serves the Frankenmuth area. Its schools include the Preschool, List Elementary School, E.F. Ri ...

Festivals

*Oktoberfest: In 1990, Frankenmuth, also known as "Michigan's Little Bavaria," celebrated its first

Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest (; bar, Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or ...

. The Frankenmuth Oktoberfest celebrates

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

culture, heritage and love. Frankenmuth has a unique German heritage and culture. The Frankenmuth Oktoberfest strives to preserve and share the sights and sounds as well as the food and drink of the Munich Oktoberfest. The goal of the festival is to also retain and celebrate the local Bavarian heritage of the region. Frankenmuth is the first Oktoberfest outside of

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

to be sanctioned by the Parliament and the City of Munich. :When Lord Mayor Christian Ude and the German Parliament from Munich gave the official proclamation in 1996, Frankenmuth's Oktoberfest was declared the first Oktoberfest to operate with the blessing of the original Oktoberfest in Munich. With this proclamation, the event was moved into September to coincide with the opening of the Munich event. Also, for the first time in its history, the world-famous Hofbräuhaus brewery of Munich exported its beer to the United States. Local businessman Fred Schumacher, who later became president of Hofbräuhaus of America, handled the arrangements for getting the beer to Frankenmuth in time for the Oktoberfest. Frankenmuth's Oktoberfest is considered one of the most important and popular autumn festivals in the United States. *Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival: This is Michigan's largest Bavarian heritage festival. Beginning in 1959, it is an annual summer celebration of Bavarian culture and values through food, drink, traditional activities and music. *Frankenmuth SnowFest: Frankenmuth is also host to one of the top snow-sculpting events in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, Zehnder's SnowFest, which includes the United States Collegiate National Ice Carving Championships. *Frankenmuth Fire Muster: For several years, on the last Saturday in July, the Great Lakes International Antique Fire Apparatus Association (GLIAFAA) holds their annual fire muster, complete with parade, at Heritage Park, displaying restored antique vintage fire trucks, along with several ambulances and police cars, for the public to view and learn a little about the vehicles, their time in active service, and how they came into the ownership of their preservationists, including several of the apparatus showing off their firefighting capabilities along the riverfront. *Frankenmuth Autofest: Held annually on the weekend following

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

, Frankenmuth Autofest is a three-day car show that draws over 2,500 classic cars, including

muscle car Muscle car is a description according to ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The '' Britannica Dictionary'' ...

s and street rods. The first day features a

block party A block party or street party is a party in which many members of a single community congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual solidarity and enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which ofte ...

on Main Street, with the vehicles on display in Heritage Park the following two days. On the display days, a live DJ plays

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

music in the park, primarily focusing on

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

music of the 1950s and 1960s. *Michigan's Big Country Fest: An event showcasing

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

held the third week of October. *Frankenmuth Dog Bowl and Balloons Over Bavarian Inn: Held on Memorial Day Weekend, this festival is billed as "the world's largest Olympic-style fest for dogs" and features dock and disc dog competitions, sheep herding demonstrations, agility competition, a pet costume contest and parade, a wiener dog race, and other events. In conjunction with Dog Bowl is Balloons Over Bavarian Inn, a competitive event for

hot air balloons A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...

featuring balloon glow events each night and balloon flights each morning and evening of the festival.

Places of interest

Covered bridge

Zehnder's Holzbrücke (German for ''wooden bridge'') is a wooden covered bridge, built in a style similar to those of the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

or a river valley in Switzerland, over the Cass River in the middle of town. Though completed in 1979, the structure was constructed using traditional covered-bridge timber framing techniques. The floor joists and three-span Town lattice truss system of the bridge are made of of planks. The portion receiving the greatest wear is of oak while the remaining portion is spruce. of

Douglas Fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

make up the rafters and the roof is shingled with cedar. An additional of pine was required for the bridge side boards. In addition to two lanes for automobile traffic, the bridge also has two pedestrian walkways.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park is Frankenmuth's most well-known park. It is located at 601 Weiss Street and is home to many community activities, festivals, and large events. The Harvey E. Kern Community Pavilion is the newest addition and has become a focal point of the park. The park also features four picnic pavilions, three ball diamonds, playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, basketball court, a riverwalk pathway, and several facilities for festivals.

Silent-Night-Chapel Replica

A scale replica of the

Silent-Night-Chapel The Silent Night Chapel (german: Stille-Nacht-Kapelle) is located in the town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg in the Austrian province of Salzburg, and is a monument to the Christmas carol "Silent Night", its lyricist Joseph Mohr, and its composer Fran ...

, where "

Silent Night "Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...

" was originally performed in 1818, is located on the southern end of the property of Bronner's.

Print media

''Frankenmuth News''

The ''Frankenmuth News'' has been Frankenmuth's primary newspaper since 1906. It is released on a weekly basis (Wednesday for news stands and Thursday for residential) and focuses on issues of local concern.''Frankenmuth News''
/ref>

Sister city

Gunzenhausen Gunzenhausen (; bar, Gunzenhausn, link=no) is a town in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Altmühl, northwest of Weißenburg in Bayern, and southwest of Nuremberg. Gunzenhausen is a nation ...

Notable residents

* Eduard Raimund Baierlein (1819-1901), German missionary *

Frederick William Danker Frederick William Danker (; July 12, 1920 – February 2, 2012) was a Christ Seminary–Seminex Professor Emeritus of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Illinois. Danker was a noted New Testament scholar and the pre-e ...

(1920-2012), lexicographer * Ludwig E. Fuerbringer (1864-1947), Lutheran academic * Kenneth Horn (1959-), Michigan state senator *

Greta Van Fleet Greta Van Fleet is an American rock band from Frankenmuth, Michigan, formed in 2012. It consists of Kiszka brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam (bass guitar, keyboards); and Danny Wagner (drums). They were signed to Lava Records in M ...

, rock band

Gallery

File:Field and trees in Frankenmuth, Michigan, US.jpg, Field and trees in the autumn in Frankenmuth File:Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth, Michigan, 2015-01-11 01.jpg, Bavarian Inn Lodge File:Wiki Frankenmuth old mill 58.jpg, The Nickless-Hubinger Flour Mill File:FrankenmuthVisitorCenter.JPG, Frankenmuth Visitor Center File:Riverside shops, Frankenmuth, Michigan, 2015-01-11 02.jpg, Frankemuth River Place Shops File:Frankemuth architecture (Rummel Platz building).jpg, Rummel Platz building File:Zehnder's Chicken Restaurant, Frankenmuth, Michigan, 2015-01-11 01.jpg,

Zehnder's Zehnder's is a large restaurant in Frankenmuth, Michigan. It has seating for 1,500 people and features all-you-can-eat family-style chicken dinners, seafood, steaks, fresh baked goods and European desserts. Every year Zehnder's serves almost a m ...

restaurant File:Covered bridge entrance, Frankenmuth, Michigan, 2015-01-11.jpg, Covered bridge crossing the Cass River File:Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.JPG,

File:Frankenmuth (23 Dec 2019).jpg, Christmas night scene in downtown Frankenmuth File:Frankenmuth horse and carriage.jpg, Horse and carriages along Main Street

References

External links

*
City of Frankenmuth

Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau
* {{Authority control German-American history Cities in Saginaw County, Michigan Populated places established in 1845 German communities in the United States German-American culture in Michigan 1845 establishments in Michigan