German-Canadian history in British Columbia began with the onset of the

Fraser Gold Rush The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's c ...

in 1858, when Germans, Austrians, Swiss Germans and other German-ethnic men arrived in British Columbia ''en masse'' as part of the migration to the new Colony of British Columbia from the California goldfields.''Strangers Entertained'', Government of British Columbia, 1971'' Many notable figures in that gold rush and the subsequent

Cariboo Gold Rush The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Colony of British Columbia, which later joined the Canadian province of British Columbia. The first gold discovery was made at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by more strikes in 1859 on the Horsefly Rive ...

and other

British Columbia gold rushes British Columbia gold rushes were important episodes in the history and settlement of European, Canadian and Chinese peoples in western Canada. The presence of gold in what is now British Columbia is spoken of in many old legends that, in part, led ...

, with many staying on and settling, including many who founded ranches such as the Richter Ranch between Oliver and

Keremeos Keremeos () is a village in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos ...

. Like the rest of the province, Greater Vancouver has had historic immigration from Germany. Many from southwest Germany arrived in the newly settled Vancouver. Some were in the middle class, and some worked as shopkeepers and craftspersons. A wave of post-

World War II 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 opposing ...

immigration also came from Germany.Pang, Guek-Cheng. ''Culture Shock! Vancouver''. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd, August 15, 2010. , 9789814484800. p
33
There were about 8,000 ethnic Germans born outside Canada who resided in Vancouver in 1960.Macdonald, Norbert (

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

). "Population Growth and Change in Seattle and Vancouver, 1880-1960" (Chapter 16). In: Friesen, J. (editor). ''Historical Essays on British Columbia'' (Issue 96 of Carleton library). McGill-Queen's Press (MQUP), 1980. , 9780771556944. Start p
201
CITED: p
218

Geography

The Fraser Street area was a point of settlement for the German community, and it was called "Little Germany" from the 1940s through the 1960s.Pang, Guek-Cheng. ''Culture Shock! Vancouver''. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd, August 15, 2010. , 9789814484800. p
3334
An area of Vancouver along Robson Street received the name "Robsonstrasse" after World War II because it had a number of German restaurants, including delicatessens and pastry shops, established by new German immigrants. There was additional German settlement in the West End.

Institutions

Historically German immigrants had formed German clubs to continue German culture.

References

External links

German Canadian Business Association
(GCBA)
Vancouver German School

Vancouver Westside German School

German-Canadian Care Home
{{German diaspora Ethnic groups in Vancouver European-Canadian culture in British Columbia

Geography

Institutions

References

Further reading

External links