Frankenmuth ( ) is a city in Saginaw County 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 so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 4,987 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Frankenmuth Township. The city's name is a combination of two German words: for the region of

Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

from which the original settlers came, and (formerly spelled as ''Muth'') which 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.

History

The area was settled and named by conservative

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

immigrants from Roßtal area of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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

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

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 spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

from New York to

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

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

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of ...

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 were forced away within a few years. The settlers selected a hilly area that reminded them of their native Mittelfranken 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

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...

(), 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The community was originally part of Bridgeport Township and later Frankenmuth Township, 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, Franconian 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, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, 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 (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 population density was . There were 2,240 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.80%

, 0.27%

, 0.21% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races.

or Latino 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, 20.4% of the population was 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% was 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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. Local festivals and other events are held to attract visitors 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 an $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

n-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 Franconia region of

, which include timbers placed 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.

Festivals

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

Oktoberfest Oktoberfest (; ) is the world's largest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven milli ...

. The Frankenmuth Oktoberfest celebrates

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also 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. :By official proclamation of Lord Mayor Christian Ude on behalf of the German Parliament and city of

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Frankenmuth's Oktoberfest was declared in 1996 the first Oktoberfest to operate outside that city with the blessing of the original Oktoberfest. The event was also moved at that time 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, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, 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 holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

, Frankenmuth Autofest is a three-day

car show An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists a ...

that draws over 2,500 classic cars, including

muscle car A muscle car is an American-made two-door sports coupe with a powerful engine, marketed for its performance. In 1949, General Motors introduced its 88 with the company's OHV Rocket V8 engine, which was previously available only in its lux ...

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 from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

music in the park, primarily focusing on

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and 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 African ...

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

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

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 (balloon), gondola or wicker, wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, ...

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 ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, 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 th ...

or a river in Switzerland, over the Cass River in the middle of town. Though completed in 1979, the two-lane 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

Douglas Fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...

, and the decking of of planks. The area receiving the greatest wear is of oak, while the remainder is spruce. Approximately of Douglas Fir make up the rafters, and the roof is shingled with cedar. An additional of pine was required for the bridge side boards. The 230-ton structure was built in place on the east bank of the river, then pulled into position over the river with a capstan and pulleys. It is wide enough to accommodate two pedestrian walkways in addition to auto traffic.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park is Frankenmuth's best-known park. Located at 601 Weiss Street, it 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. Other features include 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 () is located in the town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg in the Austrian province of Salzburg (state), Salzburg, and is a monument to the Christmas carol "Silent Night", its lyricist Joseph Mohr, and its composer Franz Xaver Gr ...

, is located on the southern end of the property of Bronner's.

September 11th Memorial

A 900-pound, 10-foot twisted piece of I-beam steel recovered from the remains of the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center destroyed on 9/11/2001 stands outside the Frankenmuth joint police/fire department headquarters on the fire department's side of the building. Donated to the Frankenmuth Fire Department during the cleanup and recovery operations in New York City following the destruction of the Twin Towers by Al Qaeda hijacked aircraft and subsequent collapse of the two 110-story buildings, the piece of steel, mounted on a granite base shaped like

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

, allows visitors to look at the historical piece of American history, and read about the events of that tragic day on the panels located on the base of the memorial.

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 (; ) 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 nationally recognized recreation a ...

Notable residents

* Eduard Raimund Baierlein (1819–1901), German missionary * Frederick William Danker (1920–2012), lexicographer * Ludwig E. Fuerbringer (1864–1947), Lutheran academic * Kenneth Horn (1959–), Michigan state senator * Greta Van Fleet, rock band containing Josh Kiszka (Vocals), Jake Kiszka (Guitar), Sam Kiszka (Bass, Keyboard), and Danny Wagner (Drums)

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 restaurant File:Covered bridge entrance, Frankenmuth, Michigan, 2015-01-11.jpg, Covered bridge crossing the Cass River File:Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.JPG, Bronner's Christmas Wonderland File:Frankenmuth (23 Dec 2019).jpg, Christmas night scene in downtown Frankenmuth File:Frankenmuth horse and carriage.jpg, Horse and carriages along Main Street

Notes

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