Alberta's
German-speaking community—it really ought to be called " group of communities" because it
consists of several diverse ethnic groups with many different geographical
origins and religious affiliations—has a long and proud history. Immigrants
from constituent parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia and its
successor states—either directly or via the U.S.—and from Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland have been among the founders of the sociocultural and economic
fabric of the province. They settled in virtually all areas of the
province, urban and rural, some in remote and isolated areas, others on
homesteads scattered across the landscape or in colonies, and others again in the towns and
cities in ethnic neighbourhoods or by themselves. Historically and numerically, German-Albertans have played a significant role in the province's history, and they still are among the largest ethnic groups in the province:
According to the 2011 Census, about 743,500
Albertans claim some measure of German, Austrian, or Swiss ethnic heritage in
their origin. Albertans of German origin (683,830) occupy third position after
English (about 886,760 single and multiple responses) and Canadian origin (776,695), and ahead of Scottish
(670,955), Irish (565,120), French (396,115), Ukrainian (345,410), Dutch (182,270), North
American Indian (177,140), Polish (174,380), and Chinese (155,960). German mother tongue in Alberta ranks in third place (64,580) after English (2,775,660) and Tagalog (67,390). It is followed by French (64,475), Punjabi (49,805), Chinese (46,160), Spanish (41,960), Cantonese (36,245), Arabic (26,050) and - another Albertan pioneer language - Ukrainian (24,345). German as a home
language, "the language spoken most often at home," may be the best
yardstick of the linguistic and cultural viability of an ethnic group. The 2011 Census reported 35,490 Albertans who spoke German "most often" at home, and another 18,190 spoke German "regularly" in the home environment.
But who are these people? Recent immigrants from German-speaking countries or the descendants of pioneer immigrants?
Click on the links on the left for more information about "the Germans" in Alberta.
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