In October 1938, the Nazis came to the U.S. in the form of a parade on 86th Street, held by an organization called the German American Bund. Headquartered in the then–heavily German neighborhood of Yorkville, the Bund was run by Americans of German descent who thought that Hitler was onto something as he ravaged Europe and planned to take over the world.
About 800 marchers carrying American and Nazi flags got started on East End Avenue, heading toward Lexington. Watching them were 1,300 policemen, there to keep order in case fights broke out. Only a few scuffles did.
The marchers weren’t totally welcome; they were greeted with a mix of heils and boos. Mayor La Guardia condemned the parade and accused organizers of inciting racial hatred.
The Bund continued to gather steam, organizing an anti-American rally in Madison Square Garden in 1939 that attracted 20,000 people. But when Pearl Harbor was attacked and America entered World War II, many Bund members were sent to internment camps, and the group withered away.
Tags: anti-American rally in Madison Square Garden, German American Bund, Hitler and New York City, pro-Nazi rally
March 23, 2009 at 5:12 pm |
thanks so much for bringing this to people’s attention. when i was growing up there were still neonazi rallies in yorkville. i can remember a platform set up facing the avenue in the block of 83rd-84th street. somebody orated, while a goon faced the sidewalk screaming “get out of here you dirty jews! we don’t need you!” i wouldn’t believe this could have happened – in the 1960s! – if i hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.
March 23, 2009 at 5:17 pm |
That is really shocking, and in the 1960s too. Thanks for the info.
March 24, 2009 at 9:27 am |
it’s so shocking that occasionally i doubt my memory, but indeed it went on. i once had a blind date with a jewish girl on the west side who said she’d be wary of visiting me on the east side because of the bund. she was playing it up, but there was certainly a kernel of truth in it.
March 24, 2009 at 4:18 pm |
what part of 86th street is that, can anybody tell?
March 24, 2009 at 10:23 pm |
i think the sign above Jacob Herrlich Sons says ’332′.
March 29, 2009 at 5:51 am |
[...] Ephemeral New York has photos of the time the Nazis paraded in Manhattan. [...]
April 1, 2009 at 11:20 am |
[...] — the “New Jersey Nazis,” as they were known. You can laugh about it now, but as Ephemeral New York reminds us, there was a time when the Bund was no [...]
February 25, 2010 at 10:21 pm |
The Jacob Herrlich Sons, Inc. Funeral Chapel (pictured in the photo) was founded in 1875 by Jacob Herrlich. The firm was continued for three generations by the same family. Under the direction of a grandson, [the late] Herbert J. Herrlich, the firm merged with the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Church in the early 1950′s. For quite a number of years Herbert J. Herrlich was a manager of Campbell’s. He died in the early 1980′s. The building in the photograph was located at 332 East 86th Street. After the merger with Campbell’s it was closed. However a second Herrlich location, on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, continued on for some time. Victor C. Ernst, Toronto.
February 28, 2010 at 7:36 pm |
My great grandfather was Christian Herrlich of C. Herrlich Bros. undertakers. Would you know if Jacob and Christian were related? I have been working on my family tree and the Herrlichs are very difficult for me to follow! Any info you can provide would be appreciated. Christian lived in the Bronx, Woodlawn Heights neighborhood and his son Henry (my grandfather) was also an undertaker.
Thank you
July 9, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Dear Ms. Stapf,
I have recently come across a very old paper fan with an advertisement for “Jacob Herrlich Sons Funeral Directors”. I am not sure what year the fan is from but it does list two locations for their business. One was the Yorkville Memorial Chapel and the other was the Tremont Funeral Home.
There is a humerous piece of ad on the back entitled “What– No Charge of Music”.
Would you be interested in buying this historical piece? I ask only for a fair price that you feel is worth having the fan. It has a beautiful waterfall scene on the front and is good shape. I also have a second fan that has some water damage but no advertisement on the back. The fans look so much alike I can only guess they are from the same establishment.
Please let me know whether you are interested or not. I will be happy to provide pictures you are interested.
July 9, 2010 at 8:41 pm |
Mr. Ernst,
In searching for Jacob Herrich Sons on-line I came across your comment on Ephemeral New York regarding some history related to the Funeral Directors. In my travels I have come across a very old looking hand-held paper fan with an advertisement of their place of business on it. There is a lovely waterfall picture on the front with a black bear standing at the bottom of the falls. On the back of the fan their is an advertisement piece about not charging for music at their funerals.
I am not sure if you could give me any information about the year of this fan but I would be most appreciative of any one I could contact about the fan’s worth.
Thank you so much for your help and consideration.
May 27, 2011 at 1:30 am |
[...] though some German food specialty stores still exist along East 86th Street, the “German Boulevard” is nothing like it was in its [...]
June 21, 2011 at 10:57 pm |
FYI: That view is from the NE corner of 2nd avenue @ 86th street looking towards 1st Avenue.
June 21, 2011 at 11:00 pm |
I believe that building on the far right is where M. Rohr’s Coffee is currently.
http://www.rohrs.com/index.asp
November 1, 2011 at 7:34 am |
I believe the correct date of the march was October 30, 1939…not 1938.
The photograph was taken from the North side of 86th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue.
November 27, 2011 at 4:55 am |
So, would it be fair to say that something positive came out of the internment camp situation? That the Bund wasn’t able to gather steam?
April 23, 2012 at 2:11 am |
[...] life through the 20th century. This new Kleindeutschland was a hub for German food, culture, and politics for [...]
June 21, 2012 at 2:03 pm |
Petey ,I remember the platforms also along 2and ave and could not remember what the rallies were about but that I remember them happening in the 1960′s and the police use to go ontop of my roof when these rallies took place and I remember one time , as a child , I had looked out the window to see what was going on and a police officer yelled up at me to get inside my window and not to look outside , I also remember the police carrying rifles or something similar . When I use to talk about this happening , no one I knew remembered it , I was glad to see Petey’s post that it did indeed happened and my memory did not fail me .