German Dialects in Kansas Past and Present

Many 19th-century Kansas communities settled by immigrants speaking German or a German dialect continued to speak these varieties well into the mid-to-late 20th century. These included the Volga Germans near Hays, Austrian Germans near Ellis, Rhineland Catholics in Sedgwick County, Low German Lutherans in Marshall and Washington counties, Hungarian Germans in Rawlins County, and many more.

Social factors led to the gradual demise of these immigrant dialects. These included the introduction of the automobile and paved highways, an increase in high school attendance, and the movement of population from rural areas to cities.

But Kansas continues to receive German-speaking settlers. Today, these are primarily Low German-speaking Mennonites from Mexico’s State of Chihuahua in southwest Kansas, and Old Order Amish, largely from Missouri, settling in southeastern Kansas and speaking either Pennsylvania Dutch or Swiss German.

We will explore the history of German speech in Kansas, both past and present.

About the Speaker

Dr. William D. Keel is a professor emeritus at the University of Kansas and an internationally recognized expert on the German dialects spoken by immigrant communities in the American Midwest. His research explores the languages and settlement histories of German-speaking communities in Kansas and Missouri, including Volga Germans, Mennonites, and Pennsylvania Germans. His work includes the Linguistic Atlas of Kansas German Dialects and efforts to preserve recordings of regional German speech.

A longtime speaker for community audiences, Dr. Keel has been honored for his service to Kansans and his contributions to German-American cultural and educational exchanges.