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Der Verein fur das Deutschtum im Ausland (The Society for Germans Abroad - VDA) was formed as a private institution in 1881 as the Allgemeiner deutscher Schulverein (General Society of German Schools), but in 1908 was renamed the VDA with the mandate to defend the German language and culture in foreign countries through education. Its main areas of interest were the schools in the border regions of Austria-Hungary and the German settlements of central-eastern Europe.(1) It was the oldest private, non-political organization protecting German culture and heritage abroad from assimilation.(2) Prior to World War I (WWI) some interest was paid to distant lands such as Canada(3) - the VDA had written some articles on Canada's Deutschtum(4) and established preliminary contacts with the German-Canadian press, e.g. Der Nordwesten, 1907.(5) This article will examine the VDA's publications and their assessment of Canada and its Deutschtum(6) before the outbreak of WWI. These observations are based on correspondence to the VDA administration and travels in Canada by Alwin Oppel, Robert Streit, and Dr. Hammann-Perleberg - all correspondence took place after the turn of the century.
Similar to many Germans, the VDA's vision of Canada was linked to its sparse population, large tracts of virgin land, beautiful scenery,(7) and abundant natural resources(8) - the country was praised as a paradise for hunters and fishers alike.(9) VDA contributor Dr. Hammann-Perleberg wrote that "for most of those [in Germany] that belong to the educated elite Canada is hardly more than a geographical expression," but he also warned that Canadian misconceptions of Germany were of an equally grand scale.(10)
The VDA's appraisal of the country was also influenced by current emigration trends from Germany, Eastern Europe, and the United States of America. It was widely recognized that the emigration of German citizens was a fraction of the German speakers entering Canada - most were from eastern Europe. Germans were generally recognized as being hardworking and ambitious contributors to Canadian society.(11) They were welcome additions not only due to their honesty and diligence, but also for their thoroughness with any given task.(12) Especially after their immediate arrival, Germans were aware that moderate expectations and thriftiness were keys to achieving success,(13) yet the VDA bemoaned that Canada did not allow closed German settlements - Canadian...