German Village tour details
Schedule June 12, 2025
9:00 am – Check in at Registration area, then get on bus
9:20 am – Bus leaves for German Village
10:00 am – Visit Trinity Lutheran Church established by immigrants in 1848
10:45am – Visit St Mary Church established by immigrants in 1866
11:30 am – Arrive at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus
Buffet Lunch (included in registration) and brief time to shop
1:00 pm – Continue bus tour with Guide – Visit the Schiller Park area
2:00 pm – Leave for Columbus Metropolitan Library and visit the Palatines to America Collection
3:20 pm – Leave for the Nationwide Conference Center
4:00 pm – Tour ends
Tour Coordinators: Tom Gerke and Roberta Newcomer
Pre-Conference Bus Tour of
German Village and Palatine Collection
Genealogists attending the 2025 International German Genealogy Conference are being offered an extra treat: A bus tour to German Village and the Palatines to America Collection at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. You can reserve your place when registering for the conference.
Starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 12, our bus will transport us to the southern section of Columbus settled by German immigrants in the 19th century. Known for charming brick houses, brick streets and brick sidewalks, German Village has changed little change the past 175 years. Our morning tour includes stops at Trinity Lutheran Church and St. Mary of the Assumption Church, both established in the mid-19th century by German immigrants.
Then we will have a traditional German buffet at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus — bratwurst, chicken, sauerkraut, German potato salad, chunky applesauce, green beans, tossed salad and Schmidt’s famous mini cream puffs for dessert — all included in the registration fee.
Following lunch will be an hour-long guided tour of German Village highlights, including a stop at Schiller Park named in honor Friedrich Schiller, 18th century playwright and poet.
Our last stop is at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, where we will have an hour to explore the German resources in the Palatines to America Collection. Be sure to consult the online catalog prior to the tour.
We will return to Nationwide Conference Center in time for the Welcome Reception at the Vendor Exhibits.
Photo: Schiller Park