J. Hanno Deiler Papers
Biographical Note | Scope & Content Note
Biographical Note
John Hanno Deiler was born at Altoetting, Upper Bavaria on August 8, 1849, the second son of Konrad and Magdalena Deiler. Deiler attended the public schools in his hometown. He also received training in music from a Bavarian court composer and from his father who was a court musician. In 1866 he won a scholarship to the Royal Normal College of Munich; in 1868 he graduated from that institution with honors. He then held government appointments as a teacher in several schools. While teaching in Munich, he furthered his own education at the Royal Polytechnic Institute and at the University of Munich. In 1871 he accepted a position as principal of a German school in New Orleans. He arrived in New Orleans early in 1872 and later that year married Wilhelmina Saganowski. In 1879 he became professor of German at the University of Louisiana, which later became Tulane University.
It was Deiler's ambition to cultivate a taste for German literature, culture, and song in New Orleans and to improve the condition of Germans in the United States. Toward these ends he helped establish and participated in several organizations. He served for many years as director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft, an immigrant aid society. He started the German Archives for the History of the Germans in the South, now in the possession of the Deutsches Haus in New Orleans. In 1882 he founded and served as president of the New Orleans Quartette Club, which was dedicated to the preservation of German culture and song. Through his efforts the twenty-sixth national Saengerfest of the North American Singers' Union was held in New Orleans in 1890. For this event Deiler served as director-general and leader of the mass choruses. He went on to represent the union at the Saengerfests in Vienna in 1890 and at Stuttgart in 1896. He was elected president of the North American Singers' Union, first in 1896 and then again in 1903. He also wrote extensively about Germans. He was president of the New Orleans German Gazette Publishing Company. He contributed to numerous German and American periodicals. His research interests focused on the history of Germans in the United States, especially in Louisiana. His publications on this topic included many articles and one book, The Settlement of the German Coast of Louisiana and the Creoles of German Descent (Philadelphia, 1909). In 1898 the German Emperor recognized Deiler's literary achievements and his services to the German people in the U.S. by conferring upon him knighthood in the Order of the Crown.
Deiler died at his summer home in Covington, Louisiana on July 20, 1909.
Scope and Content Note
Collection #4
1.5 Linear Feet
These papers consist principally of notes Deiler took while researching the history of Germans and German-Americans in Louisiana. They also contain writings by Deiler, a small amount of correspondence, and miscellaneous items. Much of the material is undated; most items probably originated between 1890 and 1909. The papers are arranged into four series: Research Notes; Family Histories; Writings; Miscellaneous.
To help preserve the original material, much of which is fragile, most of the folders have been copied. Originals are found in boxes 1 and 2; copies are found in boxes 3 and 4. Whenever possible, researchers should use copies instead of originals.
Series Description
Series I -- Research Notes
Box 1, Folders 1-32; copies in Box 3, Folders 1-30.
Deiler's research notes. Primarily about Germans in Louisiana. Sources for notes include ship lists, census records, and church and parish records. Arranged alphabetically by title.
Series II -- Family Histories
Box 1, Folders 33-47 and Box 2, Folders 1-13; copies in Box 3,
folders 31-54 and Box 4, Folders 1-2.
Deiler's research notes on genealogy of twenty-eight Louisiana German families. Arranged alphabetically by family name.
Series III -- Writings
Box 2, Folders 14-22; copies in Box 4, Folders 3-9.
Some of Deiler's writings and speeches.
Series IV -- Miscellaneous
Box 2, Folders 23-27; copies in Box 4, Folders 10-12.
Varied material--correspondence, newspaper articles,
1763 marriage contract, assorted envelopes.
Container Listing
Box 1. Folder
1. Baptismal Records of German Families
2. Census of German Villages, 1724
3. Censuses: 1726, 1731, 1732
4. Church and Parish Records: Baton Rouge, 1796-1896
5. Church and Parish Records: Carrollton, 1848-1900
6. Church and Parish Records: Donaldsonville, 1772-1898
7. Church and Parish Records: Houma, 1850-1899
8. Church and Parish Records: Labadieville, 1853-1904
9. Church and Parish Records: Lafourche Parish, 1825-1904
10. Church and Parish Records: Napoleonville, 1857-1904
11. Church and Parish Records: Peattenville, 1798-1898
12. Church and Parish Records: Plaquemine, 1852-1905
13. Church and Parish Records: Poincourtville, 1849-1897
14. Church and Parish Records: Pointe Coupee, 1738-1893
15. Church and Parish Records: St. Tammany Parish, 1850-1885
16. Church and Parish Records: Thibodaux, 1787-1900
17. Church and Parish Records: West Baton Rouge, 1858-1904
18. Church Records: Holy Rosary Church--St. Charles Parish, 1878-1902
19. Church Records: St. Augustine Church, 1843-1902
20. Church Records: St. Gabriel, 1777-1881
21. Church Records: St. John the Baptist Church--marriage records, 1772-1880
22. Church Records: St. John the Baptist Church--mortuary records, 1772-1880
23. Church Records: St. Louis Cathedral, 1731-1877
24. Church Records: St. Paul's Church of Iberville Parish, 1877-1905
25. Church Records: St. Peter's Church, 1839-1902
26. Church Records: St. Philipp's Church of St. James Parish, 1873-1906.
27. Church Records: St. Vincent's Church, 1864-1891
28. German Newspapers Published in the U.S.
29. Native-Born Germans in Selected States, 1850-1900
30. Ship Lists
31. Miscellaneous
32. Miscellaneous
33. Bura Family, 1762-1840
34. Cambre Family, 1744-1901
35. Clement Family, 1778-1897
36. D'arensbourg Family, 1721-1902
37. Edelmayer Family, 1721-1874
38. Ettler Family, 1750-1874
39. Foltz-Tregre Family, 1774-1901
40. Friedrich Family, 1726-1898
41. Held (Helte)-Schaefer Family, 1721-1895
42. Hofmann-Jacob Family, 1736-1893
43. Huber Family, 1721-1902
44. Hymel-Haydel Family, 1737-1902
45. Jacob Family, 1774-1877
46. Kerne Family, 1795-1901
47. Kleinpeter Family, 1774-1904
Box 2. Folder
1. Krebs Family, 1721-1906
2. Leche Family, 1721-1905
3. Ory Family, 1755-1897
4. Percle Family, 1772-1899
5. Rixner Family, 1728-1890
6. Schexschneider Family, 1772-1903
7. Tregre-Mayer Family, 1762-1894
8. Triche Family, 1753-1902
9. Troxler Family, 1728-1903
10. Wichner Family, 1720-1887
11. Wiltz-Langlois Family, 1702-1887
12. Zeringue-Hertle Family, 1720-1902
13. Zweig-Labranche Family, 1721-1902
14. "Count de Leon, Duke of Jerusalem and the Colony 'Germantown,' Webster Parish, Louisiana"
15. Untitled essay on history of the newspaper in the U.S., ca. 1903
16. "European Immigration into the United States, 1820-1896"
17. "European Immigration into the United States from 1820 to 1900"
18. "The Germans in the Southern States"
19. "[The Germans in] Texas"
20. "Friedrich Nietzsche"
21. "Zum Nibelungenliede"
22. Miscellaneous Fragments
23. Correspondence
24. Delery-Delachaise Marriage Contract, 1763
25. Newspaper Articles
26. Miscellaneous Envelopes
27. Miscellaneous Envelopes
Box 3. Folder (copies)
1. Baptismal Records of German Families
2. Census of German Villages, 1724
3. Censuses: 1726, 1731, 1732
4. Church and Parish Records: Baton Rouge, 1796-1896
5. Church and Parish Records: Carrollton, 1848-1900
6. Church and Parish Records: Donaldsonville, 1772-1898
7. Church and Parish Records: Houma, 1850-1899
8. Church and Parish Records: Labadieville, 1853-1904
9. Church and Parish Records: Lafourche Parish, 1825-1904
10. Church and Parish Records: Napoleonville, 1857-1904
11. Church and Parish Records: Peattenville, 1798-1898
12. Church and Parish Records: Plaquemine, 1852-1905
13. Church and Parish Records: Poincourtville, 1849-1897
14. Church and Parish Records: Pointe Coupee, 1738-1893
15. Church and Parish Records: St. Tammany Parish, 1850-1885
16. Church and Parish Records: Thibodaux, 1787-1900
17. Church and Parish Records: West Baton Rouge, 1858-1904
18. Church Records: Holy Rosary Church--St. Charles Parish, 1878-1902
19. Church Records: St. Augustine Church, 1843-1902
20. Church Records: St. Gabriel, 1777-1881
21. Church Records: St. John the Baptist Church--marriage records, 1772-1880
22. Church Records: St. John the Baptist Church--mortuary records, 1772-1880
23. Church Records: St. Louis Cathedral, 1731-1877
24. Church Records: St. Paul's Church of Iberville Parish, 1877-1905
25. Church Records: St. Peter's Church, 1839-1902
26. Church Records: St. Philipp's Church of St. James Parish, 1873-1906
27. Church Records: St. Vincent's Church, 1864-1891
28. German Newspapers Published in the U.S.
29. Ship Lists
30. Miscellaneous
31. Bura Family, 1762-1840
32. Cambre Family, 1744-1901
33. Clement Family, 1778-1897
34. D'arensbourg Family, 1721-1902
35. Edelmayer Family, 1721-1874
36. Ettler Family, 1750-1874
37. Foltz-Tregre Family, 1774-1901
38. Friedrich Family, 1726-1898
39. Held (Helte)-Schaefer Family, 1721-1895
40. Huber Family, 1721-1902
41. Hymel-Haydel Family, 1737-1902
42. Jacob Family, 1774-1877
43. Kerne Family, 1795-1901
44. Kleinpeter Family, 1774-1904
45. Krebs Family, 1721-1906
46. Leche Family, 1721-1905
47. Ory Family, 1755-1897
48. Percle Family, 1772-1899
49. Rixner Family, 1728-1890
50. Schexschneider Family, 1772-1903
51. Tregre-Mayer Family, 1762-1894
52. Troxler Family, 1728-1903
53. Wichner Family, 1720-1887
54. Wiltz-Langlois Family, 1702-1887
Box 4. Folder (copies)
1. Zeringue-Hertle Family, 1720-1902
2. Zweig-Labranche Family, 1721-1902
3. Untitled essay on history of the newspaper in the U.S., ca. 1903
4. "European Immigration into the United States, 1820-1896"
5. "The Germans in the Southern States"
6. "[The Germans in] Texas"
7. "Friedrich Nietzsche"
8. "Zum Nibelungenliede"
9. Miscellaneous Fragments
10. Delery-Delachaise Marriage Contract, 1763
11. Newspaper Articles
12. Newspaper Articles
