Books & Audiobooks
October is German Heritage Month, an opportunity to highlight the contribution of people of German descent to our country.
The Government of Canada reports about 10 percent of Canadians being of German descent, representing more than 3 million people who make a difference in their communities every day.
Join the celebration and discover German Heritage Month reading suggestions, events and more.
Sew a Gingham Heart Ornament
Saturday, October 31
10:00am – 12:00pm | Main Library
Celebrate German Heritage Month by creating a charming hand-sewn gingham heart ornament. This program is open to all skill levels and offers an opportunity to learn, or practice, basic hand-sewing techniques while making a keepsake to take home. Participants need to be able to thread their own needles. All supplies will be provided.
RegisterLocal History Resources
Germans of Waterloo Region
Edited by Mathias Shulze, Grit Liebscher, Sebastian Siebel-Achenbach
This Oral History Project collects the life stories of German-speaking immigrants to Canada via biographic interviews with members of the German-Canadian community who have ties to Waterloo Region. The book focuses on a variety of migration-related topics, such as life before immigration to Canada, the immigration experience, life after arrival in Canada, work experience, language, and maintaining social and cultural heritage.
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Little Paradise: The Saga of the German Canadians of Waterloo County, Ontario
by Gottlieb Leibbrandt
This book details the history of German-speaking immigrants to the area that became Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada.
View BookReading List
Events and Resources
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German Canadian Society
The German-Canadian Society (DKG) is a registered association whose goal in all activities is to promote human, political, cultural and economic relations between Canada and Germany.
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German-Canadian Remembrance Society
The German-Canadian Remembrance Society is a charitable, non-profit organization of Canadian citizens of German descent that helps support projects, annual events and festivities preserve and promote German culture, traditions and heritage in Canada.
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Goethe-Institut Canada
The Goethe-Institut is a worldwide network of German cultural centres which promote the German language and culture abroad.
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Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival celebrating over 50 years, and one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the world.
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SoGerman
SoGerman presents a wide variety of German-related activities and other opportunities taking place across Canada.
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Waterloo Centre for German Studies
The Waterloo Centre for German Studies is a research institute at the University of Waterloo that supports research into all aspects of the German-speaking world and facilitates the communication of German studies research, distributes awards to students wishing to study in Germany, and organizes cultural programming for the university and wider communities.