Book Review: Heritage on Stage: The Invention of Ethnic Place in America's Little Switzerland

Authors

Cheryl Ganz

Keywords

Littler Switzerland, Wisconsin history, New Glarus

Abstract

Yodeling, alphoms, cowbells, Wilhelm Tell, cheese, chalets, and cantonal flags conjure up either nostalgic images of a romantic Swiss folklore culture in the pre-industrial world or a visit to the Wisconsin town of New Glarus, popularly known as "America• s Little Switzerland." A visitor from Basel remarked that New Glarus seemed "more Swiss than Switzerland." Steven D. Hoelscher argues that the community invented "ethnic place" by its continual reinterpretation of ethnicity and by its reshaping of "Swissness" over time through its landscapes, museums, festivals, and cultural performances. It is this conspicuous construction of American ethnic heritage, identity, and place that Hoelscher examines in Heritage on Stage, which covers the period from the founding of New Glarus in 1845 until its sesquicentennial.

Recommended Citation

Ganz, Cheryl (1999) "Book Review: Heritage on Stage: The Invention of Ethnic Place in America's Little Switzerland," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 35: No. 3, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol35/iss3/7