Bernstadt: The Last Swiss Colony

Authors

Jan Sparkman

Keywords

Swiss immigrants, Laurel County, Kentucky, Bernstadt

Abstract

The final attempt by Swiss immigrants to develop an independent colony in the United States was made in Laurel County, Kentucky, in 1881. This settlement was the result of efforts on the part of Kentucky’s newly-formed Bureau of Immigration to compensate for the fact that the state had been all but ignored by European immigrants in the past. This endeavor was assisted by the active intervention of three men in Switzerland—Otto Brunner, Paul Schenk, and Karl Imobersteg—who were eager to capitalize on Kentucky’s deficiency.

Recommended Citation

Sparkman, Jan (2022) "Bernstadt: The Last Swiss Colony," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 58: No. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol58/iss3/3