Coffee Talk
Thursday, June 12 • 1:30p
Die Geschichte des deutschen Chicago
(The History of German Chicago)
— with Mike Haas —
Location: Des Plaines History Center, 781 Pearson Street
Discover how German immigrants helped shape the city’s identity through major events like the 1854 Lager Beer Riot, the Civil War, and the infamous 1886 Haymarket Labor Riot. Learn about their lasting influence on Chicago’s music scene, including the founding of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and explore the German influence on Chicago’s architecture—from ornate churches and bustling schools to bridges, hospitals, parks, and even skyscrapers.
Meet some of the entrepreneurial legends of German Chicago, including Ignaz Schwinn (bicycles), Oscar Mayer (sausages), and Emil Brach (candy), and stroll through the historic "Nord Seit" neighborhoods, where most German immigrants settled along Lincoln Avenue aka “Sauerkraut Boulevard” from Old Town to Lincoln Square.
This insightful, fact-filled, and fun presentation is an excellent opportunity to gain an essential understanding of German Chicago from its very origins to the present.
This program is open to the public, but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as space is limited and these talks quickly reach capacity.
To reserve your spot, call 847-391-5399 or email us at contact@desplaineshistory.org.
Our monthly Coffee Talk series is supported by sponsorships from Village Bank & Trust and the Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines.
Coffee Talks are free to attend. Please consider a donation of any amount to help us sustain future programming.
Coffee Talk
Thursday, July 10 • 1:30p
Location: Des Plaines History Center, 781 Pearson Street
Black Wings: Chicago's Pioneering African American Aviators
— with Michael Haupt —
Long before the Tuskegee Airmen, African Americans in Chicago took flight breaking many barriers that kept them grounded.
Aviation historian Michael Haupt, author of Aviation Chicago Timeline, introduces pioneering Black aviators Bessie Coleman,
Cornelius Coffey, and John C. Robinson (or the Brown Condor) and others who shaped aviation prior to World War II.
Chicago’s African American aviators broke through major obstacles, both inside and outside the U.S.
Discover how their determination and achievements helped pave the way for greater diversity and inclusion in the aviation industry.
This program is open to the public, but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED as space is limited and these talks quickly reach capacity.
To reserve your spot, call 847-391-5399 or email us at contact@desplaineshistory.org.
Our monthly Coffee Talk series is supported by sponsorships from Village Bank & Trust and the Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines.
Coffee Talks are free to attend. Please consider a donation of any amount to help us sustain future programming.
Thank you to everyone who attended the May Coffee Talk with Bucky Halker!