German immigrants relaxing park

Schuetzen Park, Madison
(U.S.A.)

In 1871 early German immigrants bought 26 acres of land on the shores of Lake Monona. This they called Shuetzhen Park, and there they enjoyed their traditional continental Sunday pastimes in relative privacy. These pastimes included shooting, drinking beer and listening to band music; undertaking such enjoyable activities on a Sunday was frowned upon by the conservatively religious Yankee inhabitants. Schuetzen Park was sold in 1902 and subdivided into residential lots. Today the approximate location is at the foot of Schiller Court and Schurtz Avenue, and the area is still populated mainly by descendents of the original German immigrants. (A. Rossiter)