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Second Avenue (German Branch) YMCA records

 Collection
Identifier: Y.GNY.28

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

The collection of the Second Avenue branch of the New York YMCA includes collected brochures promoting the German Branch (later renamed Second Avenue Branch), manuscript minutes, branch publications, branch histories, annual reports, bylaws, newspaper clippings, and correspondence. Printed brochures and annual prospectuses make up a significant portion of the collection. Both German and English-language materials are represented.

Dates

  • 1884-1907

Creator

Language of Materials

Multiple languages

Language of Materials

English, German

Use of Materials:

This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright, ownership, and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.

HISTORY OF SECOND AVENUE BRANCH YMCA

The Second Avenue Branch of the YMCA in New York City was organized in 1881, and was known at first as the German Branch. Initial meetings were held in rented rooms near the 23rd Street branch, but this location proved inconvenient for German-speaking young men, who primarily lived and worked downtown. Consequently, the branch rented rooms on Broad Street, near the Bowery. By the end of the 19th century, the branch had acquired a building at 142 Second Avenue and was known as the Second Avenue Branch. It attracted not only German-speaking young men, but also men from 17 other countries, making the name "German Branch" a less than accurate depiction of the membership.

The Second Avenue, or German, branch,was not the first effort to establish a YMCA for German immigrants. As early as 1850 -- before the work had spread to North America, German immigrants had established a Christlicher Verein Junger Maenner, replicating the German YMCA. The effort was apparently short-lived despite the flood of German immigrants arriving in New York after 1848. German YMCAs had opened in Milwaukee and other cities with significant German populations, including Brooklyn. However, as the German immigrants assimilated, the need for branches targeted toward particular language groups declined. The Brooklyn German branch, for example, lasted only a few years after its founding in 1893.

Extent

1.1 Cubic Feet (4 boxes)

Abstract

Collected printed and manuscript materials from the Second Avenue Branch of the YMCA of the City of New York, including brochures, minutes and branch publications.

Physical Location

See Detailed Description section for box listing.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Louise Merriam, February, 2012.

Catalog Record ID number: 6275379

Title
YMCA OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK SECOND AVENUE BRANCH:
Subtitle
An Inventory of Its Records
Author
Finding aid prepared by Louise Merriam.
Date
2012
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Collecting Area Details

Contact The Kautz Family YMCA Archives Collecting Area

Contact:

612-625-3445