Its iconic German Renaissance Revival-style City Hall building is now a National Landmark, and it’s still home to restaurants serving schnitzel and strudel. However, Milwaukee, a city strongly influenced by German immigrant culture, has experienced a cultural transformation. Although it retains its Old World Charm, Wisconsin’s largest city also emphasizes its vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity.
More than half of the city’s residents identify themselves as non-white, according to data from the 2000 U.S. Census – making Milwaukee a “majority-minority” city.
Italian, Irish, Polish, African-American, and Hispanic neighborhoods with ethnic restaurants and shops, all help weave a patchwork of diversity. Milwaukee is also home to approximately one-third of Wisconsin's Native American population.
“Many people still think of Milwaukee as Germanic, but our city is becoming increasingly diverse and this is embodied in our ethnic festivals,” says David Fantle, vice-president of public relations for Visit Milwaukee.
Once renowned as “The Beer Capital of the World,” Milwaukee has developed a new identity as the “City of Festivals.” Every year, Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan lakefront, hosts Summerfest, ‘The World's Largest Music Festival,’ and a wide array of ethnic festivals, including Polish Fest, Irish Fest, Arab World Fest, German Fest, African World Festival, the Indian Summer Festival, Mexican Fiesta and Festa Italiana.
However, Milwaukee's cultural riches extend far beyond festivals. Its diverse ethnic and religious heritage is visibly reflected in the architecture. The Basilica of St. Josaphat on the city’s south side, built with the pennies of Polish immigrants as an expression of faith and ethnic pride, is patterned after St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome and has all the elements of a classical Romanesque basilica. Renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the stunning Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in suburban Wauwatosa.
The Jewish Museum of Milwaukee, another architectural landmark, is housed in a building designed by Edward Durrel Stone. It is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin, and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture.
America’s Black Holocaust Museum, located on the north side of town, was founded in 1988 by Dr. James Cameron to document the injustices suffered by people of African heritage in the United States. The museum, which receives over 50,000 visitors annually, houses a 15-foot reproduction of a slave ship from the vantage point of Africans enslaved in a cargo hold.
The Milwaukee Art Museum’s recent addition, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, includes a dramatic wing-like sculpture that raises high above Milwaukee’s lakefront like a bird taking flight. Twice a day, weather permitting, the “wings” open, and close.
When it’s time to eat, Milwaukee offers an array of unique dining options. Mader’s, decorated with suits of medieval armor, still serves traditional German dishes. The Three Brothers Restaurant in the Bayview neighborhood serves traditional Serbian dishes, or try a Friday night fish fry, a Wisconsin tradition. In addition, if you want to sample the beverage that made Milwaukee famous, visit one of the city’s microbreweries. However, don’t forget dessert. Everyone in Milwaukee has a favorite shop or drive-in where they enjoy frozen custard, a richer, smoother cousin of ice cream. Learn more about Milwaukee’s heritage at www.milwaukee.org.