German New Zealanders
German New Zealanders (German: Deutsch-Neuseeländer) are New Zealand residents of ethnic German ancestry. The German community constitute one of the largest European ethnic groups in New Zealand, numbering 12,810 in the 2013 census.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| German 12,810 Immigrants (2013)[1] +200,000 of German descent | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Auckland, Manawatū-Whanganui, Tasman District, Tauranga, Wellington | |
| Languages | |
| New Zealand English, German | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Germans, German Australians, German Americans, German Canadians, French Germans |
Demography
The 2013 census counted 12,810 New Zealand residents who had ancestry from Germany.[1] This number does not include people of German ancestry who selected their ancestry as simply "New Zealander". Today the number of New Zealanders with German ancestry is estimated to be approximately 200,000 (5% of the population). Many German New Zealanders anglicized their names during the 20th century due to the negative perception of Germans fostered by World War I and World War II.
In 2013, the German language was spoken at home by 36,642 persons in New Zealand. German is the ninth most widely spoken language in the country after English, Māori, Samoan, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, French, Cantonese, and Chinese (not further defined).
Tourism
New Zealand has long been a popular destination for German backpacker tourists and students.
German New Zealand culture
The Goethe-Institut is active in New Zealand and there is a branch in Wellington.[2]
Notable German New Zealanders
- Michala Banas (born 1978), actress and singer
- Morton Coutts (1904–2004), inventor
- Russell Crowe (born 1964), actor
- Christian Cullen (born 1976), rugby union footballer
- Kim Dotcom (born 1974), internet entrepreneur, businessman, musician, and political party founder
- Maria Dronke (1904–1987) actor, drama producer and teacher
- Thomas Eichelbaum (born 1931), 11th Chief Justice of New Zealand
- Willi Fels (1858–1946), merchant, collector and philanthropist[3]
- Carl Fischer (died 1893), doctor, homoeopath and viticulturist[4]
- Karl Fritsch (born 1963) contemporary jeweller
- Richard Fuchs (1887–1947), composer and architect
- Rudolf Gopas (1913–1983) artist and art teacher[5]
- Awen Guttenbeil (born 1976), rugby league footballer
- Julius von Haast (1822–1887), geologist and founder of Canterbury Museum[6]
- Bendix Hallenstein (1835–1905) merchant, statesman, manufacturer, member of the New Zealand Parliament[7]
- Lewis Hotop (c. 1844–1922), pharmacist, politician and Arbor Day advocate
- Gerhard Husheer (1864–1954), tobacco grower and processor, industrialist, philanthropist[8]
- Howard Kippenberger (1897–1957), major general
- Charles Kelling (1818–1898), emigration agent, farmer and community leader[9]
- Fedor Kelling (1820–1909), member of the New Zealand Parliament; brother of Charles Kelling[10]
- Josh Kronfeld (born 1971), TV presenter and rugby union footballer
- David Lange (1942–2005), 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand
- Oscar Natzka (1912–1951), operatic singer
- Arnold Nordmeyer (1901–1989), member of the New Zealand Parliament
- William Ott (1872–1951), 28th Mayor of Invercargill
- Eve Poole (1924–1992), 41st Mayor of Invercargill
- Victoria Schmidt, actress
- Gustavus von Tempsky (1828–1868), adventurer and soldier
- Karl Urban (born 1972), actor
- Johan Wohlers (1811–1885), Lutheran missionary[11]
See also
References
- "2013 Census ethnic group profiles".
- "Goethe-Institut Neuseeland".
- Anson, Dimitri. "Willi Fels". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- Belgrave, Michael. "Carl Frank Fischer". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- Mane-Wheoki, Jonathan. "Rudolf Gopas". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- Maling, Peter B. "Haast, Johann Franz Julius von". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- Parry, Gordon. "Hallenstein, Bendix". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- McGregor, Robert. "Johann Gerhard Husheer". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- Lash, Max D. "Carl Friederich Christian Kelling". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- Lash, Max D. "Kelling, Johann Friederich August". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- Natusch, Sheila. "Wohlers, Eliza and Wohlers, Johann Friedrich Heinrich". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
