The story of the first German immigrants to northern Indiana also is the story of the growth of South Bend and the development of the surrounding woods and marshes into farm land.
In the 1850’s many Germans came to South Bend from Arzberg in Bavaria. In 2002 we started a Sister City partnership between our cities. This led to many visits back and forth, including both mayors, and American families discovering their roots.
From left: Gabrielle Robinson, Arzberg Mayor Geppert, Peg Luecke, Anne Geppert, South Bend Mayor Luecke
A 2010 delegation in Arzberg