Baltimore Heritage

A visit to Zion Lutheran Church is an immersion in the history of Germans in Baltimore. The congregation continues to have services in German and the site and the building, outside and in, are full of tributes to this rich heritage.  

Zion’s main building was completed in 1808 with expansions through the early 20th century, a time that presented challenges for the German community in Baltimore. 100 years ago this April the United States declared war on Germany and entered the first World War. Here in Baltimore with religious services in German and serving a large German population, Zion Lutheran Church and its congregation were put in a cultural cross-roads: they were emphatically American and also had strong ties to their fatherland of Germany. Less than 30 years later this challenge arose again with the advent of World War II.

On our tour, we will explore the ways the church pays tribute to its German heritage. Stained glass celebrates German history and Baltimore’s own Ottmar Merganthaler, who invented the linotype. Plaques commemorate those who died in both World Wars, and a piece of the Berlin Wall that a member brought back after East and West Germany reunited is mounted as a celebration of a long struggle. Zion’s archives contain around 15,000 volumes, some dating back as far as the 16th Century.

Please join us on a tour of Zion Church, its building and a snapshot of its archives, as we look at Baltimore through the lenses of its German heritage. The tour will include a wine and cheese reception.