4. There Was Once a German American Shooting Society Headquartered in the East Village

German American shooting society

German immigrants made up a large portion of New York City’s population during the 19th and 20th centuries. During this time, there were nearly 250,000 Germans living in the historical Kleindeutschland neighborhood, or “Little Germany.” According to the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative, Germans comprised 30 percent of New York’s population by 1870. Though little remains of the old neighborhood, a sign on 12 St. Marks Place that reads “Einigkeit Macht Stark,” or “Unity provides strength,” serves as a reminder of The German American Shooting Society. The building was built from 1888 to 1889 by architect William C. Frohne for the Deutsche-Amerikanische Schützen Gesellschaft, which was founded in 1857 and was 1,400 members strong by the late 1880s. The society is now known as New York Schuetzen Corps Inc., and its former location is a yoga studio.