Although Trump does not want to mention that his ancestors were German immigrants, the German character remains very evident in Donald Trump.
There are many ‘ingredients’ in the recipe that makes Donald Trump, the billionaire running for US President who has loudly opposed immigration.
Trump’s ancestors were German immigrants who arrived in the United States ‘without a penny’ and quickly succeeded through hard work, shrewd business tactics, and opportunities.
Fred Trump's father, Friedrich Trump, arrived in the United States in 1885. The 16-year-old came from Kallstadt, a village in Rhineland-Palatinate, a region famous for wine and pig's stomach.
After several years working at a New York barbershop, he headed west and opened a restaurant in a mining town in Washington state, where workers enjoyed hearty meals, alcohol, and secret encounters with women.
After saving money, Friedrich returned to Kallstadt to marry his neighbor Elisabeth Christ, and the two went to the USA.
However, they soon returned to Germany because Elisabeth was deeply homesick. The authorities refused their repatriation because Friedrich, by then a U.S. citizen, had evaded military service.
In 1905, their eldest son Fred was born in New York.
When Fred Trump was 11, the US entered the First World War, followed by a long period of rising anti-German sentiment. German-language books were burned, sauerkraut was renamed “liberty cabbage,” and German frankfurters were renamed “hot dogs.”
Friedrich died of the Spanish flu in 1918 at just 49, leaving his wife and children a little money. They used it to establish Trump & Son and invest in real estate.
After graduating from high school in 1923, Fred began working full-time in construction. He soon realized that his German roots could be an obstacle and pretended his parents were Swedish, even though his mother spoke English with a strong German accent.
Donald was Fred Trump's favorite child and the one who continued his business legacy. “Fred taught Donald a great deal, and he was an excellent student,” says Gwenda Blair, author of a book about three generations of the Trump family.
Part of Donald Trump's success in real estate and casinos came from his early understanding of the power of branding. Large signs bearing ‘Trump’ frequently appear on buildings because the name represents success and good fortune.
However, like his father, he thought his German origins would limit his support.
He immersed himself in his father Fred's story and wrote in his autobiography “Trump: The Art of the Deal” (roughly translated: Trump – The Art of the Deal) that his parents were of Swedish origin.
The Trump family exemplifies German Americans—the largest minority group in the United States—who try to conceal their origins. Donald Trump has sometimes done otherwise, however.
A few years ago, Simone Wendel, a filmmaker from Kallstadt, visited him at Trump Tower to make a documentary about the village of Kallstadt, population 1,200.
Besides the Trump family, this is also the homeland of the family that founded Heinz, the powerful sauce empire.
Wedel recalled that Donald Trump was initially reserved but became very open after she showed him photos of his ancestors' home. “I love Kallstadt,” Trump said in the documentary.
Perhaps Donald Trump has more Kallstadt in him than he thinks. Kallstadt's villagers are also affectionately known as Brulljesmacher, a slang term meaning people who like to boast.
If Trump became President, he would not be the first White House occupant of German ancestry. Dwight Eisenhower’s ancestors originally bore the surname Eisenhauer and came from Karlsbrunn, near the German-French border.
Herbert Hoover’s original surname was Huber, and he came from Baden in southern Germany. Both changed their surnames, but at least things did not go as far as they did with the Trump family.
