ABSTRACT
The Auslandsorganisation was operational in many areas of the world, but its reception by the local German communities, some dating their origins back to the nineteenth century, varied considerably, and depended on a number of factors. The history of a community’s relationship to Germany was very important, and this rested, to a large degree, upon its immigration pattern. Older communities were oriented toward language and culture, and, until the First World War, usually compatible with the politics of the host country. Their ties to the fatherland often depended upon a variety of organizations in Germany that maintained connections through the promotion of language studies, visiting lecturers, student exchanges, and the celebration of traditional holidays.
