Österreichisches Deutsch
Austrian German
College PointCommunity Profile: Speakers of German language varieties were among the early colonists in New Amsterdam, but it was in the mid-19th century that New York became a Germanic-language metropolis of tremendous scale and diversity rivaled only by Berlin and Vienna. Initially the hub was Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), today the East Village, especially in the vicinity of Tompkins Square Park, but the community expanded widely from there across the region, with major hubs in Yorkville, north Brooklyn, Hoboken, and later much of Queens and Long Island.
W
hile the Austrian Cultural Forum today represents a de facto cultural embassy for the Austrian government, small Austrian German-speaking communities have also existed around the city, usually among other communities speaking Germanic language varieties. One substantial community came from the Burgenland in today's eastern Austria, with many settling in Queens neighborhoods such as Ridgewood and College Point and forming the Brüderschaft der Burgenländer New York in 1937. Many mid-20th century Austrian Jewish Austrian refugees settled on the Upper West Side or in Washington Heights and frequented establishments like Eclair, a popular spot for intellectuals and artists suffused with nostalgia for Viennese cafe culture.
Note that the language above may be used throughout the New York area — this is just one significant site.