[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Chef

In terms of overt culture there is not a whole lot of Scandinavian influence left. In terms of how people's minds work, probably a lot. Janteloven is a concept all white people who are multi generational here get, even if they don't know the term. It permeates the culture. Some of Minnesota's quirks almost certainly come from Scandinavia. The trust that people have in government. The strain of orderly permissiveness that runs through society. The amount that people drink, coupled with tight alcohol laws. The fact that Minneapolis is the most neo-pagan city in the US is likely a product the old Scandinavian syncretic Christianity.

The other big 19th and early 20th century immigrant group here were the Germans. Minneapolis is also the most German-American city in the US and its German population came later than in the rest of the US. The upper Midwest also has the smallest population of Yankee/English descendants. Nearly all of the rooted white people in Minnesota are part German, part Scandinavian, or both. Both groups tried really hard to assimilate but there was much less of the original white culture around for them to assimilate to. As a result, the generic white culture of this part of the country is almost entirely a German-Scandinavian recreation of white American culture, rather than the original thing, if that makes sense. They got some of the details wrong, which is part of what gives Minnesota its sense of place.

i've always wondered what the differences were between the german influence in minneapolis /milwaukee and st. louis/ cincinnati. we have braunschweiger (at least its very popular) and cincy has goetta and the two cities share tons of similarities. i wonder also if the milwaukee/mpls waves were from different regions - and different waves of immigration. sort of strangely, the architecture here looks more northern german (brick gothic) and the northern midwest almost feels more southern german/ bavarian.