A Pictoral History by John and Mary Jeanneney refers to the Germania Singing Society which was founded in 1850. Under the direction of Adolph Kuehn after 1865, the Society became a major group in the area singing in Poughkeepsie's Collingwood Opera House and other well known theaters. During World War I German presence in the Hudson Valley produced hatred and tension. According to Sari B. Tiefjen in Rhinebeck a Portrait of a Town, throughout the Hudson Valley, with the exception of Poughkeepsie, German windows were broken and Dachshunds were killed. Even in the historically German town of Rhinebeck, German was replaced with French as the foreign language being taught in high school.
German influence is still quite noticeable today.
The Bavarian festival, an annual German gala held in Wappingers, still attracts hundreds of people. They feast on German delicacies including Bratworst and a variety of beers.