The History of Germans in North Carolina

Although the first German settlers arrived in the 1500s in what is now known as North Carolina, the area experienced the greatest migration during the mid 1700s as Germans traveled south from Pennsylvania on the "Great Wagon Road." Ever since, the area has been attracting German businesses to become home to one of the largest contingent of German subsidiaries and related companies in the U.S. 

The Charlotte region historically has a close relationship with Germany. The city owes its name to the German-born Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of England’s King George III, as well as its nickname, "Queen City." Moreover, the state’s most populated county, Mecklenburg, is named after Queen Charlotte's birthplace in Germany. You can find more information about Queen Charlotte's birthplace in Mirow, Germany here.
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Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818)
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Located along the German Wagon Trail and built by German immigrant Michael Braun in 1766, this home is the oldest structure in Rowan County, N.C.
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Castle Mirow, the birthplace of Charlotte, the city of Charlotte's namesake
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