Spies Among Us: German-Americans in Wisconsin During World War I

Abstract

World War I was a time of concern both abroad and domestically for the United States. With the US entering into the conflict in 1917, this also brought about the limiting of personal freedoms on the home front with the legislation of the Espionage and Sedition Acts being implemented. The state of Wisconsin was under a microscope all on its own as it was a hub for German and Austrian immigrants during the second wave of immigration. With this came a fear of espionage in the state, and thus a growth in investigation within the state. This research plans to look at how the state was studied and investigated during this time with a focus on the case of Paul Von Szeliski who was a resident of Madison, WI during this period and has numerous documents out on him, talking about investigating his whereabouts and what he is doing during this time to make sure he isn’t involved in espionage for the German state.