Milwaukee businessman George Brumder (1839–1910), who immigrated from Alsace, founded the Germania Publishing Company. In 1864, he and his wife, Henrietta Brandhorst, opened a small bookstore and began publishing a weekly magazine called Der Familienfreund. Over time, Brumder grew his company into the largest producer of German-language materials in the United States. In 1874, he launched Die Germania, a Lutheran newspaper with Republican views that reached a wide audience. By the time he died, Brumder owned four German-language newspapers in Milwaukee and seven more across the country.

In 1906, the Germania Publishing Company merged with the Herold Company. They continued to publish newspapers until the final issue of the Germania appeared in 1924, while the Milwaukee-Herald lasted until 1982. The Germania Building, a historic Milwaukee landmark, still stands today, although the company no longer exists.