New Germany, Nova Scotia

New Germany, Lunenburg County (2006 population: 464) is a community in a central portion of southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on the LaHave River, which splits the town into two halves which are connected by an early-20th century steel bridge and a new modern 2 lane bridge built in 2015 . A main service centre on Trunk 10, New Germany is 25 kilometers north of Bridgewater on the south shore and 64 kilometers south of Middleton in the Annapolis Valley.

The area was settled in the early 19th century by descendants of the Foreign Protestants who arrived in Lunenburg in the 18th century. The first settlement was close to the New Germany Lake.

Through the years, New Germany has been the site of varied economic activity. It was the hub for numerous outlying communities. J. Zwicker and Son of New Germany sold electric power to the Barss Corner Electric Light Company for distribution. Not only was there a mill at Morgan Falls on the LaHave River, there was also a factory on the LaHave River which produced wooden boxes for products such as fish. During the mid-20th century, the town was particularly vibrant and home to numerous grocery stores, clothing stores, and a movie theatre. Until the 1980s, New Germany was also accessible by the Halifax and Southwestern Railway though the now-abandoned railroad tracks are popular with all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts who sometimes gather at the Small Engine Repair Station yard, and one of the few available spaces for young people to gather.

Local employment hinges on natural resources such as farming, blueberries, maple syrup, forestry and Christmas trees which are shipped over North America. Rosedale Home for Special Care(nursing home) also employs people from the area. Many workers are employed in the nearby town of Bridgewater, with the Michelin tire plant in the industrial park employing numerous people from the area. Current conditions in the forestry industry have led to many small operators leaving the business and journeying to Alberta. As well, the Christmas tree industry has been hit by the rising value of the Canadian dollar, which impacts revenues from the United States market.

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