Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a
land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land
here.
The land that is now Fritz Park was given to the city to be used as a public park in 1936. This land was given by Elsa Fritz DeFries, Jessie Fritz and John E. Fritz, who named the park after Michael J. Fritz, their uncle. Michael J. Fritz served on the park commission for over 20 years. The park had previously been known as the Ann Arbor Schutzenbund Park. It had been a historic meeting place for German-Americans. Read
an article about the gift of the park from 1938, courtesy of the AADL. The park was in Ann Arbor Township until annexed by the City of Ann Arbor in 1948.
Fritz Park as seen from the air (from the northwest) in 1952 (Source:
AADL)
Read a Natural Area Preservation newsletter article about the many native species in the park:
2003 Park Focus: Fritz Park by Maggie Hostetler