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The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®

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The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® serves as the national membership association for German American heritage. GAHF cultivates a greater awareness for German-speaking heritage and history through outreach efforts that deepen cultural understanding. 

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German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™

A Review of our 2024 Gala with Samantha Brown

PBS Travel Host Samantha Brown Honored as Distinguished German American of the Year at Elegant October Gala

If you cannot immediately connect the dots between a teacup and duct tape, you are probably not alone. Guests at GAHF’s 2024 Award Gala at the Pan American Union Building, which serves as the headquarters of the Organization of American States, in the heart of Washington, D.C., discovered that those two items accompany Samantha Brown, this year’s Distinguished German American and globetrotter extraordinaire, everywhere she goes. The teacup holds sentimental value as it reminds her of her family and home, whilst the duct tape is entirely practical in nature, and can fix anything from a broken suitcase to closing hotel room curtains in order to shut out daylight after long hours of travel.

Meet & Greet with Samantha Brown at the GAHM on Oct. 25

Meet & Greet with Samantha Brown at the GAHM on Oct. 25

Join us on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 from 6 - 8 pm at the German American Heritage Museum in Washington, DC to meet this year's Distinguished German American of the Year, TV Host and travel expert Samantha Brown, in person.
From Vienna to the White House: Yoichi Okamoto & The American Century Exhibit

From Vienna to the White House: Yoichi Okamoto & The American Century Exhibit

Coming to the GAHM this Autumn – Exhibit Opening with Her Excellency Austrian Ambassador Dr. Petra Schneebauer on Sept. 26, 2024
Exclusive Trip to Vienna in January 2025 – Select from two different ball packages

Exclusive Trip to Vienna in January 2025 – Select from two different ball packages

Austria’s capital Vienna, once the seat of the multicultural Austro-Hungarian Empire, is a vibrant and modern city with stunning reminders of its imperial past, a lively art and theatre scene, museums, shopping, famous coffee houses and culinary delights influenced by the cuisines of Central Europe.
Hans Otto “Hank” Stoffel (1940-2024)

Hans Otto “Hank” Stoffel (1940-2024)

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Hans Otto "Hank" Stoffel who was not only a dedicated member of the German-American Heritage Foundation, but also a recipient of the 2019 Distinguished German American of the Year Award.
Tribute to Erich Ast, 2019 Distinguished German American of the Year

Tribute to Erich Ast, 2019 Distinguished German American of the Year

Erich C. Ast of New Hope, Pa. passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa. on Sunday, April 28, 2024. He was 94 years old. He was the husband of 71 years to his beloved late wife, Grete. Her passing in 2022 left a large hole in his life - he missed her dearly every day.

Meet our GAHF Scholarship Winners: Katrina Klopcic and Yasmin Moule

Meet our GAHF Scholarship Winners: Katrina Klopcic and Yasmin Moule

After many months of planning under the leadership of scholarship committee chairman Daniel Villanueva, GAHF’s first vice president, the German-American Heritage Foundation announced last October that it would award two domestic scholarships to young German American students–a first in our almost 50-year history.

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