On Thursday, April 14^th, the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™ opened its latest exhibit, In Praise of the Pencil, at its facility in the historic Hockemeyer Hall. Though the connection between this topic and German heritage may not be obvious, there’s a point to pencils.

Who does not know a pencil?  Our first incursions into written knowledge are usually associated with a pencil.  Where does it come from? How is it made?  Are they a German invention?

Come to the German-American Heritage Museum (GAHMUSA) and explore it yourself.  GAHMUSA is proud to host the exhibit “In Praise of the Pencil “, researched and curated by the German-American Heritage Center in Davenport. This exhibit encompasses everything from a “Jot-to-Jot Timeline in Pencil History”,  to sculptures by artist Jennifer Maestre,  to a photograph collection from the Library of Congress, and tells a story of innovation and German Entrepreneurship.

Dear Members and Friends,

Back in 1976, as America was observing its bicentennial, a group of visionary German-Americans met at the Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein in historic Philadelphia and agreed that the time had come to recognize and honor the extensive and profound economic, political, scientific, social and cultural contributions of Americans of German-speaking ancestry to the growth, prosperity and success of our country. This founding group formally established our organization the following year, 1977, soon after chartering it as the United German-American Committee of the USA, Inc., now also known as the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® (GAHF).

We are proud to launch the new face of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® (GAHF) and the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™ (GAHMUSA).

This website is geared to provide you with new and historic information that will keep you up to date on our exhibits and activities, and allow you to look back into our past exhibits and events.   As a member you will have access to some of our digital exhibits, to lectures and you can be part of a community to chat and share information with other members.

On behalf of the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® (GAHF), its Board of Directors and staff, we are delighted to extend our warmest congratulations to the Germanna Foundation on the 60th anniversary of its official incorporation as “The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc.” on March 14, 1956.

Today a piece of the Berlin Wall arrives in Washington, DC.   Acquired by and for the German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA®,  the piece of the Wall will be on display for the next two years at the German Embassy.