We at the GAHF would like to wish you a happy Labor Day!

Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. This does not exclude members of the German-American community who represent 15.2 percent of the US population and have played a major role in labor reform in the United States. Germany has a similar holiday, Tag der Arbeit, which is celebrated on the first of May.

This month we would like to highlight the different types of German-American clubs and organizations typically found throughout the country. While there are hundreds of German-American clubs in America focusing on everything from Beethoven to German mustard, we will be focusing on these three common club types: Schuhplattlers, Saengerbunde, und Turnvereins.

Greetings from the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™ in the Nation’s capital!

It was a great honor to be in the Midwest last weekend visiting with friends old and new (thanks to the gracious hospitality of Yogi and Gitta Reppmann) at the first conference of the International Germanic Genealogy Partnership, to which I was personally invited to attend from key organizer Dirk Weissleder on a visit to Berlin in November 2016.

Our foundation has been diligently researching the numerous German-American clubs and organizations throughout the United States. Through this research we have found hundreds of clubs, all with one thing in common: their aim to preserve and celebrate German-American heritage, culture, language, and more. Each month we are highlighting different clubs that are achieving their goals in furthering the German-American connection.

Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States. On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress declared the independence of the thirteen American colonies from Britain and this laid the foundation of a new nation state—the United States of America. During the Revolutionary War, German Americans served both the British and the Americans. Well known is the Prussian born general Baron von Steuben (1730–1794), who fought on the American side and became famous by introducing successful new military drills, tactics, and disciplines. Other German Americans followed the example of Frederick Baron de Weissenfels, who initially joined the British, but soon changed sides. In this respect German Americans took their share in achieving the independence that Americans celebrate with their national holiday every year since 1777.