Happy German-American Day!

Happy German-American Day!

The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA® wishes you a happy German-American Day. Celebrated every year on October 6th, this day is dedicated to preserving the many contributions and achievements made by German-Americans to the United States.

After a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan and passage of a resolution by Congress, October 6th became designated as German-American Day in 1987. October 6th commemorates the arrival of thirteen German families from Krefeld who arrived in Philadelphia aboard the Concord on that very day in 1683 to establish the first permanent German settlement in America.

Celebrations take place across the country, including here in our nation’s capital. Each year local German-American organizations gather at the German-American Friendship Garden for the reading of the official presidential proclamation of German-American Day. This Garden was jointly dedicated by US President Ronald Reagan and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in 1988.

The USA has been shaped by a combination of different cultures and ethnic groups. Americans of German ancestry are the largest of these groups, with one in every six Americans having German ancestry. The reasons for immigration varied from religious, to economic, to political. However, the common denominator was wanting to start a better life in America.

We trust you will join us in celebrating this day!

Sincerely,German American Heritage Foundation of the USA®