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VISITING
AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE
OCTOBER
2008
2008 GERMAN AMERICAN DAY
Forwarded From German Information
Center USA
By Dennis Bauer
Message
of Greetings from
German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth
on German-American Day
This year marks the 21st anniversary of German-American Day.
We are both pleased and proud to celebrate the long history of German immigrants
and the many contributions Americans of German ancestry have made to the life,
culture, and economy of this country since October 6, 1683, when 13 families
from Krefeld, near the
Rhine River, arrived in Philadelphia. They later were to found Germantown,
Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in the 13
American colonies. Today, German-Americans are the
largest ethnic group in the United States: Some 43 million Americans, almost 15
percent of the population,claim German ancestry.
But German presence on American soil can be traced back still
farther. Last year, America celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown
settlement dating back to 1607. At that time, a German physician and botanist by
the name of Dr. Johannes Fleischer was among the first group of English pioneers
to arrive in Jamestown. More German expertise was to arrive in 1608 with a group
of German glassmakers, wainscot sawyers, and metallurgists – thus planting the
seeds for America to become the world’s industrial powerhouse, one could say.
In April, I had the pleasure to attend the official commemoration of the 400th
anniversary of Jamestown. It marked not only 400 years of America but also 400
years of shared history as well as 400 years of German-American friendship.
The year 2008 also marks the 60th
anniversary of the implementation of the Marshall
Plan and the Berlin
Airlift. The Marshall Plan raised a devastated Germany up out of the
ashes and reintegrated it into the community of nations following years of Nazi
brutality. During the Soviet blockade in 1948, the citizens of Berlin
were faced with a particular hardship. But, once again, the United States stood
by its friends. In more than 270,000 flights between 1948 and 1949, the
"candy bombers" brought everything – from potatoes to an entire
power plant – into the besieged city in order to help more than 2 million
Berliners to survive the cold and hunger. The brave airmen also made children
smile as they dropped a total of 23 tons of candy over Berlin during the
blockade. The Berlin Airlift
brought freedom and friendship. Thus, “Friends Always” is the very fitting
motto of our commemoration this year.
In 1987, the same year German-American Day was officially
proclaimed in the U.S., Ronald
Reagan delivered his historic speech in front of the Berlin
Wall. Pointing to the wall, he urged “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this
wall.” The speech proved prescient in that only two years later the Berlin
Wall fell and people from East and West embraced again for the first time in 28
years. Next year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of this joyous moment.
Germany will be forever grateful for America’s role in helping bring about German
reunification.
We truly have reason to celebrate our lasting friendship on
this German-American Day!
October 6, 2008
Klaus Scharioth
German Ambassador
A Welcome to the
Website Letter
from
The German
Ambassador
With the launch of the Web site www.germanoriginality.com
, the German Information Center USA, the German National Tourist Office and all
their partners now make it more exciting than ever before to discover America's
German heritage.
German-Americans comprise the largest ethnic group in the
United States: More than 42 million Americans, almost 15 percent of the
population, claim German ancestry. As America celebrates the 400th anniversary
of the Jamestown settlement, we remember that Germans were among the first
courageous pioneers to arrive in 1608.
Today, www.germanoriginality.com
extends an invitation to Americans from all walks of life to come visit and
learn about the contribution Americans of German ancestry have made to the
social fabric, culture and economy of the United States – and to discover
Germany "as it was… and is today."
Klaus Scharioth
Ambassador of the
Federal Republic of Germany
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