VISITING
AUTHOR/EDITOR ARTICLE
OCTOBER
2009
German-American Day
A Short History
Forwarded
From Akron Donauschwaben, German Family Society
Präsident:
Sepp Geiser
German Day was celebrated in the 19th century and revived
in 1987 as German-American Day. The persons most instrumental in
establishing German-American Day were Drs. Eberhard and Ruth
Reichmann of the German Heritage Society of Indiana, Dr. Don
Heinrich Tolzmann of the Society for German-American Studies,
Elsbeth Seewald of the German American National Congress and the
many thousands of individuals who petitioned Congress.
The U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution requesting
President Ronald Reagan to call on the American people to
observe German-American Day with appropriate ceremonies and
activities. The Congressmen who led this effort were Senators
Lugar and Riegle and Representatives Foley, Hamilton and Luken.
President Reagan officially proclaimed German-American Day on
October 5, 1987, in the Rose Garden of the White House.
German-American Day is celebrated on October 6th because
on that date in 1683, 13 German families from Krefeld near the
Rhine landed in Philadelphia and subsequently founded the first
German settlement in the 13 Colonies--Germantown, Pennsylvania.
The day also honors the many German immigrants who came here
before and after that year and who contributed so greatly to
this country.
In
declaring German-American Day in 1991, President Bush said,
"generations of German immigrants and their descendants
have made outstanding contributions to American history and
culture. However, the ties that we celebrate today are not only
those born of kinship but also those based on common values and
aspirations. Indeed, the same love of liberty that led the first
German immigrants to these shores continues to animate
U.S.-German relations." He stated that the Germany united
again in 1990 "stands in friendship with the United States
[and] also stands as our partner in leadership."
In 1991, Chancellor Helmut Kohl sent cordial greetings
from Bonn to the celebrants of German-American Day: "When
President Reagan proclaimed German-American Day in 1987 for the
first time, Europe was still divided by the Iron Curtain. We
Germans did regain our unity and freedom in a peaceful way. The
thanks for this deservedly is owed to the American people, who
secured European peace over 40 years.
America stood by our side in the most difficult times,
and we will never forget the contributions of U.S.
Presidents." Kohl declared that the "friendship and
partnership between Germans and Americans" is "a
guarantee for a successful future."
In 1995, President Clinton declared, "Since the
earliest days of the settlement of North America, immigrants
from Germany have enriched our Nation with their industry,
culture, and participation in public life. Over a quarter of
Americans can trace their ancestry back to German roots, but
more important than numbers are the motives that led so many
Germans to make a new beginning across the Atlantic. America's
unparalleled freedoms and opportunities drew the first German
immigrants to our shores and have long inspired the tremendous
contributions that German-Americans have made to our heritage...
German-Americans have attained prominence in all areas of our
national life... While parts of the Midwest, Pennsylvania, and
Texas still proudly bear the stamp of the large German
populations of the last century, it is their widespread
assimilation and far-reaching activities that have earned
German-Americans a distinguished reputation in all regions of
the United States and in all walks of life."
In 1998, President Clinton said, "Germans and
German-Americans have profoundly influenced every facet of
American life with their energy, creativity, and strong work
ethic. They have enriched the economic and commercial life of
the United States, and it is befitting that we set aside this
special day to acknowledge their many contributions to our
liberty, culture and democracy. All of us can take pride in the
accomplishments of German-Americans--as soldiers and statesmen,
scientists and musicians, artisans and educators. It is fitting
that we set aside this special day to remember and celebrate how
much German-Americans have done to preserve our ideals, enrich
our culture, and strengthen our democracy."
President Clinton made an equally incisive proclamation in 1999.
Although the annual date of German-American Day is based
on the arrival on October 6, 1683, of the settlers of
Germantown, PA, German immigration predates 1683; in 2008, we
will be commemorating the 400th anniversary of German
immigration to what is now the United States. But these
immigrants came to English, Dutch and other settlements. The
year 1683 is significant, because it marks the establishment of
the first entirely German settlement.
By
Gary C. Grassl, with thanks to Elsbeth Seewald. (Nov. 1999)
Source:
German-American
Heritage Society, Washington D.C.