German-American Heritage Foundation and Museum

01/09/2024

RIP Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024)
One of the greatest football players of all time has died at the age of 78.
Beckenbauer, nicknamed 'Der Kaiser', was a defender for Bayern Munich, and won the World Cup with West Germany as captain in 1974 and a manager in 1990.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12023/13044245/franz-beckenbauer-germany-football-legend-dies-aged-78

01/03/2024

Happy New Year 2024!

It's not too late to join us for our Viennese waltz classes on Friday, Jan. 5 and Friday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 pm at the GAHM.
http://tinyurl.com/5n7ny3jw

The waltz is a fast-paced and fun dance, and a great way to burn off some holiday calories, and learn a new skill with our fabulous instructors Richard and Cherisse.

Sign up for the two-class package or individually if you can't make both days.

http://tinyurl.com/5n7ny3jw

12/13/2023

https://gahm.betterworld.org/auctions/gahf-luxury-european-river-cruis
Don't miss out on a chance to win a week-long fabulous river cruise for two on the Danube, Moselle or Rhine! The market value of this luxurious cruise is $12,000 ($6,000 per person) in a superior cabin with your own private balcony. You select the location and the time of your travel: a spring tour of the Moselle? A summer cruise along the Rhine with its spectacular castles and dramatic scenery or an early December cruise on the Danube to visit the Christmas markets of Bavaria and Austria? The choice is yours! The certificate is valid until Dec. 31, 2024.

12/07/2023

Join us for a two-part Viennese Waltz class at our museum in Washington, DC. Learn to dance the most romantic of all ballroom dances, the Viennese Waltz as it is danced in Vienna, with master instructors Cherisse and Richard.

Classes will take place on Friday, Jan. 5 and Friday, Jan. 12 from 6:30 - 7:15 PM.
GAHF Members: $40 for both classes
Non-Members: $50 for both classes

https://gahmusa.org/product/viennese-waltz-lessons/

Location: German-American Heritage Museum
719 6th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

Please note that we have a limit of 24 people to ensure adequate space.

11/30/2023

Farewell and RIP Henry Kissinger (1923-2023) -- From Refugee to Statesman

Born in Fürth, Germany on May 27, 2023, Kissinger's life began in a rather ordinary manner, but the rise of the N**i Party changed his life forever. Forced to flee in 1938, Kissinger first went to London, and eventually settled in NYC with his family where he spent his high school years surrounded by other German Jewish immigrants in the Washington Heights neighborhood. Upon graduation, he studied at City College of New York until he was drafted by the US Army in 1943. His military service brought him back to Germany, but also gave him the opportunity to study and eventually lecture at Harvard University. His desire to become more involved in foreign policy, led him to serve as an advisor for various presidential campaigns, and he ultimately advised 12 US Presidents. In his role as perhaps the most powerful postwar Secretary of State, he helped shape the world and was both revered and reviled. His complicated legacy still resonates in US relations with China, Russia, and the Middle East. Kissinger was a frequent visitor of his hometown of Fürth, and remained an avid fan of that city's football club Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth where he had played as a boy.
He died on Nov. 29, 2023 aged 100.

11/12/2023

Bid now to win a fabulous 7-night European River Cruise with luxury cruise company AmaWaterways at a bargain price! You set the date and the itinerary! The gift certificate is valid for Danube, Moselle, and Rhine rivers, which will take you through some of German-speaking Europe's most stunning landscapes. The retail value for this cruise is anywhere form $10,00 to $12,000--depending on the exact route and the time of booking. Bidding starts at just $5,000 for two, i.e., $2,500 per person for a luxurious cabin with a private balcony that allows you to take in the sights as you glide along the river. Meals and entertainment are included. Place your bid now to enjoy spring along the Danube, summer on the Rhine or a Christmas Market cruise in early December of 2024.

Indulge your passion for history, awe-inspiring architecture, timeless music, breathtaking landscapes and culinary delights on these beautifully curated itineraries specifically designed by AmaWaterways. This seven-night cruise package includes accommodation for two guests in a spacious balcony cabi...

11/11/2023

The German-American Heritage Foundation thanks all active duty and reserve military personnel and family members for their service and sacrifices. We encourage you to read our series of articles about German American military members beginning with the American War of Independence.

https://gahmusa.org/biographies-and-voices-of-german-american-soldiers/

10/21/2023

Baseball is the quintessential American sport, and baseball caps, once the hallmark of the players, have now become ubiquitous. 19th century baseball players wore caps made of straw and later wool. 21st century-baseball has become synonymous with the New Era Cap Company, and this is where a German immigrant comes into play -- quite literally. German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch was a skilled craftsman, and he saw an opportunity to redesign the production process and the style. In 1920, he borrowed $1,000 from his sister, Rose, to start the E. Koch Cap Company in Buffalo, N.Y. His expertise and open-mindedness led to the company producing 60,000 Gatsby-style caps in the first year. In 1934, he began making caps for the Cleveland Indians, and Ehrhardt's son Harold continued innovating throughout the 1950s. In 1993, New Era was granted the first exclusive license with MLB to produce the on-field baseball caps for all of its teams. The company is still family-owned, and Christopher Koch is the fourth generation to serve as CEO.

10/19/2023

Take out your dancing shoes and celebrate with the oldest German American organization in the country on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 6 -10 PM. It's time for the 259th Annual Stiftungsfest at the German Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. We hope you’ll join them in raising a glass to the German Society’s long history and traditions, as well as its bright and sparkling future. Whether assisting new arrivals to America’s shores or building bridges between Philadelphia’s diverse communities today, the German Society’s mission to foster understanding between peoples is a cause worth celebrating.
Champagne reception at 6 PM in the Horner Memorial Library, followed by dinner and dancing to the music of Parlour Noir in the elegant Barthelmes Auditorium at 7 PM.

To purchase tickets, please visit https://www.germansociety.org/classes/259th-stiftungsfest/

10/17/2023

GAHF is seeking qualified applicants for two Domestic Study Scholarships in the amount of $2500 to be awarded in December 2023. These scholarships are designed to defray the tuition, fees or other costs of attending a U.S.-accredited college or university. Students majoring or minoring in German have preference in consideration for funding, but we welcome all majors and academic disciplines.

Visit https://gahmusa.org/gahf-to-award-two-scholarships-apply-now/ to learn more and to apply.

10/14/2023

https://gahmusa.org/vienna2024/
Have you always dreamed of waltzing the night away in Vienna, Austria? This offer is for you! Explore the magic of Vienna with an exclusively curated trip by GAHF in January 2024. The two-day program includes a private guided tour of the Imperial Apartments once occupied by Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Empress Elisabeth, dinner at a traditional Austrian restaurant, and a night at one of Vienna's famous balls in the Imperial Palace.

To learn more and to sign up (deadline is Nov. 13, 2023) visit: https://gahmusa.org/vienna2024/

10/10/2023

Impressions from German American Day at the GAHM. You can also read the proclamation online at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/06/a-proclamation-on-german-american-day-2023/ #:~:text=NOW%2C%20THEREFORE%2C%20I%2C%20JOSEPH,have%20made%20to%20our%20Nation.

10/09/2023

Friday, Oct. 6 was German American Day. We celebrated with a ceremony at the GAHM in the presence of representatives of the German Embassy. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had come to DC to visit the White House, the German American Friendship Garden, and to honor the long presence of German-speaking immigrants in the United States. Each year, the White House issues a proclamation to recognize German American Day.

https://www.deutschland.de/en/news/steinmeier-speaks-with-us-president-biden

09/30/2023

https://gahm.betterworld.org/auctions/german-american-heritage-foundat

Welcome to the German-American Heritage Foundation's 2023 online silent auction in support of our annual gala. This year's gala honors German American aerospace engineer Dr. Hans-Jörg Königsmann, and all proceeds from the gala and this silent auction will support our work to spread awareness about German immigration history to the United States and transatlantic relations. Our items include a luxurious river cruise on the Danube or Rhine rivers (your choice), an adventure flight in a private plane, a weekend stay with breakfast for two at The Willard Hotel in DC, a wine package, and even an iconic German "Strandkorb". If you want to support our activities and programs, especially as we prepare for the country's 250th birthday, please consider making a gift. You can do so online at https://gahmusa.org/donate/ Thank you and happy bidding!

IMPORTANT NOTE: In-person bidding at the gala will also end at 10 pm on Saturday, Oct. 7. We will provide updates throughout the evening at 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm, and 9:30 pm (all times are EST) to let you know if a gala guest placed a bid.

To bid, please visit: https://gahm.betterworld.org/auctions/german-american-heritage-foundat

09/28/2023

https://gahmusa.org/product/2023-distinguished-german-american-award-gala/

We still have a few tickets available for our 2023 gala honoring 21st century rocket man Dr. Hans Königsmann! Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn where we are in the race to Mars, what it takes to build a working rocket, and what inspired him to join a fledgling start-up. If you're a government employee, please reach out to us as we have a government discount. Email us at [email protected] to learn more. We hope to see you at the beautiful Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. for sumptuous gourmet dinner, award ceremony, live music and dancing. Get those dancing shoes out of the closet and celebrate the night away.

https://gahmusa.org/product/2023-distinguished-german-american-award-gala/

09/28/2023

Have you always wondered why Bavarians started celebrating Oktoberfest? Find out in this clip with NBC Washington's Tommy McFly (btw, his ancestors hail from Hof in northern Bavaria) and GAHF/GAHM executive director Katja Sipple: https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/4-must-haves-for-an-authentic-oktoberfest/3425907/

09/15/2023

"Die German Americans: Was wurde aus den deutschen Wurzeln?" The GAHM is getting some media attention! Listen to this broadcast by BR2 Wissen, which features interview segments with executive director Katja Sipple.

https://www.ardaudiothek.de/episode/radiowissen/die-german-americans-was-wurde-aus-den-deutschen-wurzeln/br/94780086/

08/05/2023

was born today, Aug. 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He was of German and Scottish descent. Armstrong died in 2012, but if you want to meet a living aerospace legend, join us on Oct. 7 to honor Hans Koenigsmann. https://gahmusa.org/hans-koenigsmann-2023-distinguished-german-american/

Armstrong entered Purdue University, studying aeronautical engineering, with the U.S. Navy paying his tuition under the Holloway Plan. At age 19, he became a midshipman, and a naval aviator in 1950. He saw action in the Korean War, flying the Grumman F9F Panther from the aircraft carrier USS Essex. Armstrong joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in the second group, which was selected in 1962. He made his first spaceflight as command pilot of Gemini 8 in March 1966, becoming NASA's first civilian astronaut to fly in space, and on July 20, 1969, he became the first person to walk on the moon.

08/01/2023

Immanuel Lutheran School in Alexandria, Va. is looking for a music teacher for the 2023/2024 school year!
ILS is based on the educational tradition started by German reformer Martin Luther, which led to the German gymnasium and the English public school. If you are passionate about music education, take a look at their Website: https://classicalchristian.org/job/immanuel-lutheran-school-alexandria-south-east-153-music-teacher/
The teacher will follow a robust music curriculum for students in Jr. K – grade 8, rooted in classical methodology with an emphasis on choral music, in keeping with the rich musical heritage of the Lutheran church.

07/26/2023

Set your alarm for 11:04 PM ET tonight to witness the launch of Falcon Heavy from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On another, we will be honoring the aerospace engineer Dr. Hans Koenigsmann, former VP of Build & Flight Reliability at , who was instrumental in developing the Falcon rockets and who made it possible for American astronauts to return to space in American rockets. Save the date: Saturday, Oct. 7 at The Willard Hotel in Washington, DC

Liftoff is scheduled for 11:04 p.m. ET tonight (July 26).

07/25/2023

On July 24, 134 years ago, Agnes Meyer Driscoll, known as “the First Lady of Naval Cryptology” was born in Geneseo, Ill., to a German father and American mother. After graduating from the University of Ohio, where she majored in physics, mathematics, languages, and music, she taught music and mathematics, she was recruited by the U.S. Navy as a Yeoman 1st Class (F) or “Yeomanette.”
Over the course of more than 40 years of working for the Navy and what would later become the National Security Agency, she pioneered American cryptological developments, breaking primarily Japanese cyphers, although she also worked on solving the German Enigma cypher during the Second World War.
Known as “Miss Aggie” or “Madame X” at the NSA, Driscoll was known as being kind and fiercely loyal to her workers–but had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly. By the height of her career, she had enough power to have any sailor she didn’t like stationed to Hawaii. She continued to serve as a cryptanalyst for the NSA until she reached the then-maximum retirement age of 70 in 1959, serving her country as long as it would allow her. She died in 1971, at the age of 82. In 2000, she was inducted into the National Security Agency Hall of Fame.
https://gahmusa.org/agnes-meyer-driscoll/

07/04/2023

Happy Fourth of July!
Take a look at our ongoing series celebrating German American members of the US Armed Forces as we celebrate Independence Day. https://gahmusa.org/biographies-and-voices-of-german-american-soldiers/
This is a work in progress, and new bios will be added in the coming weeks.

06/23/2023

Excellent and insightful discussion this week at the GAHM on the perception of Germany/Germans in the US and vice versa with Juliane Schäuble, US correspondent of German newspaper Tagesspiegel and Dr. Majid Sattar, the North America correspondent of German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine expertly moderated by Dr. Steven Sokol from the American Council on Germany. A big thank you to the Freundeskreis der CDU for organizing this event. We look forward to a having another event soon.

06/22/2023

Mark your calendars and secure your ticket now! We expect this event to sell out!
https://gahmusa.org/product/2023-distinguished-german-american-award-gala/

06/15/2023

Join us on Friday, July 7 from noon to 1:30 PM at the GAHM for a book presentation of "Magda, Standing" with author Christine Fallert Kessides.

Register by Friday, June 30 at
https://gahmusa.org/book-presentation-magda-standing-friday-july-7-from-noon-130-pm/

When her father pulls her out of high school to care for her invalid mother and little brother, 16-year-old Magda is devastated—but the greater challenge is saving her family in the face of a war and pandemic.

In 1916, the world is at war, even if America has not yet joined the effort. But for Magda, the growing hostility her German immigrant family faces hits close to home. Despite her domestic obligations, Magda persists with her education, determined to find an independent role for herself. Faced with the mounting crises of the war and the Spanish flu, Magda seeks the knowledge and strength to try to protect those she loves most.

06/13/2023

https://youtu.be/638EDVEbo4w
Discover the fascinating history behind German American artists Emanuel Leutze's famous painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware". Join art historian and documentary filmmaker Paul Glenshaw and GAHF's Katja Sipple as they retrace why, where, and how this incredible piece of American art came into existence.
https://youtu.be/638EDVEbo4w

05/24/2023

We are delighted to welcome Isabella Kiedrowski as our new administrative assistant to GAHF/GAHM.

Originally from the Chicagoland area, Isabella Kiedrowski was raised in a German-speaking home, and had a very traditionally German upbringing. A first-generation American, she remains firmly connected to her family’s European roots.

Isabella has worked in museums since 2015, when she started as a curatorial intern at the Evanston History Center in Evanston, IL. More recently, she was a research intern at the Maryland State Archives, as well as a Teaching Assistant in the music department at St. John’s College.

A recent graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., Isabella also holds a Certificate in Museum Studies from Northwestern University, and hopes to pursue further degrees in Dress & Textile History. She is excited to join the GAHM, where she looks forward to combining her twin passions for German culture and museum administration.

05/11/2023

Save the Date: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

We are excited to announce that Dr. Hans-Jörg Königsmann has agreed to be our 2023 Distinguished German American of the Year. As one of the first employees of SpaceX, still a startup at the time, he was hired by Elon Musk in 2002 as VP of Avionics, later Launch Chief Engineer, and finally as VP of Build and Flight Reliability he was responsible for the safe completion of SpaceX missions. The award will be presented on Oct. 7 at a formal gala at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. Please stay tuned for more information!

In the meantime, here's a brief interview with Dr. Königsmann from the 2018 International Astronautical Congress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dq0kOOS5Io

05/10/2023

Join Artist and Documentary Filmmaker Paul Glenshaw for a free lecture on Emmanuel Leutze's famous painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. Wednesday. May 24 at 6:30 PM at the GAHM. This event will be recorded. Free, but registration is required.

https://gahmusa.org/lecture-with-documentary-filmmaker-paul-glenshaw-may-24-at-630-pm/

As we prepare for America’s 250th birthday in 2026 and GAHF’s 50th anniversary, we will take a look back at the fascinating history of the famous painting that depicts General Washington crossing the frozen Delaware River the night of Dec. 25-26, 1776.

Have you ever found yourself staring at a famous work of art, not knowing why it’s important or the story it tells? With an artist’s insight, historian’s accuracy, and storyteller’s passion, Paul Glenshaw takes us across the globe where great works were made, revealing the stories they tell at the places they actually happened. Go back in time to discover how the real-life journeys of artists and their subjects intersect to create masterpieces. Art+History with Paul Glenshaw erases the distance between our time and the past, unlocking the epic human stories of joy, triumph, loss, and tragedy waiting for us in great works of art. We are delighted to welcome Paul to the GAHM this month. His presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

04/12/2023

Don't miss out on a great opportunity to hear the Karlsruhe Concert Duo! https://gahmusa.org/product/karlsruhe-concert-duo-performance-on-april-13-at-630-pm/

Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 PM at Washington, DC's historic The United Church near The George Washington University Campus.

The performance will include works by Beethoven, Bartholdy, Chopin, Liszt, and 20th century Argentine composer and inventor of nuevo tango Astor Piazzolla. Enjoy a fantastic musical fusion that brings together the great masters of the 19th century with Piazzolla’s modern tango creations that blend traditional tango tunes with classical elements and jazz.

Click here to get your ticket: https://gahmusa.org/product/karlsruhe-concert-duo-performance-on-april-13-at-630-pm/