Talking about festivals in October other than the Oktoberfest, are you planning on celebrating GERMAN-AMERICAN DAY?

October 6 is German-American Day. Just as Irish-Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day and invite everybody to participate in the celebration, on German-American Day Americans of German descent invite everyone to celebrate with them.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, communities with a sizable German-speaking element would celebrate in grand style the day of the German-Americans. In Indiana, it was a real Community-Fest with Indiana governors and Vice President Fairbanks (1899) as speakers. In Evansville, the grand German Day celebration in 1911 lasted for one week (September 24-30).

After the United States entered WW I against Germany in 1917, anti-German hysteria swept through the country. Many states passed legislation banning German in schools, religious services, newspapers and associations. Even in regions predominantly settled by German-speaking immigrants, cultural tolerance turned to Germanophobia, followed by abrupt abandonment of German-language programs in schools and colleges, churches, and associations.

Individual German settlers are documented already in Jamestown, Virginia (1608), the "birthplace" of America. However, it was on October 6, 1683, when a group of Mennonites from Krefeld disembarked from the "Concord" (the German Mayflower) in Philadelphia, constituting the first group immigration of Germans to America. Over 7 million would follow them over the next 300 years making German-Americans the largest ethnic group in the United States. In the 1990 Census 1 out of 4 Americans reported German ancestry.

In 1983, for the German-American Tricentennial of this first group immigration, President Reagan proclaimed October 6 as German-American Day, honoring the contributions of German immigrants to the life and culture of the United States. The tricentennial of the arrival of the first German immigrants was celebrated on that day in Washington and around the Nation.

In 1986, in an effort to reinstate this old tradition, a national campaign and petition drive was begun by German-Americans and others who thought it appropriate that the nation recognize and celebrate its German-American heritage every year. Subsequently, resolutions were introduced in the House by Reps. Thomas Luken of Cincinnati and Lee Hamilton of Indiana, and in the Senate by Senators Richard Lugar of Indiana and Don Riegle of Michigan. The resolutions received great support from around the nation in a concerted effort of national, regional, and local German-American organizations and countless individuals.

AN OLD TRADITION REVIVED: GERMAN-AMERICAN DAY RESOLUTION PASSES CONGRESS and GERMAN-AMERICAN DAY OBSERVANCE WILL BE OCTOBER 6, 1987, read the headlines of German-American newspapers. On August 6, 1987, Congress had approved S.J. Resolution 108, designating October 6, 1987 as German-American Day. It became Public Law 100-104 when President Reagan signed it on August 18. A proclamation to this effect was issued October 2, 1987 by President Reagan in a formal ceremony in the White House Rose Garden at which time the President issued the proclamation and called on Americans to observe the Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities:

We believe that October 6 is worthy of being recognized as German-American Day by the nation every year.

WHEREAS the tricentennial of the arrival of the first German immigrants to the United States was celebrated on October 6, 1983;

WHEREAS Public Law 100-104 designated October 6, 1987, as "German- American Day" and a proclamation was issued by the President October 2, 1987; and

WHEREAS such day was proclaimed by the President every year since 1987 to be German-American Day in honor of the contributions made by German immigrants to the life and culture of the United States;

WHEREAS such contributions should be recognized and celebrated every year;

RESOLVED that ________________________________________________ requests October 6, 1997 be proclaimed German-American Day.

You issued such a resolution in _____ and we express our appreciation to you. This year we ask, once again, for your help to establish October 6 as German-American Day by introducing another resolution to this effect.

German-American Day is a time of celebration, of raising awareness, strengthening a sense of identity and pride in the contributions of German-speaking immigrants and their descendants to the building of this nation. The designation "German" is used in a cultural, not in a political sense, thus including the German-speaking Swiss, Alsatians, Austrians, Germans from Eastern Europe, and German Jews.

There are celebrations on or around German-American Day in Washington, D.C. particularly also at the German-American Friendship Garden--followed by receptions and other events such as a German-American Day Festival. More recently an ecumenical church service has been held at the National City Christian Church. And there are celebrations in clubs and organizations around the Nation.

Americans of German descent have contributed much to the growth, strength and vitality of the Hoosier state. With 37.5% of our population claiming some German ancestry, German-Americans are still the largest ethnic group in the Indiana. There is reason to celebrate!

In 1995, following the example of other ethnic groups who celebrate a heritage month--such as the African-Americans, the Hispanic-Americans, Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans and American Indians--the United German-American Committee (UGAC-USA) passed a resolution "to declare the period from mid-September to about mid-October German-American Heritage Month. All of the activities in the German-American community that fall within this period (i.e. Steuben Parades, summer festivals, Oktoberfests, concerts, exhibits and other special events) should be identified as celebrations of our German-American heritage."

1. Request your governor, mayor or city council to declare October 6, 1987 as German-American Day in yourstate or community, and refer to the national celebration.

2. Organize a celebration or join in celebrating German-American Day.

3. Encourage a unit on the contributions of the German-Americans in your school.

We have other publications as well as a teaching unit: "German Immigration and Famous German-Americans," that was specifically designed for use on German-American Day, October 6 and is based on the video "Off To New Shores: 300 Years of German Immigration to North America."

If you send us your school address we mail you a copy of the unit free of charge. To order the video ($10 + $3 s/h): German Language Video Center, 7625 Pendleton Pike, Indpls. IN 46226 (Tel.317-547-1257).

Eberhard and Ruth Reichmann

Return to German-Americana Page.

Last updated September 14, 1996.